Steel was dodging every beam Queen Chrysalis wat shooting at him, she even tried to trap him with her magic but he managed to broke the bind with some effort, everypony was shocked, he was giving the Queen a hard time, Steel then pointed his butt to her and started to tap it with his hand, mocking her and saying:
“C’mon Bug Queen, I thought you were stronger that that!”
“Ghaaaaaa! I will show you some respect freak!”
“Freak? Hey! You are the one with holes in her hooves! Hahahahaha”
Crysallis could not take it anymore, she flew at high speed to his opponent and tried to hit him with her hooves, he was dodging every hit but it wasn’t easy, this bug pony was well trained, he thought.
After realizing it was useless, Chrysallis looked at a weak Cadence, she aproached to her and grabbed her neck, Steel stood in his place and looked at her with narrowed eyes, only thinking one thing.
“Coward”
Chrysallis smiled and said:
“Move and she will die!”
“Go ahead! You think I care If you kill a pony I don’t even know?”
Cadence looked at Steel and started to cry, did he really say that? Chrysallis started to laugh like a maniac and countered:
“If that were the case then. . . why you stopped your attacks?”
Cadence realized that as well, still in tears, she gave him a warm smile.
“Grrrrr”
“I thought so, now, drop your Axe!”
Steel reluctant, put his Axe on the floor.
“Nice, now don’t move”
Chrysallis said and with much effort, she levitated the monkey freak who was doing nothing, she was taking him to the balcony’s window, Cadence noticing this, screamed:
“No! please don’t mind me, defend yourself. . . I’ll be fine, please, don’t let her do it!”
Steel remained still, Once a few meters from the window, Chrysalis smirked and said:
“Since you are good at jumping and rolling. . .why don’t you learn to fly too!”
She then threw Steel to the window, his body broke it entirely and he started to fall to his death, Cadence and Twilight screamed while the rest of the mane 6 only looked with disbelieving eyes, Chrysalis started to laugh, threw Cadence away and grabed the creature’s Axe with her magic.
“I think I will keep this as a memento of that freak, too bad, he would had made wonders in my army”
“Chrysalis! You will pay for that! You took him away from me again! I swear we will not have any mercy on you!” – Cadence said crying like she cried 8 years ago.
“Oh please, like if you could do something about it, now if you excuse me, I think Shinning Armor and me ha. . . .gahhhh”
Chrysallis was interrupted by a powerfull shockwave that came from above, it hurt but thanks to her power, it didn’t have much effect on her, It took her some seconds to compose herself from the shock, when she finally opened her eyes, she noticed the little dragon, Shinning Armor and Cadence were no longer in their places, when she scanned the room, she noticed Shinning Armor was next to her sister, still under her spell, The dragon was next to the other ponies and Princess Cadence was. . . in the arms of the monkey freak, it seemed she and the elements was as shocked as she was, Cadence still in his hold, never stopped looking at him, he then turned to see her and say:
“Are you ok Alicorn?”
Princess Cadence slowly noded, she wanted so much to hug him but that wasn’t the moment, if he was really HIM, there was no way she would let him get away later.
“Good, now get down”
Steel let her down and told her to stay behind him with the rest of the ponies, he then looked at Chrysalis, his smile was no longer present, then with no warning, he screamed and started to shine, everypony and changeling covered their eyes, when they finally opened them, they were even more shocked, the strange creature was surounded by ligthnings and he had a shining axe in one of his hands, Chrysalis didn’t know what to say, she didn’t want to admit it but she felt. . . intimidated.
Steel smiled, no pony or dragon noticed for the mask, but this smile had nothing nice in it, with his eyes widened and full of confidence he said:
“Ready for Round 2 Bug Pony?”
- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(One year and a half ago)
After a few hours of walking, Steel finaly reached his destination, he was thankfull with Cranky, even with his precise instructions, it took him a good time to find the entrance of the Sacred Forest, in his way there, he found some zebras and minotaurs, all of them telling him to turn around if he wanted to live.
The Main entrance was quiet impresive, made of marble and adorned with flowers, like is someone was taking good care of it, next to it, there was a marble sign with a warning.
For those who dare to enter this forest:
Beyond this entrance, a huge labiryth awaits, only madness and sorrow will be found if you go in, No flying is allowed, try it and you will perish, if you ever enter here, there is no garantee you will come out again or if any creature will be able to find you and even if you manage to find a treasure, only death awaits if you are unworthy of it, you have been warned, enter under your own responsability.
Steel looked at the sign, he was curious, it says no flying was allowed, so what? not that there was someone there who would penalize a cheater. . . no! there had to be some kind of trick, he kept thinking until. .
