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Prologue: A World Ravaged By War247 words
Act l: Power Is Mine5,776 words
Act ll: Friends and Enemies4,984 words
Act lll: A Rebel In Our Midst5,995 words
Act lV: Zero's Debut5,707 words
Act V: Name's S25,956 words
Act Vl: Phoenix Hunt5,457 words
Act Vll: Chrysalis's Tactics5,810 words
Act Vlll: Taken Hostage5,836 words
Act lX: The Drug That Remembers5,058 words
Act X: Battle at Nareina5,491 words
Act Xl: Nareina Continued4,539 words
Act Xll: An Ally Gained, A Life Lost5,185 words
Act Xlll: The Battle and The Mare 4,685 words

Act l: Power Is Mine

Over highway 85 north in Japone, helicopters pursued a large black truck.

"This is Alpha 3! Target headed for Delta 14 at 80 kph!"

"Calling Code 3! All units from floor 2 to 5, take 2-8-8! I want the target intact!"

Beep! Beep!

The slim, elderly stallion started at the sound of the timer.

"You're out of time. You shall make your move every 20 seconds from now on."

The stallion looked nervously at his chess opponent, a changeling drone who didn't seem to care much as he boringly fixed his suit and bow-tie with his magic.

His opponent said indifferently, "Very well, I'm game. Hmm?"

Both players looked up as the door opened to show two young colts in similar uniforms.

The elderly stallion's opponent scoffed. "So, your substitute has arrived?"

The elderly stallion jumped up, relieved, and ignored his opponent's question. "Thank heavens, I'm saved! How's school?"

His opponent looked at the colts. One of them suddenly turned into a changeling and stepped forward. He merely quirked a non-existing eyebrow.

"A school-drone?"

The changeling sat in the chair previously occupied by the elderly stallion. He seemed to assess the posh changeling across from him.

"Hmph, a noblechangeling. How typical." He said with a hint of disdain.

The changeling was seemingly unfazed. "Ah, kids these days. I envy you. You have so much time on your hooves. Time for regrets anyway. What's your name, school-drone?"

"Stryker. Stryker Surveil." The changeling replied curtly. He surveyed the board to make his move, but his friend, a white pegasus with a yellow-streaked black mane and brown eyes, interrupted his concentration.

"Hey, wait a minute! You can't win this one! It's impossible... right?"

"Fallout, when do you think we'd have to leave to get back in time?" Stryker asked coolly.

"Uh, 20 minutes. Why?" Fallout asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I want you to not crash into another pony on our way back. I'll need 9 minutes."

The changeling turned to the elderly stallion. "About yesterday?"

"Yes, of course. We'll discuss it later." The stallion stammered.

The noble raised an eyebrow. "9 minutes? You have only 20 seconds to make your move."

His point was emphasized by another buzz of the timer.

"It's enough." Stryker used his magic to lift the king piece.

The noble chuckled. "You start with the king? Very well."

Stryker simply smiled. 'You make too many assumptions, noble... And you can't keep your emotions in check. They tell your bluff.'

Meanwhile...

"Hey, where's Stryker at?"

The pony who asked, a young pegasus mare with a white coat and red mane, looked around at her friends, prompting an answer from them.

"He went somewhere with Fallout, Raincloud." An orange pegasus mare answered as she ran a brush through her amethyst mane and tidied her uniform.

"Ugh, really?! What's it this time? Poker?" Raincloud groaned in annoyance.

The orange mare sighed. "It's like they forget that they're on the student council. They're always off gambling for money! If only Ry-Ry would use his brain in school instead of stupid stuff, he'd actually get good grades!"

Raincloud giggled. "'Oh, I wish my dear Ry-Ry would be a serious young drone.' That's adorable, Amber."

Amber blushed and looked at her hooves as her friends tried to cover up the fact that they were laughing as well.

"Please Raincloud..."

"It's so cute though; the changeling's usually the one pining after the pony in the relationship." Raincloud winked.

Amber covered her face with her hooves. "You're horrible, madam president..."

Back on the highway, the truck veered left onto a different route.

