//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Farther From Home than Ever // Story: Time in the Night // by The Real Darkness //------------------------------// I awoke with a jump and shot out of a white bed made of simple steel bars. I observed my surroundings and assumed from the beeping heart monitor and other medical equipment that I was in a hospital. I was frantically searching for Chronoblade as I heard someone outside. I heard the clopping of hooves from the door. 'Horses, in a hospital? That's very weird.' "So...he's in here?" I heard a soft feminine voice. "Yes, sister. I think he can help us, I've been secretly working with him." The doors opened and I saw two horses? Unicorns? Pegasi? Unipegacorns? The one on the left was a deep blue with odd cyan eyes and long horn. Its mane was flowing without wind and sparkled like stars. It wore some expensive looking silver adornments, including a crown. The one on the right was white, wearing matching adornments except gold. Its mane also sparkled, but was a mixture of green, pink, and blue streaks. The horn on its head was also longer, the eyes a magenta pink. More importantly, Chonoblade was on the back of the blue one. I instantly ran and jumped for my weapon, securing it in my grip. I began to charge up my katana. "Wait! We aren't your enemies!" The blue one spoke. My blood ran cold and my heart stopped. I couldn't focus on putting my mind into my dearest friend anymore. A mythical creature just spoke to me. 'I have to be dead now.' "W-what?" I regained my composure and slowly put more and more into Chronoblade. "Just hear me out, Daniel," the blue one asked for me to hear her words again. "How? How do you know my name?" I gripped the handle tighter. "Because I've been watching you. You're a hard worker, but you have a great quality. An impeccable sense of justice. I gifted you Chronoblade, an artifact from the times of an ancient race in our world," she slowly approached and I spread my legs, ready to take a swipe at her. "Luna, be careful..." the white and larger one commented. "Don't worry, dear sister. I trust him." Now I knew it was okay to let my guard down some, but only some. I relaxed and stood up properly. I held Chronoblade by its sheath tightly in my left hand. I would still defend myself if necessary. "So, you gave me Chronoblade?" I asked and the blue one called Luna walked closer. "I did. I know it isn't right to mess with somepony's life like that, but I was curious and I saw all the good you could do in your world," that jogged my memory. When I was being sucked in through some portal, I had fought off a part of the city's gang and got a deep cut in my left arm. My blood was being sucked into the portal fast as I resisted and anemia was sapping my strength. I looked at my arm and saw it was all bandaged up tightly. "Oh, so I have you to thank for patching me up?" I asked. "You almost died from losing so much blood," she answered. I knew when someone was an honest person or well, horse. I walked closer to her myself and looked her right in the eyes as I extended my hand and she took a moment before she put out her hoof, I looked at it for a moment before I took it and shook it. I looked back to her face. "I'm Daniel. You have my thanks and I owe you one," I smiled at her. "You may call me Luna. And she is my sister, Celestia. We actually do have a favor to ask of you, but we should show you around first," she retracted her hoof. "Before we can do that though, tell me about yourself. Luna has kept you a secret for quite a while," the white one, Celestia smiled down at me. They both began to move down the hall and I caught up with them and stepped in the space between them that was left for me. "Well, I'm from Earth, a different world. We're a very technologically and money driven place. I'm a human and generally, most humans are out to build a life, to make their name known somehow. I worked two jobs and did my night excursions, so I didn't get much sleep. I worked as a construction worker and a barista at a coffee shop, two very fitting jobs together. Late at night, I ran and jumped around the city to interrupt the work of shadowy groups and gangs. I was like some kind of superhero I guess. I lived in a tiny apartment. Annnnnd that's it except for all the finer details. What about here?" I asked back. "Luna and I rule over Equestria, which is our world here. We're in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. Everypony is well, a pony here. We have three pony races; unicorns who can control magic, earth ponies who excel at strength and agriculture, and pegasi who can fly. Then there are alicorns like my sister and I, we embody all three of the traits. You are kind of an alien here, so I think Luna will be accompanying you everywhere you go," Celestia finished her explanation. "Well, this will definitely be a lot to swallow. I'll try to be on my best behavior then," I looked ahead and saw some of the ponies they talked about. Both of them were earth ponies I assumed. They didn't have horns or wings, so I could point them out from that distinction. They both had white and grey plumes coming out from golden helmets, which accented their unmoving eyes. Both of their eyes were a light blue and their coats were white. They had plated armor