//------------------------------// // And so it begins... // Story: The Equestrian Omni-Knight // by Azure5555 //------------------------------// "Okay...I'm not mad...I'm not. I'm just concerned. What thought was going through your collective minds?" "Well, you see Mr. Azure sir we were-" "DON'T. Trying to get your cutie marks?" "That's actually not a bad idea." Whispered the three among themselves. 'Oh shit I think I just accidentally the crusaders.' "Okay...what happened then?" "That would be me sir." Said a small oddly spotted young colt. "Pipsqueak!? But...what? Scootaloo, explain now!" "I would, but I cant exactly remember why." Said the worried pegasid. 'Fuck...At least she knows who she is.' "Good sir? If I may interject, but I went in of my own accord. Honest." Pip gave me a half-hearted smile, but I knew better than to pry. "Look, you crazy kids head to school, everypony else should tend to their respective activities! It is just too early for this..." The citizinry gave their goodbyes and dispersed and the kids left (though not without proper coaxing). My mental musings would have continued, but my train of thought was derailed by a slight tapping on my leg. Looking down, Spike was giving me a look. Dragon Crest helmet still in hand. "It took you five minutes. It would have taken the average bloke a good hour." "I..........will explain in forty minutes. Me and Twi have to go over...some changes. In the mean time, why don't you go get AJ?" The purple of his scales seemed to glow a little as he grumbled awkwardly and left. "Poor guy, never could withstand the might of blondes." -Library- "Twi?" Hearing a door open and close, Twilight walked in from a hallway. "Sorry, just freshening up. What's that smell?" She asked while scrunching her face up. I gave myself a once over and noticed I absolutely reeked of death. "Yeaaaah...I need a bath. Like now though. Here-" I tossed my mentally stored bags of goodies at my student and proceeded down the hallway she had entered from. "-give my equipment a looksie and document it. I need to know if things have changed." "Anything I should keep an eye out for?" "Not in particular, no. Uh...which way is the..." "End of the hall, on your left. Your towel is the royal blue." "Thaaaaank yoooou." -Roughly TWO HOURS later- "Okay, hit me with your..." 'Couldn't even wait till I was done, they just had to be here.' Waiting in the living room were the rest of the Elements, Spike, and Angel. "Why don't ya'll take a seat partner. Make yourself comfy." Said Applejack. "I broought PASTRIES!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie. The others just seemed to be patiently/impatiently waiting. "Yeah, no, definitely. I just need to put my-" I couldn't say another word as my towel was taken in a blue aura, folded neatly in front of me, and put aside. 'Gee Rarity, I'm glad somepony here knows the virtues of patience and subtlety.' I mentally prepare myself for this moment, and take my seat in front of the round table. 'Heh, round...table...' 'I know right! Just like Camelot!' 'Gah! Pinkie! Get out of my brain!' *AHEN* "So...who wants to go-" "Applejack's grievances are greater than ours. She should be allowed first. Oh and I do so appreciate you helping out Sweetie Belle's friend, heavens forbid if something ever happened to those three." Said Rarity. "Right, you have the floor AJ." "Ah...really shouldn't be asking ya this. It's just...not knowing hurts- She takes a deep breath, doing what she can to fight back her tears -mah parents. What happened?" 'To dread the day, when dreaming ends.' "They-" The front door opened, a cloaked figure before us. Everyone, minus Twilight and Fluttershy, readied themselves for battle. Slowly, the cloaked being trotted forward, lifting the hood. "Moonpie?" "Princess Luna!? MOONPIE!?" Shouted the collective group. "His pet name for me. I believe I have the answers you seek. Unless this is a bad time." Said Luna. The mare before us was now slightly smaller, hornless, a lighter shade of blue, and her mane didn't have that non-existent wind. "Applejack, your call. Luna would know more than me on this. Do you object?" I ask. "Nnope. If she says she knows, then she can say it." The lunar princess took a seat with us, none of the other mares showed much hostility. Thusly, she began her recount. "Twelve years ago, my sister had caught wind of a third Alicorn in existence." Before any bedlam arose I stood up and diffused the outburst. "No interruptions! Any of you! Am I clear!?" Silence all around. "Good, please Luna, continue." "Thank you. It was a small settlement, hidden deep near the southward end of Whitetail woods. Scouts had been sent to survey the settlement, reconnaissance found that a pegasus had quelled a bitter battle between the village and an outside squadron of bandits. In doing so, the mare had released a deep-seated well of