Had he done the right thing? Yeah sure he liked her, but kissing her?! *I hope I didn't offend her or anything... I... I'll ask about it tomorrow morning... Yeah...* Simon rolled around in the bed, turning from side to side, trying to find a comfortable position. *Aww crap! I forgot to show her my weird electrical finger snap. Oh well... first thing in the morning* He decided to just lay still and silent until sleep finds him.

Meanwhile, behind couple of walls. There was another restless soul searching for peaceful slumber, though the gifts of sleep had trouble finding her. Twilight wasn't sure what to think about the last minute actions, *I mean sure he's a nice guy, but I just don't if we're even... Compatible! Or something... *sigh... There's still so much more I want to know about him... OH NO!!! I forgot to write princess Celestia about him today in the hurry of organizing the welcoming party! She's going to think I'm tardy! I didn't even have anything new to report about friendship to her last week! I need to start immediately!" She nodded to herself in the bed and got up, heading for her worktable. A bottle of ink, quill and paper floated to the desk as she sat down, pondering about how to properly tell her mentor about a human appearing in Equestria for thousands of years!

Dear princess Celestia,

I contact you with heart full of excitement as I have made a discovery of the century...

------------------------------------

Location: ???

"Twilight?! Twilight where are you?! Twiiilight!" Simon ran through the burning streets of Ponyville, houses collapsing around him from the weakening of structural supports, whipping burning hot dust and ash in the air. Simon shielded his face, as he continued forwards in the burning tunnel, screams of terror, pain and fear echoing all around him. He did not wonder why the town was burning. He did not have the time, all he knew that he was here, now and Twilight was missing.

"Twilight!...'Cough! Cough!" He coughed from all the inhaled smoke and airborne debris. *This isn't good. It's going to take too long to search the streets by foot...* He shielded his face with his shirt.

"SIMON! Over here!" He turned right and saw someone caught under a support beam, probably from a nearby house. He hurried over and was surprised by who he saw.

"Rainbow Dash?!" He was surprised why the pegasus was on the ground in the burning town. Looking at the pillar, which she was caught under. He noticed how badly her other wing was injured, it was twisted at a sick looking angle. "Uuh... I think I can lift the pillar enough for you to get free, but be careful with your wing, it looks like it's broken." He estimated. "Get ready" He moved on to the unlit end of the support, grabbing it with both hands, he lifted with all of his strength, the pillar raising just barely couple of inches, but enough for Rainbow to pull her wing free. She stumbled couple of steps and leaned down on her front legs, Simon let the pillar go and it crashed back down on the rubble.

He made his way to Rainbow, "Don't move, can you feel all your limbs?" He looked her over, a couple of scratches and cuts here and there, but nothing prominently bad looking... Except her wing.

"I... I can't *hic feel my left wing" She stretched her right wing, tears rolling down her cheeks while the left one just drooped on the ground.

"Calm down... I-I'll try to stop the bleeding" Simon felt unsure about how to help her. He tried to use his hoodie to tie the wing to her waist.

"Why..." She whimpered, "Why'd you do it Simon?..." She turned her head sideways to him, her tear-stained and bloodshot eyes, but there was something welling up much deeper in those. An unseen smoldering fire was being fueled, growing in intensity and size by the moments.

Simon gave a deeply worried look, *She doesn't make any sense... Is she in shock?!*, "Alright, calm down Dash. You're in shock Can you feel pain anywhere else except in your..." He looked at her wing and back at her eyes. She gulped deeply and shut her eyes, turning away. "Actually I think there is a slight pain in my back hoof..." she said in quite dull, cold way, hiding away her emotions for a moment.

"Let me take a look, which hoof?" she nodded toward her left side. Simon crouched down right behind her and inspected the limb first for obvious external injuries, cuts, bruises etc. "Where is it hurting? I can't see anything obvious wrong with it?" Seeing nothing obvious.

"I think it's coming right from the bottom of the hoof" Unseen by Simon, she was gritting her teeth hard, her eyes still shut tight and her brow furrowing lower.

"Oh you're about to get an idea how much it hurts...." She whispered under her breath

Turning back to the hoof he lifted it backwards to him, so he could see the bottom of it. No blood, no cuts or even scratches visible. He brought his face right up to it, in case it was something very small embedded into the hoof, *Maybe it's a hairline fracture somewhere...*, "I can't see anything wrong with your hoof, but let's get out of the town and have doctor check it" He still held it right in front of his face.

"Oh you're the one who's going to be needing a doctor!" She let the fire inside her explode! Something shot towards his face from the right side and then he just saw stars. His body momentarily lifted off of the ground from the force of the kick, even though it was just one hoof. He flew couple of meters backwards, landing on his back. Dash walked over to him and gave a firm kick to his side, eliciting a groan from him "Don't you dare to pass out!"

Simon's head was absolutely swimming as he opened his eyes from the kick. Everything was a complete blur and his right eye was aching like a bastard. A big blue glob entered from the bottom of his vision, letting the situation sink in for a moment, "Why did I deserve that?" He groggily asked.

"WHA-! YOU!... YOU BASTARD!" She kicked him again in the side, "HOW DARE YOU AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" She yelled in complete fury.

Simon was holding his right side, "I... I... I don't understand" fearful that another kick was coming his way, but it was about to get a little worse than that.

Instead of quelling the fire, the comment just added fuel to it. Dash was completely enraged by what she was hearing. "Well let me refresh your memory then" Her voice full of sarcasm. She climbed on top of his chest, "First you arrive in Ponyville and we take you in!" she reared up on her back hoofs and stomped hard on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. "You gain our trust and princesses' !" She stomped on his chest again, the taste of blood filling his mouth. "You go missing and we search desperately for you, but find nothing!" He swore he broke a rib as the hooves came down again. "You suddenly emerge as an ally for the changeling empire and try to usurp the throne!" He coughed blood now, the little pony summoning fierce strength for her size. "And after failing to take the throne you attack Ponyville! AND THEN SAY YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Tears of anger and sadness rolling down her cheeks, falling onto his face.

