//------------------------------//
// 10- Rage Valley 
// Story: Bound by Scales 
// by FrostTheWolf 
//------------------------------//


Bound by Scales- Rage Valley





Point of View: Ken





        Since what happened with Connor, it had only been a couple of during then and the thought of him still remained in my mind. Not because of him though. I knew that with him in the care of Harroc and the Princesses that he was in good hands. The thought that was on my mind was Caex. The wise old blind dragon that I had a conversation with after Connor sealed himself with one of his own spells. He could tell that I was concerned. He could tell that I was frustrated. But what surprised me was that he could tell what was going on in my world. It was almost like that little gold triangle that one of my classmates kept referring to in that one show back home. I think it was called… Gravity… falls? Either that or walls, I can’t remember clearly right now to save my life.



        My point being that one of the characters had a certain quote that reminded me of Caex when he started talking about Nightmare Moon. “I know things… Lots of things…” or something along those lines. The point being that his advice helped me be able to move on from thinking that I was unable to protect my family. Now, I wanted to focus on doing everything I can for Revaan… For Applejack… and for our family.



        That is why right now, I was writing a letter to Zinnia. She had already introduced me to her partner Umbra, but I remember her saying that there were other members in the Kazoku family that she needed to introduce to us. So, I was thinking that since they would be seeing this as their home too along with ours, we should have the chance to meet them as well. The only problem I hated at this point was two things.



        One, anytime I tried writing with a pencil, my dragon hand would break it in half if I wasn’t careful. Two, there was etiquette. What I personally once saw as my mortal enemy. Mostly because of the fact that I had to spend numerous amounts of times getting my papers edited, only to have them not be the grade I wished for it to be. I prefer to create stories with words instead of research papers.



        Back to what I was doing, I was focusing on trying to finish the final portion of what I was going to send out. I needed it to sound proper, because one thing I learned from Umbra was that she would get suspicious if something doesn’t sound right. So, I had to read the parchment multiple times under candlelight in order to make sure everything sounded right.



Dear Zinnia and Umbra,



        I hope this letter is received well within the next week or so. I have something that I would like to discuss with the two of you and didn’t want to summon you on the thought that you might otherwise be occupied in your own realms. With the fact that the temple will be home not just to myself, Revaan and you two, I was considering the possibility of a time where all the members of the family could be able to meet in person. Applejack told me of Hearth’s Warming coming up and I wanted to ask if you think we could have everyone over around that time to get to know each other and celebrate the holidays. Preferably in the evening since I need to go with Applejack to visit Pinkie Pie’s family early in the morning. But again, that’s up for you to decide.



        I hope that this opportunity would allow for us to meet the leaders of the other branches in the hoard and also get to know each other. If we’re suppose to be a family, then we should have a chance to meet the family. Still though, you are the ones in charge of the hoard so you call the shots. I’m just a leader of a branch offering a suggestion to you. 



        In other news, I want to let you know that Applejack was successfully able to lay an egg recently. Revaan told us that it will take some time for the dragon to develop while inside the egg and that in two to three months, we’ll find out if it’s a boy or girl. The only thing now that we need to do though may be hard. Having to tell the rest of her family about our relationship. 



        Anyways, I hope to hear back from you soon. Also, are you two aware of a Lich displaced named Asphyxious? He was the only Displaced that had stopped by the temple besides you two and he was… well, interesting in his own way. I’ll tell you about it another time.



Sincerely,



Ken Ahkrin



        Well, hopefully, that’s decent enough. With that finished, I rolled up the parchment and wrapped an onyx colored ribbon around it and then placing a crimson seal on it. One that represented our “wing” of the hoard, so to speak, but also contained the symbol of the hoard itself. Soon, I snapped my finger and had a small green flame consume the scroll and send it to her. A trick that Revaan taught me to help send messages to other people. He just had the ability modified in order to account for if anyone I was writing to was at another end of the multiverse. 



        “Ken, you in here?” I turned my head to see Applejack poking the door open with a hoof before trotting in. “How are you doing? Feeling better?”



        “A bit I guess…” I replied. When I had originally returned from Connor’s world, I had a long conversation with Applejack involving the events of what happened over there and my concerns involving raising our kin. She though, was able to ease my worries and actually agreed with a lot of the things I told her when Caex told me about everything. “It’s still a little overwhelming… you know… the whole Fatherhood thing?”