"Ugh, stupid Eclipse, couldn't he have stuck to the plan?! Just when we finally steal somethin' important from Nymphia! Now we're in a whole heap of shit!" The one driving, a changeling drone, hissed.

"Less talking, more driving buddy!" His partner said as she looked into the rear-view mirror to check on the helicopters.

"Haha! Well, that was fun. It's always fun to play against the nobility; when they lose, it's priceless! Also, 8 minutes and 32 seconds is a new record!" Fallout exclaimed as they left the chess room.

Stryker kept walking as he changed back into his disguise, a dark gray thestral stallion with sky-blue eyes, a black mane, and dusk blue wings.

"He also didn't have much time to move either. And as a changeling, he could have easily used his emotion sensing abilities to cheat his way into winning with that stallion. Being another changeling, I could've called him out on it, so he played fairly and lost. Besides, nobles are overpriviledged parasites anyway so it's nev- What?"

He turned to Fallout to see him chuckling behind a hoof. Using his emotion-sensing ability, he could tell something he'd said had been amusing. He blinked in confusion until it dawned on him.

Stryker facehooved and sighed. "Fallout, you can be too much of a jokester sometimes."

Fallout grinned. "I know; it's just too funny to ignore."

Stryker just shook his head as they stepped outside.

"Why are they killing innocents?!"

"The Elevens terrify me!"

A robotic voice cut through all the voices. "We apologize for the delay. His Royal Majesty, Prince Xirex, 3rd prince of Nymphia, will now address the nation."

Both Fallout and Stryker looked up to the screen. An image of a changeling drone wearing a formal suit showed up on the screen.

Stryker gnashed his fangs together. 'Speaking of noble parasites...'

Xirex's voice echoed from many speakers across the nation.

"To all of my subjects! Including, of course, the many loyal Elevens who support the mighty Nymphian Empire!"

"Bull. Shit!" The changeling said as he dodged the helicopters' bullets.

"We're not Elevens. We're Japonese!" The mare yelled.

"Can you not see my pain? As ruler of Colony 11, it fills my heart with sorrow and rage to see such brutish creatures cause destruction among us! These terrorists cannot see that the battle we fight is one for the good of all citizens! Now, I'd like for you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice in the line of duty."

"A moment of silence, please." The robotic voice said monotonously.

Xirex finished his speech, and in accordance, many out in the streets joined him in honoring the eight who died.

Stryker just kept walking.

Fallout caught up to him. "Aren't you going to join in?"

"Aren't you?" Stryker shot back.

"Nah, it's sorta embarrassing actually." Fallout said sheepishly.

"I agree. Plus, there's no use in crying over spilled milk. Those soldiers are dead, and they're going to stay dead, no matter how many creatures shed their tears."

Fallout let out a low whistle. "Damn, that's dark, buddy."

"It's merely the truth. Self-satisfaction is all it is. You can't change the world by doing simply that." Stryker said as he stared up at the image of Xirex with narrowed eyes.

"That was splendid, Your Majesty! No one could ever guess that you were at a party while doing that!"

Xirex smirked as he stepped down from the platform.

"The viceroy is needed to be the best actor in Colony 11. And after all, what type of changeling would I be if I was a bad actor?"

"My, you're so confident!"

"It's all part of the performance. The media wants a charismatic prince, so I give them a charismatic prince." Xirex stated as he grabbed a hold of a glass of champagne.

"Untrue, Your Majesty! Prince Xirex, our purpose is to assist you in your reign in any way we can!"

A mare of dark tan fur that faded to caramel and a brown mane scoffed as she heard that. Leaned against the wall of the room, she murmured to herself, "His reign is a petty sham."

Her eyebrow rose as a green-eyed changeling general came barging in. "Prince Xirex!"

'A soldier?'

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty..."

The mare got off the wall and prepared to leave. 'Don't tell me it's another appearance for him. Perhaps it won't be as dreary as this one. Wonder if I should check on my sisters...'

"You fool!" Prince Xirex yelled. The statement was accompanied by the sound of glass breaking.