Simon didn't say anything, I mean, what could he say?! Maybe the prophecy was real and true after all! But why couldn't he remember anything? How could he have gone along with such a terrible thing!

"I'm putting an end to this, right here and now" She steeled her gaze, "I cannot allow you to continue your path of destruction any further..." the surrounding flames glimmering in her eyes. "Goodbye Simon" She raised once more on her backhoofs, but this time her target was higher on his torso, his head.

"Please... no" Simon weakly pleaded, lifting his arms to cover his face, just in time to see those hooves starting to come down carrying their deadly power behind them, the fire crackling in his ears, the smoke burning his nose, the taste of his blood on his tongue. He shut his eyes... and was plunged into the darkness.

The sounds of crackling fire disappearing around him, replaced by complete soundless void...
The gut wrenching pain of his broken ribs fading away, leaving a feeling of tranquility behind...
The taste of blood washing away, like seawater bashing the beach's sand, leaving a slight taste of salt in his mouth...
*If this is what dying feels like... It ain't so bad actually... I feel at peace now... I guess there is afterlife... my soul just floating here...*

He took a deep breath through his nose, smell of smoke no longer present, but a filling feeling of something shooting down his nasal tunnel and straight into his lungs. He was suffocating! But how could one suffocate in the afterlife?! He exhaled and bubbles came out of his mouth as he covered it with his hands. Looking around he did not detect any kind of light anywhere. He was essentially floating in the darkness suffocating or I guess drowning was more accurate at this point, inhaling again just to feel the faintly salty water rush into his lungs. Coughing by reflex he exhaled the inhaled water and the rest of the remaining air in his lungs, bubbles again filling his vision, but the bubbles didn't stay still for long as they started lazily floating in a direction. *Wait! Bubbles float to the surface* He whipped his head towards their destination and saw a small glimmer of light! Doing the world's fastest breaststrokes he shot towards it! Passing his bubbles along the way, the light grew wider and wider, blotches starting to form from the uniformity.

Next to a pristine white grand castle was a small garden bathed in moonlight. The garden followed the curvature of the castle, built upon a mountain, the sight over the guardrail revealing beautiful views to far distances. The garden itself was kept spotless, a small walkaway made from cut pieces of marble snaked through it, either end going back into the castle. The bushes along the path were sheared into forms of animals and walls, a gap every now and then leading into a small clearing with a bench in the middle. No dead leaves or twigs anywhere to be seen.

Nested in the middle compared to the path, was a pond. The water's undisturbed black surface mirroring the moon. Anyone staring into the pond would see their own image reflected back, the dark water seemingly depthless. Suddenly, something started to rise from the inky depths, rising to the surface, breaking the mirror like calm of it, the moon's reflection distorted by the ripples radiating outwards from the point where first bubbles had breached the surface. Soon another rose to the surface, then another and another! Something big coming up from the pond!

Simon's hand broke out from the pond's surface, grabbing the side of it and yanking himself out! Coughing couple of mouthfuls of water he draw a lungful of the fresh and cool night air. Taking ragged breath on his knees and hands next to the water feature. "Bloody hell! I wasn't sure I'd make it *Cough *Cough"

Simon rose to a crouched stance, he scanned the surroundings. "Who are you?" He yelled back.

"Oh young human *soft giggle, who I am is not important right now, but rather... who you will become in the future."

A dark blue hoof, covered in darker shade regalia, emerged from behind a tree, walking towards him the cloak of night retreated from the hoof upwards, revealing a big dark blue alicorn, at least the height of himself and eyes glowing bright white was standing in front of him. A night of crescent moon decorating her hindquarters. Simon took a step backwards, reading himself for anything.

The alicorn cleared her throat, "The real question, Simon, is that will you be one they predict in the prophecy to be the catalyst for the destruction of Equestria, or will you be able to defy your future and become the savior of Equestria" She spoke with a calm, authoritative voice.

"I have been keeping an eye on, as the keeper of dreams I have the ability to enter a person's dreams. I usually guard our loyal subjects from nightmares, but once I detected something different from a pony having a dream, I decided to investigate and found you." She pointed a hoof at him.

"Keeper and protector of dreams, eh? Well I would have to say you've been sleeping on the job" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I have never had more horrible nightmares and the ones before, so thanks for nothing!"

"One must understand that we were just observing the situation first, before introducing ourselves." She actually bowed her head just a little bit.

"Who I am will be revealed in due time, but I have a feeling we will be meeting very soon face-to-face. As for telling more about ourselves, I decline as one can only make so much of prediction what kind of a person by his or her dreams."

Simon felt annoyed that she didn't tell him anything other than that she was the keeper of dreams. *I think I have heard that phrase before somewhere...*, "You said you have been watching my dreams earlier? But I haven't seen you before?"

"I watched your dream of the Canterlot and the castle being seiged by the Changeling empire, I stayed hidden while watching you enter the castle and roam the halls. How unfortunate that you couldn't save Rain Shine" She lowered her head.

Maybe it was more than just a dream... Maybe what he saw really was the future of Equestria, except that Twilight said that the current kingdom had two rulers, which both were princesses. So it couldn't be the future, as the female unicorn had said that he had killed her husband. Could it be?... "My friend Twilight told me that there was a great war 2000 years ago, and that the king and queen had perished before the war ended, doesn't that correspond more to what I saw?"

Her eyes widened for moment before she crunched her brows in thought, "I believe you might be correct, human. So why would you see the end of the great war? For some reason we feel that something is missing, something doesn't line up properly... So Twilight told you about the war, that means for a certain that she had read it from a history book..."

In their deep thoughts and conversations they both missed the moon starting to disappear behind the horizon, the sky starting to turn light orange on the other side.

"Young Twilight Sparkle? Of course we do! She is our sister's esteemed protege." The sentence didn't click in Simon's mind for now, but he started pondering about it. "But we must go for now, as we have something to research."