        “Ah hear ya,” she replied. “Ah’m unsure on how mah family will react to the news, but it’ll be for the best if we had their blessing. Ah’m sure my brother and sister will be fine with it, though Granny Smith is a bit… protective.”



        I raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the mare as she sat down next to me. “Protective?”



        “Well, she’s been like that ever since ah was little. Still, she might be okay once I told her that you aren’t trying to destroy Equestria like that Lord Tirek fellow a few months back.” Applejack sighed as she rested against me. I was curious about something though. She mentioned her grandmother and siblings… but what about her parents? I wanted to ask, but I was a little unsure about doing so. I didn’t want to get myself stuck in a fight with the mare that was in my branch of the hoard.



        “Why don’t we go visit them now?” I asked her. “It might do me well to get some fresh air and step outside of the hollow.”



        “Ya know… I actually agree with that.” Applejack replied, getting back on all four of her hooves. “Granny and Mac should be home around now, so we can stop by for a visit.”



        “Alright, though I wanted to give you a couple of things before we go.” I told her before having her follow me to where I kept my bag and gear. Soon though, I brought down what appeared to be a leather saddle bag with some silver trimmings along the edges. “Revaan helped me get this ready for you next time you were out doing things like going to the market.”



        “Ken, ah already have a saddle bag-.” She said, before noticing her cutie mark emblazoned on the side.



        “True. But this one’s special. It’s like mine,” I told her as I adjusted mine over my shoulder. “Lightweight and is enchanted to have unlimited space to store anything in there. Without any changes in weight.”



        “Well, ah reckon. That is quite useful.” She replied as I handed it to her and helped adjust it so it could fit properly.



        “You look great with it on.”



        “Aww… Thanks, sugarcube.” She replied back, blushing a little. “Is there anything else you think ah might need?”



        “Nah, you look great right now. This isn’t a royal gathering, so we don’t need to wear anything fancy.” I told her as we walked to the doorway to Twilight’s castle. “Still, should we tell Revaan?”



        “He already knows. Ah told him that ah was going to have you be with me for a little while and he was okay with it.” The Mare explained. “Now, you ready to get going?”



        “Just as ready as you are, AJ.” I smiled as we walked through the gateway to Twilight’s castle. Shortly after arriving, since the alicorn wasn’t there at the time, we just hurried on over focused on getting back to the orchard named Sweet Apple Acres. It was when we arrived that I saw a red stallion that had an orange mane and tail with a green apple as a cutie mark. I was surprised though when I saw him look at me before looking back at Applejack and just saying one word. “Sis?”



        So this was Applejack’s brother. Not what I expected at first glance.



        “Big Mac, this is Ken. The one ah told you about?” She told her, looking around. “Where’s Granny Smith?”



        “Inside.” He said. Seems like he’s the kind of guy for single word answers. Must be not that much of a talker then if you asked me, but again, it’s not good to assume the worst in ponies. Especially one that could smash your face into the ground.



        “Thanks. Ah’ll be right back Ken, just hang tight.” She told me as Applejack trotted into the house. I myself decided to just wait there, but I really felt uncomfortable with Big Mac looking at me like I did something wrong. Looking back at her, I sighed a little.



        “Nice to meet you?” I said, sticking out a hand for him to shake. It took a few minutes, but then, he sighed and then put his front hoof where my hand was. 



        “Same here.” He said again. Short, but simple. It was then though that before he left, he only said a few other words to me. “Take good care of her.”



        I was partially shocked to hear that at first, but then, I calmly nodded my head. “I will.” With that, he trotted back into town, leaving me just standing there while I was waiting on Applejack. Everything seemed quiet at first, but it was only a few minutes later that Applejack asked for me to come on insider so I could meet Granny Smith. Calmly and quietly, I took off my headphones and placed them in my bag before walking inside. 



        “Granny, this is Ken. He’s the one ah was telling you about.” Applejack said, smiling as she looked back at me. Granny Smith looked nice on the outside, but for some reason, something with the way she looked at me made me think that the elderly mare did not like me.



        “I see… Applejack, can I talk with Ken for a minute… alone?” She asked. Applejack just simply nodded her head as she trotted outside, closing the door behind her and leaving me inside with the elder of the Apple Family.



        “Well, ah have to hand it to her… She did say that you were… unique.” Granny Smith first said before looking at me closely. “Though ah honestly didn’t expect to find someone like you, mister.”



        “Uh… thanks?” I said, unsure by what she meant.