“So. . . are you ready to give up and return where you came from?”
Steel, surprised noticed at that moment a zebra mare, sitting on the warning sign, she was gray with red stripes.
(it was curious, until now, he only met zebras with black stripes, well there were multicolored ponies, gryphins and minotaurs. . . so why not?)
As many zebras, she had rings adorning her hooves, she didn’t look old, in fact she was very hot and attractive, maybe he saw her that way for how zebras were very similar to ponies, she smirked and said:
“You like what you are watching? Yeah I know, I take good care of my body? but we don’t have time for your puppy eyes, now! Answer my question, are you going to give up?”
Steel woke up from his thoughts and said:
“Well. . .to be honest, even if I’d want to give up, I can’t, I promised a friend I would find whatever is hidden here so. . no, I’m not giving up”
“I see, in that case good luck, you are going to need it”
“. . . thanks but. . .who are you?”
The zebra turned around and said:
“My name is irrelevant if you are really going to enter this forest, after all, if you do, you may never come out”
“And what makes you think I will not come out?”
“Ohhh please, you think you are the first I see entering, I’ve been watching all kinds of creatures entering this forest for 30 years, all of them trying to reclaim the “Treasure” almost no one had ever come out and the few “lucky” ones. . . well, let’s just say they’d rather to die in there than coming out. So trust me, you are not the last one I will see entering here”
“Oh yeah! Then. . . wait! 30 years? How old are you?”
The Zebra facehoof here face and rolled her eyes.
“After all I told you, the thing that impresed you more was that? What kind of creature are you?”
“The only of my kind, now! How old are you?”
(Sigh) “You should know is not right to ask a girl his age but if you really want to know, I’m 44 years old”
“. . . . Wow! And you look so hot”
(Blushed) “ehmm, thanks?”
“You are welcome, now. . . if you excuse me, I have a treasure to find, see you later”
“Wait! Before that, just for the record, What is your name, what are you and why are you wearing a mask?”
“For the record? Ok. . . my name is Steel, I’m a human and I only show my face to my friends or family”
“Got it, thanks, I promise you I will remember you for some time, after all, not many unique creatures like you come here very often”
“I see, I have a question too, the sign says no Flying allowed, what happens If I could fly and try to”
“hehehehe, please grab that little rock next to you”
Steel looked down and there was the rock this Zebra pointed, he took it in his hands.
“Now, throw it above the trees”
A little reluctant, Steel threw the rock, to his suprise, once the rock entered the forest área, he saw electricity surounding it and it exploded, after watching that, the Zebra spoke again:
“A powerfull plasma barrier surounds the entire forest, it’s at least 500 meters hight, many says it’s was casted by some powerfull unicorns, friends of the legendary hero Strong Will, but no one really knows, we only know you have to reach the center of the labiryth the right way”
“I see, well, thanks for the information, see you later Hot Zebra”
Steel entered the forest, leaving behind the misterious zebra, she only smirked and thought:
“I liked him, he is funny and he called me hot! Let’s see how strong his spirit really is”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steel was walking in the sacred forest, everything he heard about it was true, inside it, the trees were so close to each other than it was practicaly a labyrith, he immediately took out the scrolls, he only had to follow the way written in them at he would find the way to the treasure and the way out as well, in his mind, he thought it would be easy, how wrong he was.
After an hour, it seemed he was at the half of the way, he only had to keep walking on the right way and he would have the Axe eventually but then he started to hear some strange voices.
“You will never made it”
“You are useless”
“You will die here human”
The voice started to make echo in all the forest and it sounded higher every second, Steel did his best to ignore it but it started to get really anoying, he then remembered some of the instructions in the scrolls, he searched in his back pack and found a couple of bottle corks he bought in the town he saved, he put them on his ears and continued his way, they didn’t surpress all the noise but it was enough for him to keep his way focused.
“So he came prepared for this test uh? so he is not just another fortune hunter. . . this will be interesting” – the voice said, whispering to itself.
Once Steel was sure the voice shuted up, he removed the corks off his ears, he kept walking until he finally saw it, the exit or better said, the entrance to the center of the forest, a very same looking marble entrance was placed there but it had some kind of blue gem in the center, there was another sign next to it.
“You passed the discourage test, now if you choose to continue, let’s see what you do when the ones you love most turns againts you”
Steel was confused for this but didn’t mind it, not that there was a choice to turn back, he proceded to cross the entrance, not noticing the blue gem started to shine, the second later, Steel found himself no longer in the forest but in a dark void, he smirked and said to himself.