She turned toward the behind horizon disappearing moon and back to him, "The answer is closer than you think, but I must investigate something" she just replied and continued back into the garden out of his sight.

"Closer than I think?" He watched the moon completely disappear behind the horizon, as rays of light started to raise from the opposite direction. The tops of the trees started to lighten up as the sunshine hit them. Simon shielded his eyes, as he turned to the sunrise. His eyes saw something unsettling. The landscape was vanishing away! The shining becoming brighter and brighter until everything he could see was just complete white.

------------------------------------

Twilight settled down the the quill and yawned widely, she had been awake for couple of hours writing the message to Celestia. Dark pockets beneath her eyes she grabbed another piece of paper and quickly wrote a note on it: 'Spike, send this letter to celestia as soon as you awake.'. Wrapping up the important letter and putting a seal of royal letter on it, She set them both next to the Spike's sleeping basket, where the little dragon was snoring happily, "Sleep well my number one assistant" she caressed his cheek.

Wobbling towards her bed, she hardly managed to keep her eyes open as their lids felt like they were made of concrete. Reaching the bed she just tipped over the side and rolled happily in the middle of it, not even bothering to pull on the blanket. The warm summer night air still keeping the air warm enough inside the library. She nuzzled against the pillow contently, not caring about the problems for a moment. She drifted into deep, peaceful slumber.

------------------------------------

Time: Morning

Sunlight trickled through the window into the room. The ray just perfectly aligning itself on Simon's closed eyelids, as they suddenly jerked open. "God damit!" He swore, rolling onto his other side away from the blinding light. Pulling the pillow over his head like someone would have been jackhammering concrete outside his room. Holding the position for a moment before groaning out, peeking out from under the pillow. "Still here..." He muttered under his breath, as he rose to sit on the edge of the bed, the pillow dropping off of his head before tumbling first into the bed's side and then to the ground.

Simon looked like death incarnate. Big bags under both of his eyes, unshaven stubble dotting his jawline, under the nose, sideburns and neck. Even somehow his long buzzcut looking disheveled, like every hair had it's own mine about what direction to point. He rubbed his eyes, shaking the last of the sleeping sand off, "This is gonna be one of those days again..." he sighed to himself and got up and grabbed his new shirt and jeans.

On his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, tea or something. He had to pass right next Twilight's quarters to get to the stairs leading down, a tinge of panic running over his head. Fortunately the purple mare was still dreaming away on the bed, the blanket splayed over the end of the bed. He smiled to himself, seeing her sleeping like that. He went and pulled the blanket up off of the end and tucked it over her body, ending very close to her face. He watched her sleeping face, bringing a hand up to it, he pushed a couple of hairs to the side off her face. God he wanted to give her a quick peck on the head! But managed to distract himself with the thought of hot, fresh brewed, sweet... COFFEE. He left the bed and headed to the kitchen.

He opened the door the door to the kitchen and saw Spike making breakfast on the stove, "Morning Spike" He greeted the dragon and pulled a chair from under the dinner table.

"What'cha cooking there?" Simon smelled the air trying to guess what it would be, but nothing distinctive was floating in the air.

"I'm making a pot of oatmeal. Twilight asked me to cook it guessing that you could eat it too"

Simon rubbed his empty stomach, which growled back in response. "Yea sounds good, too bad Twilight won't be able to eat it with us"

"When I was coming to the kitchen I saw her still sleeping, looking cute as-- I- I MEAN STILL SNORING LOUDLY" He quickly covered his ass, as blush creeped up his cheek's. Spike thankfully still concentrating on the still bubbling porridge.

"HA! I don't know how many times I have told her that she snores, but she doesn't believe me!"

"haa haa haaaa, that she does" Simon fake laughed, gulping silently. "Aa Spike, you wouldn't happen to have any coffee in the kitchen would you?"

"Coffee, hmmm... Check in that cupboard in the corner" He pointed a claw to the wooden cupboard, "The porridge is almost ready, but I have something I need to do before I can brew the coffee"

Simon reached up in the corner and opened the cupboard. The sweet aroma of herbs and spices flowing into his nose. *Coffee coffee coffee...* He went through through all the little packets of different herbs, finally coming to a packet that said 'Sunshine coffee, the finest coffee in Equestria!' a little mare in the middle of a wheat field decorating the front side.

"The porridge is ready" Spike pulled the pot of the stove, "Did you find the coffee yet?"

"Yea I found something" He pulled the packet out of the cupboard and went back to the table, setting the coffee on it and sitting down. "So what did you need to do before brewing it?"

"Oh I just need set one letter, which Twilight had written in the night. Help yourself to some porridge meanwhile, bowls are in the cupboard over the sink and there's some milk in the fridge." Spike grabbed the letter from a stool.

*Oh that's why she was still sleeping, I wonder what she wrote about... and to whom?...* He grabbed a bowl and a spoon from a drawer and filled the bowl with some hot, steaming oatmeal. Setting the bowl down on the dinner table, he opened the fridge for some milk. Surprisingly it was in a classic glass bottle. "Hey Spike, how does this fridge work? I mean how does it stay cold?" He looked at the fridge's inner back wall, no pipes or anything in there.

"It gets it's energy from a special crystal that is connected to the back of it" Simon took a peak behind the fridge, a fist sized red crystal glowing softly was in a compartment at the top of it, "The crystals runs out of power every month or so, but Twilight recharges it with magic when it does".

*Crystals as energy storage device, fascinating... I need to ask Twilight to get me one for experiments* He poured some milk into the porridge and put the milk back in the fridge. Sitting down he took a spoonful of it and was delighted, surprisingly it tasted somehow much sweeter and tastier than back on earth. He set about munching on the breakfast.

Spike lifted the letter up, "Watch this" Spike puffed out a green wisp of flame, which engulfed the letter and carried up about two feet before disintegrating away.