The mare turned back around to see an enraged Xirex glaring daggers at the changeling general. She noticed that the prince's glass had broke as well.

The general broke a sweat. "The police were told it was medical equipment. If we send out the army, it'll bring too much-"

"Deploy the Royal Guard! The Knight-Mares too!" Xirex cut him off.

"Alert 1! Rapid reaction companies 4, 7, and 8 as well as air assault team 31, immediate scramble! Special Division 9, stand by!"

"Hey, Stryker, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Stryker replied as he flew after Fallout.

"That first move you made... Why'd you start with the king?"

Stryker replied with a straight face, "That's simple. If the king doesn't lead, how can his expect his subordinates to follow?"

Fallout looked at him weird. "What's with that?"

"With what?"

"You plan on running a major corporation or something?"

It was Stryker's turn to look at Fallout weird. "What? No way. Ambitions like that are pointless."

HONK!

Fallout and Stryker started and narrowly dodged a truck by veering sharply. They half-crashed on the sidewalk.

"Whoa! That was close!" Fallout exclaimed. "We gotta watch where we're flying next time."

"Idiots! Watch where you're going!" The changeling driving hissed through clenched teeth. He veered onto an unfinished road in his haste.

"Not that way!" The mare next to him yelled.

The changeling tried to brake, but the momentum kept the truck going and it crashed into the side of an unfinished building.

Fallout blinked. "Uhh... Was that our fault?"

Stryker shrugged. "I don't think so. Their fault they were going too fast."

"Target's crashed at the abandoned V.O building construction site."

"The military will take over from here per General Acadis' orders."

"Him?!"

Said general's thoughts were in a turmoil as he rode aboard a helicopter. The changelings onboard could sense the general's nervousness.

'We have it retrieve it! If that thing falls into the wrong hooves...'

Stryker stared down at the crash. Suddenly, he saw something above the truck. It was like an aura of some sort.

"What the...?"

Fallout winced a bit as he moved his wings. "Ah great, this sucks. Think my left wing got sprained a little."

Stryker was too distracted by the strange aura atop the truck to listen. "Yeah... Fallout, come check this out."

His attention was wrenched from the truck as more ponies showed up to examine the crash.

"Woah. Nasty crash."

"What happened? An accident?"

"Probably a drunk driver... Always some moron."

"Maybe someone should go help."

Stryker rolled his eyes and focused his attention back on the strange aura. "Idiots, the lot of them."

He flapped his wings and dived down towards the truck.

Fallout tried to stop him. "Hey, wait!"

"Oh look, the student rescue team's arrived."

"Why doesn't anyone call for help, y'know?"

Stryker drowned out the sound of the ever-growing crowd as he landed atop the truck.

"Hey, are you alright?" He yelled.

There was no answer, for the two in the truck were both still knocked out from the initial impact.

Fallout sighed and began the walk down to where Stryker was.

"Dang it, I know it's the right thing to do, but at this rate, we'll be late for school!"

The mare shook her partner. "Hey, Plasto! Get up!"

Stryker frowned as he called again. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?!"

"It's you... Finally you've come..."

Stryker blinked. He could only sense the two up in the front with his emotion sensors, but he couldn't detect a third. "The heck?! Where...? Are you in there?"

He leaned over the edge of the open top when abruptly, the truck roared to life and backed up, causing him to fall in. Unfortunately, he landed on his right wing with a pop, making it pointless to try and fly until he could pop it back into place. That'd be painful.

Getting tossed around in the truck, he called out. "Hey, I'm in here! Stop!"

Fallout watched in confusion as it drove away. "So... would that be considered a hit and run?"

'I remember seeing a ladder on the outside. You'd think that they would've stuck a ladder on the inside too.'

His head shot up as he heard a voice.

"Stop this vehicle! Surrender now, or we'll shoot to kill! Stop at once!"

"What do we do now, Sirocco?! That's the army!" Plasto panicked.

The mare, Sirocco, got up from her seat. "That's why I'm here buddy! Just keep driving!"

