• Published 23rd Dec 2016
  • 29,445 Views, 1,241 Comments

Guardian - Thule117



In the name of the holy Seraphim, in the name of the Light, in the name of Equestria. I am fire. . .I am steel. . .I am death. . .I am DOOM!

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Truth is Stranger

Author's Note:

Hello everyone, Thule117 here with yet another preface to my latest chapter in Guardian. I have several things I wanted to mention, first of all I would like to give a shout out to reader Ec1ipsis
I've gotten a lot of wonderful compliments and feedback from readers since I started writing this story all of which have been a joy to read, and Ec1ipsis's was especially touching and memorable for me, so I felt it deserved mention.
Second, I wanted to mention that I am testing out a new way of incorporating music into my story. Certain songs and music have inspired some of the best parts of Guardian, and so, I decided to try placing links to those songs in the story to act as a kind of "Sound Track" for it. The links are labeled as "Soundtrack" then the name of the song, and placed just before the scene they inspired, I suggest listening to them while you read the scene to help enhance the effect. Granted this is completely optional, and not at all necessary to follow along with the story, but I felt it would be a fun experiment, please feel free to let me know what you all think of the idea.
Next up, I might, might have located a fanfiction site that allows the posting of song lyrics in stories. I read the site's policies and stated goals and I think they are more in line with my way of seeing things when it comes to interpretation of copyright law and fair use. As such I have been posting the unredacted story there. I haven't quite finished posting everything, but the name of the site is: Archive of Our Own. They are, as far as I can tell, a site dedicated to fighting for fanfiction writers legal rights, and I encourage you all to look into them.
Finally, I as always wish to extend a huge thanks to my editor: BurningDusk for all his hard work on this chapter, as I forge the steel of this story, it is his polishing hand that makes it shine. Now, on with the story. . .

"Do you think we should go up?" Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly as she hovered just above her friends in the main entrance hall of Twilight's castle.

"An' do what exactly?" Applejack replied, glancing up at Rainbow with a look that was at once sympathetic and reproachful. It was a fair question, as honestly, nopony had even the slightest idea what to think or feel, let alone do. None of them could truly believe that Derran had meant to hurt Twilight, but at the same time they couldn't believe he never mentioned that he was in a very romantic relationship with Celestia and Luna. Rainbow Dash however, had never been a fan of doing nothing.

"I dunno, something!" Rainbow retorted, annoyed at the realization that she herself didn't really have any plan beyond just: go to wherever Twilight was.

"Ah hear where you're comin from Rainbow, but honestly, ah don't think we know enough ta really help." Applejack offered, trying to calm her friend.

"We know Twilight's crying! Isn't that enough?!" Rainbow shot back annoyed.

"But. . . Derran also looked pretty unhappy." Fluttershy pointed out, causing Rainbow to suddenly go from determined to depressed, her fiery posture faltering as she floated down to the floor.

"Yeah. . ." Rainbow agreed sadly, as her hooves came to rest on the crystalline tiles. Rainbow had always been a pony who liked things in simple terms, black and white. It wasn't that she didn't understand nuance, it was just hard for her to make sense of the world when seen through shades of grey, and right now, things were about as gray as they could get.

"I'm back." Came the voice of Shining Armor as he descended the stairs, having just gone to pick Flurry Heart up from her nap. Flurry was happily swaddled in a comfortable blanket, and giggled appreciatively as she sighted the others. "They. . . still not out yet?" Shining asked hesitantly, his voice heavy with concern. Everypony present shook their heads, and Shining sighed. It had been over an hour and a half since Celestia, Luna, and Cadence had gone after Derran and Twilight, and like the others he had no idea what side to take.

The whole situation felt like a contradiction. Derran treated Twilight like she was a goddess, but then he broke her heart? It made no sense, but then it also made little sense that Derran would not tell anypony that he was Celestia and Luna's lover. Had he been leading Twilight on? To what end? Was his whole "Mr. Perfect" thing just an act? If so why?

"Hey Starlight, you seem pretty calm about all this. Don't suppose you know something we don't?" Rainbow remarked, focusing everypony's attention on Twilight's protege. Starlight, who until that point had been lost in thought, abruptly looked up with a start. Starlight glanced from one face to another, seeing worry and confusion woven into every expression present.

Starlight did know something, including quite a bit more than she ever wanted to about what lurked in the shadows of the multiverse. However, at that moment she was more concerned with what she didn't know. Starlight had a front row seat to tour Derran's memories, but the revelation that he was Celestia and Luna's paramor had been a complete surprise. True there were gaps in what she had seen, but it seemed impossible that she would see all his major memories except that one. Was it possible that Derran had deceived her somehow? No. . . Derran didn't have anywhere near the magical training to distort her enhanced Truth of the Soul spell, botched or not. The only answer Starlight could come up with was that either the spell had worked even more erratically than she thought, or Derran had somehow lost some of his memories. . . no, not lost. . . changed. Though how that was possible without powerful magic, Starlight couldn't even begin to imagine. Immense mental trauma might account for it, but even then, the memories should have been present, it wasn't like Derran had two brains, so how was it that. . .

"Uh. . . Equestria to Starlight Glimmer, you there?" Rainbow prodded, reminding Starlight that she had still not answered the question. Starlight shook her head, trying to clear it of the thousand plus hypotheses and contradictions rattling within it.

"I. . .uh. . ." Starlight hemmed and hawed for a few moments before shaking her head again. Should she tell them what she knew? "Technically, I never promised to keep it a secret. Derran never even asked me to, not to mention Derran will probably tell them soon anyway, right?" Starlight frowned. Even if that was true, she knew in her heart of hearts they should hear the story from Derran, not her. However, just as Starlight opened her mouth to reply, she was interrupted by the distant sound of a door opening, followed by the steady clicks of hoofsteps and footsteps coming down the hallway.

Nopony spoke, as they all turned to stare fixedly at the upper landing of the stairs. Even the few moments of waiting felt interminably long, with everypony feeling as though the world balanced on a knife edge. Even Flurry seemed to have grown worried, as she went quiet. The cherubic smile dropping from her features as she too gazed at the stairs upper landing. After what felt like an eternity, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and Derran still in his armor, rounded the corner. They wore solemn expressions, and instantly it felt like the tension in the room had been ratcheted up to eleven. For several seconds the two groups stared at one another. One group wearing looks of intense anxiety, the other with faces that almost seemed carved out of granite. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly depending on your point of view, it was Pinkie Pie who first broke the silence, her voice worried, and far from her usual jubilant self, as she glanced from one unreadable expression to the next.

"Well?!" She all but demanded, her voice strained. The question hung in the air like a bird in an updraft, ready to either soar to the heavens or drop like a stone. Stepping forward, Celestia addressed the group at the bottom of the stairs, her voice as neutral and unforgiving as her expression.

"After lengthy review of Derran's actions, and after consulting with my sister, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, we have decided. . ." Celestia paused, the silence seeming more deafening than a thousand dragons roaring at once. Finally Spike couldn't take it anymore.