magic, manifesting in the form of a horn. Further information revealed that the settlement held ties to an ancient war tribe known as the Iron Claw. An extraction team was sent in to peacefully obtain the soon to be newly crowned princess under the guise that she was a niece of my sister. The "clean up" as the reports had labeled it had been quick and dirty, so as to claim forest fire. Relics were retrieved and dispersed, along with one family crest. Young Apple, this belonged to your mother." The mare in question had totally broken down, the crest only served to break her even more, resulting in ghastly wails as she clung to Luna for any kind of support. The group didn't fair any better, especially Pinkie as her hair had deflated. Tears silently streaming down her muzzle. "We break for twenty minutes." The girls, bunny, and dragon made their way to the kitchen, except for Rainbow. "So, it's true then. About what happened to Applejack's parents?" "Their caravan made monthly runs to the Silver Fang settlement. They donated what they could, and contrary to whatever the reports may say, they died in defense of the settlement with honor." "Dude...she's been waiting for them for twelve years and this is what she gets? It isn't fair." "And it's also my fault. I created the Iron Claw to stop raids like these, and what good did it do? I'm a failure to my peo-" *punch* "ow..." Rainbow began rubbing her injured hoof, obviously not being able to dent my scales. "Rainbow..." "Don't beat yourself up. Celestia did this, not you, and not Luna. Chin up...that's right both of them! Hehe, there's our fearless leader." "Heh, you're alright Dash. You're alright." -Living Room Floor- "Everyone okay?" Various nods gave me the okay, Spike and Luna were now beside AJ consoling her. "Who wants next?" "In order of importance, Angel is up next, followed by me, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity." Stated Twilight. "Okay Bun-bit, what's up?" "What the hell is going on and why am I here?" "We're discussing any doubts and questions we have." "Don't beat around the bush." "What do you think Spike, should I tell him?" "Go ahead, might give the poor sod some perspective." Said Spike. "Oh ha ha, what's the worst he can tell me?" Countered Angel. "That you don't exist. The old Scottish lad Liam never existed. Not really anyway. You are a televised personality, written into existence for the entertainment of a populace. They were with you for every minute of your life, when you laughed they laughed with you. When you cried, they cried, and when you felt pain they felt pain." "I don't believe you, I can't believe you!" "Yeah well I can't believe you! You shouldn't be here, you should be in your own reality! You should still be in that apocalyptic version of LA, fighting for your life in that alleyway and yet you're here! It boggles the mind, but whatever force brought me here, decided to do the same to the lives of another world. That means you, Spike, and quite possibly Gunn and Illyria!" Angel was beginning to sweat bullets, feverishly looking back and forth to me and Spike. "Spike, tell me he's joking." The dragon took gestured at the apple farmer beside him, retrieving a bottle marked with a big red apple. "Thanks luv." "When he was still trapped, he would show me and Twi visions of our lives. I didn't want to believe him, but there I was watching my life go by. It's not so bad actually...knowing that thousands of people loved you just because you were a right bastard." With permission, the dragon emptied the bottle in his grasp, silently wishing it still had something left. "No...I can't accept that. I can't!" Screamed the bunny as he rushed out of the library. "Angel!" Cried Fluttershy. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I have to go after him, please don't be mad!" I gave Flutters a nod as she ran after the bunny. "Hey Spike, you okay?" I ask. I give the room a once over, noticing the saddened visage of those still here. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine. More worried about Angel." "Having a soul and heart will do that you." "Get bent." ... "Everypony want a minute, or should we continue?" I quietly ask. "Perhaps a bit of good news may change our moods?" Said Luna, breaking the awkwardly sad funk. "Right, Twilight, report." “Well! Your weapons include a mystically infused short sword, it's edge isn't much but something about it's innate magic makes me feel safe. There are two large and unruly great swords, one of which is the void blade you kept through out your imprisonment and the other is wider with a blue gem within it's hilt. You seem to have a large tuning fork though...” “Okay weird...so far not much has changed...can I see the short sword?” Levitating the bag of weaponry, she pulls out what I thought should have been my Vorpal Edge. “Twi...where's my Vorpal Edge?” “Beg pardon?” Rainbow's eyes seemed to shine as she got our attention. “The Vorpal Edge is one of THE coolest swords in his arsenal! It's speed and edge are on par with most pegasi in terms of ignoring wind resistance. Not to mention it's sweet ability to send out multiples of it's blade!” 