Meanwhile, Stryker scanned the inside of the truck for a way out. That was harder than it sounded since the truck kept moving in a serpentine movement to presumably avoid bullets from the army helicopters.

'I can't fly out. Even if I could, I would either break my neck because of something I can't see or get shot. Same goes for jumping out. Maybe I could call-'

His thoughts were cut off as a dark-gray mare with a black and light-blue mane came out to the back. He instantly ducked behind the dome-shaped capsule. She took off the coat she wore and placed it on a hook.

"Plasto, can you enter the subway through the Azabu root?" She called up to the front.

"Why not just use it here, Sirocco?!" A voice called from the front.

"Because it'd mean a blood-bath!" The mare retorted.

"Yeah..."

Stryker narrowed his eyes as the mare moved towards a covered mech. 'I've seen her before... but where?'

"Hey, Stryker! Where are you?! We gotta get to school!" Fallout called as he looked around, confused. 'I swore he was right here a couple of minutes ago...'

"Target is moving towards the ghettos!"

"Copy that! Corner 'em!"

"Roger!"

As they pursued the truck, something from the back hit one of the helicopters, and it went down in flames.

"A slash harken?!"

The back of the truck opened to reveal a red mech.

"A Knight-Mare!"

It was launched from the truck and started going after the army Knight-Mares and helicopters.

Stryker tried to get out before the back could close, but the movement of the truck impaired him from getting there in time. He changed back into his natural form and tried to buck his way out. It was pointless though because it was reinforced with steel.

'Shit, these guys are real terrorists! How can I get out?'

The red mech fired a slash harken towards one of the helicopters, making it crash into the other.

"Yeah Nymphia, you know full well what this badass mother-fucker can do!"

One of the Knight-Mares came forward. The pilot was a black vesper with a navy blue edged burgundy mane.

He called out to his comrades, "The rest of you back off! I'll take this guy."

Turning back to the red Knight-Mare, he grinned.

"I assume you dug that relic out of some scrap heap. A broken-down Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland! Not to mention a filthy Eleven who disgraces our glorious Queen!"

He struck the Glasgow with a few slashes, but it still held out, albeit barely.

Plasto called out to Sirocco. "We should split up! We can't both risk being killed!"

"But-" Sirocco didn't get to finish her protest before the Sutherland launched another barrage of attacks, and the truck veered away towards the railroad tracks.

Another Sutherland fired on the truck. Plasto growled as a bullet pierced through his chitin. Nonetheless, he kept the truck moving.

The pilot of the Sutherland that fired smirked. "Simpleminded Eleven!"

The Glasgow tried to claw the vesper's Sutherland, but the arm got jammed.

Sirocco exclaimed, "What?! It's stuck! Of all the times...!"

The vesper took the opportunity to strike. Next thing Sirocco knew, the Glasgow's left arm was detached from the mech and hit the Sutherland at close range. The impact let out a smoke cover, and Sirocco used the opportunity to escape.

The vesper laughed as his Knight-Mare recovered. "I admit, I like your spirit! But your mistake was going up against me, Crescent Blade, with some secondhooved junk!"

"Damn it, there's no cell reception. And there's noling I can contact through the hivemind that'd be able to help." Stryker growled in frustration as his phone refused to work.

He looked up towards the open top that he'd fallen through. 'We're probably somewhere along the old subway lines judging by the darkness and road surface. Probably headed for a ghetto exit. Still dangerous to get out then... Wait, I got it!'

He levitated the mare's jacket and took out a radio from the pocket of it.

'I'm not much of a fan of the government, but I'll take their protection. If I give them a terrorist communicator... wait...'

"Some friend you are, Stryker, leaving me behind like that." Fallout grumbled to himself as he walked the road to school.

"Hmm..."

General Acadis stepped back from the red and black maned pony who had gotten in his face. He took in the appearance of the figure before questioning, "What are you doing, Lord Gear Spring?"

The ash-gray stallion chuckled and put on a grin. "Well, working on my newest invention, but if you mean 'this minute' now, then I guess I'm looking at a drone who blundered. Does that answer your question?"