"W-what? What did you decide?!" He blurted out, unable to contain his worry, more for his beloved sister/mother than for Derran.

"We have decided that Derran. . ." Once more Celestia paused, letting her audience hang briefly till they were on pins and needles before smirking. "shall be shared jointly among a herd consisting of myself, Luna, and Twilight." For several very long seconds, nopony said a word.

"You what?" Shining Armor deadpanned.

"Well, considering he would rather end our relationship than break Twilight's heart again, and considering Twilight has agreed to try the idea on at least a trial basis, not to mention how. . . sincerely Derran apologized to Twilight my sister and myself, we all agreed it was the best solution to the problem." Luna elaborated, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Shining repeated, feeling like his entire world had just been turned inside out.

"I'm not exactly sure if I want to commit to it yet, and the idea of sharing a coltfriend will take some getting used to, but I think we can make it work." Twilight declared with an excited giggle. Shining simply stood with his mouth open as his right eye started to twitch. Descending the stairs Cadence took Flurry Heart from her husband's immobile hooves, placing a kiss first on Shining's hanging jaw, and then her daughter's cheek, as she added her own assessment.

"I know this relationship may seem. . .odd, but I can honestly say that these four are definitely in love." Cadence beamed, as she cradled Flurry in one foreleg. This pronouncement seemed to set everypony more at ease, as their looks of confusion slowly turned to ones of happiness and relief.



"Well, as long as Twilight's happy with this, then I'm cool with it to." Rainbow declared with a grin.

"It may be a bit. . . unorthodox, but they say love knows no boundaries." Rarity agreed with a smile.

"Ahm just glad y'all managed ta work it out, I ain't exactly sure how a herd works, but if'n it means y'all can be happy then I'm fine with it." Applejack stated.

"I think if anypony can make this work, it's you four." Starlight stated sincerely.

"This'll take some getting used too, but I think I can manage." Spike offered with a small smile.

"As long as everypony's happy that's all that matters to me." Fluttershy declared. Finally, Pinkie, who up to this point had been vibrating rapidly in direct proportion to the growing grin on her face, exploded.

"OH WOWIE KERPLOWIE! This. Is the. Greatest news. EVER!!!" She shouted, as she spent several moments literally bouncing off the walls, her body acting like a rubber ball till she halted in front of Twilight. "I am going to throw you all the biggest party EVVERRRR!!!" She screamed, her face looking between Twilight, Luna, Celestia, and Derran so fast her facial features blurred. "We'll have cake and confetti, and pinatas, and cup cakes and-"

"WAIT JUST ONE BUCKING SECOND!!" Shining Armor roared, his motor functions having finally returned with a vengeance.

"Uh. . . no I don't think we'll have that." Pinky replied, sounding slightly confused. Shining ignored her, his expression one of supreme outrage.

"Twilight you've known Derran for less than a month! You know almost nothing about his past, and let's not forget that he never said a single word up to now about his relationship with Luna and Celestia!" Shining fixed Derran with his best 'Officers Glare' one that had struck fear into the hearts of cadets and pompous nobles alike as he continued. "I'm sorry but I just can't let this slide! How can we be sure Derran is what he seems to be?! How can we know he won't break your heart again?! How can any of us really trust him?!" Twilight opened her mouth, an acidic retort upon her lips, but before she could speak Derran's voice rang out.

"You bring up a fair point Milord, I doubt I would trust myself either if the situations were reversed." Shining continued to glare as Derran continued. "What's more I doubt there is any assurance I could offer that would not sound like a hollow excuse." Derran paused, letting his words sink in. "I have never been a brother, but I have been a father and I imagine it makes for a similar comparison. I would never allow my child to date somepony I did not trust, and I will not ask you to do any less for your sister. . . if you truly feel I am unsuitable for Lady Twilight, then you need only say the word, and our relationship ends." Everypony stared at Derran. Twilight with an expression of stunned horror, while Celestia and Luna's expressions became like stone once more. Everypony else looked nervously between Derran and Shining as they stared at one another unflinchingly. However, after a moment, Shining Armor gave a sigh.

"I don't know if you're being serious or not Derran, but as Twilight reminded me earlier, it isn't up to me to dictate what my sister does with her life." Glancing over at Twilight he offered her a smile. "If my sister loves you then it isn't my place to tell her otherwise, and if she trusts you. . . then that's enough for me." Twilight ran over to her brother, tears in her eyes as she embraced him, everypony else breathing a collective sigh of relief. "But. . ." Shining began again, the tension suddenly reviving itself, as he looked into Derran's eyes with a gaze that even Cadence found intimidating. "if you ever make my sister cry like that again. . ." Derran nodded, his expression solem.

"If that happens Lord Shining, I will personally provide you the weapons to avenge Lady Twilight, assuming you can reach me before I do it myself." Derran stated, his tone deadly serious.

"And assuming I. . . we," Twilight added trying to lighten the suddenly grim mood, and glancing at Celestia and Luna with an evil grin that they returned. "don't get to him first." Derran nodded, a true smile ghosting across his lips for what felt like the first time that day. Celestia chuckled, nodding her agreement along with luna, before directing her gaze to the entire room.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I believe earlier my sister and I promised you all answers to any questions you might have." She stated warmly. For a long moment nopony spoke, but then Rarity raised her hoof.

"Er, forgive me if this questions is a bit to. . . forward your majesties, but. . . may I ask just how deep your relationship with Derran goes?" Celestia gave Rarity a curious look.

"What do you mean?" She inquired, Rarity hemmed and hawed for a moment before replying.

"Well. . . it's just that, earlier you two did seem rather. . . frantic, to find sir Derran and. . . considering the romantic nature of your relationship, I have to assume you have quite a history together?" She asked tentatively. To everyponys surprise Celestia and Luna actually looked a little embarrassed, their faces reddening as they replied.

"Well, yes. . . in fact, before Derran left, we actually proposed to him." Celestia explained with a small but happy smile. The reaction, was instantaneous.

"WHAT??!!" Shouted eight ponies at once, as everypony save for Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence turned to stare at Derran in disbelief. Celestia and Luna looked slightly surprised.

"Did you not think it strange that my sister and I have never attempted to date?" Luna asked, a note of incredulity in her voice. Everypony hesitated for a moment at that, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I always figured you were too busy, what with being princesses and all." Spike stated, scratching his head in mild confusion, as most of the ponies around him nodded their heads. Suddenly Rarity's eyes widened.