        “Easy there, partner. Ah’m not mad or anything like that. Ah just want to make sure that daughter is in good hands. Comes with watching over her since she was a filly after what happened with her parents.” That part… got my attention. What exactly did she mean by that? I wasn’t completely sure about it, but if something did happen to Applejack’s mother and father, then it must’ve impacted her directly. I took a bit of caution, thinking the whole thing through inside my head first before I decided to ask.



        “Um… Granny Smith? Can I ask you something?” She nodded in response before I asked my follow up question. “What did happen to Applejack’s parents?”



        “They died, young’un.” She said, a little bit bluntly at first. But soon, she began to explain as she pulled down an old photograph from a nearby shelf for me to look at. “It happened shortly after Applejack’s mother had Applebloom. The family was told of a filly that was in trouble over an old wooden bridge outside of town. Both of them told Applejack to be there for when they escorted the filly to safety. But it was when after the filly came off the bridge, the ropes holding the walkway snapped and the whole thing fell into the rapids below.”



        “Oh my god… that’s horrible…”



        “Yep… it is… You see that hat she wears?” Granny asked as she looked out a window and saw Applejack out in the orchard. “That was her fathers on the day he fell into the rapids. She’s kept it with her since. It’s her way of remembering him.”



        “I’m sorry to hear about what happened, Ms. Smith.” I told her, doing my best to express my sympathy. 



        “It’s okay now, young’un. It’s a thing in the past. What ah want to make sure is that she’s okay now.” She said, looking back at me. “When she’s with you, do everything you can to take care of her now. My grandchildren are very important to me. Ah just wanted to make sure she’s in good hooves.”



        I nodded my head, understanding her. “I assure you, I will do everything I can to help Applejack when she needs it the most. That is a promise.”



        Granny Smith smiled, placing a hoof on my dragon arm. “Ah’m glad to hear that.” Soon, she looked outside for a brief moment and smiled. “Run along now, Ken… ah think she’s waiting for ya.”



        I smiled, thanking her for her time as I walked back out the door and met back up with Applejack outside. She seemed quite happy to see me again. “How did it go, sugarcube?”



        “Actually… A lot better than I expected.” I replied. “Granny Smith just wanted to make sure that you were in good hooves.”



        “Heh… Kind of expected that from her.” The mare replied. “So, you want to go back to the temple or sit around here for a while?”



        “I think the temple might be best,” I told her. “I sent a letter to Zinnia a while ago, asking her about an idea I had in my head of getting the chance to meet the other leaders of the other branches in the hoard. Who knows when she might reply?”



        “Good point… Besides, it is Home sweet home after all.” Applejack chuckled, rubbing her head against my leg. “Well, one home at least.” I chuckled a few moments after her. She did make a very good point. The temple was home… and it felt more like home when AJ was there as well. But it was then I noticed something. Something… felt different about Applejack than last time. It almost felt like when she turned into a dragon once. However, she was a pony now. Why would I be thinking this from just her rubbing her head against my leg? Meh, rather not kill the moment by asking right now. Maybe later when we’re a little more relaxed back at the temple.



        The only other thing though that was stuck on my mind was what Granny Smith said earlier. Applejack’s parents were out to save a filly, but who exactly? That just made me even more curious. But again, it seemed like a personal matter. I’ll set it aside and deal with it later when the time comes.



        However, one thing that surprised me when we re-entered the castle was that Twilight was there… and there was one other pony with her. A Stallion with a white fur coat and mixed blue mane. Only difference between her and Twilight species wise was that whoever this guy was, he was just a Unicorn. 



        “Hi Ken! Hi Applejack! What a surprise to see you guys!” Twilight greeted us.



        “Twilight? Who is this… individual?” The unicorn next to he asked, looking at me with a bit of a glare. 



        “Shiny, Ken’s a friend. Please don’t be like that around him.” She told him before looking at me. “Ken, this is my brother, Shining Armor. He’s married to Princess Cadence and lives in the Crystal Empire just north of here.” So this guy was technically a prince? Interesting to say the least.



        “Nice to meet you, sir.” I replied, holding my hand out so I could shake his hoof. He looked a bit… tense at first. But then after a few seconds, he took out his hoof to shake my hand. Soon though, somepony else entered the room. This time, a pink alicorn that was as tall as Celestia or Luna, but didn’t have any extravagant features like the flowing manes or the sparkly tails. “Should I assume that this is Princess Cadence?”