General Acadis bared his fangs. "You impudent lit-"

"I'll take that as a yes then. You screwed up, didn't you? Terrorists stole the thing you and Prince Xirex were 'secretly' working on? You could easily get it back, but you want to get rid of them in one fell swoop? Let them lead you to their hideout and eliminate them? Hmm?"

Gear Spring didn't need an answer; the flustered annoyed look on General Acadis's face was enough. He turned to the cobalt blue mare behind him.

"Looks like you were right, Azure! Spot-on reasoning!"

Said mare was looking at the ground in annoyed embarrassment of her colleague's forwardness. Letting out a sigh, she looked up at Gear and Acadis. She rolled her amethyst eyes and motioned in no particular direction with a similarly colored hoof.

"It's really nothing. I just found it odd is all."

Acadis interjected. "Okay, that's enough of your tomfoolery. What does the Special Corps want out of this?"

Gear answered simply, "I merely want to assist with the cleanup."

Acadis raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Assist?"

"Exactly. It's data that I want." Gear answered with a nod.

"If I may interrupt, what exactly did they even steal?" Azure asked.

Acadis hesitated. "Chemical weapons. In other words... poison gas."

Grey armor clad almost everypony as they scattered through the subway system. The voice of a changeling laid out the instructions.

"The terrorists are hiding in the subway stations. Your mission? Find the weapon they've stolen. Investigate the old subway lines that run through the Eleven residential district in the Shineighku Ghetto. Report in as soon as you spot them; we, the Royal Guard will be the ones to recover the target. Remember, you may call yourselves Nymphians, but you were born Elevens, so you should be able to recognize the stench! If you want to earn the right to carry arms, then show some results! Your chance to prove your loyalty to Nymphia is now!"

"Yes, my lord!" They said in unison through their built-in radios.

Plasto struggled to keep conscious as green ichor flowed from his left side. As the truck sank into a pothole though, he couldn't get the wheel unstuck.

In the back of the truck, Stryker felt the thud of the sink.

'An accident? If so...'

The ruckus caused one soldier to find the truck.

Plasto raised a shaky holed hoof and pushed a button. It opened the side of the truck partially. He coughed up a mixture of ichor and saliva.

"Tire's stuck... Please, Rough Boulder... Find me..."

The lone soldier sent a message to his superiors, and he moved in as he saw Stryker near the poison gas capsule.

"404 has spotted the target."

"Roger that. Prepare for recovery."

Stryker began to half-loft half-climb himself up the capsule.

"I can try to climb up now an-"

A gray armor-clad pony knocked him away, and pinned him to the floor.

"What the-" He got a good look at the soldier. "Are you Nymphian...?"

Instead of answering, the pony said scathingly, "That's enough mindless murder!"

Stryker tried to get free with little success. "Wait, I'm not one of-"

"Planning to use poison gas?! Don't play dumb with me!"

Stryker could taste the soldier's anger. Literally. And it wasn't pleasant.

"Get off me!" He used his forehooves to kick the pony back. He glared at the soldier as he stood up.

"Look, I'm not here by choice! And if that's poison gas, it was made in Nymphia, right?!"

The soldier took a sudden gasp. "My god..."

Stryker stepped forward, fangs bared and eyes ablaze. "Mindless murder...?! Then why don't you just obliterate Nymphia?!"

The soldier took off his helmet to reveal a gray stallion with a lighter gray mane. "Stryker? It's me, Greymane."

Stryker blinked in surprise at the familar face. "You... you became a Nymphian soldier?"

"Yeah, and you? You're a-"

"What are you saying?!" Stryker growled with his eyes narrowed.

It was at that moment that the capsule began to open. Greymane lunged at Stryker, covering his muzzle with a hoof and knocking them both off their hooves. The capsule open fully, and the two looked on in shock and surprise as a tied-up alicorn mare of an ocean-blue and cranberry coat and streaked dark sky-blue mane fell out of it instead of poison gas.

Greymane said in confusion, "That's not poison gas... What is it?"

