Exploration turns out to be much longer than expected.

by Totito30

Missions are assigned.

Reaching a circular platform which seemed to be a “parking lot” of sorts, J´zar descended from the chariot and approached a massive door made out of gold-laced bronze, covered with stylized drawings of sunlight and spring flowers. J´zar approached the doors, surprised by the lack of guards. From a closer look, the huge doors had each one a handle the size of a small table. J´zar looked in doubt at the pegasii standing in the platform, who gave him an encouraging look. He grabbed the handles, each with one hand and pulled with all his strengths. J´zar opened the doors the size necessary for him to pass and close them behind him. Now he was standing inside a decorated lobby, with couches made out of gold and red velvet. There were paintings in the walls, but they were all landscapes, most depicting a dawning sun. Three doors were there, one going towards the left, one towards the right and the other leading directly straight. J´zar first tried the door of the left, but it just leaded into an ample hallway. The door of the right was locked. Finally, he approached the middle door, this time entering what seemed to be throne room. A red carpet was below his feet, cathedral-like windows with decorations depicting (yet again) dawning suns.

Four ponies wearing golden “armor” were standing beside a throne located in top of a small stair. Sitting in the throne, among soft cushions was a pony. This pony was, regardless, much different from any other J´zar had seen so far. To begin with, she was much taller than any other pony J´zar had seen so far (almost reaching up to J´zar’s neck). Then was her mane and tail, which were constantly waving with a myriad of colors. She wore a crown of jewels and gold, and on her rump the shining sun depicted on so many paintings was standing still. Most impressive of all, she had both an elongated white horn and a pair of white wings.

"Majesty," Spoke J´zar while bowing to one knee "¿I must assume you are Princess Celestia?".

"You assume right, stranger" the Princess said "¿But who, or what, are you?".

"I am an ambassador, you could say, and my species is that of the “humans” J´zar said, annoyed at the Princess’s lack of knowledge. At least he knew what a pony was! "And I…".

"¡PRINCESS!" A pony with a highly ornate golden armor rushed inside "¡Something terrible has happened!". On his hand, there was a bloodied piece of paper.

"Calm down, Meriwether; explain to me what happened" Celestia tired to clam the pony.

“¿Meriwether? ¿Explain to me?” J´zar wondered “¿What kind of ruler treats his men with such informality?”.

"We…we…we found this note stabbed with a knife to…to…to..." Meriwether started babbling.

“¡What a soft-hearted soldier!” J´zar felt rage boiling inside him due to the man’s failure “¿¡How dares him babble in front of his master!?”.

"¿To what?" Celestia asked, visibly worried by his captain’s mental stability.

"¡To…t-t-t-to a dead pony’s body!" Meriwether shouted out, shocked to the bones.

"¿What does the note says?" Celestia asked.

The babbling pony answered by handling the paper to his master. Celestia took a small glimpse at the piece of paper before throwing it at J´zar.

"¿Does that ring any bells?" She said in an accusing tone of voice. J´zar grabbed the bloody piece of paper and read a few words:

“THE ONE WHO WAS BANISHED SHALL RETURN, AND THE MAW WILL ADD TO HIS COLLECTION”

"¡NO! " J´zar’s scream echoed through the halls "¡IMPOSSIBLE!"

J´zar was standing on the room with red cushions using his specially designed radio to make contact with Sp´hre.

"There can be no doubt, commander" J´zar told to the radio receiver.

"We must take actions" his Commander’s voice sounded through the static.

"¿What are my orders?" the question had been asked thousands of times by J´zar, and it was still heartwarming to receive orders. “A soldier without orders is lost” J´zar thought.

"You must stop Ix and banish him back to The Maw or kill him. Use any means necessary and accept any help you are offered" the Commander ordered.

"As you wish, Commander" J´zar said as he cut the communication and proceeded into the grand hall.

"Princess, we have a problem in our hands" J´zar said "A prisoner from my realm of existence has escaped its interdimensional prison and is likely to try and conquer your world".

"Excuse me stranger, but that´s a little bit too much for my mind to assimilate in…" the Princess started saying.

"There is no time to explain you further. I must leave to stop that prisoner as soon as possible" J´zar cut her mid-sentence.

"Well then, allow me to offer you my help" the Princess said, relaxing her shoulders on the throne behind her. "Or better said, the help of the Elements of Harmony".

"¿Who or what are they?" J´zar asked.

"You have already met two, for what I’m being informed of" the Princess affirmed.

"¿Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?" J´zar said fearful.

"¿How did you guess?" the Princess asked.

"Predisposition I think" the warrior resigned himself.“Great” mumbled to himself J´zar, “¡Now I have to travel besides the shyest creature on the multiverse and what seems to be a schizophrenic and hysteric pink-colored crazy!”