'Hokay yeah, she's an expert on my gear.' “I'm sorry, but how do you...?” “I'm part of the archive crew! So is Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.” Said Rainbow. “Okay then...Twilight, I should have two more swords with me.” “Correct, a hard light blade that seemed to disperse shadows and an almost fleshy blade that keeps emitting this black haze. Also I think it was staring at me. That concludes weaponry, shall I continue?” “Nah, I'll figure this stuff out myself once I get back on my feet. I'm more interested in what Rainbow said about the “Archives”. I thought this library WAS the archives.” “Pfft, you kidding? This place couldn't fit HALF the stuff on you! The real archives ar-” Pinkie nudged Rainbow in the side, effectively keeping her quiet. “-rrright...Sorry dude, not that we don't trust you, but with royalty here we can't risk it.” “...Oh! She means me. Of course, well not that anypony here would believe me, but I have “temporarily” relinquished my seat as princess.” Said Luna. This shocked all of us save AJ. “She ain't lyin'.” The mare had seemingly pulled another bottle from nowhere and took a swig. “Seems like she's in this with the restuvus...” “You've had enough luv, let's get you home.” Spike, immediately removed the near empty bottle from the apple farmers hooves and walked her out. “Yeah...our first meeting went nothing like I would have expected.” I say while slowly reaching for the bottle of apple grown goodness, only to get my hand struck by the moon mare. *SIGH* “Right, RD first tell me about the archives and then we go over your thing, yeah?” “No yeah, yeah. I'm in charge of keeping weapon files in order and in shape. The up keep takes for-ever, but somepony's gotta do it. Applejack and Rare basically do the same thing, only with shield and armor info. But enough about that! When do we launch our counter-attack!?” 'THAT'S HER THING.' “Really? That's your thing? We aren't launching one.” This stunned everypony still in the room. “The hay do you mean “we aren't launching one”! We have to!” “We discuss our plan of action when Cadence, Shining, AJ and Fluttershy are with us. Until then we play the long game. I've lost enough lives and I'm not about to lose you or any of Ponyville! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!!” “SIR, YES SIR!” 'Shit what am I doing...' “I was out of line, forgive me. Pinks, you've been quiet this entire meeting, what have you got?” I ask in hopes of bringing life back to the room. Her hair was still kind of flat, her cheeks had black streaks matting them. “I wanted to know how you wanted your first party here to be like.” Her eyes like deep pools, her sadness re-fueled my own in the worst way. “Cake. Vanilla, and lots of it. Streamers everywhere, no banners though. I'm just not that kind of guy. Bright colors, lot's of pinks and blues...hire the best DJ y-you c-c-c-can...*gasp* milk, coffee, some carbonated drinks would be...would be...DAMNIT STOP!!!” An uncontrollable urge propels me forward, I land on top of Pinkie startling Rarity whom had been sitting next to her. I can no longer bite back the tears I didn't know I held, the pony in my grasp doing much the same. After what felt like an eternity, we both managed to stop and pull away slowly, so as not to disturb some invisible force that would or wouldn't cause us to cry ourselves to death. With on last hug, Pinkie's hair had re-inflated as she rushed out, a faint smile on her face again. “Are you...okay darling?” Asked Rarity, surrounded by the remaining mares. “Yeah...I guess. Look, Rainbow take Rare home after we finish up, kay?” The rainbow pegasus gave a solemn nod as she and the others took their seats. “Rarity?” “Yes...nothing truly of importance, any changes to your equipment is to be reported to Mayor Mare, and I would like your measurements. Please.” “Knock yourself out.” I stand and spread my arms out and part my legs. The process is quick and silent. When she finished, she gave a smile, a bow, and left with Rainbow at her side. Which left me, Luna, and Twilight. “Luna, shouldn't you be-” Light faded from the room as the sun dropped and the moon rose. “Yeaaaah...explain again why and how you quit?” “I gave my sister the excuse that I would be traveling through Equestria, making sure to connect with my subjects not as a ruler, but as an average pony.” “That explains why your magic is so much weaker now!” Exclaimed Twilight. “Oh yes...that. We'll go with that.” Said Luna rather exhausted. “Night time girls, Luna you're with Twi, and before you say it yes I'll sleep on the couch this time...”