        “Why yes it is… You must be the Scalebound that Luna told us about last night over dinner.” I nodded, looking back at my arm before turning to Applejack for a second. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ahkrin.”



        “Please, Ken is fine.” I told her briefly as I shook her outstretched hoof gently. “Well, Applejack and I were going to go back to Obsidian Hollow. Probably settle down for a little while before dinner. I’ll see you around Twilight.” Waving goodbye, Applejack and I proceeded through the gateway back into the Hollow as we soon re-entered the heart of the temple. 



        “Welcome back you two.” I heard the brief voice as I turned around and saw Mystic emerge from a nearby corner. “How was your trip to Ponyville?”



        “It was good, even though it was only brief.” Applejack replied. “Ah was introducing Ken to the rest of mah family.” While I was hearing the two of them talk though, I felt something as a shiver ran down my spine for a brief moment. Something… or someone… had landed in the badlands nearby. What it was, I couldn’t tell. It was strange because I could feel something, but I couldn’t make out what that something exactly was. Maybe Coryena or Revaan possibly felt it? Well, the second idea was a little unlikely because if he did feel it, he would be going out to investigate it and right now, he was still in his chambers inside the temple.



        “Hey Applejack, can you stay with Mystic for a second? I need to check something real quick.” I told her, only causing her to raise an eyebrow in response.



        “What is it exactly that you need to check?”



        “I had a feeling that something was in the Badlands. Hopefully, it's nothing too major. I’ll be back soon.”



        “Alright, just be careful out there.” She told me. I just nodded my head as I walked towards the gate and stepped outside. Turning to the basin that was outside, I used my arm to pull myself up quickly before looking around. Trying to get some kind of read on what I was feeling earlier. 



        Turns out… it didn’t take long to find out where this mystery person was. Because I heard something ring out from throughout the Badlands a few minutes later. Like a guy shouting at the top of his lungs.



        "F*CKING REALLY!?! I JUST CAME FROM THE TUNDRA AND NOW I'M IN A F*CKING DESERT, COME ON!!"



        Right away, I could tell two things. One, this guy had a temper. Two, he probably wasn’t planning for that outburst to attract attention. And hearing him roar out like that just told me exactly where he was. Following the noise, I began to slide down the edge of the cliff, clawing against the wall with my dragon arm before landing on the ground. Now… I noticed something new in front of me. It looked human, but it didn’t feel human because I couldn’t feel a life source or soul. Maybe it was a machine? I don’t really know right now, but I didn’t really have the time to think these things through as he was now looking at me.



        “I hope you are ready to taste the dirt.” 



        “Whoa there,” I said, trying to calm this guy down. Putting my left hand forward and keeping my dragon arm next to the messenger bag that was around my hip. “Take it easy, I’m not here to harm you.”



        “Oh, I don’t give a sh*t. Your ass is going down.”



        Before I could even react, this Lion like guy lunged out at me, his claws barely missing my face as I backpedaled to try and gain some distance. However, unknowingly, he was faster than I expected as his next attack hit me right near my ribs as he threw me against the wall of the canyon. Even though I only felt brief bits of pain, that still hurts… a lot!



        “FireHit!” As he said that, he clenched his claws into a fist as flames began to form around it and the fire roared to life. I needed to make a move and quickly. Using my dragon arm, I concentrated a lot of my energy into the palm of my hand before releasing it forward in a head on shockwave. Sending my attacker flying almost thirty feet. 



        “Nice try.” I coughed a little. It was at this point now that my attacker was fully looking at the extent of my arm as my energy glowed from it. However, he didn't really take the sight too kindly.



        “SuperVulcan!” I watched him grab his right arm as he applied some sort of… attachment or something to it. I couldn’t tell from all the way where I was at. But what I did know was that the same arm was now a minigun. And it was aimed directly at me. Dammit, I needed to run.



        As he began to fire off multiple rounds in my direction, I used my arm to gain the high ground and pulled out my bow and two explosive arrows from my bag. Carefully, I fired the first one by his feet and the second one on the ledge above him. They had five second timers that would detonate shortly after hitting it’s target and it was part of my plan for seeing what he was capable of. 



        From my observations, he has great attack power and speed. However, what I wanted to know was if his attack and speed changed at all because of the weapon he acquired. If he was able to get out of there in time to avoid the explosive at his feet… and the boulder that would fall on his head… Well, then that’s going to be a problem.



        “AreaSteal!”