along their backs and haunches, tails of the same color as their plumes came out of the armor. they both bowed to the princesses as they walked by. "I do need to get back to holding court, Luna. I trust you will show him around?" Celestia asked as she stopped in her tracks to head down a different hall. "I will, do not worry," Luna smiled down at me. "I will see you both tonight then," Celestia said and continued her slow movement down the branching hall. Luna began to lead me through the castle and down some stairs. She eventually came out to the front doors of the castle and that suspicion was confirmed when she opened the doors somehow with her magic. I figured out that magic was used whenever their horns lit up. I saw the entire city stretched out below me and a mountain side on my left with a waterfall coming down it. The city looked like it was from some old knight saves the princess fairytale. Their were towers capped with purple and yellow striped or checkered caps. The caps then went to a point that was topped with a shiny golden sphere. The walls of every building was an immaculate white and ponies walked about everywhere outside. They were chatting or strolling around or eating at iron tables outside, all of them looked like they dressed upper class in my world, fitting for the capital. "I do want to see your combat prowess soon and there is a safer place we can do that. Hop on my back, Daniel," she spread her wings. Her wings had flawless feathers and I felt them out impulse, soft, very soft and silky. The size of her wings were much larger than I thought they were from their folded position. I regained my senses and carefully sat on her back. "I advise you hold onto something," she crouched, waiting on me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and leaned forward. She got a little bit of a galloping start before she took off and flapped her wings hard to carry us high into the air. I looked down and the ponies below were definitely staring back up at us, but there was something that worried me more. 'This is a lot higher than 30 feet.' I was in the dead zone of height. If I fell, that was it. I gripped Luna's neck tighter. I barely knew them, but I knew I could trust her and Celestia. They didn't attack em when I was defensive and Luna most definitely saved me even if she was the original cause for all of this chaos in my life. "Do not worry, my friend. I won't let you fall," Luna commented as she sped up, going down the side of the mountain that the city sat on, she then balanced out over woods. "Where are we going?" I asked, watching all the tree tops fly by at high speeds. "We are going to the doors of Tartarus, a place where we banish the worst of ponies and demons before recorded history were sent," she answered, slowly turning left to a patchy area of trees. and large rocks. "You said somewhere safe," I began to worry. I could handle ruffians and some trained fighters, but demons seemed over my head. "By safe, I meant safe for our ponies and you wouldn't cause a big disturbance," she replied and then sighed, "sorry I have to hide you like this." "I understand that, I would definitely keep you a huge secret if you were on Earth, but I am a bit peeved about the demon part," I commented. Luna landed outside a cave and on instinct, I peered in. I saw the corpse of a three headed dog that was massive and barely fit in the cave. It was bleeding profusely and no longer moving or breathing. It was some kind of pitbull breed. "So I guess that is Cereberus and those," I pointed to the dead dog and then to the odd creatures that varied, "are demons?" I whispered out. "Indeed, you are correct. I don't think they'll be oblivious to our presence forever," Luna whispered back. I gripped Chronoblade tightly and drew it out of its sheath. I swung it a few time in quick and brisk motions, I still had my muscle memory of coming back to defend after a strike or two, so I was still somewhat battle ready. The demons varied in sizes, tiny to large but not as large as Cereberus. They were sometimes ponylike which was odd, considering they were demons, but I did see weirder among them. Some stood on two legs and looked like humans, other on four, six, eight. Some with more arms than I had time to count, others with snake features, reptilian. they were like chimeras and all of them were a tone of grey, red, orange, or pitch black. Some had fire burning on them, or manipulating it themselves. There were roughly six of them that I could see in the cave, there might be more in the shadows. "Just slay some and then we will be out of here quickly," Luna instructed. "I'll do my best." I began a slow walk that turned into a silent sprint. None of the demons noticed me yet and I decided I would strike down the ones that looked like they were tougher first. I was soon upon them and I brought my blade down upon the neck of a large, eight armed and four legged demon. I could see up close now, their muscles were huge, their bodies were well toned and fire was burning in the pupil of their eyes. I quickly backstepped back out of the cave as all of them turned their eyes to me. It was a wave of candles, less than twenty. I looked behind me quickly and I saw Luna was gone. 