"Wait. . . if Derran is to be your husband, wouldn't that mean. . ." Rarity's eyes became the size of dinner plates as she stared at Derran in wondering awe. As a fashionista, and a pony of culture, Rarity had a degree of insight into the royal traditions of Equestria, and one rumored ancient tradition had always fascinated her, having to do with the reason neither Celestia or Luna held the title of 'Queen'. According to several reliable sources among the nobility of Canterlot, the princesses never took the title because, apart from not caring for it, they could not officially possess it until after they had married. Supposedly the tradition had ceased out of simple disuse, but if true it meant Derran was technically far more than just the princesses husband to be. Celestia and Luna nodded at Rarity's unfinished comment, each with a wide grin, as Derran looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"Quite astute Rarity, Derran Grandel, was, and still is, our choice as King of Equestria." Celestia declared proudly. Total silence greeted this pronouncement, as all save the princesses and Derran, struggled to process this new information. Rarity opened and shut her mouth a few times as she fought to form words. Her eyes bugging out as she again stared at Derran in awed disbelief.

"Y-y-y-you are. . . I-I-I was making clothing for. . ." Rarity had always had a habit of pretending to faint whenever she wanted to emphasize something, but on this occasion she found herself actually becoming lightheaded. The King?! Her garments were being worn by the honest to goodness KING of Equestria?! Applejack also seemed stunned as she stared goggle eyed at her 'farm hand', who she had seen not a day before emptying swill into a hog trough.

"Y'all are. . ." Applejack was even less able to form words than Rarity. Actually having to physically sit down after a few moments, with a slightly dazed expression on her face. However as everypony ogled him, Derran began to look distinctly annoyed.

"Miladies I may be Seraph Luna and Celestia's betrothed, and Seraph Twilight's coltfriend, but I am not your king, nor shall I ever be!" He declared, spitting out the word 'King' like a bad taste in his mouth. "Please cease staring at me as though I have just grown a second head! I am simply Derran Grandal, if you must have a title you may call me 'Doom Slayer' or 'Guardian', but I will never answer to King or Majesty, or any associated noble nonsense!" Rainbow arched an eyebrow, smirking at Derran's display of irritation.

"But you are the future King aren't you? Your Majesty." She declared jokingly with a chuckle and a mocking bow, only to stop laughing a moment later, as Derran fixed her with a glare that froze her blood.

"Never." Derran growled, his eyes flashing red for an instant. "Call me that again." Swiftly straightening up Rainbow nodded, struggling to hide the fact that she was suddenly shaking slightly. Apparently it was possible for her to get a rise out of Derran, and Rainbow quietly resolved not to do so again at any point in her lifetime. "To answer your question though," Derran continued, still sounding slightly annoyed. "technically I could be considered. . . royalty," Derran spoke the word 'Royalty' with the expression, and tone, of somepony who had just bit into a rotten apple. "once we are married. However, my place as Guardian is to serve. Never to rule." Derran declared firmly, and for once Rainbow decided not to tease him further.

"In case you're wondering, we all agreed to postpone the wedding plans until Twilight has decided whether or not she wants to join us." Celestia explained, hoping to move the conversation back to slightly less contentious hoofing. Shining tried his best to conceal his look of relief, as he cleared his throat.

"Well, that's all well and good, but what I think Rarity was asking, was where Derran here even came from, how long was he here, and if you were. . . lovers. . ." Shining struggled not to cringe at the word 'lovers' as he continued. "why did he suddenly leave?" For an instant following Shining Armor's question Derran looked distinctly uneasy, before glancing at Celestia and Luna as if waiting for something.

"Derran. . . tell us," Celestia began, meeting his gaze with a look of real worry in her eyes. "did. . . did you find a way to stop them?" She asked, and to her and Luna's visible relief, Derran nodded. Opening the satchel Rarity had made for him, and which he perpetually carried, he reached inside.

"I did indeed my Lady. . . behold, the Crucible." Pulling the object from the satchel, the Crucible's appearance was met with an audible intake of breath, it's disturbing appearance making clear it's dark nature. "This device was used to control a powerful mystical engine called 'The Well of Souls', using the Crucible I destroyed the Well, trapping it's power within the artifact. Without it, they are unable to summon their world eater portals with the ease they once could. In addition, their remaining leaders lie dead, and shall never be able to return."

Derran's words were met with a solemn nod from both Luna and Celestia, while everypony else, stared at the object in Derran's outstretched hand with varying degrees of disgust. It looked similar to the handle of a sword, but instead of metal, it looked to be forged from flesh and bone, save for a pair of glowing red-orange stones set into what could tentatively be referred to as the 'pommel' and 'hilt', the former of which was made up of what appeared to be a vaguely humanoid fanged skull. It seemed to exude an aura of wrongness, like it was an object that reality itself seemed to loathe and despise, a halo of charnel red light seemed to hang about the object, but nopony could say for certain it wasn't a trick of the eye. Celestia and Luna looked at the item with naked revulsion.

"Such power. . . and such evil." Celestia breathed out, as Luna shuddered. Derran nodded.

"I would have destroyed it, but I was uncertain if the energy would dissipate, or return to the well. I dare not destroy it even now, for if the energies within were to escape and find a host. . ." Derran trailed off, as Celestia and Luna nodded. However suddenly they looked once more to Derran, their expressions becoming pained.

"What of. . . what of the others? What of Jack, Kawi, Yomi, Beroghar, and Unaka?" Celestia asked, her tone subdued, as if she was bracing for an answer she already knew was coming, yet dreaded to hear. Derran shook his head, his expression one of sorrow. Celestia and Luna's faces contorted for a moment, as if they were desperately struggling not to start crying. Even so, several tears trickled out from the corners of their eyes before they could stop them. Twilight glanced at Celestia and Luna, an uncertain look upon her face, as she waited for them to compose themselves before speaking.

"Uh, not to seem insensitive, but. . . who or what did Derran stop? Who were those ponies you just mentioned? And where exactly did Derran go?" Derran looked to Celestia, and after taking a moment to dry her eyes, she nodded. Derran repeated the gesture with Luna, whom also gave her silent approval. Replacing the artifact back in the satchel, much to the relief of all, Derran sighed, and was about to open his mouth when he heard a familiar sound.

A steadily rising cry of warning echoed from outside and above the castle's main entrance, in a familiar voice. Moving like lightning, Derran was just barely able to catch Derpy as she careened through the castle's open door. Her momentum was not quite as great as the last time this had happened, so Derran was able to simply catch her as he would a sack of grain. However, this meant that Derpy was now held in the slightly awkward manner of a bride being carried up to the honeymoon suit on her wedding night. This impression was not helped when Derpy placed her front hooves around Derran's neck for support, positioning her face only a few inches from his.

"Hey mister Derran!" Derpy greeted cheerfully, apparently oblivious to the rather compromising position she was in. Had this happened not twenty four hours ago, Derran would have been blissfully unaware of how this looked himself, but now was painfully prescient of how it might be taken. This was not helped by Celestia's next comment.

"My, my, my, Derran, aren't you the popular one?" She teased, glad for a way to break the melancholy of the previous few minutes and mute the painful news she had just received. Before Derran could respond, Luna chimed in as well, motivated by a similar desire to her sister's.

"Kiss her you fool!" This drew several astonished glances, and a loud snigger from Rainbow Dash. Swiftly sensing her comment may not have been perceived as intended, Luna explained with a sheepish expression. "Something I read in a novel, was it not humorous?" Luna asked awkwardly. Celestia, and Twilight just smiled.