“The second test, do your worst forest”
At that moment, from no where, he saw some familiar creatures in front of him, there was also one he didn’t recognized for it didn’t have any shape or form, it looked like colored smoke.
“After reading the scrolls Onyx gave me and for what the sign said, I think it was obvious I would see you three but. . .the fourth one is indeed a surprise”
In front of Steel, next to the mist creature, there was Mr Margaret, Mr Jilt and Onyx, all of them looking at him with narrowed eyes.
“You dissapointed us Steel, I have so much hope in you and you failed” Margaret said.
“Yeah, I thought humans were amazing creatures but you. . . you have proven to me your kind have nothing good to offer” Jilt said.
“It’s your fault I died, why you weren’t there that day? Now I’m dead and you are trying to take my family’s treasure? How dare you! you filty human!?” Onyx said.
“I should have never take you out of that box, I should have let you die there as the animal you are” the Mist said, Steel noticed it was the motherly voice he heard in his dreams and when he tried to kill that minotaur.
After hearing them, Steel aproached to all of them, he first pointed Margaret.
“I haven’t failed and I wont, the real Mr. Margaret have faith in me and she will always have it so shut up!”
The false Margaret gasped and dissapeared as it were smoke, he then pointed the false Jilt.
“You tell me humans have nothing to offer? The real Jilt were always fascinated by my abilities to adapt and become more stronger, you think I will listen to a filty mirage when I have the opinión of the most intelligent Gryphin in all the world?”
The false Jilt also dissapeared, he then aproached to Onyx and said:
“Onyx is dead, he is now catching up with his family, you think I will believe he would lose his time coming here to tell me that crap instead of having fun with them in Elisium? GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU POOR EXCUSE OF ONYX!”
The false Onyx also dissapeared and the only one left was the cored smoke.
“And you. . . .I don’t even know you! or at least I don’t remember you but I know this, that voice always made me feel better, someday, maybe I will find out whose voice it is but I’m pretty sure it’s not yours so stop using it! you colored fart!”
The mist dissipated and Steel found himself in the forest again, he sighted and sat there, he was sweating a little, to be honest to himself, it was really a tough test, he knew they were not real but still, it pained him a little hearing them say that and strangely the one that pained the most was the motherly voice? The sign said he would face the one he loved most, so that meant he loved the owner of that voice and not only that, he loved that creature even more than he loved his Family in Minus?. . . just what kind of life he had before? And what was all that crap about a box and leaving him there? There were so many questions to answer but that wasn’t the time for that, he wiped his sweat and kept walking.
“He passed the second test? No creature have passed this one in years, now it’s time to see if he is the worthy one, I must admit it will pain me to retrieve his body in case he is not”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steel was now walking in a plain land, he felt relieved not being surounded by trees anymore but he knew it wasn’t over, after walking for some minutes, he found something he really didn’t expect, an open crypt, made of marbel, he was shocked, what was something like this doing here? Still knowing there was no turning back, he proceded to enter and go down the stairs, he was more surprised when he saw the inside, all were made or marble as well and it was clean, like is someone was caring for it, it wasn’t too dark since there were diamonds incrusted in the walls, he felt desires to take some but stopped, it wasn’t the treasure he was looking for and strangely. . .he felt he was being watched.
When he finally reached the end of the stairs, he found himself in the main room, all clean as well, in the middle, there was a tomb but it was open, revealing a skeleton but not any skeleton, it was a minotaur’s and his skeletals hands were grabing something, it was an war axe, normaly, it would not be such a surprise since it was an average weapon for the minotaurs but this one was diferent, it shined like silver, the edges were black and man! They looked sharper than any edge he saw in his life, it had a point made of green emerald and the stick was black and with a grey handle.
Steel looked at it with marveled eyes, many would think it was just a really expensive war axe but it was something special in it, it was like. . . it was. . . alive, he tried to reach it but was stopped when he noticed another sign above the tomb.
STRONG WILL
BORN - - - - - DIED - - - - -
LEGENDARY WARRIOR, FRIEND AND FATHER
YOUR LEGEND WILL ALWAYS LIVE IN US
“So it was really Strong Will’s tomb!” – Steel though, he had some suspects but now he was sure – “So, in that case, this war axe must be . . .”
“Yes human, it’s the Legendary Lightning Axe”
With widened eyes, Steel turned around and saw the zebra he met hours ago. He smirked and said:
“Why am I not surprised, you were the one who was watching me from the shadows?”
“You knew? Wow! you impress me even more”
“It’s all thanks to my mentor’s teachings, now, is there something you want to say?”
The Zebra smiled and started to applaud with her hooves.
“Congratulations, you managed to get here, that’s already pretty impresive”
“ummmm, thanks?”