'What the fuck did I get myself into?' They all charged out of the cave at different paces, eager to rip me apart for taking down their comrade. They seemed to be somewhat organized and intelligent, but behaved like beasts. I breathed in and breathed out heavily. "Come get some," I taunted. The first one was about to bare down upon me with two claws from above, larger than me. I duckedand mvoe to my right, cutting him deep in the stomach. I followed with my swipe and reversed it, impaling the blade into the stomach of another. I summoned more of my strength and pushed into the demon, twisting my katana as I went. He soon tripped and fell over its four legs. I vaulted over him using my blade and placed myself further away. 'Only one, two, four, eight, fourteen more to go.' I noticed something wet on my back and felt behind me, feeling liquid. I brought my hand to my front and saw red. One had gotten me while I was a bit reckless. The one I had stabbed in its gut stood back up. 'Fifteen.' They began their approach again, clustered closer together. I didn't think I had any other option left. "Luna, if you are here, I might need help after this!" I yelled out and sheathed Chronoblade. I crouched. I focused on putting my concentration on Chronoblade and drew it when they were but a few steps away. Time did slow significantly. I ran towards the first one and slashed across it's neck, chopping the head off. I stepped on its back, the demon being ponylike and continued my onslaught, going for slashes that would strictly kill them. I chopped limbs off that would later force them to bleed out, taking many arms off in few slashes of just one demon. I finished with a vertical strike on the last one, cutting it in half. I walked away from the group that was slowly falling apart and sheathed Chronoblade. Time returned to normal and blood gushed everywhere, limbs fell off and I heard shrieks from the demons as they fell down. I breathed out before the headache hit me. I kept time slowed for a lot longer than normal and I did feel drained, but the pain is what concerned me. I slowly fell to one knee. I no longer clutched my head because it never did help with the pain, only time did ironically. The headache turned into a migraine and I began grunting. "Daniel? Are you alright?" Luna galloped to me from behind a rock and lowered her head to look at my face. "I'll be fine, let's just get out of here," I said and clenched my fists tight as I stood. "Then hop on, we'll get back to Canterlot quickly," Luna lowered her body and spread her wings. I heard the hisses of more demons come from the cave. I turned my head and saw the flames of their eyes dance in a much larger number now. I quickly mounted Luna and held on to her tightly. My head was throbbing, but adrenaline definitely kept it from hurting as much as it usually does. Luna took off into the sky and began to do circle sin the air while flapping her wings hard to gain air. She was higher than Canterlot Castle before she dove and began to speed up toward the castle. "Daniel, you did well back there," Luna looked back to me and smiled, craning her neck awkwardly. "I didn't want to rely on the power of Chronoblade," I answered. The migraine was starting to come in full force now since I was out of battle. "Please, use it as much as you wish or can. I gifted it to you because you were the first human with such a pure heart I found in your world. Chronoblade is many millenia old and no pony had the proper appendage to hold it or wield it and their magic couldn't hold it. The sword prevented that," Luna turned back around and focuses on Canterlot in the distance. "So, what happened back there with your hell?" I asked, there was certainly some reason why she brought me here. "If you mean Tartarus, nopony knows. We are speculating that something broke out or something broke them out. It is why I did lure you out with those criminals back in your world so I could get you here," she looked back for just a moment, "Sorry about that." "Well, that does provide a valid explanation. And I have no problem helping someone out, it's my third and most important job. What do we need to do to stop those demons?" "Daniel, are you...injured?" Luna asked. I peered over her neck and saw the blood from my arm had started to seep into her fine blue coat. "It's just a claw mark, nothing big," I commented, "sorry for getting your coat messed up." "My coat is barely the cause for my concern," she sped up after saying that and we soon reached Canterlot in no time. She landed on a high balcony of a tower and lead me in. "Just lay down on my bed over there and I'll get a doctor up here soon," Luna informed. She bounded out of the doors in a gallop. "Princess Luna!" I heard deep male voices shout from outside. "Princess? That's an odd title for a ruler, and they were an oligarchy," I whispered to myself and dismissed those thoughts quickly. I took a seat in one of the three chairs that surrounded a fire place in the deep blue, astral themed room. The marble floor below me was of a full moon. I gently set Chronoblade down on the table. An ancient race here that used this. It definitely sounds like humans. The Japanese were the first to create the katana and it would require a lot of dexterity, intelligence, and thumbs to use it. So humans were likely here. But magic can't affect