"It was sister, though not perhaps in the way you meant it to be." Celestia stated with a chortal. The comment also seemed to have clued Derpy in, as she was now blushing.

"Uuuh, mister Derran, you're really nice an all, but. . . I think we should just be friends." She said, clearly trying to be gentle. Derran couldn't help but laugh,.

"Well as karmic punishment's go I would say this is far from the worst I could suffer." He thought to himself, feeling his previous embarrassment drain away as he placed Derpy on the ground. Simultaneously, he came up with a way to turn the tables on Celestia and Luna, and maybe lighten the mood a bit further. Gently taking hold of Derpy's right hoof, Derran assumed a suitably distraught pose.

"Alas for me, my fairest Derpy doth not return mine affections! Oh cruel fate, that I shall be condemned forevermore to gaze upon her from afar, never to know the touch of her silken lips! However, though mine heart may be wounded I take solace in the fact that I have not been fully cast from my beloved maiden's sight, and that she in her magnanimity hath stated that I might walk beside her in life regardless!" Here Derran made a sweeping bow as he lifted Derpy's hoove to place a feather-light kiss on her fetlock. "I shall accept my maiden's generous offer, and though I may never know her embrace, I shall gladly settle for her words and thoughts." Derpy stared at Derran with a slightly bewildered expression, as everypony else, lay on the floor paralyzed with laughter at his performance, the emotional trial of the last few hours seemingly reset by the absurdity of Derran's theatrics. Nopony could deny they needed the reprieve, save for Derpy who was still trying to process the situation.

"Uh. . . what?" Derpy asked, uncertain if Derran was even speaking ponish anymore.

"I am quite content with being friends milady." Derran clarified, truth be told, as much as he adored Derpy, he had never been attracted to her.

"Oh phew!" Derpy exclaimed. "Because Twilight really likes you, and I'm not really interested in you that way. . . sorry." Derran smiled unsurprised. Derpy had once told him during one of their brief chats, that she had been in a less than pleasant relationship, that had ended with her as a single mom. Derran had not pressed for details, but had casually asked for a very exact description of the stallion in question, and added the description to his long term mental to-do list (a list that had it been physical, would have included a rather large number of names crossed off with red ink). Derpy had confided that while she hoped to try again someday for a relationship, she still wasn't quite ready. It was a shame in a way, because Derpy was an amazing mom, incredibly sweet, and somepony you couldn't help but like. Suddenly Derran snapped his fingers, as he recalled something else about the grey mailmare.

"Lady Derpy, may I impose upon you for a favor?" He asked.

"I guess that depends on what you need." Derpy replied. Derran sighed as he noted the full mailbag around Derpy's neck, this was going to take some convincing.

"Well as it happens we are in dire need of a foalsitter, specifically for miss Flurry Heart. It is a bit of an emergency, and I know you occasionally foal-sit on the side, so I was hoping you might consent to taking the day off? I can promise you at least thirty bits an hour?" Derran cringed internally as he spoke, asking Derpy to simply abandon her job right in the middle of it just so he could play storyteller, wasn't just a big favor, it was a huge favor. Derpy glanced down at her mailbag and bit her lower lip.

"I'd like to mister Derran, but. . . I gotta make the rounds, ya know?" She replied, her tone apologetic. Derran nodded in understanding, he knew he was asking for more than was reasonable. Derpy was well within her rights to-

"I think I might be able to help with that." Came a motherly yet playful voice, as Celestia moved to stand at Derran's side. Derpy's eyes went wide as she suddenly recalled just who Celestia was.

"Your majesty!" Derpy squeaked. Hastily attempting to bow. However the effort was foiled by the strap of her mailbag, and she let out a cry as she tripped, only to be caught in a golden levitation field.

"No need for formality Miss. Hooves, I'm not here on official business, so just treat me like any other pony." Derpy nodded as the solar princess set her back on her hooves, and Derran smiled. That was Celestia for you, never one to put on airs. He recalled in ages past how much she had hated it when ponies, including him on more than one occasion, fussed over her. And how much she had detested many of the rules of her station concerning formality and speech, her humility was one of the many things he loved about her. Now as Derran watched, Celestia levitated the entire contents of Derpy's mailbag into the air. Directing them to orbit her with but a thought, the letters forming a giant cylinder of paper rectangles and small brown parcels around her, as she read every address at a speed no mortal could ever hope to match. Before teleporting them all away in a flash of golden light. "There," She announced happily. "All done. Now Miss. Hooves, do you think you can help us, please?" Celestia asked with a smile. Derpy nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course your-I mean, Celestia." Derpy replied with a grin.


Getting Derpy settled in with Flurry Heart only took a few minutes, mostly dedicated to simply telling her where to find what she needed for feeding and entertaining the young alicorn. Soon enough, Derran and the others were standing outside the castle, waiting for Cadence and Shining Armor to say their goodbyes to their daughter, with several of those present looking curiously at Derran.

"So, uh, why exactly did we need Derpy to foalsit Mr. Grandel?" Asked Fluttershy gently. Derran seemed only half to hear her as he glanced out over Ponyville with a strange look in his eye.

"Because we are headed into the Everfree Forest, there is something there you all need to see." Derran explained, and to those present he sounded suddenly much older. "Flurry. . . well, apart from the dangers of the forest, what you will see when we get there is not for the eyes of children." At this admission, Several members of the group glanced at each other in mild uncertainty.

"So. . . what will we see when we get there?" Asked Pinkie Pie, suddenly feeling oddly worried. Derran barely seemed to notice her question as they were joined by Cadence and Shining.

"Ok, ready to go. . . where exactly are we going?" Shining asked, everypony else shrugged their shoulders.

"We make for the Everefree forest, I will explain more as we travel. . . first I must relate to you a story I recently told Lady Twilight, about the Seraphim. . ." They started out at a brisk walk, heading on a path that went along the outskirts of Ponyville, and toward the Everfree, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the town proper. Derran stayed at the group's head, moving like he was in a trance. As they walked he told them the story, about the primal force of creation, and its firstborn children.

"So let me get this straight. . ." Rainbow began, as Derran concluded the story after several minutes of walking. "You think that Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and even Flurry Heart, are goddesses?" Derran nodded.

"It is a bit more complicated than that, but in essence, yes." He responded, ignoring the cringes from Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, as well as the look of bewilderment from Cadence and the others.

"Oooook, but. . . you know their not. . . right?" Rainbow asked, trying to be gentle. Derran shook his head.

"I know what I believe to be true." He stated, his tone final.

"Don't bother Rainbow, we've tried." Celestia declared, gesturing between Luna and herself, a small frown appearing on her face, as she gave a roll of her eyes that Derran seemed oblivious to.

"Regardless," Derran interjected. "as with many things, the tale of the Light and the Seraphim is only half the story. . ." Here several in the group showed curious expressions. "You see. . . the Light had an enemy. One even more ancient than creation itself, it was called simply: The Darkness." The expressions of curiosity became ones of worry, as Derran began the second half of the story.