“You are welcome but now. . . the child’s play is over, before you try anything, I must give you some information regardless that weapon”
“Go ahead, I’m all ears”
“As you already know, that’s the Ligthining Axe, one of the Mage Metalbrook’s 8 enchanted ítems, it’s a powerfull weapon made from the tooth and scales of Xismas, the last thunder dragon”
“Thunder dragon, I thought there were only fire dragons!”
“And you are correct, the thunder dragons have been extinct for hundred years, since they were very rare, hunting one was some kind of valor test impossed by stupid kings and Queens to test their best warriors long ago, Metalbrook and Princess Celestia were always againts that barbaric ritual but nocreature listened to them, eventually there were only one thunder dragon, Xismas, a good friend of Metalbrook, many creatures tried to hunt him, wanting to be the one who slaid the last thunder dragon, After an almost endless persecution, Metalbrook managed to help him by hidding him in this forest but it was too late, he had a mortal wound, made by a special spear, knowing his time was near, Xismas asked Metalbrook a last wish.”
Steel was listening with full attention by this moment.
“Knowing there will not be any more thunder dragons and fearing they would be forgotten forever, he asked him to extract all his power and placed it in one of his fangs and scales and make a weapon with them, claiming it probably may be usefull in the future to warriors with good hearts and they will make this world a better place”
The little Zebra was crying by this moment.
“Even after how much our descendants made his kind suffer, he still believed in us and he even left us his power and that’s why I’m here, better said, why my family is here, My name is Zahari. . .Zahari Xeal, the Xeal Family have been good friend with the Fortune family since Strong Will was the last Axe’s user, he used it to end many wars between Minus and other countries in the past, he also slaid many evil creatures with it, his will was indeed. . .strong, when we heard what hapened to Mr Fortune and his family, we thought it would be Onyx who would came to retrieve the Axe and now you are here, tell me, who gave you the scrolls to find this weapon? Was it Onyx?”
Steel, with a serious look answered:
“Yes, he gave me the scrolls before dying”
Zahari’s eyes widened to imposible levels.
“Onyx. . . is dead?”
“. . . yes, he was badly injured and died a few weeks ago”
Zahari then narrowed her eyes.
“And how do I know you weren’t the one who killed him and took the scrolls from him?”
“I can’t prove it, you will have to believe in me”
“And If I don’t?”
“That would be your problem, not mine, I know I’m telling the truth”
Zahari looked at Steel with a serius face, after some seconds, she sighed and said:
“You have indeed a strong spirit, just like Margaret told me”
“You know Mrs Margaret?”
“hehehe, exactly and don’t worry, I already knew my good friend Onyx passed away, she wrote me a letter weeks ago, telling me all what happened and how you were in your way here so I decided to leave my home in Zebrica and come to meet you, she told me you were special but still I was surprised when I saw you, you really are one of your kind, I can tell you that”
Steel chuckled and removed his mask.
“My my, and why is that change of attitude? Suddendly showing me your face? But I must admit. . . you are not half bad in fact, you are pretty handsome”
“hahahaha, thanks and why I removed my mask? Any friend of my friends and family is my friend”
“HAHAHAHA, you definitely are Margaret friend, that’s something only she would say, now, let’s get down to business, are you ready for the final test?”
“Yeah! But first tell me, you were the one behind the last two?”
“Only the first one, the second one was done by a darkness cristal, I believed you saw it when you entered here”
Still noded.
“As I told you before, my family have been protecting this place for generations, waiting for a right succesor of the Axe, many powerfull unicorns helped us placing forcé fields and that cristal, sorry for what it showed you, but please try to understand, if one can’t even pass those tests, you think they are worthy to have power?”
“I understand, don’t worry, besides, I don’t know how to explain it but. . .I feel the cristal test made me stronger”
“I’m glad to hear that, because you will need that strenght”
Zahari and Steel aproached to the open tomb.
“You could say it’s just a matter of taking the axe and that’s it, but you’d be wrong, tell me, you feel something coming from that axe?”
“Well. . .yeah, it feels like if it’s alive, am I crazy?”
“Not really, remember it was made with the power of Xismas but also his feelings”
“His feelings?”
“Yes, his feelings, desires of keep living, to make a world a better place, you can say the axe feels, if it feels a heart full of hatred or greed, it will not allow the owner of that heart to touch it and it may kill him with electricity.”
“So. . .If I’m not like that, I’m safe?”