"I didn't burn it! That was special flame that sends the letter to whoever it was appointed to. You see any ashes on the ground?"

Spike was right, there was no traces of the letter at all, no ashes or other residue. "Who do you think it was appointed to?" he went back to the porridge.

"Probably to princess Celestia" He nonchalantly replied and grabbed the coffee packet Simon had dug out of the corner cupboard.

Simon's mouth stopped, a bit of porridge trickling out from the corner of it, "You mean Celestia, the ruler of Equestria?"

"Yea Celestia, I mean Twilight is her protegee, so it's nothing unsusual" He poured some coffee ground in a stove top coffee pot.

Simon went reluctantly back to his porridge, suddenly feeling a lot less hungry, the words of the alicorn from his dream haunting his mind. "Twilight, my sister's protegee..." he left that sentence to turnover in his brain.

------------------------------------

Location: Canterlot Castle

The goddess of the sun was busy handling the daily affairs, arranging meetings and hearings. Reading important documents and signing contracts and permissions. The sun already following it's daily route across the sky, drawing only a minimal amount of magic.

"We're heading to bed dear sister" A dark blue alicorn announced from the entrance of her office.

"Goodnight Luna, sleep well" Celestia wished her sister who continued toward her own room through the halls.

She turned back to the paperwork, but before she managed to start again a small crackle of fire caught her attention, green smoke materializing in the air, collecting together and floating towards her, a letter dropping as the smoke finished, she caught it with her magic. "I wonder who this might be from?" She removed the seal and enfolded the scroll. She started reading it...

Ponies in the canterlot market who were going about their business, others buying and looking for their daily supplies and items, while others were hard at announcing their wares and prices to the by goers. Everyone could have sworn that the day got a little dimmer suddenly, couple of muzzles rising up to the sun, confirming that it was still there while no clouds were in sight. It was like somebody suddenly turned down the power to the lights...

The end of the goddess' magical mane was bursting into flames every now and then, as she reached the end of the letter. "Guard!" She yelled toward the door.

"I have received distressing news. I am raising the alert level of the guard to 3 from 0 and tell the captain of the guard to meet me in my quarters, now!" She barked at the guard, who honored her again before running out into halls in hurry. She turned her back to the door and bit her lip, "How could they have come back?... I sent all of them into oblivion..."

"JAB! BLOCK! COUNTER!" The castle's inner yard echoed as multiple rows of guard ponies repeated the moves with a spear. More well armored unicorn with a blue mane and a shield and swords crossed on his flank patrolled through the rows, inspecting the training. "Put your weight behind it!" He yelled towards a particular guard, who he clearly saw wasn't performing the move like intended. "This is not fun and games!" he continued through the rows, "This will be the base of your future combat skills! If you slack here, it might get you killed when the real deal comes!" He shouted reminders why they were here.

Close to the yard, a guard ran out of doorway, "Captain! Captain!" He ran yelling towards the armored unicorn.

"Her royal highness has ordered the alert level of the guards to 3 as well as summoning you to her quarters!" He announced.

"All right everybody, we have just entered a state of heightened security, so look sharp! Everyone of you get your armor and weapons and go to your designated positions!" He ordered the training guards. "You two and you" He stopped two guards before they left and also addressed the messenger, "Go tell the other companies about the announcement and make your way after that to your designated positions!".

They did honors and went their way, while he headed towards the sun goddess' quarters.

Not far away though, one of the guards that were training stopped, "I need to inform the higher ups that something is happening..." he looked around first making sure no one was there to see him, he pulled a small green orb out of his armor, muttered something and it started to glow.

"Something is happening at the castle, our alert level has been raised and the captain was summoned to Celestia's quarters. With the guards in position the amount of them around the outer wall of Canterlot will be greatly reduced."

"This presents us with a chance to deal some fear into the snobby dwellers, slink back into the guard and keep us posted on future developments. It's time to strike back... hahaha... HAHAHA... HAHAHAA!" The voice laughed maniacally in it's deep voice.

The guard picked up put the orb back inside his armor, "Bloody heck this thing chaffs so much" he cursed as he emerged from the dark corner.

Celestia paced backwards and forwards in her room, going over how a human could have gotten again into Equestria in the first place. Well, no matter. She was going to put an end to it before anything could happen.

"I have already sent the guards to their positions and alerted the other companies as well. So what is the matter your highness?"

"Something ancient and evil has come back to Equestria, something that I personally had banished thousands of years ago..." She grinded her hoof against the intriguingly patterned carpet. "The human scourge..."

"Humans? But didn't they all disappear back when the great war ended?" The captain asked.

"Indeed they did, because I sent them off into another dimension, so they could never spread their plague. Nothing good ever comes from humans captain, don't forget that" She walked to the open balcony with the captain in tow. "What is even more distressing, is that I got a letter from your sister Twilight, in which she told how a human was living with her. She seemed very excited and happy in it, but I'm afraid she has already fallen under the human's brainwashing..."

"Twily is in danger?! Oh I'm going to show that no good human!..." Armor punched his hoofs together in anger.

"Oh yes the human is a master of turning those against him, onto his side. They are never to be trusted, everything coming out of their mouth surely just meant for skewering your mind onto their side, but with haste we can still save her! I want you to gather five of your most experienced and skilled guards and meet me in the royal hall in ten minutes!" The captain shot out of the room, already knowing which five to pick.

*The humans are the masters of lies and deception...* Celestia walked confidently out of the room, behind the captain.

------------------------------------

Location: The Library

"I'm sorry!" Simon was begging with his hands clasped, on his knees in front of the now awoken Twilight. "I went overboard last night, I shouldn't have done what I did!" Spike glanced upstairs, hearing the racket, but went back to arranging the books to the shelves. "If it's any consolidation, I had terrible nightmares last night... also weird".

Twilight was having hard time to get a turn to say something before Simon interrupted with more apologies, but as the aural flood continued, she grabbed a flower vase from her night stand and poured the water from it on his head, "Can I get a turn to say something now?".