"In the time before creation, the Darkness ruled unchallenged. In those times, it existed as a simple force, possessing no intellect, with neither emotion, nor desire to guide it, it simply was. However. . . then came the Light. The Light was all the Darkness was not. The Light was hope, while the Darkness was despair, the Light was creation, while the Darkness was destruction, and of course, the Light was good, while the Darkness. . . was evil."

Derran's audience shivered slightly at his tone, as he spoke. "No one is certain how the Darkness became self aware, but the tale told among my people was as follows: When, for the first time, a mortal took the life of one of its own in cold blood, that act resonated with the Darkness. The Darkness learned to connect with the evil that rested within the hearts of even the purest mortals, and from this, it learned. . . It learned of cruelty, it learned of malice, it learned of deception, it learned of fear, and most of all. . . it learned of hatred."

There was a faint intake of breath at that pronouncement, as the ponies around Derran hung on his every word. "The Darkness hated the Light, despised it with every ounce of its nigh infinite being. It raged and howled, and with the fury and brutality it had learned from mortals, it attacked the Light, and all it had created. However. . . the Darkness, for all of its nearly limitless power, was alone. While the Light, had all of its nearly numberless children to aid it, including the Seraphim, who were divinity in their own right." Twilight and the other alicorns present, winced slightly at this, but said nothing. "With its armies, the Light beat back the Darkness again and again, with numbers and united purpose. This cycle repeated uncountable times, the Darkness attacking, only to ultimately be defeated."

"Wait," Twilight began. "if the Darkness couldn't win because it was alone, why didn't it just make soldiers like the Light did?" Derran gave her a humorless smile.

"An excellent question Milady. The Darkness is the primal force of destruction, creation is anathema to it, and was beyond its understanding. . . at first." He explained, as they finally entered into the Everfree forest, taking a path Twilight was unfamiliar with, yet Derran seemed to know by heart. Twilight glanced at Derran with an uneasy expression.

"At first?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Derran nodded.

"No one knows exactly how or when, but at some point the Darkness's hatred became so great, that it came to rebel against its very nature, and in that moment of rebellion, it commited a blaspheme against itself. . . it chose to create." Derran stated, his jaw tightening.

"W-what did it make?" Asked Rarity, her voice trembling slightly, Derran really had a talent for making a story feel incredibly real. Derran clenched his fists unconsciously as he replied.

"It made. . . a cancer. A dimension of horror that would connect to every plane of existence the Light had ever made. It would turn the Light's own children against it, by using their sins to forge an army of pure evil. This realm would infect other realities, growing larger and more powerful with every world it absorbed. It has gone by many names: The Underworld, the Pit, the Netherworld, the Realm of Sin, the Abyss, the Darklands, and countless other titles. . . but the name it is best known by, and the name that was said to have been given by the Darkness itself is: Hell."

At the utterance of the name, Derran's audience let out an audible gasp. Something about that name resonated within them, calling to something deep inside the core of their beings. They did not know why, but that dread name, that they could not recall having ever heard in their lives, filled them with fear.

Derran continued the story as if on autopilot. "Hell is connected to the souls of every form of mortal life. Whenever a sin is committed, whenever a truly evil act is willingly carried out, it is clad in flesh and emerges in Hell as a monstrous form of life. These creatures are purely evil, utterly incapable of understanding things like compassion, mercy, or any other form of positive emotion. They exist only to kill, corrupt, and spread chaos, and concepts like hope or love are utterly alien to them. They too have had many names: The Unborn, the Corrupted, the Dreadkin, the Fallen, Devils, Chaos Spawn, and infinitely varied other titles, but their most infamous name is: Demon." Again the group shuddered at the enunciation of this previously unknown word, as it too resonated with something deep in their souls, causing them to feel an acute sense of loathing. Derran set his jaw as they headed through the forest, and he continued his tale.

"With the creation of Hell, the Darkness now had an army that could match the light, and began a campaign of extermination. Entire universes burned as the Demons invaded, spreading despair and madness, that in turn led to the birth of more Demons in an unending cycle that became a tidal wave of destruction. The Light's armies rushed to meet the Demons, and the war that ensued raged for eons. However, after a time, and more battles than could ever be counted by mortals, the balance began to tip, and the Light. . . began to lose."

Derran's audience hung on his every word, barely aware of their surroundings as Derran spoke. "However, all was not lost. For the Darkness had grown arrogant, it's many victories deluding it into thinking itself invincible. So it was that the Light lured it into a trap. It chose ten of its mightiest mortal children, ten warriors of impeccable skill, unimpeachable honor, and unyielding virtue, and together they faced the Darkness. The Darkness, eager for ultimate victory, and blinded by overconfidence, charged ahead of its army, and met the Light and its ten chosen in combat.

The battle was beyond fierce, mountains were leveled, seas boiled, and the sky split, until only one of the ten remained. This warrior, the purest and strongest of all, faced the Darkness as the champion of the Light. The Darkness tried to tempt him, but his conviction made him incorruptible. The Darkness tried to trick him, but his honor burned away all deception. Finally, the Darkness sought to destroy him, but his virtue. . . made him invincible! And the Darkness, alone before this ultimate warrior. . . was struck down. Burned by virtue, cleaved by truth, and crushed by conviction, the Darkness fled. As for the Demons. . . at the sight of their supposedly omnipotent god, gravely wounded, and howling in terror, they broke in a rout. None dared to challenge the wrath of the warrior who had brought low their vile maker, and so they ran back to Hell in defeat!"

"Woah." Rainbow remarked.

"So what happened next?" Twilight asked, eager to hear the end of the story. Derran looked oddly contemplative.

"The Darkness, was never seen again, badly wounded, and running from the Light's champion, it fled beyond the bounds of creation, to the safety of the void beyond dimensions. Meanwhile, The Light, sacrificing the lion's share of its power, placed a barrier around Hell, trapping the demons within. Thus has it been, that neither the Light, nor the Darkness, has been seen in physical form since." Derran concluded. Twilight however gave Derran a questioning look.

"Wait, how does this story relate to you?" She asked. Derran sighed.

"The barrier the Light placed around Hell is not perfect, there are ways around it. Over the ages, the demons learned that while it is virtually impossible to open a portal to another world from their side, others can create a portal to them from outside." He explained. Rainbow balked.

"Oh c'mon, who'd be stupid enough to pull something like that?" She asked with a laugh. Derran frowned.

"Even without their vile creator, Hell has immense power, and often offers that power to the foolish and corrupt. Promising everything from the death of an enemy to the resurrection of a loved one, in exchange for assistance. What's worse, Hell is all too willing to honor its bargains, though the rewards granted are inevitably twisted. For example, an offer of immortality might mean becoming a demon of great power who shall never age, or it might mean having your soul consumed by Hell to 'live' forever as a screaming tormented soul, bound eternally to the living substance of Hell's landscape. However, regardless of what is promised, the end result is always the same, Hell attempts to consume the world of whomever contacts them. Still, despite the madness of doing so, there are numberless individuals who are willing to bargain with Hell, I'm sure you can think of at least a few beings deranged enough to consider such a deal." Derran stated. Rainbow nodded slowly, as she thought of Tirek, Sombra, and Chrysalis.