        Another trick up this guys sleeve, this time it was movement. He was right now pratically in front of me and aiming his weapon at my face. I had to use left arm to try and push it aside while striking him in the chest with a palm strike from my other arm. Making him move a bit backwards. I was beginning to sense a pattern now as I noticed something take form in his hands that looked like a chip. He must be using different chips for different purposes. Like combat, movement and so on. So far, the previous three times he called something out was three chips he had used already. Lucky for me, I have only used one of my current weapons. I would’ve called Revaan, but bringing him here might just cause tensions to escalate. This guy, whoever he was, needed to take a major chill pill. 



        “Invisible!”



        Uh oh… This was not good. I wasn’t able to do anything before he vanished like smoke. I had to calm myself. Think… Focus… don’t think on what you can see. Focus on your other senses. What I can feel… What I can hear… What I can sense… I put my bow back in the bag and closed my eyes. Listening for the sound I wanted to hear…



        The sound of feet making contact against the ground. I could hear it a few times. But a real dead giveaway for me was the air in the atmosphere. I can feel in all but in one place… behind me. Grabbing a weapon out of my bag, I gripped my halberd as I swung it all around me and felt the tip of it clip something. That was followed by a few sparks.



        “Found you.” I said. Soon, my attacker’s cloak faded, revealing his hiding place. I could tell that from the look on his face, he wasn’t expecting my next weapon to be a spear. But, it seemed like he had another plan just in case from the look in his eyes.



        “Lance!”



        “Trying to copy me?” I asked. “It looks like you're running out of options.” I was waiting for something to appear in his hands. However, nothing came. Was this some kind of fake out or-?



        SHNNK!!



        OW! Son of a B*tch, that hurt! Looking behind me, I now began to see a bamboo like spear impaling me from behind. It was almost bear inches from my heart, but the force of the strike forced me to drop to one knee. I could’ve used my dragon armor if I knew the attack was coming from somewhere I could see. However, this one got me in my blindspot, forcing me to fall over as I coughed up some blood.



        “White Capsule! TimeBomb!”



        Oh crap… I got to move… Wait a minute, why can’t I-? Oh that little piece of-!



        BOOM! The small explosion threw me into the same canyon wall that I was originally thrown into from before. Now, I was just in a even worse situation. Whatever he did applied temporary paralysis to me and had a bomb blow up in my face. God, why did this had to happen now!? Whoever he was, he used his speed to get in front of me again, grabbing my face like he wanted to rip my head off… Dammit, I needed to do something-!!



        “Hey, Varmint!”



        Wait a second, was that-? 



        In quick maneuver, my attacker loosened his grip from behind as he was slammed by an orange blur that sent him flying to the other end of the canyon. I felt the effects of a Soul Shard being used on me for my wounds to close and that I could finally stand again. But when the dust settled, I was startled by what I was seeing.



        “A-applejack?” I stuttered. Looking at the mare in front of me.



        “Yes, Ken? … Is something wrong?”



        “Y-you’re… a dragon!”



        It only took a moment for her to realize the change that she had taken on as she looked back at herself before me. “Well… this is new… Never mind that, who the hay attacked you?”



        “That… I don’t know. All I do know is that he is a displaced. I was trying to calm him down, but he was really angry and decided to unleash that anger out on me.” I told her. But that was when I noticed something else now from the other end of the canyon. The figure that had attacked me… was no longer in the form it was in. 



        His human form.



        “Oh horseapples, did ah just attack a young child?” Applejack asked me. I would’ve said something… if I didn’t notice the boy try to get up on his own.



        “Did someone catch the number of that t-truck?” I was going to go over and help, but soon, he fell over face first on the ground. Unconscious.



        “Applejack, give me one of those soul shards!” I told her. She nodded her head, tossing me one from her saddlebag as I ran over to the boy. Cracking it open, I let the magic that was in the shard do it’s job as it began to heal any wounds that were on the child’s body. Soon, we were able to hear him breath as Revaan soon flew over. I had to quickly inform him the brief and simple version of what happened because by the time he landed, the small shake in the earth was enough to wake the boy from his temporary slumber.



        “Urgh, Gutsman… stop punching the ground. I’m…… Oh it’s a dragon.” He said briefly before moving his head a little bit.



        “Are you okay,” I asked him. “You’re not going to go all beast on me and try to kill me now, are you?”



        “Sorry about that, I wasn’t really expecting to end up in the desert, and yeah, I’m fine. Not the first time I had my ass handed to me.” I sort of chuckled at that part. This kid was nice on his own. What would make him lose his cool like that earlier? Nevertheless, I can ask him that later. First off, I need to ask him something important.