"Now now, I'm not mad at you" She put vase back on her night table. "What happened last night happened, no changing that, but maybe try to be a little more reserved in the future,but not that I didn't enjoy it..." A slight blush creeping.

"WHAT!? I think I got water in my ear!" Simon tilted his head to the side, trying to get most of the water out.

"Sorry about the water... Need help with that?" She offered, levitating couple of fallen petunias back into the vase.

"I think an everything-is-cool-between-us hug would help tremendously" He looked at her sideways with puppy eyes, pleading.

"*Sigh... You humans are weird sometimes" But she still walked up to him and crossed her front hoofs behind her neck, hugging him.

"I try my best..." He said back embracing her back, get a new whiff of her coat's scent, "you're cute..." he tightened the hug for moment.

Simon jumped out of the hug back on his feet, "I MEAN YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE CUTTING WOOD WHEN YOU SNORE!".

"I sound like what now?..." Simon couldn't see her face as it was turned straight towards the floor, but the wisps of flame rising from the end of her mane and tail served as a good enough indication about her emotional state.

"Uh-oh" Was pretty much all that Simon managed to say before he ducked out of the way of earlier vase, which smashed against the bookshelf behind him. Already more items floated behind Twilight, as steam blew from her nostrils.

Simon took off in clockwise direction of the upper floor. Maintaining an unpredictable movement pattern, as he watched books, curtains, quills and seemingly anything that wasn't fastened down come sailing past him. Cringing as he passed a feather quill that had embedded itself into the thick wood wall at least an inch. I mean if that thing or a book hit him with that kind of force, it was not going to be pretty!

Spike looked at the stampede going around the upstairs. He was going to need to clean that up, he sighed to himself.

------------------------------------

Location: The Royal Hall

Celestia kept tapping her hoof against the marble floor nervously, *What is taking them so long?! They were supposed to be here 10 seconds ago!* she kept glancing toward the main doors. *I wonder if I should tell Luna about this... No. She doesn't need to concern herself with menial things like this. I'l take care of it swiftly and quietly*.

The doors burst open with thrumming of hoof steps, the captain in the front of different types of guard ponies, 2 earth ponies, 2 unicorns and one female pegasus. Hurrying to her, they quickly formed a row in front of her, "Special guard force assembled as you requested your highness!" they did honors.

"Excellent! We will be leaving to Ponyville immediately! Gather around me, quickly now!" She stood in front of them.

"But don't we need to get the royal chariot, so we can leave?" The captain asked.

"The urgency of the situation urges us to make haste, so we will be teleporting to the tree library. But we must approach the situation delicately, so no engaging in combat before I give the order."

A question popped in the captain's head "How will we get the human trash out of there, if we don't have a containment chariot?"

"I have already sent one on it's way, it'll arrive soon after us. Now gather around"

"Just get in a circle around me" She commanded. The captain practically pushing the poor guard toward her, shaking his head at his subordinate's comment. They formed a hexagon circle around the princess, her horn glowing as the last guard got in place, "But yes, the first time might induce some ill feeling" she added just as the glowing whited out the world around them, before vanishing from the royal hall with a pop.

------------------------------------

Location: The Library

Simon was holding on to the table in middle of the ground floor, hiding his face behind the carved horse head on top the table. A still angry looking unicorn being still on the other side, darting left and right to try to get to Simon, while he kept mimicking the moves in the opposite direction, staying on the opposite side.

It was then when Twilight stopped and her horn lighted up brightly, the wooden horse head starting to glow as a groaning sound of wood emanated from the tables legs. Simon guessed she was trying to rip off the head and hurl it at him, worthy adversary indeed... He didn't feel very concerned yet, but when instead of just the horse head, the whole table ripped up off of the floor along with the horse head still attached he felt a twinge of panic strike his heart.

The table rose higher, revealing a ragged breathing unicorn behind, a fiery mane waving around behind her. Simon looked at the sighted and leaped behind the couch next to him, peeking from behind, watching as the table turned in the air, until the horse head was pointed at him like the head of a spear. Maybe it was time to put an end to this...

"Okay okay! I forfeit!" he threw his hands in the air, "You don't snore when you sleep!".

"Oh I think you can do a bit better than that, Simon" Twilight said with a cheeky grin, while shaking the table expectantly.

"And I meant to add that when you sleep, it's in fact like requiem of angels coming down from the heaven's to calm the mind's of everybody in the immediate vicinity, while Spike wokes himself up by his own snoring" The sugarcoating of the sentence nearly causing Simon a diabetic shock.

"Traitor!" Came a yell from upstairs. Spike had moved there when the duo in run and pursuit had moved downstairs, leaving a very sizable mess behind, which the dragon was now cleaning up.

The floor shook and thumped when the table was lowered back down on it, "We cool?" Simon rose from behind the couch, giving a careful thumbs up to the unicorn, who had by now reverted back to her normal, non-flamey state. Actually thinking about, do ponies even have anything equivalent to the thumbs up? Maybe the meaning was just completely lost to everypony...

"We two are very cool at the moment, so cool in fact that you should start concerning yourself how cool you're with a certain dragon in the household" She turned toward the kitchen, "Now why don't you help Spike clean up this mess, while I go eat some breakfast" oh she looked just way too merry on her way to the kitchen leaving the two in charge of cleaning up the mess.

"Sorry about that last thing I said buddy, but I thought I was going to end up as hood ornament for that horse statue" Simon rubbed the back of his head while giving a sorry grin.

"If you're really sorry, come up here and say it again" The owner of the voice still not showing himself.

*Maybe I should straighten my act up, before I say or do something I'll regret later* He sighed as he took the first step of the metaphorically long feeling stairs, "Buddy?" he tentatively asked at the top of them.

"Not. Cool" Came a stern voice from behind him. Turning, he came face-to-face with a annoyed looking little dragon, "Man, I thought you had my back on this" he pouted with crossed arms.