They briefly saw a glimpse of the mare's eyes before they closed; two slitted cerulean eyes of a dragon were what they were.

Meanwhile, in another section of the subway system...

"In all of the confusion, I left it in the coat." Sirocco said over a radio.

"It's okay. The Glasgow's circuits are usable. So, were we right?"

Sirocco took a sip from a bottle of water. "Think so. Bet it's poison gas, like intelligence said."

"And Plasto?"

"Don't know, Rough Boulder. I think he made it underground though."

Stryker took off the cloth that held the mare's muzzle closed. "Tell me the truth, Greymane. Poison gas? This mare?"

"It's what they told us in the briefing, I swear!" Greymane said as he untied her hooves.

Suddenly, a light shined on them, and the lead Royal Guard changeling scowled.

"Being an honorary Nymphian will not excuse you, private!"

Greymane raced over to the changeling. "But sir, I was told this was poison gas!"

The lead guard barked at him. "How dare you question orders!"

Stryker looked on in worry. 'This isn't good. A poisonous situation that would threaten Greymane's superiors if unleashed.'

The lead guard grinned though. "However... in light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient."

He presented a hoof-strap gun to Greymane. "Private, I want you to take this and execute the terrorist."

Greymane protested. "But he's not a terrorist! He's just a civilian who got caught up in all this!"

The changeling bared his fangs. "Why, you insubordinate little- That's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and life to Nymphia?!"

Greymane turned back towards Stryker and the unconscious alicorn. "Yes... but I can't."

"What?" The lead changeling's voice was eerily calm.

"I won't do it sir. I can't and won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir."

"Very well then."

Stryker's eyes widened as he saw the lead guard levitate his own gun. He opened his mouth to warn Greymane, but it was too late. Greymane fell with a thud to the ground.

"Greymane!"

The lead changeling turned to Stryker. "Well, Nymphian school-drone, not a good day to be cutting class." He said to the others, "Collect the mare. After you've secured her, kill the student."

"Yes, my lord!" They responded in unison.

In the front of the truck, Plasto lay weak. He opened the cover of a button.

"Death... to Nymphia... Long live... Japone." And with that, he pushed it.

The truck self-destructed and sent out a wide range of smoke. The Royal Guard covered their eyes a from the blast.

At the cockpit of Prince Xirex's base...

"They got away?! And you call yourselves the Royal Guard?!" General Acadis yelled.

The Royal Guard stuttered through the radio, "Forgive me, my lord! The blast was mainly directed upwards, but the-"

"Why the heck do you think I only told you creatures about this?!" He screeched.

"W-We'll continue the investigation!"

"The plan has moved forward to the next phase." Xirex said as he sat upon his throne.

Acadis looked at Xirex in alarm. "Bu-but Your Highness...!"

Xirex said calmly, "If knowledge of her gets out, I'll be disinherited. Tell them back home we're carrying out a planned urban renewal here."

He stood up and raised his voice. "As Xirex, third prince of the empire, I command you! Destroy Shineighku Ghetto! Leave no one alive!"

General Acadis announced over the communication, "The enemy is garbage that can never hope to become even honorary Britannians! Wipe out every last one of them!"

One vesper grinned from within his Sutherland. "Naturally."

Another officer contacted him. "Supervisor Crescent, General Acadis requests that you take command of-"

"Acadis has staff officers. I haven't had this much fun on the front lines in ages!" Crescent Blade cut in.

General Acadis tracked the attack forces as they moved. Xirex did as well and smirked. "Hmph."

In the subway system, Stryker dropped the mare down onto the ground. She looked up at him with her dragon-like eyes as he leaned on the wall and blamed her for the massacre happening.

"What the heck are you?! This chaos is all your fault, isn't it?! Not only that, but Nymphia has even killed Greymane!"

"Not there?" Gear asked Azure.

"It looks like he's gone to the front line." She answered.

He frowned. "Even though we brought the Lancelot here?"

"Now what'll we do?" Azure asked him worriedly.

Gear held up a key with his magic and shrugged. "We steamrolled our way in here, but we don't have a devicer to use it."