        “I’m Ken Ahkrin. This is Revaan and that’s my friend, Applejack. What’s your name?”



        “Names Gregar, I know of Applejack because of where I’m from.”



        “Kinda figured tha.” Applejack answered. “This isn’t our first time encountering Displaced like yerself. Now, what exactly happened that lead to you getting stuck in the Badlands?”



        “Well I found Ken’s token on my way from the Crystal Empire after I gave Sombra a royal ass kicking. I was thinking maybe I could have a chat with Ken, but instead of bringing him to my world I crashed landed here.”



        “Hang on there, fella. Did ya say Sombra?” Applejack asked. “Ah hadn’t heard that name being said after we freed the Crystal Empire two years ago with Twilight and them.”



        “Wait……. Is Twilight an alicorn right now?”



        “Yes she is,” I replied. “I ran into her briefly with her brother and Cadence before going home. But around that time was also when I felt you in the Badlands.”



        “Well it seems there is a little bit of a time difference in our timelines it seems.”



        “Trust us, it’s happened before.” Revaan spoke. “Out of the Displaced worlds we had gone too, one was shortly after Sombra’s fall. Another was during the Canterlot wedding and a third was 1500 years in the past.”



        “Oh right… Connor…” I muttered, remembering it briefly. “Still though, can you move. You look to be a bit young to be trying to pull people’s heads off.”



        “Young... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh that's a good one there, young one. I am actually over three thousand years old.”



        “And now, I’ve learned something new today. Looks can be deceiving.” I chuckled. “In all seriousness though, you want to go to the Temple for a bit so you can rest before I help bring you back?”



        “Sure might as well see what your place looks like.” He replied, before whispering something to himself. “I wonder what Moony is up to right now?”  



        I couldn’t quite make it out, but I rather not intrude upon it if it’s something personal. So, I instead lead him into the hollow. For it being a community where changelings and ponies can co-exist amongst one another, he was more surprised that this was actually a town inside a canyon wall in the badlands. Heck, he was even more surprised when he finally got to see the temple for himself.



        “Well I’ll be damned, this is not what I was expecting. And it takes a lot to surprise me like this outside of battle.” 



        “Well, I was holding off on a lot of my skills since I didn’t know what you were capable of, but that’s not necessary now.” I explained. Nearby, I saw Spike appear from the gateway to Twilight’s castle as he walked in. Almost wobbly from dizziness. “Hi Spike.”



        “Hey Ken.” he said, before looking at Revaan. “Hi dad!”



        “Hmm… not everyday you see Spike’s actual parents, well parent.” Gregar said while Revaan and Spike walked into a side corridor to Revaan’s personal study.



        “Yeah, theres a bit of a history for Dragons here,” I began to explain. “Revaan is the last Onyx Dragon of his kind. Mostly because in the past, the magic of Nightmare Moon corrupted most of the dragons and forced them to subdue to their carnal desires. Revaan lost his mate, Coryena, before sealing himself off from the world and used the last of his magic to send Spike’s Egg to someplace safe. This temple is actually the original home of the Onyx Dragonkin and right now, Revaan, myself, Spike, Applejack, and a few friends of ours are trying to find out what put his kind close to extinction and find a way to bring them back.” I said. “That’s enough for the history lesson… now, what about you Gregar? … Gregar? Gregar, are you okay?” However, when I looked back at him, tears were flowing from his eyes as a black fur like substance began to flow around him. His hand turning into claws again.



        “I know what it is like to be forced against your will to fight…. to kill. To be corrupted and lost to your loved ones. This all HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THAT F*CKING BASTARD OF A GRIFFON!!!”



        “H-hey, calm down!” I tried telling him, only for it to not work this time as he continued to roar out loud.



        “That bastard made me kill Ponies, Griffions themselves, hell even dragons. None could stop me, I was too strong for anyone. Yet he found the one thing that could not only control me but kill me as well. I have killed so many, I nearly lost what it was like to be human.” Afterwards, he dropped to his knees and punched the ground beneath him as he slowly came back to normal. I felt sorry for him. I never knew that explaining about Revaan would lead to this. But I had to make things right. So, I got down on one knee in front of him and placed my hand on his shoulder.



        “But you haven’t… You’re still you… and for you… you need a place to call home… A place where you can forget about your past and what was done. That way, you can focus on the present and do the right thing.” I told him. “If you need a home… I can help with that.”



