“What do you mean?” Weaponry said
“Why would you join group eighteen, knowing full well what happens every time they leave for a changeling hive?” Flash questioned.
“Because I’m going to change that,” Weaponry said.
“What!” Sacred Arrow said.
“I’m not going to let anypony die from changelings. I’m going to protect the kingdom and my comrades from them,” Weaponry said.
“Are you even listing to yourself? How can you save them when you’re fighting for your own life?” Flash said.
“Weaponry, we’ve got five minutes before we depart,” a guard said as he walked past the locker-room
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Sacred Arrow said. Weaponry sighed before he walked past her.
“Weaponry!” Sacred Arrow cried.
“I can’t promise you that because I’m not sure if I’m coming back from this. We all know how dangerous these changelings are. I want to protect my comrades but to do that I might have to put myself in harm’s way. I’m sorry but I won’t promise something I don’t know if I can keep,” Weaponry said before he sighed and left the room towards the gates. Twilight watched as Sacred Arrow collapsed to the floor, tears filling her eyes.
“Don’t worry; he’ll be fine,” Flash said as he placed a hoof on his sister’s shoulder before he added, “He’s too stubborn to die.” Twilight herd the sound of screaming and explosions outside. She quickly ran outside to see what was happening. Her ears bent back as she stood in the middle of Unicorn Range. Changelings and ponies colliding as the sound of screams and weapons colliding filled the air. She looked around before a tan sword flew past her and imbedded itself into the chest of a changeling. She turned to see Weaponry fighting back a group of changelings, his three swords floating around him.
A changeling flying above him before dive bombing towards him. As the changeling slammed into the ground it created a massive explosion that flung Weaponry in the air. Twilights ears bent back again as a loud ringing noise filled her ears and her vision became blurry. She could hear her heart beat as she stumbled around. She was able to get her vision back and the loud ringing soon dissipated. She looked around to see the scene had suddenly stopped. Ponies stood still, frozen in time.
“You’re losing this war my friend,” A distorted voice echoed. Twilight turned to see a figure standing in front of Weaponry. Its body covered in a black cloak that looked to be alive as it shifted and morphed like shadows dancing on the wall. The figures zig zag horn protruding from the cloak.
“Who are you,” Weaponry asked before violently coughing.
“A friend who wishes to help. You want to protect your comrades and the kingdom. I can provide the power to do that, all I ask is a vessel to regain my power from,” The figure said. Twilight’s body felt a cold shiver go down her entire body as the figure spoke.
“I-I” Weaponry said as he looked around at the stilled frames of his comrades being attacked by the changelings. Twilight watched as a distorted vision of Sacred Arrow appeared in front of Weaponry before disappearing. Weaponry sighed and said, “I accept. I want to protect them all.” He looked back at Metal Jacket, his body covered in cuts and blood not seeing the sadistic crooked smile forming on the figures face. Twilights eyes widened as she saw the figures dagger like teeth before it changed into a massive shadow.
“I will help you, and in return you’ll provide me a vessel to regain my power and my home,” the figures voice said as the shadow engulfed Weaponry and then sunk into his body. The world suddenly started up again as the changeling that slammed into the ground jumped out of the crater. Weaponry’s horn glowed tan before suddenly changing to a black aura. Six orbs formed out of his horn and took the shape of swords. He charged towards the changeling swarm with the six weapons hovering around him. I can do it, I can protect them all! Weaponry thought.
Twilight watched as the changelings and ponies seem to all fade away as the figure walked in front of her and its sadistic crooked smile formed on his face again as he laughed, “This pony will do wonders in getting my kingdom back.” Before he disappeared in a black mist.
As the mist dissipated a door stood where the figure was. Twilight walked towards the door and hesitated as the figures smile still lingering in her mind. She took a deep breath and walked through the door to enter back into the dark hallway. She looked around before she saw the blue orb fly further down the hallway and into another door. Twilight ran down the hallway before she walked over to the door and walked through it. She saw Flash, Weaponry and Sacred Arrow standing near the gates as group eighteen prepared to leave.
“Make sure you’re careful,” Flash said as he hugged Sacred Arrow tightly.
“I’ll be fine, it’s not like I haven’t fought changelings before,” Sacred Arrow said before Flash let her go and she added, “Besides, Weaponry’s with me.”
“Yeah, she’s been my second in command for a year now and she’s fought plenty of changelings. I’ll make sure she’s safe,” Weaponry said as he placed a hoof on Flashes shoulder and added, “I’m the commander, so it’s my duty to protect all my comrades.”
“Trust us; we’ll be fine,” Sacred Arrow said before she turned to Weaponry and added, “We should get going.” Weaponry nodded.
“We’re heading out!” Weaponry roared as the massive group of ponies started to form around him and Sacred Arrow.
“This maybe the end of the war!” Sacred Arrow said as the group erupted in cheers before she added, “We have reports of a massive hive in the San Palomino Desert. We may have found were the queen is. If we can take her down, we’ll have ended this war once and for all!” again the group erupted in cheers.
“Let’s end this here and now!” Weaponry yelled before leading the massive group of three hundred ponies towards the San Palomino Desert. Twilight followed the group but when she blinked she found herself in the dark hallway again.
“How did I,” Twilight questioned before the blue orb fly past her and fly into another door. Twilight quickly ran towards where the orb flew and found nothing but an empty wall. She placed her hoof on the wall and felt the cold stone on her hoof.
“Maybe it was this door,” Twilight said as she walked over to the door next to the empty wall and walked through it. She walked out of the door to see Flash’s hoof slam into the right side of Weaponry’s face before he fell to the ground. Weaponry slowly started to get up, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret.