it whatsoever. So humans and some kind of magical creature race must have... "It couldn't have been them," I spoke aloud and the door opebned quickly again and a doctor moved slowly up tomy in a white cotton coat. "My boy, I've never seen anything quite like you. When I first worked on you, I was amazed to see your body had so many more complex things in it than us, but your genome is only a little smaller," he stared at my wound, "quite nasty but not too life threatening if we attend to it now. Could you take off your jacket, sir?" He was certainly kind and less worrying than Luna. He took out some kind of cream from his bag that hung from his side as I removed my jacket and revealed my skinny, but somewhat toned muscles. "Not to mention you are in impeccable shape, but you could eat more. What do you eat?" He was very very curious. He wiped away the blood on the wound using a towel that had a red glow, the same that was on his horn. "Meats, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy. My race usually eats anything that tastes good and is edible unless times are really tough," I answered. He had a way of settling me down and relaxing me more. Blood was still slowly seeping from my wound and staining Luna's blue velvet-like chair. He slathered the cream over my wound and fetched thick bandages from his bag next. "An omnivore then. Your teeth did suggest it. And those, on your...paw? What digits are they?" He questioned. I suppose curiosity is only natural to his profession. "Fingers on my hand and they let me do numerous things," I said and hissed once he started to bind the bandages around my arm tightly. It was slightly painful, more than just letting the blood out. "Is that so? I'd like to see you function and move in the ways I've heard from Luna," He undid the bandages on my right arm and there was a long sliver of scar tissue from the blade that was brought down upon it from back in my world. "Is he going to fare well, Doctor Venous?" Luna asked and walked up to me, staring down with worry at my arm. The bandages were definitely soaking up the blood. "Hahaha, you worry too much. He's hearty for his kind, he'll live. You just make sure he doesn't see combat for a while," the doctor made his way out and closed the doors behind him, "oh my god! A new race!" He shouted from outside the doors. "I'm sorry I got you injured, Daniel," Luna nudged her face? Nose? Muzzle against my arm lightly. "Don't be so hard on-." I was interrupte dby a bright yellow light in the room and Celestia stood there. "Luna, we have a problem. Appleloosa has fallen by the demons, nopony has been recorded as making it out alive. I've sent those six there to help out, they aren't good fighters. Is Daniel ready to go?" she looked at me, she caught herself staring at my defined abs and arms, small, but toned. "The doctor said he needed to avoid combat," Luna replied and looked away from my wound and back at her sister. I put my hoodie back and lifted my face mask up and my hood over my head. I gripped Chronoblade. "I am ready anytime. Take met here," I answered, "I can speak for myself." "I understand that Luna said you have a passion for helping other ponies, but you must rest if you got injured," Celestia argued. "Instead of taking more precious long moments of the maybe alive ponies, stop arguing and just send me so I won't have to find out where it is my own way," I said sternly and eyed Celestia. She sat silent, searching my face for some kind of self-doubt. "Please reconsider. We need you well to battle whomever released the demons," Luna argued. "Sister, it's no use. His mind has decided. I will send him," Celestia sighed out and looked to charge her horn a bright yellow with a glowing white light at the tip. "No! Wait!" Luna cried and ran for her sister. I vanished in yellow light and appeared on the outskirts of some small Western town. "Hello?" I called out into the empty air. I saw some wooden buildings on fire and pony corpses laying in the road. I heard a loud roar and a giant three headed red scaled snake slithered over to me, it crushed the buildings some as it went over. Other 'lesser' demons made their way from the inside of homes, businesses, and things that once were to the outside. "Oh, ponyfeathers! That's what we're dealing with!?" I heard an odd feminine voice from above me and I saw a chariot land behind me. I made sure my face was covered except for my eyes and I spread my legs as the demons began their rampage to me. They definitely looked more like chimeras than demons. I drew Chronoblade out from it's sheath, catching a glimpse of its engraved blade. "Wait! He's with us, Rainbow!" I heard wings suddenly start to flap hard and a pegasus bumped into my side when I partially turned around. "I suppose you are 'those six.' Try not to get hurt or killed, I don't think this is a suitable place for you guys," I spoke just like I did when I went by my night name. "And who do you think you are?" I heard the cyan pegasus with a rainbow themed mane and tail try to intimidate me. I ran to the side and climbed up a building quickly, some demons following me and some still going after this pegasus. I jumped back down and landed on the face of a demon and slashed another nearby one across its chest. I ran to the pegasus and cut