Stryker crawled up the steps of the subways. He turned to the mare.

"Stay quiet and wait here." He whispered.

He peeked his head above the exit to duck again as a Nymphian gunned down a mare.

"Report."

Stryker narrowed his eyes as he recognized the sound of the lead Royal Guard from the truck incident.

"We found only Elevens here, sir."

The lead guard asked skeptically, "You sure? That exit comes out here?"

"Yes, sir. It matches up with our map of the old city."

Stryker watched as they prepared to leave, but his phone decided to go off then. The Royal Guards turned around as he hung up.

Amber frowned as the sound of the ringer stopped. "Huh? That jerk! He hung up on me ! I can't believe it!"

Stryker was thrown against the wall as the lead guard chuckled. The mare was held back from helping him by two other soldiers.

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end."

Stryker bared his fangs as the leader pointed his gun at him. "You scum!"

"Still, you did well for a student, but that's to be expected. You're a Nymphian. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future."

He pulled the trigger.

The mare wrenched free from the soldiers and spread her wings as she moved in front of Stryker. "He mustn't die!"

The next moment, she was on the ground, blood pooling around her head.

Stryker gasped in horror. "Y-you killed her!"

The lead guard simply shrugged it off.

"Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well. Nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the Royal Guard found the terrorist hideout and killed them all. Regrettably, the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, school-drone?"

Stryker didn't answer as his hoof was held close the the mare's. Was his life really going to end this way?

'How can this be happening? First Greymane's killed... And this mare... Now, I'm about to die. Before I've had a chance to do a single thing with my life. It's gone in a heartbeat...' He thought of his little sister. 'Moth!'

All of a sudden, he felt a hoof wrap around his. The mare's hoof was grasping his. Next thing he knew, he was in a different place. Then, he heard a voice around him.

"You don't want it to end here and now, do you?"

"What...?"

"You appear to have a reason for living..."

"The mare? It's impossible!" He said to himself.

"If I grant you power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions, while living in the world of creatures, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

Stryker felt himself lapse through several scenes. Though most were a blur, one stood out among the rest.

"A convergence with the Ragnarok connection? So the myth is beginning once again?" He heard a figure say. Somehow, he felt like he should know the voice. More scenes flashed by.

With determination, he said to the voice, "Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!"

Falling back into reality, he chuckled and kept his eyes closed. Standing yet keeping his head less than inclined, he asked the guards, "Say... how should a Nymphian who detests his own country live his life?"

The entire squad felt Stryker's contempt and smugness. The lead guard sneered, "Are you some kind of radical?"

Unfazed, Stryker smirked. "What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a school-drone. Or have you finally realized?"

He opened his eyes and raised his head. His left eye turned red and held the symbol of a bird.

"The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed!"

The guard asked his comrades warily, "What's happening here...?!"

Stryker looked them all in the eye. "I, Stryker vi Mirren, command you... now all of you... die!"

As all their irises took on a reddish tinge, the leader chuckled and used his magic to point his gun at his neck.

"Happily, Your Highness! You heard him, gents! Fire!"

Stryker watched as all of them shot themselves, green ichor staining the ground where they fell. He stood there for a moment, processing what just happened.

'I've always lived a lie. But now, this incredible power... it's mine...'

Stryker's expression changed to that of a predatory grin. "Well, then..."

Author's Note:

For all of you out there who are like 'But there are no cars or trucks in MLP.' I'll say read the transcript of Saddle Row Review or watch it bc Rarity says car horns. Boom, canon ppl. Plus, this is outside Equestria, which is admittedly more magic and less technology. Outside Equestria, there must be some other way than magic, right...?
....
Yep, totally not using an excuse to include technology in this world.

Over 5k words?!Holy shit!
...Whelp, updates are definitely gonna be far and few in between. Hopefully not too far in between.
Aiming for every 1-2 weeks, and I'm determined to finish it, so don't worry. I'll try to make the most of my free time.
And this may start out the same as Code Geass, but there are some differences here and there as we go along. Especially concerning the idea of immortality and Zero's identity.