“You promised you’d protect her; you promised me you’d bring her back!” Flash screamed as nurse ponies and guards held Flash back from hitting Weaponry again. Weaponry said nothing as he lowered his head as Flash screamed, “I trusted you!” Twilight felt a wave of sadness engulf her as tears rolled down her cheeks. Twilight watched as Weaponry just stared at the ground before leaving as Flash continued to scream at him.
“Murderer!” Flash screamed. Twilight watched before it seemed like she was watching the events from a window. She looked around at the dark room before she saw the figure standing behind her.
“Yes, your sorrow, your pain feeds me, I-must-have-more!” the figure said as saliva dripped from its mouth. Twilight turned back towards the window that had changed into an oak door. She walked through it and found herself in what looked like a black smiths shop. She saw Weaponry’s horn glow black as an iron branding tool with an X-shaped tip lifted from the flames. The X-tip glowing red.
“With this mark, I’ll be forever known as a murderer and a traitor,” Weaponry said before a small wooden plank floated towards him mouth as he bit down on it. The branding took floated towards his right eye before he closed his eyes and suddenly slammed the tool against his right eye. His left eye shot open and he bit onto the wooden plank as his screams were muffled by the plank. The smell of burning flesh filled the small black smith shop as Twilight held back the urge to vomit.
The branding tool stayed in place for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity before it was violently thrown towards a wall. Weaponry began to stager as the wooden plank dropped from his mouth. Blood dripped from his gums as the pain of the burn mark suddenly increased as a cool breeze flew from the opened window and kissed it making him wince in pain. His vision was getting blurry as he staggered out of the black smiths shop.
He hobbled for a few seconds outside before collapsing to the ground. Ponies around him quickly attending to him as Twilight walked outside to see the group of ponies and Weaponry had disappeared and standing there was another door. I thought that scar was a battle wound? Twilight thought before she walked through the door and back into the dark hallway. She looked around for the orb before her eyes stopped on the door at the end of the hallway. It wasn’t oak but steel and covered in chains with six locks on it. She slowly walked towards it as a cold chill went down her spin.
“Stay away from that!” Weaponry yelled. Twilight turned to see him standing behind her.
“Weaponry!” Twilight said before she ran up to him and added, “There you are, I’ve been searching all over for you. “
“How did you get in here,” Weaponry asked.
“Luna sent me a spell to help me see into ponies minds; I thought by using it I could gain access to your mind and break the spell Chrysalis has on you,” Twilight explained.
“I’ve tried to find a way, but I’ve only come up with one solution,” Weaponry said. Twilight saw the fear in his eye before she turned towards the steel door and asked, “What’s behind there?”
“A memory I’ve locked up along with something dark,” Weaponry said.
“It’s what happened in the San Palomino Desert isn’t it,” Twilight said before she saw the X-shaped scar over his right eye and the image of him branding himself appeared in her head before she added, “That scar, isn’t from a battle. Is it?” Weaponry looked at her before he sat down and lowered his head.
“No, I branded myself with this scar as a reminder of the horrific things I did in the past,” Weaponry said. Twilight walked over to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
“What happened in the San Palomino Desert?” Twilight asked. Weaponry didn’t lift his head up. He just stared at the ground before his eye swelled up with tears.
“I killed them, I killed them all because of some stupid promise I made for power. We were ambushed in the San Palomino Desert by changelings and it seemed none of us would make it out alive. That’s when he appeared again,” Weaponry said.
“The dark figure,” Twilight asked. Weaponry nodded.
“He said he had enough power to save them but to do so I would have to let him in control of my body. I was hesitant but I didn’t want them to die so I agreed. When he took control,” Weaponry said before he placed his head on the cold ground of the hallway and sobbed before continuing, “He killed the changelings then turned on my comrades and began to kill them. I pleaded with him to stop but he didn’t listen. I mustered up the last bit of magic I could to trap him inside my mind, but it was too late. When I finally gained control, I was surrounded by the dead bodies of my comrades. I killed them all for my insane lust for power and in doing so I slaughtered my comrades, my friends, and the only pony I ever loved. She just laid there on the ground, her lifeless eyes staring back at me like empty caves,” Weaponry cried as the floor under him was stained with tears.
“But that wasn’t you!” Twilight argued. Weaponry lifted his head as she continued, “you didn’t want power, you wanted to protect everyone and in doing so you foolishly let in a dark entity!”
“That doesn’t change the fact of what I’ve done, my friends lay at my hooves, their blood on my body. The pony I loved, on the ground,” Weaponry said as the vision of Sacred Arrow lying on the ground. Her lifeless eyes staring back at him like empty caves before he added, “Everything I’ve done, the lives I’ve taken. I’m just like that dark entity.”
Weaponry felt Twilights hoof smack him on the side of his face. He stood up and stepped back from her. For a second she looked like Sacred Arrow as she yelled, “You’re wrong!”
“You’re nothing like that dark creature! I’ve seen the sacrifices you’ve dealt with to keep Equestria safe. I’ve seen the kind of brother you were to Artemis! I’ve seen how much you cherish your friends and how much you love Sacred Arrow. You’re nothing like that creature,” Twilight continued before the glowing blue orb floated around her and giggled.
“What’s that?” Weaponry asked. Twilight looked at the orb that floated around her. It flew up and down around her like it was jumping for joy.
“I’m not sure. I followed it through your memories,” Twilight said. The orb stopped flying around Twilight and started to giggle again. The giggling turned into a low distorted chuckle as it turned from light blue to pitch black