> Grimoire of Equestria > by microdrago > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Oooh, Pony Land > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well now, how should I start? I guess from the beginning then.. It all started out as a fun little get together I had with a few friends. we had decided, against our own stupidity, to go to a Comic-Con and dressed as our favorite anime Character. I had chosen Hazama, from Bazblue. Complete with Black jacket over a White button-up shirt, Black pants, and Black boots. I even had the strap he had on his hands and even Yellow contact lenses. however I was missing a crucial component to the costume.. His hat, I Didn't have a Black Fedora to cover the mop of dyed Green hair. Wandering around the outer edges of the Con, as I did in life to avoid confrontation of any kind. Hey! Don't mock my way of life! I've avoided enough problems that its become my natural response to wait and watch, only popping up when needed or if I must. Huh.. kind of like Hazama. Oh well, back to the point, I had gone around twice by now, so you'd agree that a stall popping up out of nowhere was a bit disturbing. I approached it cautiously, until I noticed that it was a Prop stall, and it had a Fedora siting on a small hook on the side of the stall. I walked up and grab the hat, avoiding the weird Masks and Swords littering the wall as well. "Ah! So that Fedora finally has a home does it?" A voice sounds behind me. I jumped at the suddenness of it, and turned to see some creepy looking guy in a Merchant costume, from Resident Evil 4. He even had the creepy smirk.. Bad memories aside, I looked to the hat, then him, and nodded my head. I needed that hat! "Excellent! I've been waiting for that hat to go to a good home. The price is $150, but if you can spare a bit more, I have something extra." He said as he pulled out a box. When he opened the box, my mind went a little numb for a second.I-it was Hazama's Nox Nyctores: Ouroboros! Or at least, the serpent head that was its iconic and a bit of Green colored chain attached to it to make it look so real. I had to rub my eyes a bit when he offered the price of 200$. Stuff of this quality was at least 1000$. "I'll take it!" I almost screamed at the guy, fishing out my wallet and grabbing almost all the money I had brought with me.. Worth it After handing over the money, the Merchant guy looked at me with his stupid grin, although now that I think back on it, it was a bit bigger than last time. But I didn't care, I clicked the chain and Ouroboros to the inside of my sleeve, so it would be more authentic. Suddenly I had to blink as everything got a little blurry and the sides of my vision was creeping in on the sides of my line of sight. Just as sudden as it started, I passed out. But not before hearing something a little weird.. "Hmm? Where is he sending us now?" ..Strange, that wasn't my voice.. -------------Line break---------------- I awoke to the sounds of chirping to my right. Gently rubbing my eyes due to the light shining in them, I sat up and looked around. Everything looked weird. Not the 'bad' kind of weird, just more full of color, and more.. I guess you can say vibrant in general. Noticing a very clear lake nearby and realizing how utterly thirsty I was, I got up in a rush to get a drink. Can you guess how surprised I was that when I tried, I flew about 6 feet in the air? "Aah, shit!" I exclaimed as I face planted back onto the ground. I laid there for a few seconds, processing what had just happened. Trying once more, I got to my knees, and got up the slow way. Gently using my knee as a boost, I stood. Wondering why I felt so light. It was strange, like I had been walking all my life with weights on my shoulders, only for them to disappear and make me feel 100 pounds lighter. Making a slow walk to the lake, while thinking all this through in my head. Plopping down on the bank of the lake, I went to grab a handful of water, only to stop dead in my tracks. "W-what?" I asked shakily. My outstretched hand went to my face. My reflection showed a slim angular face with squinted eyes. I tried to force an eye open, and say it crack open a bit showing me a Golden Iris 'But, how can I see then?' I asked myself. I stood and checked the rest of myself, to see if there was anything else out of place. Apparently, I had lost the Ouroboros since it wasn't in my sleeve anymore. I now had on the full set of Hazama's costume, including the Black Vest that I had chosen not to wear since I wouldn't have taken off the Coat anyhow. The green hair was more vibrant, and the roots weren't brown. Almost as if my hair had gone completely Forest Green. "What the hells going on around here?!" I yelled as I waved my arms around like a lunatic. However, I had only a few seconds, if that, to process what happened next. Something shot out of my sleeve and latched onto a tree, almost across the 20 foot clearing. Before I could mutter a single sound, I was thrust across the clearing faster than I could blink. Ending with a resounding THUD Falling down to the ground with a grunt of pain, I Mumbled to myself incoherently for a few seconds. I pulled my face up from the ground and spat out a wad of Dirt mixed with Tree Bark. "So.. That's new" I said with a frown. looking at my sleeve again, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Thinking quickly, I shot my hand out again, and quickly closed it around whatever it was that appeared yet again. Stopping it at about the two foot mark in length, I looked it over. And just as quickly let go with vigor. It was the Ouroboros! But the only way that would happen was when Hazama would- "I've turned into Hazama.." I whispered to myself "I'm Hazama!" I yelled to myself almost crazily. Letting the Ouroboros disappear into the void that seemed to be my sleeve. Must be my weird Hammer Space or something like all anime characters have. I chuckle a little at the thought of being an anime character, especially my favorite one. "Well, it aint a dream, Because that tree hurt." I state in a deadpan. "So where the hell am I?" I put my hands in my pant pockets, as Hazama does all the time, and found it to quite relaxing. I felt something in my pockets, and smirked to myself. I had also inherited his butterfly knives he used for close combat. I chose a direction, based off of what I could see. Left was what seemed to be a stone wall, about 30 feet away. Right was more forest., so, not going to go that way. Following the wall a bit, I came across an opening. What surprised me was what was guarding the walls. It made me hide around the corner and wait. Thankfully Hazama was good at staying out of peoples way, so he could gain information quicker. Two groups of weird horse lookalikes were standing at attention at the gate. They were talking amongst each other. "Did you hear?" One on the left, with wings said. " We're going to war with the Crystal Empire!" It sounded almost feminine. "I hear Sombra has gone completely crazy with power." The one next to it said. Also sound like a girl. "He's got Everypony slaving in his mine to look for crystals!" One from across said, this one was clearly male. "The Princesses are going to go in first and try to talk some sense into him before the attack." The one next to him said, also male Hearing everything I needed to hear, I backed up. Jumping over the wall and landing on a building. Standing in the shade of a rather tall spire, I couldn't help but smile a big smile. It was so big, my eyes opened ever so slightly to accommodate them. Leaving them to glow an eerie Gold in the dark. "Aah, Now this.. This sounds like fun!" I say with a slight chuckle. > Assesing the Situation.. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let me level with you for a second.. I wasn't expecting a lot after seeing the Three guards out front, and all the townsfolk running around. I was pleasantly surprised that the 'Princesses' that the guards were talking about were actually more than just a set of unicorns parading as a higher power. They were in fact, bigger, than most ponies being about three times there size. Did I mention that? Average ponies were a decent size, generally speaking they were about waist height. Back to the princesses. They also had both wings on there back, and horns adorning they're heads. I wondered how that came to be. Were they a mishap in genetics, or were they actually a being of great power? I digress, I'll find out myself sooner or later. Enough inner babbling. I found myself inside a library that I had found deep in the walled off town. I found myself unable to sleep at night, which wasn't really a problem for me, since I needed to learn as much about this place as I could. I wasn't much of a Brony back on earth, but I could tell I was far behind the show, due to the Agriculture, and the way most spoke. Which reminds me.. If I spoke in modern English would they understand me? I would assume so, they don't seem stupid in the slightest. I might have to re-learn some dialect to understand them, if needed of course. I have found out that some apparent magic researcher named 'Star Swirl the Bearded' has died recently and they've since taken most of his books and put them under lock and key for some reason. That's sad, I was hoping to see if I could replicate magic since my own energy seems magical in nature... Oh, I'll have to get back to that thought, someone is coming into the library. "Dearest sister, wouldst thee bid us thine plan for Sombra?" Said a dark blue pony with wings and a horn,Princess Luna if I recall. "We shall speaketh to him and see if he shall surrender" Said the Snow White equivalent of Luna only taller,Princess Celestia, if memory serves. "Truly?" Princess Luna deadpanned "Why are we in thine house of books then?" "We are here to find clues as to his sudden change, be it dark magic or other means." Princess Celestia stated curtly and flatly as she scoured the shelves nearby. "We shall head back for Night Court then, Dearest Sister. Good Night." Princess Luna bid her sister goodbye as she walked out the door looking rather sad if you asked me. As I snuck around the shadows I grabbed a book that I knew would help her since I had skimmed it earlier. and as I was going back to the window to follow Princess Luna. I tossed it gently enough to make a sudden noise to grab her attention. Jumping to the roof was easy, and hearing Princess Celestia muttering to herself about 'Dark Summons' was all I needed to smirk more than usual. ----------Line Break------------ I landed behind the throne with only the sound of the curtains splaying in the wind to alert anyone of my entrance. They really need to lock windows around here. Princess Luna was sitting in her throne with a relaxed look on her face, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing into the room. A guard nearby went to close the window, but Princess Luna stopped her. "Nay, the wind feels nice tonight. Join the others outside, We'll be fine by ourselves" The guard, albeit slowly, did as told and went outside. At first I thought that little Luna had found me out, but I was wrong. Oh well, my plan involved her, and she needs to know that I'm watching or at the very least, being watched by someone. So I hopped into the shadows in the throne room near the roof, getting into proper location was key. "If you want to stop Sombra, you'll need to fight him and you know that." I state softly, my voice echoing around the whole room gently. Her eyes shot open, wide and alert. She jumped from her sitting position and started to shine a light from her horn around franticly. "Who dares sneak up on us, the Princess of the Night? Show yourself!" She yelled. Her voice breaking the few windows that were in the room. When I let her echo die down, I responded. "You need not know who I am just yet, but know this. When you fight him, when he takes down your sister in front of you, when he threatens everything you care for. Remember that you can stop him." When my echo's subsided, I saw her ears go down a bit, almost like she was afraid. A smirk tugged at my lips. "H-how?" She asked quietly "By using the power you have hidden away. The power you don't want your sister to know about. The power to do anything you wanted, to whomever you wanted." I tell her, in the same gentle tone, like someone whispering into your ear. "We cant!" She gasped in what I could only guess was fear. Her response was what I expected. So I hit the final nail in the coffin. "Then you will fall." I switched to a more stern voice, louder and more direct. "Everything you love will die. Your country will fall, your people will killed, and your sister will be murdered..." Her response was immediate. "No!" She yelled viciously, snarling. Her Sapphire eyes snapped to a Turquoise almost instantly. There is was! That energy I felt deep down inside her was rising to the top. However, she was suppressing it, quite actively as well. What once was a small puddle of negative energy was now a small lake in her ocean of magic power that I could feel. But that was all I needed. The dam had been broken, and the leak had started. It was only a matter of time now. "Remember that feeling. That feeling of helplessness, of despair and anger. It will help you, and guide you to the answers you need." I returned to my gentle voice. She was sitting there, panting from the exertion of suppressing the evil intentions I felt. "I will be watching, but know this. I will not help you." "W-who are you?" She asked gently. Oh wow, she looked weak. Fatigue must be gripping her very hard right now, but she's still conscious. ..Oooh, I just had a dastardly idea to drive my point home. I walked up to her from behind, silently, as usual. and got in close to her head with my own. Feeling for the power inside myself, since I haven't had a chance to really use it, it was rather hard. But once I get ahold of it, its really easy to manipulate. Like I have to ask permission to use it. "My name, is Hazama." I whisper into her ear, while drawing a decent amount of my energy into the air around me. It had the desired effect of stopping her from turning to me completely and knocking her unconscious . However, she did turn her head slightly and I saw a faint glimmer of Sapphire, before she collapsed. I jumped out the window closest to me as guards started to swarm the doors. Hearing faint cries of anguish behind me was enough to know that Phase 1 was under way. I smiled to myself, I'm surprised everything's gone right so far. I figured I would have botched something up by- THUMP I got sent tumbling down from the sky. Landing roughly 200 yards from the throne room "W-what are-" I heard a feminine cry from behind me. It seems I bumped into a Pegasus mare in one of my jumps. Shaking the slight cobwebs from my head, I noticed I had her full attention. I raised my hands in a defenseless gesture, to try to dilute this situation before it got out of hand. "Easy now. I know I look like-" "Eeeeeeek! MONSTER!!!!" She screamed while fainting, falling into a heap on the ground in front of me. I turned to run, ready to launch an Ouroboros to help me. But as luck would have it, a certain White Princess landed in front of me with a face I couldn't read. 'Well, this went to shit and.. Wait, the library is on the other side of the town. How fast do you fly woman!?' A thought occurs. "Damnit Murphy .." I mutter before standing at attention for Celestia. > Distractions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hello, How are you today?" I asked politely. Princess Celestia just looked at me with that deadpan look, as she glanced around looking at all the ponies running away in fear. A slight glow illuminated her horn as she addressed me. "Who are you? And what is that despicable energy coming from you?" She almost spat in anger. Maybe I shouldn't have left her that book tells you how Black magic can be used for all kinds of deadly things- Wait, what? Then it hit me, And I had to restrain myself from crying out in frustration and face palming at the same time. I never stopped the energy flow from my time with Luna. I've been leaking a fair amount of Green and Black energy this entire time. No wonder that poor mare ran away screaming! I hold in my anger at myself, and let a small fake smirk attach itself to my face, as I lower the energy to a smaller scale. Not quite stopping it entirely, since I might need it in the near future.. "My apologies , lots of thing on my mind and all that. I must not have noticed, as I've been busy looking around your world."I must have said something wrong, or she didn't like me keeping the energy around. Since her horn lit up rather brightly. "Do not toy with me Monster! Tell me what you were doing within my castle walls!" She snarled. Jeeze, I see where Luna can get her anger from sometimes. Speaking of which.. "I feared something was wrong with your sister, and I went to check-" I was cut off as a beam of golden energy careened after me. A quick sidestep to the right with help from a quick Ouroboros and I was safe and sound. The beam had torn a trench into the ground, narrowly missing a few houses. A slight frown appeared on my face. She wasn't going to listen to my lies, let alone believe them.. Fine.. A small smile forms yet again, as a motion away from the town. "Lets leave your town out of this, shall we?" I say as I latch an Ouroboros to a cloud. Did I mention those things were solid in this world? I flew into the air as fast as I could without losing track of where I was. I now understand just how fast Celestia is. She flew 10 meters behind me even though I was flying through the air faster than most would blink. A slight bump in my plans, no big deal. I quickly latch another Ouroboros onto the ground about 300 yards away from the town. We landed with a massive dust cloud erupting around us. When the dust cleared I stood with one hand in my pocket, and the other out opening and closing reflexively. Celestia stood about 20 feet away in a crouch, with her horn lit up and her wings spread from the previous flight. "You sure you wanna do this?" I could feel my body shaking slightly from both fear and anticipation. Celestia didn't answer and just glared a hole into my skull. "Fine.. Jabaki!" I whisper under my breath. I swing my hand upwards and a blast of Green swirling energy in the shape of a snake head shoots towards Celestia. Her eyes widen and she throws up a shield in an attempt to stop it. The snake head bounces of her shield but leaves a crack. It careens into the woods where a small explosion is heard. Celestia glares at me even harder when I return to my earlier fighting pose. My smirk returning full force. I wasn't actually expecting that to work as well as it did. I didn't have mush time to be happy as Celestia fired a series of Golden beams from the tip of her horn, while jumping into the air. She hover into the air as I Dodge and duck away from her beams of destruction, as they tear up the land I used to stand on. Jumping into the air with only one hand, I bring the other one out to counterbalance for my next trick. "Hirentotsu" The Green snake head re-appears only to be shot downwards as I kick backwards at Celestia, who mistakenly let me too close. Probably thought I wouldn't attack at such a close range. The attack rips through her hastily put up shield, and I whirlwind her with the force of my kick, sending her soaring to the ground. A plume of smoke rises from the small crater as I land about 20 feet away. I feel her magic levels dropping slightly. As the dust clears I see her breathing slightly heavy with small cuts across her barrel where my kick landed. The cuts where actually healing at a remarkable rate. It seemed she could heal using her magic as a catalyst. I'd have to look into that, and see if I could replicate that effect. A few more lasers shot at me but nothing was too hard to dodge, until Celestia threw something new into the mix. She started summoning swords into mid-air, holding them up in her telekinesis. They're were currently about 10 swords surrounding me, all twirling in a slight circle. The light shining off of them was blinding. Then there was the fire. Sudden bouts off fire erupted from the ground around me, burning the very edges of my flowing coat. Goddess of the Sun indeed, she wasn't pulling her punches now. I dodged a sword from the left, and ducked a small gout of fire aimed at my stomach. Side stepping a golden laser, I realized this fight was getting too long and dangerous. The town behind us was getting dangerously close to being destroyed by a stray blast from Celestia, she seemed far to concerned with me than she was the safety of her people, and even her sister. Jumping back to avoid another flurry of swords stabbing into the ground, I used my Ouroboros to close the gap immediately. Charging my energy through my fist, I break through her shield once again. In a flurry of movement I focused my energy to my foot once again. "Jayoku Hotenjin!" I call out as I kick Celestia into the air and followed her into the air. With the aid of my Ouroboros I rocketed around Celestia using empowered strikes to cause massive damage at multiple angles in an instant. I had just used one of my more deadly attacks. My insane sounding laughter rang through the air as I wailed on Celestia for a full 10 seconds. I landed in my battle stance a few feet away from her as she crashed to the ground. She lay there in a heap, shallow breathing and eyes shut in pain. "This didn't need to happen, your own decisions will be your undoing one day." I state as I start to walk away from her. I could feel her magic levels dropping to low levels, she was in no shape to continue. I used my Ouroboros to disappear into the woods nearby. But before I disappeared completely I called out to her one last time, in a serious demeanor. "You should watch who you make as enemies.. You'll turn all your allies against you and have nobody to help when you need it." --------- Line Break---------- I was a fool! SMACK I punched a tree in fury, as a scowl made its way onto my face. I got too into the fight! I got too excited to see my own powers at work, that I didn't see that she wasn't seriously fighting me the entire time.. Her eyes were always watching me, always analyzing, scrutinizing my attacks. Should we ever fight again, she'll have a plan to fight back. I'll have to fight back on equal footing next time. No holding back. "You are a fool." "W-who said that?!" My eyes opening in a frantic search -------Line Break-------- Celestia sat up and shook her head. Her magic had taken care of the major wounds, but she had severely underestimated the strange creature. I was clearly sentient, by all its ramblings it had done during the fight. It was also extremely powerful. She only got a glimpse of the creatures true power at the end of the fight, when it wanted to end the fight. Its speed was amazing, and its dexterity was akin to dancing. She would need to think on this defeat, and find a way to suppress that ominous energy it kept releasing during the fight. It wasn't Dark Magic, so she couldn't just put up an anti-magic barrier, but it had qualities of Natural Magic, the energy that made up the majority of Equis, their planet. Maybe a barrier to cut off that magic would weaken him? At least enough for her and Luna to take it down with the Elements if needed. "Luna!" She cried as she flew into the air as fast as she could. She got to Hospital Ward in the castle in record time. Opening the door, she saw her sister sitting on a bed, with a downcast expression. "I'm so glad your okay!" She cried in joy, running over and nuzzling her sister. Luna nuzzled back. "Thou hast dealt with the intruder, dear sister?" She asked with a forlorn look on her face. "Yes, he wont be bothering you again." Celestia gently told her sister. Luna gently shook her head. "We do not think he was here to cause harm, We think he was here to give Us a message. One that was hidden in words most foul." Luna said with a look of uncertainty. "What do you mean?" Asked Celestia. > Confrontations and Conflicts of Intrests > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A fool is a fool, I don't need to introduce myself to you." The voice said, sounding angry and displeased about something. In a flash of Green energy, I was standing on some platform. I looked around, it seemed almost like a rip-off of a Kingdom Hearts starting sequence. Although I had a feeling I was in for a rough time. The floor looked as though it was made of stained glass, yet held firm like concrete. Set in the floor were pictures of various Blazblue characters. Strangely enough the air here was potent in the same kind of way Equis was with magic. Only it wasn't magic. "Your plans are futile, and that accursed Merchant's as well."Said a voice behind me. I turned casually around to see a figure standing there. I was in shock. A hooded yellow cape with black markings and large rolled-up cuffs along with long black ribbons and bandages across his arms. He was also wearing an open shirt beneath his vest that shows his chest, a loose black tie, two belts, and black pants. My eyes actually widened at the sight of him, and I had to fight the urge to run away screaming. Yuki Terumi Yuki Terumi was in front of me, staring me down, and apparently pissed off. Sweat rolled down my neck, I knew I wouldn't truly stand a chance if he were to attack. "You reek of fear." He said smirking that insane grin of his. "Good, you should fear me." "You mentioned the Merchant?" I asked quickly, trying to calm myself and draw his full attention off of me at the same time. A scowl appeared on his face, and I instinctively flinched back a bit. "That damn Merchant somehow sealed me in that hat of yours, and when you put it on.. it fused our consciousness's together. Yours somehow won the battle for dominance without you even knowing. But, we're getting off topic. " He said as he walked slowly towards me. "You think that you can make a life here, that you can just do what you want? No, I want the opposite! I will throw this world under a blanket of Chaos and destruction! Their pain and misery will make me stronger." He finished with a chuckle. He held up a hand towards me. "Don't waste both out time, and just surrender the body hmm?" I reach up and go for the handshake, I looked to his hand, then to his eye's. I couldn't do it.. I had so many hopes for my life here, I've even started preparing for it! I wont let this one lunatic stop me now! I used his hand to pull him down a bit, to throw him off balance, while I myself kicked him with as much power as I could muster in such short time. As he was skidding back, I acted on impulse. "Jabaki!" The snake head of chained energy rushed at Terumi, nailing him in the stomach. Still on impulse, I went with the attacks intended purpose and quickly closed the gape. A quick sidestep when I was in range, and I lashed out with my most previous attack, starting with an energy infused kick into the air. "Jayoku Hotenjin!" Terumi went careening into the air at an angle. Following with a quick jump, and the aid of my Ouroboros, I quickly struck out multiple times. But unlike my battle with Celestia, I was prepared to hurt my enemy. Balisong Knives in hand, I was slashing and stabbing in quick succession with even more of my Green energy flowing through them. Flipping around one last time I aimed a kick downwards. "Hirentotsu!" The powered up flip kick did wonders, sending Terumi into the ground meters below us making a sizeable crater in the process. I landed a few feet away from the crater, breathing rather heavily. My onslaught of energy attacks had depleted a good chunk of my total reserves at the moment. I wasn't recovering like I should. Must be this place, something just feels off about this place. Standing straight, I walk towards the crater. "I thought I told you.." Terumi's voice rang out, stopping me dead in my tracks. "Don't waste my time!" He roared jumping from the crater and landing right in from of me. Not a scratch on him.. Not even a scuff mark on his White shirt... "No.." I muttered, sweat pouring down my face and neck. "YES!!" Yuki Terumi yelled as he rushed at me with a manic smile on his face, eyes glowing with power. ---------Line Break------------ Back with Luna and Celestia "You think he just wants to help?" Celestia balked. "After what just happened between not only myself, but you as well?" "Yes, We believe he is somehow looking out for Us. We believe this because when he attacked Us with his strange magic, he got close enough for Us to make eye contact. We saw sadness, and something else. We cannot tell what other emotion was there. But We do not think he is evil." Luna explained in a hushed whisper between the two. Celestia stared at her sister, eyes wide. In an instant those same eyes hardened, and so did her demeanor. "Anypony with that kind of power is a threat, let alone if that power is Dark Magic! Luna you know that Dark Magic is deadly, and is probably one of the only things that can kill an Alicorn. The next time we meet, I will fight at my fullest. No Dark Magic can fight the Elements." Celestia said proudly. Luna looked on sadly, the memory of what Hazama had told her ringing through her mind like a plague. Luna's face hardened as well. She would prove to her sister that she was right, even if it meant staring death in the face. She would not let Hazama's words win! She nodded resolutely as she followed her sister to the throne room. They had a war to win first and foremost. --------Line Break------- A pair of Golden eyes opened up, standing in the middle of the forest was a figure dressed in a black suit. He reached up and took his hat off and laughed. Green hair spiked up as Green energy flew around the figure. The maniac laughter was all you could hear. Golden eyes glowed with power though the darkness. > Change of Plans > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sitting on a rock, looking at my own reflection, I saw flashes of the fight that happened yesterday. Yuki Terumi.. Was impossible to beat, at least at my current level. I threw a rock into the water, making it ripple. "I got lucky.." I muttered. ~~~~Flash Back~~~~ Terumi smashed a green coated fist into my chest, sending me flying backwards. However, he gripped my wrist, stopping my flight early. Laughing like he always does, he threw me into the ground, and sent a kick into my stomach. Blood spat from my mouth, and I could see my vision going dark on the edges. Two hits.. Two hits and he's going to knock me out?! "Once a fool, always a fool. Did you really think you stood a chance?" He said as he dug his heel into my stomach, getting a grunt of agony from me. "Your pathetic, if it wasn't for the fact that we were linked I would have killed you in the first strike!" He moved aside, and grabbed my collar to drag me to his level. I feebly fought his grip, but I just didn't have the energy. Something was wrong, I shouldn't have been this bad off. He may be strong, but he wasn't THAT strong. My attacks earlier should have at least caused some pain, but here he is acting like nothing happened! I'm stronger than that! I know I am.. If it wasn't for my lack of energy, or the pain I was feeling, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. The feeling in the air changed slightly. It felt slightly more.. homely? Like I was just remembering something nice from the past that made you smile. Something flashed in Terumi's eyes, and he threw me away. Like the ragdoll I was, I bounced and landed on my face. I lay there for a second, taking in the change. The air felt calmer, more in control. My eyes snapped open for a second, as a smile appeared on my face. I figured it out. He's been talking about how we're linked, how he couldn't kill me. So where are we? The only logical explanation was that we were in 'our' mind. Our 'shared consciousness' if you would. I wasn't weaker than him here, my own fear of him was weakening me. Outside Yuki Terumi is a beast, and is widely thought of as a god. But here, where we share the same place, the same mind, were equals!. I laughed slightly, feeling my old power rush back to me the more I though on the subject. The power that Terumi had been using against me. Don't get me wrong. The damage he did was still there, but the rush of adrenaline combined with my power returning was quite a feeling. I stood up and brushed off my coat, while fixing my hat- Wait.. When Hazama from Blazblue took off his hat, his Terumi persona would come out, and his power would increase. If I do the same, Am I letting Terumi himself out? Or am I just letting baser instincts take over? Quickly reaching up, I tore the hat off my head. I needed to see which it was! In front of me, Terumi had a look of shock, then a look of insane happiness. My vision instantly went dark. -----Outside----- Power swirled around our body, as a hand ripped off the hat. Terumi's insane laugh echoed through our mind as he opened our eyes. His eyes glowing a Golden yellow, full of power. I could feel the energy skyrocket, to levels I had though were impossible for myself. I couldn't.. No, I wouldn't let this happen! I grabbed onto what I assumed was his mind, and pulled. ----Inside---- "HOW?! You shouldn't have been able to do that!" Terumi looked absolutely livid. "Your consciousness shouldn't have had the strength, let alone the willpower to pull me back!" I stood before him, still breathing heavy from the exertion of pulling us both back into this place. Catching my breath, I stood up straight once more, looking Terumi in the eyes with my own that were actually open for once. "You once told me, that my consciousness and your were linked together thanks to the Merchant. You also said that my mind was the dominant mind since it was my own body. So I say this once.. My body, my rules!" I yell as I rush him as fast as I could. Going for a punch to the stomach, he blocked with an enhanced kick that threw me off. Not one to be deterred, I swung around and aimed a kick at his head. I ducked faster than I thought, and went for a leg sweep. Hopping up, into the air, I went for an axe kick. The kick coated our signature green energy. It went exploding into the ground as Terumi jumped to the side, and landing on all fours, jumped at me. Like the animal he was, he attempted a series of punches from the low angle. I was able to dodge most of them, but a few landed. One in particular landed on my back, as he had spun around me rather quickly. As I went forward I used the momentum to my advantage. Planting a hand onto the ground, I spun around and delivered a kick to his head. Not expecting it, he took the hit full force. His face contorted into a snarl, and he then launched himself at me. His flurry of punches getting faster, Blocking was getting harder as his attacks seemed to have more force. I blocked another kick aimed at my mid-section and aimed an Ouroboros at his open left side. It landed the hit, sending him back a bit from the force, but it also latched onto him. I used it, and threw him up into the air with as much force as I could. I could tell he was having problems focusing, so I used the same Ouroboros that was attached to him as an anchor. Stopping his rise and launching me towards him. Propelling past him, I turned and did the same thing, latching another Ouroboros to him. His eyes widened, as I used the propulsion to get to him in the blink of an eye. I was already in position, sending a fully powered up axe kick into his chest. He had tried guarding it, but the force broke his guard. Careening into the ground, a plume of smoke erupted from his contact. Almost as quickly as he crashed, he was jumping back out in a rage. A trail of smoke billowing behind him. He swung a fist at me, missing almost entirely. But what caught me off guard was the Green snake that came from nowhere and bit at my arm. He then kicked at me, sending me flying back down, even though I guarded it. Getting up, and getting ready for more attacks like that, I remembered :Yuki Terumi loved using his Serpentine Spirits in battle. He charged with a smirk as he kicked at my feet, making me sidestep. His fist was inches from my face by the time I realized it was a distraction. The punch landed on my cheek, knocking a few cobwebs into it. Said cobwebs were then dispelled immediately by the burning sensation on my arms. I looked frantically and saw that he had summoned two Spirits, which were now wrapped around my arms, holding them out. He had a look of pure glee as he approached slowly, taking out his own Balisong Knives. Slashing at my arms, he cut just enough to make me bleed and cause pain. He continued in a flurry of limbs he was leaving cut after cut. In a last ditch effort, I tried mixing up a move that required hand motions. Launching my leg upwards as sharply as I could, I watched as a smaller than average wave of Green energy shaped as a snake, nailed Terumi in the chest, and caused his Serpents to disappear. "Zan 'Eiga!" I yelled out the name of the attack. Terumi had yet to rise from the ground, so I chose that moment to take a small breather. All this fighting was really draining, especially when I got my ass kicked earlier.. I looked over to see Terumi on a knee facing me with blood dripping down his chin. "You will never win, you will never get rid of me!" He said with his usual smile. It looked even more insane with blood mixed in. "The stronger you become, the stronger I get! I will be back you god damn imposter!" I heard him scream as the world we were in faded away into nothingness. I awoke in front of a pond, just as tired as I was in the fight.. ~~~~Flash Back End~~~~ It was official, I had a problem that needed to be dealt with, and I knew none of plans would help. I needed to start from scratch. I glanced at the town that you could see from the woods. Standing up, and putting my hands in my pockets. I frowned as I made my way to the town. I sure hope they don't freak out.. -----With the Princesses----- Celestia and Luna sat in the throne room, discussing the two strategies that they wanted to use against Sombra. That was, until a Pegasus Guard barged in through the door. "Princess! There's a monster in town!" Both Princesses didn't even bat an eye, as they stood in sync and flew off the balcony that was attached to the throne room. They both flew into town ready for a fight, but neither were ready for what they saw. A bipedal figure that stood taller than most ponies, yet was a foot shorter than the two princesses. He was just standing there, with a pained smirk on his face. "Hey.." He said casually, sounding rather fatigued. Luna didn't know what to do, she looked to her sister as a source of guidance. Only to see her charge a beam of Magic and fire it at the creature. It missed only by a few inches due to the creature moving. Although it stumbled a bit when it did so. "What are you doing here Hazama?!" Celestia asked furiously. Luna was shocked as to her sisters actions. "Now, I know why your acting this way, and I'm sorry. I was trying to set up some stupid plan, that wouldn't have worked because it was stupid." Hazama started. Something was wrong with him, he was talking like his life depended on it. This wasn't like the creature Celestia fought the day before. Gone was the cocky attitude, and he was no longer lying. The element of honesty told her that. "I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble, but somethings come up and its very, VERY important." Hazama finished. Luna looked at him with worry, while Celestia, although still distrusting, felt the desperation in the creatures words. "Hazama, what troubles thou?" Luna spoke, worry written all over her face. Hazama seemed to breath deeply for a second, almost as if he was preparing himself. "I need your help.." He said pleadingly. > What Happened?! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So your telling me, that inside your head is a creature stronger than yourself, and he wants to get out. He will also do absolutely anything to get out, aside from killing you. Did I get all the key points?" Celestia asked nonchalantly. I nodded my head, as I looked at Luna, who was staring at me. The look on her face was one of a kindred spirit. I guess I can understand, we both have something we would rather never see the light of day. "No." Celestia replied curtly. I blinked slowly, then a frown slipped onto my face. I was about to say something, when my vision was covered in blue. "Nay! We must help him!" Luna's retort came fast. As she also hip-checked me off the chair I was in, causing me to lay down on the floor. Looking up at Luna with a slightly agitated look on my face, I propped myself up on my hands. When my arms started to shake, I realized something. My energy, although back to what I felt was normal, was still abysmally low for some reason. I felt as if my body refused to work right. "'W-we mean.. He could be a great help to Us!" Luna started again, albeit a little bashfully this time. When she looked at me to fuel her statement, she realized I was on the ground staring up at her flank, which had knocked me over mind you. "O-oh, We are sorry!" Luna apologized as she lifted me up with a bit of her magic. Feeling her magic grip me was what shocked me out of whatever daze I was in and I looked up at her. Her face had genuine worry on it, and it brought a small smile on my face. A smile! Not a grin! Something was wrong with me today.. Luna must have seen the smile, since she backed of a little, and she looked less worried. "Thank you, Princess Luna." I rose to my full height, and looked up at Celestia. "I'll help with your fight against Sombra." Came my own retort to Celestia's answer. It was two on one Celestia, will you say no to your own sister as well? I watched as she bit her lip, and looked at her sister. Luna, who was still looking at me, looked lost in thought. "Fine.. But he will be watched carefully. If he so much as breathes without my knowing, I will personally find out if you can be petrified." She said sternly. A shiver, however slight it was, went down my spine. Being a stone ornament did not sound fun.. "Thank you, it means a lot to me knowing that you two will help me out. Where is the battle taking place, and when will it happen?" I asked. I hope I have enough time to heal up more, maybe even figure out whats wrong with my powers. I looked up and one thing struck me as weird. The usually stoic face of Celestia, now matched what her sister in terms of bashfulness earlier. "Well, you see.." "Your kidding, right?" I deadpanned -----Line Break----- "You weren't kidding.." I muttered to myself. I stood next to the sisters on a semi-large plain, on its side was a rather tall mountain. On the other side was what looked like a small outcropping or an overhang to another, smaller mountain. Both side restricted out total movement, but also stopped the enemy from using them to bring in backup. It was a tactical spot, thought up by both sisters, and had a lot of thought put into the plan surrounding them. The Pegasi would fly overhead, and act as Scouting party's. The Unicorns would act as Archers, shooting of spell into groups of enemies, or even picking of lone enemies that caused trouble. Finally, the Earth Ponies would act as walking shields and stop as many enemies from advancing as possible. The only thing left was survival, and Sombra. Sombra would be attacked by both sisters, while I would accompany the Earth Ponies into battle. My only issue, I may have gotten used to moving as I am, but my energy levels still had not come back. I was really hating life right about now. I needed to show my worth to the Princesses, and I couldn't do more than be an annoyance to Sombra if they called for assistance. My mind was in shambles, trying to think of ways to help, and what I need to avoid doing. I didn't even notice when the sisters called out to they're army and called the charge. I moved on basic instinct now, Using my Ouroboros since it was the only thing I had that apparently didn't use energy. I sprung from enemy to enemy, Using my Balisong Knives to incapacitate and only critically wound the ones who wouldn't stay down. ----With Celestia and Luna--- They landed on the ground before Sombra's castle, and was readying the spell to blow the doors down. "Did thou notice something wrong with Hazama?" Luna asked offhandedly. Focusing on the spell so it didn't blow up in her face. "Yes, but we shouldn't worry about that now, Sombra is our main concern now." Celestia said, while eyeing the door. Crystal was always very finicky, it required pinpoint precision to make it shatter, or else it bounced back any spell thrown at it. It was they're plan, to have Luna focus on powering the spell, and have Celestia take aim. Giving Luna the signal, they fired the beam as it shattered the door. Crystal shards going everywhere, as the galloped inside. Wings flared for a quick take-off, they found Sombra just sitting there on his throne. "Surrender! You've lost this battle Sombra!" Celestia said. The sounds of battle were in the background. "So you would think." The deep voice of Sombra reverberated throughout the room. "Getting help from an outsider was very cowardly of you. However, his power comes from a dark place, I can feel it. " Sombra said as he walked slowly down the stairs leading to the throne. He stopped only twenty feet from the Princesses, only to smirk. "Darkness looms in all things! You cannot beat the darkness!" He charged the two, making a sword appear from the shadows. Said sword was met mid-swing with a sword made of Midnight-Blue energy. Luna scowled at Sombra, attacking so suddenly wasn't part of the plan. The Sombra that they knew would never do something so dis-honorable. His eye's were different too.. Her train of though was ended abruptly as a chunk of Black crystal was shot towards her. She swung at it, and deflected it only to see her sister get dragged into a shadow. Luna charged Sombra, swinging for his neck, when an Onyx Scythe formed from a few shadows, and stopped her sword. She grit her teeth, and pushed as hard as she could. Suddenly, a burst of light came from the floor, and Celestia came from the ground, slamming into Sombra. Dark crystals erupted from the ground, letting Sombra get a platform to jump off of. Celestia soared by him, Summoning a sword made from what looked like light, she slammed it into the scythe, knocking it from Sombra's magical grasp. Roaring in frustration, he pulsed his magic. As Luna came flying in from the left, and Celestia from the right, Sombra's magic formed two waves of crystal, that flung the Sisters back in they're respective directions, knocking over the walls in the process. The throne room was now out in the open. "Fine! You want to fight me? Then fight me without your magic!" He screamed with a manic look in his eyes. As he said that, a red runic circle appeared around the base of his throne. It pulsed, and suddenly they heard creaming. Outside the Pegasi were falling from the sky, and the Unicorns were flailing on the ground. The Princesses themselves felt the effects as well, feeling the power in they're bodies slip away. Luna, having never dealt with anything like it before, froze up, just long enough for Sombra to make his move. He charged his horn with dark energy. "Of course, I'm not affected by the runes! Goodbye!" He let the blast go, it launched towards Luna, who couldn't move.. ----Outside: A Few Minutes Earlier---- I hated this.. Fighting I could handle, In fact I had gotten almost used to the concept in my short stay on this planet. No, it was the lack of ability I had. After two solid fight of having them, and getting used to them, not having them was torture. Knowing I could be better, Knowing that I could be helping more, and keeping more allies alive.. It sickened me. If I wasn't in the middle of a battle I would probably have walked away by now. Anyhow, I had been on the move non-stop since we started, and my arms were getting rather tired, one from pulling Ouroboros and the other from slashing. I was about to take a knee for a second when something weird happened. A wave of nausea washed over me, and whatever I felt of my power before hand, just disappeared. It seems I wasn't the only case, as everybody, enemy included, was also hunched over in some degree. I was about to start increasing moral the best I could, until my attention was drawn to the middle area, where the castle was. Only a hundred meters away, I could hear what I needed. "Of course, I'm not affected by the runes! Goodbye!" Time seemed to slow down, as I saw a blast of energy fly towards a very shaky Luna. For the first time since I got here, my body did what I asked with no errors or fuck-ups. I whipped my arm out, and flung an Ouroboros at Luna. Attaching to her was easy, and pulling myself to her was even easier. I had less time than it took to blink, but I had managed to get to her in time. In fact, I had just enough time, to wrap Luna in my arms the best I could, and flipped us around. The last thing I remember was the sudden pain, and rocks. ----With Celestia and Sombra---- She watched as the beam of energy flew at her sister. She didn't even have the time to cry out for her. Then it happened. If she had blinked she would have missed it. Hazama flew in from the side, and wrapped her sister in an embrace. That was all she saw, before the energy hit, and went careening into the bottom of the mountain. Ruble fell into a giant pile at the base of the mountain. She was in shock, Sombra had just killed her sister.. "Hmm.. Two idiots in one blast, how fortunate." Sombra said, while smirking. His smile waned however, when he looked to Celestia. She was glaring at him,, and she had a snarl etched into her face. She was so angry, you could see small embers flying from her mane, which looked ready to burst into flame- Wait, what?! "H-how!? You cant use magic!" Celestia said nothing, as she fired a blazing red beam of energy. Said beam lit the ground aflame as it passed over it. As Sombra looked back to Celestia after watching the beam fly by, he noted the utter craziness before him. Standing in a small inferno, was the White Alicorn, Eye's glowing white and face contorted in rage. "What?!" He yelled in outrage. ----With Luna--- Luna woke up in a slight panic. Last thing she remembered was Sombra attacking her and her freezing up like a foal! She shook her head in anger, and got up. She quickly realized two things. One, was that she was in some barely lit cave, And two, she was laying atop Hazama. When she realized what was under her, she almost hit him with all the fury she felt at the moment. However it all subsided, when she looked closer at him. It was hard to see in the dim lighting, but she could see black burn marks all over his back and shoulder. The same shoulder was cut off by a large boulder that was sitting atop his whole arm. With a gasp of fright, she suddenly remembered what happened in a flash of memories. Her realization prompted her to light up her horn to help the poor creature that had saved her. Well, she tried to. What she got was a sputter, and the sparks of a failed spell. She looked up and saw that her horn was split down the middle. The most debilitating wound a unicorn could have.. Let alone an all-powerful Alicorn. She wouldn't be able to use spells for almost a week while it heals.. Her eyes teared up slightly. "W-we can't help! Hazama wake up!" She called in desperation. When she didn't get a response right away she laid back down, and rested her head on Hazama's chest. Tears pouring from her eye's, she would have to wait for him to wake up. > Desperation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why cant I feel my arm? For that matter, I don't feel much of anything really. Only a faint pressure on my chest. Oh, apparently I had lost my hearing, since I'm starting to actually hear things again. It sounded like crying.. God Damnit. I opened my eyes slowly, only to find out that I didn't need to adjust them to any light. It was pretty dark in here. I looked down at the pressure on my chest, and my heart damn near stopped! Luna had her head resting on my chest, but the worst part was the marks leading down her cheeks indicating that she had been crying recently. But why? Since she was currently using my left arm as a teddy bear, I went to move my right. Only to groan in absolute agony. I looked to my right, and my vision was obstructed by a rather large boulder. Correction, that boulder looked almost as if it connected into the roof. My arm was stuck underneath the thing, and wouldn't budge. And as if the pain in my arm wasn't enough, it seemed to jumpstart everything else that was wrong with my body. My shoulder and back felt like they were on fire, and my head didn't feel any better, but there was an explanation for that one. Since I had woken up, I had been able to hear Terumi faintly screaming in my head. I couldn't hear him, but it definitely was annoying. "Damn.." I muttered to myself. My current thoughts were derailed as Luna shifted. Her eyes fluttered open, and a cute yawn escaped her. I couldn't help myself. "Good morning sleeping beauty." I spoke softly, although my voice was rough from lack of use. It had the desired affect, when a light blush lit up Luna's cheeks, as she got up quickly. In doing so, she nudged me slightly making me grunt in pain. It was only slight, so I wound up laughing it off lightly. Luna looked like she was about to cry again. "What's wrong Luna?" I asked "T-thou saved me! Why?" She asked me with slight tears in the edges of her eyes. "Why? Well, I couldn't very well let my friend get hurt now could I?" I said with a slight smile. That sentence seemed to ignite something in Luna. She looked at me with a new light in her eyes. "Thou.. Thinks of Us as a friend?" She said quietly, almost like she didn't believe it. "Yes, I do-" I was interrupted by Luna Jumping on top of me, hugging my with as much strength as she could muster at the moment. Although it wasn't much, it was definitely a little uncomfortable. This was the first time I've been in physical contact with anyone in awhile. "Thank thou! We will accept your friendship, and give you Ours!" She exclaimed happily, The hug softened up a bit, and she just laid there, breathing contently. I felt rather safe in her embrace, which was a first. My headache was getting worse, Terumi's screaming was getting louder. "So, how do we get out of here?" I asked. Luna's head simply lifted up, and I could see the happiness in her eyes give way to fear, and sadness. I felt a small tug at my heart when I saw that. "Our horn was split during the fall, and without it Our magic is almost nonexistent. Without Our magic, We can not signal Our sister for help. We are sorry." She looked down at the ground after realizing she could do nothing to help. "No! Don't be sorry, you've tried everything you could-" A loud crashing noise, and the trembles in the ground that happened next caused the roof to move slightly. My worries skyrocketed. Without the ability to move, or Luna's magic to aid us, if the roof came down, we would both die. "Our sister if fighting Sombra. Her magic broke through the runes and she has been fighting him for a while.. She is losing." Luna said sadly. -----With Celestia----- Celestia breathed heavily, the magic she had been using was both strong, and overtaxing. She had a few minutes left in this battle at the most. Her opponent looked almost exactly the same as when she started. Smiling the evil smirk as he waited her out. His magic had been stronger than she gave him credit for. Summoning Black crystals to aid him was ingenious. Since crystal was almost indestructible unless given the time to aim. She didn't have that luxury, she had rushed and now paid the price. Her sister was dead, and she could do nothing! Celestia growled in anger, as her mane caught aflame again, brighter than before. Her eyes taking a small red-hint. Sombra only laughed. -----With Hazama and Luna----- "Well then.." I said to myself. My headache was getting bad, Terumi was really going at it now. "Do me a favor Luna?" I asked solemnly. Luna looked at me as though to asked me what I was talking about. "If Celestia and you are doing everything you can, then so should I.. Just don't watch, okay?" I said as I reached for my hat, and forcefully pulled it off. Instantly my Green hair stood up on end, and my eyes opened fully. Power flooded my system, as I felt Terumi take over. I said one thing before I faded to the back of our mind. "You hurt her, I kill us both. Terumi only laughed like he normally did when he came out. The power kept pouring out, as he stopped laughing. He kept the grin on his face, as he looked around. He caught sight of Luna and saw the fear and confusion written on her face. "Finally! I can kill the asshole who put me under a rock!" Terumi said as he jumped up. His arm ripping through the boulder with ease as Green energy coated it. Green snakes made from pure energy wrapped themselves around his arm, to keep mobility in the broken limb. Using said limb, he cocked it back in a punching motion, and blew a hole in the ceiling, where the boulder used to be. "I'm gonna kick your ass across the country!" Terumi raged as he jumped through the hole. Luna looked worried for her new friend, as she jumped out of the hole, using what strength she had left in her magic-less body. She saw a flash of Green and Black near the castle. -----At the Castle----- "Your a fool Celestia, pure power alone will never defeat me or the shadows I possess!" Sombra laughed as Celestia fell to the ground in defeat. Her magic depleted, and her will to fight burnt out. She could only sob at the thought of her sister. "You will be glad to know that I will let you and your sister re-unite. Don't worry about the kingdom, I'll take good care of it dear Celestia!" He grinned as he pulled some energy into his horn. The dark energy pooled at the tip of his horn, and he launched the beam of destructive force towards the downed mare. "What a joke!" Terumi chuckled as he appeared in front of the blast, holding up the arm with the snakes keeping it together. The heads detached in front of his palm, and formed a green ball of energy. In an instant, he threw the ball at the Shadow Blast. The resulting explosion shook the castle. When the smoke died down, Terumi stood there smirking. Sombra was on the other side of the small clearing, blood trickled down a small cut on his eyebrow. He snarled and began charging another blast. Only to lose track of Terumi for a brief moment after seeing a weird chain. A force plowed into his side, and sent hem careening into the castle walls. Terumi stood there twirling his Ouroboros in a circle. "Hey dumbass! You ready for round two?" He hollered over to Sombra with a glint In his eyes. Sombra walked out of the rubble with a fierce look on his face, a scythe forming next to him out of the dark shadows he was standing in. He quickly dived into the shadow, and re-appeared in Terumi's shadow. However when he swung the scythe at him, it was caught by an open palm. The blade didn't even pierce the skin. "What?! What the Tartarus are you?!" Sombra called out in agitation. Nothing he tried had worked so far! "Somebody you shouldn't have fucked with." Terumi stated with a small chuckle. As he laughed, he put a palm to the Shadow Sombra. Abruptly a wave of Green energy shot out, and you could hear Sombra cry out in pain. A blur of Shadow Smoke blew from the wave of energy, and zoomed towards Terumi. It swirled like a drill as it collided with The mad mans chest full force. Nothing moved, as Terumi grabbed Sombra by his Shadowy neck. The green energy still coating his arm was the reason he could hold onto the Living Shadow. The shock of being grabbed and the energy itself, made Sombra revert back to normal. Laughing manically, Terumi threw Sombra into the air. Only to grab the ponies leg with an Ouroboros. He pulled Sombra back down to the ground, slamming him into the dirt full force. Not finished yet, he flipped Sombra not once, not twice but three times into the ground, creating a bigger hole each time. Finishing up, Terumi swung Sombra into the destroyed castle walls again. When the smoke cleared, Terumi noticed that Sombra was knocked unconscious, and was lying in a heap. "Hmph, what a waste of time!" Terumi said as he approached Sombra. HE grabbed the pony by the cape, and lifted him up into the air. His limp form hanging mid air as Terumi cocked back an arm. The snakes twirled together into a point. "Stop!" Shouted Luna, as she watched from the sidelines. She couldn't believe what she was watching. Her new friend had just utterly destroyed Sombra in one on one combat, and now he looked as if he was going to end the ponies life. "Hazama! What is wrong with thou?" Luna cried out. This wasn't the soft spoken creature she had come to admire. Terumi looked at her, letting go of Sombra, with something that looked like a demented smile on his face. "Hazama's gone bitch! The names Yuki Terumi!" He laughed as her confusion melted to a look of shock. Celestia looked up from her position on the ground. She saw the creature now known as Terumi walk towards her sister. She could do nothing as she watched him get within a foot of Luna. Terumi lifted his hand, and readied the same Green snake spike that he was about to use on Sombra. "And I don't give a flying fuck that the loser likes you! DIE!" His eyes were wide with excitement, as he thrust his hand towards Luna's chest. Fuck... you.. Terumi's hand stopped inches from Luna's chest, the spike barely touching her. "What?" He growled. He put more effort into it, but his hand wouldn't budge, one way or the other. Fuck you! The world went fuzzy, and suddenly went Black. -----Inside the Mind----- POOW!! Terumi was sent flying. The area around them stopped swirling as Terumi got up. His smirk waned slightly when he saw the look on Hazama's face. His eyes were open almost fully, and a scowl was etched onto his face. "You, I'll kill you!" Hazama swore as he rocketed towards Terumi. He used the Ouroboros to appear and disappear at random points around Terumi. Terumi cracked a smile, as he dodged some of the hits, and blocked others. Some however got though, and the damage they did was completely amazing. Blood seeped from his smiling mouth, as he stopped a fist aimed at his cheek. "Now THIS is a fight!" He laughed crazily as he flipped Hazama over his shoulder, and sucker punched him in the ribs. Hearing a faint crack, he laughed even harder as Hazama was sent flying. He was surprised when Hazama flipped midair and sent an Ouroboros behind Terumi. Launching himself behind Terumi, He continued. When Terumi turned to find Hazama, he couldn't see him. The feeling of something brushing past him caused him alarm, as a power charged elbow smacked him in the back of the head. As he was sent skidding forward, he was subject to a low kick from the front, and then an axe kick from above. It was like Hazama was everywhere at once. But he was just using his Ouroboros to boost his speed. With a smile, Terumi flicked out an Ouroboros of his own and flew towards Hazama. He collided with Hazama midair, and went to kick him as they fell, but he disappeared. Eyes widening, Terumi looked around for Hazama, until something latched onto his leg. He cursed as he was sent careening to the ground. Even as he landed, spitting up blood from the constant beating, he felt another Ouroboros latch onto his chest this time. Looking up quickly all he saw was Green. An energy Powered punch combined with the force of the Ouroboros speed tore into Terumi's stomach. Hazama leapt up to the top of the hole, angry eyes still burrowing into Terumi's entire being. "*Cough* The hell did all this come from huh?!" Terumi said, still smirking. Hazama said nothing, and waited for Terumi to do something, Golden eyes flashed with a power Terumi had never seen from him before. "Fine.. You win this time. I'll be waiting for our next encounter, keep up the anger!" As the world started to fizzle away, Hazama growled in anger at Terumi's words. Fist alight with Green energy, and only getting brighter, he jumped at Terumi with vigor. "I said I was going to kill you!" Hazama screamed as he approached Terumi Terumi just stared back at him with a devilish smirk on his face, as the world blacked out as the punch connected. -----Outside----- Luna watched as Hazama woke back up. It had only been a few minutes since Terumi had fallen backwards and Hazama's hat had re-appeared on his head. As she looked at Hazama she noticed him looking at her, with tears threatening to pool out of his eyes. "I'm so sorry Luna.." He said softly, all his rage forgotten. Luna gently picked up his head with her wing, and kissed his cheek. "Don't be, thou saved all of us" She said with a smile > Regrets > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My eyes opened slightly, for the first time in what felt like days. My arms and legs felt fuzzy all over. I looked down to see why, only for my eyes to widen even more. I was chained down to a bed, but that wasn't the problem. My issue was the runic looking marks carved into the 4 wall of the room I was in. I closed my eyes and sighed, as I laid my head back on the pillow provided. At least I'm comfortable, I bet that was Luna's doing. I could only guess why I was in here. My use of Terumi was a bad, but needed move. Celestia didn't believe me before of the troubles I had, so I did what I needed to. Saving Luna was just a plus to the whole spiel. I couldn't let her get hurt, not after everything that happened. Speaking of Luna, she just entered the room looking rather sad. Once again, I couldn't help myself, and pulled a joke I wasn't sure she'd get. "Why the long face, Luna?" I asked with a smile. She looked up at me startled, but that look quickly faded with a small smile. "Thou are awake, We are glad. We were starting to think though would not wake." She spoke sincerely, the concern in her eyes causing me to flinch back a bit. It just dawned on me, that I had been sleeping so much because of the fight I had with Terumi. The fight itself was but a blur in the back of my mind. However the emotions I felt during that time were still bouncing around like it had just happened. The rage, the anger, and the power. I guess power isn't an emotion, but it might as well be. I can see why Terumi is obsessed with it. Rage can lead to power, but losing your own sense of self in the process.. Is it worth the cost? Terumi believes so, if his anger issue is anything to go by. But I digress, the current feeling that was at the center of my internal strife, was my unwavering guilt. I had almost hurt Luna, the one person I swore not to hurt, was almost brutally murdered. All because I'm not in control of my own powers. I felt like I betrayed her, and the feeling was crushing me. I will protect these ponies, even if I have to exile myself.. "What is bothering thou?" Luna's soft voice rang through my ears. I had forgotten she was here. I looked up at her with as big a smile as I could muster, then shook my head. "Nothings wrong, but thank you. I'm back to normal now, you can let me go now." I told her. I had a feeling I knew what was about to transpire. Luna's face contorted into something akin of sadness and hatred mixed. "We cannot... Our sister forbade it." She said slightly angry, but the sadness overrode the anger. "It's fine Luna, I understand. I did something terrible, and I should be-" I was interrupted by a hoof smacking me lightly in the face. A quick look at Luna made me choke back whatever I was going to say. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her ears were spayed back against her head. "Thou did nothing wrong!" She all but screamed, then brought her voice to a whisper. "Thou saved Us from Sombra's magic and got hurt because of it, thou saved Us from the cave, and doing so made you bring out your inner darkness. Thou saved Us again, when thou stopped thineself before hurt would befall Us. We owe thou Our life.." She then rested her head on my shoulder, and proceeded to cry into it. For some reason, I couldn't talk. I couldn't move my hands to pat her on the back, so I did what any person in my position would do. I used what little mobility in my neck, to push my check to hers, and nuzzled her. Her entire body, jumped slightly, but she didn't move. She slowly stopped crying, while I was nuzzling her head. When she looked back up at me, my heart stopped. Her eyes were still wet from the crying, but her eyes had such happiness in them. A light blush shone through her matted down fur, as she leaned forward. "Thank thou.." She said softly as she kissed my cheek, and kept her head next to my own. I had this weird sense of Deja'vu. I pushed it to the back of my mind, and relished the feeling of happiness radiating off of Luna as she smiled at me. "Any time Luna. Though I should be thanking you." I said just as softly. She moved away slightly, face inches from my own. "What does thou mean?" Confusion in her words. "Truthfully? If I had never met you, I doubt I would have the strength to fight back Terumi. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart." I said with as much emotion as I could. I was taken my surprise when she closed her eyes and kissed me, leaning in the rest of the way before I could blink. The sensation of her lips against my own was something I'll never be able to explain. I'll admit, that I got lost in the moment, and kissed her back as much as I could from my immovable position. When she moved away, she blinked and I could see something flash in her eyes. She looked almost ready to panic, and to be truthful, I was too. "S-so, this may take some time to think about, don't you agree?" I asked keeping up the soft voice we've been using the entire time. A look of calm washed over her features a bit and she nodded. Seemingly afraid that her voice would betray her. She bid my a silent goodbye as she left the room. I smiled as she left, but it faded as the door closed and the runes glow was all the light I had left. I could feel my power, unlike with Sombra's own runes, however I couldn't use it. I felt something else though, it was light and almost like it would fade away if I looked away from it. I dedicated the next hour or so examining what seemed to be another power source growing inside of me.. -----With Luna----- She had no idea what had gotten into her. Kissing Hazama like that wasn't something a princess would do. A blush crept onto her face as she looked around. She sighed when she realized she was still alone. Her mind re-played the events leading up till now. They're first meeting with Hazama's foul words that she still believes had deeper meaning. Him arriving inside the town, explaining that he needed help with a problem eerily similar to her own. His help in the battle, according to the scouts sent to watch him, he saved quite a few ponies from death, yet never harmed one more then basic knockouts. His saving of her from Sombra's magic, the cave, and his own demons.. All led her to believe one thing. "We... Love Hazama?" She asked herself. Her eye's shone, as she looked up at the roof. "We love Hazama!" She called out happily. "What?!" Her sisters voice called out from behind her. She froze, as she looked to her sister. Celestia's face steeled itself in anger. "What has that monster done to you?!" She cried out to her sister. Luna's mind went blank. Her sister thought this new emotion was forced? "No, its not-" She tried to explain. "That creature almost killed you and now its taking your heart away from yourself!" Celestia fumed. "No! He is not-" Interrupted once again, her anger rose. "I will have that thing executed!" Luna's eyes snapped from Sapphire to Turquois. "No, a banishment would suit it better, no longer a threat to all ponyk-" It was Celestia's turn to be interrupted, but not by her sister, rather, the power that now flowed deep from her sisters core. She now noticed the Dark fog that crept from her sisters mane, and her now changed physique. Her fur changed to a Black color, while her body was now covered in Blue armor. Most notable was her eyes, gone were the Sapphire orbs and now in there place were dragon like Turquoise ones. "You never listen to Us! Never! You never give Us a chance to talk! We will rule the night and all those in it, and I will do so with my Dearest!! We will start with killing you dear sister! But first.." She faded into the wall as a shadow. Celestia couldn't move, horrified by what just happened. She knew where she was going. -----With Hazama----- "Oh dearest! I've come for you!" A happy yet dark voice called to me. I looked up just in time to see someone who looked like Luna grab my hat with her magic. "Oh this wont do at all!" She said smiling as she ripped off my hat. "Luna no!" I cried as my vision faded.. All that I heard was Terumi laughing.. > Sacrifice > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ah! Now THAT feels better. What did you do?" I asked the strange black mare. She regarded me with eyes of adoration. "I, as Nightmare Moon, found your other personality to be far to bland for my taste. So with a little magic, that little hat is all but gone. You'll find that I'm stronger than I look." She spoke with pride in her voice. I felt for the energy signature of Hazama, which resides in said hat, only to find that instead of being somewhere else, it was wedged inside our combined psyche. I frowned slightly, that meant that the little pansy could come back at any time if he gained enough sense of himself. However, his removal was sudden, and he was weaker than normal. So he seemed to be in a bit of a coma, letting me have free rein over the body. Even now my power coursed through our veins. I smirked. "Mostly, for now the idiot is gone. We'll need to find a more permanent solution" I smirked at the strange mare. Our musings were cut short as a few guards rushed in through the door, and quickly charged up a few different spells. They looked ready to charge when Nightmare called out to them. In the flurry of movement she had teleported up to a light fixture. "Your not afraid of the Dark are you?" She asked no one in particular, as she used her magic to dowse the light in the room. Her evil cackle was heard amongst the screams of the ponies. I stood there soaking up they're fear. It felt amazing, to be free and to actually use my powers. I cant wait to fight something strong, I wanted to decimate something! Nightmare came back down after her little fun, and re-lit the light for us. A vicious smile formed on my face. "I think were going to work great together." ----With Celestia---- Pacing back and forth I the throne room, she found herself in a bind. Her sister has been tainted by some kind of Dark energy or entity, and if the energy coming from the area was anything to go by, she had that creature to thank. She scowled at the thought of it. Everything had been going bad since it had shown up. Even after weakening it in battle, and rushing into the war ahead of time, it still confused her. Saving her sister must had been a farce, to keep her from its more diabolical intentions. It came through the rubble, took down Sombra, and then tried to kill her sister! She wouldn't let that monster get away with this! She ignored the feeling in the back of her head, telling her she was wrong, and instead focused of her current task. She had to find the two responsible for this and take care of the problem. She was wondering where to start looking when the sky suddenly went dark. Quickly jumping from her position, she galloped outside. Looking up she saw that the sky was in a state of Solar Eclipse, something that has only happened twice before. Both were times when Luna was trying to figure out her powers. "Luna.. Why?" She asked herself quietly, while willing her magic to move the sun. She found herself gasping in surprise when she found that she couldn't get the sun to budge. The moon had some kind of grip on the star, and wouldn't let it pass. Where she moved the sun, if at all, the moon moved with it. With wide eyes she quickly jumped into the air and with a flap of her wings, she was rocketing off towards the main tower of her castle. Arriving shortly after, she threw open the door to the tower, and walked into the armory. In the back was a steel door, branded with both Hers and Luna's Cutie marks. Bursting through the door with the help of her magic, she saw what she came for. A set of brightly polished White Gold armor, glowing faintly from the magics enchanted onto it. Next to it was a rather unappealing box, she grabbed the box and held it close to her chest, as she started to magically put the armor on. -----With Terumi and Nightmare----- I sat under the light of the moon, looking at our handiwork. While Nightmare was in the sky doing her thing with the moon.. I'll never get over that by the way.. I was using my power to scare the locals. Everything from throwing houses to just cackling while the flames burned in the town, I did it all. Nightmare landed next to me, and put a wing on my shoulder. She looked at me like I would expect a lover to look at. The hell did that idiot get into now? "We really do work nice together Dearest" I was about to retort something about the horrid nickname she seemed to keen on calling me, but it was stopped when a familiar feeling washed over me. I grit my teeth in agitation as I felt the idiot waking up. What started it? He was completely out of it mere moments ago! My vision blurred as I felt the hat being summoned yet again to block my existence, I fell to my knee's. "D-damn it.." I hiss under my breath. "Dearest?" Nightmare spoke, leaving my side as I fell. "What's wrong?" She asked mildly worried. Almost like she knew what was happening. I didn't hear anything else as I faded back to the consciousness. "W-what?" Hazama asked confused by his surroundings. He quickly stood up when he noticed Nightmare looking at him, pouting like a little filly who lost a toy. "L-Luna! Why?!" He asked even more confused by her appearance. "This energy! Don't worry Luna I've got-" I couldn't finish. Nightmare ripped off the hat yet again. "Foul hat, your just a nuisance!" She muttered as she made the hat disappear again. She narrowed her eyes, as she watched her Beloved wake up. She felt the hat disappear from this plane, again to only re-appear inside Terumi again. "Your hat is far too attached to you." She deadpanned. "You have no idea.." I muttered "He is bound to the hat, the hat cannot be destroyed with him alive, and the same the other way." I explained. I watched as confusion then a smile passed over her race. "Then I must simply split your souls-" She was interrupted by a small beam of Golden energy to blast between us. We looked up to see Celestia gently floating down to the ground. She was all decked out in armor, and a sword glowing with flames floated next to her. "You will not do anything for this monster, Luna!" She yelled furiously. Before I could do anything I heard the laughter of Nightmare ring out. It echoed off of the building, making it sound more vile. "Your a fool, But I thank you anyway, Dear Sister. If it wasn't for your arrogance, and your inability to see your own sisters feelings, you wouldn't be in this mess." She stopped for a short laughing fit. "This is all your fault! By thinking that Hazama was nothing but a monster and not listening to your sisters own attempts to dissuade you, you've let Darkness overcome your dear little Luna." Celestia's eyes widened more and more as Nightmare talked. She looked destroyed, as she realized that in her blind rage, she had caused her sister such strife. She looked to Hazama, and shook her head, as tears started to stream down her face. "Hazama, I'm so sorry.. I should have let you speak your mind more.. We could've been friends." Celestia cried out. "Now listen here, my names Yuki Terumi! I don't give a fuck what happened between you and the idiot, I just wanna fight you!" I said as I charged into her range. Celestia's eyes widened even more sat Terumi's exclamation. It matched what he was trying to tell her all that time ago.. Was.. Was this the other being residing in his head? He really needed our help, and I just kept calling him a monster. Celestia didn't want to fight now, but she had to! "I am sorry.. To both of you!" She called out to the two, as her mane flew into a rage, fire bristling out Pushing Terumi back. Her eyes went white and glowed with power, as she started to charge her horn. In an instant there were multiple magic circles in the air, all aimed towards the two. Nightmare looked around with wonder in her eyes, as Terumi looked interested in the power she was exuding. "You plan to take us both on? Foolish." Nightmare said abruptly falling into her own shadow. Terumi readied an Ouroboros for what was going to be an amazing fight. "What?!"Nightmares voice cut through the air. She had been forced out of her shadow a bit behind Terumi. She looked startled, and afraid. "How did you cast a full barrier without my knowing?!" She was seething. "It even powered by the elements!" As soon as she said that, the circles all glowed together, and then connected with streams of rainbow energy. All together it looked really cliché, only for the rainbow power to start being pulled back. "I knew I would be no match against the two of you, so I've used the Elements to charge that barrier. I have two minutes to banish you two, I am sorry." Celestia said as more tears dripped from her eyes. Her eyes still white, her mane started glowing a rainbow rather than flames. The pure magic she was generating was amazing! "Like hell you will!" Terumi yelled. In a fit of rage he charged as much energy as he could into his fist, and charged the barrier. "No, don't!" Nightmare's scared voice held no sway in his movements. He punched full force, only to get a blast of magic backlash into his whole body. He grunted in pain, as he kneeled onto the ground. The energy surging through him was picking him apart from the inside out. "Are you okay?" Nightmare's voice cut through him like a knife. She was too close, her wing was draped over his shoulder again. The concern in her voice made something snap. A flash of Luna kissing Hazama shot through his mind. Suddenly he felt it again. Hazama was waking up again, faster this time. He barely had time to register his next thought before his mind was swept away. "That idiots gonna get us killed.." He said aloud. Shaking his head, Hazama looked around and noticed his surrounding. He quickly shot up, knowing he was short on time, be it Nightmare ripping his hat off, or the beam of rainbow magic that Celestia had just released. He reached up, at Nightmare, touching her chest. Before she could get her squeal of indecency, his hands fazed right into her chest. When he pulled his hand out there was a small flash of black light. In his hand was a Black wisp, crying for release. He smirked as he saw a dazed Luna looking at him weirdly. She barely registered what was happening, aside from the feeling of Hazama throwing her through the now faded barrier. Her eyes caught his mouth as he said one last sentence. "I love you" In a flash the rainbow magic of the elements had done its work, and nothing remained inside of the crater. She looked at the crater, shocked at what just happened. Celestia landed next to her, nuzzling her sisters cheek affectionatly. "What happened?" Celestia asked "He saved Us again.." Luna said as tears dripped down her face. The two sisters sat there, basking in the morning sunrise, thinking about everything that has happened. ----That Night---- Luna was looking to the moon, as she had been for the past couple of hours. She was still feeling the impact of what happened, if the tears were anything to go by. Her sister was sitting right next to her, almost like she was afraid to leave her. They had been like this for the entire day, only conversing when Luna wanted to. "How long is the banishment?" Luna asked softly. Celestia was silent for a full minute "I'm so sorry Luna, I swear, I'll make it up to you, and Hazama.. I swear.." Celestia said breaking into more tears of her own. Luna looked at her sister, and then back to the moon. She would wait, she knew he would. The minimum time would be a thousand years.. Yes, she would wait. > Wait, What Happened? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~One Thousand Years Later~~~~ Luna was sitting on a balcony in Canterlot, looking up at her moon. She had made it a habit, to remind herself of what had happed. Its been a long thousand years, and a lot had changed. Such as her sister almost beating modern language into her head, although she slipped from time to time, almost like a verbal tick. The two sisters had moved from they're old castle, to a new one that they had build up on a mountain, Canterlot Mountain, as its know as now, since they decided to build a city around it. Magic held it up, old, yet powerful magic. Another change that happed, was one that started almost nine hundred years ago, she grew a bit taller, now being about the same height as her sister, albeit a few inches shorter still. According to Starswirl, since he investigated it as well, it was cause from a significant amount of evil energy. How he came to that conclusion eluded the princesses, as they never told anypony about Nightmare Moon. The two sisters had since grown closer together as siblings. They still had they're squabbles, but mostly out of fun. The biggest change was that of Celestia's entire outlook. She realized that she had been taking ponies and other creatures at face value, not allowing any trust to be formed. She had changed almost overnight, and as such Luna thought it was a trick. But Celestia had yet to waver, even in the full thousand years, she had become more forgiving, kinder, and generally a good ruler. That soft demeanor was what she was was known for now. Luna on the other hand, had become somewhat of a shut-in. Not leaving the castle unless explicitly told to do so by her sister. Her depression had never fully gone away, but with her sister telling her that it was only a matter of time, she slowly got over the most of it. Looking at the moon reminded her of her long lost beloved. She still blushed when she thought to how they're relationship started, however fast it came and went, it was still magical to her. Like something from a Foal's Story. The blush soon faded away however, when she remember that banishment was a long time to be alone, her beloved could have forgotten her, or even gone insane. That other side of his, Terumi, could make that a very real scenario. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts as her sister walked onto the balcony. "Tomorrow, the stars align tomorrow Tia. They will force open the banishment earlier than scheduled." Luna said to her sister. "Oh dear Lulu, I've already sent Twilight to Ponyville. The Tree of Harmony says that the elements will never fail to attract each other." Celestia said, as she nuzzled her sister. Luna looked at Celestia with concern. "Do you think he will be okay?" Luna asked softly. Celestia stopped nuzzling her sister to look her into the eyes. "I believe that there isn't anything the elements cant take care off, and if they cant, he has you. I'm sure his feelings for you haven't faded." She said resolutely. Luna nodded at her words, a small smile formed on her lips, as she looked to the moon once more. "I certainly miss him.." She said softly. -----Ponyville, The Next Day---- "Come on Spike! We have to check on the party workers!" A Purple unicorn, with Lavender hair called to a small Purple Dragon with Green spikes jutting from his back. "Jeeze Twilight, calm down, we have all day!" He said tiredly. They had been running around since dawn fixing up her plans for the party. That is, until she remember the other ponies who were supposed to help. "Hiya!" A bubbly voice called from behind the duo, causing them to jump. Twilight held a hoof to her heart, as she calmed her breathing. "My names Pinkie Pie! But all my friends call me Pinkie! Do you like parties? I heard you talking about parties, so I jumped over here as fast as I could. Is the party soon? Oooh! What kind of cake is there?!" The Pink Earth pony, with pink cotton candy like hair, rambled out faster than most could keep up with. Twilight was inching farther away from her the more she talked. Until the name rang a bell. "Did you say your name was Pinkie pie?" She asked, bringing out her list. "Yupperooni!" Pinkie replied with a big grin. She was currently bouncing on all four hooves at once, almost like a spring. Twilight faltered for a second when she saw this, but continued to do her job regardless. "Oh good! I'm here on behalf of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, to check on the confections you would be serving at the Summer Solstice Jubilee." She stated with a quill ready to write, hovering with her magic. "Oh, I don't know yet, I'll know by tonight!" The Pink pony replied happily. The sound of a quill dropping caused Pinkie to stop bouncing for a second. Before Twilight could say a word, she saw the Pink pony Twitch a bit. "Uh-oh, Twitchy back, gotta go!" She said as she vanished into a cloud of smoke trailing down the road. Twilight's jaw was hanging open, as she watched the smoke disperse into the air. After taking a deep breath to stabilize herself, she grabbed her stuff from the ground. With a huff she started walking around again. Luckily she had been rather close to her first stop in the first place. A boutique stood in front of her, with a sign that read 'Carousel Boutique' And knocked on the door. Instantly she heard the voice of a mare ring out. "Be there in a second!" The voice said. "Oh wow, that voice sounds cute.." Spike muttered to himself. A White unicorn mare with purple hair fluffed into perfect curls opened up the door. "Are you Rarity?" Asked Twilight, quill yet again ready. "Yes, yes, come in, come in!" The White mare ushered them both in the front door, and closed it behind them. "Oh dear, look at your hair! That stripe will never do!" Rarity darted over to a box and started to take thing out. Different dyes, and various hair accessories went flying out of the box. "Um, ok. I'm here on Behalf of-" Twilight started, but was interrupted as a bottle of dye floated next to her head. "No, not that one, maybe.. No, definitely not a Summer." Rarity was mumbling to herself, as she pulled out a pair of big scissors. Twilight gulped, as she rushed for the door. "Nope! Come along spike we have places to be!" She yelled, as she picked up Spike with her Lavender magic. Dismissing the hearts he had in his eyes. They ran, and ran until Twilight ran out of energy. She stopped near a cottage, where she saw a swarm of animals huddled around a pale Yellow Pegasus with bright Pink hair, as she was clearly giving out food to each one with a small but vibrant smile. As Twilight approached, the animals all scurried off. Wait, come back! Her soft voice could barely be heard. When she turned around to see what had scared her friends, she jumped at the sight of the two. Mid-jump she rocketed back into her cottage, the sounds of locks being used were heard. "W-wait! I'm Twilight, and this is Spike, my baby Dragon, I'm here on behalf of the-" That was as far as she got, as the Yellow Pegasus had flown through the door she could have sworn was locked. She proceeded to cuddle up to Spike, and coo at him like one would a small animal. Twilight's eyebrow twitched, at the sight of another crazy pony. Sighing to herself, she decided to go for the next one on the list. Twilight looked everywhere, but she couldn't find the Pegasus she was looking for. Everyone told her the same thing, that she couldn't miss her. She didn't understand it, and her frustration was at its breaking point. Not only could she not find this pony, but she couldn't get the Yellow pony to let go of Spike. She had learned from the various townsponies, that her name was Fluttershy, and that she was the rather soft spoken Veterinarian of Ponyville. That explained Spike, not too many baby dragons wander through here, she could only assume. "Where is she?!" Twilight yelled in frustration, as she let loose a small bolt of magic at the sky. When a yelp of pain made itself known in the sky, her eye's widened. Out from a cloud came a Blue Pegasus mare with a rather Prismatic hair color. Twilights ears splayed back, as she went to apologize. "I'm so sorry-" Once again being interrupted. "What the big idea! You wanna pick a fight?" The scratchy, yet feminine voice called out to her. "I'm sorry! I was looking for a Rainbow Dash, and-" And once again, interrupted. "Oh, well you found her! Fastest flier in Equestria! You want my autograph?" She said cockily, fluffing up her chest and spreading her wings in a boasting manner. "No, sorry." Twilight said bashfully. "I'm here on behalf of the Princesses to check on the weather management. Why aren't you doing your job?" She asked casually, quill at the ready. "Oh these little guys?" Rainbow pointed to the few clouds in the sky blocking some of the sun. "That'll take me ten seconds, flat." She boasted again. Twilight looked sceptic. "Yes.. Those clouds. According to the weather schedule, todays supposed to be clear." Twilight said with a tick appearing on her forehead at the lazy Pegasus's response. "Fine! I'll take care of them! Time me, ready, Go!" Rainbow zipped of, causing a gust of wind. Twilight could only gasp as she watched Rainbow zoom through each cloud in the sky, erasing them in seconds. Landing in a boastful stance, she asked, "How did I do?" "..8.. Seconds.." She stood baffled at the speed. "Yes! 20 percent cooler! Cant get better than me!" She boasted again, while flying away. Snapping Twilight out of her trance. "Wait!" She called out, only to see no trace of the Pegasus. Her hair started to frazzle, as her eyebrow twitched. She made her way to the Library, as it was the only place she could go to think. Upon entering the Library she jumped onto the old couch, and screamed into a cushion. "These ponies are all insane! Each and every one of them!" She screamed franticly. "What am I supposed to tell the Princesses?" She muttered in despair. She trudged over to the desk closer to her and begun her report. Hopefully the party would be ok.. ----That Evening---- Both Princesses were in they're royal garb, as most ponies bowed before them. Twilight was also in the crowd, closer to the front, so her Mentor could see her. Her letter had been sent, and Celestia had told her it would be fine. Twilight didn't really believe that would be the case, but she had other things on her mind. even though the sun would be setting soon, with the two Princesses leading they're stars personally, something felt off. As the Princesses flew into the air, they had only gotten half way through the process when a Green glow shone through the exceeding darkness. The sun lay on the left half of the sky, while the moon lay in the right. Suddenly the Green glow, vanished, only to have a bright flash of deep Green to appear on the very same stage the Princesses just left from.. Minutes Ago: Inside the Everfree Forest A slight flash of Green energy, and there stood a figure dressed in mostly black. Standing on two legs, he looked around. "Hoh! Where back huh?" The figure spoke. "It took long enough, don't you think, Dearest? A feminine voice echoed around the figure. A smile pulled at his lips. "Lets go say 'Hi' Shall we?" The Celebration The Green flash dissipated quickly, and in it stood a figure that most didn't recognize right away. It was the Dark Green energy floating around the figure that caused the mayhem that ensued. "The Green Demon! Its real! Run!" A few ponies screamed out, while others just screamed as they ran. The whole place was a mess of ponies rushing to get out. The figure stood calmly, as if soaking it all in. "Hazama!" Celestia's voice called out to the figure. Hoping against everything, that it was the man from before. "Jesus fucking Christ, a Thousand years, and you still cant tell the difference?" His snarky response was what made Luna almost fall out of the sky. Celestia calmly took in the mans features. His usual black attire, but two things were wrong. One, was that he clearly had some kind of Yellow Hooded cape of some kind wrapped loosely to his torso. The second, was the lack of hat on his hat, instead, his vibrant Green hair stood on end. This was Yuki Terumi, Hazama's alternate persona. "Terumi.. I ask this once. Please give us back Hazama." Celestia said calmly. A smirk appeared on Terumi's face. "Cant do that, sorry. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. His mind faded away some five hundred years ago. He did great, keeping me from taking control, And honestly, if it was up to just that, he wouldn't have lost. However, a thousand years is a long time for a voice in the back of your head to whittle down everything you've believed in." He stated, like it was common knowledge. "You don't mean.." Celestia's eyes widened. That is correct, Dear sister A voice sounded from Terumi's surroundings. Luna and Celestia's eyes widened even further as Terumi's shadow twisted and rose from the ground. Forming the shape of Nightmare Moon. "How does it feel to be back, love?" Terumi's voice called to Nightmare. She trotted to Terumi, and nuzzled his cheek, ending in a small, but passion filled kiss. "Fantastic! I can feel my magic returning to me at last, my Dearest. Nightmare's show of affection was all that was needed to snap Luna from her daze. Luna's fur bristled with her anger, as she flared her magic. Celestia on the other hand, took it upon herself to summon a small quill and paper set. After scribbling something quickly, she sent it away with Dragon Fire. It appeared in front of Twilight, as the rest of the ponies left the immediate area. Twilight read the note, nodded and left with no hesitation. The note fluttered to the ground as she ran off. The note read simply: Twilight Elements Everfree Hurry She missed the smile on Celestia's face as she watched a few extra ponies follow her student out of the town. Celestia looked back towards Terumi and Nightmare. Her heart wept on the inside. She had been the cause of this. According to Terumi, Hazama's own personality faded away. But if she remembered correctly, from what she heard from the two conversing before, one could not live without the other. She knew Hazama was in there somewhere, she just needed to figure out how. As she joined Luna in charging up her magic and preparing for battle, she couldn't help but remember another thing from the past. Even as Nightmare, Luna's touch helped Hazama regain himself. Maybe, if they could get close enough, simple touches could help. They would have to see. Her thought process was de-railed when Terumi turned to Nightmare. "Go get em'. Nothing stops us." He said. "Of course Nightmare suddenly sank into the ground and shot into the woods. That was bad, Nightmare, however weak she may be, will be a tough fight for Twilight. She believed in her student, as for right now, she needed to stall Terumi.. And not die. "Lets try out some of my new powers!" He said with a gleam in his eye's as his energy swirled around himself. ----With Twilight---- "Manticore!" Twilights shout stopped everypony else in their tracks. "Should I beat it up?" Rainbows voice called from above, she looked ready to zoom in at a moments notice. "Ah think it would be the one ta beat you up, sugarcube" A southern accent called to Rainbow. This was Applejack, an Orange Earth pony that had followed them into the forest to help protect the town. "Uh, girls? I think I can help." ROAR!!! "I don't know that many attack spells!" Cried a frantic Twilight, while Rarity looked ready to pass out. "Ah can buck it where the sun don't shine." Said Applejack. "Girls!" Even though it was slight, the slight increase in Fluttershy's voice caught everyponies attention. They watched in awe as Fluttershy trotted up to the Manticore. It roared in her face, but she didn't even flinch. She sweet talked it into giving her it's paw. When she had ahold of it, she plucked a splinter out of its paw. It immediately started licking her face happily. "How did you know?" Asked Twilight. "Sometimes, you just need to give a little Kindness" Was all she said before she hid behind her mane. A look of confusion on Twilights face, they continued. ----Back to the Princesses "You sure are persistent!" Terumi called out. Luna fired more magic beams at him, only for him to flash away about five feet. While Celestia had been trying to calm her down, while deflecting his strange energy attacks. "Come on Luna! Calm down!" She called to her sister. "I'll kill him! He took away my beloved!" She seethed. Celestia sighed, at least Terumi wasn't really trying to cause harm yet. She wondered why.. ---Back to the Girls--- "Why are the tree's laughing!? Why is Pinkie laughing?! Why am I Laughing?" Twilight called out in-between gasps for air. "Laughter is fun, silly billy! When you laugh, Everypony else want to laugh too!" Pinkie spoke while clearing the way through the forest for them. Twilight sighed in confusion, but she had a smile on her face. Her new friends were proving to be really fun. ----With Celestia and Luna---- "I've got it!" Cried out Celestia. Luna stopped chasing Terumi, and stopped next to her sister, panting slightly. "Got what, Tia?" She asked. "I know why he wont attack you! He's afraid of you! In order to really hurt us, he needs to physically touch us, and in doing so he's afraid you might wake up Hazama!" Celestia spoke with a smile. "Something like that.. You wanna try it?" Terumi interrupted with a wicked smile on his face. Luna teleported to Terumi's current location, and threw herself on top of him. His grunt of discomfort and confusion caused a sweat drop to form on Celestia's neck. Why wasn't he taking this seriously. Was it because he thinks he can win? That arrogance will win this fight for her, all this waiting is good. The Elements would take a while to get. ----With Twilight---- They had just passed a river where Rarity had given her tail to a Water creature. I know, sounds crazy. Apparently, it had a full mustache until recently, and as such, was devastated when it realized it was missing half of it. Rarity, unable to let such a fashion problem go, selflessly cut her own tail off, and tied it to its mustache to fill it out. She was a bit shaky after, but she got over it. Now they were waiting for Rainbow to come back from across the bridge. They heard the conversation on the other side, where two Shadowbolt member were promising an amazing future as a flier, if she left behind her friends. When Rainbow came back, they were surprised when she said: "I'd never betray a friend, I'm too cool for that!" They came across an opening in the woods, that lead to a meadow. It felt strange, like the magic in the air was richer, and more dense than in any other area. The Element must be here! Twilight ran into the main area, and found a pedestal that had colorful gems on it. "I found them!" She exclaimed excitedly. Gathering them up in her magic, she turned to leave with them, when a blast of magic blew them out of her grasp, and onto the ground. "Like I would let you get out of here with those" The voice of Nightmare Moon rang out. "No!" Twilight frantically jumped to the ground and tried to piece together the Elements. Giving up hope, she could only watch as Nightmare floated closer to her. An idea shot through her head, and she teleported to the other side of the room, where the door was. Her friends were entering the room, as she did this. "I wont give up! Even if the elements were destroyed, I know deep in my heart I'm right!" She tuned to her friends. "The Elements of Harmony aren't an item one can put in your pocket! They're inside us, inside our souls! Like Applejack, who would never tell a lie, is the Element of Honesty!" She exclaimed, as fragment of an Element formed above applejacks head, forming into a small gem. "Pinkie, When laughing was the least likely way to win, she'll still get you to laugh, is the Element of Laughter!" A pink gem formed above Pinkie. "Rainbow, her inability to leave us behind, is the Element of Loyalty!" A blue gem formed above Rainbow. "Rarity, giving something she prided herself in to another so quickly, is the Element of Generosity!" A Purple gem formed above Rarity. "And Fluttershy, with her pure heart and tenderness to all living things, is the Element of Kindness!" A yellow Gem formed above Fluttershy. "You fool, your one shy!" Nightmare laughed. Twilight smiled. "No, the final Element is me! The Element of Magic! The magic.. of Friendship!" A crown appeared on her head. All 6mof them then floated into the air, with a swirl of Rainbow magic surrounding them. Nightmare looked on with worry, as she felt the energy in the 6 skyrocket. She faded into the shadows, and escaped. She needed to tell her Dearest! "Nice work girls!" Twilight announced. Everypony was looking at there respective Elements, that were now in the form of Necklaces. "Now huddle up, I'll teleport us out of here!" ----With the Princesses "Your both fools." Terumi said tauntingly, as he stood in the air. He had begun fighting seriously only moments ago, his energy literally pouring off of him. "I've grown far stronger than you think" "I don't care!" Cried Luna as she jumped onto Terumi, once again. And once again, she felt something. She felt something resonate, it was only a matter of time now.. She could feel his power waning slightly. That was, until she got tossed off by a shadow crashing into her. "Hussy! Back off!" Nightmare seemed to snap out of whatever angry fit she was in, as she turned to Terumi. "Dearest, we have to hurry! They-" A Lavender flash of light signaled Twilights return. "No time to waste, lets go girls!" Suddenly there was Rainbow magic everywhere. The 6 mares floated into the air. Terumi smirked. "Yeah right! Like I'd let you hit me with that again!?" He raged, as he disappeared in a flash of Green. Only to re-appear 5 feet away, hitting a barrier. His eyes flew open in rage. "Again?! I'll kill you!!" He screamed as he looked to see Celestia smiling at him. She had all the time in the world to set this barrier up earlier, it was just a matter of seeing how long he took to realize it was up. With her sister backing it up with her own magic, there was no way either could escape. The beam of Rainbow energy tore through the ground, and hit the two. They're screams where all you could hear. You could see Nightmare get forced back inside Terumi's shadow, and Terumi himself holding his head. Suddenly cracks appeared on him, and it quickly spread, as his screams only got louder. A flash of Green mixed with Black, and he was standing there. Actually, there were two of him, One was wearing his hat, it was Hazama! The other the Yellow cloak, Terumi! They looked at each other confused, until they both started to fizzle. They're bodies slowly fading out of existence, until the two seemed to fly into each other. Another flash and he was standing there again, only it was just Hazama. He looked confused, and tired. The 6 ponies looked ready to fight the menace again, until he was tackled by Luna. "L-Luna? Is that y-" He was interrupted by Luna mashing her mouth onto his own, capturing him in a passionate kiss for the ages they waited, they were both soon lost to they're feelings. "EEEEHHHHH???!!!! Screamed the 6 ponies at once. > Drastic Change > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I.. I felt weird. I hadn't been in control in a long time. If it wasn't for Luna whispering and cooing into my ear, I'm pretty sure I'd have some kind of breakdown. I didn't feel right, and everything had more detail than I last remember seeing. But that could be a side effect of not being around. Luna had me locked into a tight hug, sitting me on her larger body like a big teddy bear. Her body was quivering, most likely from the many emotions she was going through. At her touch I felt a bit calmer, so I returned the favor, and nuzzled her neck a bit. Just like last time she jumped slightly, she probably wasn't expecting me to move. She moved away slightly and looked at me, eyes all watery. "I missed you.." She said softly, resting her head under my own. I reached out and started to gently run my fingers through her mane. "I missed you too Luna." I replied leaning my head down. "Aaawwww!!" A small voice came from in front of us. For the first time since I woke up, I looked away from Luna. I was taken back by a Butter-Yellow Pegasus mare standing in front of me, with a smile and wide slightly watery eyes. Next to her was a Pink Earth pony jumping up and down. I quirked an eyebrow at her ability to do so on all four hooves without bending her knees. "Wowee! Princess Luna has a Special Somepony! I've gotta throw them a 'You've Found Your Special Somepony' party! Oooh, what kind of cake do you like?! From your hair I'm gonna say Mint! Is your favorite color Green? Cause you've got Green hair and have you-" She was abruptly stopped when and Orange hoof was shoved into her mouth. "Consarnit Pinkie, he aint gonna be able to answer you if you don't give the feller a chance!" The Orange mare scolded Pinkie. I couldn't help myself and I cracked a grin at Pinkie's direction, that mare knew how to have fun! I could feel it in my soul! I let out a small laugh, that Jostled Luna, but didn't make her move. "Well, in order, Ive never had Mint cake before but it sounds fantastic! My favorite color is in fact Blue, but Green is definitely up there, And I know what you wanted to ask next, and no, I've never tried dying my hair color a different color." I said, my grin widening at Pinkies look of wonder. Her wonder disappeared, as she started to grin herself. Almost like she realized something. We looked at each other for a few seconds before we both raised an arm/leg and fist/hoof bumped, chuckles escaping the both us. "As entertaining as this is Princess, who is this?" Another female voice called from the right of us. I looked to see a Purple pony, with Purple hair, and a dark Pink stripe running through it and Purple eyes.. Purple much? "This, my dear student is Hazama, not to be mistaken for the creature we just fought, Yuki Terumi." With her saying that, she paused. She turned to me and looked me in the eyes. I could see it. All her sadness, and regret was just sitting there, pooled up inside her eyes. "Hazama, I am terrible sorry for what I have done to you. You saved my sister, from what she has told me, three times, and all I did was make you out to be a monster.. Can you ever forgive me? Could we ever-" I cut her off. "Done." This caused Luna to jolt from her spot, looking at me with wide eyes, as was Celestia. "W-what?!" Celestia muttered, almost disbelievingly. "Its done, your forgiven. No need to beg." I said waving the notion off like it was nothing. Celestia looked a little broken, if her mane staying in one spot was anything to go by. My attention was grabbed by Luna, who pushed my head towards her. "Just like that?" She also looked confused. I heard a sigh, and looked to Celestia to see her holding a hoof to her face. "After all that time getting that speech ready.." She muttered. I turned my head to Luna to find her chuckling to herself. "But, who is he?" The Purple one spoke once again. This seemed to draw Celestia from her external mutterings, as she focused again. "Right, sorry Twilight. Hazama came to us a long time ago, apparently from another world." A shocked gasp came from Twilight, "After a fight that I started, he ran off after saying a few choice words. Later that night he came back, looking tired and defeated, asking for help." She kind of trailed off, looking into the distance with a far off look in her eyes. "What happened next, your Majesty?" A White Unicorn mare called out next, her eyes almost twinkling. I cocked an eyebrow, I wonder how much she would tell them. There's no way she would admit to what happened. She seemed to come back from her day dream, her voice a little shaky. "Sorry, as I was saying, he looked a little roughed up, and he asked for our help. Apparently he had an entity in his head that was trying with all its might to take over. Being the fool I was, I didn't believe him. Instead, I tricked him, and told him that if he helped in our war with King Sombra, we would help him. The war started the next day, so he had no time to rest. But even then, in the midst of battle, One of King Sombra's traps activated. Causing all our magic to leave us. When King Sombra attempted to end Luna's life, Hazama saved her, at the cost of his own safety. It was during this time, that the monster in his head decided to take over." Meh, close enough. "His power dwarfed Hazama's when he was released, and he soundly defeated King Sombra. Before he could launch his final blow on Sombra, he was stopped by Luna. Weak as she was from the trap, she believed in Hazama. But Terumi, who now had control, attacked Luna, and threatened to kill her. He would have succeeded were it not for Hazama stopping him from the inside. In an instant he collapsed and returned to the Hazama we know. I didn't see that however, and at the time, I was already planning to kill him for what he tried to do to Luna. A week later, he woke up, and him and Luna hit it off. I overheard my sister talking about her feelings for him, and went into a rage. I threatened to kill him where he lay. Luna didn't take kindly to that, and her own darkness took control. One that Hazama had warned her about, and was probably going to warn me about it too. Nightmare Moon, as you now know her, ran to Hazama's room and ripped off the hat acting as a seal. The two caused a big ruckus in town, while each did they're own thing. Terumi devastated the town with his Green energy attacks, while Nightmare moon took control of the Sun from me, and covered it with the Moon. Unfortunately Terumi's actions have been made into a sort of folk story, that Ponies tell they're foals to keep them in line." I nodded slightly, she was explaining a lot more that I thought she would. "And there you go!" I chimed in. "Celestia used the Elements on us, and I was banished." I said trying to move the conversation away from- "But, if you were both blasted, then why was Princess Luna still around?" The White mare said, eyes still sparkling. "Ah, well.." I started "My beloved here." Luna interrupted me, hugging my head to her chest. "Expelled the demon from inside me, and threw me out of the blast range." She looked so happy I couldn't help but smile. "Eeeeeeek!!" A squeal made me look up, and I saw the White one looking at us with stars in her eyes. "A truer romance couldn't have happened between you two! Oh, I'm so jealous!" She continued to rant about the makes and breaks of fairytale romances. I sighed at the feeling of Luna nodding her head vigorously with the other mare as they discussed romance. I squeezed out of the grip, and stood up. I looked over to the group of ponies, and realized I only knew half of they're names. I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Well, I guess proper introductions should be made. My name is Hazama, a pleasure to meet all of you." I said with a small bow. Everybody seemed to blush a little, when I said this. "O-oh, sorry! My name's Twilight Sparkle! Element of Magic. This is Spike." She held up a small Dragon " These are my friends." She said as she waved them on. "The name's Applejack, Element of Honesty and such." Applejack said as she tipped her hat. "My name's Rarity darling, Element of Generosity." She said with a slight bow as well. "Ooh! Ooh! My turn! My names Pinkie Pie and parties are my thing! Everybody should have at least one a day!" She jumped around while talking, and my smirk came back. "You've got something in your mane." I said non-chalantly. "Oh, I do? Sorry gimme a sec.." As she reached into her mane she suddenly jumped and electricity zapped her. Landing back on the ground, blinking owlishly, she gave me a smirk. Shaking the black soot from the shock, she took out the Joy Buzzer. "When did you get that in there?" She asked excitedly. I put my hands in my pockets, and shrugged. "I don't know what your talking about." I say with a smirk. She erupts into a laughing fit, that ends with her wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh, your going to be fun!" She said, her smile threatening to break her face in half. I looked to see everyone else standing there with shocked faces. Luna was the one exception, she was smiling warmly at me. I just realized, that I was acting normal again.. Huh, must of just been in my head. "HEY!" A scratchy feminine voice called out from above us. I looked up and saw that a Blue Pegasus with a Rainbow mane was hovering about 10 feet in the air. Which would explain my not seeing her. She had her hooves crossed, like she was being impatient. "My name's Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in Equestria, and Element of Loyalty." She stated proudly, before pausing. She glided to right in front of me, and stared into my eyes, or the squint that represented them at least. She backed away with a smirk on her face. "If the Princesses trust you, then I do too." She suddenly started to shake, almost like she was cold. "I saw you in the barrier thing, you moved fast, but do you think your faster than me?" I noticed Twilight roll her eyes. "We should race sometime!" She said holding out a hoof. I looked at it, then her. A smirk once again appearing on my face as I fist bumped her hoof. After she flew away, I noticed the Yellow Pegasus hiding behind Twilight and Spike. "Hello there, What's your name?" I asked without walking closer, she already looked like she was going to jump out of her skin. She was even shaking, so much, that I thought I saw Pinkie put some kind of milkshake onto her back.. I'm going to like it here. "My name's Fluttershy.." She said, barely above a whisper. I didn't hear here, but sweet Jesus I couldn't ask her to repeat herself.. "Come now Fluttershy, a little louder for the dear" Rarity pushed gently. "M-My name's Fluttershy.. I'm the E-Element of Kindness" There it was! Only slightly louder, but I could hear her this time. "Its nice to meet you Fluttershy, I hope as we become friends you wont be afraid of me anymore." I stated simply with a smile. I watched something strange happen. She froze up, and I could feel sadness mix with her fear... Since when could I do that?! Sensing emotions.. Come to think of it, I've been doing it this whole time, and I didn't even notice! From Celestia's sadness, to Pinkie's mischievous feeling. I shook my head, Fluttershy had just moved to be right in front of me, I needed to pay attention. "I-I'm not afraid of you Mr. Hazama, I'm just afraid of new ponies in general.. Well that and scary things.. But your not scary!" She said with such conviction that I couldn't help my eyes opening slightly. The moment was ruined when a Pink blur appeared in front of my face. Pinkie was currently holding one of my eyes open, to look at them. "Oooh! Your eyes are the color of a lemon! Can I lick it?" She said. I chuckled, as I plucked her off of my shoulders. "No Pinkie, you can't eat my eye." I said. Pinkie pouted for a second before breaking out her smile and bouncing back to where she was standing before. I noticed the sun was setting, and looked to see Luna passed out. Hmm.. I could have sworn she was a night crawler. Oh well, must have been a big day. I walked over to her, and gently picked her up. Even though she was bigger than me, she seemed to curl up into a small enough ball so I could hold her safely. Her head drooped under my neck, as I turned to Celestia. "We will be back soon Everypony, My sister, Hazama, and myself need some time to rest. In Hazama's case, probably some adjusting as well. "Goodnight Princess!" Twilight franticly waved, along with her friends, as we disappeared in a burst of golden light. ----Canterlot Castle---- I stood in front of a door, one marked with Luna's Cutie Mark. My confusion was answered by Celestia. "This is Luna's room, for the moment, 'Your' room in next to it." She said staring into my eyes. "Alright, I get it, no sleeping with Luna! You don't have to treat me like a kid about it." I scoff, opening the door and placing Luna under her covers. When she cuddled up to her pillow, I noticed it was awkwardly 'Me' shaped. I laughed lightly, as I kissed her on the forehead. She smiled a bit in her slumber. I walked outside and closed the door behind me. Coming face to face with Celestia, I waited. She looked like she wanted to say something. "I.." She stopped.. Shook her head, and started again. "We really missed you Hazama. If it wasn't for you I would have had to rule by myself for a thousand years.. I don't think I could handle that, knowing I put my sister on the moon.." She shivered a little. "With every ounce of my heart, thank you." She said looking away. Without even thinking about it, I placed my hand onto her cheek, and gently turned her head to me. She seemed to lean into my touch as I talked. "Listen, I was just doing what I thought was right, with or without the repercussions for my actions, I would do them again. Start forgiving yourself for what you think you did wrong. You didn't do anything aside from making sure your country was out of harms way. Stop hurting yourself on my behalf. Besides.." I took my hand away from her cheek, laughing as she stumbled a bit. "If I have to look out for myself, Luna AND you.. well I might just run myself ragged.." I said with a smile. I went into my room and went to close the door. "Of course, I wouldn't stop myself from doing it anyway, goodnight Tia" I finished with a smirk, as I closed the door. I happened to miss the slight blush on Celestia's face. I walked into my room, and laid down on my bed. It was rather comfy, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. I could feel everything more.. Fully? Its hard to describe. I can still feel the soft fur of Celestia's cheek on my hand. And my vision was much sharper, but I couldn't place what was wrong.. "That would be the Elements fault." Terumi's voice called out from my own head. I jumped up, looking frantic. I couldn't fight him off now! "What do you want?!" I asked viciously. "Just helping.. I guess.. As of right now, I cant do much of anything, aside from apparently talk to you." He said. He sounded a bit, off? Yeah, I'll go with off.. "What do you mean?" How are you talking to me? What's going on?!" I all but screamed. "Jesus, keep your fucking voice down! You'll wake up Nightmare!" He hissed at me. "Now listen.. Something happened with that stupid Rainbow. It caused us to mix further.. I didn't know that was possible, but its what happened. What your seeing is a bit of what I see the world as, you know, as a Ghost?" I could almost feel his smirk... So that's' it! The sensing emotions thing, and the vision increase. But that didn't explain the way things felt. "Wait, I remember the whole 'Ghost thing' from Blazblue, but why does everything feel like its the first time I touched it?" I asked, calming down a bit. "That would be me" I heard Nightmare call from inside my head as well. Great, like it wasn't crowded enough already. I rubbed my temple, a pain I didn't realize was there creeping in. "It seems that part of my Alicorn being has been merged with you two as well. Aside from me knowing that the three of us cannot be separated, I don't know what else this has done." ..Okay, this was only getting more and more convoluted the more this went on. The headache getting worse by the second, I found myself sitting on the bed. "Yeah, so anyway, I need you to do me a favor. I know we haven't been on good terms." At that I couldn't help the scoff that came from my end. "..Anyway, as I was saying. We've all been molded together close than before, so that means that my abilities as a 'Ghost' are now yours, to an extent. That means that if you ever find yourself running low on energy, and feel like you cant hold yourself together, just let me out for a bit. I swear by the Grimiore that I wont try anything stupid. We all share the same body, and fate. You'll find that using this body will be harder than normal." He sounded so serious that I almost believed him. He wasn't getting out even if I had to fade away to nothing! No more chances! My head felt like it was splitting open, evn the colors were beginning to swim in my vision. I laid down, finding myself biting my lip as I closed my eyes. "I know you and Dearest aren't close, but I implore you to listen to him. I think those stupid Elements did far more harm than good. "Jeeze, what was your first clue?! The headache or the blinding pain??!" I almost screamed, the pain making me tear up. Something was definitely wrong. "Headache?" Asked Nightmare. "Blinding pain?!" Terumi actually sounded worried for a second there.. I reached up to wipe some blood off of my mouth.. Blood? Oh great, my nose is bleeding. "What the hell's going on?" I asked right before a bout of pain brought my vision into blackness. Did.. Did I just pass out? Did I just pass out again?! I've been doing that a lot lately. I sure hope that doesn't become a habit. The Next Day Waking up with the sun in your eyes sucks. Waking up with the sun in your eyes and somebody screaming in your head, sucks even more. I rolled over and sat up, stretching slightly to wake myself up. I go to get up, only to fall to the ground. Hoh? My legs are missing. My legs are gone?! "The fuck are my legs?!" I screamed frantically. "About time your sorry ass got up, been yelling at you for hours!" He sounded pissed. He may be pissed, but I was panicking. And panicking wins out every time. "Where did my legs go?! Why cant I feel anything?!" I screamed frantically. "Listen! I told you that our new body would be harder to use. You need to be constantly feeding it energy, or strong emotions to keep it stable." He said calmly. I what?! That was ridiculous! The amount of energy that required was absurd, let alone the fact that I have no idea what he means! "Just coat the body with energy like you would an attack, and it should do the job." He said. I quickly charged energy around my whole body, and noted the instant change. Feeling came back in my hands, and my legs were regenerating. Once I had my legs back, I checked and made sure they worked right, I slowly worked on reducing the energy output. When I got it to reasonable levels without me losing parts, I let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you said we were only part 'Ghost'?" I grumbled. "You are, you actually have a body in general. Do you know how hard it is to keep something you don't have?" He said, referring to the fact that in Blazeblu, Yuki Terumi had no legit body, and had to will himself one using negative emotions. This just keeps getting better, doesn't it? "So now that you understand, will you listen to him?" Nightmare asked. She sounded scared. I let out another sigh. "Fine, but your not getting out! Not a chance in hell am I risking that bullshit again." I said rubbing the bridge of my nose. "...What if I told you I was sorry?" I could almost feel his rising despair. "You almost killed Luna." I deadpanned. "..I'm sorry?" "..." "..." "Fuck off" I grunted, getting off the bed. "This is what I have to deal with now?" Nightmare groaned. "You do know, that means he tried to kill you as well, right?" I said, getting Nightmares attention. "...Oh Dearest!" Nightmare called to Terumi in a sickly sweet tone. "You dick!-" I smirked as the connection seemed to stop. Thank god, I needed some personal space after all this. "Now, what was I supposed to do today?" I asked myself, looking out the balcony window. > Side Tracked > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What the hell are you?!" A frill, yet still male voice called from behind us. I turned to see a White unicorn colt, with long blonde hair. His face was one of horror, as he had a hoof held mid-air pointed at me. My eyebrow quirked when he started to back up slightly. "M-monster! Why is there a monster in the castle?!" He yelled "Well then, I can see I'm not wanted at the moment, so I'll just-" I was interrupted by his scream. "GUARDS!!" He called. In a rush of movement, a half dozen guards came running into the room, weapons at the ready in their magic. "I, Prince Blueblood, order you to capture and detain this foul creature!" I felt my eyebrow twitch at his order. He sounded a lot like the old Celestia. The guards grunted as they lifted their weapons and aimed them at me. I shook my head, as I put my hands in my pockets again. "Yeah, how about not?" I said as I rushed past them, slipping through them like water. At least my body still reacted like it used to. I felt a few of them take swings at me, but it didn't matter. They didn't hit anything aside from my coat, at least that's what I thought anyway. As I rushed into the hallway, I heard them cry out in surprise. I shrugged as I continued my sprint for the nearest window. I was stopped when I noticed a barrier around the castle. "Really? They've gotten faster at least." I said with a smile. "Get the freak!" I heard on my left "Halt, you're under arrest!" Was heard to my right. My eyes widened slightly. They had managed to get me stuck in a small hallway. I cursed myself as I backed almost up to the wall. They had guards behind them ready to fire if I tried to get back. I sighed in frustration at all this stupidity happening right after I woke up. I leaned against the wall to think, so imagine my surprise when I just went through the damn thing. Of course, this action not being my own caused me to tumble a bit. Which made me fall through the floor as well. Flipping fast I landed, somehow, on the ground a full floor down. Above I heard the frantic screams of a 'ghost'. My eyes widened, and a scowl appeared on my face. "Really?" I growl out my question to nobody in particular. "When he said I was part 'ghost' I didn't think he meant MOSTLY.." I groaned, as I face palmed. It was okay, I just needed to get back to my room, lock the door, and figure this out. It cant be that hard right? I mean, I DID wake up on a bed just an hour ago after all. "We cant touch anything as long as you don't have power." The voice of Terumi said. Something was up though, I could tell by his voice. He sounded serious. "I don't get it though.. Normally the energy we have would be enough, that's why I told you about it earlier. If I couldn't make due with that, the negative emotions that flowed from everyone was enough. The guards fear should have been enough." He paused. "Unless your power runs on something different than mine.. But why?" "Well Dearest, it's simple really. You two are opposites, so it would seem that your power runs off of opposite spectrums. The voice of Nightmare called out. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. This was way too much to take in before coffee.. "So what do I do then? Its not like I have a supply of-" I abruptly cut myself off. Nope. Not going to do it. I refuse to use Luna as a battery! "You don't have much choice, since you refuse to let me out. Since there's so much malice around here, I can power our supply a bit!" He sounded almost giddy. "..." I put my hands in pockets again, and walked towards the stairs. "Where was Luna's room again?" I asked myself. "Why wont you let me out?!" Terumi raged. I continued to walk up the stairs. "When I say 'There's no way I'm letting you out', I mean it Terumi. Your not coming out, even if I die." I say resolutely. His silence was all the response I needed. A few minutes later, I had found Luna's room. I could feel my body fading slightly, it seemed like a long process, so I wasn't worried. I opened the door to see Luna still sleeping with that 'me' shaped pillow. I smirked a bit at the image, as I stood in the middle of her room. I could feel it already, the feeling of my body solidifying again. Only it felt more, full? Like the energy powering the process would last longer. I raised my hand from my pocket and watched as it slowly faded back into an actual hand. "Hazama.." I froze, as Celestia called out from behind me. As I turned to look at her, I slipped my hand back into my pocket. "Hey, good morning!" I said as cheerfully as I could. "Wh-Whats wrong with your hand?" She asked softly, wrapping my hand in her Golden magic. When my hand was forced into the open air, she gasped. She watched as it slowly reformed, still missing a few appendages. Her Magenta eyes looked into my own, looking for an answer. I gently shook her magic off, putting my hand back in my pocket to heal. I then sighed, I had wanted to get the hang of my new body before telling anyone. "When Luna gets up, I'll bring her down for breakfast in a bit." I made the mistake of leaning on the bed-post. I faded through it, and had to catch my balance. "..When I can touch things again." I muttered aloud. I turned to Luna, as Celestia made her way to the door. The worry on her face was almost too much. -----One Hour Later: Dinning hall----- "You what?!" Luna's voice shook the table, as she called out in what I could only describe as a megaphone voice. I flinched a bit, not from the volume, rather the look of panic on Luna's face. "Don't worry, I can handle this. I just need to stay in a constant flow of positive emotions until I can figure this out." I sighed as I realized how terrible that sounded. "But Hazama, as you explained, there aren't all that many ponies who have positive emotions around here. Aside from us that is." Celestia motioned between herself and Luna She was right after all, I had felt around earlier, and I couldn't feel an ounce of positive emotion. Even from the guards who worked for them. It was like they were robots or something. Stupid military training.. "Well, I need to do something, I cant just-" My eyes widened as I felt something in the room change. A smirk formed on my face faster than I could blink. I knew that feeling. I stood up and walked to Celestia. "What are you-" She started. I pushed my hands into her mane, and pulled. Pulling out a ball of Pink. "Wowweee! You sure are good at this! How did ya find me?" Pinkie said while she bounced from my grip. Both Luna and Celestia looked at her with wide eyes. "Hmm? How would it be possible to miss this big fluff of happiness?" I asked her as I poked her side, causing her to burst into laughter. After she stopped laughing she had that big old Pinkie grin on her face. My comment seemed to snap Celestia out of her confusion, as she smirked a bit. She nudged Luna gently, and motioned towards me and Pinkie. "Oh oh! What if you have a Find Pinkie sense! I'll have to check on that later! I'm here for a reason!" She stopped her bouncing around. Suddenly she lunged towards me, and started twirling up my body like a snake, sniffing me. "My Pinkie Sense told me that somepony needed my help!" She stopped when her face was rubbing against mine. "Its you isn't it Hazie?" I blinked at the nickname she gave me. With a quick Ouroboros maneuver leading me up and over, I all but teleported out of Pinkies clutches. I laughed as she collapsed into a Pinkie Spring, and bounced towards me. This pony has made my day. As she bounced, she ran into a small wire, making a bucket of pudding fall on her head. When she removed the bucket, I flicked a finger at her as a pie tin hit her in the face. The cherry I flicked landing right on her nose when the tin fell. I couldn't help myself! This pony makes me just want to have fun! I laughed lightly as she licked everything up and swallowed it all except the cherry with an enlarged tongue. "Classic, yet effective, nice timing, and full use of your surroundings. If I didn't know better, I'd say we were evenly matched." She said with a wink. All with the cherry still sitting on an outstretched tongue. With a flick, she sent it zooming into my open mouth. I couldn't help but chuckle as I chewed. "Well, that solves that then." Luna said. I looked over at her. I had completely forgotten they were here! She had a smile on her face. "You look a lot healthier, and not as melancholy. For a little while, why don't you spend some time with Pinkie and the her friends? I'm sure Pinkie would love to have you over." The wink at the end of that was something I didn't expect.. Or understand. "Before we send you off, here." Celestia gave me a crystal, it was half Black, half White. "Its a communication crystal. Normally we save these for dire emergencies, but were going to let you have one either way. It lets you talk to us from anywhere, just by putting magic into it." She said. I had a slight issue with that, since my power wasn't magic, or at least their type of magic. But I guess we'll see later on. My attention was drawn to Pinkie once again, as she was now bouncing on top of my head squealing. "Ooooh! I cant wait to tell everypony! Dashie's been talking about that race you promised her, Rarity's been saying she wants to make some new clothes for you, and Twilight said she can't wait to ask you some questions. I'm sure Fluttershy will be happy to see you too, since she still thinks you think she's afraid of you. You don't think that do you?" Pinkie rambled while staring into my eyes, pushing her nose against my own. Jesus, any closer and she'd have kissed me. A smile broke out as I tickled her sides to get her off my face. Holding her under my arm like a bag, I turned to Luna and found her standing closer to me. Her face looked amused, yet sad. "It looks like I've got a full plan already, sorry.." I apologized softly. Luna shook her head, her smile growing. "I just want you back to normal, if it takes some time then I can wait. Don't forget to use the crystal okay?" She nuzzled my neck and cheek affectionately. I ran my hand through her mane, as I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She blushed as she backed away with a smile. Heh, I was right. She wasn't ready for open acts of affection, yesterday must have been a spur of the moment thing. "Every night, wait for me!" I said with a smirk, as I disappeared with a flash of Golden light. Celestia powered down her horn and turned to her sister. "You didn't seem too angry about that." She said raising an amused eyebrow. Luna froze in place, as she looked embarrassed. "Well he did look happy, didn't he? Besides, I doubt anything like that would happen so soon. Although I have to be slightly worried. They are both very spontaneous, as seen earlier." Luna let out a chuckle, "Did you see the maple syrup?" She asked with a grin. Celestia only smirked back. ----Ponyville---- We appeared in Ponyville a second later. Me still holding Pinkie under my arm, until I felt her slip right out. When I went to look at her I found something pouring onto my head, covering almost my whole body in a sticky substance. Then in a flurry of White, found myself looking at myself covered in feathers. I heard Pinkie laughing hysterically, rolling on the ground. "The old 'Tar and Feather' trick huh?" I said, flaring up my power a bit, causing the feathers to catch fire quickly and the maple syrup to dry and crumble away. I finished by spiting out a feather, "Now that's a classic, Pinkie Pie. You're going to have to try a little harder than that though." I said as I pulled my hand in a tugging motion. She only now noticed the string in my hand. When she followed the string with her eyes, she gasped. BOOM! The cannon fired a blast of confetti and such in her face. When it all settled on to the ground, her face was priceless. "How did you get ahold of my party cannon!?" She asked in awe, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Your mane sure does have a lot of stuff crammed in there doesn't it?" I said as I pulled a rubber chicken from my sleeve. I tossed it to her and her mane seemed to come alive and absorb it. Honestly, I got a little scared now, what was this mare and why was I so excited to pull pranks? "So I borrowed a few things." I said with a smirk. Her face pulled back into that full blown Pinkie Smile once again. "Best day ever!" She raised herself on two hooves and screamed to the sky. I chuckled at her antics. "Hey, we need to talk. Its about what's happening." Terumi's voice sounded slightly distressed. Ah Christ, what now?! > A Problem or Not? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I stood frozen in my spot, my smirk gone. I could feel Pinkie get confused, and then worried. But I was far too occupied with the current issue. ""Excuse me, I don't think I heard you right, can you say that one again?" I asked Terumi inside my head. "You heard me, Our body is currently breaking down. This isn't like earlier, I mean literally breaking down." Terumi said, sounding quite distressed. "What?" I asked simply. "As you know, the actual Hazama's body was literally made to hold my power, and in conjuncture, his own power. Your body was made in exactly the same manner, able to hold both of our powers equally as good. Your only problem would have been an overtaxing of your power leaving you open for my possession." He stated casually, my eyebrow twitching at the revelation that that was what he was planning. "However, we have an extra variable in the math now.." He trailed off, as my eyes widened. "Nightmare.." I muttered. "She is currently asleep, and has been for a while. But while she sleeps she continues to restore her own powers. Just adding her alone was a bit of a hassle a thousand years ago, but it wasn't an issue since she didn't have any of her power due to the banishment. Now our body meant for two, is trying to force in a third. It cant take the abuse, and has started to break down." "...How long?" I asked after a bit of silence. Terumi hesitated a bit. "If we tell Nightmare, and she stops regaining her lost power? A year at most." He seemed to know what my answer would be. "If we don't tell her, and let her get enough power to 'Maybe' let her split off after we disappear? A month, maybe less depending how strong she gets." Terumi sounded a lot more subdued when talking about Nightmare, I guess he really did fall for her.. I ground my teeth together and kicked a rock at my feet. "Damn.." I muttered aloud. I paused, when I realized that Pinkie was staring into my soul through my eyes. A soft chuckle left my mouth, as I moved her back to the ground. "Hazie? What wrong?" She asked, her hair seemed to droop a bit, unless that was my imagination. I smiled, thinking of what she said when she met me. "Nothing Pinks, I just realized that I haven't had a party in my one thousand years here." I say with a smirk. My eye opening up in slight amusement at her reaction. She gasped, and held her hooves up to her cheeks with a look of horror on her face. Her hair immediately poofed up again, and she immediately zipped away in a puff of smoke. "I know that you wont tell anybody, including Luna or Nightmare. And I wanna thank you for letting her live free of worry. When the breakdown starts screwing with the control the hat gives, I wont do anything to hurt anybody. I swear on my own power as an almost god." He semi-boasted about his power. "Heh, no problem. Lets get going." I said as I walked into the town. ----Golden Oak Library: Twilights Home---- *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "Ugh, its a Library! Come in!" I heard Twilights voice call out. "Seriously, why cant they remember that?" I heard her mutter. Opening the door to the Library, I walked in, and waved a Twilight. She was behind a stack of books when she noticed me and jumped, causing all her books to fall on the ground. "Hazama!" She dusted herself off with a sweep of magic, at the same time grabbing all the books and putting them back onto a table. I quirked an eyebrow at the fact that they were in alphabetical order. "Hey Twilight, I was wondering if you could show me around town. I'm on a 'mission' from both Princesses, and I have to stay here for a bit." I said, Not quite lying, but not quite telling the truth either. "Oh! Sure! Just give me a second. Spike! Can you put these books on the fifteenth shelf, in sequence number twenty-two?" She called to Spike. Twenty-two? That's a lot of was to put books on a shelf.. "No problem Twi! I'll be right there!" Spike called from the other room. A loud bang, and a string of pony-like- curses later, and he came bustling into the room with a girly looking apron on. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked at me, he seemed scared. "W-what's that?!" He sputtered out. "Oh, Spike this is Hazama, the creature I was talking about the other night!" She said with excitement. "Oh.." He sighed, and walked right up to me holding out a hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you!" He said cheerily. I forced his hand closed, and gave him a fist bump. His eyes widened, but he smiled soon after. "Likewise, I've never seen a Dragon before. Let me say, you look cool." I hide my smirk when he suddenly went from smiling to beaming like a star. "Thanks man! You look cool yourself!" I looked at my tattered cloths, and then back to him and smirked again. "Thanks anyways little dude." I said patting his head as he turned around to do his job. Twilight nudged me out the door, and started walking into town. "So where do you want to go first? I assume you want to visit Rarity to get a new set of clothes?" She asked pointing a hoof to my pants, which had large gashes in them. Now that she mentions it, I HAVE been wearing the same clothes from a thousand years ago. The same clothes I went into a war with, and look a blast and a mountainside to the face with.. "Lead away Ms. Sparkle, lead away." I said while motioning ahead with a bow. She giggled and trotted forward, leading me to wherever Rarity might live. "I'm just warning you now, she's a bit eccentric." Oh you remembered. In all honesty at first glance I would have labeled her a Noble pony with the way she carries herself. But as the Element of Generosity, she must be a very kind person. "I can handle it" I say to her. ----At Carousel Boutique: Rarity's Home---- 'I cant deal with this!' I thought to myself, as I was officially wrapped in a bunch of fabrics filled with needles. Each new layer adding to the fact that I was immobile. My eyebrow was twitching as a measuring tape had been flying in front of my face. However, my eyes widened, and I quickly tore a hand through the material and threw it to my head. Slapping my hat back down. "Anything but the hat Ms. Rarity" I chided her lightly. Rarity's face lit up in a small blush as she nudged some papers away from her. Untangling me from her web of clothing materials. "Ah, sorry dear. But I have all your measurements and all available colors to your look. I'll make the best outfit for you!" She said with pride. "Hmm.. About that, could you just make me a new set of this? You can change it a bit, but this look is kind of my thing. I hope you understand." I said kneeling down a bit to get to her eye level. She seemed to deflate a bit, but she still seemed a bit happy. "Of course darling! I completely understand, and that look does look dashing on you." She said "Thank you Rarity, it means a lot to me." I said, hugging her gently. Her eyes widened, and a small blush dusted her cheeks. "Not a problem." She said after clearing her throat, "Now an artist must work in peace, Out! Out out out!" She said while pushing both me and Twilight out with a smile. "That went well!" I sighed. I heard Twilight giggle next to me. "Up next is Pinkie Pie-" I interrupted her. "I think we may have to take a rain check on that one." She looked at me in confusion. "Why?" She asked, her ears laying flat against her head. I chuckle softly at the sight. "Well, she was the first to meet me in Ponyville." Not exactly a lie. "And I might have told her that I haven't had a party at all yet. So she zoomed off, for what I'm assuming, to make me a party." Her face lit up with a smile. "Oh, well we can try Applejack's then!" She said while trotting away. I followed right behind her. I frowned at the lack of townsponies I've seen. ----Sweet Apple Acers: Applejack's Home---- "Consarnit Dash! Stop nappin' in my Apple tree's!" Applejacks voice was heard from a little bit ahead. We arrived to see Applejack buck the tree and a now awake Rainbow Dash to come falling down. It was kind of funny, I almost laughed. "Hey girls!" Twilight called to the two. They both looked up, and saw the two of us. The first to us was, of course, Rainbow. "Ooh Twilight, showing your new Coltfriend around?" Rainbow said with a smirk. It was a smirk telling me to prank.. I grabbed Twilight by the shoulder, and hugged her close to myself. "She sure is! Just got out of Rarity's for our first date wardrobe." I say with my own smirk aimed at Rainbow. Her face had switched to shock when I first said it. But noticing the smirk, she almost laughed then and there. Surprisingly she kept her cool. I looked at Twilight to see her blushing up a storm, while trying to find a word of two to say. "Wha- But- We- you!- DATE?!" She flushed a full body red as she slumped in my grip. I gently laid her down, while chuckling. Behind me I heard both Applejack and Rainbow laughing up a storm. When they both finished, they wiped a few tears from their eyes. "Gosh, now ain't that the funniest thing I've seen in a while." Applejack said with a chuckle. "Best set-up ever! I cant believe you went with it!" Rainbow said, sticking out a hoof for a bump. Instead I bopped her nose with a smile, as I jumped away. "I thought you wanted to race Skittles?" I said playfully. Instantly her face went red, whether it was anger or embarrassment, I'll never know. In the background I head Applejack rolling on the ground laughing hysterically. "S-Skittles?!" Rainbow raged, as she rushed towards me. A quick Ouroboros and I was behind her as she flew by. She did a sharp U-turn, sharper than I didn't think she could. The result was that she almost touched me. She would have, if I hadn't slid underneath her. As she flew over me, I poked her sides. Instantly she withdrew her wings and went rolling onto her sides laughing. Her eyes snapped back open as she realized that she just got tickled. She just got tickled in front of her wrestling rival! She turned to look at Applejack only to have me launch at her and pin her to the ground. The position would have been sexual, if I wasn't digging my fingers into her sides making her screech in laughter. I heard a jointed giggle behind us, so I jumped off of Rainbow, letting her fit die off. I looked to see Twilight back to normal, giggling with Applejack. "Ah, so everybody feel good now?" I said with a smile. "Ah'll say, I never knew RD was ticklish! And that name! Skittles?!" She barked out a quick laugh. "Priceless!" "Hey!" Rainbow called from the air, still flushed from all her laughing. "When are we going to actually race?" She questioned, sounding slightly disappointed. "Oh, Sorry, how about tomorrow evening? I've heard of your sleeping habits from Twilight." I held out a fist for her to bump. In a quick flurry of feathers and motion, Rainbow flipped through the air, bopped me on the nose and landed next to Applejack. "Deal." She said with a smug look on her face. As we bade goodbye, Twilight still looked a little flustered. She grabbed my attention as we walked. "Your impossible you know that? That joke you pulled on me was very poor." She said with a smile, as her long tail swiped across my face. She continued to walk in front of me. We didn't notice the looks on Rainbow's and Applejacks faces. Their mouths were agape at what they just saw. ----Fluttershy's Cottage---- We arrived at Fluttershy's home fairly quickly. Mostly due to Twilights quick pace. She seemed almost as flustered as before, I didn't understand why though. I had been trying to get her to talk but she refused. We walked up to Fluttershy's door, and Twilight motioned for me to continue. Shrugging I knocked on the door. I heard a very faint response. "Who is it?" Came Fluttershy's light voice. "It's me, Hazama. I've come with Twilight. I just wanted to talk to you really quick." I said into the door. The door opened in an instant, and in the doorway stood a very excited Fluttershy. "Its good to see you." Her soft voice was louder than before. She reared up on two legs and gave me a small hug. She sat back down on the ground and looked up at me with a small smile. "What can I help you with?" She asked. "I just wanted to tell you, that I'm glad we're friends Fluttershy. By your reactions I can safely say that your not afraid of me and I'm sorry if I didn't give of a friendly vibe last time we met." Fluttershy quickly shook her head. "No, no! I was the one who didn't give off a friendly vibe. But I am glad you consider me a friend, you can drop by anytime you want." She said. She seemed to realize how forward she has been, and retreated into her hair. "..If you don't mind that is." I chuckled at her actions, and gave her another small hug before departing with Twilight. As we left, I noticed we weren't heading to her home, but rather a shop of some kind. The sign said :Sugarcube Corner. "Why are we here Twilight?" I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach but I wanted to hear what she said. She looked at me with a strange look and motioned me to go in. Shrugging I pushed open the doors and walked into the dark room. Instantly the lights came on and at least fifty ponies all screamed. "SURPRISE!!" Had I not been expecting something like this, I would have probably jumped out of my skin! I noticed that the party immediately started, as a few ponies grabbed drinks while others came over to talk to me. They didn't seem angry, or upset in any way, nor could I sense any bad emotions in the room, a few confused me, but it was fine. Along the way I seemed to lose Twilight, she disappeared after the party started. I'd have to ask her what was wrong later. And suddenly: Pinkie "Hey Pinks, how are you?" I asked with a smile. "I'm good! Do ya like the party? Do ya? Do ya? do ya?" She asked in quick succession. I nodded as I ate a piece of the Mint flavored cake she had made. "This cake, and this party, is amazing Pinks!" I complimented her. She seemed to stop bouncing in place, and fidget a bit. "That's good, I made extra special care to make this party extra special!" She calmed down even more, and started rubbing her forelegs together. "Um, can I give you a present?" She asked softly. I was kind of scared. I had never seen Pinkie this calm before. I was expecting the roof to fall on me at this point. I nodded my head yes, And faster than I could blink, Pinkie had jumped up and kissed my cheek. "Welcome to Equestria!" She said giggling as she ran back into the party. I sighed as I went to get more to drink. I wound up talking to a mare called Ditzy Doo for a bit, and found my interest peeked by her eyes and love for muffins. I told her to put a coin on her nose in the morning when he woke up, and focus on it morning for about 15 minutes. I told her to do the same thing at night before bed, and to come find me in a week. She looked confused, but promised to do it regardless. That night when I found myself in the Everfree.. What? Its a nice place if you don't mind the dangerous animals.. Anyway, I found a nice open field and activated the crystal thing that Celestia had given me. I used the Black side, assuming it was to call Luna. Imagine my surprise when the damned thing actually worked. It seems as though I can use some magical items using my own power. Luna's face appeared in the small window it created, and I could immediately tell something was wrong. "Hey Luna, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned. "Sweetie.." Ooh, I did NOT like the way she said that. "Can you explain to me why the Elements of Magic and Laughter are both having dreams of you?" She asked sweetly. I froze. I think my heart stopped.. I could hear Terumi laughing his ass of in my head. "This is NOT funny!" I almost snarled at him. "Fuck you, this is hilarious!" He laughed even more. Its a good thing I don't need sleep, because its going to be a looong night.. > The Talk > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I looked at Luna in horror. How the hell did this happen?! Let me explain, it all started at the beginning of the conversations.. "Well?" Luna asked a bit impatiently. The tapping of her hoof against the floor was heard through the communication window. I glanced back and forth looking anywhere but in her eyes, before they found a spot of the ground to settle. I sighed as I looked up. "I don't know." I simply stated with a blank look on my face. Hers contorted into something fitting confusion. "How do you not know?" She sounded both confused and a little peeved at something. I put my hands in my pockets in a huff. "I don't know okay? I was just hanging out with Twilight and her friends today. Nothing happened out of what I thought was normal. I played some jokes on Pinkie, a few on Twilight, and Rainbow Dash as well. I mean, the joke I pulled on Twilight was a bit tasteless but it was still funny since I knew what her reaction would be." I muttered out the last bit. A bark of laughter caught my attention. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you lose that 'keep cool' attitude you have." She had a smirk on her face. I rubbed the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "So this was all a prank then?" I sighed in relief. "No, they're dreaming about you." Luna said casually. I cocked an eyebrow as I listened. "Twilight's are dreams of a first time crush." She said with a small smirk. I sighed, at least I could break that without too much issue. "Now Pinkies is weird, her dreams are one you would have if you had been together for a while. Or found your soulmate, whichever comes first of course." She looked a bit conflicted, but seemed to settle on a small smile. "So what do I do?" I asked. A slight desperation in my voice. I didn't need any drama in my life, however short it will be. Having Luna mad at me wouldn't help my self esteem as a person. However- "Just keep doing what your doing." Luna said like it was the easiest answer on the planet. "What?" I asked confused. I must have heard that wrong, it sounded like she said- "If somepony wants to pine over your affections, I'm all for it. But I get a say if they get in the Herd first." She said with a confident smile. ... "What?!" "What?!" "What?! All three of us screamed together in my head. I shook off the slight headache, and looked to Luna in horror. How did this even happen?! "What do you mean?" I asked a slowly as possible. Luna looked to me as if I'd grew another head, until her eye's widened. "Oh! Sorry! I had forgotten you haven't been around in a long time. Well you see, over the last Seven Hundred Years we've noticed a significant drop in the Mare to Colt ratio. What used to be a maybe Two to One of Mares to Colts, has over time, dropped to almost Seven to One. Some towns and citied are worse than others. If I remember right, Ponyville is a Ten to One while Canterlot is a Six to One." She stated. I looked at her with wide eyes as I contemplated what she said. "So technically, even though your Courting Royalty" She stopped for a second, like she realized something. "By Law your supposed to have at least 4 Mares by the age of Twenty Five to bear foals." She seemed to fidget a bit. "A-As such the Law stated that Mares.. With sisters are to share if said mare is not in a relationship." Her face lit up red at the implications. Nope Not gonna do it This is waaay too much information to drop on a guy at Two in the morning! I need to go for a god-damn walk.. "Hey, can.. I go for now? I'll contact you later." I didn't really wait for an answer, as I pocketed the crystal. The viewing portal faded as I turned around. Where's a bottle of Whiskey when you need it? ----With Luna---- Luna blinked as she registered what happened. "He.. He stopped the communication? Why?" She looked confused. Until Celestia came in from the door. "The way he reacted, I assume the prospect of having multiple Marefriends must be quite a cultural shock. You even basically told him that you were going to set him up with me, Lulu." She said with a comforting smile. "A shock? Why?" Luna didn't quite understand. "I know you sometimes forget, but he is not of our world. Imagine if you would, the opposite happening to you. If you appeared in a world for an indefinite amount of time, and you were told that you must only have one life partner, How would you react? His own culture could be focused around Monogamy, rather than Polygamy like ours. We, as ponies, have been sharing partners since we could walk, so we are used to the concept." Celestia said, putting a wing on her sisters shoulder. Luna felt the weight of what she said weigh on her mind. She jumped up and ran to the door leading to the balcony. "I have to go! He needs to know that he doesn't need to change!" She yelled frantically. A Golden wave of magic stopped her. She looked to her sister in confusion. "Let him have some time. Information like this must be given in small doses. Having so much on his mind.. He needs to be alone. Your word hold a lot of sway to his mind. If you go tell him that he doesn't need to change, he will never try." Celestia said. Luna calmed down. Her ears lay flat on her head. "Thank you, Tia." Luna said. She noticed a small blush on Celestia's face. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Y-Yes! I'm fine." Celestia said, standing up and moving quickly out the door. She didn't see nor hear her sister following her with a knowing grin on her face. Nothing hides from her! ----Back to Hazama---- I sat on a rock. A very familiar rock. The same rock I found all those years ago. A thousand years hadn't been kind to the poor thing, and it now sat in a slightly bigger lake. Running my hands through the water, I was deep in thought.. or should I say thoughts? "Is it really that bad? I'd kill to have more than one girl! " Terumi's voice rang out. A huff sounded. "Oh? Is that right?" Nightmare all but snarled. "No! You know that's not what I meant!" *BAM* "Ow! God Damnit woman!" *BAM!! "Ah! Not the face!" *Thud* A low groan came out next. I can only assume he just got nailed where the sun don't shine. "That's not really the problem here. I've never thought of being with multiple women before. If the thought of others doing back home made me shake in anger , then why do the thoughts of me doing it here make me feel sick ?" I asked no-one in particular. Surprising, Nightmare was the one to answer. "..Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice.." She sighed. "You are very noble. You feel that splitting your attention from one mare to another will cause your own feelings to slip. While at the same time, you tell yourself that you are unworthy of such actions, and the love of more than one mare." She sounded so.. Right. Every word she said hit my heart like a brick. "..Pansy.." A soft voice called from Terumi. *Smack* A doglike whimper was all I heard after that. "Keep it up, you get nothing for the next month!" Nightmare all but yelled at Terumi. I shivered at the implications of the two getting frisky in my head. Terumi seemed to get the message, as his presence dropped from the current conversation. "Your right.." I said softly. "But not all is correct. You feel as though you don't deserve it, but others will say otherwise. MY other half for example: Wants you to feel as loved as possible, even though she clearly didn't want to bring it up. The fact that she did simply means that she will be with whatever decision that you make. Be it taking multiple mares under your care, or staying with just Luna. Although I have to warn you, as an Immortal being, she may get tired of you at some point." I chuckle a bit. THERES the Nightmare I knew. All that wisdom, and she still has to get a rise out of me. "Thank you." I said with as much feeling as I could. I stood from my rock, and flipped back onto land. I looked up at the moon, and guessed the time to be about Five in the morning. I had one more thing to do before I continued my fun in Ponyville. I knew the general location of Canterlot from here, since it was on a mountain. I could even see it from here. I jumped up slightly, and threw out an Ouroboros. Lets test my theory. I waited for about Three seconds, when I felt the pull of my Ouroboros. I flew through the air, and landed in Canterlot shortly after. Sweet! I could do long distance travel with it! I chuckled to myself, as I walked into the castle through the roof. Quickly finding the room I needed, I opened the door to see a surprised Celestia. She was sipping from a tea cup when I barged in. A slice of cake half eaten near her.. on a plate big enough for a whole one.. "H-Hazama! Why are you here? What do you need?" She hastily hid the metal cake tray under her bed with her magic. "I need to talk to you." I said, while sitting down across from her. My tone serious instead of my usual jovial one. She stopped fidgeting at my tone, and sat still, adopting a look of seriousness as well. Inside my head I heard a shuffle. "What's this about?" The voice of Nightmare called out from inside my head. "Terumi" I called out to Terumi. "Right" *Thud..* A soft noise sounded in my head, with the sound of Nightmare squeaking slightly. "Your all good.. You know this will only shorten our time right?" Terumi said solemnly. "Yeah, I've got a plan." Terumi scoffed at me. "You and your stupid tactics, you have a plan for Everything." He said jokingly. "What's wrong?" I figured as much. Celestia was never the one to let small details go by. The fact that I had never once talked in anything but my carefree tone was something to bother her. I wanted to chuckle, but it wasn't the time for laughing. "I'll cut straight to the point, I need you to keep a secret. You cannot tell Luna, under any circumstance. I need your help. I'm dying." I dropped the bomb on her. To her credit, her face only showed a small hint of emotion, before she spoke. "Why? What's happened?" She asked while clearing the table off fully with her magic. "The Elements." I said. "The Elements? What do they have to do with this?" She seemed confused, but her face hid almost all of it. "When they used the elements on Terumi to free me from his and Nightmare's control, they did more than push my mind to the forefront. They forcefully merged us. The three of us are now irreversibly inseparable. My body wasn't made for that. It could barely handle the power me and Terumi were putting out. Adding Nightmare to the mix has caused my body to break down.." I said flatly. Celestia's eyes widened, and her poker face was broken. She gasped at the implications. "What can I do?" She asked, sorrow filling her eyes. "I have a plan, But I need you to get me every book and parchment you have on Enchantments, Runes and Magic Crystals. Now I don't have a lot of time so-" Her ears flattened against her head. "How much time do you have?" She asked softly. "At this point I'd say a little under a mo-" I was interrupted my Terumi. "Three weeks" I blinked at that. "I have Three weeks, maybe less if I fuck up." I was immediately taken back by Celestia. She jumped up and hugged me. She took out the table that was in her way and everything. She soon wrapped her wings around me and I felt her body shaking. Was.. Was she crying? For me? ..If I don't find a way to fix this soon, I'm going to be letting a lot of Mares down, aren't I? I patted her back, and ran my fingers through her mane. She brought her head back, and kissed me on the cheek. She then backed up fully with a watery smile on her face. "I'll get you whatever you need, I wont let you die." She said as she ran into the hallway and disappeared. I sighed, as I grabbed a piece of paper off of her desk, and quickly scratched out a note: Dear Celestia, Just have all the books brought to Ponyville. I have things I need to take care of. Sweet dreams, and good night. Hazama I walked out of the room, and went to go outside, when I thought of something. A sly smirk appeared on my face, breaking my serious façade. I snuck into Luna's room, that was only down the hall. Walking up to her bed, I noticed the lack of the 'Me' Pillow. Must've gotten rid of it when I got back. I gently shook her awake. Her eye's fluttered open slowly. "H-Hazama?" She asked, groggily. "What are you-" I silenced her with a kiss. Her eyes widened slightly, before closing again. She pushed into the kiss a bit, putting her fore hooves around my back. After a good Ten seconds, I pulled away. Her lips quivered at feeling. She shivered as she opened her eyes, she only kept them half-lidded. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion?" She asked, drawing small circles into my back with her hoof. I stared into her eyes, and realized how much I've missed in the past One Thousand years. I chuckle as I answer her. "Well, I dropped by to see about borrowing some books, and decided to come see you. I figured that would be a good wake up call." My eyes widened slightly as she pushed me onto the bed, her straddling my whole lower body. She leaned into my ear and whispered huskily into it. "Well, I'm certainly awake now, and I've been dying for the chance to pay you back for everything you did for me." She nipped at my ear, "I've been thinking about this for a while." She said while leaning in for another kiss. Or lips connect, and the pure passion in it made me gasp in shock. Luna took the initiative of me opening my mouth and forced her tongue into my mouth. For the next minute of so, we fought for dominance with just our tongues. When we separated, we were both panting slightly. Oh Christ, This happened really suddenly.. Am I ready for this? > Explicit Content? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************Warning NSFW Content*************************** I looked into Luna's eyes and saw the lust in them. She must have been thinking about this for a while now. Even though I don't think we're ready for this, I don't think I could ever say 'No' to Luna. I shrugged before pulling her head down to my own into a kiss. Our lips connecting like water. I felt her tongue suddenly invade my mouth, as we fought for dominance again. In a play of my own, I tried to roll us over while she was distracted. However with an alluring giggle, she flipped us right back over, this time pinning my arms down as well. My eyes widened as I felt her tongue start to explore my mouth, running along my canines. She shivered in delight, most likely from the exotic feeling. I closed my eyes as I fell deeper into the kiss, my hands roaming her back. When my hands reached her wing joints, she seemed to freeze. The slight moan that escaped her lips was all I needed to continue. I massaged the joints tenderly with one hand, while running my other through her mane. She purred into the kiss, and only pushed harder into my body. I could feel the heat coming off of her, when I suddenly realized I had never taken off my clothes before.. As if reacting to that thought alone, my jacket, vest, shoes and socks all disappeared in a flash of Green light. leaving me in a white dress shirt and my underwear. I blushed slightly at the sudden feeling of Luna's fur on my body. Luna gently leaned back and purred into my ears. "The rest too" She said while pawing at my underwear with a hoof. I blushed a bit at the contact, but obliged nonetheless. In another flash my shirt was also gone. I raised an eyebrow, Apparently I needed to physically take them off myself. I gently pulled Luna off of me, and pulled them off before she could turn around. In an instant I jumped over to her and caught her in another fiery kiss. I took her attention with my hands, as I gently caressed her sides during the kiss. I made my way down to her thigh. I felt her breath hitch as I withdrew from the kiss, only to lightly bite down on her neck. She seemed to love it, if the shudder, and groan of pleasure was anything to go by. While I was lightly sucking on her neck like a wannabee vampire, my hand made it to its intended target: her marehood. It was a unique sensation of damp velvet. I tentatively rubbed around to see what kind of response it got. The reaction was more than I thought, as her entire body rocked with a spasm, and her wings shot out at full force. Huh, it seems I have her full attention. I pushed harder, causing my finger to plunge into her. The response was instant as her body tightened even more and she moaned out loud. My slightest touch was enough to send this mare close to the edge, I grinned at the thought. I began to feel around inside her, while gently rubbing the outside of her marehood, finding the little nub I was looking for. I pushed a bit deeper, and began to play with the clit electing a loud moan from Luna. I silenced her with a kiss, as her marehood tightened around my finger. A rather big convulsion, and suddenly she went limp, panting after breaking the kiss. She lay there breathing heavy, until she suddenly jumped up. She propped herself halfway up on the bed, Tail sticking up and looked at me expectantly. "Rut me! I need this!" She seemed desperate, still breathing heavy and eyes half lidded once more. I shook my head and grabbed her front hooves causing her to fall on the bed. I crawled to her and kissed her. I saw her pleading eyes, and heard her question. "Why?" I placed my lips to hers in a quick kiss, and explained. "Our first time? I want to see your beautiful face, Luna." I whispered into her ear. Her face went red, and she looked nervous. "That position is for Married couples.." She whispered. I locked her in another kiss, and sealed the deal. I felt her crawl on top of me in a hurry. after quickly positioning her marehood over my member, she seemed to hesitate a bit, and looked into my eyes. She lowered slowly, as if testing the waters. Once they touched, she must have liked the feeling, as she didn't hesitate to push all the way down at a steady. She cried out in pleasure as she stopped after hilting all of my member inside herself. I frowned slightly, I may be in Hazama's body, but I was no horse. Our anatomy was different, and I could tell I didn't fill her up like a normal stallion. As if she could hear my own thoughts, she leaned down and licked my neck lovingly, and cooed into my ear. "Everything is perfect Sweetie.." ... I love this mare. I let her slide up, almost completely off of my member, as she readied another drop. She was still quivering as I reached up and grabbed at her rear. My hands massaging her Cutie Marks. She closed her eyes as she moaned once again as she slid down. The combination enough to make her start to slowly bounce up and down. She bit her lips as she picked up the pace, and I find myself thrusting as much as I can in my position. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, as she picked up the pace further, and something instinctual seemed to happen. I flipped her onto her back, and began thrusting as deep as I could. Perhaps it was the feeling that she was doing all the work, but I found myself holding her legs open to give me greater range of motion. I altered my angle a bit, and suddenly Luna grabbed the bedsheets with one hoof, while she grabbed at my neck with the other. Every thrust now caused her to pant harder and harder, while she her eyes slowly closed. I found myself overjoyed that I could make her this happy. I continued until she seemed to jump up and latch her four legs around me in a loud moan that rattled the room. Her whole body shuddered, as her wings deflated, and fell to the bed. She lay back onto the bed with a love-filled smile on her face, eyes closed. I leaned into one last kiss as I pulled out of her womanhood. "I love you Luna." I smiled as she seemed to roll over slightly. "Mm.. Love.. too.." She mumbled. And just like that she fell back asleep. I smiled even more as I left the room, willing my clothes back on in a flash of Green. My smile faded to a frown, as I thought about the most important part of all this. I didn't release.. As much as I wanted too, it was like my body.. Couldn't. I clenched my fist, drawing blood.. It was just one thing after another with this stupid body, wasn't it? *******************NSFW Content Over*********************** "R-really?!" A flustered voice called from behind me in the hallway. I stopped mid-step, as I recognized the voice. I turned to Celestia, and noted the Fully extended wings and full blush on her face. She must of heard us, Luna wasn't exactly quiet. Either she heard us and stuck around, or she watched.. Heh, kinky.. "Oh, sorry about that. A bit spur of the moment, but don't worry, your sister's not going to get pregnant." I stated casually. "Why?" Her quick response was question worthy in itself, but it was the concern in her voice that really got me. "I don't even know how to use my body like that yet, apparently all I did was make sure Luna had a good nights sleep. I'm not complaining.. but my own body hates me enough to Cockblock me right at the end.." I muttered to myself. Celestia looked confused, before she blushed a full body red. She stammered in an attempt to form a sentence. I smirked as I walked by her. Once again, I couldn't help myself. I lightly tapped her Cutie Mark with a palm on my way by her. "Next time you can just watch instead of listening next time." Her face morphed to one of a mix of embarrassment and shock. I continued my way out of the through use of the roof as I did before, my mind stuck on repeat as it went over the last Twenty Four hours. I still couldn't feel whatever the hell Terumi said about my body breaking down. But I'm going to assume that it'll suck, and cause constant pain. I sighed as I threw out an Ouroboros in Ponyville's direction. ----The Next Morning: Ponyville---- I found myself still wandering the town, as I didn't sleep last night at all. I was a bit absentminded as well, as a small group of Ponies were slowly following me around. I finally snapped out of my own internal discussions when one of them stepped in front of me. It was a Mint-Green Unicorn mare, judging by her facial features, and she looked a bit happy.. Why? I cocked an eyebrow as she fidgeted around a bit in front of me. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" I asked, trying to not sound annoyed. "My names Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings! I'm so glad I could meet you. Me and my friends here." She motioned at the group of Mares that now stood behind me, leaving me almost surrounded. "We read the old Foal's Tale about you, and we were the ones who believed you really existed! A human! In Equestria! Its amazing, and we just want you to come back with us so we can study your.. Body.." She seemed to go from happy go-lucky to crazy in a matter of seconds. Wait.. I have fans? I have fan girls?! Shit! I leapt over Lyra and turned to the group. My eyebrow twitched at the looks on their faces. They looked excited. "Eeeek! Did you see that?! He just jumped over Twenty Feet! HIs legs must be just bricks of muscle!" One mare said. "Do you see that flip? He so flexible and nimble!" Another said in adoration. "He always smile!" One chimed in. "I wonder what he looks like under all those clothes?" Another muttered. All at once, every mare out of the Ten that were muttering to themselves looked at me with hungry eyes. "...Nope" I deadpan, as I jump up and into the clouds. I was shocked when I was tackled by something from behind. One of the mares was a Pegasus and it seems she was ready for my jump. I'm not that predictable, am I? I shook off the mare before she could start nuzzling me, and did the only thing that could get me out of this situation.. I latched an Ouroboros onto the giant tree of Golden Oaks Library. I could only hope that Twilight was up. Golden Oaks: Twilight's Home "Where is he?!" Twilight frantically searched for Hazama. She was supposed to look after him but she couldn't find him. She had left the party last night not feeling well, and after a weird dream she woke up and started to read. The books left forgotten o the floor as she realized that Hazama hadn't made a sound or gotten up yet. When she went to look for him to see if he needed any coffee, she noticed he wasn't on the couch or in the spare room. There for, we get this: "I can't let Celestia know I lost him! She'll send me back to School for this!" Her hair was frazzled and her eyes were wide and a bit twitchy. I found myself leaning on the door outside listening to her, laughing silently. I debated on pulling another prank, but I chose not to since I currently don't want her to develop any more feelings towards me at this point.. "So your just gonna let this rule your life?" Terumi said from in my head, he sounded a bit peeved to be honest. "Even after everything I've been doing for you, you refuse to just have some god-damn fun! You've got less than a month to live! Go fuck with some ponies!" He all but screamed at me. Boy was I happy Nightmare slept for no shorter than Six hours at a time, what with all his yelling- "What do you mean 'Everything you've done'?" I asked. I could almost feel Terumi freeze up at his own slip-up. "..I've been using my power to lessen the pain you feel." He said simply. He's been helping me? That was nice of- "My powers only have small drawbacks when used like this. Your sudden craving for jokes for one thing, started getting a lot worse because my own power needs either Negative Energy, or general Chaos. A few.. Other things happened, but they don't matter too much" He finished quickly. Ahh.. That explains a bit. "Thanks.. You might wind up actually being my friend if this keeps up." I joked. "I'd never be your friend you pansy! I'm only paying you back for keeping the whole 'Dying' thing away from Nightmare.." He grumbled. Shrugging my shoulders, I put on a smirk and went into the Library. The Purple blur that crashed into me was unexpected however. Upon seeing Twilight as she stood on my chest while I was on the ground, I almost couldn't keep the chuckle in. She leaned in to my ear. "Where were you?" She asked sweetly, a ting of crazy undertone in it. I'm starting to feel like I should have stayed outside with the 'other' crazy mares. "He's around here somewhere girls! Keep looking!" I could hear Lyra's voice call out from outside. A chorus of agreements roared through the air... Nope, Twilight will always be the better choice here. "I was just visiting Luna." I stated with a small smile. I pulled Twilight off of me while she registered what I just said to her. "You what?!" She sat down on the ground, rubbing her temple with a hoof. "How did you even-" "I'm Really fast." I interrupt her. Her groan of annoyance is all I needed to continue. "So they both know where I was, you won't be getting sent back to School." I said bopping her nose as I passed her to get some coffee in the Kitchen. Why the hell does a Library have a Kitchen? Seems a bit hazardous. "You were listening?!" She fumed. I was stopped by Purple magic, strong enough to make me unable turn my head. My eyes widened as I noted the difference between her and Celestia's magic. Twilight had power in spades and no finesse to tame it. Celestia had Centuries of practice.. So how was Twilights stronger? My thought process was stopped by my fingers going numb. Instinctively I swung an energy encased hand through her magic, making it shatter like glass. "The fuck was that?!" Terumi asked. I narrowed my eyes at Twilight as I put my hand back into my pocket. She seemed to get the hint, as she backed down from whatever rage she was about to go on. She apologized as she looked at me with wide eyes. My eyes softened, I couldn't stay mad at that face. "I'm sorry Twi, I'm still not used to having magic around me." I said as I crouched onto the ground before her. She flinched back a bit, eyes still wide. I sighed, I knew when I fucked up, and now was one of them. I got up and made my way to the door, being sure to avoid getting closer to Twilight. "I'll be at Sugarcube Corner if you need me. Sorry." As I walked away I noted that she didn't move from her spot. "So, any idea what's causing this?" I asked Terumi while holding out my still numb hand. "Not a fucking clue, Her magic was jammed with negative energy, but that shouldn't have done anything. In fact, the numbness is from my power working harder than it was in that area.." He stopped as I caught on to what that meant. "So magic in general huh?" I asked, sighing once again. "I fucking hate this magic shit!" Terumi raged. "Its caused us nothing but fucking problems since we got here! Now we find out that Nightmare openly absorbs magic through contact!" I felt what was coming next, as a chill ran down my spine. "No wait!" I called out desperately. "What else could fucking happen?!" He yelled out. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "You just had to do it?" I sigh. "You had to tempt Murphy and his stupid Law? I'm doomed.." I said as rubbed my now numb wrist. I looked up at the sky, a small frown on my face. "I just need those books, I'm sure I can work out at lease ONE of my plans.." I was interrupted by a screeching noise. I turned and I saw one of the mares from earlier pointing at me with her mouth open.. Was she making that noise? How was that possible, it sounded like a broken car alarm! ..Alarm? I reacted as quick as I could, and launched an Ouroboros to get away. As I went zooming through the sky, I heard Terumi. "Fuckin really?!" He was ranting about stupid laws or something. I couldn't hear him clearly. "Hey, if this is all that comes of it, then I'm not complaining!" I said with a smirk. Little did I know, I had set in motion something dangerous.. Something that never should have been.. Something that could lead to serious problems.. -----Back with Twilight----- Twilight still sat on the floor, but her expression had changed. A dopey smile was on her face, as she sighed dreamily. "So strong.. His magic is so strong! I want it!" She stood up, a fierce look on her face. She trotted down to her new basement. She had plans to make. > Power Fluctuations > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----One Week Later---- Let me be the first to say it.. I'm a magnet for absolutely everything bad for myself. There, now that that's out of the way, I can explain what happened over the past week. I've managed to befriend most of Ponyville and even get the 'fan mares' as I was told by them, to get off my back. Thankfully they've left me alone, since I probably would have blown something up by now. The extra energy from the positive feeling Everypony has for me has made me feel like I was in a constant sugar rush! I was constantly running around trying to lessen the feeling. I've gotten used to siphoning off the energy to keep my body stable, and have even got it on a bit of a switch. I can turn parts of my body into wisps that are intangible. I was told by Terumi that going full ghost in my current condition was terribly bad for us and our body. Speaking of which.. We've come across another problem. One neither of us saw coming. There wasn't enough negative energy to keep Terumi's power active any longer. He had to regen at his own pace, which when I'm feeling the pain he was hiding, is agonizingly slow! I almost passed out the first time since I wasn't ready for it. I've since gotten used to it as best I can. Keeping Terumi charged is a hassle, so I find myself running back and forth to Canterlot a lot. Paying visits to a certain White Unicorn colt that hates me. Even his guards like me now, probably because I make fun of the guy that treats them like a rock in a rainstorm. However, Luna loves my constant visits. She has gotten quite.. frisky lately. Getting more and more bold with each encounter. At least she openly shows her affection for me now. Celestia has warned me that Luna keeps asking her about why I'm so lackluster.. There's only so much one can do when all he feels a stinging pain all around him. She's kept her word to me so far, so I keep her updated on whatever I find, bar a few things she doesn't need to know about. One such thing, is that the constant contact with Luna, who is Nightmare's opposite mind you, has done NOTHING but decrease my time even further. What once was a full month was decreased to maybe Two weeks! Yes, your math is right, I have one week before my body collapses. Bright side! My research is going swimmingly. I can recreate all but most disastrously hard to do spells with my energy.. So I guess I can start calling it 'magic- No! Magic has done nothing but hinder my every movement in this world! My Energy is just a literal Fuck-ton more dense that magic. So my control will never be amazing, but I've got pure power behind it that even a basic levitation spell can lift a mountain. Mind you, that's just a theory. I've been far to busy with what I've cooked up. The Magic Crystal I have is small enough to fit in my hand, yet of the correct density and quality to not break under severe strain. The Enchantments I have written out ready to be applied are to: 1. Repair and strengthen Crystal if damaged by using its own magic. 2. Absorb the natural magic in the air. The entire planet was covered in it, might as well use it. 3. Siphon Excess Energy from Me, Terumi, and Nightmare.. This is the hit or miss on the whole project. I have to actively gauge how much power my body can contain. This Enchantment cannot be broken, but it can be altered after it levels out. Basically, If I overestimate the amount I need to siphon from our body, I die anyway, and just fade away. If Underestimated, I will become a walking bomb. The energy will cap off like a cork in a faucet, causing massive pressure buildup. The pressure would all be release in a fiery explosion. 4. Is a safety mechanism. The Crystal cannot be altered in any way once all the above enchantments are used. This is to stop any would be assassins from getting me easily. As such, this personal enchantment is powered off of both the aforementioned power supply, and our own supply. 5. Is a fail-safe.. If the Crystal ever goes critical for whatever reason, I've rigged a bunch of Enchantments to absorb the entirety of one of the three consciousness's inside the mind, power and all. That person will be sacrificed for the betterment of the other Two. Lets hope that doesn't happen. The Runes I have already to etched into the crystal, will be activated when magic started to flow into it. they are: 1. The Crystal will not be able to be teleported. Any try will result in taking me with it, and letting me know before hand. 2. The power supply cannot be stopped, if attempted it will alert me and cause the one trying to feel the full magic backlash. 3. Is a secret that I'm keeping from Terumi. Just in case something stupid happens. I saw it in the book, and realized that it would be a great thing to have. It's completely out of the blue from all the others, but it will save my life someday, I'm sure! 4. Is a safety net if all the above steps are somehow skipped by an outside force and is run by both power supplies as well. It stops the removal of the Crystal by force by teleporting all who touch the crystal away. Also not activated until magic runs through it. I've thought of everything! This little Crystal that fits in my palm, will essentially be my heart and soul. At that thought, I made it so nothing could ever happen to it. I was proud of my work. My only issue.. I'm missing one piece.. One lone component to make everything work together. I absolutely need a way to activate all the Runes and Enchantments at once, while simultaneously getting the crystal into my chest. All that work, and I'm set back by not having told anypony about- ----Canterlot: Celestia's Room---- "Please!" I was on the floor begging. Celestia looked shocked to say the least. "No! I refuse to put that-" She pointed a hoof at the crystal in my hand. "-inside your chest without knowing what's going to happen!" She seemed a bit livid. Probably since I couldn't tell her what was on the darn thing. She'd kill me for making it so damn hard to remove, let alone a few other things.. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time here, I have, at most, 4 days at this point! The longer We procrastinate on this the quicker I die!" I all but growled. My hat faded in an instant. My hair flew up into a spike, as Terumi was forced outside. Before Terumi could say anything, his eyes went wide, and he doubled over. "Jesus fucking- *cough* Christ! " He glared up at Celestia. "T-Terumi?! What are you doing here?" Celestia asked while jumping back slightly to make some room between them. Terumi slowly stood up and wiped a small trail of blood away from the corner of his mouth. Celestia's eyes widened at the sight. "Listen and listen good Sunbutt! I'm only here because our powers have become unstable. And since I know he'll never tell you or anybody else about this, I'll let you know. If I constantly broke your wings-" Celestia flinched. "-And kept re-breaking them after you heal them, you might feel about the same pain as he does. As a being inside his head without a body of my own, I don't feel pain. But this, is ridiculous!-" He was cut off by my hat re-forming. I shook my head as I took back control. "Your a fool.. You know they'll help you if you ask, but you don't." He sounded almost defeated. When this is all said and done, I'm going to have to kick his ass and re-light that fire. "You know I refuse to let others worry. We can handle this. Its our body! If we can't, who can?" I said in confidence. "Please.. Tell me what he said wasn't true." I heard Celestia ask softly. I looked up and saw her eyes full of remorse. I cringed, this was one reason I hated telling others about my problems! The pity looks you get are impossible to avoid. I stood up, none of the pain Terumi was in visible on myself. "Well, the part about our power going unstable was right. The pain, well, he was just exaggerating is all." I say with a smile, a forced one if that. Celestia seemed torn between what she wanted, and what she knew she should do. "What if we used the Elements again? Perhaps we can-" Celestia started. "The Elements are what started this, and as such, I don't trust them as far as I could throw them. The ponies attached to them, are good mares. There is nothing, in this world that can help me right now!" I almost yell over her. "Well now, I wouldn't say that." A smug, yet happy voice came from above us. My eyes widened, as I hadn't felt him nor his energy enter the room. I looked only to see my vision go blurry. In front of both me and Celestia was a creature unlike any I'd seen so far. His head is horse-like, much different from other ponies' head styles. He has a deer antler on the right, a blue goat horn on the left, one long fang, different-sized pupils, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and white bushy eyebrows. He has the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. In addition, he has a bat's right wing, a Pegasus' left wing, a horse's mane, and a dragon-like snake's tail with a white tail tuft. The shape of his body resembles that of a snake. "Discord!" Celestia yelled. Seeming to wake up any within earshot. I felt Luna's magic presence appear to the left of her sister just moments later. I even felt Nightmare stir in our head. Suddenly there was far too much magic in the room. Between the sisters flaring their magic, and this Discord's own power flooding the air, I felt my body absorb even more than ever. I keeled over, and spat up a decent amount of blood into my hand and on the floor. "Hazama!" I heard Luna cry out in worry. I felt myself move from one spot to another with a small 'pop' as Discord snapped his claw. "Hmm.. It seems our friend here has a body that can't handle the raw power it produces. I can help you. Make it so you don't die." He said slowly, as if making a deal. I couldn't answer him, my body felt too numb. "Do it you pansy!" I heard Terumi yell out. My eyes widened slightly, when I was lifted off of the ground. Discord looked at me with an amused look on his face. "You know, when I sensed the weird magic coming from you, I felt something off. Just how many of you are in there?" I he said while poking a talon to my temple. Just as he finished speaking he threw me into the air where I continued to float. "No matter, lets get that Chaos out, shall we?" He said while snapping. It felt as if my entire body was being split in half. In a flash of Green light, I felt myself screaming as a flash of Black and Green light also went off. My body pulsed, and my scream intensified. My body fazed out for a second, and my own Energy began to cover me like a shield. I felt a tear and then a pulling sensation that gripped my very essence. It tore my body in half. Light Green on one side and Black and Green on the other. The Two blobs of Energy formed into Two separate entities. My screaming was but an Echo.. ****This will be told in Third person for a bit**** As the Light Green Energy formed into a body, as did the Black and Green. On one side stood Hazama still with his hat, looking confused. On the other was Terumi, with a Yellow cloak covering his head, eye's gleaming with malicious intent. Terumi gazed at Hazama with utter rage in his eyes, as a Black blob formed around his feet. His shadow erupted from the ground, and out came Nightmare. Now in a fully solid body of her own. "My, my, How I've missed my own body.. Nightmare crooned to herself as she stretched. "The fuck did you do? I feel like I did when we first got here!" Terumi called to Hazama. "Listen, I've got no idea what's going on, but.. I don't really remember a whole lot." Terumi seemed to smile at Hazama's outburst. "So you don't remember anything? That's fucking priceless!" Terumi laughed out. "As it stands now, I'm pretty sure I can kill you now!" He yelled as he charged at Hazama. He blinked in confusion when Hazama disappeared only to re-appear on his right and kick him with an Energy infused kick. "Oi! I don't know what the hell's going on, but you should calm down before you get yourself hurt." Hazama mocked lightly. Terumi looked confused. He turned to Discord, who was munching on popcorn, and glared at him. "The hell did you do?!" He asked as he stood back up. "Oh? I simply saved your life. What else do you think I did?" Discord asked with a smile. "Don't play with me! He's different and not acting the same. What did you do?" Terumi calmed slightly, as he watched Hazama look around, with a small smile on his face. "I simply split your mind from the combined body. The strain was too much for the current mind, so it reverted to whatever was originally there." Discord shrugged lightly. Terumi's eyes widened. "So your saying, that's actually Hazama? He asked, a slight anger in his voice. "I am right here, you know? It's impolite to talk about somebody who's right next to you!" Hazama launched another kick, this time it was blocked by Terumi, who had a snarl on his face. He threw Hazama away like a paper ball, watching him jump from the ground mid roll with flexibility his 'other' didn't have before. "He's not the same! I wanted to beat the Pansy, not him!" Terumi was legitimately pissed off. "Hazama!" Luna's cry was heard. "Dearest! Nightmare's was also heard. When both looked to their respective Mares, they were surprised in the urgency on their faces. "Your hand!" They both called out. Terumi looked at his hand, and noted that his fingers were dissolving into the mist that made up his Ghost form. I noticed the look of wonder on Hazama's face as well. "Oh? It seems you Two are truly inseparable after all. I do fear that you will fade away.. How sad, gotta go!" His change in demeanor was instant as he seemed to just 'Pop' away with a snap of his claw. "Hazama, are you okay?" Luna asked while approaching him. "Hmm? I'm fine, aside from my hand disappearing." He said in a passive tone. However, when she went to hug him, she was met with a wave of Energy to the face. "Hazama!" Celestia called out. rushing up to him as well. "Why?!" "Its no use!" Terumi was seething. Energy crackling around him. "Now we're gonna die anyway, and its all that stupid Things fault!" Terumi started walking towards where the scenery started to change into random objects in the distance. "Stay here Nightmare, keep the Idiot safe.. I need him alive to kill him later!" Terumi disappeared in a crack of sound and Energy. Everypony was silent, as everything sunk in. Nightmare suddenly turned to Hazama, then looked to Luna and Celestia. "What did dearest mean when he said 'Gonna die anyway'?" She looked a bit agitated. "Yes." Luna also spoke up standing on the other side of Celestia. "I too wish to know what he meant, and I get the feeling you know!" Celestia stood fast however and jumped into the air via balcony. "No time for that now! We must get the Elements to their holders!" She called to the Two. Both Nightmare and Luna looked at each other, then to Hazama. "Truce?" Luna asked. "Just until our beloveds are safe" Nightmare said, as she nodded her head. They looked for Hazama, only to see him flying through the air after Celestia. "I'll just follow you till you tell me what's going on then." He called to Celestia. The Two Night Princesses looked at each other with a deadpan expression before they flew into the air. ----At The Tree of Harmony---- Celestia all but broke the doors down on her way into the room with the Tree of Harmony. When she went to grab the Elements, that were in a box hiding in the tree, she felt something smack into her. She was suddenly pulled away from the tree, and the force got her to plop unceremoniously onto the ground. When she opened her eyes she was greeted with the sight of Hazama. He had one eye cracked open, showing that he was rather serious. What really got Celestia was the fact that the eye she saw was only a dull Yellow instead of the Golden that she had seen just an hour ago while he was begging. "Ya know, I'm getting rather tired of following you around." He flexed his not faded hand, and a Green chain dropped from his sleeve. "I would really appreciate it if you just answered my questions.. Before I kill you." Celestia's eyes widened instantly. The Hazama she knew would have never threatened her! This must be what Terumi meant when he said that Hazama was different. Something must have happed.. Maybe he lost his memory? No, she heard Discord say that his mind went back to the 'Original'. maybe since Hazama wasn't from this planet, even his form got changed. That would make for an interesting discussion . She shook her head, and stood up, all of five feet from Hazama. She puffed out her wings and glared at him. "Your questions will be answered in due time, for now, we must handle Discord." She stated evenly. Hazama sighed, as he looked to the Tree of Harmony. "I may be a patient guy, but even that has its limit. And I'd say that when my body starts disappearing before my eyes and I have no say in the matter.. well that seems like something I should address.". He shook his head, and put a hand to his temple. "Something about all this feels weird.." He muttered to himself. "Hazama!" Luna called out as she ran into the room followed by Nightmare. His eyebrow lifted slightly, probably from irritation if his sigh was anything to go by. In a flash of movement he was behind Celestia, holding his chain to her neck. The Energy wafting off it was nipping at her neck. Celestia's eyes widened in both shock and curiosity. "Hmm? That's odd.." Hazama muttered. In a showed force of effort, he pushed more Energy into the chain, and pulled at it again. The only thing that accomplished was making Celestia giggle, as the Energy started to tickle her neck rather than hurting her. In confusion Hazama jumped away, and looked at the chain he was holding. "Why? Why won't my Ouroboros cut you? I've cut through steel with this before! " Hazama all b ut yelled this revelation out. "Your mind does not remember, but your body does. Do your best to help them, and they will do the same. An angelic voice called from the Tree of Harmony, it was soft. If they weren't paying attention, they might have not heard it. Hazama shook his head, then with a sigh he let his chain vanish into his sleeve again. "Well then.. If my power and that tree are on your side, then I must be as well. Sorry for the confusion." Hazama said bowing. Celestia just nodded, as she grabbed the Element, that were in a box, and started for the entrance again. "You truly don't remember a thing?" Nightmare asked Hazama as she raced behind Celestia. "I have no idea what your talking about. I just suddenly appeared in that room with you Three and that other guy." Hazama said while keeping pace, even as they all jumped into the air to fly. His Ouroboros seemed to know where to go before he himself knew.. Perhaps that voice knew something he didn't? "And you don't remember her?" Nightmare pointed at Luna. Luna looked crushed as she listened in. When Hazama looked at her, one of his eyes still cracked open, he saw the look of utter defeat on her face. Something inside him twinged, and he held a hand to his head as a pain started to creep into it. He shook off the feeling, and looked forward once again. "No, not at all." He stated, as Nightmare started to laugh. "Oh that's priceless! A thousand years spent trying to keep you away from thinking about her, and you do so just by splitting from your other half? She laughed as Hazama thought deeply about what she had said to him. They continued the rest of the trip to Ponyville in silence. ----With Terumi---- Terumi found himself wondering how something as powerful as Discord could possibly keep out of his senses. The pure Chaos he had cause in such a short time, was a blessing to Terumi. The pure Energy he was feeding off of the surrounding was making it so he couldn't feel any pain! Even though he knew that the de-stabilization process had become much faster than it was originally thought to, he felt no pain from his slowly fading arm. Judging by what he could see, he and Hazama had probably Twelve hours to merge, or they would disappear forever. "Quite the mess hmm?" The sound of Discord voice was enough to startle Terumi from whatever thoughts he had. He jumped from his spot, and flipped to see Discord just floating lazily, like laying on a couch. He growled and quickly lunged towards Discord, arm blazing with Energy. Discord just yawned, as the attack met his face, and proceeded to faze through it. Terumi flipped to correct himself, and landed just feet away. "Oh you'll have to try harder than that my friend. Regular attack wont hit me, even if they 're powered by your silly magic." Discord scoffed, as he closed his eyes in boredom. Terumi relaxed a bit at the sight, then a feral smirk fell on his face. "Normal huh? Ok.." He relaxed his position even more, falling into a stance that Hazama would normally take. But that's where the similarities end, as Dark Green energy swirled around him, and bolts of Black and Green energy shot from all around him. The effect stayed as a constant as he got ready to attack. "Naitomea Rīpā" Terumi muttered, activating his Overdrive. His attacks were now far from 'normal'. Discord wouldn't be underestimating him soon.. He charged forward covering himself in his own Dark Green aura. The mass of energy soom formed into the usual snake, and continued it charge . "Jakyou Messenga!" The wave of Energy that held Terumi swept through the area that Discord was sitting, causing him to look confused at the sizzling burn mark on his side. While he was staring at it, he failed to notice the blur of Energy coming back and it beaned him in the back. This caused a yelp of surprise from the amalgamation of animals. Terumi stopped his advance, and cracked his neck with his non-fading hand-erm.. Arm? He laughed as Discord floated back to the ground, after patting the small green fire on his back out. "Oh? I wasn't expecting this.. How can you touch me?" Discord seemed very confused. Terumi only chuckled, as he used an Ouroboros to fly right up to Discord. "You'll see.. Now do me a favor, and Die!" Terumi called out with his face twisted in a vicious snarl. "Gouga Soutenjin!" Terumi back-kicks Discord, landing the hit on his jaw. Summoning some of his signature Serpentine Spirits and launching them in an arc from the ground. The Green Energy snakes plow into Discord's stomach. A look of pain on his face as he gets raised violently into the air. Suddenly a powerful Green coated Axe kick brings him digging into the ground faster than Discord can blink. Terumi lands softly, spinning his Balisong Knife in his hand ready to continue the fight. "You know, its been a long time since I've had a good fight. I cant use my full power on the idiot or he learns too fast. You? I can beat to a pulp, and you'll still get up, wont you?" He smirked as he saw Discord's body through the dust. With a 'snap' the dust cleared, and an annoyed looking Discord just floated there. Not a scratch on him. "Is that all? I hope your more fun than that. As a fellow Chaos user, you must understand.." He snapped his fingers and in an instant he had Terumi by the neck. "Boredom can lead to death." Discord finished, sounding eerily dark compared to earlier. A sinister smirk made its way to Terumi's face. "Heh.. Wanna try your luck?" As a sword made of Pure Green Energy formed in Terumi's remaining hand. A crazed smile on his face, as Discord only raised an eyebrow. ----With the Mane 6---- The Four landed in Ponyville and looked around. They could see the Chaos magic wreaking havoc on the town. Storm clouds that rained cats, houses that were alive and eating ponies, even tree's that were floating mid-air. "Princess! Hazama!" Came a voice from behind them. As Nightmare, Luna and Celestia turned around Hazama felt a strange feeling. Almost like something bad was going to happen. It sent a shiver down his spine. He turned to see a Purple blur bounce into him. He caught the thing, and it was revealed to be a Purple Unicorn mare. "Hazama, I'm so glad your here!" The pony seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Twilight! Not now! We must gather the other Elements!" Celestia called out. Twilight seemed to gather herself, and jump from Hazama's grip. "There is much to discuss when we do!" "But Princess-" Twilight interrupted Celestia. "-My friends are all at the Library-" Twilight was also interrupted by Luna, she popped up from nowhere. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" She seemed frantic, and suddenly teleported the Three to the Library. Celestia and Nightmare not far behind. When they got there, they were greeted by the Element Holders. "Princess! What in tarnation's going on out there?" Applejack was the first to speak. While the situation was being described Hazama found himself leaning on a wall away from everybody else. That twinge in his head was back, and he needed to see if he could get it to go away. He was disturbed by a pink pony, Pinkie if he remembered from his off hand listening to the conversation. "Hazie? You okay?" Pinkie seemed to be a bit afraid. Hazama quirked an eyebrow, his eye opening slightly as well. "I'm fine, thank you." He tried to say as gentle as possible. He didn't do well enough, since Pinkie jumped back, eye's wide in horror. "W-what happened? Why are.. Who are you? What have you done with Hazama!?" Pinkie went from worried to angry in the span of a second. She was suddenly in Hazama's face looking quite agitated about something. That's it. This mare is crazy. "Easy Pinkie." Luna's voice rang out softly. catching everyponies attention. "There was an.. Accident when Discord first appeared. He split Hazama and Terumi apart." A collective gasp was heard and she had Hazama's full attention. But before anypony could ask a question, she continued. "We believe that the strain of splitting the Two apart caused a mental backlash. He is either a different person entirely or has severe amnesia." She seemed a bit down. "Wait, that other guy, who I kicked.. was Terumi? Yuki Terumi? " Hazama asked, seemingly scared. "Yes" Luna seemed skeptical. "You Two had fought before, you always kept him at bay in your mind. You truly do not remember?" Luna asked, confused. "Lady.. I'm gonna need you to give me as much information on me as you can, as quickly as you can." To re-iterate his point, he held up his now fading left arm. "I'm sorta runnin' out of time here." Hazama sighed. Luna looked to Celestia, who was now giving out the Elements to their holders. Celestia paused, and nodded to her sister. They needed Hazama, and if taking a few minutes to explain thing will help, then they must. Luna started explaining to Hazama everything that has happened from the first time they met. ----With Terumi---- "Haha! You having fun yet?!" Called out Terumi as he sort of floated on the air. His power still erupting from him, in fact, it was even stronger. He noticed Discord sitting in the rubble of his last attack, looking a little worse for wear but not much. Discord floated up a bit, brushing some dirt from himself and zoomed up to Terumi. "I hope you know, that this fight is only delaying the outcome." He smirked a bit. "By yourself you cant hope to defeat me. Your too weak." He goaded Terumi. At the taunt Terumi did as expected, and flew down towards Discord. "You have no idea how strong I am!" Terumi cocked his arm back, and launched Two separate Ouroboros at Discord. Both wrapped around him, holding the Chaos god in place as he dived towards him. He summoned another Two Spirits that also swirled around Discord, and connected like bullets at his center. Causing a massive explosion to rock the surrounding area. Terumi suddenly found himself falling to the ground. His Energy aura dissipating. The blast subsided the same time Terumi landed in a crouch on the ground, panting. He felt drained, and he grit his teeth when he looked to see Discord floating in front of him with a smile. "Weak." He said simply, as he summoned a blast of Chaos magic in his hand and aimed it at Terumi. However, Terumi grinned another feral grin as he laughed. "If I'm out of power, then I'll take yours!" He called out as he wrapped his Ouroboros around Discord again. This time, instead of Spirits, he simply wrapped himself around Discord in almost a hug. "Jabaku Fuuenjin!" He called out as he pumped his own Green Energy into Discord as he stole Discords own. The difference was staggering. He had so much more than him, but the pure density was overwhelming for Discord. He let out a scream as Terumi only Laughed manically. ----With Hazama---- Hazama felt the bad feeling again, and instantly stood from his sitting position. The Element were ready to go, and they had just finished taking in the information. "We need to go, now!" He said as he started pushing everyone together. "Whats wrong Hazama?" Celestia asked, worried for the man, as his arm was now gone and his shoulder was now starting to fade into Green mist. "He's in trouble, I can feel it!" He called out. "Remember the plan. Let me keep his attention off of you, and strike when possible." All the mares in the room nodded, as Celestia and Luna charged up their horns. "Be careful, Hazama.." Luna all but whispered into his ear. "I will." ----The Battleground---- They arrived just in time to see an explosion of White overtake a similar Green one. Terumi was seen flying through the air, as they looked to Discord. "Such a waste of talent." Discord said. Hazama helped Terumi land, and get to his feet. "Jeeze, you look like crap." Hazama chided. "Lets see you look any better after fighting him for over an hour.." Terumi grumbled. He looked to Hazama and sighed. "Your still not normal huh? Can you fight?" he asked him. "Yeah, I'ld say I can. We've got a plan, just follow my lead." Hazama said as he put his hand in his pocket. Terumi paused a bit, then broke out in a laugh. "Even when your not you, you still have plans for everything!" He wiped a fake tear from his eye, as he stood next to Hazama. "Well, lets do this!" He hollered out as he charged once again, his aura from before taking shape again. Hazama chuckled to himself, as he himself readied up. A light Green energy wrapped around him, forming his own aura as he jumped behind Terumi "Yorumungando" Hazama called out the name of his Overdrive. The Two of them versus a god of Chaos.. What could happen? Well, when Discord started by snapping his fingers and a wall of Styrofoam appeared in front of them, they knew something was up. They blew through the wall, only to see a giant bear made of stars.. Hazama used a quick maneuver of Ouroboros to get around it, as Terumi swore out loud as he flew right into it. Hazama flipped around and latched another Ouroboros onto the Bear. He grinned as he started his flurry of attacks. Using his superior speed to his advantage, he landed countless blows, finishing with a simple Energy powered back-kick. "Rassenga!" He called out, as the bear started to fall. Suddenly Terumi burst from the thing chest on the other side, twirling like a mad-man with his Knife In hand. He had diced his way through the bears chest cavity. They both used the carcass to jump farther into the air, towards a slightly surprised Discord. "Really? You guys think you can fight me?" He laughed at them. Terumi looked to Hazama, and they both nodded. Their aura's flaring as Hazama latched an Ouroboros to Terumi, and swung him into Discord. Terumi chuckled as he threw Discord into the ground with a powered up throw. Then proceeded to land a few feet away from him. "Not fight, destroy. I'm done playing games!" Terumi yelled. He flung out his arm and an Ouroboros landed in a circle around Discord. Another circle appeared behind Discord as Green snakes poured out from the now Red portal behind him. They all hit him causing him to fumble while Terumi was laughing manically, his aura getting bigger. Suddenly in a flash of Black, a figure stood where Terumi just stood, still laughing, Terumi called out. "Orochizanto Reppuga!" And in a blinding flash of Green, a mighty explosion rocked the are again. Causing Everypony to cover their faces. When the dust cleared, Terumi was panting hard, while Discord was now stumbling to stand up. "You! How dare you!" Discord was interrupted by a sound from behind him. He looked over and saw that Hazama had landed behind him as well, aura still as strong as ever. "No!" "Yup! Senkon Meiraku!" A barrage of Ouroboros erupted from the ground around Discord. Hazama chuckled, as the number increased, and a rather large Green snake forms and bites Discord. Hazama then erupts into an explosion himself, leveling just as much as Terumi did with his own. The Two stood, with baited breath. Waiting for Discord to show his face. They froze, as Discord laughed through the smoke. "You think that was funny?! I'll show you funny! I'll make you both into statues! That's funny right?!" Discord seemed to have lost it.. And a leg in the explosion. He was livid, but he stopped suddenly when he realized that the Two in front of him were chuckling. "What's so funny?" He asked, mildly annoyed. They simply pointed behind him. When he looked over his shoulder, he paled a bit. "Eeep!" As a blast of Rainbow Magic erupted over his form, making him a stone statue instead. The Two high fived, and suddenly started to glow. "Ah Christ, that was fast.." Terumi looked to Nightmare, to see that she was being dragged into this as well. "It seems that whatever magic Discord did is being undone. That includes our apparent separation." Hazama looked around before shrugging. "Oh well, what can you do.." He shrugged. "...I fucking hate you." Terumi deadpanned. In a flash of light stood just Hazama, hat not at all messed up like before. He even looked.. healthy? How did that happen? "W-What?" I asked in confusion, as A Blue blur, a Pink blur and a Purple blur, all slammed me to the ground. "The heck did I miss?" I asked, confused. > Normal? Probably Not > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sat there looking around in confusion. The air had a tension in it that I didn't really like. Feeling a nudge on my head, I chuckled as I plucked Pinkie from my head. I then proceeded to tickle her a bit, to get her to laugh. As we all know, when Pinkie laughs, Everypony laughs. The light giggle from her was enough for me at the moment, as I looked her in the eyes. "So what's up Pinks? Why did you, Luna and Twi all tackle me to the ground?" I asked her, then looked to the others. Luna had her head resting in my neck breathing deeply and Twilight was sitting in my lap, looking at me with a mix of confusion and awe. "You.. Don't remember anything?" Twilight asked me, a bit of worry in her voice. It was Luna's turn next, as she dislodged her head from my shoulder. "You had Amnesia, you didn't remember any of us." She looked so sad. I was about to console her, until Celestia took the stage. "I don't believe that's the case." She walked over to me and sat down in front of us. Her eyes had an unknown feel to her gaze. "When Discord split you into separate bodies, and realized that you would still disappeared, Terumi asked him what happened to you.." Ok, she had my full attention now. "Discord told him that the train on your mind was too much and it reverted to 'The Original' version. What did he mean?" Her stare was like fire. But I didn't care, I seemed to faze out for a second. ----The Mindscape---- I had reverted? Like, all the way back to the real Hazama? I suppressed a shiver, I didn't even know that was possible. "Tell me about it!" Called out Terumi from behind me, causing me to turn around. "You were so god damn annoying!" "Oh? Jesus, this is awkward. How the hell do I explain all this to them? " I asked Terumi. "The fuck should I know? I don't even care, as long as we don't die!" He paused for a second. Then, like a light came on, he asked quickly. "Hey, speaking of which, what happened?" He seemed only confused.. Ooh, how I wish that wouldn't change.. "I'm guessing my Failsafe is what saved us.." I muttered. "..What?" Terumi seemed to get a bit agitated.. well, it was good having him not yell for a minute. "Well, I had another spell on the Crystal. Simple as that." I said bluntly. "What did you do? How did you know?" He was almost growling, like he knew my answer already. "Ok! Listen, it wasn't designed to do what it did, but I'm glad it worked. I made the Failsafe so that should you ever gain the power to split from me, It would reform us, no questions asked. Now, this wasn't because I didn't trust you.." I could literally feel Terumi about to blow. "I didn't trust this world.." And like that his anger smoldered. "I've seen some powerful stuff in my time here. I had even read about Discord once or twice, so I knew someday, somehow, something stupid was going to happen to split us up. Apparently the Crystal couldn't do it without a source of power, which is obvious. What I find convenient, was that since I had the Crystal when we split, when Discord went away he cause us to do a quick re-form. Normally this would have caused more harm than good and we would have most likely died. But my Failsafe caught the gaps and helped us fully combine again." I explained. "...Nerd." Terumi scoffed. But he seemed at least a little bit happy. "Hmm.. I'll take that over Pansy any day!" I laughed. Terumi let out a small chuckle. It seems we're finally out of the 'Danger Zone', so to speak. I was about to stop the conversation when Terumi interrupted me. "Thanks.." He muttered, almost afraid he would be heard. "For?" I asked with a smirk. "For not letting us fade away.. You could have easily let us die, and saved your own hide. Instead you focused on saving all of us." He seemed.. Happy.. Weirdo. I cracked a smile, and turned away from him. "Of course! There's no fun without you here!" I looked back to see his smile, but I froze.. "So Dearest.. What's this I hear about you dying?" Nightmare was standing right next to Terumi. She looked pissed, and ready to kill! Nope! "K bye!" I said as I faded out quickly. "All of my hate!" I heard Terumi roar out in anger. ----The Battle Site---- I re-focused on my surroundings and noticed that Every single pony was staring at me. Some even looked angry. Right! Explaining! I should do that.. "Sorry about that, I needed a quick word with Terumi. What was the question again?" Yup, stalling for time.. "I asked about this 'Original Hazama' That Discord mentioned. So please, explain." Celestia looked rather impatient. I looked around, noting that they all looked quite unhappy at the thought. I sighed out loud.. This was going to be a pain. "Well then!" I said as I clapped my hands. I then proceeded to sit on the ground. Everypony looked at me like I was crazy. "What? Its a moderately long story, and I'm tired!" I whined. from that statement alone I got a few gears to turn. "Ok, so lets start with the basics shall we? In my old world we had these thing s called Anime, that were run on things called Televisions. Basically a Television is something that plays hundreds of images in a row faster than you can think, to make a moving picture. Anime is what I would describe as a moving comic book, playing its story over a course of time to make you want to watch them." By this point alone, I had Three different reactions. The first was Twilight and surprisingly, Rainbow, as they both had stars in their eyes. The Second was interesting, as Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy had dulled down looks of shock on their faces, probably not big readers. The best, and final reaction was the stunned look on both Celestia and Luna's faces. "Well, now we get into the better part. Humans, That's what I am by the way.. Completely forgot about that.." I rubbed my nose at my idiocy. "Humans who really like Anime, will find themselves dressing up as a character on their favorite one. Mine just happened to be 'Hazama' From an anime called BlazBlue." A look of shock was now locked onto Celestia's face, and Luna just scooted closer to me, her Hoof on my lap. "The humans who dress up like so go to big Parties called Conventions!" I said extra loud. I got the attention of the Pink blob that had balled up in my lap. She jumped up with an excited face, that told of the many questions I would be asked later. I chuckled as I scratched her chin, her eyes closed as she lay back down, a content sigh escaping her lips. "It was during one of those Conventions that I realized I was missing a vital part of my costume. My hat. I was desperate to find one that matched my costume, so I was quite ecstatic when I did. I bought the hat the instant I saw it, but was unprepared for the real cost. The man I bought it from gave subtle hints now that I think about it. But regardless, I found myself sucked into a Void-like portal, that transported me here, to Equestria. One of the first things I noticed? I wasn't in my old body, instead I now have the body of the guy I was dressed as. I'm glad I knew almost everything about the guy beforehand, otherwise I would have been screwed.. And all of Two days later I found Luna and Celestia and well, I guess the rest is legitimately history now." I finished with sigh. I felt it. The pity. The sadness. Damnit Terumi I hate your abilities! This is why I never tell anyone my secrets. Pity.. Is the worst! "Come now, Everything's fine now." I tried to get the mood up. It worked a bit, as Applejack smiled a bit. "He ain't lyin'." She said with a small chuckle. Her chuckle spread to Rainbow, and of course, Pinkie. I had to move the Pink devil away, before this position got awkward with all her moving. Before long, almost Everypony was back in a good mood. I mean 'almost' because even though she was smiling, Celestia was clearly only keeping her own feeling under wraps. Luna however.. No issue there. She hadn't moved an inch since I'd stopped talking, seemingly in a daze. I felt her hoof leave my leg and find its way to my face. She gently forced my head towards her. "This is not how you truly look?" She asked, her face full of emotion. The most prominent one was sadness. Oh god. I never thought of that. "Listen, Luna. I'm sorry I never told you. I just never thought it would ever be brought up. I live here now, even if I did want to go home, a Thousand years has gone by. I doubt anything I knew would still be there. I'm happy with how my life turned up here." I moved my own hand to her cheek. "And I'm glad I got to know you." She gave a small sigh, as she pushed her head into my hand further. I moved in and gave her a small peck. She seemed to get my un-needed message, and did a small peck back to me. I smiled a genuine smile for what must have been the Third time in my entire time in Equestria. With how much I grin, I might need to pay attention to that. "Ooh! I like your smile! This one seems more happy!" Pinkie said, gaining my attention. She was sitting there, watching me and Luna. Surprisingly, she seemed a little more.. dulled down? That's what I'm going with. She looked a bit scared? I couldn't properly read her emotions since she had about Seven of them bouncing around in her head. "Um.. Well, I just wanted to say.. That you look good when you smile." Pinkie said in a small voice, while gently padding the ground with a hoof. She looked like she was waiting for an answer.. Oh right.. I had forgotten that this was a potential issue. I guess its do or die time! Inner debate time! Do I like Pinkie? -Yes- Do I like how Pinkie acts? -Hell yeah!- Do I find Pinkie Cute, Funny or Adorable? -All of the above? Is that an answer?- Would Luna be okay with it? -Already know the answer to this..- Final question: Do you see yourself having a good relationship with Pinkie? -How is this a question?! Welp, That was a lot easier than I thought. I turned to Luna with a small smile on my face. A quick look of shock appeared on her face as I did so. I nodded and then made a motion with my head pointing to Pinkie. Luna's eyes widened even more, but softened considerably. She nodded with a smile. I looked at Pinkie, who had a look of confusion on her face. "What?" She asked, almost deflated, her hair seemed to lose some of its puffy luster. "Welcome to the group, Pinks." I said as I leaned down and pecked her lips with my own. Her eyes widened and she seemed to sputter out nonsense. I was a bit taken back when she bolted into me like a rocket and Nuzzled my neck affectionately. "Yaaay! Thanks Hazie! Thanks Princess! I'll be the best Marefriend I can be! I swear!" She was a bit muffled from the nuzzling but the point was made. I was about to say something about the whole tackling thing, but Luna beat me to the talking bit. "Pinkie, you can call me Luna now." She stated simply, while nuzzling the other side of my neck. The sudden action made my breath hitch slightly. I had gotten used to One nuzzle, but both side of my neck was a feeling I doubt I'll ever forget. The softness of their fur, and the warmth they exuded.. I'll admit, my eyes went a bit hazy for a second. "Oh? Well I guess that's our cue to leave for now." Luna said as she backed up slightly. She bopped me on the nose and broke me out of my trance. I heard Pinkie giggling like a school filly, and brought my attention back to the world around us. I chuckled lightly as I said my goodbyes. Soon we were teleported to Luna's room in Canterlot. Pinkie sat on the bed looking around the room in earnest. I waited for Luna to say something. I knew that since she had taken us here, it was for One of Two reasons. The first is out of the question with Pinkie here, at least, for now. The second was simply that she wanted to talk in private. "I have one question for you, and I want you to answer honestly." She looked me dead in the eyes. I have a very bad feeling about this.. "What is it?" I asked, while sitting on the edge of the bed. "When you were split from Terumi, he said somethin when you both started fading away." Ow! The feeling just became a sharp pain all of a sudden. Like something really.. Really stupid happened. "What did he say?" My voice was small, almost a whisper. Luna got closer to me, her face inches from mine. "Why didn't you tell me you were dying?" She stated flatly. My eyes widened, and I swear my heart stopped for a full Thirty seconds. How?! Why?! Terumi!! "Fuck... You..." I faintly hear Terumi through our link. *Smack!* The link went to fuzz. Great, I'm dead. "Why?" I looked at Luna and saw that she was tearing up slightly. My heart broke. I sighed internally. Even when I try to help I fuck everything up. "I'm sorry Luna.." I wrapped her in a hug. "I'm all better now, I only wanted you to not worry. If all my plans didn't work out then I most certainly would have told you." A small white lie never hurt nobody. "No.. You wouldn't.." Pinkie said from behind me. My eyes widened as she made Luna move and Pinkie filled my field of vision. She shared a quick glance at Luna and proceeded with whatever plan she had. She looked me right in the eyes. "Lies only drive ponies apart. I don't want to see that happen. I want you to Pinkie promise, that you will never lie to any of your Marefriends." I looked at her in confusion. They didn't have pinky fingers, so how was this going to happen? I assumed she meant some other kind of promise and nodded my head. This causes Luna to let out a small chuckle. "Okay, now do as I do, and say what I say." Pinkie looked furiously into my eyes unblinking, looking for some error in my soul or something. "I swear to never lie to any of my Marefriends from this day forward, till the day I die!" Pinkie said, and waited for me to repeat. "I swear to never lie to any of my Marefriends from this day forward, till the day I die." I stated, as evenly as I could, so no audible mistakes were made. This could be a form of magic or something, and I don't need something coming after me because I worded something wrong! "Cross my heart!" She crossed her hoof over where her heart would be. "Cross my heart." I continued. "Hope to fly, Stick a cupcake in your eye!" She ended it by shoving her hoof into her eye.. That looked painful. "Hope to fly, Stick a cupcake in your eye." I took my fist and punched my own eye. I heard Luna hiss at the action. Pinkie was still in my face, she moved even closer, scrunching her nose against mine, while squinting her eyes menacingly. "Nopony. Breaks. A Pinkie Promise!" She said sternly. I gulped and nodded my head readily. She sighed and backed off my face a bit, then proceeded to push me back onto the bed. She lay on top of me and closed her eyes. "You can take me and Lunie on a date tomorrow. I'm tired." She said as she Yawned cutly. Luna twitched slightly at the nickname, but just crawled into bed next to me, an equally cute yawn escaping her as well. I was surprised when they both leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good night Hazama." They both said in my ear. A smile erupted onto my face as I relaxed and started to doze off myself. Hmm.. I could get used to this. > Morning of New Beginings > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I couldn't move. I wouldn't move. If one were to look at the picture before me, they would either laugh or do one of those 'D'awww' things that the ponies do. Lets recap shall we? I had Pinkie, who fell asleep on top of me mind you. She had moved up my chest and now rested her head on one side of it, right under my chin. On the other side, was Luna. She had somehow curled around Pinkie, resting her own head on the other side of my chest. Their faces a mere inch apart. I'll have you know, that waking up to that sight was quite the shock, let alone the fact that I didn't want to wake them up. Pinkie even had her tongue lolling out while she was snoring lightly. On the other hand, Luna was constantly fidgeting in her dream, and even mumbled out cute things. "Mrr.. Play that table.." My eyebrow rose.. What the hell is she dreaming about? ... Suddenly a dastardly smirk was on my face, as an idea poked its ugly head around. I leaned in as close as I could without moving too much and whispered in Luna's ear. "But, your table is better." I whispered. A look of mock anger shot onto her face. "No.. That one is yours.. Mine.." She said with a fake growl, as she took her forelegs and wrapped me in a deep hug. Like she was protecting something. "Yeah, its.. hers.." I heard another mumble, and my smirk grew. I looked to Pinkie and she was inching closer to Luna, reaching out for what looked like a hug. In the instant she made contact with Luna, Luna grabbed her and held her tightly. They now held each other in what looked to be a very Intimate position. If they had their eyes open they would be looking into each others. Pinkie was even nuzzling Luna gently. The fact that they were still both on top of me was still a slight issue. However, my real issue came in the form of a White Alicorn that just appeared in a flash of Golden light. "*Snicker*" She held back her laugh, with a hoof. My heart froze for a second. "Don't-" I tried to beg. "Aaah Haha! Oh that's priceless! Oh how I wish I had a Camera-pony with me!" Celestia laughed hysterically. Her laughing, of course, roused the other Two. Gently, with a flutter of eyelashes, Luna woke up and let out a yawn that ended with a small squeak. She lifted a hoof to her eyes and rubbed at them for a second. When she opened them again, all she saw was me, and Pinkie. The later looked happy about something. "Pinkie?" Luna asked, still a little groggy. Pinkie, who for some reason was now wide awake, nodded her head viciously, and smirked. "You sure are warm Lunie." Pinkie said, while finishing with a full blown nuzzle with Luna. Said pony now had a deadpan look on her face as she looked at my smirk as well. She gently lifted Pinkie off me and rolled off me as well, allowing me to sit up. I proceeded to grab Pinkie and Luna and bring them both in a big hug. Ending it with a kiss for Luna and a peck on the cheek for Pinkie. Luna sighed and turned to me. "This is going to be normal from the Two of you isn't it?" She asked. I looked to Pinkie as she flipped off the bed and landed on Two legs, I followed and landed in a crouch behind her holding her up with one hand on her back, a hand showing the 'V' sign, and my smirk. "It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't!" We shouted at the same time. Pinkie immediately rolled onto the ground in a laughing fin, as I chuckled as well. Our antics causing Luna to just smile, and Celestia to chuckle. When pinkie stood up from her rolling, she thrust out a hoof, which was met with my open palm for a 'High Hoof' as they call it. "Perfect!" She said with a smile. "It was like spent all night practicing it or something!" I chuckled. "Yes, I don't think we'll be topping that anytime soon." I said while ruffling up Pinkie's mane. I felt a twitch go through her body, and her tail moved around rapidly as well as a few other things as she spazzed out for a second. "Ooh, New pony in Ponyville! Gotta go say Hi and make a new friend, see you tonight!" She blurted out before disappearing from both sight and my senses in a puff of Pinkie shaped smoke. "Well then, that was a fun little wake up call. Did you need something sister?" :Luna asked Celestia. Oh, that right. She just kind of came in un-announced. Celestia seemed to be a bit flustered, as her horn lit up causing a tray to float in through the door. A tray holding cups and a steaming pot of, what I could only assume was, tea. "I.. had something I wanted to talk to you about. Alone." She seemed adamant on that part. Oh Oh! I'm pretty sure I know what this is about, if my memory is correct. I jumped into a standing position, slightly crouched as always, and slinked over to the door. As I left the room and went to close the door, I stopped the door just inches from closing, and looked to Luna. She was waiting for me to close the door so she was confused when I didn't. I shot her a quick thumbs up and a wink. Yeah.. That should send the right message. Luna looked at the door in confusion until her sister started talking. ----Hazama---- A few minutes later I found myself in the kitchen.. It was empty, surprisingly. Probably since breakfast was served almost Two hours ago. I shrugged and just went about making my own breakfast. I thought about it.. And decided to make enough for about Three. If I have one thing I still have from my old life, it was my ability to cook. I started to grab the ingredients I needed and went to work. "Since when can you cook?" Terumi asked. "Ho? Your alive? And always, just never had the chance to." I retorted, turning on the heat to the stove, and prepping the oven. "Yeah, still hate you by the way. And you've never even mentioned it before now!" Terumi countered. "If memory serves you Two were sworn enemies. It's not common to talk about life leisure's in death battles you know." Nightmare seemed a bit too happy to interject. "Yeah but-" Terumi tried. "Oh! Nightmare, good to hear from you. How are you feeling? That whole body split thing must have really sucked.. I'm sorry." There was a slight pause in the conversation. "The hell are you apologizing for?" He almost growled at me. "Indead it did 'suck' but I am glad you asked. I am fine, at least somepony asked me." She seemed a bit huffy towards Terumi. I shrugged, and continued sautéing what was in my pan, while checking the oven. "Really? I said I was sorry! There was so much going on that I didn't even think to ask that!" Terumi.. whined? The hell was wrong with him? "Hmph, sometimes I wonder if I chose the right side." I could feel Nightmare giving Terumi the cold shoulder. Did.. Did I start a couple's argument? Aah shit, I don't have Popcorn! "Ah, come on babe, you know Evil is the way to go" I could feel Terumi's tension. I pushed in my final product into the oven and let it sit for a few minutes to crisp up. I started to grab the ingredients for the second course. "Hmph, is that the best you can come up with?" Nightmare snorted out in anger. "You do realize, that all we need to do is get out of here is..." For the next few minute all I heard was whispers. I continued making the rest of the second course in that time, taking out my first course as well. I lowered the temperature of the oven to a smaller scale, a mere 80 degree's, and left it to cool for a bit. I went to make the appetizer, collecting the items I need for that as well. While dicing them up, Nightmare spoke up. "Oh that's brilliant!" Nightmare purred. I heard Terumi chuckle to himself. "Your damn right it is! I don't need no soft heart to be strong." Terumi called out in amusement. I laughed on the inside. That line had been the downfall to many a man. "Soft heart huh?" Nightmare said softly. "So you don't think being in a relationship deserves any heart huh? Oh? That was new, I didn't think she would be so literal. "What?" Terumi sounded just as confused. "Hmph!" Nightmare seemed to have enough of the current topic and started to fade from the conversation. "Wait! What the hell are you talking ab-*Smack* Bitch!" Terumi hissed out. I felt his eyes widen at his accidental outburst. "No wait! *SMASH*" ...And the link went dead again. I chuckled, those Two would make great friends if they weren't constantly trying to get free/kill me, and trying to rule the whole world. The day I fully trust the words they say to me, is the day I take a close look at a Guillotine. I checked the clock on the wall. It had only been Forty-Five minutes, but they should be close to done. After putting the warm trays into the oven to stay hot, and the cold one in the fridge, I washed my hands and went upstairs to get the Two. ----With Luna and Celestia---- "So what was it you needed to talk about?" Luna asked, still confused about Hazama's actions in the doorway. She looked to Celestia who was pouring the tea with her magic, yet fidgeting like a School-Filly. "Well, I've had some time to think on it, and as such, I would like to talk to you about.. Hazama" She said, a small blush showing through her White fur. Immediately Luna's eyes flashed with understanding, and a tiny, hardly noticeable smirk appeared on her face. "Ah, And what is it you wish to talk about?" Luna asked her, her knowing grin now visible. Celestia took a small sip of tea to calm her nerves. "Please sister, don't play games with this, it's important." Celestia seemed desperate. Luna put a hoof on her sisters own in comfort. "Ask away Tia." Celestia looked into her sisters eyes and took a deep breath. "After witnessing you Two together, I realized how much I've missed the physical contact, among other things, of a relationship. I know that Hazama is yours, and by our Old Law we are supposed to share, it didn't seem right to abuse that. But he seems so caring for you, and I've seen what he will go through for you. It makes my heartbeat rise when I think of somepony doing those things for me. I tried thinking of ways around it, but anypony I could think of would say no because I'm their Princess. I know that Hazama would be a good choice, but I don't want you to think I was forcing myself into your Herd. I don't want Hazama to hate me for-" Celestia was silenced from her ramblings by Luna's hoof. Luna sat there with a sisterly smile on her face, as she helped her sister relax again. "He said yes" She said simply. Celestia nearly dropped her cup in surprise from the simple statement. "What?" She asked softly. "Hazama is a smart Stallion, he knew what you were coming in here for and nodded at me with a wink on the way out. His way of saying 'I know what she wants, And I agree.'. To be honest, I'm surprised he accepted you so fast, but then again, he forgave you instantly when he first got back." Luna shrugged. Celestia sat there shocked. "H-he doesn't care?" She asked softly to herself. "You know, This is something we should be talking to him about. It's only fair that the Stallion in question be here for an induction." Luna said with a smirk. Celestia's face lit up in a deep red. "We cant!" She started. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "Ladies? Breakfast is ready, I'll be waiting in the dining room." Hazama called from the other side. *Rumble...* Luna chuckled to herself embarrassedly. "Lets go eat, shall we?" Celestia said with a sigh. ----Dining Room---- I had just finished setting everything up, food included, when the Two walked down the stairs leading to the dining room. I pulled out the chair for them both individually as they came to their respective seats. Both of their eyes were wide, and their mouths were watering. On the table was a huge Veggie Omelet cut up so it can be taken in slices. It was full of Cheese, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, and even some Broccoli. All of which, except the cheese, was grilled before being thrown into the egg mix. Next to it were Three stacks of pancakes, the first was Blueberry, Luna's favorite. Next was Raspberry, Celestia's favorite. Finally, a stack of simple chocolate chip for me. Currently in front of them was a small bowl filled with a salad mix, with toppings for said salad in front of them waiting for their choice. Not bad for on the spot cooking if I do say so myself. I watched as they took to the food like starving Foals. I felt a sense of pride when they continued to eat until nothing was left, I barely had any! I barely need any to start with, so that's fine. "You need to show me the maid who cooked this, I'm letting her join the Herd. This food was amazing!" Luna said, patting her belly letting out a content sigh. "And I will give her free vacation time. That was exquisite!" Celestia wiped her face with a napkin. I couldn't help but chuckle. They seemed confused about my choice of action, as they stopped what they were doing and leaned forward. "What is it Hazama?" Luna asked. "Nothing, I just never thought you'd like my food that much." I started collecting the plates. The Two were silent. So I just proceeded to the wash area. As I washed the plates, the pans were washed earlier, I heard them a bit from the other room. "..Even washed the dishes.. You should ask.." I only heard bits and pieces from them. When I walked back into the dining room, I noticed that they were waiting for me. Luna with a smile, and Celestia unable to look at me anyway. I sit down, and address the obvious tension in the air. "So what's up?" I asked outright. Celestia who was taking another sip of juice, almost choked on the directness. Since I had looked right at her when I asked, she knew I expected her to talk. "Well, I guess.. I just wanted.." She fumbled for words a bit. I let a gentle smile show her there was no rush. "Its okay Tia, just breath." Luna said to her sister, rubbing a hoof reassuringly. "Your overthinking it again." Celestia breathed in a deep breath, and relaxed. She did so a few more times before starting again. "I wanted to know if you would accept me into your Herd." She asked with as straight a face as she could muster. I raised an eyebrow. Herd? An interesting take on the word. Nonetheless, I smile. "Sure" I said. "Ok, that's fine, I knew-" She stopped herself, her ears splayed back a bit. She looked.. Adorable. Never thought I'd ever say that about the one who sealed me away for a Thousand years. but.. Oh well. You win some you lose some. My loss was that if you think about it, it could all have been avoided if I hadn't visited Luna and released my power all that time ago. I could have tried better to have a better first impression.. "Y-you said yes?" Celestia asked, albeit shakily. Oh, right. Now's not the time to revel in past mistakes. "Of course. As I said to you before, I hold no grudges for what you did to protect your sister. If anything, I should be the one to apologize for-" I was interrupted by a White blur slamming me down. Celestia had leapt across the table and caught me in a death-hug. Tears were streaming down her face, as she shook with silent sobs. "Jeeze, if the mare wanted a god-damned boyfriend so much she should have just said so! We could have handled her." My eyebrow twitched as I heard Terumi from inside the link. "Nightmare, if you please." I asked curtly. "My pleasure.." A few crashing noises were heard accompanied by the sound of something being dragged. "How the fuck are you so strong?! *Smack* God Damnit mare! That fucking hurts!" *ROOAARR!!* A beast like roar was heard "...Eeep!" Terumi squeaked out. *Smash!* ..And the link went down again.. That will never cease to be funny. Now that the asshole is being beaten to death again, I could focus my attention on the crying mare. I ran a hand through her mane, and kissed her forehead. She immediately nuzzled my neck, and I finally heard what she was muttering. "Thank you.. Thank you!" She seemed so happy. Next thing I knew Luna was helping Celestia get up. With a rather cute hiccup, Celestia composed herself, and looked at me again. Oh. My heart just melted a bit. The warmth in those eyes combined with the deep feeling of gratitude and what I can now attest to being affection, made my heart skip a beat. So as usual, I had to break the ice. "So, you joining me, Luna and Pinkie tonight? It would be nice if you did." I asked gently. She only nodded, probably too afraid of her own words. "Right then, I guess I'll look around here and head to Ponyville to see where to take you three.." I said as I leapt from the open window, as its my favorite way to enter/exit a building. As I flew through the air with the help of my Ouroboros, I missed Luna turning to Celestia. "See? I told you, he's Very good at what he does." Her only response was a dazed look in her sister's eyes and a warm smile. A minute away, I found myself standing near the top of a tree. I had my hand in my pocket, and the other was now firmly planted on my face. "Aah shit.. I don't have any money!" I cried out. I looked to the sun, and noted that I should have about Seven hours to do this. I steeled myself. I had a lot to do in a short time. > The Surprise > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have an idea. A terrible, evil, idea. I knew what I had to do. I looked around for a restaurant that looked incredibly high strung. You know the ones where ponies sneer at anything that's not made of Silver? Yeah, one of those. I found one, and it fit the bill I needed. The name seemed quite fitting. 'The Silver Apple' From what I could see as I walked in, it was very classy. And the look on the Pony at the front counter was all I needed to know I had won. The mare in front sneered at me as I approached the counter. "Sorry sir, but we don't have any room." She said with the fakest smile on her face. I looked around and noted the lack of ponies. All of Five tables were taken up out of a possible Fourteen. "I was looking to make a reservation for tonight?" I asked politely. Before the mare could continue a stallion came into the room through a side door. By the way he was dressed, he was the proprietor of the establishment. "What's going on here?" The regal looking unicorn said looking at me with contempt. I looked at him, and continued to be polite. "I was simply looking to make a reservation for later on tonight, around Seven?" I looked to the Unicorn as he looked to the Mare then me. He shook his head, and his horn lit up as I floated into the air. He proceeded to drag me outside and dump me in the dirt. "We don't serve non-ponies here." As he walked back inside. I wasn't expecting the race card to be thrown at me, but it didn't matter. "Oh, well I guess we'll have to find another place to have dinner." I got up beginning to dust myself off, as the door started closing. Time for the bait. "I'll just let Princess Luna and Princess Celestia that you won't serve them." As I turned away to start walking. I heard the sound of something shattering on the marble floor inside the building. Then suddenly the stallion was outside with me again, gently pushing me back into the restaurant with his magic. "T-the Princesses you say? H-how do you know them?" He asked shakily, as he grabbed a nearby piece of cloth to help rid my clothes of the dirt. Hook, line and sinker. I had to hold back a bark of laughter. "Me? Well I was planning on going to dinner with them here." I stated simply. He looked at me a little shocked. Behind him, the mare at the counter scoffed. "Why would the Princesses come here with you?" She asked in a snarky tone. I saw the stallion freeze up a bit. "Well you tend to take the Ponies your dating to dinner right?" I said, holding back my smile. They both froze, and I heard another shatter from behind the mare. Man, they must go through a lot of dishes here. In an instant the stallion in front of me unfroze and started talking to me in a scared tone. "Yes! You take ponies your dating to dinner, especially if they're the Princesses! In fact, when you show up tonight whatever you order is on the house my dear fellow. How's that sound?" He sounded desperate. I put on a shocked face as I looked at the stallion. "Are you sure? I was sure this place was pretty pricey-" "Nonsense! The Coltfriend of the Princesses chose this fine establishment! We will most definitely humble your choice." He said, a fire in his eyes. "Alright, thank you. I'll be back with my date's at Seven. Please have a good day." I said politely, as I left the restaurant. Behind me I head a bunch of cheering, probably brought on by having the highest of nobility coming for dinner. I'm sure they'll be busy preparing for tonight. I jumped onto a building, and my smile finally broke out onto my face. "Well then, that went exactly as planned." I laughed as I used an Ouroboros to get to Ponyville. "Sometimes I wonder who the Evil one is here.." I heard Terumi mutter through the link. "Quite.." Nightmare popped up as well. I ignored them as I continued to my destination. Carousel Boutique. The home of Rarity. Upon entering I was grabbed and thrown into a chair. I looked at Rarity who was staring at me with an intense look in her eyes. Before she leapt into the air and "Squeeee'ed". This made me cringe a bit at the loudness of the screech. "Oh darling, if I had know you would be going out with Pinkie as well, I would have made changes to your new suit." She said as she removed the tarp from a dummy. I was kind of awe-struck as I looked at the dummy. It looked like me, only pale. The detail she used in the mannequin was amazing.. Albeit creepy. On it was my new suit. In all honesty it didn't look too different. The only real changes were the fact that the undershirt was a dark Blue, probably representing my ties with Luna. Should I tell her? I guess I should. "Well, about that.." I said as I walked to the new set of clothes. "I may or may not have a Third member to my 'Herd', I'm worried that I cant tell Twilight, to be honest." I said reaching for the clothes. Upon touching the new set, a flash of Green went off, and when it died down I was wearing the new clothes rather than my old ones. Huh.. That is a great mechanic. I turned to show off my new look to Rarity only to find her slack jawed and eyes wide. "Y-you? The Princess? Both!?" She seemed to have a hard time with finding words. Was it that bad? I watched her eyes start shining with stars in them as she zoomed to my face faster than I could blink. My eyebrow rose as started talking again. "Your dating both of them, AND Pinkie?! That's simply divine darling. Falling for the sister after having the love of the other. Ooh, it sounds so scandalous!" She said. She seemed to be rambling about romance again, since she didn't notice me step away from her. I chuckled as she stood there, staring at a wall muttering to herself. Now this mare needs a boyfriend.. Maybe I can set her up with Spike.. I just need to get Spike to act a bit more mature. I think that's do-able. Ah, but that's for the future. I walked out of Rarity's and continued down a path to Sugarcube Corner. On my way I took out a few supplies from my sleeve.. I love that I can fit damn near anything in here. I quickly jotted down a letter to Pinkie, and put it in an envelope. When I arrived at Sugarcube Corner, I saw the window that could only belong to Pinkie Pie, as the room connected to it almost radiated the color Pink. I took careful aim, and threw the envelope into her window on the second floor. I chuckled as I heard her. "Ow! What hit my flank? Oooh! A letter! I wonder who it's from?" She seemed excited. I quickly took off to Twilight's so she wouldn't check outside and see me. On my way I ran into somepony I had honestly forgotten about. Well, I should say she ran into me. I held the pony that charged into my chest up into the air, and saw none other than an extremely happy Ditzy Doo. She didn't even say anything, she just nuzzled my neck. Not knowing what to do, I just ran my hand through her mane. She seemed to sigh happily, as she moved away for a bit. She had tears in her eyes.. That's when I noticed that her eyes were no longer off center from each other. Hah! I was right! It was the muscle. "Thank you, thank you so much!" She said, kissing my cheek repeatedly. "I've never made enough Bits to cover a doctor, so I just gave up on them. But you, you helped me!" I chuckled, as I gently pushed her away from my head, which she just leaned into my touch with a smile o her face. Really? This cant be happening right? "It's not a problem Ms. Doo, your eye was simply what I know of as a Lazy Eye. The muscle in the eye needs constant work to function properly. Sometimes one takes more effort than others. This is usually fixed with a pair of glasses with a stronger prescription on the side that is lazy. Just be sure to either get a pair of glasses, or keep training your eye nightly." I say with a smile. I was surprised at my own knowledge of the situation, but not as surprised as when a cute little filly popped out of Ditzy's saddlebag. She cocked her head to the side and gently prodded Ditzy's head. "Momma? is this the pony who helped you?" She asked cutely. My eyebrow twitched. "Yes muffin, this is Hazama. Hazama this is-" She couldn't finish, since I had in an instant placed her down and grabbed the little filly from her saddlebag. I was now cuddling her. Don't mock me. Cuteness can be any mans weakness! "Oh she's just adorable!" I then proceeded to gently toss the little Unicorn filly into the air a few times. She must have found it fun, since she was laughing hysterically. I found myself laughing as well, as I placed her onto my head. She continued to giggle as she curled up on top of my hat. "Momma, he's fun! Can he come over to play?" She looked over to Ditzy. I froze a bit. I had just done that without thinking. I was brought out of my thinking when I heard Ditzy chuckle. "Only if Hazama wants to muffin." She said as she flew up to her daughter and picked her up off my hat. "Pretty please Mr. Hazama? I really want to play! I have lots of games we can play!" Oh dear. I think I found the worst weapon mankind could ever have against them. The look this little filly was giving me could melt even the coldest of hearts. "The fuck do you think I am? I ain't no-" Terumi stopped dead in his tracks. He must have finally looked at what I was looking at. "Do what you want then.. I have no comment" I almost chuckled at that. Even Terumi couldn't say no to that. "I'm sorry little one." Must.. Resist..Cuteness! "But I have something I have to do tonight. I can come over sometime soon though." I said as I ruffled her mane a bit. She immediately brightened up, as she jumped back into her moms saddlebag. "Yes! I cant wait! Let's go momma, I wanna get some toys ready!" She gently pulled on her mothers mane. Ditzy just chuckled at her daughters antics. She then looked at me with a slight blush on her cheeks. "You'll come over soon then?" She asked. I sighed a bit inside, as I stood up straight, having kneeled over playing with her daughter. "Of course! How can I say no to that face?" I say as I smirk. She smiled a bit as she turned to look at her daughter. "And that one!" I said as I pointed to her daughter after the fact. Said filly laughed at her mother sputtering a bit as she realized I was talking about her. "I stay in Twilight's house for now, so drop by in a few days to bring me over, I'll be sure to clear up the day." I say as I wave goodbye. As I walk I hear the adorable filly singing. "Momma and Hazama sittin in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She was laughing as she sang it out. I also heard her mother. "Dinky! That's not nice!" She wined. I laughed a bit. Dinky Doo huh? An adorable name for an adorable filly. I soon found my way through Ponyville as I approached Twilight's home. I opened the door asn entered. I felt a Barrier of sorts, and immediately flared my Energy. The Barrier lasted about Five seconds before shattering. "Try again next time Twi! You gained a second or Two this time." I chuckled. I heard a curse from behind the couch. "Celestia dangit! Why wont it work on you?!" A twitchy Twilight said as she furiously scribbled on a piece of floating parchment. "More power, less focus! You need to put more power into it while only focusing on what you want it do at a minimal scale. To much thought process and the Barrier loses stability." I gave Twilight a bit of advice. What? I want to see if she can actually come up with a way to hold me down! Her face lit up, as she grabbed a new piece of paper, and flashed away in a teleport. I chuckled, as I looked around. Ah! There he is, cleaning up a stack of books on Barriers.. Go figure. "Hey Spike!" I grabbed his attention. He looked over at me, and put his books on a table. "What's up dude?" He smiled as he held up a fist. We fist bumped and I took Two letters from my sleeve. "I was wondering if you could just send these to the Princesses?" I asked. He took them, and blew his Dragon Fire on them, sending them away in a wisp of ash or smoke. Well, that was easy.. I now had plenty of time to kill, so what to do.. What to do? A smile came up on my face, an evil smile. One that showed a diabolical nature. "Hey Spike.. How much do you like Rarity?" ----Later That Night---- I found myself feeling nervous for the first time since I'd been here. Waiting in the Restaurant was like torture, but I wanted to be sure that I was standing there when they all got here. Much to my surprise, I found that I didn't have to wait too long, as all Three mares walked inside at about the same time. First was Luna.. I swear she's doing this on purpose. Luna was dressed up in a very silky looking Navy Blue dress, that had frills on the bottom. It stopped just before the floor so it wouldn't drag on the floor. Her hair wasn't done up or anything, but it did look like it was flowing smoother, and slower. I gently reached out to her face, and kissed her cheek, careful not to smudge her Light Blue eye-shadow. Not a lot, just enough to draw attention to her now shining Sapphire eyes. I looked past her and noticed Celestia walk in. Like her sister, she was wearing a dress. Hers however looked a lot more regal, the White of the dress mixed well with the gold trimmings that lined the seams. Her dress stopped about knee high though, showing off her legs a bit. She wasn't wearing make-up. I guess its hard to mix White and another color without overusing said color. I walked up to her and kissed her cheek as well. She giggled a bit as she moved aside, letting me see the final pony to our date. I looked in awe at Pinkie as she stood there slightly fiddling with her front hooves. Her hair was done up in a way that looked both sophisticated and yet it looked like it could go full 'Pinkie' with the slightest laugh. She wore a light Pink eye-shadow, again, not much, just enough to draw attention to her Cobalt eyes. Her dress was both frilly and sophisticated, while still managing that 'Pinkie' vibe, by being super puffy and looking like it was made of candy. I looked at her a bit longer than the others, since there was something wrong.. She wasn't smiling. I feel like that wasn't enough. Pinkie wasn't smiling! Well then, I had to change that soon wont I? I walked up to her and planted a small kiss on her cheek, and proceeded to pick her up. I held her like you would while you scrutinized a new toy. "Aw, girls I think my Pinkie Pie is broken! She's not smiling.. Do you think I can get a replacement if I bring her back to Sugarcube Corner?" I said with a fake whine in my voice. I heard the Two behind me chuckle, as I looked at Pinkie who let a small grin appear on her face, as she giggled gently. Immediately her hair sprung forth and shuddered back into its usual 'Pinkie' self. "Oh poop, I didn't even make it Five minutes!" Pinkie pouted, the grin gone again. But I still win. "Really Hazama? You had to make a joke on out first date? Pinkie really wanted to make this special for you." Luna said with a small glint in her eyes. Ah, so she caught on did she? "But Luna, I can't have a date with Pinkie if she wasn't here." I stated simply, Pinkie looked confused as I turned to her. "Listen Pinks, I like you for who you are, not who you can be if you try. The smiles, the laughs.. The Pinkie! I wanted the real Pinkie on our first date, not the fake Pinkie that thinks she cant even let her hair go free!" I chuckled as I put her down while ruffling her hair slightly.. I- I think her hair just purred.. Right, the date. I turned to the other girls and waved them onwards to the reserved table I had. I was caught by surprise when something hit me on the head. Pink immediately covered my vision, as Pinkie threw her hooves around my head in a hug, resting her head on my own head, which felt weird considering that regular ponies where up to my stomach remember? "Thanks Hazie, it means a lot to hear that." Pinkie said while letting out a sigh of satisfaction. As we all sat down, me placing Pinkie on her chair, I looked over to Luna as she smiled and said. "You certainly know how to talk to ponies. You had Pinkie in your hoof the moment you grabbed her. Both literally and figuratively." She said, complimenting me. "I'd like to say that I know what I want in life, and when I think things through enough, I can get what I want." I say with a smirk. I heard a sigh and a giggle from both Celestia and Pinkie respectively. "I think your too smart, playing ponies like that to get what you want." Said Celestia. "Oh don't worry, Hazie would never do something like that. Think of it like Hazie being a control freak. He just hates when he doesn't control something he's thought about before." Pinkie giggled out. Now, she had a point there.. "Isn't that right Hazie? Your just really good at keeping control." Her smile was infectious, but her words.. Hit a little deep. I had no idea. But she was right, I was a terrible person. Everything I had done so far was designed, from the start, to benefit myself. The only reason I wound up being of any use to the ponies was that they got in my plans range of motion. I needed to stop that.. I wouldn't be selfish anymore! "Oh dear.." I heard Celestia call out from in front of me. I looked up, to see her and Pinkie looking at a menu. I glanced at Luna who was now looking at me with a small amount of alarm. Damn her for being the only pony that can read me like a book! I slightly shook my head at her, and flashed a small smile. The smile was fake, but I hoped I could make a better one soon, since Luna's worried look escalated slightly. "What's wrong Tia?" I asked her without thinking. She jumped up slightly from her menu, as she looked at me wide eyed and a slight blush on her cheeks. "N-nothing! Its just that the prices for all these dishes are extraordinarily pricey. Can you afford this?" She seemed ready to jump to the occasion. I fished out another smile, this one more passive than the last, hopefully Luna would let this slide soon. I wasn't ruining our Date with my own issues! "Oh yes, the dinners already been taken care of. So please, order anything you like. I looked at the girls in front of me and sighed to myself. I needed to change the mood slightly. "You all look beautiful by the way." All Three stopped looking at the menu, and looked up at me. Celestia and Pinkie both had blushes.. How can a Pink blush show through Pink fur? "Thank you Hazama. I like the new suit, Blue suits you." Luna said with a smirk, her worried look utterly forgotten. "T-Thanks Hazama, It's not often I get told that." Celestia said with rosy cheeks. "O-Oh, thanks Hazie! I-I've never been called beautiful before.." Pinkie said looking at me with a warm smile. There we go, that's a much better mood for a Date. The waiter soon came over, and we all ordered. I ordered a simple salad, and soup. With a bottle of wine to share. I would ask Pinkie her age, but I don't feel like getting punched today. I assume that if she cant drink, then somepony would have told me otherwise. As for food, Luna ordered a Salad as well, but opted for a Dandelion and Daisy Club sandwich. Probably to keep whatever debt she thought I would be in to a minimum. She glared at her sister as Celestia ordered something in another Language entirely, probably something from another country. The waiter looked in awe as he wrote down what Pinkie wanted. As you would assume, she started with ordering an entire Angel Food Cake instead of getting just a slice. She topped it of with Three orders of each Chocolate, Vanilla, and Mint pudding, with a glass of milk to wash it all down. She just hummed as I looked at her. She was smiling her usual Pinkie smile now, so that's good. "So girls, how does this work? Do I just tell ponies that we're dating?" I asked while waiting for our food. Luna perked up at this, as she looked to Celestia quickly. With a nod from her sister, she disappeared in a flash. "Well-" Celestia started. "-It's usually given after the first couple of dates, to assure ourselves that out suitor is going to be a permanent one." Next, Pinkie took something out of her mane. It was a pink flower. "You wear the flower around for the first few dates, then I get you something Pink you get to wear instead!" Pinkie spoke with a smile, as she placed the Pink flower on my hat, wedged into the black stripe on it. In a flash Luna