        “That sounds nice and, yeah I would like some help. Besides if Nightmare Moon saw me like this she would be worried to no end about me.”



        Applejack looked at me for a second, but then I shook my head, telling her not to follow up on the Nightmare Moon part. “She can be here too if you want. Gregar, I’m not going to lie, but to me, you’re like a little brother. One that I never had. If you need guidance, Revaan, Applejack and I can help with that. I promise you that in the name of my branch.” For a moment, I really wanted to try and hug him. But I just thought that would look creepy.



        Like an old line from Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory “Your heart is in the right place, but your arms, head and hands aren't.”



        “If I need any help, you better answer then. Plus, before I go I think you should know a bit of my history in my Equestria.”



        “I’ll try to help you however I can. I have a lot of responsibilities on my end with the position I’m in, but I’m sure I can set those aside to help you.” I told him. Applejack nodded her head as well, now slowly turning back to the pony form of herself as she got closer to Gregar and hugged him.



        “Any friend of Ken is a friend of mine, Sugarcube.” She said, looking at him with a motherly look in her eyes.



        “Thanks Applejack. And Ken, what do you mean by branch?”



        I sighed. I thought this would come up sooner or later. “Gregar, do you know what a hoard is?”



        “Not exactly.”



        “What about a herd?” Applejack then asked.



        “I can assume it is something along those lines isn’t it?”



        “Kind of… Think of it like a organization. One with multiple branches and members of different branches. I’m the head of my wing, the Chroma Branch. The Kazoku family is the name of the hoard, but the catch is that a lot of it’s member actually consist of other Displaced.” I told him, trying my best to not put it bluntly for him. I wasn’t sure if he had any bad memories in other regards besides what he already said. So, for the meantime, I was trying to play it safe.



        “That is a lot of family then it seems. Who started this whole thing then?”



        “A Displaced named Zinnia. She’s the Alpha of the entire family along with her fellow Alpha, Umbra.” I told him. “Zinnia is half dragon type pokemon and Umbra is an undead overlady. I don’t know much of the other branches, but I sent a letter to Zi asking for her thoughts on a future get together so everyone can meet each other and get themselves settled. The temple is the home of the family.”



        “Someone got displaced from Pokemon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby? Thats interesting to learn.”



        “Yeah,” I nodded my head. “I still have a few of the tokens from some of the other Displaced I met. There’s the homeworld gems and crystal gems, Gray, Asphyxious and lastly, Zinnia’s.” At the last part, I showed him the anklet that Zinnia used for a token, allowing for him to see for himself.



        “Well, to be honest, you are the first displaced I met since I woke up from a fifteen hundred year slumber.”



        “And hey, I’m honored to get the chance to meet you… Speaking of tokens, can I have yours?” I asked, placing Gray’s token around my neck briefly.



        “Hey that's Gray’s necklace from Fairy Tail. And my token…. hmm one sec. TOBI!!” Briefly, a small tear in the void appeared behind him as a masked man that resembled Tobi… or Obito from Naruto soon appeared next to Gregar. 



        “You called Gregy?”



        “I told you not to CALL ME THAT. Anyway, Ken here is going to need my token.”



        “Alright, hold on… I have it here somewhere.” He said to himself, checking his pockets and then his sleeves as he began tossing what appeared to be Kunai knives, Shurikens, summoning scrolls, some kind of hand cannon and some other items before he found what he was looking for. 



        “Aha there it is, here you go Kenny boy.” He told me, tossing something to me that I swiftly caught with my draconic arm.



        “Word of advice… Don’t call me “Kenny”. I hate that nickname.” I told him, almost in a growl as I opened my hand. In my hand was a circle with two red markings on both sides that resembled some kind of badge. That was when I remembered seeing it on Gregar when he was in his transformed state. “Alright, and I’m to assume that you have mine, Gregar?”



        “Yeah I do.”



        “Well anyway I need to get going and ‘Kenny’, here a little present.” Tobi interjected, dropping something on the ground before having it slide towards my feet. “Something to help you out when fighting, can’t always be relying on a bow and arrow.” I looked down, picking up what he slid over to realize that it was something that I… personally did not expect. It was a hand cannon. A silver one with a talon like hook at the end. My arm glowed a little when I picked it up and tried to hold it, so maybe I could find a way to integrate my energy attacks and have them fired as bullets? I’ll have to try it later as I holstered the weapon in my bag.