"ahhahaa... Sorry about that Spike" He patted the grumpy dragon on the head, "Fear of death is quite a powerful thing you see... I'll make it up to you somehow".

"Put it there pal!" He laid his hand open in front of him, palm up. The dragon giving a questioning look, "Give it a slap." Simon nodded to it. Spike gave it soft slap *slap, "now you" he motioned to Spike's hand to flip it around, *SLAP, the room almost echoing to the sound.

"Aaaand to finish it" Simon offered his closed fist to Spike, "bump it with your fist" he kept his hand still. "Bros?" He asked as Spike slowly approached with his own fist.

"Bros" Spike grinned, Simon moving his fist to meet his. Both of them smiling widely at the exchange.

"Okay you go downstairs, I'll clean the upstairs" Simon suggested, which Spike did not refuse, as the downstairs was in much neater condition even though he had been cleaning the upstairs.

Minutes passed by as the dragon and the human cleaned up the tracks of the calamity known as Twilight. Sweat was shed, as deeply embedded quills were pulled out of the walls, repaired with a piece of tape and glue and placed bank on the writing table. Thrown books were collected and assorted back into the shelves around. The table was nailed back onto the floor, before someone accidentally tipped it over and the floors were swept clean from the dust and whatever dirt had dislodged from the ceiling, from the rumbling unicorn.

*Knock *Knock, The sound of somebody knocking on the front door disrupted the duo's cleaning trance, "I'll get it" Spike hollered to SImon on the second floor.

Simon turned back to the bookshelf, missing the hoof that grabbed Spike when he opened the door and pulled him outside.

"Uh, Simon" Came Spike's muffled yell from the ajar door. Simon turned to the door, "Someone has come to see you, could you come here?". *Hmm, I wonder who could come to see me?* He pondered as he made his way to the door.

"Who is it Spi-" He asked opening the door, but stopped, as half a dozen of different weapons rose up to point at him. He looked over the offenders, different specie ponies glad in full body armor were surrounding the front door, a pegasi hovering almost above him, holding a pair of sharp looking daggers. Two earth ponies with crossbows fastened to their back armor, stood at the back, while three unicorns were the most close to him in the front. A sword floating next to the right one and a spear next to the left one, but the third unicorn seemed more special than the two. Glad in more colorful and covering armor than the rest.

Simon was starting to put his weight on his back leg when the unicorn in charge spoke out, "Are you Simon the human?".

Simon took a second take on the ponies, "Maybe be I am... What is it to you?" He grasped the door's handle tighter.

"I SAID ARE YOU SIMON?!" The unicorn snarled, the other guard's taking a step forward, readying their weapons.

They seemed too angry to be the town's guards and Simon was not sure how to deal with this situation, because they sure didn't seem to be wanting just a friendly talk. "Aaah, just a second" He shut the door in front of the flabbergasted guards and held on the handle, "Twilight! TWILIGHT! Trouble!" he yelled to the kitchen.

"I don't know! There are some kind of armed guards who are asking if I am a human!" He told her, but still held hard onto the door handle. A glow shone through the door's little window, getting brighter slowly.

"Simon" Twilight said with cold voice, watching the glow get brigther, "Get away from the door!" She rushed toward him.

Of course instinctively Simon looked to the door, but was blinded by the bright flash through the door's window, as it suddenly blow off of it's hinges into the room. The shards of glass from the window cut into Simon's face. Luckily missing his eyes, as he flew against the couch. Twilight jumped aside as the door impacted into the table's horse head, ripping and knocking it off from the table.

Through the smoke left behind from the blast in the doorway, charged in 5 guards, quickly surrounding the still disoriented Simon, while the looming shadow of the sixth guard cast a long dark shadow on Simon, walking slowly into the room.

"Simon the human! You are hereby placed under arrest by the order of the Princess Celestia! We have been given the authorization to use lethal force if necessary, so you're advised to come along quietly!" The unicorn announced, as he walked in. His voice devoid of sympathy or remorse.

"Big brother?" Twilight asked from behind one the guards, who was holding her back from being able to go to Simon.

"Twily?" The unicorn's head turned toward her voice. The smoke settled down, allowing him to see her little sister. "Twily!" He quickly rushed over to embrace her, "I was worried about you!".

Simon coughed a couple times, clearing the smoke from his lungs. The guards around him readied their weapons, ready to strike if he did any fast movements. Simon carefully rose to a sitting position against the couch, *Ughh, why do I taste blood?* he wiped his face, cringing as sharp tinges of pain shot through his skin at some points. He tried to look at his hand, but his eyes stung horribly. Blood seeped into both them from a large cut, "Twilight?" he spoke, while holding a hand out, trying to feel out his surroundings.

Twilight looked over to him from her brother's shoulder, "Simon, oh my god!" seeing his bloody face, she wrenched herself off her brother to get to him, but an earth pony and an unicorn stepped in her way, "What are you doing?! He needs medical attention! Brother!" She pleaded for him.

The two guards holding her back, took hold of both of her front hoofs and started pulling her towards the stairs, "Why are you doing this brother?!" she yelled to him. Simon, hearing that Twilight was being taken away, dropped his outreached hand and clenched it in a tight fist. Anger starting to bubble up inside him, small sparks jumping inside his fist.

"I'm sorry Twily, but I'm under the direct order of princess Celestia herself" He coldly replied. "I've got no choice, but to follow them. National security is i----".

The captain stopped, as a faint laughter was heard, as it grew in volume he turned towards Simon who was holding his head. Visibly shaking as he kept chuckling louder and louder, the laughter turning more maniacal until he whipped his head upwards and laughed so hard that the 3 guard ponies took couple of steps back from him. "You know you're a sorry sack of shit for a big brother" He suddenly stopped and turned to the captain with open eyes, which looked like tears of blood were streaming from them. Coupled with the cuts on his face he looked like something out of a horror film, blood dripping down to the floor.

