//------------------------------//
// Unexpected Ally 
// Story: To The End 
// by Kickass222urmom 
//------------------------------//

Cole walked for several hours. Nothing exciting had happened on his long walk. He looked up to see a lone cloud in the sky, something rare to see.

Clouds are a rare sight, but are a safe haven for Pegasus's.

Cole hadn't seen a cloud in over a year, it was a welcoming sight. He could sleep on it without fear of being attacked.

He stretched out his wings, he hadn't used them in a month. He lifted off the ground and flew up towards the cloud.

As he neared the cloud, he saw something black draped over the clouds edge. He became worried, what could this be.

He slowed down and slowly drew his sword, he glided over to the cloud.

Once he was close to the cloud, the cloak came up and there was a flash of metal.

Cole brought his sword up and blocked the attack, he flew backwards a few feet and readied himself.

The cloak rose up, revealing a black Pegasus under it, also wearing goggles. The Pegasus held a sword in its mouth.

Cole started to recognize the Pegasus. He pulled down his hood and pushed up his goggles.

The cloaked Pegasus stood straight and put away his sword, "Cole, is that you?"

Cole returned his sword to its sheath, "Yes comrade Link. I though you had died when The Dark ones arrived."

Link pulled down his hood, revealing his black mane, "I thought the same of you my friend. Its good to see a fellow Nightblade has survived."

Link had been a Nightblade along with Cole. He was one of the four to be sent out on one of the missions to investigate the possible return of Nightmare Moon.

Link was a light black colt with a black spiky mane and tail. His eyes were a deep green, most ponies were intimidated by them. His cutie mark was the same as Cole's, but instead of lighting bolts, there was a sword with blood dripping off it on either side.

"I to am glad to see that I'm not the only Nightblade left. How has your journey been going?"

Link pulled up his goggles, "My friend, the waste is a unkind mistress. I have seen to many of my friends die out here."

Cole flew in closer, "Yes my friend, the world we once knew is gone, replaced with this hell."

Link looked over to Cole, "Have you met any other Nightblades in your travels."

Cole sighed, "Sadly my friend, I have not. Nothing out there but bandits. I am sad to say this, but we may be the last two left."

Link walked across the cloud towards Cole, who was still hovering above the cloud. "If that is true my friend, then I think we should travel together. Nightblades travel forth, into the unknown, comrades at side."

Cole smiled, remembering the old motto for the Nightblades. "I agree, I haven't had a companion in a long time. It would be nice to have a friend in battle."

Link smiled, "Then lets set off my friend." He pulled down his goggles and pulled his hood over his head.

Cole pulled his good over his head and pulled his goggles back down, "To the ground my friend, as you may know, it is dangerous to fly."

They flew down to the ground and surveyed the area.

"The waste, the place where you can watch a dog run away for three days." Link said with a grin.

Cole smiled, Link was the only Nightblade other than him that had a sense of humor.

"Still the same colt I knew two years ago I see, still the clown of the group." Cole said while smiling.

Link laughed lightly, "And your still the same cold hearted colt I knew."

Cole shook his head, but he couldn't help but laugh, "My friend, I have never met a colt who could be..." He looked up suddenly and jumped back.

Before link could ask what he was doing, a rock a few yards away from where Cole had been exploded.

Cole looked to the right. The air ten yards away was wavy, just like before. Cole rushed forwards just as it was about to disappear. He drew his sword and sliced the air in front of him.

There was a few sparks coming from the space he had swung his sword, but what followed was blood, pouring out of no ware.

Then, as the blood still flowed from the unseen wound, a creature materialized in front of Cole. The creature stood on two feet, its face was covered in a mask, and its body was in a suit of some kind. Its body was almost nothing but muscle.

The creature brought up its arm and slammed it into Cole from the side. The tremendous power from the blow sent Cole flying side ways for twenty feet.

He hit the ground and slide for a few more feet.

Link drew his sword and ran towards the beast. Once he was in range, the creature raised its left arm and pointed it at Link. Before the creature could do anything, Link swung his sword , taking off the creatures left arm.

The creature looked at its severed arm. It screamed in rage and before Link could act, the beast swung its other arm. The blow hit Link in the side, causing a loud crack to be heard.

Link flew for a few feet before hitting the ground.

As this was happening, Cole had regained his balance and was rushing towards the creature. He jumped up in the air and spread his wings.

The creature turned around to see Cole flying towards it, sword in mouth. As the creature brought up its hand, Cole flew past it, sword making contact.

As Cole landed, the creature behind him reached up with its good hand. When it touched its head, its head fell off backwards. The creature went to its knees, then continued to fall to the ground.

Cole smirked, another clean kill. Then Cole remembered Link, he looked over to Link to see him trying to stand. Cole ran over to him, "Link, are you okay, you took a heavy blow there."

Link looked up at him, "Of course my friend, my satchel took the full blow. But I'm afraid it may have broke a few ribs."

Cole looked down at his friend, "Can you stand?"

Link slowly stood and winced, they may have been trained to resist pain, but they still felt it. "Yes my friend, but until those bones heal, I'm no use in battle."

Cole looked around, "Can you fly, we can settle up on that cloud until you heal."

Link looked at him, "Now why would I do that, I want to keep moving, not just lay around. You know me, my bones heal fast."

Cole looked at his stubborn friend, "Okay my friend, but keep pace with me."

"I will, I'm not a filly you know." He looked over at the dead creature, "Umm, what was that thing?"

Cole turned around and walked towards the creature he had just slain. The creatures body had what looked to be metal and wires covering it. He looked over at the arm that Link had cut off.

The arm was not a arm at all, but a type of machine. Upon further observation, he noticed the thing could hook up to nerves in a body. Those creatures would give up their arms for a weapon, now that's dedication.

He picked it up and knocked the cloak off his back, revealing his own saddle bag.

The bag was big enough to hold filly or two in each side.

He placed the weapon or what ever it was into his bag and closed it, the thing was heavy, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Link looked at him, "Why take that?"

Cole looked at him with a grin on his face, "I don't know, could be useful and its pretty cool looking."

Link laughed, "All ways taking what you want when you want I see, come on, lets get moving. I want to find some ponies to fight, it gets funner every time."

They walked off into the waste, unaware that the body of the creature was being dragged away by an unseen force.