        “I was going to get mad at that, but I’m going to let it slide this time.” I told him, looking back at Gregar as he was with Tobi. “Before you take Gregar back though, I think he was suppose to be explaining to me about his Equestria if I’m not mistaken?”



        “Right, now first things first, how much do you know about Nightmare Moon?”



        “Not much, other than she’s a personality of Luna that was twisted somehow. I’m not an expert on the case, but please, continue.”



        “Alright well, my Nightmare Moon is actually the sister of Luna and Celestia. She is really nice where I’m from and if not for her, I don’t think I would have been like I am now. Plus she is my wife as well so there is that. So that makes me Luna and Celestia’s brother-in-law. And I have some friends who would like to meet you if you ever come to my Equestria. Another quick question before I go, Have you heard of the Megaman Battle Network series?”



        “Briefly. Heard of it once or twice.” I told him. “Did not play as many of the games I wanted too when I was a kid. I’m guessing you’re from one of those games?”



        “Yeah I am, I am Gregar from the sixth game, but I am the beasted out version of Megaman from the same game.”



        “Well, that makes sense,” I said. “Earlier when I felt your presence, I couldn’t tell what exactly you were because I couldn’t sense your life force. Since you were in your beast out form, I think that blocked off my sense capabilities. Like camouflage.”



        “I guess so. Anyway, been nice talking to you and if you are ever in a jam, don’t hesitate to call me.”



        “Same here. If you need to talk or just ask me something, I’ll be there to help.” I told him. “Have a safe trip, my friend.”



        “I will. Till next time, brother." He told me. Somehow, I thought that he was trying to reference something. If he was, then I wasn’t sure what he was trying to do it based on. So, instead, I just simply waved goodbye as Applejack was doing the same thing with her hoof as the tear in the void closed. Shortly after, I looked back at the hand cannon that I was given. Seeing an engraving on the bottom of the barrel.



        Hawkmoon.



        “What tha’ heck is that?” Applejack then asked. Looking back at her, I sighed a little. 



        “It’s a hand cannon. However, I’m a bit too tired to be trying it out after everything we’ve been through today.” I told her. “Wanna relax a little? Get something to eat? I’m going to take a guess that after today, you are kind of hungry.”



        “You betcha’.” She replied as we walked to the dining hall. “Still tryin’ to get used to all these Displaced that ya keep on meeting. But hey, each one of them turn out to be quite interesting.”



        I nod my head. However, one thing came to mind now that we were on the subject. “Applejack, can I ask you something?”



        “Sure, Ken. What is it?”



        “About earlier… How exactly did you turn into a dragon?” I asked. She stopped for a minute as we both took a seat at one of the chairs in the dining hall. The mare took a few moments to think to herself, but then spoke again.



        “It started shortly after you went out… Ah was hearing Revaan earlier groan in pain… Ah remembered that you two were linked and all that, but then he told me that if ya kept on trying to fight… You would die… After that, ah just… tried to hurry on over and get to ya in time… Ah mean… ah didn’t want to lose somepony I care for… even if we just met.” Now, she was getting emotional. Just like Gregar was earlier. But I knew why.



        “You didn’t want to lose somepony you cared for… just like your parents?”



        “... Okay, how-?”



        “Granny Smith told me,” I answered. “She wanted to make sure that I was able to take care of you properly and that I would help you when you need it most.” For a little bit, she was silent. But through the teary eyes, I saw her smile a little as she looked at me and tried to wipe the tears away.



        “Figures… She’s always one to be looking out for Mac, Applebloom and I.” She smiled, now nudging herself against me as I hugged her. I did the motion as a sign to try and comfort her. Help her out a little. Make her feel not afraid. “Ah think I know why ah changed.”



        “You do?”



        “Yes. It was because of my feelings. Ah was worried sick about you and also mad at Gregar when he was attacking ya. Maybe my emotions triggered it?”



        “Could be…” I said. “Maybe over time, I can help you with learning how to control it. You might have some new abilities with your new transformation as well. Given that your blow against Gregar almost made the ground shake.”



        “Maybe we can save that for after today? Ah’m kinda exhausted.” Applejack told me. I myself just nodded my head, looking back at her a little.



        “Fair enough… So, you hungry for Apple Pie? I heard there was two remaining slices in the kitchen.” I asked her. She looked at me with a simple grin and nodded her head.



        “Ah’d like that.”





End Chapter 10