"What did you say?..." The captain gritted his teeth, how dare this creature say such things!

"I said you're a sorry excuse for a big brother" Simon rose up to his feet, "How could you do something so distressing to your little sister?!" He motioned toward the teary eyed unicorn, hurt by her brother's rash actions and her mentor's orders. "I should kick your ass for that"

Shining Armor looked at him with despise filled eyes, "Guards, move a bit more further away... I'm about to show this creature it's place in the world" he snarled through gritted teeth. The guards looked at each others, but when they saw the captain's horn start infusing with magic so strong that it was creating sparks as it gathered, they pleasantly backed away. Any of them haven't seen the captain this riled up before.

"No! Please stop you two!" Twilight fought against the guards, she didn't want either of them hurting the other.

As Shining gathered more magical energy in his horn, a purple astral tentacle started to snake toward Simon. The tip only floated about a feet away from Shining's horn and stopped there, like it was inspecting it's prey. Simon watched the tentacle writhe about, like it was looking for the best spot to strike. He thought about trying to circle around it to Shining's backside, but the other guards would have probably try to prevent it. *Crap* He cursed as it pretty much meant the only direction for offense would be a head-on charge. Clenching his fist tighter, he could feel the faint tingling sensation of the electricity jumping between his fingers and palm.

Just as he was about to crouch down for a sprinting start, he noticed how the tentacle had coiled up a lot of it's length behind it's tip. He remember one time at his grandparent's house at their pool, there was this little shed next to the pool that housed the water filtration unit and one morning when he went to check the chloride levels in the water, he heard a hissing after he had stepped inside. It turned out that local snakes liked to use shed's like that as den's. He saw the snake also coiled the same way as the astral tentacle just before it... *Shit!*

The tentacle shot forward, Simon raised his hand's to guard his face, but through the little crack between them he saw how with incredible speed and agility the tentacle snaked it's way right through it. It kept going past his neck, "Hah! I think you should learn to aim a bit better next time!" he grasped the tentacle feeling it had general substance to it.

The captain lifted his head and smirked at the comment, "Or maybe I didn't miss?".

Simon's eyes shot wide with dread, as he felt the tentacle start twisting around his neck. Before he could even try to start yanking it off, it had coiled itself at least three times around his neck. It's grip getting tighter and tighter, constricting his windpipe and not only that, it started to lift him up by his neck, his feet lifting off the ground. The combined weight effectively cutting his airways completely shut, while forcing increased amount of blood into his head. Simon grabbed the middle part of the tentacle for support. He felt his eye bulge out as the blood rushed into them from the increased pressure.

"No! Stop! You're gonna kill him!" Twilight pleaded to her brother, who completely ignored her, concentrating on his objective. "Brother please..."

Simon managed to catch a glimpse of her at the corner of his eyes. The sight and feeling it produced flipped something on inside him, he grabbed the part of the tentacle in front of which lead down to the captain. Feeling the surge through his body he concentrated it on his hands, his arm hairs standing up from the charge which flowed through his arm to his palms. The air filled with low buzzing noise, as the charge built up. Sparks started to jump between his fingers, but not between his hands. As the charge built up, the air around his hands started to became ionized, the sparks no longer jumping just between his fingers, but into the surrounding air as well. Creating a fearsome display as he had effectively a ball of lighting in both of his hands.

The captain had been watching the situation progress and decided to end it. The tentacle started to coil up even tighter around Simon's neck. Was the captain trying to snap his neck or rip his head off? Well it didn't matter anymore, as Simon felt the charge reach a level so high that any higher and it would the gap between his hands, so with the hand closer to him, he grabbed the astral tentacle. The air filled with electrical chirps and zap's as his irises turned to electrical blue for a moment when he released the charge into the appendage. The room was filled with a bright, white flash and an ear shattering bang, like lightning had struck the inside of the library.

The floor shook as something hit it right after the flash with a good *THUD!. The captain could feel something happen to the end of the astral projection, but he still clearly felt it was touching and holding onto something. He blinked and narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what had made the thudding sound, not having enough time to close and shield his eyes from the flash. As his eyes slowly adjusted back to the room's lighting he could make out a hazy form in front of him.

"You're gonna get it now" The form spoke as it came back into focus. Simon stood there with the tentacle drooping on his shoulders, a great part of missing from where his other hand had been. The severed part of the tentacle started to evaporate back to it's original dimension, nasty chaff marks left on his throat, but what worried Shining was that he was still holding onto the end of the shortened tentacle with his other hand, which was still charged up.

"You lose" Simon simply said as he released the charge on his left hand, the tentacle writhed between his fingers as the electrons started looking for their way down to lower potential, namely the ground, which the captain's metal armor provided nicely. The particles shot towards Shining Armor's horn, the captain having no time to react as the current started to flow through him. The muscles in his body clamped down, causing him to stumble onto a kneeling position. The shear amount of current causing his coat to start smoking up, not even being able to shout or yell, because his lungs were seizing up, so he was just writhing on the ground.

This time Twilight was scared for her brother, "Please Simon, don't hurt him..." she was a bit taken back by Simon suddenly turning the tables, on her brother. I mean he was the captain of the royal guard and one of the most skilled fighter's in the kingdom.

Simon looked to her, still holding onto the tentacle, which was starting to evaporate away, cutting the flow of current. Simon turned to the smoking captain on the floor in front of him, no real damage done to him really, except for the couple patches of singed coat here and there. He walked over to the downed stallion, the guards staying away from him, not daring to get close after what they saw him do to their commander of forces. Simon crouched down and grabbed Shining by his shoulder armor, and lifted him up so he was face-to-face with him. Shining's eyes half lidded, as they lazily followed Simon's movement.