was back in her seat, holding up what looked like an old fashioned Coat of Arms press, that one would use to seal envelopes with wax in the early years. Often used by royalty. I looked at it in confusion. This time Luna spoke up. "Well, it's a little weird, but this magic seal will brand you as ours. It will flash brightly when a Mare that wants to join the current Herd. The seal will then send a message to us and let us know you found a potential addition. The seal was made back when magic was relatively new, so its a bit Archaic in terms of efficiency." So.. It'll hurt? Why cant she just tell me? I watched in silence as they levitated the seal over to me with both they're magic, the thing was glowing a healthy red from the magic being fed into it. When it touched the back of my hand, I bit back a hiss of pain. Ow. That really burns! "Holy shit! What the fuck is- really?! Cant go Five minutes without getting into some stupid pain that I cant block? What is this shit, it hurts!" Terumi screeched "Oh its not that bad, don't be a- I paused to hold in another hiss of pain. "Pansy" I grit through clenched teeth. "Fuck you and your pain tolerance!" howled in pain. "I must admit, your ability to take such pain unlike my Dearest is something I find intriguing. Nightmare said. A flash on the outside brought my attention back. I bit back a howl, blood now trickling down my chin. I literally felt the thing melt into my fucking hand! The light settled down, and I quickly brought my non-shaking hand up and wiped my mouth. I notice bot Luna and Celestia looking mortified at what happened. Luna brought a hoof to her mouth as Celestia looked around frantic. Pinkie was just sitting there, a tilt of the head was all she needed to display her confusion. "W-what happened? Did the seal work?" Celestia asked, confused. I simply held up the back of my hand to show them. It showed the symbols of both they're Cutie Marks, entwined like a Yin-Yang symbol. Around it was what looked like a fierce sun being half blotted out by a moon. "That's never happened before, the symbol should have just left the outline, not color it in like that." Luna said. "Did you see where it went?" She asked about the seal. I flicked my hand around, to maybe get some feeling back into it. "Yeah, I felt it melt right into my hand. Not a pleasant feeling." I said. "But never mind that, lets just get back to our dinner. I believe its coming right now." I said with a small smile. The Two sisters looked at each other and then back to me, a forced smile on they're faces. I gently laid my still burning hand on my lap, where it would stay for the rest of this dinner. I smiled as I ate my soup with my left hand. They looked so cute, Luna and Celestia acting so regal, and Pinkie just diving into her sweets. Dinner went smoothly after that. With small talk here and there, and the occasional joke that would make Pinkie snort-laugh, I found myself having a blast. I decided that we should walk Pinkie home first, so she wouldn't have to travel by herself. So we did just that, and walked her to Sugarcube Corner. When we got to her house, she turned around to look at me. She seemed to be waiting for something, her ears splayed back. This. This right here is why I went to Twilight's Library. I knew what I needed to do now. I leaned down slightly, and grasped Pinkie by the hooves. I pulled her up so her front hooves rested on my knees. She was now directly in front of my face. So I leaned in the rest of the way, and caught her lips with my own. Her slight gasp of surprise was overshadowed by her jumping into my arms as I was forced to stand again. She released the kiss with a *plop*. She tasted like Cotton Candy mixed with Chocolate. I Really wanted more, but I knew that being too forward was a bad idea on the first date. She looked at me with sparkling eyes as she smiled. It was so warm, I almost took of my coat, just from her smile. "Oh dear.. You know what that means Tia?" Luna asked her sister, as she looked to Celestia, who was now red as a cherry. I didn't read that far into it.. What did I do? "Y-yes Lulu, I understand.." She proceeded to walk up to Pinkie who was still using my knees as a stool, and kissed her. Right in front of me. I think I even saw a flash of tongue.. Woah, that's a bit hot. I had to pull at my collar a bit in embarrassment. I didn't hear Pinkie complaining though, she seemed a bit lost on the matter at hand, much like myself. I watched as Luna did the same thing, and kissed Pinkie right in front of me. This time, I saw Luna flash me a wink, as she.. Oh jesus! How did she do that!? She somehow pulled Pinkie into me again, switching the kiss to myself and Pinkie again. What a seductive mare. She knew how to get me going. When the kiss ended, with me licking my lips again. I found myself at a loss for words. Thank god I had Luna, who was smirking, as her horn lit up. "We will be seeing you again soon Pinkie." Luna said. "Yeah.." Pinkie said dreamily. Oh dear, we broke Pinkie. Before I could actually say anything, I found myself being teleported into the castle, in front of Celestia's door. "So.. Who wants to tell me what that was about?" I asked with a smile. My answer came from a snickering Luna, as Celestia found herself red as a cherry still. "Well, when a mare brings another mare onto the first date, there are rules to follow. The first is that if the stallion doesn't seem too interested or is distracted, then the date is called off. Next is for the after date part, when the date ends, if the stallion had a good time, he can offer the mare a kiss. If accepted the mare and stallion get to kiss. If the stallion kisses without asking, he wants the mare to instantly be added to the Herd, and is now asking for permission from the other mares in the Herd. The mares must then show acceptance by kissing the same mare that the stallion did, thus inducting her into the Herd." Luna said. Ah, Now I get it. How did I not read that? It seems rather important for me to know. "Okay then.." A sinister smile appeared on my face as I thought of something. Something that's either going to be Hot or a kick to the balls.. I'll take the chance. I leaned forward instantly catching Celestia in a kiss, who let out a cute squeak. She then closed her eyes as she melted into the kiss. I felt her relax, and her body warm up instantly. She then prodded my lips with her tongue. When I let her in, she did the same as Luna, and went straight for my Canines.. What was the fascination with them? I heard her moan, and fidget, a clear sign that I should stop. I backed off the kiss, leaving a dazed Celestia. I smirked, as I saw Luna flash me a similar smirk. She immediately brushed up against her sister, and whispered into her ear. "Looks like your in.. Tia" As she gently nipped her sisters ear. Celestia's eyes focused slightly, as she tried to ask a question. She was stopped when Luna gently licked her sisters lips, causing Celestia to gasp. Luna, like a shark waiting for her prey, jumped. Latching onto her sister's open mouth forcing her tongue into Celestia's mouth. Luna made sure to keep a slightly open mouth, so I could see that Celestia was participating, as she closed her eyes again. I found myself slack-jawed at what I was witnessing. All I could think was that I had better have a photographic memory. Luna parted from her sister, leaving a small trail of saliva, that fell and landed on Celestia's chest, soaking into her fur. Her face one of pure bliss. Luna gently pushed her sister into her room, as she whispered. "Good night Tia." As she closed the door. She then turned around, and I realized that her horn was lit up.. **************Lemon Warning**************** I looked around as I noticed we were suddenly in Luna's room. She pushed me onto the bed, with a light growl. She pounced on top of me, locking my lips into her own. She was soft, yet vicious, as she attacked my tongue, purring into my ear. "Take them off" I obliged quickly, and in a flash my clothes aside from my boxers disappeared. I found my underwear being pulled of by magic, while she trailed kissed down my body. I was surprised by her tenacity tonight, of course she hasn't had her fill in a while. I massaged her wing joints causing her to moan and her wings to extend in a quick *Snap*. I waited as she continued to go further south, until I felt something I didn't expect. A rough velvet feeling flicked over the head of my member, causing me to jolt in surprise. Luna growled lightly as she eyed my member like a piece of food. She took the tip into her mouth as she suckled gently, while licking the top. The feeling was insane, as my body rocked in intense pleasure. I was feeling something I hadn't in a long time. She continued down my member, taking more and more into her mouth. Because of the size difference, She was able to get all of it in her mouth alone. She swirled it gently with her tongue while humming happily as she closed her eyes. She increased her sucking power, while still keeping up her swirling and humming. The action caused an unfamiliar feeling to rocket through me, as my body jolted. I felt my member twitch, as I exploded into Luna's mouth. Her eyes widened as she took each spurt with gusto. She finished by suckling my member a bit more to make sure she got all of it. She let go with a *plop* and I saw the smirk on her face, knowing what had just happened, was something that hadn't happened before. I looked at her as she jumped up again, landing on my chest. She licked my lips, while she had bedroom eyes. I accepted her kiss, and felt her position herself over my body. Her body promptly dropped once she found what she wanted. She embraced my member in her marehood, the soft velvet causing me to shiver slightly. She slip up, and down slowly, feeling the pulse of my member. It gave her all the motivation she needed, as she pumped a bit faster, and started to moan my name. "..Hazama!" She moaned, as I pulled her down, and flipped her over. I continued the motions, as I nibbled on her ear. I heard her groan from the feeling as I pumped. The vice that was her marehood tightened as she came close, she couldn't wait, and released with a loud moan. She formed a small puddle with her juices, as I continued to pump. I kissed her with all the passion I could. As I felt her orgasm subside slightly, the tightness on my member loosened enough for me to pull out entirely. I did a few full pumps, and found myself loving the feeling of her marehood tightening around my member. the soft velvet acting like a full massage. I grunted as I came again, this time accompanied by Luna. Our juices mixed, and well.. the bed isn't really dry anymore. But Luna doesn't care. She lays down, closing her eyes in bliss. I pulled out and pulled on my boxers. I smiled, as I could tell Luna was already slipping into sleep. "Goodnight Luna, I love you." I waited, and I heard a full response this time. "I love you too, Hazama." She replied sleepily. I walked out of the room, flashing my cloths back on. *****************Lemon Over**************** I looked out into the hallway, and a flash of movement caused me to smile. As I walked by the other rooms, I called out. "Goodnight Celestia!" I said with a smile, as I hopped out the nearest window. I heard a squeak of indignity come from behind a door as I left. I landed on a building. I wasn't tired, so I couldn't go to sleep. So I figured I can just watch the moon. An hour passes, and I'm still standing in the same spot. If it wasn't for my danger sense going off, or would you rather I say, My ability to sense hostility, I would have been cut in half. Instead, I just powered up my fist, and turned around. I swung my fist at the blade flying at my torso. The bulky blade.. I had seen it before.. My eyes lit up as the moon shone down illuminating the area, showing me the face of the one who attacked me. Oh.. Oh! I cant resist! My urge to fight and joke combined into the sole reason for not talking this out right away. "Ah, Ragna The Blood-Edge.. How have you been?" I asked in a casual way, while still sounding mockingly amused. Just like Terumi. "Terumi! I'll kill you!" Ragna screamed as he raised his hand, ready to activate Blazeblue. Well then, looks like I'll get my fight, huh? > Somethings Not Right > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I looked at Ragna as he grit his teeth. His sword slowly pushing into my fist, causing a slight trickle of blood to come from the cut it caused. I shook him away with a swung of my arm, making him fly back about Twenty feet. Ragna grunted before flipping backwards and holding out his hand, palm facing himself. My eyebrow cocked at the sight and a smirk appeared on my face. "Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field Deployed! BlazBlue, Activate!" The glove on his hand, started to glow blue. A wave of blue energy flowed from it in a semi-circle from Ragna's body. It seems as though Ragna forgets who I currently have the body of.. A manic grin flows on my face as I hold both of my arms out to the sides. Just this once.. I'll use it this once "Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field Deployed! Code S.O.L., BlazBlue, Activate!" A sinister green aura appeared around me, as a similar semi-circle of energy erupted from my body, only green in comparison to Ragna's blue. When the two waves met, they clashed for all of Three seconds, before mine broke his into shattered glass. I let it fade instead of keeping it around. There was a reason I hadn't used that yet. With a growl, Ragna jumped at me, this time, he collided with an Ouroboros chain instead of my fist. "Oh Ragna, don't you remember? I AM a Grimoire!" I said as I kicked him away. He immediately rushed back into the fight, as he sent a slash to the left and right, before stabbing at me. I responded in kind, by ducking, jumping, and hitting his sword away. As he pulled his sword from the ground, his face seemed to brighten slightly. I was confused until I felt the pure tenacity from behind me. I jumped to the side, and an Instinctual use of Ouroboros I dodged a wave of White energy. Said energy almost hit Ragna, who suddenly yelled out. "Hey! Watch it you overgrown light bulb!" Ragna addressed the figure. It was a man almost 7 Feet tall in my standards, decked out in a full suit of White armor, even his helm was full white, and.. To be honest I wasn't sure how he could see out of it.. "Be quiet!" He yelled to Ragna, who simply grumbled. He turned his attention to me," Hazama! You must pay for all the evil you've done!" Hakumen, the white swordsman, got into a battle stance. His sword held at shoulder height, held horizontal. I was assaulted by Ragna first as he attacked from the left, followed by the slightly slower Hakumen on the right. My smile turned mischievous, as I formed my battle plan. I ducked Ragna's sword strike, and parried Hakumen's thrusting attack, making them both hit each other. As I flipped out of their reach, I heard Ragna curse. "Shit! You useless idiot, watch where you stab that thing!" Ragna yelled, holding on to his slightly bloody shoulder.\ "Me? How about yourself! Aim at the enemy!" Hakumen yelled, while keeping an eye on me. Hmm.. He's better at multi-tasking than I thought. I flung myself forward, drawing One Ballisong Knife in one hand, and a single Ouroboros chain in the other. With a flick of the wrist I sent the Ouroboros towards Hakumen, while I went ahead and attacked Ragna with my knife. I parried a swing, and went to stab his other shoulder, only to have to duck under a hastily thrown punch. I had to maneuver my Ouroboros with constant motions from my wrist, as it kept Hakumen at bay with its whipping and slashing attacks. To an onlooker, it was like a snake viciously attacking a man, rather than the whip that it had become. With that in mind, I went ahead and slashed at Ragna's shoulder again, this time, even though he punched at me, I just wove around it, and tried again. I had Ragna in a death dance. At any moment he could slip up, and make the wrong move that would cause his demise. I wasn't going to kill him though.. I can't kill anybody. "Pansy!" I heard Terumi call out. My eyes widened slightly at his sudden appearance in my head. His interruption threw off my concentration. I immediately felt my Ouroboros get taken down by the now rushing Hakumen. My eyes darted to the form of Ragna who was inches from landing a hit on my side. I frowned, as I used the fallen Ouroboros as a ground whip using its amazing speed to my advantage, hitting both of their feet on its way back to me. It threw off their attacks just enough, letting me lean to the left to doge the thrust from Hakumen. I then kicked at my own feet to get them of the ground, in a half-flip, making Ragna hit only air. The look of anger on his face only deepened as he saw the smile on my own. Using my hand as leverage on the ground, I did a quick split-kick, catching both of them in the stomach. Using my other hand, I pushed up and spun, leaving them midair for my final kick. I did another split kick while spinning in the air fixing my position, sending them flying in both directions. I landed with my hands back in my pockets. Oh this is too fun! The grin on my face deepened. "Your damn right it is!" I heard Terumi again. Strange, he wasn't usually this active unless he was with Nightmare. They like to feed each other power. I focused on Hakumen first since he was the first to stand up. He looked at me, then lifted his sword. My eyebrow twitched slightly, as he brought his sword down and unleashed a wave of White energy. I dashed to the right, and watched it soar by me, chopping through the top of a building, my danger sense going off again, I jumped into the air again, this time I saw a bigger wave flow by, catching the sides of Two more buildings. I quickly flicked out a wrist towards Hakumen, and launched an Ouroboros behind him. As I zipped by him and used my velocity to my advantage, and landed an energy powered kick, sending him flying into another building. I flinched as I watched the building start to collapse, and ponies started pouring out screaming. In a burst of light Hakumen exploded out of the building. A few ponies screamed as they passed out from the shock, while most ran away. I heard a few call out to me though. "You can do it Hazama!" Was that Ditzy? At least she's running. I turned to the fight again- *Slick* The sound of the Ragna's blade stabbing into my side was all that I could hear. The sharp pain helped me get my bearings again, as I pulled his sword from my side, and kicked him away. I hissed in pain, as I held my now profusely bleeding side. "God-damn son of a bitch! That it, I've had it with these asshats!" Terumi hissed in pain alongside with me. I felt my arm suddenly raise to my head without me doing it. I quickly held it down, removing my hold on my wound. "Since when can you move my body?!" I asked, my eyes actually open in surprise. "Since you suddenly decided to fight Two aassholes who hate you as much as I do!" Terumi laughed as he forced my hand further up, making a grab for my hat. "That's not fair! I don't get any power over you when I'm around happy people!" I growl out, getting angry at Terumi's actions. My own downfall actually, as my anger gave him just enough energy.. "I know right? It fuckin awesome!" He chuckled as he grabbed the lip of the hat, and tugged it off. "Goodnight loser!" He laughed hysterically as our body was wrapped in a green glow. ---Terumi's POV--- Terumi laughed even harder when he felt his cloak settle on his shoulders, the hood draw, keeping his face hidden. He turned to Ragna, as he lightly jumped into the air. his feet slightly glowed with the use of his power, causing him to float. "So, I heard you were looking for me?" Terumi asked with gleeful smile. Ragna on the other hand, simply narrowed his eyes at the sight of his opponent's change. He clearly felt a stronger spike in energy "What happened? How can you just gain Seither like that?" Ragna asked, preparing himself for another attack. Terumi's grin got wider, as he reached for his hood and pulled it down. "So you can feel it huh? Better than the idiot, who cant even tell what his own power was." Terumi was stopped short on what was going to be a monologue, thanks to Hakumen sending a wave of White energy towards him. Terumi flexed his Seither, splitting the wave into two separate parts. One launched into Everfree, and the other into the air. He noticed that the attack barely missed a certain rainbow haired pony, who was flying by at the time. He watched as she met up with her friends, and they all disappeared in a flash of Purple. His attention being drawn back to Ragna, who had just appeared before him gain, this time however, he seemed to radiate some more power than before. "Blood Kain!" Ragna shouted, as his power rocketed a few more notches, and he started to bleed out Seither like a water faucet. He flashed forward with previously unseen speed into Terumi's face, sword drawn back. As Terumi went to dodge, Hakumen found the time to be perfect, and attacked from his side. A White burst of energy erupted from the ground and made its way to Terumi. With a chuckle, Terumi simply rushed into Ragna's attack range, and took the hit full force, the sword edging slightly into his shoulder as sparks of Red and Green shot from the contact. Ranga's attack pushed slightly deeper the longer he made contact with Terumi. Noticing this, Terumi jumped back quickly, savagely kicking Ragna in the jaw, while flipping over Hakumen and sending a wave of pure Seither at him. The blast exploded on contact against Hakumen, as he flew back to where Ragna was currently recovering. Pulsing his power slightly, Terumi had a small frown on his face. "Right.. You take away your opponents life when you strike in that form, don't you?" He sighed, "I bet the idiot had a plan for that.." A smirk appeared on his face yet again, "But I'm having way to much fun!" Terumi yelled out as he rushed at the two downed men. Ragna was surprised when he felt Terumi grab his shirt collar and was forced into a headbutt. Then thrown against Hakumen with enough force to dig a small trench. Terumi stood above, and looked down at the two injured men. Ragna was breathing shallow and his arm was clearly broken, while Hakumen seemed unconscious from the explosion, while being covered in burn marks. "Is that it?"Terumi said in a bored tone. "All that talk about fighting me and you barely make an effort out of it!" Terumi seemed pissed. He lifted a hand, and around it formed a very sharp looking blade made from concentrated Seither. "Well, if your not going to do the job right, don't even try!" He yelled as he rushed Ragna, aiming for the throat. "Hazama!" A voice called from behind him, and Terumi's eyes widened as the blade was stopped just inched from Ragna's throat. He pushed but it didn't budge. "Really now? Even now you wont let me kill them?" He whispered to himself. "Even after they basically threatened the whole town?" "Terumi?! What are you doing here?" Princess Luna asked. She was flying next to her sister. Terumi didn't bother answering her, and just stood up with a frown on his face. His Ouroboros dropped from his sleeves, one from each one, and snaked their way to the downed duo. They quickly wrapped themselves around the two individually, allowing him to do what he wanted. He swung them around like one would a lasso. "If I cant kill em', then I'll send em' as far away as I can!" With a final tug, the chains released and sent them zipping into the horizon with the force of a bullet. Terumi recalled his Ouroboros and turned to the group of ponies. He noticed that of the Eight ponies present, only one was ready to fight in any sense of the word. "Do you not want to fight me?"He asked, a bit shocked. His response was the Pink pony walking to him with a sad face. He felt a little uneasy for some reason. "Teru, can you please let Hazie out?" The Pink pony asked. Terumi's hair bristled slightly. She gave him a nickname? Him?! Nightmare could be heard laughing in his head. He jumped when he realized that he was now surrounded. In his moment of aggravation the Two Princesses had flanked him on both sides, leaving only his back open. "Please?" Luna asked kindly. Terumi felt his body twitch slightly, his eyes widened in alarm. "We would really appreciate it." Celestia said in a soft voice. Terumi had to hold his hand to stop it from shaking. "W-what the hell is happening?!" Terumi sounded confused and frantic as he back stepped slightly in fright. "Hazama, come back to us." The Three mares said in unison. Something snapped Inside Terumi's head. "Fuck you, that's what!" Hazama's voice ran through his head like a knife. In a flash of Green Seither, Terumi's cloak was replaced by Hazama's hat. He kneeled down as he panted slightly, all the power influxes were rough on the body. ---End of Terumi's POV--- I shook my head slightly, the feeling of slipping in and out of control like that is disorientating. I found myself being full body tackled from Three different side by Three different mares. I had finally snapped back into focus near the end of Terumi's rampage and knew who was hugging me. I gently hugged each one back in kind, while giving them each a loving peck on the cheek as well. "Whooo!" Pinkie yelled, excited. "I knew it would work!" She jumped for joy in front of us. A Blue hoof was gently placed on her cheek, Pinkie leaned into the contact as Luna chuckled lightly. "Yes Pinkie, without your idea I fear we would have had to beat Terumi again." She gently rubbed Pinkies cheek with a smile. "Truthfully, after the magic we sensed earlier and what we saw, I don't think it would have been easy." Celestia chimed in, still snuggling into the back of my neck. I laughed lightly as she tickled my neck with her fur. "Earlier.. Right." I chuckled nervously at the comment. I looked to Luna and saw the intrigue in her eyes, as Pinkie was just happy to be around, if her jumping back into my arms for a hug was anything to go by. I looked to the girls, and saw the varying looks on their faces. On Fluttershy's face was a look of pure 'D'awww' as her eyes glistened with unshed happy tears. Rarity had a small blush, and stars in her eyes yet again. Applejack was looking smug, like she knew something we should all know about. Rainbow looked a little down, maybe she wanted to have a chance to fight Terumi? Last was Twilight- Oh.. Oh .. Right.. I was currently cuddling her teacher and mentor. Welp, cats out of the bag now I guess! Twilights face was one of shock, and confusion. That mixed with the pure frazzle her hair was in, made for a pretty comical sight. "Well then, if you'll excuse us.. We'll have Hazama back to you by morning!" Luna said with a chipper tone, while she lit up her horn with magic and teleported us in a flash. As soon as we landed in Luna's room, a wave of Blue magic pushed me down and onto the plush bed. While the magic was holding me down, another wave of Golden magic rushed over my arms and legs, keeping them in place. The final piece to the puzzle was Pinkie sitting on my chest. Staring into.. my soul.. Oh no. Luna's face along with Celestia's appeared in my vision, both had a look that promised pain if I didn't do what they wanted. "Explain." It was simple.. Luna's demand was flat and to the point. And I cant lie Ah shit.. "Listen, girls, Its kind of personal." I tried. The blank look got from them was all I needed to know I couldn't go with that. I sighed in defeat. A look of confusion appeared on their faces, as Pinkie still stared into my eyes, unblinking. "I.. Just promise me that you wont take it the wrong way.. okay?" I waited for a sign from them, but I got none. "It started when I left Luna to sleep." At this Luna blushed a healthy crimson, and so did Celestia. "I left to collect myself a b it, as I usually do at night. While watching the moon, I sensed a presence behind me, filled with murderous rage. I met this person in full contact to stop his attack, only to see it was a person from the real 'Hazama's world. Something inside me, probably the kid left in me, wanted the chance to fight him, to prove myself as an actual Blazblue character. As I met him in combat, I was attacked by another character from Blazblue, in which they both tried attacking me. I'm glad they suck at teamwork, otherwise I might have had some trouble. One of them got in a shot on me, when all of a sudden Terumi came in from nowhere, and started to take control of my body, literally. He says it was the combined hatred that they had for me that started overpowering the good natured energy powering my own." At this Luna look a soft hoof and laid it on my lips stopping me from talking further. She looked to Pinkie, and received a nod, as Pinkie started to tear up. I groaned as she moved a bit, rubbing my wound slightly. They mistook my groan for being uncomfortable.. Which wouldn't be a lie. As they quickly undid the magic holding me down. I lay there, feeling a bit lightheaded, huh.. that's a first. My mind going fuzzy on its own and not because a certain madman wanted attention. "I'm sorry Luna.. But I owe you new sheets.." I droned out, as my consciousness left me. The use of that ability was more draining than I gave it credit for. My guess was that my body could get used to it, but it was a steep price to pay, if this was how I felt after just a second or Two. Combined with massive blood loss but still.. "What do you mean?" Luna asked, sounding confused. Could she not tell? Oh right, her bed sheets and covers are all Dark Blue, so dark colors would be easy to spot. I felt like I was hit by a falling truck, and then forced Nyquil down my throat instead of painkillers. I did the only thing I could think of that didn't require much of any effort as I blacked out. I rolled over. With a *Bang* I landed on the ground, groaning as my vision faded again. I faintly heard them all call my name as the blood started to gently pool around me. Huh.. I just realized something sad.. I don't remember my real name anymore.. > Day Off? Maybe > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bright and burning. The most torturous object known to mankind. One that makes you regret many life choices, and even some friendships. The sun. I awoke with a grimace at the sun shining Directly into my eyes. I grumbled as I turned to move out of its glare. Or at least, I tried. I found myself not covered with Pinkie or Luna, but Celestia. My eyebrow cocked upwards at her sleeping frame on my own. My entire body underneath hers, except my head and neck. I will admit though, she makes a damn good blanket. That, and her snoring is absolutely adorable! She does this cute little 'Fbbtt' after each breath. I don't think I have it in me to wake her up. That would require energy, and, oh, did I mention? Ow.. I feel like I got stabbed with a jackhammer! And then somebody turned it on.. Oh well, that's what I get for being cocky and all. I looked to Celestia and realized something. The sun was shinning in her face, more than my own. It was almost like the sun was trying to wake her up- "Tia, will you wake up and-" Luna's voice called from the door. Oh, I'm in a hospital. Fuck me, how much blood did I lose? Upon seeing me, her face lit up in a smile, as she walked over and gently planted a kiss on my lips. "Good morning, how do you feel?" She asked softly, as she gently rolled her sister to the wall side of the bed. Celestia plopped against the wall, belly up. Her legs held up in the air lightly as she snored away, her head resting near my own. Luna hopped up on the bed, and laid down on top of me. A quick scowl on her face, as she flashed her horn and the shade came down to block the sun. She rested her head down on her hooves looking in my direction. "Comfy?" I chuckled. My response was a quick peck on the lips again, as she mumbled out a 'yes'. She seemed ready to fall asleep too. Oh! Please tell me I actually get to relax for once! Since I got here, Its been nothing but stupid bullshit day in and day out. I was tired, both physically and mentally. I let out a deep, relaxed breath. "Tell me you have nothing to do today." I said, as I wiggled out an arm from under Luna. I then proceeded to cup the side of her face, and look her in the eyes. "Cause I could do this all day." I made my point by giving her another kiss. She leaned back from the kiss, a content smile on her face. "We haven't had any time to ourselves yet." She murmured gently into my ear, as she lay her head down fully, eyes closed. "I know. I'm sorry." I apologized as I ran a hand through her mane slowly. My other hand reaching out from under Luna to hook around Celestia's neck. The mare had been pawing at the wall, as her head didn't have a pillow. She adjusted herself slightly as she snuggled my arm like a small body pillow. Even though my arm was a bit twisted, I could deal with it. My hand rested on her chest, as her chin pushed into my neck. Luna herself moved so that her own head nestled into my other shoulder. We were almost there, I was missing something though.. Oh I know! "I sure do hope Pinkie doesn't hate me for not wanting a 'Get Better' party." I said in a slight whisper. My whisper was met by another, similar whisper. "Why?!" As Pinkie jumped from under the bed. I chuckled as she looked at me with hurt in her eyes. "And why are we whispering?" She cocked her head to the side. I motioned for her to come closer, so she leaned in slightly. I grabbed her by wrapping my arm around her barrel and lifting her up. An awkward move when you can't use your body as a counterweight, but meh. Pinkie 'Eep'ed in surprise, as she was lifted and placed next to my side. She looked to Celestia, and Luna, in their respective positions, before looking me in the eyes. Her own full of an emotion I never think I'll stop liking. Happiness She was so happy, that she lunged at me and latched her lips to my own in a small chaste kiss. When she leaned back, she had a lovely smile on her face. "Thanks Hazie.." She whispered, as she lay down on the opposite side as Celestia. Curled into my side, as I pulled her closer with my free arm, her head resting next to Luna's own. Luna cracked an eye open, and in a flash of movement, gave Pinkie a quick peck on the lips, before going back to her spot. Pinkie, though flushed, limply pushed closer to Luna. I don't know how we did it, but we all managed a simultaneous sigh of content. Yes, that includes the sleeping Celestia as well. I smiled. It felt like we were a family. I was happy. ----That Night---- I was woken up by the slight movement on my chest. I opened my eyes to see Luna in the process of looking around, groggy eyes and all. I looked around myself, and noted the dark sky from the lack of sunlight beaming in the other window. I couldn't help myself. "Good morning, sleep well?" I asked. Luna's face scrunched as she held in a laugh, as she bopped me lightly on the nose. "I did, however, this was what I was trying to not let happen." She sighed lightly. "I came in here to wake up Tia, and instead, you managed to even get Pinkie in here with us." She nodded to Pinkies sleeping form. Who was now curled around my head, breathing softly in my ear. My movements caused my hat to tickle her, and she giggled. All the talking had apparently woken the heavy sleeper of the group. Celestia still lay, with her hooves in the air as well. She gently smacked her lips as she stretched her legs into the air, letting out a cute yawn. Her eyes cracked open slightly as she started to turn over to get up. "What's Everypony doing here?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly, as most do when just waking up. I laughed, as Luna smirked. The giggling from behind me got louder, as Pinkie sat up with the girls and smiled. "Well," I started, "I saw you sleeping on me yesterday." At this Celestia flushed a deep red, but nodded for me to continue. "When Luna came in to wake you up, she found me awake. We shared a-" My eyes widened slowly, as I remembered something. "Before I forget." I interrupted myself, as I leaned in towards Luna, and gave her a gentle, good morning kiss, which was returned. I turned to Pinkie, and latched onto her lips with my own for Her good morning kiss, which was happily returned, with a bit of tongue.. Ok, I accept. Finally I turned to Celestia, who was still red, but smiling, as she knew she was next. I leaned in and lightly bit her lower lip. She gasped, and I went in for the kill. After a few seconds of tongue fighting, I split us apart, and watched her face as she sighed happily. Each of the mares had a smile on their face. "If that's how I wake up, I may have to sleep with you more often-" Celestia glanced at Luna as if to get permission for something, a gently nod with rolled eyes was her response. "-Sweetie." She breathed out heavily. Like she had been dying to call me that for a while. I smiled a big toothy grin. I loved pet-names. "Yes, Me Two." Luna smirked, as she nodded again. I didn't have to see it, I felt the grin from Pinkie, as she hopped into my line of sight with a full blown Pinkie smile. As she did so, Luna nodded once again to Celestia, who had just calmed down. Celestia let out a warm smile, as she looked to me. I feel like I missed something.. Why were all Three of them smiling? Luna was the first to speak. "We, mainly my sister, were waiting to see if you would be okay with somepony other than myself, calling you a pet-name." Luna said, as she got close to my face. "Yes, I wasn't sure how you would react. Luna was your first after all. But since you accepted it." Celestia stated, as she closed in on the right. "We've decided to all call you the same pet-name from here on out!" Pinkie blurted out, as she made for my left. In an instant I was kissed on my left cheek, my right cheek, and my lips, at the same time. They pushed me back down into a laying position, as they all backed off and looked down at me. "~Honey~" They all called out huskily. They even had The Look in their eyes.. I'm pretty sure I had the biggest shit eating grin on my face for the rest of the night. ----Later on that Night---- Well then, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't exactly as late as I thought it was. Apparently, the sun and moon here rely entirely on if the sisters do their rounds. That saying, the sun had went down on its own after not being moved from its starting position for hours. The moon hadn't been up either so there was no guessing what time it actually was.. Both Celestia and Luna both told me that they knew what time it was, but I had my doubts. It was currently only Seven at night, and we had all gotten up about an hour ago. Pinkie went up in smoke as she made her way back to Ponyville, a kiss goodbye for all of us. And the two sisters where both in a study hall, prepping a speech for tomorrow. I guess finding a way to explain to the masses that they failed to move the sun and moon because 'they forgot' is harder than you'd think. Good luck to them. I currently found myself in Ponyville. Since I found myself with nothing to do, I remembered a small promise I made a bit ago. I walked up to the front door, and brushed some dust from my shirt as I knocked. A cute out-cry called from inside. "I'll get it Mommy!" I smiled at the voice, and got on my knee ready for what was to come. "Who's there?" The small voice called out from behind the door. I chuckled a bit. "Just a friend." I stated. I could almost hear the gears in her head turning in the silence. The door cracked open slightly, a lone golden colored eye peeked through it. In an instant, the door was ripped open, and a small grey blur slammed into my chest. "Hazama's here! Hazama's here!" Dinky started repeating, as she started crawling all over me like a spider. I laughed, as I snatched her into a hug, gently rubbing the top of her head. "Hi Dinky, how have you been?" I smiled, as she murmured into my petting. "Mrr.. I've been fine." She leaned out of my touch, and jumped down to the ground. "Momma will be so happy to see you!" She exclaimed as she ran into the house full tilt. "Momma!" I heard her call out as she ran around a corner. I walked into the house, and shut the door behind me. As I turned around, I heard a rustle coming from around the corner. When I looked, all I saw was Dinky, not a single sign of Ditzy. I cocked my head to the side and looked to Dinky. "Where's your mother?" I said as I kneeled down to her level. "Oh, Momma will be back soon, she went upstairs." Ditzy leant down and picked something in her mouth. "Wanna pway?" She asked through the box. I looked, and it was 'Clue'. Huh, I wasn't expecting such a game from this hyper little filly. I took the box and looked at the back. Yup, it was exactly the same only with Pony related graphics. "Sure thing, just so you know, I'm the king of Clue!" I boasted, a small smirk on my face as the filly started setting up the game, her tail wagging happily behind her. ---Five Minutes Later--- "No fair!" I pouted. "You totally cheated!" My pout turned to a grin, as I dove for the filly over the game board. I flipped her over onto her back and blew a raspberry into her stomach. Her laughter was music to my ears. Suddenly she stopped laughing and looked me in the eyes, her own morphing to a look I had only heard of. "No!" I recoiled back as if struck, a hand held over my heart, and the other held over my eyes. "Not 'The Puppy Eyes'! It my one true weakness!" I heard the filly hold back a chuckle, as she deepened her stare, eyes starting to water, and her lip quivered ever so slightly. I made an effort to show myself peeking out, only to throw myself onto the couch behind me. I let my eyes close slowly, as I talked through held breaths. "Too... Much... Cuteness!" I groan out as I lay limp on the couch, holding my breath and lolling out a tongue for dramatic effect. The sounds of the filly laughing again was all I needed, so I cracked open my eyed slowly. I found her not in front of me, but I felt her clinging to the back of the couch, where I couldn't see her. "Is.. Is she gone?" I play whispered. "Gotcha!" The filly yelled as she jumped to my chest and glared playfully at me. A few seconds of me looking fearfully into her eyes, and we both broke out into a fit of laughter. I rolled around on the couch, holding my stomach, while she held onto my neck, flailing her legs in her own peal of laughter. After everything cooled down, I grabbed the filly and held her up to my face, she was smiling a big goofy grin. The occasional tear came from her eyes from all the laughing she just did, as she sniffed them back with a chuckle. I gently kissed her cheek and put her down as she giggled. "Any other games you wanna play?" I asked the little filly with a grin. Dinky looked at me with wonder in her eyes as she nodded vigorously. "I'll be right back!" She called out as she zipped up the stairs. I chuckled at her antics, as I started to put away the game that was left on the ground. "Your amazing with foals.." The soft voice from behind me startled me a bit, but I quickly smiled as I turned around. "Ah, its nothing-" I was stopped cold by the mare in front of me. Gone was the ragged looking Ditzy Doo that had crashed into everything when I first met her. Now stood before me was a slightly flushed, yet beautiful mare that wore a muffin themed bow atop her head, matched by the tan dress that hugged her body, the dress barely touched the floor. On her face she wore a small bit of makeup to bring out her eyes. Said eyes were now behind a small pair of glasses. "Wow.." I muttered. Apparently loud enough for her to hear, since she flushed a bit more, and started to play with the hem of her dress with a hoof, as she looked down slightly. I got up from the floor, and walked over to her. I cupped her chin in my hand. "You look beautiful Ditzy." I said with as much sincerity as I could muster, while looking into her eyes. And suddenly- PAIN It literally felt like I stuck my hand in lava! The hand that didn't touch Ditzy was burning, I let go of her chin in an instant, and grabbed my own wrist with a hiss of pain. It was glowing, like it did when it was the sisters first placed that seal on- Right.. So this is what I have to deal with when a new Herd member is introduced? Why the hell is it so painful?! Is that a rainbow? "Why the FUCK is there Harmony Magic running through our body?!" I heard Terumi hiss out. "Are you Trying to kill us?!" he growled. "Oh, its not that bad, what harm could come from it?" I asked lightly, already acclimating to the burning, even as it faded away. "Other than liquefying your insides, no." The snarky response came from Nightmare. "If you remember, the body you have is made for a being of Chaos. So Harmony magic is as dangerous to you, as fire is the grass. Nightmare stated. "...Right, have to find a way around that then." I grumbled as I shut off the link. My attention was brought to the scared look on Ditzy's face, as she gently caressed my face with a hoof. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly. "Yeah, sorry about that." I shook out the last vestiges of pain from my hand, and lifted it to show the still glowing symbol on my hand. "This blasted thing burns like Tartarus when I come into Physical contact with somepony who wants to be apart of my Herd." I stated with a grin. Her face went from scared, to understanding. Then from understanding to embarrassed as she looked down. She then looked back up at me, a fierce look into her eyes, as she jumped into my arms. My vision was filled with Ditzy's face as she captured my lips with her own. Her quivering lips were signs of how nervous she was. I reassured her with a simple motion, I put my hand on her cheek and rubbed it with my thumb, as I returned the kiss gently. When we parted ways, Ditzy's face was one of pure bliss. She even let out a happy sigh. "Eeek!" A small cry came from behind us, as we turned to see Dinkie standing there, the game she had gone to get forgotten on the ground. Her face was one of surprise yet happy at the same time. She started hopping around the room. "I'm getting a new Daddy! I'm getting a new Daddy!" She called out happily. I felt Ditzy inhale sharply as she looked to me suddenly. I smiled as I turned to her. So the little filly wants a new dad, I'll gladly take that role! I nodded to Ditzy with a smile, as she leaned in close for a hug, and another quick peck. A small stream of tears dripped down her muzzle as she smiled in happiness. I drew back slightly, and wiped away her tears for her with a happy smile on my face. "What do you say we go have that dinner now?" I asked, both girls looked at each other, and then back to me. The little filly jumped into the air, and crowed out a mighty, "Yes!" As her mom simply nodded as she leaned on my shoulder, a happy smile still on her face. Well now, All I have to do is explain this to the other girls.. They'll understand.. Right? > Existential Bullsh*t > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Everfree Forest---- Why is it that when I have nothing to do, I always find myself wandering around in this forest? Oh, right.. This is where it all started. My new life, here in a pony filled world. I can barely remember much of my old life anymore, as my life here has overwritten it almost completely. I only remembered a few key moments of my life before Equestria. In fact the only thing I remember fully, is the fact that I became Hazama, as such, I had taken up his name, and everything else he was. But something seemed.. Wrong- "So, what happened last night?" The voice of Luna woke me up from my daydreaming. I quickly pulled the communication crystal from my sleeve and a magical projection of Luna stood before me. She was standing next to Celestia, and had a knowing smirk on her face, as Celestia had a small smile on her own. I shook my head with a small smile of my own. "Oh, you know. I went to visit a friend I made on one of my first visits in Ponyville. As it turns out, she had a small crush on me." Luna looked at me shocked, before dropping the look in favor of another, fonder one. "I assume you said yes then?" She spoke with a soft laugh. At my nod, she nudged Celestia with her wing. "I told you he wouldn't wait for our say in the matter." She rolled her eyes, as Celestia chuckled lightly. "We knew you wouldn't be able to help yourself. Especially since your not quite used to the way things work with Herds. But please, try to be more patient. The bigger the Herd gets the more responsibilities you gain." Celestia's look grew slightly stern. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as I chuckled. "Yes, yes, of course dear." My chuckle stopped as I looked at the two sisters, my eye cracked open. "I miss you Two, I'll come visit tomorrow. Twilight needs me for a few things today." I said softly. The Two sisters looked at each other then back to me with warm smiles on their faces. "We'll be waiting." They both said in unison. I watched as they reached over to cancel the communication. Reaching for my own crystal, as it lazily floated above my palm, I smiled. "I love you." I said while grabbing the crystal. As the communication ended, I head Two reactions. "Oh?" Came from a moderately surprised Luna. "Eep!" Came a the cute squeal from Celestia. The projections fizzled out before more could be said, as I placed the crystal inside my sleeve. "Even now I wonder, why you accept creatures of another race as lovers, I still don't grasp the concept. I don't mind, what with my Dearest accepting me as well. I just find it hard to imagine from my point of view." Nightmares voice rang out in my head. I chuckled at her confusion. "Well, to be honest, it just happened. Unlike you Two, who had a Thousand years to work out your kinks as a couple.. If that even counts, as you don't have a body- But anyway, I on the other-hand, had my own relationship thrown at me like a brick to the head. Sure, I love Luna, and the many years I spent thinking about her, let me think about all the reasons why I do indeed love her. In the short time I've been with her, I don't see her as a different species, or even an outlet for sexual gratification. Simply someone who understands and want to be with me for who I am, not what I am. And I feel the same." My long winded explanation was enough to satisfy Nightmare, as I felt her leave the connection. I sat back on the ground, and looked back up at the morning sky. Well I tried anyway. My vision flooded with a dark green as I was suddenly transferred into the inner Battle Arena that me and Terumi have our spats in every time. ----Mindscape---- *BAM* Immediately I was thrown back by a punch to my face, and I was forced to backflip to regain my balance. "You're a complete idiot!" Terumi growled. The hell did this come from? What could I have said to piss him off? I wiped my nose, the slight trail of blood disappearing, and got into my battle stance. Exactly as Hazama, down to impish grin on my face. "What's got you all pissed off?" I asked, flexing my fingers like Hazama in the game, ready to use my Ouroboros at a moments notice. Terumi's face dropped even further into rage, as he slipped forward with speed I wasn't sure he had before. He slammed into me, holding my throat with a single hand, the other hand clenched into a fist. "Stop that!" He screamed in my face, burying his fist into my stomach. I was sent flying backwards again, this time I was caught by the arm, as Terumi planted a knee into my side and flipped me over his head roughly, almost pulling my arm out of it's socket with the force. My body plunged into the ground, creating a small crater. I looked up, dazed. Terumi stood over the crater lip, looking down at me. "I'm tired of it! I thought you would get it eventually, but it only gets worse!" He was getting angrier. His frown deepened into a snarl. I took the chance of him talking to jump out of the hole in the ground, landing on the opposite side of Terumi. I quickly sent an Ouroboros and zipped to his left. Jumping slightly into the air I did a quick turn and flip into an energy charged kick. "Hirentotsu" The kick flew towards Terumi's head from above. *BAM* When the small cloud of dust settled I gaped in awe, as Terumi stood there eyes boring into me, as he held his arms crossed, blocking my kick. With a quick twist I went with another of Hazama's more used attacks, bringing the still airborne leg up, I lashed out with the other leg, from the ground up, green energy charged upwards. "Gashoukyaku" I sent the kick straight for his chest at the best angle I could muster I my current position. I watched in awe as Terumi quickly wrapped my foot and leg in his own green energy. It wasn't a spirit or anything like he would normally attack with. I couched as he dug his leg into my side, I heard and felt at least Three ribs crack from the force alone. I plopped onto the ground, holding my side tightly, as Terumi snapped his fingers. A small wave of energy pulsed from him, and quickly wrapped over me, tying me up with just his energy. How?! How was he doing things like this? It never happened like that in the game! "You may be a smartass, but you still don't know anything." Terumi seemed to falter a bit in his anger, before slowing down and standing straight again. "Who are you?" Was- Was this a joke? "What do you mean?" I coughed out, "I'm Hazama!" I stated as bluntly as possible. In an instant Terumi had an Ouroboros wrapped around my neck, and was using it to tug me into the air. "Wrong answer.." He growled. "I'll ask again. Who. Are. You?!" He screamed in rage. "I don't know!" Silence "What did you say?" Terumi's voice was calm, almost too calm. "I don't know.." Terumi looked at me, rage dying down. "Exactly!" He yelled out, as he let me go. I fell in a heap on the floor, as his Green energy and Ouroboros dissipated. With a swift kick, he rolled me away a few feet, as he turned around. "When we first got here, you were a green-horn. A newbie. So I let you prance about as Hazama. I figured that you would stop eventually, but you didn't. You didn't!" He turned around, and grabbed me by the collar. Bringing me to his face, I flinched back at the snarl on it. "You pretended to be him for so long you forgot who you are! You are NOT Hazama! You are NOT a video-game character! You aren't even human anymore!" Terumi threw me onto the ground, as he turned around again his energy and chain dissipating into the air. A small silence allowed me to gather myself, and even get myself to my hands and knees. "However-" He started. His rage all but gone from his voice. "You, who were not given this power by birth, didn't want the reason of why, only to start over and live again. You, who didn't even think twice about helping your enemy, only for the fact of being nice. You, have done what Kazuma and Hazama failed to do before you." Her turned to me, as I watched him with a slightly cracked open eye. "You fought me off. You, who didn't have half the power they did, fought me off and kept control. So no, you're not Hazama from Blazblue. You're Hazama from Earth." He finished with a smirk. Before snapping his fingers, a cluster of energy started floating. My eyes widened at his next remark. "So start thinking like an Earthling!" He called out with a laugh, as his Green energy balls dropped onto me and engulfed me in an explosion . ----Back on the Outside---- I awoke with a start, eye cocked open slightly as I skimmed my surroundings. The familiar feeling of fighting Terumi washed over me, as the tiredness sunk in. But even though I was tired, and beaten. My smile couldn't have been bigger. I lifted my hand up, and focused some power to it. In a flash, a small ball of Green light appeared in my palm. "Terumi you big softie, you could have just told me. You didn't have to beat it into me." I said aloud. "Tsk, don't thank me! I just want you to actually be a challenge. From here on out, I play for keeps, no more games." I heard him respond. With that, I cut him from the connection. "If that's how you wanna play, then I have work to do." I said to no-one in particular. I stood up, and began the arduous task of making up my own fighting style. One that would only be brought out against Terumi. I smiled as I summoned an Ouroboros to my hand, I let it slip to the ground, elongating the chain past what I normally use. I watched as the chain slithered on the ground like a real snake. Oh, this is going to be fun. ---A Few Hours Later: Ponyville--- I walked into Ponyville smiling. Walking up to Fluttershy's house was first, as she lived right on the outskirts. I knocked on the door, and waited. I was surprised when a smiling Fluttershy opened the door. "Hello Hazama. What are you doing all the way out here?" She asked in her soft voice. "Oh, well, I was on my way into town, and to be honest. I realized I haven't spent much time hanging out with any of you lately." I chuckled lightly, as I rubbed the back of my head. Fluttershy immediately 'Eep'ed' and began fiddling with her hooves.. "Oh, no! I know you've been busy." She said softly. "I also know that you have both the Princesses and Pinkie to keep yourself busy with, so I really wasn't expecting you to.." She kind of trailed off, as I gently put a hand onto her head. I gently scratched her ear, watching as she leaned into my touch like a cat. "Fluttershy, you know as well as I do, that there is no reason my relationship should stop me from seeing friends." I say, crouching down to give her a hug. "O-oh! If that's what you want.." She mumbled as she returned the hug lightly. I looked past her and saw the many different animals in her house. I saw everything from a Bear to certain bugs running on the walls. As I stood up from the hug, I walked into the doorway, and whistled lowly at the sight. "Wow, that's a lot of animals Flutters, may I?" I asked, waving a hand at the door I was standing in. "Oh! Yes, of course!" She seemed to smile as she nodded her head. I walked in, and noted that all the animals seemed to keep away from me. Must have been a side affect of Terumi existing inside of me. I vaguely recall that I have had no run-ins with animals in the Everfree. I was about to turn and leave the house when something caught my attention. A light Green snake was just coiled up on the nearby windowsill and was watching me with interest. I found it odd.. That I Somehow knew what species of snake it was.. Oh well, lets roll with it. "Oh wow, is that a Green Copperhead?" I asked, as I crouched in front of it, bringing it to my eye level. It gently rose from its coiled position, much like a cobra does, and leaned towards me. Its tongue flicking in and out rapidly, as if testing the air. It flinched back slightly, but recoiled right back into its original spot, head cocked slightly to the side. It seemed to size me up slightly. Then, in a flash of movement, I found the snake gently wrapped around my neck, and I felt its tongue flick into my ear. It let out a signature snake hiss, and my eyes widened. Why? Well.. This- {You smell like monster.} A rough, yet clear feminine voice came the snakes mouth. I could understand the snake? ... Okay, I can dig it I carefully rubbed a finger on her head, going under the chin. She hissed again, backing away from the finger. {Are you monster} She sounded more curious than cautious. "No." As if on cue, Me and Fluttershy both said in unison. Although, Fluttershy's came out as more of a scolding, then the simple answer I gave it. She looked at me funny. {You can hear?} "You can understand her?" Fluttershy sounded exited, and confused at the same time. I merely shrugged my shoulders. "Apparently, yes." I chuckled, as the snake nodded slightly in understanding. She tightened slightly on my neck, as she hissed once more into my ear. {I follow brother} I chuckled, and simply nodded in response. If the little lady wants to hang out, then I wont stop her. "Oh!" I heard the squeak come from Fluttershy. I turned to see her eyes wide as she stared at me. They even had little stars in them. "I had no idea you could talk to animals!" She said, much louder than normal. I looked from the snake to her and smiled. "Sorry Flutters, but I think its just snakes." Her smile dropped slightly, but she kept firm. "Even that, is amazing! I'll have to get you to talk to the nest nearby. And I'll have to get you all the things you'll need to take care of her." She started to mumble to herself after that, as she turned around and began collecting things. {Mother will be busy for a while} The snake hissed. "Right. Hey Flutters, when your done, I'll probably be around Twilight's house okay?" I waited for a response, but none came. I shrugged, and walked out the still open door. I left it open, as the animals inside seemed to be leaving slowly as well. I started walking towards Sweet Apple Acres, to see Applejack. Tilting my head down, I nudged the comfy snake. "I'm going to name you, unless you already have one. That okay with you?" I ask the snake. She looked at me with a tilted head. {We do not give names} She seemed to think on it. {Brother has name?} She asked, her tone now coming off as a younger sister asking an older sibling a question. "Right, Sorry I didn't introduce myself. My name is Hazama." I stated, giving her the trademark Hazama grin. {Hazama..} She seemed to test the name out, like she had never used a name before. She seemed to get lost in thought for a bit, before she shook her head a little. {Brother give name?} She asked cutely. I thought for a bit, finger on my chin. An idea came, and with it, a smirk. One of the few things I remember of my old life was all the Anime I used to watch. And one name caught my attention for this little snake. "From now on, you will be called Ophis." I waited for her to think on it. {Ophis..} She tried the name on her tongue like she did my own, then smiled. Ever seen a snake smile? No? Good. {Ophis is good name, brother} I don't know why, but her accepting the name I gave her, and still calling me brother.. It filled me with so much pride! So much that I copied her smile. I was so caught up in the moment that I barely noticed the Orange mare in front of me. "Ya'll okay sugarcube?" Applejack asked. I stopped walking, and snapped my attention back to normal. "Oh, hey AJ!" I called out happily. "I'm fine, just had a good morning is all." I said. Applejack looked at me confused. "Why did ya just lie? Was it a bad?" She asked. I shook my head. "Sorry, let me re-phrase that. I had an interesting morning." I tried. Applejacks confused look only deepened. "How in tarnation is that a half lie?" She seemed to ask herself. She can feel out my lies, and even my half truths? I think my spine just shivered a bit at the implications, and I looked to Applejack seriously. "AJ, under no circumstance are you to start liking me." I said with a stern face. No way in Tartarus did I need the pony equivalent of a lie detector in the Herd that I cant lie too. I watched as she met my stern gaze with her own. "That's fine. I don't feel that way about ya anyway." She scoffed playfully with a smile. I nodded, my grin coming back as I looked around. I noted the bright Red apples everywhere, and wondered if- "Oh no! Not after last time ya don't!" Applejack yelled out, pushing me away with her hoof. Her face one of frustration. "Oh come on, I only knocked over Three tree's last time!" I countered. "And what about the Six that ya'll blew up?" She asked, much like how one scolds a child. "...Sorry?" I offered my best apology. "No! Your not allowed in mah farm during Applebuck season!" She growled. I sighed in defeat, and shook my head. I looked at the trees full of apples. Each apple looked better than the last.. "May I have an apple then?" I asked nicely. I watched as Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, go ahead." I nodded, smile widening, as I focused on one of the few things I began training on earlier. I let an Ouroboros fall from my sleeve as it slid down onto the ground. It raced along the ground much like a snake would, and zipped up the closest tree and coiled around it slightly. With a twitch of a finger, the chain pulsed, and all the apples fell from the tree. The head of the Ouroboros slapped an apple, sending it flying towards me, as the chain itself evaporated into Green energy. The rest of the apples simply fell into the bucket laid out on the ground around the tree. "See? No problem!" I said happily biting into the apple. *Fwoosh* My eyes widened as I watched the tree erupt into Green flames. ... So close! "Bye AJ!" I called, already jumping into the air away from Sweet Apple Acres. "Arrg!!" I heard Applejack howl out from the ground. I landed back on the ground, somewhere near to Rarity's place, but I was distracted by the weirdest feeling. Somewhere, somehow, I was being watched. It was close, so close I could almost feel it.. I reached into my coat, and pulled out the culprit. "Morning Pinks." I say with a smile. "How do you know?!" She howled out, hooves outstretched into the air in a dramatic fashion. I simply chuckled and tapped my head. "How can I miss the giant ball of floating fun?" I poked her stomach, causing her to giggle. I gave her a quick peck, that she returned with gusto. "Having a good day Hazie?" Her smile was contagious. That big, ever widening smile. I tried my best to give it back as I answered. "I am now." I said softly, giving her a hug. I took a small sniff of her mane: cotton candy, just as I remembered. Something caught my eye. I reached into her mane, making her giggle. I wound up letting her go, as she dropped to the ground, as I pushed myself in until just my legs were hanging out. "Whatcha doin?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, causing me to kick at the ground. I used it to pull myself out. "Jeeze Pinks, you should watch what you let in there." I said, brushing myself off. I held up the small alligator that I found in there. Its eyes were a bright Purple, and it had no teeth, as it was currently latched onto my hand. "Ooh, Gummy! That's where you went! I've been looking for you all morning!" Pinkie grabbed the little alligator from my hand, as it chomped back onto her mane, much like one would actual cotton candy. She giggled. "Hey Pinks, can you find Rainbow? I believe I owe that mare a race." I said. Pinkie looked at me in wonder. "OH wow, I never ever thought you would race her! I know where she is!" She went to zip off, until I grabbed her hoof. She looked at me confused. I reached into her mane again, and pulled out Ophis. The snake shivering before coiling around my neck again. {Soo.. Much.. Pink} She hissed out. "Aww! She's cute!" Pinkie called out, as she watched us. "Ok, I'll be back!" "I'll probably be at Twilight's!" I call towards the retreating form of Pinkie. Okay then, all that leaves is- Oh, its right here. I walked up to Rarity's Boutique and knocked on the door. "~Coming!