“Not exactly, the axe doesn’t want a weak heart as well, it will struggle and reléase part of his power to evade being grabed, it will hurt. . .a lot, but if you managed to hold it, the axe will be your partner until your death, I must tell you, others had survived the tests but all of them didn’t passed this last one, many died and the ones who didn’t. . . returned their homes, traumatized”
“I see. . .”
“I like you and for that I will ask you one more time, are you sure you want to do this?”
Steel thought it for a minute, technically, he didn’t have to do this, he could just go back to Minus and keep living his life but. . .he promised Onyx he would success and he REALLY didn’t want to admit it, but now more than ever he wanted to know who was the owner of that lovely voice from his dreams, looking at Zahari with a determinated face, he answered:
“Yes! let’s do it!
“Ok! Now, all you have to do is take the axe from the skeleton’s hands, that’s all”
Zahari got him close and said:
“Think of someone you love, according to Strong Will’s records. . . it helps”
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steel breathed a few times, preparing himself for the electricity shock, he focus in his heart, was there hatred? Was there greed? He surely hoped not or it was gameover already, preparing his hand and screaming, he tried to take the axe.
The moment his hand was a few inches from the axe, he recieved a powerfull shockwave around it, it hurt like a bitch, he felt as if his skin were removed slowly, after some seconds, he was sent flying to a wall, he landed and started to hold his electrified hand.
“Damn! That hurt. . .so much!”
Zahari aproached and said:
“Wow, I didn’t think you would get it at the first try but you really last longer than I expected, I’m impresed, please tell me something, if you thought about someone. . .who it was?”
Still stroking his hand, Steel said:
“In Mrs Margaret, Jilt and Onyx”
“Are they the ones you love most?”
“They should be”
“Should be?”
Steel then quickly told Zahari about his amnesia and about the voice that always made him feel at peace, Zahari with a smile said:
“After all you told me, I think it’s pretty obvious you loved the owner of that voice with all your heart, you just are on negation, that’s not good for your heart”
“But how can I love someone I don’t ever remember more than the ones I do?
“Even with amnesia, your feelings and your body don’t forget the warm and love your loved one gave you, for what you are telling me, the owner of that voice. . . loved you with all her heart, you only chose to not believe it and that was natural, you were too young at that moment and you were confused as well, now you can see things more clearly, I have an idea, let do this. . . try again but this time. . .think of that voice, think of it. . . calling you, telling you how much she loves you”
- - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
Steel noded and stood up, he was reluctant but decided to follow Zahari’s advice, he prepared his hand and mind for the pain again and. . . he tried to reach the axe again!
He started to feel that crushing pain for the electrity, it was too much to bear, he started to to back off but he then closed his eyes and thought in the voice.
“C’mon you can do it!” – it said with the motherly tone he liked so much, it was even more feaceful than Mrs. Margaret’s and that’s was saying a lot.
He started to aproach a little further to his target.
“I love you Steel, come and find me!”
The pain was there but he blocked it, his fingers almost touching the axe.
“Come and find me! I need you! WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR YOU! MY SON! MY SUNSHINE! MY BRIGHT!”
“ahhhhhhhhhhh!” – Steel screamed and finally grabed the axe, at that very moment the shocks ended, he stil had his eyes closed, he was lost in his thoughts.
“My son? My sunshine? My bright? Where in Tartarus that came from?. . . .who was I? Who was she?. . . . WHO IS BRIGHT?”
“Steel? Steel? STEEEEEEEEL?”
The human was interrupted when he heard Zahari screaming in his ear.
“Ok! I heard you ok?”
“Don’t scare me like that. . . wow! You did it, you really did it!”
“Did what?”
Zahari rolled her eyes and pointed Steel’s hands. When he looked at them, he saw he didn’t have the Axe, instead, he had a silver ring in his finger, confused he said:
“What is this?. . . where is the axe?”
“That ring is the axe, well, better say, where it’s stored, Metalbrook wasn’t a fool, he knew carrying such an amazing weapon would be problematic to the user so he used a now forgotten magic to bind the axe with the ring you are using now, that would explain why in many of Strong hearts’ pictures, you never see him with the Axe in his back”
“Really? so. . . . now what do I do?”
“Try to imagine the axe in your hands, you remember it’s shape. . right?”
Steel noded and did what Zahari said, he focused and looked at his hand but nothing was happening, he tried to focust harder, he started to sweat and to have a headache, he was close to give up but at that moment, the ring started to shine and for a couple of seconds, the axe appeared in his hand, he smiled at this but lost concious at that moment. Zahari smirked and grabed her new “student” and took him outside the crypt.
“We have a lot work to do little Steel, be prepared. . . I will not be as soft as Onyx”
Steel couldn’t listen to her but somehow his head started to sweat a lot.