"Again though, what does that have to do with you?" Twilight asked. Derran shook his head, his face a grim unmoving mask.

"You recall when first we met, that I told you my homeworld had been 'lost', correct?" Derran asked, his voice low.

"Yes. . ." Twilight replied, a horrible suspicion forming in the back of her mind.

"Now, consider what I just said, pertaining to what Hell does to the world of any being ignorant enough to attempt a deal with them." Twilight's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh. . . oh no. . ." She whispered, unable to find the words, as Derran explained fully.

"Nearly twelve hundred years ago, the king of my country opened a gate for the demons. In a mere day, my homeworld of D'nur, was pulled into Hell. . . and utterly destroyed." He stated, his tone as cold as the grave. Everypony stopped moving for a moment as they stared at Derran.

"Derran. . ." Twilight began before trailing off, her eyes brimming with tears, unable to say any more. Celestia and Luna had told her that Derran had experienced terrible hardship, but this was beyond even her worst imaginings. It reminded her of an alternate future she had once seen, in which Equestria had been reduced to a lifeless wasteland by a vengeful Starlight's time manipulation spell. For her the experience had been momentary, and dulled ever so slightly by the knowledge that it was not yet written in stone. But Derran. . . he had seen his world die, had been there to experience every moment of its end, and for him. . . there was no chance of fixing it. What words could she, as a friend or lover, ever give to assuage such pain? All she could do was shed silent tears for all Derran had lost, as they continued on their way.

"Your. . . your whole planet?" Shining Armor asked, his tone one of stunned horror. Derran nodded, as for an instant he stared straight ahead, as if seeing a different world.

"Yes." He replied, his voice distant.

"How did you survive?" Shining asked, unable to imagine how it was possible. Derran shook his head, as he pushed aside a low hanging branch, revealing a small clearing.

"That. . . is what I brought you here to explain my lord." Derran stated, ushering them all into the clearing. Wiping the tears from her eyes as best she could, Twilight examined their destination. The clearing was small, only about forty feet across, and roughly circular. Lush green grass and wildflowers grew in the sunlight, swaying as a slight breeze disturbed them. In the exact center of the clearing, towering almost as tall as the surrounding trees, was a massive oblong boulder. Its craggy surface covered with moss and lichen, and with various wildflowers clustered around its base. The clearing was oddly serene, as if the Everfree considered it hallowed ground.

"What is this place?" Twilight asked. Derran did not reply to her question, instead looking at Celestia and Luna.

"At your leisure my ladies." Derran stated softly. Celestia and Luna nodded, as their horns began to glow. Swirls of midnight blue and golden yellow energy coiled around the boulder. As if seen through waves of intense heat, the scene began to shimmer. The distortion becoming ever greater, until at last there was a sound like shattering glass. Everypony present, save Celestia, Luna, and Derran, gasped in shock at what the dispelling of the illusion revealed. . .

Towering over them was a massive, perfectly circular stone tablet, that looked seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. Faintly glowing runes that even Twilight had never seen before, were engraved along the outer edge of its unweathered surface, pulsing softly with a faint blue light. In the center, was a carved image of a human warrior in the armor of a knight. The knight's head was bowed, kneeling on one knee. One hand rested upon the hilt of a sword that was thrust into the ground beside him, while the other was placed across his chest, his clenched fist over his heart, mimicking the strange formal bow Derran had given to Twilight and Cadence. And there, carved above the knight's head, was the ancient symbol of the two sister alicorns, from long before the time of Luna's banishment. Depicting Celestia and Luna chasing after each other, the sun and moon beneath them forming a pair of interlocking teardrops, and engraved upon it all, were these words:

We shall be thy finest warriors
We men who give of ourselves to thee

In great armor you have clad us
and with the mightiest weapons we have been armed

We shall bring such tactics, strategies, and abilities
that no foe shall defeat us in battle

We are thy bulwark against terror
We are the guardians of Equestria

We are thy doom marines
and we shall know no fear.

As they looked upon these words, those present felt as though an immense weight was pressing down upon them. It felt as if some tremendous power was emanating from the monument, ancient and terrible. Yet for all that intimidating weight, the power did not feel evil, merely stern and unyielding. Then after a moment, the feeling seemed to change, to one akin to being in the arms of a parent, a sense of fierce loving protection that seemed to suffuse the air around them.

"It knows. . . it knows we aren't evil." The thought entered Twilight's head unbidden, and she found herself unable to dismiss it, despite knowing the stone couldn't possibly be alive or aware.

"What. . . what is this?" Twilight asked, in a voice filled with wonder. . . and more than a little fear. To Twilight's surprise it was Celestia who answered.

"Touch the stone. . . and you will see." Twilight and her friends glanced at Celestia, Luna, and Derran hoping for more information, but all simply stared at the stone as though lost in a trance.

Slowly Twilight walked toward the stone, her friends moving to join her. Now that she was closer, Twilight could sense the overwhelming magic pulsing within the stone. It was an enchantment of a kind she had never read or even heard about, on a scale she would never have dreamed possible. The magic was old, and it made the hairs of her coat stand on end. As she raised her hoof, Twilight sensed something beyond the enchantment, some power far stronger than anything she had ever experienced. It felt vaguely similar to the Elements of Harmony, but far more intense, and so much more terrible. For an instant, Twilight imagined a volcano on the verge of eruption. A great and frightening strength was connected to this stone, watching. . . waiting. . . sleeping, until it was needed again. Glancing up, Twilight almost felt compelled to ask the image of the kneeling knight for permission to enter, momentarily fearful of what might happen should she touch the stone uninvited. However, gathering her courage, she simply took a deep breath.

"On three everypony. . ." Twilight stated, looking around at her friends and family. On her right Starlight nodded, and on her left Spike gave a claws up. Twilight nodded and counted down. "One. . . two. . . Three!" The assembled ponies placed their hooves on the stone, and in a flash of blinding light, they saw a truth, they could never have imagined. . .

Soundtrack: TTS Theme



There were thousands of them. Arranged in neat rows that stretched out of sight in a white void that seemed to have no end or beginning. Floating unsuspended in the void, they were indeed clad in great armor, sealed suits, featuring a mix of magic and technology, that even Twilight could scarcely begin to understand. All crafted in an assortment of different designs and colors, doubtless reflecting some form of organization. Titans with T visored helms, bedecked in gold and silver. Warriors in layered midnight blue and black, inlaid with mother of pearl. Onyx plated soldiers covered in scrawled tribal symbols and hung with strange fetishes. Camo patterned fighters with the ancient symbols of Equestria proudly emblazoned on their shoulders, and myriad others stood silently suspended in mid air, hands clasped over their breasts as if sleeping.