"You're lucky you have such a loving little sister, because if it weren't for her, right now you would be in a lot worse shape" He spoke eye-to-eye to him. "I would suggest you start appreciating her a little more as she is quite smart. You should listen to her more often. You really don't understand the gift you have right now before it's taken away" He lowered him back to the floor, "One more thing" he straightened up the collar of his jacket, "That tentacle thingy made a lousy conductor". He started walking to Twilight, "You might want to check on your captain" he off-mindedly mentioned to one the earth pony's, who still kept his crossbow aimed at him, but as he passed next to him, he quickly rushed to his superior officer to make sure he was okay. "You too up there, ms.pointy" He pointed a finger over his shoulder at the angry and pissed off looking pegasus, clutching at her daggers.

As he was about to tell the two unicorn guards next to Twilight to sod off, something flew in from the open front door. Simon saw a slight glint of something flying towards him, jumping backwards almost by reflex. The shining bolt of magic hit the kitchen door, leaving singe marks on it. Simon turned to the front door with his fist's up taking a fighting stance, ready for a new challenger, charges already building up in his hands.

As a new shadow casted itself through the doorway, it almost reached Simon's feet. Due to the sun setting down behind whoever was approaching the door, Simon could only see a dark figure come closer, but the closer it got, the wider everypony's eyes grew and the lower and tenser Simon's fighting stance got. Whatever the figure was, it was massive! It would barely even fit through the doorway itself!

"Princess Celestia!?" Twilight yelled in disbelief, as the darkness of the shadow pulled back over the figures head. Simon turned his head slightly towards her, *Celestia?... !!" he suddenly remembered her telling him about the rulers of the kingdom, he turned back to meet the stare from two of the most intense eyes he had ever seen. The light purple colored eyes looked down upon him with scorn and hate behind them. Combined with the fact that the big alicorn was at least a head taller than him created a dreadful presence.

The alicorn looked at him, eyes darting from place to place until they ended up on Twilight, "Guards, take miss Twilight to her room. She is placed under house arrest until further notice." the comment wiped the slight smile from Twilight face, which turned into confusion and disbelief. The two guards secured her back into their hold and were about to continue upstairs.

"You're not taking her anywhere" Simon said with an ice cold voice, "and you!" he shot back a glare toward Celestia that nearly challenged her own stare at the human, "I don't care if you're the ruler of the kingdom or that you might be the most powerful being existing. You're not taking Twilight away!" he said through gritted teeth, his hands lighting up.

"You should know your place in the world human" Celestia said dead calmly, still looking at him with despise. "Whatever you think is going to happen is going to end either you dead or locked in the dungeon." She started collecting magic in her horn. Simon crouched down, ready to charge.

"No Simon don't fight her!" Twilight tried reach for him, he couldn't beat her! Simon looked undeterred, both him and Celestia readying themselves. No! He'll get killed! She desperately struggled at the grip's of the guards, managing to knock the other off-balance and kick the other in the back of the head. In the split second their hold let go, she jumped toward Simon. Darkened dots appearing on the wooden floor, as tears fell from her eyes. She gripped Simon's middle from behind him, "Don't fight her! You'll get killed!" she yelled in his back, tightening her grip.

For couple of seconds Simon kept her eyes locked on Celestia, "Can I trust you?" he asked Twilight, keeping his voice low enough to keep the others from making out what he was saying.

"If I go along them, will you help me get out of this mess?" His eyes turned to hers.

"Yes, I'll help you get out of this anyway I can" Her eyes showing the sincerity behind her words through the tears.

Simon looked back at Celestia, took a big breath in while letting the charges dissipate away from his hands. "Allright, you win. I give up, I'll come along with you" He raised his hands above his head, as sign of surrendering.

Celestia raised her eyebrow at this, she had expected for the human to charge at her, "Guards, detain him and take him to the chariot" with that she turned back to the door.

Simon sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Twilight let go of his middle and backed away. Couple of guards quickly ran up to him and tackled him to the ground and seized his movement, while he just stayed silent, gritting his teeth. A unicorn guard walked up and cast a binding spell on his hands, tying them together behind his back.

"Get up!" The pegasus commanded him. After an undignified effort to get back on his feet, the winged pony gave him a rough push on the back, "now get moving!". Twilight felt helpless, as Simon walked between the guards out of the library, stopping just for a moment to look back at her. His eyes basically saying "It's all up to you now. I trust you." before a guard pushed him along. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving Twilight, her brother and two guards in the library.

"Thank Celestia you're safe little sis" Shining Armor approached Twilight. One of the earth pony guards leaned against his shoulder supporting him. Shining lowered his head down to give small nuzzle to his little sister, who still just looked at the front door, unmoving. "I was so worried about that human doing something terrible to you" Even though her brother was sincerely worried for her, the comment sparked a hint of anger in her. "I swear if he had hurt I would have- *SLAP" The sound echoed in the room, the two guards semi-shocked to see someone slap their captain.

"How can you such things about him!? You don't even know him or what he has had go through!" Twilight cried out. Her brother held a hoof on his cheek. "You suddenly barge in here, weapons swinging, demanding him to come quietly!?" She motioned at the upturned table and chairs.

"But Twily I only did it because I was so worried about you..." He weakly explained.

"You were worried about ME!? Well why didn't you come see me or send a letter instead of bursting in here with a full frontal assault!?" She was absolutely beside herself.

Shining was taken back by her outburst, but decided against it to try to change her mind. He motioned to the supporting guard, and they headed to the door. Just before leaving Shining looked back at her sister, "I'm sorry..." he held his head low, the door closing behind them. Leaving the quietly sobbing unicorn behind.

"I'm sorry miss Sparkle, but you're still under house arrest for the moment." The last unicorn guard left to stay in guard outside the front door. Twilight was now all alone in the library, the eerie silence filling it, as she tried to reason out what had just happened. Simon being placed under arrest, her brother and mentor coming to get him. It just... Didn't make sense! Tears welling back up on her eyes, she ran upstairs and jumped straight into her bed, burying her face in the pillow...

To be continued...

Bucking Magnets, How Do They Work?!

by SiMoS MCmuffin

8 Charging up, part 3