demons down as the small horde made their way to the five other ponies behind it, blood was spewing and limbs were again falling. I smelled the iron in the air and tasted it on my tongue. My senses were heightened, the Adrenaline was here. I made my way back to the pegasus and pushed her out of the way of one of the demons large spiked tail. I land on my front and narrowly avoid it myself. I swiped the two front legs of the beast off and stabbed Chronoblade directly into it's skull, pulling out quickly. I slimmed the numbers roughly by half. "My name is Silent Time. I am sent by Luna and Celestia," I answered back to the pegasus loudly enough so that the others heard. The large three headed snake was behind the horde and was moving fast to gain on me, shoving its 'comrades' out of its way. "I've never...seen so much...blood before," she commented. "The fight is not a place for those weak of heart. I sheathed Chronoblade and put some energy into it before drawing again. Time slowed by about half and I sprinted to the horde again. I began to take my kill shots again, enjoying them a bit more than what I should be. Demon after demon fell, blood gushing slowly from the time moving at a different rate. I looked behind me and saw I cut most of them down myself. I ran faster and sunk the tip of my katana into the head of a smaller demon and vaulted off its shoulders. I sheathed Chronoblade and the snake looked up at me at a faster rate when time resumed, making my landing on its very nose seem victorious in my first interaction with the beast. We stood for quite a while in silence. "What is he?" I heard one of the ponies question in the distance. "Does that matter? He's practically saving us by hisself," I heard a very country voice next. "You're definitely a big one. You should all just go back to Tartarus and spare your own lives," I looked down and saw that my entire body could fit into its eye socket. This was a very good way to see just how big it was, standing on its nose. It slipped its tongue out once. Twice. The scaled demon sent its other heads my way in a pincer attack. I slid down its face and onto its back. I stabbed Chronoblade into it and began to pull hard down in a cut, slicing it's scales lightly before it shook its tail and threw me off. I landed on my wounded arm and rolled a little. It's scales were thick and my blade might be impeccably sharp, but it couldn't stand against that as well as it does to the other demons. "Fucking shit!" I yelled out in pain. The snake sent one of its heads to swallow me in one bite. If it got me in its mouth once, that was it, game over. I stood and ran fueled by my own fear. It definitely wasn't as fast as normal snakes due to its size. I barely escaped and two demons stood in my path out and back towards the ponies that were now my audience. I sheathed Chronoblade and drew it quickly again, slowing time just a third now. I sliced up the human like furred demon on the left, cutting into some of its face and turned my momentum horizontal and cut the demon on the right in half as it was about to bare its claws down on me. I took off into a sprint and sheathed Chronoblade. More red was on my clothes. I breathed heavily, getting tired. My battles never lasted this long, only my running to trouble did, I would need some kind of training to better suit myself for events like this here. "Hold on! I'm almost there!" I heard Luna's voice from the sky and I looked up just to see her swooping in. The snake demon stopped hissing at me and saw Luna as an easier treat. I saw a look of regret and fear in her face. I began to put power into Chronoblade and pulled it out of its sheath just before it was about to launch after Luna. I stopped time again. 'I don't have much time, this is very dangerous for me to do a second time.' I began climbing the buildings and using the broken board to make it back onto the snake's face again. I repeatedly stabbed Chronoblade into the spaces between its scales before I slid down again, but this time, I jumped and landed on its right eye, slashing my katana across it violently. No blood had yet to pour. I jumped off it's head and stabbed downwards into the body again, hanging before ripping my trusty friend free and landing. I sheathed Chronoblade and felt an instant migraine and mental drain. I slowly began to walk away as blood flew into the sky above me and the roars of an injured demon. The snake quickly took off and fled after its maiming. I walked slowly and saw four demons left, the six ponies fighting them with some odd kind of magic and their own hooves. I landed on my left knee hard, thinking about walking was a chore. Luna landed in front of me and I was lifted by some odd grip and put onto her back. I understood what she wanted and I wrapped my arms around her neck loosely, pressing my body to hers for added security. She took off as gently as she could. I took one more look at the battlefield behind me and saw the ponies outdid the demons well enough and blood was everywhere over the ground, a massacre of ponies and demons alike in the town. I closed my throbbing eyes, tired of looking at the world. "Luna...you shouldn't have come, I did fine," I smiled a bit, my head hurting to just have basic emotion. "You needed me." I wasn't answering anymore.