And there, center stage before Twilight and her friends, were ten figures. Even among such unparalleled power as this assembly, these ten stood out. One wore armor of purist gold, inlaid with silver designs depicting either the sun or flames, with even his helmet designed to look like a stylised sun with a human face, the lenses in the eyes gleaming like opals. Another was more practical, his camouflage armor having relatively few adornments, being covered instead in combat webbing, and a helmet that looked to be part gas mask, part night vision goggles.

A third was a giant, at least a full head taller than the others, his armor and helmet of purposely dulled black and brown, etched with strange symbols, that vaguely reminded Twilight of Zecora's cutie mark. The fourth was more slender than the others, his armor of grey plate accented with furs and strings of teeth from various carnivorous beasts, a helm in the shape of a snarling wolf, with ruby eye lenses, completing the look.

The shortest of the ten was the fifth, whose red armor was engraved in strange, faintly glowing symbols of protection and warding, with robes of purple and blue, trimmed in gold, worn over it, and a helm like an elaborate visored headdress of gold and crimson. The sixth, was covered in black lacquered armor, with a opalescent crescent moon resembling Luna's cutie mark, inlaid into the breastplate, and who's oddly elaborate helm, beheld a faceplate like a snarling monster, a second crescent moon of gold, resting on the forehead. The seventh had armor that bordered on ostentatious, the silver metal wrapped in leather belts, with discs of gold and silver polished to a mirror finish, attached to them, and covering him from head to toe, while his visor was a silver mask of a smiling angular human face, with a long thin moustache and pointed goatee, also polished to a reflective shine.

In comparison, the eighth's armor seemed highly understated, made mostly of black, it appeared to be inlaid with bone, making the wearer look vaguely like a skeleton, a leather satchel decorated with colorful beads of bone and glass, accented with an eagle feather, was the most eye catching adornment he had, his helmet being of a simple design, the large visor that completely encompassed the front of the helm, painted to look like a grinning skull. The ninth was also quite simple, his armor being mostly of a utilitarian design, colored a deep blue, with a bit of painted gold scrollwork, in the shape of ocean waves, along the edges, the only other ornamentation was a scarlet sash, embroidered with gold thread, displayed proudly across his chest, his helm slightly resembling a scuba mask.

Out of them all however, the tenth warrior was both the strangest, and the most resplendent. Floating in front of the other nine, his armor was mostly plates of white trimmed in black, save for the greaves, vambraces, and shoulder plates. Half were enchanted plate that looked nothing so much like Luna's mane. Deep midnight blue, within which one could see the sparkle of countless stars, trimmed in gold filigree shaped like flames. The other half were like Celestia's mane, a constantly shifting range of muted prismatic color, trimmed in filigree of obsidian black made to look like swirling mist. His breastplate displaying the ancient interlocking teardrop symbol of the two sister alicorns in gold, onyx, silver, and opal. And over it all, he wore a robe of half white and half midnight blue, Luna and Celestia's cutie marks sewn onto each breast. While from each gauntleted wrist, were jeweled charms of the same shape, hanging from delicate chains of gold and onyx. Most impressive however, was his helmet. A mask of gold, made to look like a stern human face, and on each cheek the symbols of the sun and moon were depicted in onyx and silver, while on the forehead, was once again the interlocking teardrop symbol of the two sisters in mother of pearl and ebony.

The power of this army, for it could be nothing else, was beyond description. It radiated through the air like the blazing fury of a supernova. Even at rest, these terrible warriors seemed destruction incarnate, as if they could defeat an enemy merely by existing. Yet as the ponies gazed upon these immobile warriors they felt no malice, no anger, no outrage, rather, what they felt was. . . piety, pride, love, and a sense of unshakable loyalty. It was as if these warriors were calling out, roaring to all of Equestria. . . Do not be afraid, because we are here!

"Twilight! Look!" Cried Spike, pointing his trembling claw at a series of golden letters forming at their hooves. The words seemed at once, both a warning, and a veneration, they read:

So you walk eternally through the shadow realms
standing against evil where all others falter
May your thirst for retribution never quench
may the blood on your swords never dry
and may we never need you again. . .

Twilight and the others withdrew their hooves almost simultaneously from the stone, stumbling back and gasping for air, several actually fell to their knees. The warriors presence, combined with the magnitude of the revelation, having left them breathless and disoriented.

"Who. . ." Twilight began, her voice barely a whisper, pausing as she struggled to get her shaking hooves under control. "who are they?" She asked, staring wide eyed at Derran, Celestia, and Luna, who gazed down at her and the others with unreadable expressions. Derran turned to look at the stone monument for a moment before replying quietly.

"They. . . are my brothers." He explained, a far off look in his eyes. "They, are the true Guardians of Equestria. . . and have been for nearly twelve hundred years."

"Y-your brothers?" Asked Cadence, still shaken from the experience. Derran nodded.

"Have none of you ever wondered why Equestria has no standing army beyond a modest police force and the royal guard?" Celestia asked. Everypony looked puzzled.

"I always assumed it was because you had the Elements of Harmony." Twilight replied. Celestia smiled.

"The defense of Equestria is. . . complicated. However it chiefly relies on two things, first my own nature as a prognosticator of future events." This pronouncement was greeted with wide eyed stares, from nearly all present, Rainbow however, just looked puzzled.

"A what of what?" She asked in confusion.

"She can see the future." Starlight explained, her tone filled with awe.

"Wait, seriously?!" Rainbow asked. "So do you know if I'm gonna become captain of the Wonderbolts?!" Rainbow asked excitedly. Celestia chuckled.

"I'm afraid it doesn't quite work like that Rainbow." She explained calmly. "I rarely see exactly what's going to occur, I usually only have a general idea. Though on occasion I have received direct visions, typically it works in far more subtle ways, like I meet somepony and have a sudden urge to say something to them, or help them in some way. Like with Twilight, the instant I met her I knew she was somepony special, and that I needed to prepare her as best I could for her future. I had a sense that Twilight would help my sister and be vitally important to the future of Equestria, but I didn't know the exact how's and why's. I got the same sense when I met all of you." Derran nodded as he spoke up.

"Imagine, if you will, that the future is a pound of hemp, being made into a rope. The finished rope is the past, the point the strands of hemp are being woven at is the present, and the unwoven threads are the myriad possible futures. Lady Celestia has the instinctive ability to nudge the threads in such a way that the strongest possible rope is produced. Influencing events so that ponies of import are exactly where they need to be to allow the most positive course of events." Derran explained.

"Wait. . . so is that how you knew to send me to Ponyville when you did? Or when you knew to send me all the friendship letters I had written you so we could beat Discord? Or how you knew to send me to the Crystal Empire to stop King Sombra?!" Twilight asked incredulously.

"Yes Twilight, but it was you and your friends own hard work, kind hearts, and ingenuity that made it work. I just helped put you where you needed to be, and gave you the occasional bit of advice, but the rest was entirely you and your friends doing." Twilight nodded, feeling a fair amount of pride at her former teacher's praise.

"Wait. . . so then, Derran's brothers. . ." Shining chimed in, his eyes widening as he connected the dots. Derran nodded.

"We are the last line of defense. Only ever to be awakened in times of supreme need, and only at the behest of Ladies Celestia and Luna, or a representative chosen by them." He explained.

"So. . . why hide them? Why keep them in suspended animation? Why are they never mentioned in the history of Equestria?" Twilight asked, still struggling to keep from being overwhelmed by the enormity of all this. Derran hesitated for a moment before answering, as if considering a difficult decision.

"To truly understand, you must first see how this all came to be. . . " Derran turned, giving Celestia and Luna a look of solem resolve. "miladies, I wish you to perform the proiectura anima spell." At this request Celestia and Luna instantly balked, looking stunned, and then horrified.

"You don't need to go that far Derran! A verbal-" Celestia was cut off by Derran's upraised hand.

"With respect my Lady, simply telling is not enough. They need to see to truly understand." Luna shook her head.

"My love please, my sister is correct, you do not need to put yourself through that!" She pleaded, her eyes filled with worry.

"What is this spell? It sounds vaguely familiar." Starlight interjected.

""Soul Projection". . . It let's a willing subject show others their memories, projecting them as an illusion." Celestia explained. Instantly Starlight realized where she had heard of it before, it had been listed in the same book as the spell she had modified to invade Derran's mind. Suddenly Starlight found herself glad that she hadn't recognized the spell immediately, as she might have accidentally revealed her recent, ill conceived use of magic on Derran, in front of all three of his, extremely powerful, marefriends. Starlight suppressed a shudder at that thought.

"So. . . what's so bad about that?" Rainbow asked. "Sounds pretty cool to me." Luna shook her head.

"The subject relives the memories very intensely, and what Derran intends to show you it-" She was cut short by Derran's voice.

"Lulu. . ." He began, using the nickname that he alone could call her by, and that even now made her blush. "they must have answers, more than that, they deserve answers. Please. . . permit me to do this." Luna looked like she still wanted to argue, but after a moment's pause, she nodded.

"Very well, but please, don't push yourself." She agreed, her apprehension still clearly present in her voice. Derran nodded.

"Derran. . . " Celestia trailed off, before shaking her head in resignation as Derran walked to sit cross legged before the stone monument at the center of the clearing. A moment later she and Luna took up positions at either side of him, as their audience watched nervously. Derran inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling, mentally preparing himself for what he knew was coming. Twilight opened her mouth, but was unsure of what to say as Celestia and Luna began charging their horns with energy, worry still written across their faces. Derran gave them a reassuring smile.

"Every journey, be it toward damnation or salvation. . . begins with a single step." Derran began, Celestia and Luna's horns glowing ever more intensely with every moment. "For me, that step was taken nearly twelve hundred years ago," The hum of building mystical energy could be heard clearly now, as the air seemed to vibrate as a ball of radiant light formed above Derran's head. " on the day that my homeworld fell. . ." The last word was punctuated by a blinding flash as the ball exploded, all other light and sound blotted from existence. . .


Derpy smiled as she looked once more at her prized possession in the bathroom mirror. Around her neck on a silver chain, was a small glass bottle with a cork top. The bottle was etched with beautiful golden scrollwork, and suspended from a small gold chain within the bottle itself, was a muffin, woven expertly from silver wire. The silver muffin had a number of pinhead sized sapphire beads on the top, representative of blueberries, and they seemed to glow in the early afternoon light. After finding it in front of her house a week or two ago, she had instantly fallen in love with it. As soon as the silver chain was fastened around her neck, she vowed never to take it off ever, wearing it every day and even at night and in the shower.

She used to wonder why nopony ever commented on her lovely new accessory, but then decided she didn't care. She also used to wonder why the necklace always felt slightly warm to the touch, or why it never broke when she lay on it at night, or why on occasion she could swear it felt heavier than it should. However she stopped caring about all those things too, almost as fast as she thought about them. She had an amazing necklace that she loved, what more did she need to know? Now as she admired herself in one of Twilight's mirrors she had a new thought. "I should go check on Flurry."

For an instant this thought struck Derpy as odd, she just put Flurry down for a nap five minutes ago, why would she need to check on her? However, just as soon as she questioned the idea, she decided it was a good one, you could never be to careful after all, not to mention Derran and the princesses were counting on her. Heading up the stairs Derpy was scarcely aware of the journey as she moved down the hall. As she opened the door to the room Flurry shared with her mother and father, Derpy felt a faint tinge of elation she could not understand.

Walking up to the crib and peering down at the sleeping foal, Derpy smiled. However, to anypony who knew Derpy, the smile would have looked distinctly wrong. It was less a grin of contentment than a smirk of gleeful triumph, alien indeed considering the circumstances. For several minutes Derpy stared down at Flurry with that faintly sinister smile, unaware of her own odd expression. "I should pick her up." Derpy shook her head, that thought felt. . . wrong, somehow. "Why? She's asleep, I don't want to wake her." Derpy's forelegs trembled as she consciously restrained herself from reaching into the crib. "But she looks so cute! I want to snuggle her!" Again Derpy shook her head. "No, I need to let her sleep." Derpy thought firmly to herself, as her legs trembled again, this time more violently. "Pick up Flurry!" The inner voice commanded angrily, suddenly sounding far less like the voice of the pony who's head it echoed in. Derpy's eyes widened in shock as she slowly stood on her hind legs, and began reaching into the crib.

"No!" Derpy had meant to shout the word, but to her horror it came out only as a strangled whisper. Panic began to overwhelm her, as her body now refused to follow her conscious instructions. She tried to scream, and was horrified when the voice of a mare she did not recognize echoed in her mind. The voice was cold, cruel, and brimming with sadistic glee.

"Now now, none of that, you wouldn't want to wake the baby would you?" The voice asked, before the sound of insane laughter filled Derpy's head. Derpy could not even attempt a reply, as she felt her mind become completely disconnected from her body, rendering her a passive observer to the events unfolding before her eyes. Gently, the thing inhabiting Derpy's body lifted Flurry from her crib. Swaddling her in a blanket as it turned to head for the door. Derpy screamed and hollered inside her head, desperately trying to stop what was happening. "You've been such a tremendous help Derpy, really! You acting as my unwitting spy has been more helpful than you can imagine!" The voice was jubilant as it mocked Derpy inside her own head. "To think, because of you, not only will I be able to take the daughter of two of my most hated enemies, but by this time tomorrow, I'll also have forced the rest to watch as the stallion they love, dies right in front of them! Truly, I can't thank you enough!" As the body of Derpy Hooves walked out the castle door, a single tear fell from it's right eye, the only visible testimony to the anguished mind held hostage within. Now. . . let's go make one last delivery, shall we?" Deep within her mind, Derpy Hooves, screamed. . .