~" Rarity sang out. Upon opening the door she smiled. "Oh Hazama, darling, how have you been?" She asked. She was still smiling. I wonder why? "Oh, I'm fine, just visiting all my friends. Have you been busy? It's been a while since I've been around." I said, sitting on her guest couch, as she stood in front of me, still smiling. "Oh yes! But not with work, and if I am to believe what I've been told, then your the one responsible." She said to me, her smile turning to a smirk. Did I do something? I feel like I should know what I did.. "Rarity, who was it?" A voice called from the stairs, leading up to the bedrooms. I looked to see.. Spike. "Aah, right. I see my advice to Spike helped out did it?" I asked. I was suddenly taken into a hug by Rarity. I heard Spike make his way downstairs. "My little Spikey-wikey suddenly started complimenting my looks, and even started buying me small gifts with his gems instead of eating them. He's been much more mature." With that last bit she turned to Spike, and winked. The small purple drake chuckled embarrassedly as he looked at me. "You were right dude. All I needed to do was act my age, rather than my size. Like you said: ---Flashback--- "Listen Spike." I spoke, catching his attention once again. "If you want Rarity to notice you in any way other than as a baby, you need to do a few things." Spike's eyes narrowed, as he focused his full attention on me. "What is it?" He asked seriously. "Good start kid." I pat him lightly on the head, before going back to serious mode. "First step, How old are you?" I asked him. "I'm only Five years younger than Twilight. I'm Sixteen." He said. "Good, Second step. Act your age!" I gently bopped him on the head. "Yes I know that dragons age differently than ponies. But you still have Sixteen years of experience, you shouldn't act like such a kid. Especially when you like a mare. Once a mare see's you as a friend, its Very hard to get closer than that. So your already at a disadvantage. But this should help your chances." "Right!" He nodded. "Step Three is the easiest. You need to do things that other ponies would do to show affection. Small gifts, compliments, that kind of thing. Show her your desire to court her!" I said with a smile, as he jumped up, fire in his eyes. "Right!" "Now it will be hard to start. As your crush on her will make you go all dopey over and over again. You need to break that. When you feel like you can't say no to her, when you see nothing but her, I want you to walk away." I heard Spike gasp like I hit him. "I know it will be hard, but it's one of the only ways to break yourself from that love struck mode you get into. Once you can be near her without drooling, you can start too buy her gifts that she seems fond of. Start small, little trinkets work best. From there its all you, how you adapt to being around her, and if she starts to show interest in you." I stood up, and walked to the door. As I opened the door and stepped out, I turned to close the door. "Remember to be yourself Spike, nobody likes a fake." As I close the door. ---Flashback: End--- I coughed into my hand, I had forgotten all about the stuff I told him. It seems my memory is a bit shot, due to all the crud that's been going on constantly. I'm happy that I haven't had a problem in a while, It let me get around to the few promises that I made a while back. I looked over to see Spike getting a nuzzle from Rarity, the small drake blushing from the contact. I chuckle, as he looked quite flustered. "I'm glad you Two got together, you make a good couple. I told Twilight I would help her today, so I'll leave the Two of you alone." I say with a smile, as I make for the door. I was stopped by Spike, as he jumped in front of me, with a great big smile on his face. "I owe you one bro, you helped me. You helped us. Whatever you need, whenever you need. I'll do my best." He said holding out a hand for a handshake. I looked to his clawed hand, then him. I laughed lightly, reaching over and shaking his hand. "If that's how you want to do it, fine. But I doubt I'll ever ask you for something." I turned to leave and exited Rarity's just in time to hear Rarity call Spike over to her couch. I then heard the door lock behind me. I chuckled again, sounds like Spike grew up faster than I thought. I quickly made my way to Twilight's Library. Upon entering, this time I didn't knock, I found Twilight standing on top of some platform made of plastic. "Finally!" She shouted, as she lit her horn up. The Purple glow was brighter than the last time, as her face scrunched up in concentration. Suddenly a Purple sphere surrounded me, and made me touch the side to keep my balance as she made it hover. I pulsed some of my energy into it, and it only flashed, before I felt a sting on my hand. My eyebrow quirked upwards as I looked to my slightly smoking palm. She redirected my pulse back to me.. How intriguing. After thinking for a quick second, I reasoned that I could just power through it, but that would make a magic backlash, and that isn't something I want happening inside Ponyville. So I did the next best thing, I relaxed. What I wanted to do required the finest of touches. I focused on my hand, I watched as it faded slightly, becoming slightly incorporeal. I pushed it to the sphere, and it fazed right through. Upon getting through, I pushed my power back through it, and tapped the shield. Green cracks quickly spread across the Purple barrier, before it shattered, letting me land on my feet. I quickly re-oriented my 'personal' barrier back over my hand, letting it fade back to normal. I flexed my hand, feeling nothing wrong with it, aside from the slight tingling that comes with both losing and regaining nerves. "Gah! How? Why!" Twilight called out. I looked over to her, and realized how hard she must of tried. She had tears in her eyes.. "Relax Twilight, breath." I called softly, walking over to her and petting her head slightly. "You would have gotten me with that one had I not cheated." I said honestly. On the inside I was jumping up and down like a kid given candy. The hand I've been using to interact with ponies today has been my 'Herd' seal hand, and it hasn't gone off Once today! "Cheated?" Her whisper startled me. She was staring up at me with slightly wide eyes, tears still in the corners of her eyes. "Well.. Yeah. I used one of my abilities to faze my hand through your barrier." Her look hardened slightly. "How is that cheating?" Her voice was confused. "It's not exactly my ability.." I chuckled embarrassedly. Twilights eyes shot wide. "You mean-" She started. "Yup, you made me use a bastardized version of Terumi's ability." I said, smiling. "Bullshit! Since when can you do that? That's not one of mine!" Terumi sounded agitated. "Perhaps he trained more than you give him credit for, Dearest." The voice of Nightmare sounded next to his. "No, fuck you!" I heard him tell Nightmare quickly. "How the fuck did you do that? I cant do that!" He sounded both angry and surprised.. But more angry. "Excuse me?" Nightmare called out, sounding just as angry. Maybe I shouldn't have- "Who do you think you are talking to?!" She yelled, the venom in her voice was.. Scary. "I did say 'bastardized' after all. It just means I took a concept from you and made it my own." I replied simply, shrugging my shoulders. "I know what the word means!" Terumi yelled, his rage climbing. "What I want to know, is how you can do something I've been trying to do for years.. How.. How did you figure out how to make a part of your body stay physical as you slipped out of reality?" His question made me smile. "It's simple really. And when you figure it out, get back to me." I smirked as I cut the connection. "Sorry Twi, you were saying?" I asked Twilight, as she seemed to be waiting for an answer. "You know, It weird being able to tell when you talk to Terumi." She said, looking at me weird. She shook her head as she muttered something about 'Ponies with multiple personalities'. "I had no idea you could tell. What's the give away?" I laughed, rubbing my neck slightly. Twilight's face erupted into a smirk. "You don't know? Well, you keep coming back and helping me test my barriers and I'll tell you someday." She finished with a small laugh, myself following soon after. "Ah, alright then. Same time next week then?" I asked, standing up from my slightly hunched over position. "Yup!" Twilight's face lit up in a bright smile. "Next time, I'll get you. I've got some great notes to work into my barrier. Maybe next time I can increase the focal point into a smaller contact, making a smaller surface area? No, I'd need to condense the overlay a bit too much.." She drowned herself into her mumblings. I chuckled, as she simply turned and began writing in her little notebook on her desk. I left, as I knew she would be locked in her inner ramblings for at least a few hours. I shut the door behind me, and quickly turned around to catch a rapidly incoming projectile. "Oomf!" A female voice came from my hands as I caught it. My eyebrow rose for a split second before I realized 'who' it was, not 'what' it is. "Hello Rainbow." I stifled a laugh, as I let her go. She shook like a wet dog, as she floated mid-air. Resetting her wings and feathers to their proper position. "Sup." She responded once she was done fixing herself up. "Heard ya wanna have that race now. It's about time!" She huffed. She zipped up to my face. "I've been dying to see who's faster! So lets go!" She landed casually on the ground next to me. I smiled at her readiness. I got into a relaxed position, I knew she was fast. "So how are we going to do this? Abilities, or just an on foot.. Erm.. On hoof?" I ask casually. She looked up at me, and was about to answer, before she caught herself. She got into a thinking position, before placing it down and answering me. "I use my wings, you use whatever you can. No teleporting! That's not speed!" She added in a flurry. I sighed in relief. "Good, I don't teleport anyway. So, how about we go from here to Canterlot, and back?" I asked her. My casualness of the distance must have thrown her off, since she almost fell out of the air. "That far?" She asked, surprise on her face. It quickly faded into cockiness again however, as she smirked. "Okay, fine. Nopony can get to Canterlot faster than me, let alone both ways." She boasted as she got into her ready stance. I let an Ouroboros fall from each sleeve. I gently grabbed Ophis, and placed her down on Twilights doorstep. "I'll be right back." The snake simply nodded as she coiled up, watching us. "Ready?" I ask. "Go!" Rainbow zipped into the sky, and was already distancing herself from Ponyville. I shook my head slightly at her head start, smiling. I jumped into the air, and with a quick twirl, I launched one Ouroboros towards Canterlot Castle as quick as I could. It was sent speeding through the air, following a fair bit slower than Rainbow's speed, which just slowed down, as she rounded the Castle. Her Rainbow trail easy to track even through the massive distance. My other Ouroboros had already wrapped itself twice around Twilights. Thankfully, I had trained in something similar this morning. Okay whiplash, here I come! My Ouroboros found its target, and pulled me to it. I zipped through the air, quickly passing Rainbow on her return path. Her eyes widened slightly at the Green blur that passed her. Her curiosity more focused on the glowing chain that it left behind. As she re-entered Ponyville, she was surprised when the Green blur passed her again, following the chain back to her starting point. She stopped as fast as she could, her eyes popping out slightly. I stood there, rubbing my neck slightly. A slight *pop* was heard. "Ahh! Whiplash is a bitch!" I hissed through slightly gritted teeth. I looked over to see Rainbow barely floating above the ground, her mouth drooping open. "How?" She asked, quickly zipping to my face, stars in her eyes. My eyebrow rose at her reaction. I was expecting her to get angry.. "Well, Alone, you are much faster than me. And if this was a hoof-race, you would probably have beaten me without a problem. But my chains are used to move around.. in battle. And in those battles, I have to be fast. Of course, you saw the downfall right?" I smirked, as her eyes widened. "You can zip around fast as Tartarus, but if your opponent sees where you send your chain, they can see where you're going to go. And your chain doesn't exactly go fast either. So you must have to think on your hooves to make sure you don't get caught. That.. Or just move in small bursts." When she finished, the stars In her eyes came back, as she started flying around me in a circle. "That's so cool! So as long as you have one of those chains attached to where you need to go, you can almost teleport, right?" I chuckled. "Yes Rainbow, that's exactly how it works for me." I gently rubbed her head. "Do me a favor, and never let anypony call you stupid. You saw more in one second than what most do in an entire battle." She pouted a bit, before she realized what I meant. Her chest was soon held out I her usual boastful manner. "Well, I may not be an egghead, but I still know how to fight. I am pretty cool after all." She even tilted her nose into the air. She suddenly looked at me with a grin. "Hey, how about that hoof-race?" I groaned a bit. "Didn't I just tell you that you would beat me in one of those?" I asked. "Aw come on big guy, you know I'll never let you live it down if you don't do it." She goaded. I let another sigh out, as I picked up Ophis from Twilight's doorstep, letting her coil around my neck. "Okay then, where to?" I asked. "Alright!" Dash did a little hoof pump in excitement, before she got into her ready position. "The Everfree, from here its a straight shot about a few thousand hooves away, and if you go straight in you'll see a clearing about another thousand in. Okay?" "Right, to the Everfree, then straight to a clearing." I nodded. Her memory was impeccable. "Go!" She jumped forward, landing into a full gallop. She lowered her head to minimize resistance. I looked on as she quickly made progress away from me into Ponyville.. again. I started in a jog, getting the feeling of running back. You know, since I've done sooo much running in Equestria. You get my joke? I've been abusing my Ouroboros chains as a means of getting around. As such, Anything other than the running I do in small bursts while fighting, feels weird. I push my legs, going into a full sprint, crouching down slightly as I ran. I don't know why, but having my hands in my pockets actually felt better than having them out and loose.. Awkward. A second later, I found myself smiling a bit, as I pushed my legs to go faster, making longer and longer strides. I had forgotten that my body was made for quick and agile movements on its own. I felt so light as I rounded around house after house, making my way through Ponyville. After I rounded my Fifth house, I came across a dead end. There was a gate at the end of the alley, but I couldn't stop. I don't know if it was instinct, of if it was something Hazama would have done, but.. What happened next surprised me. I glanced around, took in my surroundings and jolted to one side. Using a small trashcan as a stepping stone, I leapt off into the opposite wall, where I quickly pushed off with one arm and a leg. I flipped through the air, and reached out the same hand. My hand met the top of the gate, and I flipped over the gate. I landed with a small roll, as I continued on with my momentum towards the forest that lay before me. I noted that in my blatant shortcut, I found myself close to Dash's position. I also noted that I was gaining on her slightly.. My longer strides must be more of a handicap than I bargained for. I got closer and couldn't resist. I tapped her shoulder lightly. Her eyes shot sideways, as a smile shot back onto her face. "Good, you can keep up! Final stretch, don't let up." She seemed to smirk a bit, before she pushed away from me rather quickly. She was holding back? Oh, this has been more fun than I care to admit. I looked on as we both entered Everfree, Dash a fair distance ahead of me. She slowed down considerably. That's to be expected due the massive amount of tree's we needed to avoid running into. Me on the other hand, well I had something I just needed to try. I quickly scanned the area, and found what I needed. My body seemingly going on auto-pilot, as I leapt into the closest tree. I grab onto one branch with a hand, and swing myself upwards, as I landed on another, higher up branch on another tree. I pushed off with both legs, and jumped from one tree to another. Only having to catch myself with a hand a few times. In fact, I was currently laughing. A good, hearty laugh, as I jumped from tree to tree. I heard Dash below me, keeping up with me even now. The mare was good, I'll tell you that much. I jumped into the clearing the same time as a Blue blur crashed into me, we landed in a roll, as I heard her laughing as well. We stopped, as she had me pushed to the ground, herself standing on top of me, breathing heavy. "That was fun!" Dash laughed out, as she dropped down onto my chest. She moved with my own heavy breathing, as I laughed as well. "Damn right! We should do this more often, it'll keep us both in shape." My smile was quite big. Dash leaned up, and went to say something before she stopped. She seemed to stare at me, her eyes slightly wider than usual. Her breathing was still heavy, but she wasn't focused on that, she seemed more focused on my face. My mind ground to a halt when I felt a tingle on my hand. No.. Nono! Before my mind could freak out, the tingle went away as Dash shook her head and smiled at me. "Yeah, definitely!" She said as she stood up. I got up, and brushed myself off gently. "How about in a few days, that way-" She stopped abruptly. I turned to look at her, and her eyes were glued to a small patch of Blue flowers on the ground, that were previously hidden by my back. I snapped my finger to get her attention. "You alright? Are those flowers important?" I asked, afraid I had ruined something Pegasi found important. She looked to me, and shook her head, a small smile formed on her face. "No, it's all good. You just don't see these around too often anymore." Her smile got bigger. "Oh, good. I was afraid they were something important to you." I sighed, and looked up, noting the sunset. "Well, I had better get back to Twilight's, lest she come find me again. Goodnight Dash." I said, heading off into the woods. Rainbow sat there, smile still on her face. She spread her wings, and jumped into the air. "Jokes on you, big guy." She muttered, as she flew to the clouds. She needed to be ready for whatever happened tomorrow. > Jokes? Or Chaos? Time is of the Essence! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Twilight's Home: Hazama's Room---- The sun peaked its light through the window, as it seemed to focus on Hazama's eyes. A low grunt came from him, as he quickly shifted from his slumber and rolled to the edge of his bed. He rubbed his eyes groggily as he yawned, an eye creaking open slightly. "Sweet Celestia, I haven't slept like that in ages. In fact I barely sleep at all-" He stopped himself short, as his cracked eye opened a bit wider. His mouth formed a thin line, as he looked at his hand, before he placed it on the bed. He let out a withered sigh, as his eye closed. "I bucking hate magic..." He mumbled, his eyebrow quirking slightly. "Really? Ponyfeathers!" He gently stood from the bed, doing his best to maintain his balance. "I can't swear? What kind of bucking nonsense is that?" He muttered, as he made his way through the open door to the bathroom. He leaned up to the mirror, and took a hard, long, look at his reflection. In the mirror stood a Stallion with a White coat. He looked quite thin, almost like a Mare. A black fedora hat resting on his head, as a trail of short, Green hair led down his back laying flat like his normal hair. He wore his signature Black coat, and vest, with the dark blue undershirt from rarity still there. He was however, lacking his pants. Which allowed him to see the cutie mark on his flank. A Green chain looped around in a sideways Eight, Overlapping a Joker card. He looked carefully on his back and forehead, and sighed in relief when he noticed that he was just a simple earth pony. "At least I'm not a Celestia damned Gary-Stu. I like who I am thanks you very much.." He mumbled to himself. He turned to leave the bathroom, and smiled lightly. "Well then, lets see how this will work out." Hazama chuckled as he made his way down the stairs. Which, almost tripped him up. He had to take his time, but he seemed to be getting the hang of walking on all fours. At the bottom of the stairs, he noted the sound of pans being moved around in the kitchen area. He walked in, to see Spike holding a small tower of different pots and pans. Next to a full sink of water. "What's up Spike?" He asked, watching the small drake jump at his words. A single movement brought the pans tumbling into the sink. "Aww man! I just dried those!" Spike groaned. He turned to look at Hazama. "Dude, you totally have to warn-" He seemed to trail off as he looked at him. Spike's mouth flapping open and closed as he pointed to Hazama. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Hazama deadpanned. He looked around, still not being used to how everything looked at a smaller size. "What?" Spike sputtered a bit. "What happened to you?" He asked. "The buck if I know dude.." Hazama scowled a little at the swear word. "I just woke up like this." He made a motion with a hoof. "Woke up like what?" Twilight's voice called from the other side of the room. Hazama flinched back slightly, as he prepared for Twilight's freak out. He heard a gasp, but nothing else. When he looked over to Twilight, he was surprised. She stood there with her mouth agape like Spike did, but it was more the very prominent blush on her face. When you can blush through Purple, you know you're trying too hard. "Gah!" Hazama yipped in pain, as his right hoof started to shine and burn. "Wha? NO! Nono!" He turned to Twilight, and waved at her franticly. "Twi, I need your help!" When she didn't answer, he turned to Spike. "Can you help me here?" He pleaded. "Oh no, this is way to funny. I've never seen Twilight blush before!" Spike was laughing hard. "Your very helpful!" Hazama growled, as he turned back to Twilight, who was still stuck in 'stare' mode. Her eyes roving over him like she was studying him. Her blush intensified, if that was even possible. "Oh fine, I'll be back when you calmed down." Hazama walked to the front door, and opened it with his mouth. "And stop staring at my flank! It's creepy!" He said, as he slammed the door with a hind leg. He started his way to the only pony he knew would be able to help him. ----Sweet Apple Acres---- "Oh come on!" Hazama's voice carried over the apple tree farm. He sprinted around a tree, keeping his head low to try to keep his momentum. "Get back here ya varmint!" Applejack's voice called from behind him. He dove to the right just in time to dodge a lasso, as it zipped by his head. However, he didn't see the tree in front of him, as he slammed into it full force.. And the tree fell over as he fell backwards, scattering the apples on it all over the place. "Consarnit! That's another tree ya owe me!" Applejack's voice rang through his head, as he rubbed his forehead. "Ya'll okay sugarcube?" Applejack's voice was laced with concern, as she sat down next to him. She watched as the Green haired stallion gently shook his head free of cobwebs. "Yeah, yeah. It didn't hurt as much as you think. Or at all for that matter. It was just the jarring motion that caught me by surprise." Applejack nodded, as she leveled a heavy glare at Hazama. "Now, why did ya'll run away? Ya said something about needing help, than ya ran away! How's a mare gonna help if ya run away?" She asked, her glare subsiding slightly, as she lightly punched Hazama in the arm. He just sat there, mouth in a thin line, as he raised a hoof into the air. Said hoof was glowing, and the symbol of the Princesses could be seen. "Magic doesn't lie, AJ. I ran because this ponified version of me apparently makes all you ponies fall head over hoofs for me. My case in point, the same thing happened to Twilight." Hazama glared at his glowing hoof. "How does that mean-" Applejack tried asking a question. "I did say it was magic, that's all that needs to be said." Hazama grunted as he stood up. "Now listen here sugarcube! Magic ain't ever gonna tell me who to love, you got me?" She almost shouted. A second later, her face erupted into a shade of red, as she started to stutter her words. "Love huh?" Hazama muttered, as he turned to Applejack. The mare gulped slightly at the serious face he had on. "Applejack, just yesterday I asked you, if you like me. And you replied with complete honesty that you had no such feelings for me. So either you were lying, which doesn't seem right, oh Element of Honesty, or my new pony form has made you drastically change your outlook of me." He said, making sure to stare into her eyes, with his own slightly cracked open one. The Golden iris peered into her very soul. Applejack sat there, thinking about what was said. Her ears splayed back, as she realized he was right. "Oh, sugarcube.." She whispered. She watched as Hazama started walking away. "Just do me a favor, and meet up at Twilight's. Maybe explain to her what's happening?" He asked calmly. Applejack simply nodded her head, and began her gallop toward Twilight's as Hazama made his way to Fluttershy's. ---With Applejack--- Applejack rushed into the library, breathing heavy from the sudden exertion. "Twi, we got a problem!" She called out. "I know, Hazama is a pony." Twilight spoke from behind her desk. She was furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment. "It's not just that, there's some kind of magic goin on that makes ponies like him more." Applejack said, pushing a few books out of the way, so she could lean onto the table. "Yes, I figured that would be the case. Since I saw him this morning, I haven't been able to think straight. Since I cant do it, I'm messaging the Princesses about it, maybe they can help us." She finished her message, and quickly zapped it with a teleportation spell. She didn't have time to wait for Spike to come back with Rarity. "Do ya'll rekon the Princesses will be able to help?" Applejack asked. *Poof* In a flash of white light, stood both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They both had the same look of worry on they're faces. "Where is he?" Celestia asked quickly. "There isn't much time!" Luna said, equally as quickly. Twilight looked at her mentor with a confused look. "What's wrong Princess?" Twilight asked Celestia. However, it wasn't either that answered for her. *Boom!* The Princesses flinched as a small Green mushroom cloud erupted from the outskirts of Ponyville. "He's not too fond of crowds." Luna stated simply as they all began racing to the edge of town. ---With Hazama: A Few Minutes Ago--- Hazama looked around, and noted the ever increasing amount of mares poking they're heads in his direction. He let out another withered sigh as he made his way to Fluttershy's house. H walked up to her door and knocked. His hoof rapping on the door rather hard. He winced at the loud noise, still not quite used to how hard these hooves where. The door opened slightly, then opened fully, as Fluttershy pulled him in quickly. Before he could get a word out, he was silenced by a plush yellow hoof softly pressed against his mouth. He looked to see a smiling Fluttershy, a slight blush on her face. "It's okay. Ophis told me about what was happening." As she said that, the Green Copperhead snake flung from Fluttershy's back, and coiled around Hazama's longer neck. Ophis nuzzled the side of his cheek, as she hissed out. {Brother pony now. Okay right?} She asked him, in a worried tone. Hazama chuckled, his face calming considerably as he gently rubbed her head with a hoof. "Yeah, I'm fine. Confused, and angry, but otherwise fine." He looked to Fluttershy, her wings stretching slightly, as her face slowly flushed more and more. His right hoof began to burn again, and he sighed. "What your feeling right now is a result of whatever magic was used in making me a pony Flutters. I need you to focus, and think. Did you feel the same way about me yesterday? Look deep." His face was full of a deep hope. Fluttershy seemed to flinch back, as she thought on his words, and she started to cower a bit. "O-oh, I'm so sorry Hazama. You just look so.. Handsome." Hazama sighed, as he turned to leave. "J-just get to Twilight's. I need your help-" His attention was grabbed by the sight of at least Three mares heads looking in through the window. He growled a bit as he made his way to the door, and opened it. He had to quickly close it, due to the mass of mares that tried to grab him. He growled even louder, as he turned around, and bucked the door. It was almost like he moved on impulse. The door broke off its hinge and shot out into Fluttershy's front yard. He raced out and took note of the fact that almost the entire population of mares from Ponyville..Even some of the Stallions, were standing around him in a wide arc. They all looked happy to see him, all sporting a blush. "Go away!" Hazama yelled, green energy coming out in wisps from his body. "Hazama! We love you!" Some of the mares to his right rushed him, tackling into his side. "G-get away.." His body was shaking. "Have my foals!" Another set of mares called from his left, as they collided with his other side. The remaining mares had started fighting the others for a spot next to him. "Get away.." His eyes were cracked open and his pupils were pinpricks, starting to glow a soft green. "Get off, he's mine!" Some of the others jumped on top of the pile that resided around Hazama. "Get away!" Hazama howled out as a surge of green energy pulsed out from his body. The pulse knocked every pony away from him, but it stopped about Twenty feet away, the energy floating there for a second. Suddenly the energy rushed back towards Hazama, upon contact with him, it exploded. A small mushroom cloud of Green energy blew up into the sky, shaking the ground slightly. When the Green smoke dissipated, Hazama stood there, in a small crater, panting. The ponies that were surrounding him lay strewn about unconscious. Surprisingly, Fluttershy's house was still standing, albeit having a few windows blown out and a wall being cracked. "Hazama!" Fluttershy rushed outside, but stopped as she looked to her friend. Ophis slithered her way up Fluttershy's leg, and sat on her back as they both stared. Hazama stood in the crater, his body covered in small cuts. His sides heaving with heavy breaths, even as they shuddered from some pain. She made a step to walk over to her friend and help, but was stopped by Pinkie's voice. "Nono, You can't go near him right now." Pinkie had appeared next to Fluttershy and had held up a hoof to hold Fluttershy back. "Hazie.." She whispered, concern lacing her voice. Another set of voices got her attention. "He's over here!" The raspy voice of Rainbow called out, over the small crater. Pinkie watched as the rest of her friends and even her Herd mates came as well. Rainbow made to fly over to Hazama, but was stopped by a Golden glow. Celestia placed her down, and nodded towards Luna. "Hazama, honey, I need you to calm down." Luna's voice was soft as silk, like she was trying to talk down a suicidal pony. She didn't get a response. She watched, along with the rest of the group, as Hazama's cuts began leaking Green energy, a slight sizzling could be heard as Hazama whimpered slightly. "What's happening Princess?" Twilight asked Celestia, as Luna continued to try talking to Hazama. "Its as I feared." She turned her attention to her student. "When you stated in your letter that Hazama had turned into a pony, I was originally excited, and wanted to come as fast as possible. But as I gathered my sister, I noticed you didn't mention anything about him having a horn." She waited to see if her student got what the problem was. She was not disappointed as Twilight grew more worried than ever before. Before she could praise her, the others chimed in. "So what's wrong with the poor feller?" Applejack asked, also worried. "Yeah, I've seen the big guy take some serious damage before, what's so wrong about now? There isn't even anything attacking!" Rainbow asked, frantic to help the human turned pony. "No, there is something attacking him." Twilight said, looking to her friends, as Fluttershy and Pinkie entered the group. "As a human he had an amazing amount of magic. In fact it was its density that made it so he could match the Princesses. Now, as a pony, all his magic is kept inside an even smaller body. Normally, the crystal he embedded in himself would override any extra magic, and store it for use of his abilities and such. However, that crystal was designed by himself to house the maximum amount of magic his human body could hold. The crystal has been overloading his body since he turned, and it won't stop." She stopped to look over, as Hazama let out a small cry as more Green energy pulsed out of his body, before zipping back and exploding again. The blast was similar to the last, and made the others wince at his outcry of pain. "..We believe his body is now trying to expel the extra energy, even though he doesn't have a horn. At the same time, the crystal refuses to let the magic go to waste, and calls it back, causing the explosions you see. Him not liking crowds simply gave his magic a reason to come out in the first place." Celestia finished for her student. She turned back and walked up to where Luna stood. "Hazama, honey you need to let your magic go, stop trying to control it." Celestia said, as she flared her magic up. Her words reached Hazama's ears, but had the opposite affect she desired. His eyes widened slightly as he looked around. "Are you insane?!" He hissed. "The only reason Ponyville is still on the map is my control!" He growled in restrained anger. "Quite, so keep your anger in check old boy." A voice called out from the sky. Everypony in the area that was awake looked up quickly and gasped. "Discord?!" Celestia questioned, already gathering magic for a quick teleport. With a snap of his finger a brown and red barrier formed around the party. "Yes, it's me." He seemed to be a bit.. off. With another snap, the magic in Celestia's horn dissipated, as did the magic that Luna had been gathering in secret. "Do you know what it's like to be trapped in stone, with nothing but your own mind to keep you entertained feels like?" Discord asked suddenly, his voice plain, none of the playful tone from before. When no one answered, he simply shook his head. He looked to Hazama. "You my friend, were supposed to be my help. Instead you made me lose my leg!" He cried out in anger. "Sure I can get another, but its the principal of it! I won't replace it until your dead." He ended it in a flat tone. Luna ran up and got in front of Hazama, who was still cringing in pain as his magic seeped from his wounds. "You will do no such thing!" Luna glared at Discord. He simply sat there as he hung in the air, with his arms crossed. With another snap, a wave of earth shot up and plowed into Luna's side, pushing her away. Hazama's eyes hardened in anger, as they flashed a dark green. His shadow started to pulse, as his hat started to fade out. "You see, I'm done with playing nice. I want my throne back." Discord said, as he drew his attention from the ponies, and back to Hazama. "No, you don't get a say in this." The bored tone of his voice, was betrayed by the anger in his eyes. With a snap, a spear of light shot out, and plunged into Hazama's shadow. With a bright flash, the shadow vanished, and Hazama held his head as he let out a scream. Behind him, another scream came from the ponies side, as Luna screamed, and gripped her chest. In an explosion of Blue and Black magic, she fell to the ground with a thud, her eyes gazing off into the distance, as the light left them. "Hmm?" Discord hummed to himself, as he looked over to Luna's body. "It seems that if you destroy the shadow, the body falls as well." He chuckled darkly, as he turned back to Hazama. He glanced at the ponified human's non existent shadow curiously. He floated closer to the now shaking man. "How is it that your shadow is gone, yet you're not?" The curiosity was laced with venom. He watched as Hazama's hoof raced towards his hat. With a snap of his fingers the pony was held in glowing chains, the chains glowing a faint green, indicating they were draining his magic. "No no, you don't have a say in this, remember? I'm done with you, and these ponies. Its about time you all remember that I am the God of Chaos!" Discord hissed out, as he snapped his fingers again. This time, a flurry of things happened in a short time. A meteor crashed down from above, sending the group of ponies away from each other, as Celestia looked up in a rage. Her hair was lit like a pure inferno, and her eyes were a fierce red. She charged Discord, only to be teleported away. He watched as a few rabid animals attacked Fluttershy, even through she begged them not to. In the sky a flying Rainbow was being chased down by more meteors, each one getting closer and closer to her, as she made crazy moves to avoid them. On the ground, Applejack was being attacked by Four Manticores, each one honing in with their stingers. Twilight was caught outside the Barrier, and was trying desperately to get in, clashing her magic with the barrier continuously. A few feet from her a shivering Pinkie looked on as her friends were separated, and her Herd mates gone. "This, is true Chaos!" Discord laughed, as he felt the pure fright from the ponies around him combine with the fear they already had. "Do you see?" He floated closer to the chained pony. Only then did he notice that he was muttering something. "..." The muttering was almost silent. "What's that boy? You'll have to speak up!" As he snapped his fingers and a metal rod erupted from the ground and pierced the White stallion's shoulder. "..." The muttering didn't get louder. Discord stared at the human turned pony in silence. "If that's how you want to do this, then I'll just kill them all too! First Luna by killing Nightmare Moon, and then Celestia by Teleporting her into the void" Discord said, laughing. In a flash, Hazama's hat disappeared, his hair stood on end, as his energy flared to life, even through the chains. He lifted his head, and his now Green eyes glared at the God of Chaos. His face contorted into a smile, as he started to laugh uncontrollably. The Green energy around him intensified, pulsing through the chains, cracking them. His laugh turned maniacal as the energy turned a black color with a Green edge. The chains shattered, and he stood up, face contorted into a painful looking grin. "I'd be thanking you for making him give me complete control.." Terumi's voice called out. He stopped as he glared at Discord. "But for once we agree on something." Terumi growled. He vanished in a burst of Green light, reappearing in behind Discord. He slammed a hoof down on the ground, sending a shockwave down and sending the remaining ponies from earlier away a good amount of distance. A second later, as Discord turned around, he grabbed him by the horn, and spun Discord around and dug his head into the rocky ground. With another quick movement, he flipped and heel kicked the back of his head even further into the ground. In a flurry of movement, he circled Discord once, and jumped away, landing next to Luna's body. He glanced down at the body and one of his eyes faded slightly back to Gold, as his hoof started shaking. "We don't have time for that!" Terumi hissed as he covered the Gold eye with his not shaky hoof. With a slight nod, and a flux of power he relaxed his position, hunching over slightly as. His eye glowing Green once again. "Was that all the power you've got?" Discord's voice called over from his downed position. He simply floated upwards into a relaxed position. Terumi smiled, as he stood up on Two hooves. "Nope!" Terumi laughed as he clapped his hooves. Discord looked down, as a Green light started to shine from the ground. He noted Several small balls of Green light, floating about. His eyes widened as he looked around him, and saw that they had surrounded him in clusters of at least Seven. They each swelled and collided with each other at Terumi's clap. *Boom!* A massive Green explosion rocked the area, even piercing into the clouds, and parting them. Just as the Explosion died down, Discord flew from the Green blast, smoke forming of his now charred off tail. His face contorted in rage. He snapped his fingers, and the blast was gone, standing before him was Terumi, still smiling. Terumi still had his hooves up in a clapping position, as he looked no worse for wear despite being so close to the explosion. He pointed a hoof at Discord, and with his smile stretching even higher, said one thing. "Bang!" As a small beam of light Green energy shot from his hoof. The beam crossed the distance to Discord in the blink of an eye, and pierced right through his shoulder. Terumi began laughing like a maniac as he brought his other hoof up next to his other one.. He even winked at Discord. Discord's face twisted into a mix of rage and fear, as he raced into the sky. A salvo of Green lasers shot after him, most missing, but some landing. Piercing his stomach, ribs, and arm, all the while Terumi was still laughing. Discord stopped suddenly, taking the full brunt of the Green laser barrage. When Terumi stopped, he watched as Discord simply stood there, not showing any signs of pain, rather he looked bored. He sighed, as he looked to Terumi. "You are stronger than I gave you credit for. The Chaos that powers you and your body is quite powerful. But that is just that, and Chaos is MY tool! MY way of life!" And with that he snapped his fingers again. In an instant, Terumi's Black and Green aura dissipated, and the glow in his eyes faded, as he clutched at his chest. His hoof went right through it, as if it never existed. "What.. What have you done?!" Terumi called out, as he plopped to his knees. He felt his body fading into wisps. "I took your Chaos away. With no Chaos, you have nothing." Discord stepped up to him, and snapped his fingers again. In a flash of Black and White, a swirling spear appeared in his claw. "And now, you will be nothing." And he stabbed Terumi in the chest, the only remaining part of the man that remained whole. He screamed into the sky, as the light left his eyes and he dropped onto the ground, his body fizzling away to nothing. ---A White Void: First Person--- Cold I felt cold, but it wasn't because the place I was in was cold, no, it's the opposite. The White around me was really warm, and simply nice to be in. But I was more focused on the cold feeling. I let her die. I let Luna die, and I let Celestia and the girls down.. I let them down when they needed me the most. I felt like the biggest piece of shit.. I almost wanted to laugh, I could swear again, and it only took the destruction of my life to make it so. "Shit.." I heard Terumi grumble from beside me. He was standing next to me, looking down at me. "You gave me full control, and even then.. I couldn't kill him. I underestimated him." "No, it's fine. I'm the one who let this whole thing go down hill. You were warning me the entire time, about Discord." I looked up at him. "I'm sorry I let Nightmare die." I mutter softly. Terumi scoffed a bit, as he rolled his eyes. "Don't even start that apologizing bullshit, you know as well as I do that there was nothing we could do." He clenched his hands until the knuckles turned white, then he released a deep, sorrow filled sigh as hunched over. I saw a slight glint of a tear falling from his eye. "We watched as our soul mates got torn from us." I wanted to mock him. Mock him for sounding so.. human. But I didn't have the strength, my will was shaken and crumbling. "And if I told you, that you only screwed up a little. Would you believe me?" A soft voice rang through the White void, gaining Terumi's attention, as he subtly stepped closer to me. The voice laughed lightly. "Even now, your bonds together grow." It was weird listening to something that sounded like it was coming from all around you. "Bonds? I hate this idiot as much as I could throw him!" Terumi's voice growled, yet sounded.. Protective? "Then why do you stand up for him? Why protect what you hate?" The voice paused, "Why not kill him? He is defenseless." I almost laughed at the voice. "What good would that do?" My voice was shallow, empty even. "Right, I'd wind up being alone in the White purgatory or some shit." Terumi responded, crouching to my side. "Foalish children, this is no purgatory. This is merely my home, where I govern all of time for this Equestria." The voice giggled again, "My name, is Faust. And you Two have been nothing short of amazing. Your entrance alone to this world re-wrote the history I had planned out so carefully." I sat up from my fetal position and watched in awe as multiple screens appeared around us, showing different things. One showed Nightmare Moon battling Celestia, and being banished to the moon. Another showed Discords first break out, and how the Elements were turned against themselves. Only saved by Twilight and her love for her friends. Another screen showed Fluttershy laughing with Discord, as they sat in her house drinking tea. "What?" I asked, confused. Wisps of Golden light formed together, and in a brilliant flash, stood an Alicorn, that looked a lot like Celestia, only her mane was like Luna's own. The dark mane contrasting to the rest of the White void. "As interesting as your story is, I'm afraid that there aren't a lot of ways to reform Discord from here. I was waiting for this day, as this is the day you defeat Discord and send him to me. However, I overestimated you. I had forgotten what kind of trauma losing one so close to you would bring. Luna and you are tied to each other almost as much as Luna is to Nightmare. When Luna died in front of you, instead of demanding help from Terumi, you gave him your body. Yes he may be strong, but as he will justify, you are stronger." Faust said, still looking at the many floating screens. "When you gave up your body to Terumi, you allowed him to alter your body to suit his power. His power from the other world, where he is Chaos energy incarnate. By doing so you gave Discord victory." She turned to me. So that's why.. That's why Discord only chained me up. He couldn't find a way to get rid of me otherwise. "Hold on a second!" Terumi's voice called out, he had stood up. "That amalgamation of animal bits won against me.. By cheating?!" Terumi yelled. I smirked, standing up from my spot on the.. Ground? Is there ground here? Whatever.. "Ahh!" Faust's eyes glimmered with mirth. "Once again you gather knowledge and idea's from your other half's actions." My grin got a bit bigger. "So you can read my mind, right? Can you?" I asked, my breath held. "Of course. But you only get one." Her voice dropped slightly. "That's all you get from a screw up from me." I nodded in gratitude, as I turned to Terumi, who looked confused. "What do you say about showing Discord the very definition of 'cheating' bud?" It took all of a second for his own grin to match my own. "This does not mean we're friends." Terumi said, holding out a hand. "Wouldn't have it any other way, pal." I grinned as I clasped my hand with his own, and we disappeared in a blinding flash of Green. Faust stood there, smiling brightly at the space we once stood in. "Oh those Two are just adorable together! It's a shame they can't come here to visit, it's been ages since I had company.." She put on a thoughtful look, that turned into a cheeky grin as she turned to the nearest screen and tapped it with a hoof. It brought up a glowing keyboard and she began pressing buttons while giggling to herself.. ---Before the Incident: Back in Reality--- "Yes, it's me." Discord seemed to be a bit.. off. With another snap, the magic in Celestia's horn dissipated, as did the magic that Luna had been gathering in secret. "Do you know what it's like to be trapped in stone, with nothing but your own mind to keep you entertained feels like?" Discord asked suddenly, his voice plain, none of the playful tone from before. When no one answered, he simply shook his head. He looked to Hazama. "You my friend, were supposed to be my help. Instead you made me lose my leg!" He cried out in anger. "Sure I can get another, but its the principal of it! I won't replace it until your dead." He ended it in a flat tone. Luna ran up and got in front of Hazama, who was still cringing in pain as his magic seeped from his wounds. "You will do no such thing!" Luna glared at Discord. He simply sat there as he hung in the air, with his arms crossed. With another snap, a wave of earth shot up and plowed into Luna's side, pushing her away. It was that moment that a small flash of Green brought his attention back to Hazama. The poor Stallion muttering to himself, his magic seeming to pulse through his body. "No, you don't get a say in this." The bored tone of his voice, was betrayed by the anger in his eyes. With a snap, a spear of light shot out, and plunged towards Hazama's shadow. With a subtle flash of Green, an Ouroboros coiled around the spear like a snake, and stopped it inches from the ground. Hazama started laughing, as the chain squeezed and popped the spear of light like a balloon. "What's so funny?" Discord asked, as he snapped his fingers, in an instant a flurry of Gold chains wrapped around the ponified human. The chains pulsed Green, as they siphoned of some of his magic. "We're laughing because you think we'll just let you kill them again." Hazama looked up at Discord, and grinned. "We refuse to let you win again." With a laugh, he took a step forward. The chains moved to restrain him more, only to be shattered by a burst of Light Green magic. Hazama looked at his hoof, and took another step. He continued walking towards Discord, all the while small cracks appeared on the White stallion's body. With a chuckle, he stood up on Two hooves and with another pulse of magic, he shattered. A bright Green flash was all you could see. "Ah, much better!" Hazama said as the light died down. He stood there, back to being human, hands in his pockets as his eyes fixed a glare at Discord. His Golden eyes glowing slightly, as a Light Green aura flared up around him. A Golden cloak shimmered into existence on his shoulders, covering up most of his torso. He looked at the empty sleeves and grinned. Suddenly Seven Ouroboros slithered out of each sleeve and waved about in the air around him. "Oh? And what do you mean, again?" Discord spoke, the group of ponies behind him looked on in confusion. "No need to worry about that." Hazama said, walking towards Discord again. Dark green masses of energy swirled around Hazama like lightning. Discord snapped his fingers and in an instant a wave fire washed through the area. The ponies were protected by Celestia, as she brought up a barrier in time. The fire danced around Hazama, as he continued to smile. With another snap, crystals began forcing they're way up from the ground like spikes. Hazama dodged fluidly, making small steps to left and right. His eyes never leaving Discord. With an angry look, Discord snapped his fingers Twice. At once the flames and crystals were shot into the air, and stayed there, floating. Behind Hazama, the tree's came to life and began attacking him. The tree's using their branches as clubs, and even trying to fall over onto him. The crystals started raining down from above, and the Ouroboros coming from the Cloak smacked them out of the way. As the fire made its way back down, Hazama quickly stomped a foot on the ground, sending an Ouroboros slithering across the ground around tree's and even around Discord as he floated, watching. In a flash of movement, Hazama zipped around using his new 'Manual' Ouroboros. He spun around tree's sending waves of Dark green energy at them so they explode into splinters. He zipped around the fire as it descended to the ground, and soon stood in front of Discord. He reached up and gently whipped of an ember that floated onto his Cloak, his grin still there. Discord raised a hand to snap once again. In a blink of an eye Hazama was behind Discord, and snapped his own fingers. The Ouroboros coming from the Cloak's sleeves instantly wrapping discord in a tight chain binding of his own. "Do you like it? This is the power you should expect from the final boss." Hazama's voice was full of mirth, as he raised his palm to Discord's face. In a blinding flash, a pillar of Light Green and Dark Green energy swirled from their position. It pushed all the clouds in the area away like a sonic boom, and the pillar of energy simmered down. As the dust settled down, Hazama stood there, hand still held out, his grin gone for the moment. He looked over, towards where he felt Discord, and noted the bored look on his face. "You are stronger than I gave you credit for. The Chaos that powers you and your body is quite powerful. But that is just that, and Chaos is MY tool! MY way of life!" And with that he snapped his fingers again. In an instant, Hazama's Light Green aura dissipated, and the glow in his eyes faded, as he clutched at his chest. His hand went right through it, as if it never existed. "What.. What have you done?!" Hazama called out, as he plopped to his knees his body beginning to fade "I took your Chaos away. With no Chaos, you have nothing." Discord stepped up to him, and snapped his fingers again. In a flash of Black and White, a swirling spear appeared in his claw. "And now, you will be nothing." And he stabbed Hazama in the chest. Only for it to faze right through his chest. "What?!" Discord called out in surprise. "Gotcha!" Hazama laughed, his grin back. He reached out and reached for Discord's chest. His hand fazed right through. "What- What are you doing?!" Discord asked, he grit his teeth in pain. "Refusing to kill you." Hazama said, as he pulled back his fist, a cluster of Red and Black flowing out of Discord's chest and into Hazama's. Hazama clutched his chest with a wince, but otherwise he seemed fine. "W-what?" Discord seemed confused, as he looked around. "What was I doing?" He sounded tired. "Good, right on time!" Hazama said, as his Cloak disappeared and his eyes stopped glowing. Closing his eyes, he sighed as he collapsed to the ground. "...Ow.." Hazama groaned. "H-hey! You alright?" Discord asked, floating over me, a worried look on his face. "Hazama!" He heard the group of ponies call out to him. He turned his head and saw Blue. His head was gently grabbed by Luna, as she flared her magic up to see if he needed healing. Pinkie hopped over to the other side and nuzzled his left cheek. "Oh Hazie.." She murmered. Celestia stood with the other ponies, as she stared at Discord. "Fuck you Faust.. I win. I saved.. Everyone." Hazama spoke before he passed out. Luna looked over to her sister in shock, as Celestia rose an eyebrow at the new information. "It seems we have much to discus with our stallion when he wakes up." Celestia said, a small smile formed on her face as she watched her sister dote on Hazama. Her attention drew to Discord, as he floated off to the side, fidgeting like he had no idea what was going on. Her eyes widened a bit, as she looked back to Hazama. "You didn't.." She shook her head, she would ask when he woke up. She walked forward and helped her sister in bringing Hazama back to Twilight's. Another day, another disaster > Blazing Fear > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Could you repeat that?" I asked Terumi, my tone low. "You heard me, a Cauldron. I felt it's influence when we took Discord down." "A Cauldron, the Thing that takes souls?" I sat up on my bed, and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "It's just one thing after another with this shit, isn't it?" I grumbled both to Terumi and to myself. "The Seither we took from Discord was old, diluted from years of being away. I know that they're built under or near main cities. If we go back to the old Castle, if it there, I'll feel it."Terumi said, being serious for once. I stood up, and made for the door. I stopped when I felt the familiar feeling of scales rubbing on my neck. I looked down, and noted that Ophis was looking at me with curious eyes. I chuckled lightly as I rubbed her head softly she leaned into my touch. I grabbed her softly and uncoiled her from my neck. "Can you stay at Fluttershy's until I come get you? I have a bad feeling about today." I smiled as Ophis simply nodded and gave my cheek a little flick of her tongue before she slithered out the open window. I made my way downstairs and came across a note. It was from.. Well everyone. It read: Dear Hazama, You've been out cold for a few days now. Twilight says it was Magic Overload combined with a severe case of Magical Exhaustion. When she realized that both those conditions contradicted themselves, she had one of her 'breakdowns'. She is over at Rarity's currently being looked after by the Spike as well. When you wake up, try to inform Applejack, as she is currently your caretaker, along with Rainbow Dash. We are all worried, so please visit the Castle as soon as you wake up. I put the note in my sleeve, and grinned as I wrote my own note on a separate sheet of parchment. In a flash I was out through the window and soaring into the sky. With a quick spin I sent an Ouroboros flying towards Sweet Apple Acres. However, I didn't zip along with it, instead I simply tugged it back to me, letting it sputter back into my sleeve like a measuring tape. On the door of Applejacks house lay my note to her, wedged into the wood. I smirked as I simply jumped my way towards the old Castle, as it was the only thing that really stood out in Everfree, landing in the same clearing with a pond in it that I stumbled into my first time here. In fact, I can still see the clear as day imprint on that stupid tree.. Jesus, that fucking tree is old. I let a small smile on my face as I looked around. I made my way to the town, or what was left of it. The town itself was almost gone, eroded away into time, hell, if you didn't know there was a town here you'd say they were just mossy rocks. Even the tree's had encroached on the Castle, as the tree line seemed to stop only a few hundred feet away, unlike the almost mile over a millennia ago. My smile cracked a bit, as my vision flashed back to how I was back in the day. I acted like a fool, thinking this was all just a big game, hell my plans revolved around making the ponies hate me enough to make me a Final Boss.. The fuck was wrong with me? I walked up to the Castle, seeing visions of Celestia and me duking it out. I looked up and saw the same window I had jumped in and out of when I.. tried to rouse the Evil in Luna.. Welp, that killed whatever good mood I was in. My smile was now solely there because I don't think this body can frown. Or at least for long. "Your being awfully quiet." I asked Terumi off handedly. "Oh me? I'm just relishing in your self hatred right now, it's great!" Terumi laughed. I scoffed as I turned around. I was about to say something, but I was caught off guard by the feeling of hatred coming from around the corner. I casually looked around the corner, and immediately wiped my head back. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I groaned in agitation. "Why are we here?" The voice of Ragna called from around the corner. "I sensed Terumi's Seither, his power is unmask able. He's around her somewhere." The voice of Hakumen rumbled through his helmet. I gently let myself inside the door behind me, letting it shut behind me as quietly as possible. Which was astoundingly quiet for a door over a thousand years old. Now, all I need to do is not let off any big bursts of Energy, and they should just go away. I turned around and faced the old throne room, I chuckled, as the room itself was almost exactly the same, if not absolutely covered in cobwebs. I made my way past the throne, even as a vision of me leaning into Luna's ear played before my eyes. I opened a door that lead down, the dark creeping in from lack of lighting. "And me without a flashlight.." I grumbled silently, as I began my trudge into the basement levels. At the bottom, only a faint light emanated from the walls, as the emergency flames kicked on. Not bad, still having some juice left in them. ---Third Person--- Hazama looked around, careful not to breathe in the dust of the old, lichen covered pillars and ragged tapestries. In so many ways, life had been so easy to fall back into, even after his return. But here, in the Old Castle, it was so much harder to ignore the passage of time. Taking another step into what had once been the great trophy hall, so many things, armors, pictures, gems and their stands had been left to rot, their preservation spells uncharged. Sure, he’d seen much of the trove back in Canterlot, it was still a hard pill to swallow seeing his old home in shamb- A glint, a crack of sunlight streaming in all the way down in the lower levels, probably a good sign the foundations weren’t in any better shape either, Hazama moved towards a forgotten row of black granite block stands. He didn’t recall ever having seen, won, or heard of receiving an orb of hoof size golden sand, and especially not one that held enough magic in itself to remain sparklingly clean or still float atop its stand after centuries of neglect. Stretching out his hand, slowly, he could feel the way the air changed around the small thing. Taking a step back, he wished in vain that any of the ancient crystal lighting was still usable so he could have a look better than what a sliver of sunlight could give, but a timberwolf branch, fallen from its rusted iron wall mount by the nearest wall, would have to do. Pointing a finger at the top, a lance of green energy seared the ancient rags steeped in Timberwolf sap, setting them ablaze ... and continued into the sphere, which began to violently writhe, shushing against itself, revealing not a single golden mass, but a multitude of grain sized ... grains that settled just as quickly as they began from the small bit of magic. "That was fun." He thought to his headmates wearing his perpetual grin, before closing his eyes, "You got anything on this little trinket Nightmare?" "Not in the slightest, it must be something from our Banishment. Nightmare replied curtly. Unwatched, the sphere began to expand, thinning up into a flat disc, whose center was then swallowed by a darkness that convulsed within before stretching out into the air and tipping the top of the ring back. From the corner of his eye, his attention now back on the unsettling artifact, Hazama almost thought he saw the shadows at the edges of the torchlight stir like branches caught on a breeze as the sound of rain filled the dry, dusty air. And then, the ring shrank. Returning to a palm sized sphere of golden sand once again. A flick of the wrist, and the sickly green light of Hazama’s Ouroboros flashed across the darkness, catching the drifting orb as it began to fall off of its stand, zipping it into to Hazama’s outstretched hand. Looking suddenly up, he winced as Terumi scraped at the inside of his skull, salivating at the sudden influx of negative energy that filled the room only for him to grumble at it's just as sudden passing. The silence continued, whatever Terumi had sensed, or thought he’d sensed, certainly wasn’t here now. The room was simply too dusty to conceal anyone’s movements without leaving a floating trail in their wake. “Send me ba-” Hazama jumped, who or whatever’s message lost as his Ouroboros spiraling out behind him, pulling him away to the corner of the room so he could keep a better eye on- “Send.” Hazama leapt, dropping the torch, his Ouroboros cinching at his waist to haul him up the corner column to the roof, green bolts of energy flaring in his hands and shooting like the scatter of a shotgun into the floor, adding a new pile of rubble to the castle’s vast collection. That same dry voice, again, and it had come directly from below his feet. It shouldn’t, couldn’t be possible. And neither should the flicker of torch light below him. His eyes widened as he realized what he just did. "Damn, there goes keeping a low profile to the morons outside.." He thought to himself. His attention was drawn to the nearest pillar to him. There, just a few feet from the base of the pillar, a black tentacle had sprout up from the ground, holding the torch aloft, the ruddy light reflecting darkly upon its shimmering, sand-like form. Then, from the seamless cracks between the stonework, sheets of the black sand wavered up, wrapping around the tentacle until it made the shape of a thin, nearly skeletal six-foot human, it's skullish face squinting frowning up to the shadows Hazama held himself to, uncaring of the torch it held so close to its face the flames were dancing into it. “I’m not coming back up,” it said, though in not as dry a voice as he recalled, “Now send me back.” “Hoh? What kind of ghoulish creature are you supposed to be?” Hazama chuckled. Pleased as he was that whatever this thing was finally in his sights, it was ... troubling that Terumi wasn’t saying anything more about that initial feeling of fear. “My name is Wayde Molan,” it replied. “Now please, say the words contract complete so I can get back, and so You,” it’s frown deepening, “aren’t a kidnapper.” “And why should I listen to a stranger’s rude demands?” Hazama bared a toothy grin, quirking an eyebrow. Nothing about the dull creature was giving off so much as a drop of malice or deadly intent. “Because,” Wayde’s voice replied from beside Hazama’s ear, sending both of Hazama’s eyebrows skyward, “It’s the polite thing to do,” the clone of the sand golem finished, dusting away into the shadows as its mouth closed. Hazama hung upon the pillar for a few moments more before his snaking green Ouroboros disappeared, allowing him to drop to the floor, landing squarely on his feet. “You're no fun, you know that?” he replied, pulling at his jacket, seemingly unperturbed but for the dust. “So,” he sighed, gently rubbing the bridge of his nose, “What was it again” lightly tossing the gold, sandy orb up by his side as it slowly floated back down, “Contract completed, or something?” The Wayde looked down to the orb, then back up to Hazama. “Ahem,” he frowned, nodding down to the orb, “Perhaps say contract complete directly into the orb?” “Sure thing, pal,” Hazama said, tossing the orb higher into the air, catching it at the top of its flight in front of his mouth, and all but whispered, “Contract Complete.” The seconds stretched onward, but still, nothing happened. His smile lessening a few degrees, Hazama brought the small orb beside his ear, giving it a shake. “Is it broken?” The golem just stood there. In truth, it hadn’t moved all that much since it’d appeared, but now, Wayde looked positively statuesque. Hazama opened his mouth, and that’s when Wayde struck. Hazama side stepped Waydes left arm as it stretched out to bone-like thinness, grabbing for the ord. “No,” Wayde growled, grasping at the orb in both hands. “Nooo!!” he said again, now wrapping his chest around the orb snuffing out its golden light. Stepping to Hazama, Wayde ripped the orb out from his chest, bits of black sand falling to the floor. “This" he said in its low, cutting tone, thrusting out the orb, inches from Hazama’s face, “Should be eating away at my construct. What did you do to it?” Hazama raised his hands in a defensively as he stepped back, his smile fading a few more degrees.”I have no idea. Honest,” he chuckled nervously. “Fine,” the construct(?) said coldly, allowing the orb roll out of its palm. “The last person I met who had more than one center of fear was insane too. Just stay out of my way,” it turned, falling quickly to pieces, disappearing into the shadows. “Wait, don't go outside!” Hazama nearly screamed, pitch rising. An echoing sigh came from down the hall. “What?” Wayde asked flatly, his voice coming up from the floor beneath Hazama. “Listen,” Hazama winced at the new shadow by his feet, “There’s some people out there that may, or may not want to kill me. Kill me, and the ponies around me might I add. I need you to not jump outside. One of them uses Light as a weapon, and the other uses his powers much like my own, mixed with his strength. They make a damn good team.” “Look,” Wayde sighed, “light isn’t a problem fo- ... Was that last part about killing ponies?” his voice rose, as though he suspected he’d misheard. “They think I’m the real Hazama, and they’re from the real Blazblue Universe where he’s basically an unstoppable evil. They’ve even threatened a town and every pony in it if I didn't fight them!” Hazama nearly screamed. “So there’s a couple of chuckle heads out there who threatened an innocent populace to fight you, and no one’s killed them yet?” Wayde asked. Hazama could almost feel the tension in the air. “Listen, I can't just kill them. I’ve never taken a life. I save lives,” Hazama boasted, pointing a thumb to his chest. “Whatever, so they’re too powerful for you,” Wayde replied hurriedly, his shadowed foot tapping soundlessly, “I’ll be sure to give The Elements of Harmony a call if I see them.” “It’s not that I’m not strong enough,” Hazama said, smile stretching to show his canines, “I never said they managed to kill any ponies after all. I can fight the two, I’ve beaten the two, but they’re teamwork has been getting better,” his green aura flashing green with each emphasized word. Then, all but the smile on his face going slack. "The morons are here." Terumi casualy told Hazama through the mental link. “Ah shit!” he straightened up, “They’re he-” An avalanche of rubble rocketed through the air, stones from the ceiling and the levels above crashing down in its rumbling wake. Spitting out dust, Hazama waved out an arm to try and push back the dust browning the air as sunlight from the new cavernous opening. Hard as it was to see, there was no mistaking the overly dramatic red and white auras that shone through it all, announcing the six and nearly seven foot behemoths, Ragna and Hakumen. Coughing again, the dust rising into Hazama’s nose, a line of red rose above Ragna, his nearly body-length sword’s edge gleaming silver with hunger, the air and dust parting suddenly with the swordsman’s rapid upswing, revealing Hazama to the distorted newcomers. “God the hell dammit,” Wayde groaned, two thin, grey hands attached to black sleeves popping out from the shadow on the floor, grabbing at Hazama’s ankles as Ragna surged forward across the broken hall. Black sand bloomed from the floor, wrapping into a block around Hazama’s feet as more slithered up his spine and braced his neck. The sand, the instant Wayde released his grip on it, rocketed Hazama up into the blackness and the ceiling above, further into the castle, leaving Ragna to crash into the corner column, a rush of dust and cobwebs drenching into his hair for his trouble. But even that didn’t slow him down, leaping the thirty-foot distance to the ceiling after his green haired quarry, leaving the white warrior, still taking in his surroundings to the shadow, Wayde. ***The Broken Courtyard*** The unobstructed sun kissed at Hazama’s face, the sand falling away from him as he skidded to a halt moments before he would have been skimming across the slimy algae growing in the long broken fountain. Brushing off the bits of sand he was sure only a proper dry cleaning would remove from his suit, eyes scanning the weeds that choked away what few stones still remained of the courtyard as he gazed skyward. It was roughly mid-day now, if not on the half. “Terumi!” Ragna’s shouted, flames bursting around him as he barreled through the rotted vines covering a balcony above Hazama, his sword ready to cleave a final smile on Hazama’s face. Hazama turned on his heel, an Ouroboros springing from his hand, coiling around his fist, as he jabbed at Ragna’s blade. An eruption of green and red Seither sparked as the dark mist of seither bulged between the two weapons played for dominance. Not that it mattered. Hazama sighed, sweeping his left, steel-toed boot into Ragna’s shin, sending him sliding into the chest high wall that crumbled under the red man’s weight. “I’ve told you, I’m not Terumi!,” Hazama seethed, sunlight sliding down the s-shaped blade along one of the many the Balisong Butterfly Knives he kept in his jacket while his Ouroboros continued unwinding from his other hand. “Yeah, like I’d believe that!” Ragna scoffed, charging again. Swiping in an arc towards Hazama’s shoulder, the wind whistled along the fabled Blood-Scythe's wide cheek, but Hazama skillfully dodged under the swing and slashed at Ragna’s stomach, taking full advantage of the lack of recovery time the large sword gave even a wielder of Ragna’s strength. Then, a duck, as Ragna used his free hand to palm the flat back of his blade for a speedy downward strike. Hazama jumped fully back, putting distance between them. Ragna smirked, twisting the handle of his sword. A hiss, and the handle extended nearly four feet, as the blade clicked into a ninety-degree angle, a true scythe, and one whose seithered edge was once more dripping with Hazama’s blood, even as Ragna lifted it for a true attack. “Gah! I forgot you could do that,” Hazama grumbled. “However,” a green energy wave exploding from his body, smashing into Ragna’s face and sending him careening through stone still meant to withstand an army, back into the castle, “You,” he smirked, “Seem to forget that you can’t beat me alone.” ***Forgotten Trophy Hall*** Hakumen stood, knees bent, ready to move in any direction at the slightest notice. Ragna, in all of his cocksuredness hadn’t seemed to notice the Hazama had flown out of the hall, feet held together and back held straight as a sword. Those were not the fluid movements of the green-haired demon who snaked across the field of battle on his Ouroboros. Eyes narrowed from beneath his white, wedge-shaped helm, but he edged into the room regardless. A sound like a snapping twig broke the silence in the clouded shadows, and then, a body. Had the air been not literally choked with dust it would have been invisible, but it parted in a humanesque shape, stepping soundlessly towards him, turning darker with each step. It walked without any form of martial style, leaving itself completely open to attack, but even so, Hakumen held out his sword, ready to lunge, at the creature who, halting in its tracks just three yards away, now appeared in the shape of a thin, well-built man made entirely of black sand, though the long jacket he wore could be hiding any number of nasty surprises. “State your business, ghoul,” Hakumen commanded. “Can you hear me?” the thin sand man asked dryly, standing nearly as tall as Hakumen himself. “Yes,” Hakumen replied tersely, gripping on his nodachi’s hilt hard enough to make it creak, “now state your business.” “I wanted to ask both you and the red one, but,” he replied, thumbing back towards where Hazama had made his hasty retreat, “is it true that you threatened a whole town of ponies in order to fight that guy with the green hair?” “Of course,” Hakumen stated plainly. “Hmm,” the sandman nodded, “so you think killing a whole town of brothers, sisters, parents, and friends is an acceptable way to behave when trying to hunt down a single mental patient?” “Of course it is,” Hakumen replied unshaken, raising his sword in a two-handed grip above his head. These sorts of conversations never ended well. “That he lives gives threat to all life on this world.” “Oh?” the sandman questioned, crossing his hands behind its back, “and what evidence do you have to back such a claim?” “His actions on my own world, he must atone for them,” Hakumen replied, mentally chastising himself for their over simplicity, but he hadn’t expected something like the ... man in front of him to say something so ... reasonable. “Look, if what you say is true then I’ll kill him myself, but,” he sighed, “I’ve been burned by single witness testimonies before. You’ll need stronger evidence than that I’m afraid.” Hakumen took a half step forward, lowering his sword to his waist, but still at the ready. “That man, on multiple occasions, nearly caused my entire world to be destroyed but for the help of Ragna, the one wearing red. Hazama cannot be trusted.” Could this be a new ally? If the three of them focused their efforts, could they end the demon before he could cause any significant damage? The sandman remained unmoving for a time, then, without lifting a single foot, turned around. “It’s a start,” he said, gliding forward as his legs displaced around the fallen chunks of rubble in the direction of Ragna and Hazama. Hakumen followed behind the strange man of sand, who, despite having no sensible seither about him, still made towards the castle entrance, where Ragna’s energy signature continued to burn. Then, just before they exited to the lawn, Ragna met them halfway, smashing through the stone wall beside them, green energy wisping at the edges of his expanded aura. “Come now Ragna, you know you can’t beat me alone.” Hazama taunted through the hole, through, even from a distance, Hakumen could see the tears in Hazama’s precious suit, evidence of how well the demon spawn was actually fairing, despite his grinning bravado. Not that it mattered. Hazama always smiled. In fact, Hakumen would be surprised if the snake managed another facial expression. Ragna, landing unceremoniously on his rear, pushed over the of the body sized piece of stone covering him, patting away the dust in his hair as he moved to Hakumen and the strange looking sand man beside him, but he didn’t question it, he’d seen enough in his time to just let it slide. Still, it might have been time to try and form some kind of strate- “That’s enough,” Wayde’s sand creature frowned, gliding slowly towards Hazama out of the castle. “I don’t want to care about this world, but if innocent lives are in danger then I’m going to act.” Hazama looked to the sandman, cocking his head to the side as Ragna and Hakumen stepped out of the shadows and into the courtyard. “You’re siding with those two?” Hazama chuckled, hand pressed into his side to slow the bleeding. “I don’t think anything will ever go my way,” he sighed, pressing the back of his free hand to his forehead in a dramatic fashion, the palm flashing green as a boa constrictor sized Ouroboros slithered into the air above him, grabbing the tail end. “But if that’s how you wanna play, then fine,” his chuckle louder, “I’ll take all three of you on,” his green aura flexing into a growing spiral around him. Ragna stepped forward, hefting his sword onto his shoulder with an easy huff, flanking the sandman. “As long as we keep at him, we can keep him from transforming, okay?” he rumbled. “Blood Kain!” he shouted, a flaming red aura, nearly half the size of Hazama’s, blooming around him. Hakumen grunted his ready, white embers flowing off behind him like rocket exhaust, gusting the smaller, pebbled sized debris in his wide wake. Holding his sword at waist height, he widening his stance. “Let us end this creature’s suffering.” The sand man looked quickly to the both of them, a look of disgust curling at his upper lip. “No you idiots,” he sneered, “We’re going to set him on trial,” he pointed to Hazama, but he was already moving his arm in kind, whipping his Ouroboros forward, spiraling out like a ribbon, obscuring him from view as it tightened and burst through in a flurry of green shredded flame. His fists, covered in a blinding light, slammed into the ground, missing Hakumen and Ragna by a hair’s breadth as they leapt back from the obvious attack that shattered the man of sand, only for the ground to erupt in a pillar of green fire twenty feet wide where they stood as Hazama struck the earth, the glow leaving his fists. Hazama raised a hand to shade his eyes, tracking their shrinking forms as they flew into the sky and past the seared, wild clouds above. Wild clouds blowing north on an untamed cross wind. Ponyville was north. “Shit.” Wrapping his hands in green light, a tangle of Ouroboros snakes extended rapidly, sinking their fangs into stone, dirt, and trees, tearing a few of the lighter ones asunder, cursing his luck as he rushed to the, now, possibly endangered city. After all, Ragna and Hakumen could get caught in an updraft that doubled them back to the for- “You’re no match for the two of us Terumi,” Hakumen’s steely voice echoed through the vacant roads, the sounds of hastily slamming doors punctuating the new silence sweeping through the town, “We will not allow you to endanger another world.” Thoughts of the wreckage these two left in Canterlot played in the back of Hazama’s mind, literally, thanks to Terumi, as he cleared Sugarcube Corner’s roof, skidding to a halt at the sight of Hakumen, poised in his classic and time tested samurai stance beside Ragna in his own custom stance honed from innumerable scrapes and battles, both still steaming from their sudden flight, caked in the dirt of their shallow impact crater, and both looking none too pleased about any of it. Ragna blazed towards Hazama, fire burning in his wake, as Hakumen rushed for Hazama’s side. Reaching Hazama first, Hakumen lunged with his spear-long sword, only for Hazama Ouroboros wrapped palm to halt the attack, but doubled over as Ragna’s flaming punch connected with his gut. Flying back, trying to both catch his breath and twist away from the neighboring buildings, Hakumen cut Hazama’s planning short, already behind him, slashing deeply into Hazama’s shoulder and kicking back in Ragna’s direction. Too low. It kept him close enough to the ground to get his footing again, but Ragna and Hakumen would give him no quarter. Coming at him from both sides, Hazama did his best to weave through the attacks, whipping aside some strikes with his Ouroboros chains, and leaning towards the lesser of two hits when he couldn’t dodge them both, tearing his clothes and weighting them with his blood. The buildings and ponies were just too close for him to really let loose. In a desperate attempt to get just a moment of breathing room, Hazama lashed out with a glowing kick to Hakumen’s chest, who gouged twin tracks into the ground as he flew back nearly ten feet. At the same time, Hazama also send a wild punch for Ragna’s head, but the seasoned brawler easily caught the sloppy move, twisting Hazama’s wrist for good measure as he leeched the punch’s momentum, pulling Hazama’s arm with him as he circled around, locking Hazama’s arms behind his back, firmly within Ragna’s grip. “Let go!” Hazama struggled, trails of green energy burning in his eyes. “As if,” Ragna growled, cruelly cinching Hazama’s arms. “Now!” A beam of white light slammed into Hazama’s chest, pressing him into Ragna and bending his arms further. “You will not get another warning shot Terumi.” Hakumen seethed, white light wrapping around his blade as he stepped into striking distance. “Do,” he raised his sword, “You,” the light burned brighter still, the seither running along its edge condensing to levels Hazama hadn’t even known were possible, “Yield?” Hazama’s eyes widened. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Only the bad guys were supposed to lose like this. “HAZAMA!” called a familiar, Royal Canterlot Voice, as the sound of hooves sounded behind the trio. Rounding the corner came Luna, Celestia, Pinkie, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony, grinding to a halt as they took in the scene, but it was Princess Luna who reacted first, her head held high, gaze drawn upon the two humans who held her dearest captive. “Hazama,” Luna asked, enunciating her words with care, “What happened?” Hazama winced, trying to blink away the blood and sweat weighing his hair into his eyes, and, with a cough, opening his mouth, he was immediately silenced by the softball-sized shadow sphere that dropped onto his head, scattering like sand. Eyes rolling into his head, he fell limp, bending unnaturally forward, his arms still behind him. Darkness pooled beside Ragna and Hakumen’s feet before surging sickeningly upward into an abnormally thin, transparent grey human wearing a long black coat down to his black boots. “I thought I told you worthless organics,” it huffed in a desiccated voice, slowly turning opaque, “that there would be a trial.” “A trial?!” Ragana sputtered, dropping his charge, “Are you insane? This creature is-” “A Trial? No,” Hazama’s voice called out, having managed to get on the roof of Sugarcube Corner, and now wearing a billowous yellow hoodie, his fedora replaced with his unkempt, spiky green hair, “There’s gonna be an execution!” Hands held to his sides, green light flared. It’s once smooth flow now held an erratic, almost digital, angle as they writhed like Ragna’s flames. “Although,” he bared his teeth in a feral grin, “I should probably say how grateful I am for you KO’ing that goody two-shoes before I pull your spleen out through your throat, huh friend?” he bowed in laughter to Wayde. Luna gasped, bringing a hoof to her mouth, nearly tripping back into The Elements. And then, like lightning, her horror changed to rage, a gaze that had seen mountains crumble at her might zeroed on the newest human in her kingdom. “You! What have you done?!” Luna screeched at Wayde, wings flaring, magic crackling out of her horn. Celestia, stepping imperiously forward, nudged her sister as she too extended her wings, and nodded once Luna peeled her eyes enough to see her sister from the corner of her eye. There was work to do. “Oh HO,” Terumi whooped, leaping aside as the rulers of the day and night flew towards him, “Nightmare’s been itching to go another round with you Lulu.” ***With the Elements*** Glaring at the three humans who had given her princess so much grief, Twilight growled, stepping closer to them, her friends flanking her. “Take so much as step,” Twilight said, the white light of magic beginning to pool into her eyes, “and we use the Elements on you.” Her fellow Elements gave similar affirmatives, with a particularly unhappy Pinkie Pie going so far as to put on a cooking pot, covering her eyes, as she pulled out her party cannon from behind her tail. Ragna clenched his sword tighter, but a thin grey hand fell onto his shoulder. “No, this is good,” Wayde said, looking first from Ragna and then to Hakumen, “The Elements will help us.” Neither were happy, but, despite themselves, they lowered their weapons slowly, listening to the grey man’s words. ***Back with the Princesses*** An evil cackle echoed from on high, the Princesses having chased Terumi into the clouds above, lined up for the rainstorm planned for tomorrow. Beams of shining gold and the deepest blue danced with the shots of green pelting the sky, busting the helpless clouds. “You’re making this too eeeeassyyyy,” Terumi taunted, launching away smoothly as another of Celestia’s bolts vaporized another cloud, only to careen against a half-seared cloud blasted by Luna, and ricocheting back to Celestia. Wrapping an arm around startled alicorn’s neck, he grasped at her horn with his free hand, green light flittering about his knuckles. “Now what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” Terumi smirked, only to get cold-cocked by Celestia’s right wings as she flapped the muscle-bound limb in close and lose his grip. Falling, Luna having blasted away the last of the herded clouds he might have used, Terumi flung out an arm, an Ouroborus chain clinking down and latching to the nearest chimney. Giving it a yank, he used the momentum to slingshot straight for Luna, who shot off a series of beams that were easily deflected by Terumi’s flaming chains, leaving him too distracted in his merriment to notice the scorching pink beam from Celestia that nailed him, slamming him back into the center of town. “Why are you out, Terumi?” Luna asked, descending back onto the packed dirt road, a growing ball of cyan buzzing at the tip of her horn. “Beats me,” Terumi chuckled, giving an exaggerated shrug as Celestia descended beside her sister, “You should probably ask that little shadow over there,” he thumbed theatrically over to Wayde, retracting the chains from that hand, “Got that lonely sap to clock out so I can finally give this place the TLC,” smiling sweetly, “It deserves.” Luna nodded, the now watermelon sized ball of magic bursting with all the flash and bang of a firework. It was then that Celestia teleported behind Terumi, horn flashing ablaze, but Terumi was already beside Princess Luna, right on the spot Celestia had been standing. “Good try!” he waved hello to Celestia, five Ouroboros chains wiggling up from them in a sickly parody of the appendage it was attached to, “But I’m not falling for any of your stupid-” he paused, looking down to see his feet held firmly in place by glowing white chains. Another flash, and the rune circle revealed itself beneath him, glowing white, and growing in intensity. “How the fUU-” Terumi began, his scream cut off, overtaken as the whining pillar of light towered into the heavens. Celestia trotted over to her sister and extended a wing joint that was met with her sister’s. It was all the celebration they would allow themselves. Terumi was now captured, but there was still the other three humans to deal with. “How did you know?” Terumi cut in, his now mirthless voice halting the princesses as in the middle of their turn. Looking over, he was now forced into a kneeling position, his arms cinched behind him, the mystic chains covering his body. “How did you know that I would go to your spot?” Celestia looked back down, as did Luna. The runework was firmly in place. He wasn’t going anywhere. High-winging again, pointedly ignoring Terumi’s delving question, Celestia turned to her prized student. “Twilight, bring-” She stopped, turning quickly back around as dark, violet light seeped out from Terumi’s skin, turning into a sickly mist that poured into the commanding shape of an alicorn. “Ah, it feels good to be back outside.” A mare's voice ghosted out of the condensing mist, shaking out a midnight mane twinkling with starlight and exploding novas. Fully realized, Nightmare Moon stood proudly, her lack of regalia or body armor doing nothing to hinder her vicious beauty as she began to circle Terumi. “Dearest,” she cooed into his ear, slowly licking her lips, “You’re supposed to wait for me,” pausing to look with disdain upon the celestial diarchs and their lackeys, “To chain you up.” “Quit joking around,” Terumi hissed back, straining at his bonds. “The rune Celestia used is sapping my strength and magic.”[/color “I know,” Nightmare said dismissively, flicking his nose with her tail, “I planned to use that same rune many a time during my reign on some of the more sun-loving traitors, but even if I could take more than three steps away from you, or have the magic pool we share,” she flicked his nose again, “Stop being drained, one of the benefits of this particular rune is that, unless you’re the pony who cast it, it takes an awfully,” she hummed, nibbling on his earlobe, “Long time to take care of. Something our current company isn’t liable to give us.” “So you’re useless.” Terumi huffed, shaking his head away from the tease. “Said the man in chains,” Nightmare replied from beneath a lidded gaze, dipping her horn to just below Terumi’s left eye. “So give them what they want.” “Ain’t no way I’m giving up this free ride!” He growled, staring death at Nightmare, green light flickering upon his knuckles before they were swallowed by another outgrowth of chains that circled them. Nightmare’s eyes turned to slits, and, flashing her fanged canines, sh- “She smells an awful lot like a tantabus,” Wayde spoke suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if I had a bite?” he asked, looking towards Princess Luna. Nightmare gave a mock gasp, bending a wing to cover her mouth. “Oh my,” she huffed, “I’m just not that sort of filly.” “Hey! Only I can -” Terumi began, before a ring of wicked, handle-less blades of black sand sprung up around his neck, silencing him. “Don’t. You. Dare.” Princess Luna drew up, her mane darkening as lightning began to strike within it. “Perhaps,” the shadow creature replied, snapping his fingers as he walked past the towering bodies of Ragna and Hakumen, the ring of blade sanding away, “But if people are in harm’s way, I will do my best to fix it. But,” his stomach grumbled, “If you don’t mind,” he nodded questioningly towards Nightmare Moon. As Luna stared at the thin, grey man, the small ‘eep’ from Nightmare Moon as she misted back into Terumi did not go unnoticed by the princess of the night. Did he truly mean to devour Nightmare? “I’d rather die than let you have Nightmare.” Terumi said, his smile replaced with a flat, unamused line. “Ah yes, the trial,” Wayde said, turning fully to Princess Luna and Celestia. “These two,” he waved a hand back towards Hakumen and Ragan, “are convinced that that little boy ov-” “I’m sure as hell taller than you are, tiny!” Terumi laughed, smiling once more. “Over there, is a threat to the planet. So, I’d prefer to get this settled quickly so I can get back to my research,” Wayde finished, biting back any other comment he was about to make, much to Terumi’s chuckling enjoyment. “Threat?” Luna blinked, stepping towards Wayde, “The only threat he’s ever been is when ‘he’,” She pointed a hoof to Terumi, “takes over Hazama, which, might I add, has only happened twice before now. In fact, the two behind you have cause more destruction in one day than Hazama has in the centuries he’s has been in Equestria!” She all but shouted, her wings flaring again. “Fine,” Wayde snapped back, rising above Luna on a pillar of sand to look down upon her, “just blast the lot of us with The Elements so I can do something, useful.” Luna smirked, nodding to the girls who then looked to Celestia, who gave a small shrug but nodded anyway. They were a problem worthy of bringing out The Elements, and she for one wasn’t going to question the luck. Lining up in front of the princesses, the gems in their necklaces began to glow, strobing out into a light show of their cutie marks, and, as they began to rise, the magic brought Twilight’s Element into the circuit. As they began to glow, Wayde dropped down from its elevated sand pillar, sweeping up the sand before it could disappear, flicking it out into two separate lengths that stretched back to Ragna and Hakumen, beckoning to them. When they remained where they stood, Wayde rolled his eyes, and, with a quick snap of its fingers, the black sand caught Ragna by the ear, pulling him forward as the other, after bouncing off of his helmet, wiggled in under a small hole and did the same to Hakumen, dragging them like petulant children towards Terumi. And then, the charge complete, The Elements of Harmony unleashed their power, rainbow light cascading over all. But, as the wave of magic dissipated, everypony noticed a distinct lack of change. Namely how Terumi was still there, yellow cloak and all. “Huh … That’s fucked up.” Terumi grumbled, his eye twitching in time with his hands, and grumbling in earnest as he looked upon both Ragna and Hakumen, also unchanged. “Useless,” Wayde sneered quietly, glaring at his still grey hands before shoving them into his jacket pockets as he stalked off further into town. “There,” tossing a sand hand out behind him, “The Elements have spoken. I’m out of here.” “Hey shadow dick!” Terumi called out, “The screaming inside was amusing at first, but now it’s just annoying. Wake Hazama the fuck up.” “He’s having a nightmare,” Wayde shouted back, neither slowing his pace or turning his head, “He’ll wake up soon enough.” In a flash of white, Celestia stood in front of Wayde, a serene smile shining under a now slightly less than meticulously maintained mane, as she lifted up the small grey troublemaker in a translucent, amber shield bubble. Trotting back, with him in tow, she said, “Be dear and help us out. Then, as you said, we can put this whole mess behind us.” “I know that this is gonna sound stupid coming from me,” Terumi said as Celestia stepped beside her sister, her silent passenger in tow, “But can I get free for a second? I’ve got this annoying itch that I’ve just gotta scratch.” Luna looked to her sister, and, after a few silent seconds, they nodded in time, Celestia lighting her horn with a pleasant mint green glow, a single line of the rune tilting ever so slightly to the side, allowing Terumi just enough mobility to freely move his arms, twist to the side, and pop the bubble of magic Nightmare Moon had managed to hold away upon her brief appearance, blasting the unsuspecting Ragna and Hakumen back over the wretched Everfree in a wave of flaming green energy, and maybe even farther if the twinkle they made in the sky was anything to judge by. “Aah,” he sighed, “much better,” grin renewed. “Thanks.” Celestia looked like she almost wanted to say something, but whether she should have seen that coming or not, the fact of the matter was that those particular humans were abnormally hardy, and that small glimmer of magic wasn’t going to amount to anything worse than a few grass and sap stains … probably. So, keeping a silent smile that helped to pacify a certain purple unicorn who was one of the few ponies Equestria who understood the kinds of magic that was being bandied around today, floated the hovering ball gently near Terumi, as Luna and the girls circled around. “Now,” Celestia nodded slightly, the sounds of doors and shutters clicking quietly open around them, “if you would be so kind as to tell us a little bit about who you are, and just exactly what your intentions are for our Kingdom, I’m sure we can come to a peaceful solution.” Waiting first to see if any of the ponies or Terumi would interject, Wayde, standing tall as his diminished frame would allow, said, “My name, as I have told your,” he looked over to Terumi, frowning, “compatriot, is Wayde Molan, and, since he did not immediately send me back to the last Equestria I’ve been cursed to, I’ve officially been kidnapped into this one. Worse, he managed to break the golden sand that acts as the doorway between them. “As for the attack, the initial explosion at the Castle of the Two Sisters was committed by … Ragna, I believe is his name, and the one in white armor. In fact, I went out of my way to remove Mr. Terumi from the initial damage as my first priority was to ascertain which of them posed a threat, as both claimed the other was some sort of genocidal monster. And, after further questioning the one in white, concluded the only way I would be able to handle things as bloodlessly as possible was to get the accused parties to court to settle things out so I could get on with my research.” Celestia sighed, as she looked from the Wayde and then to Terumi, now fiddling with a ball of golden sand he’d let slide out of his sleeve. “Well, first things first.” She walked over to Terumi, and popped him on the head with a hoof. “That,” she said, shaking her hoof at him, “Is for summoning him here and not letting him go home!” Terumi rubbed his head, sure that a horseshoe shaped bruise would be aching under his hair by tomorrow morning. “Hey,” he glared back, “It’s not my fault that idiot Hazama flushed the sand-ball with magic the same time I was … releasing some of my excess. If anything, it’s his fault! So quit hitting me oorrrrr-” he blanked, eyes rolling up into his head as he went limp. A thin, glowing sheen of green, starting from his eyes, washed over as Hazama, wiping away his cloak, replacing it with his black, tailored suit, his hair once more subdued under his fedora. But the peace shattered as Hazama came to, breathing aloud as though he’d just sprinted across three marathons, struggling against the chains that bound him, and always looking over his shoulder, trying to run. At once, Pinkie Pie and Princess Luna were at his side, embracing him. His breathing, while still haggard, began to slow, his pinprick eyes rounding out as he sniffled, burying his head into Luna’s mane. Only then did Celestia release the rune, allowing Hazama’s arms to spring up, pulling the two mares closer to him, the golden ball of sand he’d clutched so tightly rolling away, picked up in Celestia’s magic, who, floating it over for closer inspection, breathed an audible sigh of relief as she looked over to Hazama. “Well then,” Celestia nodded professionally, “at least he’s back now, and as for you,” she tucked the sand away, looking back towards Wayde, “I’ll need to refresh myself on his notes, but this feels remarkably similar to something Starswirl once worked on. But, just so we’re clear,” her horn sparkled with an amber glow that vanished in time with the orb holding Wayde, who dropped six inches to the ground. “The man sitting in Luna’s wings is not ‘Terumi. His name is Hazama, and he is another soul entirely. Terumi is a soul that was tied to the hat that brought them both here. It is also what helps keeps Terumi in check. And, in an act of undeserved kindness, sealed Nightmare Moon within himself before she could harm my sister, or our little ponies. So,” she paused, bringing a hoof to her chest, remaining steady, “he now has to deal with housing two spirits in addition to his own within his body, and each would like nothing better than to become the dominant force. “I apologize for anything untoward you may have experience because of this,” Celestia finished, bowing her head. “And hey, I’m sorry too,” Hazama muffled out, pawing down Pinkie’s impressive mane away from his mouth, but otherwise unable to move away from her embrace. “I’m still trying to get used to this myself, but I could still have been better. Mind if I try this again?” flashing Wayde a tired smile. Wayde looked down at the green haired ‘human’ smashed between a fussing Pinkamena and Luna, an eyebrow quirking as the turned to face Hazama. The seconds ticked by as Wayde stood silently, everypony waiting for his response. “No,” he said curtly, turning abruptly on his heel to face Princess Celestia “Thank you,” he nodded, sinking into shadow, “but I have some research to get back to. And, unless you get the token working again, please do not bother me. I’ll be at the library.” Aww,” Pinkie moaned, tearing herself away from Hazama, hopping over to Wayde, already sunken to full shadow, and sliding away, “but if you leave, how am I supposed to throw you a Welcome to Ponyville Party?” her voice dipping, everyone had to like parties right? “A study party?” One of the first humans Hazama could buddy with, and he was slipping away. “A tea party?” Slowing down, Wayde brought himself to a halt, a long stream of wind hissing out his nostrils. And then, he rose back up, his back to the lot of them. “If you must,” he sighed quietly, fists at his sides, “I’ll keep to Canterlot Library.” “EEEEEEE,” Pinkie squealed, wheeling off for the needed supplies, even as Wayde sank back into the ground, shadowing straight for Canterlot. In the relative calm that followed, the citizens of Ponyville finally risking to peek heads and hooves out of their houses, everypony trying to come to terms with whether or not this all qualified as a win and how long it was going to take before these crisis-a-week things would disappear and things could go back to normal, when a sparkling, violet light pinged over Twilight’s head. “Wait,” she called out, teleporting farther away with each word. “What.” *flash* “Kind” *flash* “Of” *flash* “Research?” *** Canterlot Library *** Slamming open the archive door, echoes booming through the pools of evening light and the quiet air, Hazama froze mid-step, a chill racing up his spine, as his eyes were pulled towards the front desk where an elderly, yellow earth pony, utterly nondescript but for his lack of a mane, was giving him a look that promised certain death should he disturb the peace again. A silent nod was all he could manage under the withering gaze, frozen until the stallion ran a hoof over his own nose and returned to his book. Moving quickly and quietly on, thankfully without Terumi taking the opportunity to mock him for his “cowardice”, for once, he moved down the seemingly endless rows of towering shelves, heels clicking softly upon the grey marble floor until he found the Party Nook, just where the invitation had specified. Really it was a reading area in the middle of some of the shelving, but, thanks to Pinkie’s ingenuity, two of the four gaps had been completely blocked off with a wall of purple and silvery-grey streamers. The party was long finished, if the exhausted forms of Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy snuggling into each other on the pile of seating pillows by the low reading table was any indication, and a sugar coma at that if the unfinished plates of marshmallow chocolate cookies and cooled mugs of coco around them were anything to go by. He hadn’t expected to find Rainbow here, and Applejack had her chores to do in the morning. As for Twilight, she’d managed to seclude herself in a literal fort of books, though, as much of a zeal for studying as she had, even she had managed to knock herself out. Pinkie did have a knack for party games. It was all so peaceful. And then there was Wayde. Wayde sat alone, cross-legged on the floor, leaning against one of the book cases with streamers attached to it’s end. Still, progress, or it might have been, were it not of the webbing of black sand sphering out like a twisted boil with enough room for him to comfortably stand, were it not filled with books clutched in the legs of sickly, bulbous sand-spiders hanging from “webbing” as thick around as Hazama’s forearm. But at least he was a healthier thickness now, also a plus. “HEY,” Hazama flinched, the eyes of the stallion flashing in his mind. Adjusting his volume, he continued, “How’s it going?” trying to find an angle here he could read the title of the book Wayde was reading, “Find anything?” “Keep it down, they’re sleeping,” Wayde replied, eyes still glued to his current book, as a spider leg flipped the page, “And no, nothing. Just stories about little foals going on adventures or being genuinely smart enough to outwit truly clever villains who only ever have powers that are innately theirs. No mentions of magical trinkets or items of any kind that can help me, just allusions to The Elements, or just straight up weaker versions of them. Hell, I can’t even find the legend of The Mare in The Moon.” “Who on the moon?” Hazama chuckled, raising an eyebrow. Wayde frowned, the spider snapping the book shut with a loud pop, retracting up and then into the webbing. “When Luna turned into Nightmare Moon and Celestia used The Elements of Harmony to banish her sister to the moon for 1000 years.” “Uh huh huh, Luna never got sent to the moon,” Hazama grinned, raising an eyebrow. Wayde’s webbing trembled as he glared at Hazama before he deflated with a sigh, palming his head in his hand. “I just got mad that I landed in a world where someone’s sister didn’t get cruelly ripped away from her,” he grumbled. “Well, heh,” Hazama edged closer, “Back when I crash landed into Equestria, this” he said, pulling out the simple, brown sheaved book from under his armpit, “Was one of the books I used to help me figure out this place.” Handing it closer, some of the webbing parted, allowing Hazama to put his arm fully into Wayde’s cocoon. “It’s about Tartarus. All kinds of nasty things down there, even a few cursed relics too. But I think you’ll want to look at page 83. Check it out.” A spider unfused from the webbing, lowering down on a thick strand, and gently lifted the ancient book into his hands as Hazama quickly retracted his hand, wiping off the few grains that stuck to his knuckle on his pant leg. Slowly peeling the brittle pages, number 83 revealed a diagram of a simple cage. Two squared slabs of metal with vertical bars ringing the edges, the heading at the top proclaiming it as ‘Standard Cell, Jackal Model’. Reading the description, however, told of the small chest made at the center of the roof, a chest that held trinkets of binding. And, referencing a footnote that brought him to the last third of the book, found out every last trinket used in such cells was spelt out, and, in fact, was what consisted of the last third of the book. “Ooo,” Wayde gasped quietly, standing up to grab the book himself despite the way it made Hazama grin all the wider, “But,” he continued flatly, looking up from the page, “A living death trapped in a small cage in the pits of Tartarus for the rest of my life isn’t what I had in mind.” “Heh, dude,” Hazama shook his head, “Tartarus was designed to house every last big bad on the planet forever. There’s plenty of room down there, which means,” he paused, but Wayde just stared blankly, unamused. “It means,” he sighed, “That there are empty cells down there full of suppression and protection charms with nothing to do. Any one of those charms could be the one, fear suppression, darkness suppression, dream suppression. The jackals literally thought of everything.” “The who?” Wayde asked. “Basic equivalent to the ancient Egyptians here. But you can let Twilight give you a one of her lectures later. Let’s go.” Hazama whisper-yelled. Wayde sand shrank away into shadow, popping up beside the lump of Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. “Dude,” Hazama whispered out, his lips set in a hard, flat line as Wayde leaned down to nudge them, “You want to bring ponies into their own version of hell?” “Oh. Yes,” Wayde said, his shoulders falling, “good point. They’ve done so much already.” “Ah don’t worry,” Hazama grinned, walking backwards towards the exit, “You’ve still got me, and I’m sure we can handle anything that gets in our way. Nothing’s gonna happen anyway.” ***Tartarus** Not one hundred feet into what had been a non-descript cave mouth, and before them stood the mighty Cerberus. A giant of a midnight-black dog, each of his three heads growling at the two living creatures who stood at his gate. “Heh heh, good boy,” Hazama chuckled nervously. “Hmph,” Wayde sniffed, shrinking into shadow and sliding back away to the entrance to disappear into one of the many convenient pools of shadow cast by the last few wisps of the setting sun and then stepping out from the shadows behind the gatekeeper. “Aw come on man,” Hazama called out, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end now that each of the dog’s heads had only one thing to focus on, “Don’t leave me here with the overgrown mutt!” At the word mutt, the proud canine’s low growl leaped into a snarl, eyes twice as big around as the human’s head straining open, gleaming red as he leaned closer. Taking a step back, Hazama’s sudden action only increased the dog’s ire, making matters all the worse as Hazama drew gleaming, verdant energy into his fists, the sudden light flinching the dog back, but sending the left and right heads to foam at the mouth. “Hey, either you let me by, or I make ya!” Hazama yelled, flexing his power up around his arms. “Oh for Christ,” Wayde sighed from down the tunnel, sliding out of the wall and turning back, announcing his presence with deliberately loud footfalls. Flicking out his left hand, a stairway of his black sand built up beneath him, as he stepped towards the right head of Cerberus, straining back around to nip at the oncoming shadow man. Then, just as the light in the dog’s eyes began to wisp at the edges of his eyes, Wayde raised his right hand, a massive sand proxy the size of the dog’s head, and swung it through the air, the proxy following suit, slapping the dog’s head, sending it to bonk into the other two. “No. Bad dog” Wayde scolded in a low tone, shadows pulling onto his skin. Cerberus gave a pitched whine, suddenly lowering his heads. “Sit,” Wayde commanded, and was immediately obeyed. The stairs folded up into a single platform beneath his feet, lowering him down to Hazama, to whom he gave a single look, and said, “let’s go.” Rounding the first bend, Hazama took the lead once more, having had access to maps that weren’t for public consumption in Canterlot, and burst out laughing. Gripping at his sides, he leaned against the smooth tunnel wall to keep from falling. “Holy shit man,” he choked out, starry eyed, “How did you do that?” “I didn’t,” Wayde frowned, shoving his hands into his coat pockets, keeping his gaze to the tunnel ahead. “Animals just aren’t stupid enough to pretend they aren’t afraid.” “The fuck do you mean by that,” Hazama cocked an eyebrow, still holding back laughter, “I am not afraid of you, and He” he thumbed back, “guards Hell for Christ’s sake!” “Humans are more complex than animals,” Wayde shrugged, glancing briefly at Hazama, eyes downcast. “Whatever, be as mysterious as you want,” Hazama chuckled, pulling out the scrap of paper he’d written the directions on, “Nut you’re not the only one with a fucked-up body.” Wayde remained silent, but couldn’t repress the urge to turn his head just the slightest bit towards Hazama. Folding back up the paper, Hazama pointed to the tunnel mouth second from the middle from the similarly shaped ones beside it, walking on. “Yeah, long story short, thanks to how I got here and the magic around here, I need positive emotional energy to keep myself healthy while Terumi needs negative ones regardless of who’s at the wheel. And, if we don't have an equal amount our … apartment, disappears.” Exiting the tunnel, a wide, dome-like cavern opened up around them, the ensconced crystals glowing yellow between a set of double iron-doors that ringed the whole cavern. The only difference between the lot of them was a single palm-sized symbol stamped into the metal bars draped in front of them. Stopping halfway down the right side of the cavern, Hazama brought up his paper, doing a double take as he matched his crude circle with the plain, perfect circle on the bar. Nodding, he folded the paper back up and, with a flash of green, a flaming snake whipped up out of his hand, wrapping around the iron bar and lifting it smoothly up to lean on the side of the wall, disappearing as he stepped forward, heaving the massive doors open himself. Taking the lead, Wayde stepped in first, the room’s crystal torches blinking on to reveal a room as big as the one they’d just left, which, given doors outside had only had a few feet of rock between each one, meant the smooth dome of rock should have had some bits of metal reflecting around its edges rather than just the giant cage in the center of the room. It was just like the diagram from the book, two metal squares, iron bars ringing the edges … and no door. Hazama, unperturbed, leapt up into the empty cage, the metal floor being a good four feet thick, and stepping through the pillar-like bars wide enough for five of him to walk through. “Jeez,” his voice echoed through the room, “do you see the size of this thing? Whatever ends up being put in here will have to be huge!” “Yeah,” Wayde muttered, a disc of sand springing out from under his feet and raising him up to the roof where, at its center, stood a seamlessly welded square, metal box, five by five feet, and made of the same dark iron as the cell. Moving to open the box, expecting a hinge, Wayde surged upward, sending the surprisingly light lid to clatter noisily upon the roof, much to Wayde’s flinching displeasure. But, when nothing else happened, Wayde reached into the chest, and pulled out a polished bronze medallion attached to what he wanted to call a thin, leather loop, but, knowing Equestria, it was probably some sort of treated, reedy vine. A flash of Ouroboros green reflected dimly below the lip of the roof, as Hazama flipped himself up, a hand at the top of his hat to keep it steady as he landed beside Wayde. “Bronze huh,” he said, leaning forward, snatching away the ancient metal. “Wonder if this one’s for fire protection,” he mused, flipping the pendant over his knuckles, “or petrification?” Flipping it into his palm he sent a spark of magic through it, hoping for some kind of sign or rune to flicker on. But, when nothing happened, he assumed he simply needed something a little less refined, and pumped in a little more power. With a yelp, he dropped the disk as it took on a bright red, and then orange glow, burning away whatever it was that made the loop. Then, with a whining keen of static, the light vanished, leaving the disk a dull, burnt charcoal-grey. “Heh, whoops,” Hazama breathed out, flickers of purple light blinking along the bottom of the cave walls, yards away, the beginning of tremors thrumming through the roof. "Something's wrong, terribly wrong.." Terumi's voice was shaking.. Like he was scared. "You okay bud?"He asked Terumi, Only to be confused by the simultanious yells. "RUN!" “Move,” Wayde gasped, leaping at Hazama, his sand blasting them harshly from the iron top of the cage, which in a disturbing sensation of sound being eaten away, a blink of violet light scorched through the top of the cage in a cylinder no larger than a soup can, that blinked off as a swirl of gas shifting with all the colors of a night sky filled the dying embers of novas pulsing like veins across it’s surface. Up it continued to gas, twisting and turning in on itself, until a sphere the size of a combine was floating just a few feet above the roof of the cage, soundlessly. And then, it opened. The whole thing was a massive eyelid, and beneath was the violet glow from before, lancing into the cave wall in a continuous, unblinking beam that slowly began to unspool the rock like a string of cotton, sucking up into the middle of the beam and up into the eye where it vanished. Brushing off the sand sticking still falling out of his sleeve, Hazama gaze a low whistle, the eye now 160 degrees from facing the two of them on the floor. “You idiot,” Wayde whispered in a growl, sand flickering up and out of his midnight black hair, “you said it was empty.” Looking away briefly, the monster’s gaze was still moving at its lackadaisical pace. “Keep your shirt on,” Hazama raised his hands up defensively, taking a step away from the growing cloud looming above Wayde, an aura of green energy blooming around him, “This thing looks like it could be trouble,” bending his legs, “let’s end this quick!” and leapt, landing on the rim of the cage. Pooling his aura into his right leg, he lashed out with a kick, sending a bright crescent blade of green slicing through the air. The leg-long blade whistled through the air, moving straight for the back of the monster’s eye, and sailed right through it, exploding harmlessly into the cavern’s roof with what debris that fell over the beam’s gaze spooling away into the thing’s eye. “Well shit,” he turned to Wayde, chest deflating. “You got any ideas?” Wayde frowned, cupping his hands below his lips and blew into them, his hands pressing outward until a softball sized sphere was held between them. Knocking back his left hand, he threw the orb, but, as with Hazama, his attack went sailing through the creature, the orb shattering like glass on the far end of the cavern, briefly turning the creature’s gaze back to the new sound before continuing to circle towards the sounds of breathing. “No,” Wayde whispered. Hazama jumped back down next to Wayde, sand scraping along his legs and arms. “I take it back, this thing is going to be a real pain in the ass,” Hazama relented, keeping in step with Wayde as they kept pace with the back of the slow creature, “Got any last-ditch attacks you were saving?” “Just my sand,” he said in a curt voice, sand still twisting along his limbs, flinching as the creature finally completed its first circle, making a hole in its roof that clanged noisily down, sending the talismans to clink and clank upon the second floor. “So now what? We each take turns circling around for the rest of eternity?” “No,” Hazama belted out, opening his mouth for more, but fell silent. “Hey,” he said, pointing to the edge of the cage, the bars beginning to clang down, sending the thing’s gaze to stutter-stop at the new sets of noise, “You see those? He’s passed like five of the ones that’ve rolled to the edge,” whipping out an Ouroboros snake that nabbed one of the talismans that should have unspooled under the creature’s gaze. If anything, it looked every more clean, Hazama’s oily fingers smudging the metal’s perfect finish before he let it dangle on its ancient string. “If we can just a few mo-” But Wayde was already gone, zipping soundlessly along the floor as a shadow and popping back up by the fallen chest, quickly looping up the necklaces up his arm with his free hand. Hazama, catching on quickly, flamed up an Ouroboros whip in both hands, snapping them noisily into the air, overtaking the soft clinks of Wayde’s work, as he continued to circle around the cage. Everything was going according to what little of a plan they had cobbled together, when Wayde froze, his hand flashing to a pale caucasian, his hair turning a dark brown, and collapsed on his side, air catching in his throat as the talismans sounded noisily upon one another. The monster turned. Its gaze eating away at the fallen roof, trailing after the new sound, and now, faster. Hazama, breaking stride, nearly tripping over his own feet at the damned luck of it all, threw his Ouroboros out, latching up onto the roof, zipping towards his fallen companion and scooping him up into his arm, the other already latch onto the empty edge of the platform, but not before the eye’s newly found speed brought its gaze to rip away his sleeve, sapping him of his energy instantly, but not before both he and Wayde were already sliding along the edge of the roof and falling over the edge in an undignified heap. Hissing, a thin patch of fresh, nerve-frazzled skin now screaming at the touch of air, “Really?” Hazama grimaced at the puss rising from his skin and down to Wayde, untangling himself, “Had to find the,” he gasped “One talisman to fuck us over right now?” “No,” Wayde groaned, “not,” he gulped, hands curling into weak fists, “not one you moron. A combination, I just,” his body going slack, “I can feel it.” The monster continued to track them, returning back to its regular speed, for now. "Holy shit, I can only feel the pain in my arm, I cant move the thing.." Hazama thought as he looked up at the floating montrosity. "Congrats, your stupidity has cost us our fucking arm!" Terumi yelled back, anger only subdued by the shaking pain. Hazama took a shuddering breath, his hands shaking, “We,” he looked up to the landing just a few feet above him. “We need to get the rest.” he said, trying to stand up, leaning against the iron wall for support, but fell on his rear anyway. “Jesus,” he hissed, clutching his arm, “It took all of my magic.” Wayde sighed, breathing deeper as he slowly brought his free hand up, scraping off the necklaces tangled along his arm. Instantly Wayde’s skin was grey once more, his hair midnight black, and his eyes gleaming like twin eclipses of the sun. Fading down into shadow, a burst of black sand spread out along the floor from his chest, coating the floor around them with a thin patina of sand that trailed up onto the fallen roof. With a snap, a thin tentacle rose up from the ground, looping around a single necklace each, careful to only touch the loop before sliding towards the hidden form of Wayde beside Hazama, rounding away from the still coming gaze of the cosmic eye and bringing the shell of sand along the floor with them. The sand folded up into the shape of Wayde standing, it’s arms held out, aiming the lengthening muzzle of a harpoon as each tentacle attached itself and its load to the long projectile. Then just as the violet light of the eye’s gaze was but a few yards away, the construct pulled the trigger, send the talismans up with the momentum of the sand harpoon that vanished as it touched the light, the momentum keeping the small disks on target as they disappeared into the light. The beam stopped and flickered, and then, the creature simply ceased to be. Breathing heavily through his nose, Wayde resurfaced by Hazama, still laying on the ground. “Hooo,” Hazama sighed, “For a second there, I thought it was going to expl-” Where the creature had been not moments before, a small sphere of bright pink light, no longer that an inch across, flashed for an instant before a boom like thunder roared, shaking the caves foundation, as a wave of hot pink expanded in an instant, flinging them along with the rush of energy. And then, it was gone. Blinking, waving his hands in front of his eyes, Wadye winced, his ears ringing, as the rough texture of mountain grass rubbed against the back of his palm. Screwing a finger into his ear, he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the quiet, racking cough of Hazama as he pushed himself up to his elbows from off his back. The glare of pink was also fading, and saw they were now back outside, laying in front of the entrance to Tartarus. It was actually kind of funny though, the pink still burning in his eye made Cerberus look like some terrible accident in the wash all sprawled out on the grass, his tongues sticking out … beside Hazama. “Uggh,” Hazama groaned, smacking his ears, his suit pocked with smoking holes “It’s official. Today sucks. No if, ands, or” Hazama paused, sitting slowly up, taking note of the three massive dog heads capable of biting him in half without effort just three feet away from him. Cerberus, eyes uncrossing, gave a sneeze before his eyebrows came crashing down, the deep and violent growl echoing through his throats coming to an abrupt end as three green socks fell across his noses. Eyes going wide, his heads began bumping into one another as they took in the sight. Hoof socks of every color and make were everywhere, fluttering down upon the breeze, and most of them piled at the mouth of the cave. Hazama forgotten, the heads swung around wildly, each straining to go their own ways, but, after a few false starts, they managed to speed off in concert, romping back to the cave and diving into the miniature mountain of chew-toys. “Heh,” Hazama smirked, still laying on his back, “So there really is something to all those tales about losing your socks in the wash. Ha, I bet it’s all left socks or some shit too!” he laughed, still cradling his arm over his stomach. Wayde only groaned, flicking out a hand as a bit of nightmare sand from his sleeve, making a cane, yanking off a black a white striped sock from his head, and began to limp away. “Um, hey bud?” Hazama called out, coughing away a bit of dirt as he craned his neck, “I can’t walk right now, let alone use my powers. A little help?” Wayde sighed, but snapped his fingers anyway. Black sand pushed up from beneath Hazama shadow, expanding out into a disc as big around as Hazama was tall, as it floated him to Wayde who continued to walk away from the cave mouth, his limp already lessening as he made for the pines. “Hey,” Hazama started, looking down his naval to Wayde’s back, his smile beginning to falter, “I just want to say, I’m sorry.” Wayde grunted, but otherwise said nothing, keeping his pace, now angled for what looked like a convenient path. Hazama sighed, letting his head fall back onto the disk, a darker part of himself relishing when the skin on his arm would scab over enough for him to pick at it as Wayde continued their slow return to civilization. “Hey, I know this was supposed to just be an in and out thing, but,” Hazama began, his mirthful energy beginning to kick back into his voice, “maybe we can just make those protection charms. I know it’ll take much longer than just swiping some that are already made bu-” “Good,” Wayde stated flatly, manacles of sand suddenly locking around Hazama’s wrists and ankles as the disk rose sharply into the air and zipped off towards Canterlot above the treetops, leaving Wayde to walk the slower path. ***Canterlot Castle*** Hazama dropped from the disk onto the grass of the royal garden, landing shakily on his feet. His energy recovered slightly, he was able to keep his balance. "Ok, now I just need to-" "Eeep!" A squeak came from his right. He turned to look and saw a mortified looking Pinkie, who looked marginally paler. Right, his arm. He cradled his arm a bit, as he looked at Pinkie with the best smile he could put on. "It's not as bad as you think, it's all on the outside." He re-assured Pinkie the best he could. "Bullshit!" Terumi growled from inside his head. "Not now Terumi!" He almost yelled. Pinkie walked over and gingerly poked at the red skin. When Hazama didn't make a sound of pain, she sighed a bit in relief. She gently reached into her hair and pulled out a bottle of water. "Can we do this in the Library? I need to sit down.." Hazama grumbled. With a nod, they made their way to the Libary. As soon as he sat down, Pinkie started her treatment. She dowsed his arm with water, and washed it off gently. She then proceeded to start wrapping it. Hazama glanced around, and placed his hand on the ground. With a grunt of effort, his Ouroboros slid out his remaining sleeve and slithered to the ground. It made it's way to the bookshelves, and began gathering books. He sighed, as he felt his power ever so slightly start to trickle back into his being. His attention was grabbed by a gasp. He looked over Pinkie and saw Luna. She had wide eyes and an even wider mouth, until she snapped it shut and her eyes hardened to a glare. "Where did you go?" She asked quietly. Her eyes betraying the worry in her heart. With a heavy sigh, Hazama relented. "We had a lead on what he wanted to find, and went to get it. It just happened to be in Tartarus.." He muttered the last bit. Pinkie dropped her roll of bandages as she gasped. Quickly fetching the bandages, she continued her work. "But Hazie, Tartarus is a place for realy big and bad monsters!" Pinkie said, while sliding a glass of water to Hazama. "Indeed, the monsters are quite.. something. I assume you learned your lesson then?" Lunas tone was short. "Yeah." Hazama grumbled, his Ouroboros coming back and dropping a stack of books on the table. "Don't bite off more than I can chew. I'm not immortal." He muttered, as he began reading. Luna left the room with a huff, slamming the door shut behind her. ***Thirty Minutes Later*** Hazama closed the third tome on Jackal protection charms, pushing it away with the others, his stomach in knots. If he weren’t so exhausted he’d heave. “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself Hazie!” Pinkie bit her lip, pushing another glass of water to Hazama before she finished cinching the bandage around his arm closed. “How is this fair?” he slumped into the cushioned study’s chair. “All I want to do is help, but someone’s always there, screwing me over before I even know it.” Dim lines of magic fizzled angrily off his skin, which, in his magically exhausted state, would have sent Celestia and Luna into a fit, but all Pinkie could do was hug him gently around his bandaged chest and try to keep him from burning himself out for good. The clop of metal covered hooves sounded from the hallway as the sparkle of Luna’s blue magic turned the knob. “The guards are currently escorting Wayde into the castle,” she stated, her anger at Hazama’s reckless actions only kept in check by how worried she still was. It really was a miracle that he still had a spirit, let alone a physical arm. Looking up, away into the hall, she said, “My deepest apologies that you were dragged into this Mr. Molan,” nodding to him as she allowed him into the room, his cane now gone, adding, “And my condolences to you should you ever allow him into such danger again.” “Oh come on girls, there’s enough of me to go around,” Hazama chuckled weakly, noting the trickle of sand coming out of Wayde’s fists. “I don’t suppose you remember any healing spell now do you Luna?” he asked. “No,” Luna said, walking around the large desk that commanded most of the small room, “I still can’t quite remember anything that I’d help you with at the moment. It’s been so long since anypony’s been in combat. You understand, right darling,” nuzzling into his neck despite her displeasure, refiling his mug of coffee while levitating over a spare mug from the center of the table for herself. Wayde stood there silently as Luna and Pinkie continued to quietly fuss over Hazama for a few moments more before he said, “I’m feeling tired. So, if you’ll get on to why the guards demanded I see you, I’d appreciate it.” Hazama’s eye’s fell. “Would you two please leave us?” He asked quietly. The two mares looked to one another, relenting, though not without Pinkie pointing a hoof to her eyes and then back to her patient as the two mares exited the room. When the door clicked shut he said, “I’ve done some research,” nodding down to the tomes, “And I wanted to give you some good news, but,” his eyes fell again, “Well, for protection from fear talisman, I’d have to murder someone and use their soul to fuel the fires as we cast the silver disk.” “And I said it was a combination of them,” Wayde said impassively, “so you can quit your whining and-” “For a talisman that would protect you from shadows, I’d, or at least the forger would have to rape a virgin child before working at the forge. And it doesn’t get any better from there. Each protection charm requires some form of torture or what would now be rightfully considered a crime in order to create. Yeah,” Hazama sighed, “Turns out when you have have a culture built upon slavery, the ruling class ends up not caring a whole lot about its citizens except for parts, literally. I,” he paused turning green as some of the more sexually explicit ceremonies burbled back into mind, “I can’t help you this way … but I won’t stop trying to help,” he added hastily. “Even if it kills me, I’ll make sure I do something right.” The silence mounted as Hazama looked back up to Wayde, who just stood there, face set in an unreadable, emotionless mask. Then, just as his head began to fall back into his chest Wayde said, “Don’t sell yourself short.” Looking back up, Wayde continued, “I appreciate your … help, but you’d be bettered served by focusing on is how to get those other two souls out of your body. Pinkamena and the princesses are pretty scared that they’ll lose you to them. Now,” he said, taking a breath, “Will that be all?” “Yeah,” Hazama nodded, “And yeah, I know they’re worried.” Wayde turned around, giving a small nod back, and opened the door, nearly stepping into Princess Luna. “Oh, you’re done. Good!” she smiled, “Celestia believes she’s managed to fix your golden ball.” “Oh?” Wayde said tiredly. “Heh, told you my world’s Celestia’s a big magic buff. Probably hasn’t even slept since we gave her the token,” Hazama beamed, his face falling suddenly as the realization hit him. “Oh God, she probably hasn’t slept since she got your token,” he said, rising slowly to his feet. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner,” he pointed an accusing finger to Luna as he limped for the door. “Do not get me started,” Luna warned, moving closer for Hazama to lean on her once he was out the door as Wayde followed silently behind. Crossing a number of halls, Luna brought them to a small wooden door emblazoned with Celestia’s cutie mark, and, pushing it open with her magic, revealed a wide, open room covered with thick, wooden tables covered with books and piece of metal, while those along the walls held a number of strangely colored and shaped glassware, to say nothing of their shifting, and not always liquid, contents. And at the center of it all, beside three corkboards all lined in a row, with a number of tacked pieces of colored strings running between them was a sleeping Princess Celestia, her mane a mess and bags under her eyes dark enough to be mistaken for mascara. “Ha, told ya she wouldn’t sleep,” Hazama smirked to Wayde, “Well, not until now at any rate. Hey, think you could help her into bed?” he asked looking down to Luna, kissing her cheek. She nodded, her cheeks darkening, before lighting her horn and vanishing with her sister. Hazama, stepping over to the corkboard, picked up the golden orb from the table beside it, “Here you go,” he smiled, tossing it to Wayde, who ducked into shadow as the slow-moving orb floated lazily to where he’d been standing. Circling behind Hazama and popping up behind him, he lashed out a line of nightmare sand from his palm at the golden sand that broke apart instantly, the orb still moving in its original flight path. “I distinctly remember telling you something about how dangerous this thing can be to me,” Wayde said, sighing, “but, I suppose that means it’s working, so if you’d be so kind?” Hazama looked from Wayde to the ball of sand now resting on the ground. “Oh, right.” he muttered softly. Limping over to pick it up with his un-bandaged hand he said, “Heh, you know, I’m starting to think I might never do anything right again,” He said, stooping back up. “Welp,” he sighed, “let’s get this started. I, uh-” “Say contract complete,” Wayde frowned, then added, “and just make sure you remember to learn from your mistakes.” “Don’t gotta be an ass about it,” he chuckled, a smile teasing at his lips. “And you don’t have to be a mewling weeaboo,” Wayde sniffed, smirking. Hazama gave a low whistle, both of his eyes cracking open. “Two whole days to get a fucking smile out of you. I’ll take it,” he chuckled again. Eying down the ball of sand, tilting his head to the side in a sudden thought he added, “Hey, how do I make one of these things anyway?” “Even if I did know, I wouldn’t help you make any more of those,” Wayde said pointedly, his grin melting away. “No, I meant a token period,” he replied flatly, rolling his eyes. “You know, if I could do it myself. What, do I have to split off a piece of my soul?” "That could work, but it would need some Power, you know, that thing we don't have alot of right now?" Terumi mocked his thoughts. "You know, I bet I have the Energy.."Hazama's thoughts were rambling to himself. "You're not listening to me are you?"Terumi grumbled. “Jesus man,” Wayde flinched. “But,” he cleared his throat, “You’re be better off without one. The multiverse isn’t a particularly friendly place, and more importantly, time flows between them are entirely unpredictable. A single day in another universe could equate to a second, day, year, a century, or even more here.” Hazama nodded, his eyes going from left to right as he muttered soundlessly to himself before placing the orb onto the nearest table and snapped his fingers. A bright green glow burst from his hand nearly the size of his own head, and, when it died down, a palm-sized grey disk with an outgrowth of emerald in the shape of an Ouroboros serpent head fell into his hand. He stumbled back into the table, the color in his green hair whiting out as some of its color drained away, sweat suddenly bursting from his brow. “That” he wheezed, trying to catch his breath, “Hurt more than I thought.” He paused, putting the thing onto his lap, leaning an elbow onto the edge of the table to hold his spinning head. “What did -?” Wayde asked, stepping back. “Uh, I split my soul a bit and made this handy little paper weight, duh,” he scoffed, holding up the disk, the emerald eyes still glowing gently. “Hurt a,” he gasped, wincing, “Hurt a bit more than I gave it credit for though.” Wayde’s hands fell limply to his side as he slowly slid a little closer to the door. “What in God’s name have you done?” he gasped quietly, the shadows in the room pulling up along the walls towards him. “You know, you’re acting pretty funny for a guy who could kick my ass,” he shrugged weakly, “Just sayin’.” “Did you really just cleave away at your soul?!?” Wayde nearly squeaked, the shadows along the walls spiking higher. Hazama eyebrows went skyward, both of his eyes cracking open again, this had to be a record. “Well, yeah. I’m used to feeling souls in my body, so it wasn’t too hard to seclude a bit of my own. I do that pretty much every day anyway. I don’t need a bigger piece and have to make another one,” he looked down, the gleam in the emerald eyes already dimming, “Do I?” “You,” he said, the shadows beginning to fall back, “You thought that was how you make a token. Oh God, no, I meant that ... Oh God,” he palmed his head. “Did,” sputtered, the shadows falling back to normal, “Does it even work?” Hazama stood up slowly, finding enough strength to not fall back immediately. “I,” he paused, gazing down at his new creation, “thhhhhink so. It feels like it's waiting for me to do something, but … I don’t know what.” Wayde sighed, shivering. “Say your name, and what you desire from your travels,” he said flatly, his hands falling limply to his sides. Hazama looked at Wayde in confusion. “That’s it? Oh, well, okay then.” He looked to his creation, chewing on his lower lip, then raising it up in front of his mouth said: My name’s Hazama: The Trickster! To all those who need help, give me a call. I’ll always give it my all. Also, if you wanna just have fun time, don’t hesitate to drag me over. Hazama watched as his creation glowed when a sudden jolt jerked it out of his hands and hovered in the air, beginning to shake until a number of after images hung in the air for a moment before disappearing, and then, so did the small disk. A moment later Wayde took another step back, a copy of Hazama’s token falling down just above from where Wayde’s head had been a moment ago. “I know I haven’t exactly been the best of friends,” Hazama nodded to the fallen disk, “But you almost like the emo-big brother I never had. Take it, and please, use it to ask for my help if you need it.” Wayde hesitated, planted firmly in place, but, after a few more quiet seconds, a wisp of his sand puffed out of his sleeve, scooped up the token, and deposited it swiftly in an inner jacket pocket. Looking up, sand was slowly steam out of his hair, but he calmly said, “Send me back.” Hazama smirked, Wayde really needed to lighten up soon or he was going to hurt himself. “It really was nice meeting you Wayde,” he said, scooping up the orb in front of his mouth, then said, “Contract Complete. As the ball of sand gently floated up from his hand, thinning out into a disk as wide around as he was tall, Hazama added “Take care of yourself,” raising a thumbs-up as the golden circle dove at Wayde, swallowing him, and then dropping softly to the floor, a small glowing orb once more. ---First Person--- I looked at the small ball of sand as I picked it up. "Son of a bitch didn't even say bye.." A smirk apeared on my face as I flicked the ball of sand into my sleeve. "So how goes-" Luna's voice came from the door, even though she stopped short. "W-what happened to your hair?" She asked in a small voice. Oh? My hair changed? I looked into a nearby window and noted the light green, almost white of my hair contrasted with what I was used to greatly. Must have been the soul split.. I hope it comes back, that forest green hair was one of the things I really liked.. "Oh, I um.. Needed to-" I paused to collect my thoughts. I sighed, as I braced myself for what could come next. "I split my soul a bit so I could keep in touch with Wayde, and it caused the change you see." I was prepared for a hit, a smack, even a blast of magic. I wasn't prepared for the flying tackle that took both me and Luna to the ground. I looked up and Luna was glaring at me with as much hate as she could. Well, as much hate you can muster with tears running down your face.. Reaching up with my working arm, I wiped away some of her tears, as she leaned into my touch. Luna leaned in and nuzzled my cheek as she cried. "You can die you know. If you die, I don't know what I would do." She seemed to pause, to think about her words. "I love you, and I want to be with you for as long as you live." She lifted her head up, and stared at me with those deep Sapphire eyes. "Please don't go back to Tartarus, or do anything that life threatning again?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. I simply leaned up and kissed her, her lips were trembling from her crying, but she still kissed back. "I promise." I said back just as softly. She leaned in to nuzzle my neck, as I stroked her mane lovingly. "Go to bed, I'll be there in a minute, okay?" She simply nodded, and dissapeared in a puff of blue magic. I flopped my arm back to the ground, and stared at the ceiling. I stood up and walked over to only desk in the room, and placed my limp arm on the table. In a flash of movement, I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of my Ballisong Knives. Flipping it open, I stabbed my palm. Nothing. I was expecting a burning pain, but I felt nothing. No pinching, not burning, simply nothing. Like my arm wasn't there. Hell, the thing wasn't even bleeding! I sighed, as I made for the door. I had way to much on my mind. Physicaly placing my now paralyzed arm deep into my pocket like it usually is, I went into the hallway. "I told you! You cost us an arm!" Terumi's voice cut through my head like a knife. "Not now Terumi.. I'm so done with today.." I grumbled. Making my way towards Luna's room, I simply scoffed at myself. What would happen tommorow? > Fear of the Future > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********** *********** ***********Warning! Explicit material ahead! *********** *********** *********** ----Third Person---- The sight of Luna’s bed chambers never failed to impress Hazama. The entire room was done in dark blues, purples, and soft violets, but it was the illusion of the night sky that caught his eyes. It did so often, the way he could see the stars twinkling, the gentle movements of it added more to the illusion, and obviously it was something Luna seemed to be immensely proud of. Yet, her pride wasn’t the issue at the moment. Rather he could sense what was the need of this moment. He felt her nuzzling his useless arm, her eyes full of concern, and then he felt her magic. Before that same magic had been problematic because it fueled Nightmare, but now it felt comforting. He felt his clothes leaving him, gently being folded in the air, and then resting on a dresser on the opposite end of the bed. She moved up to him, her movements revealing the sensual nature of the mare that made them. Her breath smelled of mint and cinnamon. She kissed him, her lips spreading his own open, a gentle hoof moving on his cheek, and then down to the shoulder of his good arm. He watched as her magic began flare again and he felt it. Her mouth was open, a soft panting coming from her, but he could feel something engulfing his entire cock. He breathed out in a moan as he felt the inside of her mouth, yet, it was obvious that it couldn’t be her mouth. He watched as she continued this for several moments, the small o shaped opening seemingly acting as if something was indeed entering and leaving her mouth. After a moment he felt himself nearing his release and then he felt her magic withdraw. There was an audible pop, as if he was indeed leaving that beautiful mouth of hers, and she leaned down to kiss him. Luna felt wonderful against him. His good arm and hand moved up her side, toward her wings, and once there he began to gently touch her wings. She cooed softly for him, at his touch, the gentleness of it, and her body seemed to react almost as if they were one being. Her wing extended, allowing him to feel the joint and muscle there. She let out a slight moan as he moved back down her back, his hand drifting down slightly, but after a moment he felt her move. Her magic had once again wrapped around his manhood, and he felt it pressing against her. She gave a sly smile as she worked it against the wetness that was present on her nether lips. He groaned in absolute pleasure as she teased him, letting him feel the ecstasy that she was promising him, and then slowly, teasingly, she began to take him in, but only the tip. The other times they had been together it had been about fiery passion, a burning need that seemed to fill a desire neither could truly hope to put into words within a single lifetime. What he felt now fueled the need and desire he had, but he also realized that at the moment Luna needed this. She needed the control, the chance to direct where their passions went. It was a simple request, to let her guide them tonight, and one that he felt, no, that he wanted to give. He felt her slowly taking him deeper into her, until he was bottomed out. Part of him worried he couldn’t fulfill her desires like she deserved. Granted, he was decently proud of what he had to offer, but regardless of that her biology was designed for larger insertions. But she didn’t act as if she was disappointed, instead the look on her face was one of pure bliss. She began to ride him slowly, building a steady rhythm, her hips moving up and down in a way that defied explanation. He was inside of a goddess. There was no other way to say it. He was pleasing a goddess, one that had fallen in love with him. His good arm reached up, feeling her fur covered barrel, she let out soft moans, tender sounds that reminded him of the fact that he was indeed longed after, loved, and needed. This was exactly what she needed. She needed to show him that he was loved, that she hungered for his touch, his essence, as much as one might hunger for a mere morsel after starving for so long. She had starved when he was gone. She had waited for the day of his return, and after his return things began to fall into place. She felt him sliding into her, and she loved it. She loved the feeling of being with him like this. Of feeling his body so close to her own, of feeling him inside of her. She felt him rise, slightly, his mouth finding her neck, planting small nibbles and kisses on it. She shivered at tender display, the softness of it, and she felt herself convulsing around his stallionhood. She had wanted to last so much longer than this. It was her plan, her desire, to spend hours together in this room, on her bed, but instead her own Le Petite Mort, as the Prench would say, was bubbling up. She felt the rapture of its signal, and then she felt her entire body go rigid as she rode it out. She fell forward, not exhausted, but content. She felt him move, his slender body moving behind her. She felt his hand resting on her cutie mark, the way he let his fingers grasp her rump. She tittered slightly as she felt him rub her there. She knew that he rather enjoyed the look and feel of her rump, the way it jiggled, the squishiness of it, and then she felt his fingers tracing inward. Her eyes widened as she felt him rub her tailhole. She looked over her shoulder at him, unsure of what he was doing, or unsure until she felt one of his fingers enter slightly. The feeling wasn’t terrible. It was a little odd, but nothing that she couldn’t handle. She laid her head down on a pillow, and she felt his mouth near her dock. There was a gentle kiss, a slightly circling of his tongue, and then a slight nip. She felt him moving down, closer to where his finger had been moments before, and then she felt his tongue pressing against it. She swallowed her nervousness as she felt his tongue enter her. The feeling was different from his probing finger. She could feel him flexing his tongue, moving it inside of her tailhole, feeling the walls of her rectum, and she let out a moan that she never expected to have. She felt his tongue still moving, diving, and she found herself keeping her head low, but raising her rump into the air. She was his mare, there was no doubt on this. Her heart had belonged to him for an exceptionally long time. Since then she had given him her body, and she had received the same. This was another act, a wonderful one, and she marveled at the wondrous feeling of it. “Ready?” The question was simple, yet it was just as complex. Was she ready? Her heart was screaming yes. To let him take her virginity again, in a different way, in a different place, but her mind was screaming wait. She worried how it would fit. His stallionhood was wonderful, and she loved its size, but she feared that her tailhole would be too much of a tight fit. After a moment, she nodded. “Yes, I love you Hazama.” He smiled as his length touched her well lubricated marehood, “And I love you Luna. Now, Relax.” She bit the pillow her head was on as he pressed into her. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but his stallionhood had to have changed. It must have gained in girth, because it felt so confined. She felt his good hand holding her rump, and using her magic she spread it open, letting him push into her fully. “Ngh! G...Gentle my love.” He pulled back, slightly, and pushed forward again. She felt the slow movements, the way he was taking his time to let her get use to it. She slowly looked back at him, seeing his face focused on what he was doing. The way her legs were splayed out behind her made it hard to move her hips, but she managed to move them slightly, to angle herself so he could enter her more fully. She was rewarded with the feeling of him going deeper. She began to pant, her horn glowing softly, his hand was over her cutie mark, next to her magical grip, and his stallionhood was deep in her. She grunted as he thrust into her. Each thrust began to gain in intensity and speed. She tried to reign in her orgasmic relief, but instead she let out a moan that mixed with her Royal Canterlot Voice. The very sound of it echoed throughout the hall outside of her bedchambers, letting all that passed through know that the Princess of Night was indeed getting the attention she so desperately needed. She couldn’t form full sentences, even partial thoughts and words were proving to be difficult, but then she felt him twitch inside of her. She focused, enough to look back at him. “Inside, please inside!” He grunted as he thrust one last time, his essence filling her rectum. He pulled out, his energy spent, and he laid down beside her. She nuzzled against him, her face one of satisfaction and a healthy glow of a mare very much in love. She felt his face moving against her own, the way he nuzzled her cheek, and then he kissed her neck. She was spent. She was exhausted, but at that moment she desperately wished she wasn’t. She desperately wished that she could ravish him. She wanted so desperately to take him back into herself. To feel him inside of her marehood or her tailhole, or perhaps both would be wonderful. Her mind settled on him, her horn ignited, and she watched as he quivered in pleasure. He was so sensitive at the moment, and in truth, so was she. She was sensitive, and while she was certainly sated part of her reminded reached out and reminded her of all of the lost time they still had to make up for. There was so much lost time to make up for. She thought of mothering his foals, of sharing the experience with her herd mates. She thought of a life she had waited a millenia for, and one that she desperately hoped would be realized sooner. It was a life she had hopes of Celestia’s previous student, Sunset Shimmer, would be the catalist for, but both she and Celestia were wrong. She felt her mouth fill with his essence, she could taste the divine taste of it, and she watched his reactions. She swallowed it down, and she leaned her head onto his chest. “Luna… that was awesome.” She smiled, “Thank you, perhaps, once we have regained our strength you would be inclined to return the favor?” “I can certainly do that without any problem,” he smiled as his hand gently stroked her scalp, “Besides, I like making you happy.” She grinned, “I’ve noticed, and I thank you for it. He smiled as he looked at the ever changing sky that was cast against her ceiling. He watched as comet went streaking across only to disappear behind the molding that helped the ceiling meet with the wall. Somehow the sight seemed even more beautiful, even more vibrant, and his one true guess was because he had just spent so much time pleasing, and getting pleased by, Luna. One thing was truly clear to him. This was what mattered. While Hazama had some inkling that his actions were observed, to some degree, he had no clue that Nightmare and Terumi were actively observing. Terumi seemed to satisfied in seeing that the fool had managed to bring his mate to the very peak of bliss, and then tossed her off over the side. Nightmare however saw more and more of what she had wanted. The way he took care of her was something she had desired. *********** *********** *********** Explicit scene over *********** *********** *********** ----First Person---- I glared lightly at the roof above me, the light snoring coming from my left was the only reason I hadn't jumped out of bed in frustration. Turning my head, Luna's face fills my vision. As gently as I could, I replaced my shoulder for a pillow. Soon enough I had Luna snuggling the pillow and murmuring in her sleep. I made my way to the bathroom she had in attached to her room. I closed the door behind me before turning on the lights, as it was almost pitch black in Luna's room, I didn't want to wake her. I looked at the mirror hanging above the sink, taking in my reflection piece by piece. My hair was a full shade or two lighter, hell, it was bordering on the halfway mark to white. I had small bags under my eyes from the combination of lack of sleep and my magic being replaced from almost absolute Zero... That territory comes with a massive migrane. In a flash of green light, my upper body was bare. The milky White looking more pale than usual. What really caught my attention, was my arm. From my shoulder blade to my fingertips, I couldn't feel a thing, not discomfort, no pain.. Nothing. It just swayed with my previous walking. Another thing, this one was a bit more concerning on an internal reason. My shoulder, where the dead arm met still alive flesh.. There was a decent sized gash. It wasn't a normal cut, as it looked like it was made from the inside. I could even note that my own green energy wafted out riping at the sides of the torn ligament. Any dead tissue hit by the wafting energy was vaporized. The process was slow, probably taking the course of the day, maybe two. Shaking my head, I focused on the more pressing issue. I needed to make it looke like my arm was fine. I cant have any of the girls worrying any more than they are already. With a grunt from myself, I watched as Five Ouroboros chains ripped out of my upper shoulder splaying my blood a bit in the sink and on the walls. The chains slowly pushed themselves from my shoulder, and wraped themselves slowly around my arm. They intertwined and settled making what looked to be a bastardized version of a chain-link sleeve. In another flash of Green light, my torso was covered again. I watched as my dead arm moved slowly up to my face. Noting that my fingers swayed lifelessly in comparison. Nodding to myself, I gently slid my now moveable right arm into its pocket, making me look relativly normal. I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my left hand, sighing in frustration. If I wasn't a class A fuck-up, I would still have an arm. Hell, I would probably actually have another human friend! I had no idea if Wayde actually like me or anything. My only indication was that toothy grin he gave me near the end of his time here. I needed to get some god-damned air if I was to sort out my life problems. I then proceeded to the nearest window, swinging my right arm out to practice using it. Three Ouroboros flung off in different directions. One towards Everfree, another towards Ponyville, and the other just sputtered out onto the ground. The one heading for Ponyville cracked and disapeared into smoke. The Everfree one struck something for it to latch onto, but immediatly lost its faint Green shimmer and disipated into dust. I groaned as I jusmped out the window, landing down on the ground. "Great.. My powers are completely shot.." I mumbled to myself as I made my way off through Canterlot. ----Canterlot Castle: A Few Hours Later---- Luna's eyes opened slightly as she let out a yawn. She stretched her forlegs upwards as she shook herself from her covers. Smacking her lips slightly, she looked over to her right, only to find her bed empty. A forelorn look flashed across her eyes as she got up of the bed, and quickly made it with her magic. She went to step away from the bed, when she stumbled slightly. Sweat clung to her forhead, as she panted slightly. Her magic drained significantly from just that small action. "G-guard! Fetch my sister! And a doctor!" Luna called out as she collapsed onto her bed, her breathering labored. In only a few short minutes, she looked up as a bright flash of Golden light filled her room. Celestia stood there, a Mare with a Red cross as a cutie Mark was next to her as she floated over her bag. "What's wrong Luna? Are you feeling ill?" Celestia called out as she made her weay to her sister. She was surprised when she had to catch her sister from falling of the bed. "I don't know.. I feel weak, and my magic feels all but gone.." Luna cried out, her voice a pained whine. Celestia looked to the doctor, as the mare stepped up and took Luna's temperature. Seeing her Temperature was fine, she did a general diagnostic spell. The mare suddenly fell backwards, her coat almost fading slightly Whighter. "I-I.. I don't.." The doctore tried to talk, but couldnt. It was like the poor pony had her energy sapped. Celestia's eyes widened as she watched the doctor fall to the ground, very close to passing out. She quickly brought up her own diagnostic spell, to see what the problem was herself. She immediatly felt her magic drain, and gasped loudly. The loud noise seemed to wake Luna up from whatever trance she was in before. "W-what is it Tia? What's wrong?" Luna urged her sister to talk. Celestia just mumbled with wide eyes. "Sweet Faust.." Luna faintly heard her sister say. She was surprised when her sister then jumped up off the ground she sat on, and called out to her guard. "Guard! Find and bring Hazama here, no matter what!" Her voice full of worry. Luna was starting to hyperventalate at all the comotion. Celestia called ooout to her sister in an effort to calm her down. "Lulu!" Luna's eyes snapped to her sisters. "I know whats wrong.." ----Everfree---- I glared lightly at the rippling water of the lake. I found it odd that no mater what I did, I always found myself near this stupid lake. Over a millenium and I still find myself staring into the water like it's going to tell me something deep about my life or something. Letting loose a deep sigh, I lean back on the rock I was sitting on, lazily dipping my hand in the water. The water calmed down, almost as if it was my own emotions. Smirking half-heartedly, I lifted my chained up arm. It motions looked more fluid than before and more lifelike. Almost like it was normal. I flicked the wrist, an automatic response now to summon another Ouroboros. The chain slithered out slowly, as sweat began dripping from my forhead. A few moments passed, and the chain remained. Excited, I let my focus go. Only to see the chain not only crack, but explode! I winced as it's Green energy licked at the dead tissue of the hand and wrist, again disolving a fair bit of skin and muscle. I had been trying in vain to get my Ouroboros to appear and stay like I used to, only to have my each and every try litterally Explode in my hands! And it only got worse with each try. Something was terribly wrong with me. I needed to know, before something else stupid happened to this place. Knowing my luck, it wouldn't be longer than a day or Two before the proverbial 'shit' hits the fan again. Suddenly there was another pressence in the area. A pressence that felt both familiar and.. Well, lets say the way I spat out the name was a clue. "What do you want, Discord?" I asked the floating clusterfuck of animal parts. His reaction was more subdued than I believed possible. "Well now, I believe the hostility is well founded. However, you and I both know that I was not in my proper mindset when I.." He stopped himself, as the water bellow me glowed an eerie Green as my power swirled my restrained anger. As suddenly as it started however, it died down. My face dropped into a frown, as I remembered. "Yeah, yeah.. And I'm sure you have no memomories of the issue at hand." A quick, but solemn nod was all I needed to confirm it. "Right. I have a few idea's. But none of that matters right now, at least until I can pinpoint the damned Cauldron." My eyes widened slightly, at remebering something very, very important. "Note to self, keep Ragna away from the Cauldron, at aall costs. Don't need that unending nightmare." I muttered aloud. "Oh.. Yeah can we not let the emotionly distressed man-child near the reality altering power fountain?" Terumi moaned out. "The what fountain?!" Nightmare called out from the link. "Oh can we not? I've got enough on my plate right now, I don't need to explain what the Cauldron is-" "Don't talk about my girl like she's some idiot! Just because the Cauldron can even alter time-" "What?!" Nightmare screached. "Holy fuck Terumi, shut up!" I growled out. "Well, I know that the Cauldron is an attempted link to the Boundary." Discord piped in his thoughts. Right, I hat forgotten that the jerk could somehow hear inside my head. The memoried from out first meeting is still really hazy- Wait.. "You" I turned to Discord, my eyes cracked open to match the seriousness of the situation. "Shouldn't know that word, let alone what it is." I stood up on the rock suddenly, and hopped to the shore where Discord was. I couldn't hear Terumi anymre, probably holding back a confused Nightmare from interupting. "Explain." I said simply. I saw Discord visibly flinch. "I don't know much, as everytime I try to remember how I know that, my mind goes fuzzy again." He states, as he holds his head. It was small, but I deffinitly saw faint wisps of Golden electricity-like energy zipping around Discord's head. If I wasn't looking for it, I would have never seen it. I grit my teeth, so hard I was sure I was going to break something. I'll kill her, even if it takes me a thousand tries. "Sorry about that, my head got all fuzzy again." Discord chuckled half-heartedly to break the tension. I quickly waved him off, setting up a small smirk to help. "It's fine, we can figure it out later. Now, what was it you actually came here for? You couln't have come here, where I hide from everypony, unless you needed me." I asked. Discord looked confused, before something registered in his eyes. "Ah right! Luna's sick." He non-chalantly said. I immediatly grabbed him by his horn, and brought his face towards my own. "And you waited this long to tell me.. Why?" I asked, keeping my voice calm. He chuckled nervously, as he looked me in the eyes. "I.. forgot?" He cracked a forced smile. I stared into his eyes, as I pulled his head closer. "You take me there, right now. No words, no fooling around. If you do that, then I'll forget that you forgot." I said, my slightly cracked open eye boring a hole through his skull. With a snap, I was standing outside Canterlot Castle. I turned to the door and started sprinting towards it. "So we're all good right?! You forget that I forgot?" Discord called out. I flicked my chain arm at him, sending a sudden wave of Green energy blasting into him, sending him careening into a wall. "You made me remember, jackass." I growl, as I pushed my way into the castle. I missed the small smirk on Discord's face as the dust cleared from around him. `After a few more twists and turns, I found myself at the hospital ward. Ah, the memories. A flash of me being tied up on a table as Luna cried into my shoulder flashed into my head, making me smile. Spotting Celestia, surrounded by the rest of the small Herd I accumulated durring my stay here., I ran up to her. Upon noticing me, she lit up like a light, as did everpony else. Pinkie smiled her big contagious smile, as Ditzy smiled lovingly at me as well. I noticed a lack of Dinky, she must have been in school or something. That little filly had a strange affinity for magic, bordering on the now dubbed 'Twilight' wierd scale. She had all of the magic, but non of the want to learn. Only a need to stay with her mommy and have fun. "How is she?" I asked, the smile on my face from my marefriends betraying my nervousness. They all giggled together. "Of course she's fine Hazie! What would you expect?" Pinkie asked. For an instant, I had the horrible memory of Luna's dead body flash in my eyes. I shook my head to lose the image. "You never know.." I said softly, making sure not to lie. "When you hear, I'm sure you'll be happy." Ditzy said, nuzzling my cheek affectionatly. I nuzzled her back, and gave her a quick peck as I looked to Celestia. "Go on." She nodded to me, her smile soft and her eyes reasuring. I nodded, and walked through the door. "Do you think he'll be okay?" Celestia asked her herdmates. They both smiled and nodded as they walked up to the door to listen in. Luna lay on the hospital bed, hooked up to a few machines. She looked a bit pale, but otherwise, she looked fine. She was even awake, as she looked up from her book and smiled as I came in. I walked over to her and immediatly brought her into a kiss. It lasted about the usual Thirty seconds, before we split and she smiled even brighter than before. "Are you okay?" I ask her. Her face turnes into confusion. "I should be asking you that. As i'm sure Nopony has explained to you, my .. Condition is linked to both of us. I feel as though all my magic is being drained at a constant rate, you must be feeling the same?" Her confusion faded as I nodded. Well, that made more sense. There wasn't actually anything wrong woth my powers, I'm just connected to whatever 's got Luna in the hospital. "So what is it?" I ask softly, pressing my hand to her cheek. She fidgeted, and spoke without looking at me. "Well, what I've got drains it's host of Magic very rapidly to survive, in our case, it needs both of us. It's a rare case to need both members giving magic, especially so much. Its even taking ambient magic from around us.." She paused, and I made her look at me by gently pulling her head to my own. She knew what I wanted, and sputtered for a second or Two. She even blushed. "Well.. I'm.." She paused again, taking a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." She said strongly, looking right at me. "Pregnant?" I asked. My tone soft still, as I caressed her face. She leaned into my touch, as tears threatened the corners of her eyes. She nodded, making my heart skip a beat. Huh.. I''m going to be a dad? Legitamitly? "I give you Fifteen seconds.." Terumi's voice called out faintly, I wasn't to focused on it to be honest. "Thats wonderful." I said, nuzzling her. She nestled into my neck, and I could feel the tears seeping into my coat. "I expected you to be happier.." Luna said through slight sobs. I looked at her right in the eyes. "I think you broke my 'Happy'. I think I'm so happy that I just might-" "Nailed it!" Was all I heard before I blacked out. I fell forwards onto Luna's lap with a big smile on my face even in my sleep. Luna looked down, and smiled through her tears, as she motioned for her herdmates to come out of hiding. "I think that went well." Celestia said, as the rest of the girls giggled as they looked at my sleeping form cuddling with Luna. Said mare was nuzzling the side of my face gently as Celestia motioned for the doctors to come in. A Brown stallion Earthpony dressed in a simple Green tie and a Light Blue Unicorn mare dressed in a nurses outfit. After a quick diagnostic spell from his nurse, which had the her pause for a second before relaying the news to the doctor, he gave an affimative nod to the nurse. Her horn lighting up in a dull Blue glow before the same glow came into being around my own head. After a quick few seconds, my head lifted from Luna's lap. A quick shake and I was standing back at my slouched over height. "Sorry about that.." I grumble. The Four mares in the room giggle at that. I was about to respond, but the doctor grabbed my attention first. "Excuse me, Sir? Can I ask you to step into my office for a quick chat?" He took a stiff glance at the others in the room, "Alone?" He asked, his tone serious and demanding, as he left the room, holding the door for me to follow. I nodded and sent a smile to the girls. "Be back in a few!" I call out as I left the room. In a flash of Blue light I was standing in an office. Another flash and I could feel the magic course through the walls. A silencing spell? Haven't seen one of those yet. Wonder if I could re-configure it- "Let's cut to the chase then. What's wrong with your arm?" He asked as he spaced himself a few feet in front of me. ..Really? Already?! "Don't worry, even I'm not sure how he knows. Just do what you do best." Terumi's voice called out through my head again. "Right, lie through my teeth and find another- " "And don't lie. It's my job as a doctor to help those who are in need. My nurses dianostic spell told me that your arm is eroding away." He said, cutting me off. "-Way around.. it? How the hell? They have spells that can do that kind of stuff?" I couldn't help my eyebrow raising in conjuncture with my question. "I'm sorry for the breach in privacy, but I needed to run the scan before using magic to wake you up. It a basic spell for making sure your not alergic to basic spell algorithims. It's a rare but dangerous disease." He shook his head as he explained. "Really? A basic spell that lets you see if someone is injured and what they're allergic to? In the right hands that spell could be weaponized." Terumi's comment immediatly threw me on guard. "I concur Dearest. Such magic could have the Elements at the tip of our hooves! Imagine how knowing what could harm them both physically and mentally could do!" Nightmare joined in happily. I took a small step back on instinct as I talked to my homicidal tenants. "Nope! No one is going to use that kind of magic against my friends! Not happening!" I retorted. "Please forgive my transgression, I was only worried for your safety!" The doctor called out worriedly. I only now put my focus back on the poor stallion, as he looked like he had seen a ghost.. A few seconds later, I understood why. My anger at Terumi and Nightmare had Once again manifested itself as real anger. My light Green energy was gently wafting around me. I stopped it knowing full well what it was doing to the poor stalion and my own arm. "Sorry about that, I've been having a bit of a headache lately." I explain with a chuckle. Immidiatly the doctor's Blue eyes opened wide, almost in excitment. "Is it tied in to your arm not bleeding?!" He asked. I swear the guy pulled a One Eighty and was now channeling Pinkie. As ludicrous as it was, I couldn't help thesmile and chuckle that came from me. "Yeah." My smile dropped a bit. "Can you not tell the others?" I asked. His reaction was immediate, as he nodded. "Cool, so I'm going to need another favor." At this his head cocked to the side in confusion. "What is it?" For the first time, I felt like I had said something he didn't know. It was wierd. "I need you to tell me that you just wanted to ask me a few questions about Luna and Myself." I asked, ready to explain the reason. However, his eyes widened instantly before he shook his head mumbling to himself. "..Right, right. No lieing, forgot that bit.." He grumbled before smiling at me. "What?" "How? "When?" The three of us combined into one word. "Huh?" I asked aloud, my confusion clear as the cloudless sky. "Oh right, yes! 'I just wanted to ask you a few questions about Luna you yourself." Does that work?" He asked, his eyes almost glowing with mirth. I fumbled a bit with my words, until I shook my head. "Yeah, thanks.. Uh, what was your name again?" I asked offhandedly, not really focusing. "Dr. Whooves." He said simply. I nodded at his name without thinking much about it, until it dawned on me. My squinted eyes opened fully for the first time in my time in Equestria. "Son of a bitch!" I called out as I backpeddaled slightly, bumping into the bookcase behind me. I turned to look at it in a hurry, as I had missed the slight micoloration of a bookcase upon entering the room, as it faded away revealing a Blue Police Box. Standing next to it was Dr. Whooves and his Nurse. With a quick burst of energy from the TARDIS, the nurse's Blue coat dimmed to a grey, and her horn vanished and was replaced with wings. With a quick shake to readjust to her old body, Derpy looked at the Doctor in surprise. "You okay Doctor? You never reveal yourself this early." The door to the TARDIS opened up behind her. "I'm afraid we simply don't have the Time for that Derpy." He turned to look at me as he waved me on into the TARDIS. "Come on then!" He sounded both excited and serious at the same time. "I still can't believe this Universe's Derpy fell for some alien like that." She muttered to herself. Her crosseyed eyes doing there best to narrow. She was gently pushed into the TARDIS by the Doctor. "You remeber why we're here right?" He asked. He smirked as Derpy cocked her head in confusion. He turned to me as the door to the TARDIS closed behind me. I couldn't help but look around and almost nerd out at all the equipment. My attention shifted to the fathest wall from me. The Doctor glanced at the wall, a hanging Wanted Poster the sole thing on it. "We have much to discuss, Hazama." His excitement was replaced with the full on seriousness you only ever heard once in your life. However, my attention was still locked onto the Wanted Poster. "Yeah, I'ld say so" My now cracked open eyes narrowing. The reward was simply an Infinty Sign. The picture was of a smirking me but I felt like I was looking at a different person. A few key Characteristics were different, his Hat was gone, but the Yellow Cloak was nowhere to be seen. His hair was standing up back to a full Dark Green, and he had one eye squinted closed whike, the other had an evil glint in it. The eye color wasn't Golden or Green, it was a deep glowing Purple.. At the bottom it had my name and a Title, accompanied by small summary. Wanted: Hazama AKA : The Ghost of the Void Wanted for complete eradication of multiple Universes. Capture only, Termination is not an option. Seek at your own peril. I sat down on the ground, my back to the wall as I slouched over. I let out a sigh and put my face in my hand. "You have my full attention. What the fuck happened?" I looked up, only to see the end of a Sonic Screwdriver. "I should kill you now!Before you have the chance to ruin everything!" He all but growled out. My hand shot up in deffence, as my other one stayed limp. Just one day without my life being threatened, is that so hard to ask? > Avoiding Problems > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Doctor was glaring at me so strongly, I was certain I heard the wall next to me sizzling in my ear just from the pure force of it. "Easy there, I really just want to know what's going on. How do you know about my arm? Have I met you? And most importantly, why do you have a picture of me, that's not me?" I asked rapidly, my arms still limply hanging in the air as a sign of my surrender. He seemed to hesitate for a bit, until he lowered his Sonic Screwdriver a little, and I noted the visible anger in his eyes slowly ebbing away. "Right, you would have no idea about it.." He trailed off, as he placed his Sonic Screwdriver on the closest table, next to another one. They looked identical, so my eyebrows raised as to why he would need two. He wandered over to the wall with the poster on it and stared hatefully at it. "That is a picture of you, but not the you from now. That is what happens to you in one years time. The you of the future." He turned to me, eyes narrowed. I knew I needed to act like I had no idea what he was talking about, especially if I wanted more information. I stood up with a quick push from my good arm. "The future? Yeah, right. And my name is Yuki Terumi." I said something that would make anyone who knew anything about me shake there head. My statement rang out, as the Doctors eyes widened slightly as he quickly fired off a question. "So it's true that you-?" He trailed of, knowing that I knew what he was asking. "Did you just.. Use my name to goad someone?" Terumi asked, sounding amused. "Yeah, why?" I asked confused. "No reason, just used to you using my name sparsely. It feels good to know that you want me to be at least somewhat known now." He mused. I shrugged him off and returned my attention to the Doctor. "Yeah, Terumi's in here all right. The real Terumi, not some imitation. Total pain in that ass if you ask me." I say nonchalantly. I ignore Terumi's indignant outcry in my head, in favor for the Doctor's newer, happier look. "Oh thank Celestia, there's still time." Huh, even Timelords praise Luna and Tia? I'll ask about that if he ever explains what he is to me. I wander over to the middle of the room, and the table. I let my fingers trace over a few different items on the table as I looked around the room. "This is all amazing, what is it?" I asked. The Doctor jumped at the opportunity, and began his speech. "This, is the inside of the TARDIS. It's a ship that can transport us anywhere and any when in history. Any history in fact. TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension In Space. As such, it can take us to when you saved Princess Luna from the Elements. Or when you didn't. It can move about the multi-verse and take us anyplace we need." He said with a happy smile as he looked around his ship. I walked over to the poster, and plucked it from the wall. "And this?" I asked, my smirk slipping away as I look at it. "That.. Is what happens to you in the future." He repeated himself. I sighed and looked at him. "Look, I know your probably not allowed to tell me anything, in fear of changing how things play out in the future. But if your willing to pluck me from my time and even threaten me, then I believe that we can help each other here. You tell me what happens, I try to avoid doing that. Its really simple." I said as I rolled up the poster and slid it into my sleeve. The Doctor viciously shook his head, and spoke up. "You don't understand. As much as I want to change history and help you. There's only one way to help the Multi-verse now." He looked down as he walked back over to the table. He picked up the Sonic Screwdriver from the table. Derpy looked at the now empty table in confusion. Holding the Sonic Screwdriver in a hoof and pointing it at me, he looked up. His eyes held only partial anger, but mostly a deep sadness. "I don't like doing things like this, but if I have to in order to save the Multi-verse-" He was interrupted by my hand raising in response to his speaking, as if to interrupt him. And interrupt him I did. "And how, pray tell, is killing me going to solve your problems. You yourself told me that there are other Universes where I exist and where I don't. What If I'm the one to end all the bullshit that's happened?" I asked. I smirked slightly as I watched his hoof fall slightly as he thought on my words. "...How would you prove it?" He asked after a good pause to think. "Heh, that's where 'Trusting me' comes into play. Hell, when I'm done handling all the problems in my Equestria, I can help you with kicking my Evil twins ass." I chuckled at the thought. The doctor did too, only his was more hollow than I would have hoped. The Sonic Screwdriver in his hoof started to shine brightly as he raised it up, along with his head. His eyes had tears streaming down them. "I'm truly sorry Hazama.. But I just can't take that risk!" He called out, his voice trembling. Knowing when to cut my loses in an argument, I put my hand to my hat and did a bow for the Doctor. "Sorry Doc, but I don't feel like dying yet!" I smirk as my body fades away as I Ghost through the floor of the TARDIS. As my head went though the floor I heard him cry out and something grazing my hat.. When I was a Ghost.. A slight shiver went up my spine as my first idea had been to take a hit then go through the floor. I get the feeling that it would have hurt. After a few floors, I finally fell out of the TARDIS entirely. A sudden feeling of nausea and a tugging feeling made me tuck into a ball quickly. "Do NOT faze back in! Under no circumstances!" I had to try to focus, my mind was in shambles all of a sudden. A million different feelings split across my body at once. I was both freezing and boiling at the same time, my body felt numb yet I could feel a sharp wind cutting into my very Essence. I groaned as I felt the sensation of falling, but I wasn't moving, it was all so much. I was sure that if I had to go through this for much longer I would pass out. I opened my eyes, and froze. Around me was a darkness, I felt that I shouldn't have ever seen. Yet I could see my body, my arm, my hand, clear as crystal. Out past my own self was Nothing. I felt like I was staring into Nothing. But at the same time I felt like I was Looking at Everything. The Two can't be together, but here.. It was. My brain felt like it was going to explode. At least at first. Slowly, I started seeing things. There were bright lights around me, each had a different feel to them. The tugging was still there, and so were the many other feelings, but now it was like somewhere deep in my subconscious I knew where I was. Yet even as I felt the affects fading, my mind remembered the feeling. Trying to remember why I felt like I knew where I was. Suddenly I had a thought. When I made my Token and it made a hole into- The Void. This must be the place where you go to get to different Universes. It makes sense, as the Void was the Everything ad Nothing that existed in between, all at once. My head hurt trying to wrap itself around all the info it was being fed all at once, but that was good. The more I understood, the more I could deal with it. I chuckle grimly to myself as I look back to my hand. The once Crystal clear image I had was just my eyes adjusting to the Nothing that the Void was. I now saw my usual faded hand, and noted that I felt like I was floating through both Air and Maple syrup at the same time. The Void was really creepy. There was just no other way of describing it. Other than oddly beautiful. "You almost die in the Dimension closest to the Boundary, and you call it beautiful?" Terumi scoffed, but I could hear him shaking slightly. I was starting to feel like I should be dead, if his reaction was anything to go by. "Indeed you should!" Nightmare called out, placing herself in the link. "No mortal goes into the Void without proper protection, and even then they risk being devoured by the Eternal Nothingness!" She scolded, her voice also shaking slightly. "But I'm Ghosted, that's the best protection I can- " "Are you daft?! The laws of Physics don't exist here! Your basically alive because your mind understood the Void before you did, and the Void itself seems to like you." He scoffed again. Wait, how the hell does he know that the Void 'Likes' me? "You haven't looked at your other arm have you?" I snapped my head in its direction and found my eyes opening slightly at the sight. It was slight, but I saw wisps of Purple flowing into my arm. I noted that my arm looked like it no longer had pieces torn from it. I flexed it, and found I could move my arm again- At least in Ghost Mode. I still couldn't feel it, but meh, progress is progress. I relaxed my arm, and watched as the Purple wisps flowed more freely into it. Soon enough my arm had a soft purple glow around it. I shrugged, and looked to the basketball sized lights floating by me. "So what do you think these lights are?" I asked, as I looked around. "Lights?" Terumi asked. "What light?" Nightmare added. I was confused at that. I reached out to one. "You cant see them? There are millions of them." I muttered, as I grasped onto one. "Wait no!" Terumi called out, but it was too late. I felt my body suddenly get sucked into a small hole, about the width of a finger. Strangely enough it didn't hurt, it only felt weird when I realized my body was suddenly back to normal. I was floating over what looked to be Ponyville. I landed, and fazed back into normalcy. I stretched, hearing my many joints pop as they 're-materialized'. Fazing in and out was iffy as it technically kills you. Regrowing the lost tissue was easy using Terumi's knowledge as a base, it just felt weird. I put my hand in my pocket, feeling something wrong. I glance at my other arm, and note the long sleeve flapping in the small wind. I sighed, as I fold the sleeve inside itself. I can instantly regrow any living flesh that was there when I first Fazed. Apparently my arm just didn't make the 'living' part. I looked around, everything looked almost exactly the same. I wondered if this was a different Equestria. That possibility was absurdly high, as I noted a few factors that had my attention. Ponyville looks like it had seen better days, as the houses all had small holes all over them, and some even had the roofs caved in. The Sun was out, and the clouds were non-existent, almost like the Sun was the reason. The grass all around and inside Ponyville was dried out and dead. I didn't even hear the voices of Ponies outside. I walked up to the nearest building, and it just so happened to be Twilight's Library. I made my way in through the doors. They squeaked as I pulled them open, as my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The Library looked untouched, cobwebs everywhere, and it didn't even look like Twilight had been here in ages, if at all. A sudden surge of urgency flowed through me, as I desperately searched for something using my weird emotion sensing ability. I found nothing. I was now entirely worried, as I didn't feel a single emotion in Ponyville. No Pinkie, No Twilight, no Applejack.. Nobody. I jumped up and made a quick scan around me. Scanning the Everfree, its luscious green fauna replaced with dried up and withered trees. Looking over to the Castle, I noted how the Sun seemed to reflect more on it than before. Maybe Celestia will tell me what happened. Flicking my hand out, I was kind of worried when my Ouroboros took a second to fire off. I had to push some extra power into them to get them to manifest, but either way, I was propelled towards Canterlot Mountain by my Ouroboros. I landed in the middle of Canterlot and I had my first look at a Pony since I had arrived here. It was a Unicorn Mare that had a Teal coat and dull Yellow eyes. She looked at me, and then just proceeded to walk forward, her head hung low like she had nothing left. I looked around, and saw a few more ponies. They were all under an overhang or inside a building, probably to get away from the Sun that was constantly beaming down. I turned to face the Castle, and made a jump towards it. I landed at the main gate, and noted the lack of guards. My attention was grabbed by a similar magic, it was faint, but I would know that magic anywhere. I started dashing through the Castle, going down, farther and farther, until I was in the deepest dungeon. Even then I knew I wasn't far enough down. I charged my leg with Seither, and did a quick stomp. The floor gave, and I had to slide down. I bore witness to something that made me growl. In a cage, lay Luna. The cage was made of what looked like pure Sunlight. I could feel the heat from a few feet away, as I felt my hand start to sizzle slightly. I could see multiple blisters popping out through Luna's Blue coat, Some trying to heal, while others got worse. With a grunt, I threw my hand at the bars of her cage, the energy instantly burning them. In an instant my hand was coated in Seither, This time it was Black and Green. Terumi helping this time of his own accord. The bars flickered as I began pulling and twisting. With a guttural growl I pulled one of the bars free, and it disintegrated into the air. The rest flickered and dissipated like the other. I walked over to Luna's body. She was unconscious. I was afraid to touch her, so I placed my hand on her horn. I pulsed some Energy into her horn slowly. The combination of Magic and Seither was potent enough to kill her if I wasn't careful. After a few minutes, my work was showing progress, as her body developed a slight Green glow. On her horn was now a small Enchantment that I placed on her with my Magic. She can now not only make her own Magic, but she can now absorb the Ambient and other Magic's around her should she need magic. A simple Enchant that I used ages ago when I was dying. The Green glow was dissipating, and when it was gone, so too were Luna's injuries. Her eyes fluttered open. She was up and flaring her wings before I could get a word out. "Who art thou? What is thine business with Us?" She asked, her tone sharp yet tired. I couldn't help but rub the bridge of my nose slightly, as I felt like I was starting over. "I'm just here to help." I said simply. I watched her Sapphire eyes scan my face. I knew what she was looking for, so I opened my eyes a crack. Her eyes widened, then softened. She let her wings relax to her sides as she looked up at the hole I had used to get down. "Thou eyes betrays thine emotions too easily." She says as she stretches her legs from un-use. "We see why thou would hide them. Thou looks at Us like thou would a Lover." Her eyes meet mine, hers are full of honest wonder. "Why?" She asks, as she cocks her head to the side. I was torn between telling her the truth, and telling her a lie. One would open up more questions than answers. While the other would only make her distrust me. I went with the more reasonable one. "You look like someone I know-" In the middle of the sentence my throat caught, as I felt my spine freeze. I felt like I was going to betray a promise of the highest caliber- Really?! The Pinkie Promise works on different Universes? Why?! God Damnit, that mare is going to be the death of me! "I'm from a different Universe." I turned around to leave through the hole. If she doesn't believe me, then that works just as well. I felt her emotions and Magic spike as she contemplated my words. Her next words got me to freeze in place. "We are.. Lovers.. In Thine Universe?" Her voice was quiet, almost like she was afraid to say it. I turned back to her, and simply nodded to confirm her question. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She spoke evenly and quietly. "That sounds lovely. If only Mine sister was not power hungry, then we could get more acquainted." I openly balked at that sentence. Not her wanting to get to know me, more the Celestia being power-hungry bit. I couldn't help myself. "What happened to Tia?" I asked softly, placing a hand on her cheek. She leaned into my touch, just like my Luna did at first. She seemed afraid of the touch, yet wanted more. She smiled as she spoke to me. "Thou art indeed comfortable around Us and Mine sister. To call her 'Tia' and touch Us openly with no request." As if to read my next movement, she gently placed a hoof to my hand and pulled it gently away as she looked at me. "We will not hold it against Thou. Thou must be as confused as Us." She stepped away, and sat down on the ground. She coughed into a hoof to bring up the next conversation. "Mine sister went power hungry when the Nightmare took over Us. She beat the Nightmare from Us and burnt it with the power of the Sun." A sudden 'Eep' reminded me that I had Nightmare in my head. A sudden idea formed in my head. "Hey Terumi. Can I borrow some power to let Nightmare out? I think she can help Luna here understand what happened in 'our' Universe." I asked Terumi, and I could almost feel the smile from Nightmare. "Of course, my girl hasn't had much time outside." He replied, and I felt his power flush my system, ready to help Nightmare into this world. "In my Universe, I split the Two of you, and absorbed her to keep her from going back." On my signal, my Ouroboros snaked out and formed the small portal that allowed Nightmare to get out. In a small plume of Black and Green energy, there she stood. " Thank you." She said simply as she quickly nuzzled my neck slightly. A gasp grabbed my attention back to Luna. She sat there with her mouth open. Nightmare walked over to her and sat in front of her. " A pleasure to finally meet you in Pony. " She said in her usual haughty voice. She held her hoof out for Luna to shake, which she did. "Continue Luna, what happened after that?" I asked. It seemed to snap her out of her daze, as she looked to me and blinked. Coughing again into her hoof, I smiled at her way of starting a conversation back up. "After Nightmare was destroyed, she pulled the Sun into the middle of the sky and refused to move it. We tried to stop her, but she was too strong. She captured and imprisoned Us." She ended, looking down slightly at her failure. I desperately wanted to hug her, and tell her she did fine. But I had far more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. "Nightmare, keep Luna here." Both their ears twitched at my sudden demand. Luna's eyes widened, and Nightmare simply smiled. "What art Thou going to do?" Luna asked, sounding scared. " Yes, what are you up to? " Nightmare already knew what I would do, but she still asked. I grit my teeth, and turned to the hole in the roof. "I'm going to go teach a Brat not to play God." I growl, as I hop up. I knew where she was, it was easy to find the only solid beacon of Magic aside from Luna and Nightmare. Still in the hole, Nightmare turned to Luna with a smirk. "I won't let you do anything, but you can follow him. I want to see what you think of him after the fight." Nightmare spoke to Luna, who was shaking slightly. "Fight her?! We have to help!" She immediately flew up and out through the hole. Nightmare simply melded with the shadows and folled that way. A minute alter, she popped up in front of Luna and grabbed her with her Magic, keeping her mouth shut. " Shhh! You get to see the magic happen. " She almost purred. Luna looked at her with wide eyes before looking out over the garden. A large chunk of the Castle was destroyed, so the garden now met with the withering outdoors. "Celestia!" I called out, looking up at the Sun. The Sun lost a bit of its shine as she casually flapped her wings down to ground level. Landing on the ground, she kept her wings in a puffed out manner as she held her head high. I noted the changes to her usual look. Her wings were no longer Alabaster White like her coat, instead the feathers looked like they were made of fire, much like her hair. The soft layers of colors were replaced with the Reds and Oranges of flames. Even her eyes had changed from her lovely Purple to a bright Orange. She seemed to bask in my attention to her body as she smiled. "And what does the monster bring as an offering to their Sun Goddess?" She looked at me like one would look at a bug. "So I'm planning on beating her ego into her face, you in?" I asked Terumi as I glared at Celestia. "Is that even a question? Man I'm loving these alternate Universes, they've made you into a mini-me! Tell me when.. Partner. He chuckled. "I'm going to give you a chance to surrender before you get the rudest wake-up call of your life, Tia." I say calmly, taking my hand from my pocket. I watch as Celestia balked at me slightly, and then broke out into a fit of laughter. After wiping her eye of the small tear that formed, she looked back to me with that passive look on her face again. "You can try. As your Sun Goddess I allow you a chance to try. However, I will not just let you have your way." She said, asher horn suddenly lit up and orange hue and a small, thin laser shot out of it. In a flash it hit me, and a cloud of smoke kicked up. Celestia laughed, as she gloated. "Another pathetic uprising quelled, what a shame!" She chuckled. The smoke cloud blew away, leaving me standing there as I brushed off the front of my coat. I instinctively flexed my hand but found my Ouroboros not forming like before. Even with adding extra power, they refused to manifest. Fine, if my chains didn't want to be a part of this, then screw it. I had other means to attack, it just takes a little.. Ingenuity. I raised my hand, layering my fist with Light Green aura. This was my Seither. My actual source of power that was denser than Magic but less maneuverable. I felt the power wrap around my fingers as I stretched my hand out flat, the aura followed suit. Another layer of power rolled over it, this one a Dark Green. This power was my Magic, it was light as air when compared to my Seither, but could be moved with just a thought. I let the energies mingle but not combine like I've let them in the past. The result was the Magic wrapping solidly around the Seither. In my hand was a ball of Energy that pulsed at the ready. With a swing, the combination of Energy whipped out and lashed at the floating Alicorn in a beam. With a single flap of her wings, she moved slightly up and out of the way of the Green whip. She looked bemusedly at the Green beam of energy that passed her, as she chuckled lightly. She turned to me, probably to gloat. She didn't get the chance. With a turn of my wrist and a flick of a finger, I felt my Seither act as a tether through the Magic wave connecting the whole 'whip' to my hand and fingers. The result of this development was the end of the whip forming a sleek snake head with Black eyes and an open mouth. The head turned on a dime and made for Celestia's turned back. As if feeling it encroaching on her, she turned and lit her horn in a soft Orange. An Orange barrier formed in front of the snake whip and the Two collided. The snake head slammed once into the middle, Twice on each corner and once near the bottom, all in rapid succession. As if on there own, I felt my fingers twitch a little, making the inner Seither tether shake. Once the motion got to the end, the snake head instantly split in Two, then Four. All Four heads split the whip into Four different Magic constructs. The Four snake head proceeded to slam repeatedly into the shield that stood before them, the sound not unlike a jackhammer. The shield cracked, and shattered in seconds, the first snake head through hissed and slithered around Celestia. She instinctively lit her horn up, and the Green snake whip caught fire when the Orange glow hit it. It didn't seem to care much, as it coiled around her, locking her in place mid-air. The other Three were waiting around them in a triangle. Each one had its mouth open and a small trail of, what I believe to be, Magic dripped from their mouths like actual venom. They lunged and collided with each other above her. The Magic and Seither collected in the front of the construct exploding in a small scale detonation. I blinked, and looked at my hand. Holy shit, my new attack was sentient and kicked ass! Was that something the Void did? Did it make my Magic and/or Seither sentient? Then again, I've never experimented like this before. Instantly a slightly glowing Ouroboros slid out from my pant leg and onto the floor as if responding my question. It quickly weaved around the whole area like a snake. Celestia looked quizzing at the strange Green object pointlessly swirving around everything in the immediate vicinity. Going with my, apparently, sentient Ouroboros's idea, in the blink of an eye I flashed in front of her and send a solid Energy infused punch into her side. She slid backwards a few feet, and received another Energy infused punch to the side of her head. With a quick flurry I did a small spin kick and launched an Ouroboros from my other leg. This one was glowing a deeper Green as it slammed into her flank, making her spin slightly. With a swerve and a duck, the glowing Ouroboros rammed into her lower jaw and set her flipping into the air. I had to stop my assault when she caught herself in mid-air and floated there using her wings. I kept a straight face, even though I wanted to smirk, as she spat out a small mouthful of blood. Her eyes burned with a sudden hatred that I had never seen in Celestia before. "Blood?! How dare you!" Her outcry was short, and for good reason. She quickly pulled a massive amount of Magic from the Sun, and focused it with her own. The burning Magic was Red and bubbled like Magma. I quickly zipped to a spot away from the Castle, and stood there with my back to the open Badlands behind me. She fired her death beam at me full power with a yell of fury. It erupted from her horn as she was even pushed back from the force of the laser. The beam rapidly expanding, taking up a good chunk of the horizon. When the beam started to peter out, Celestia looked out and witnessed her carnage. She smiled. She looked out at the deep trench she dug through Equis, and she smiled. "Nopony can best the Sun Goddess!" She laughed. "Right, and I'm not a pony." My voice cut off her laughter. She turned around with wide eyes. "W-what are you?!" She called out like a scared filly. "I'm just a monster, I'll admit that. So why are you lying?" I asked her. She looked at me confused, before she switched back to angry. "I am not lying! I am all powerful!" She screamed as she sent a volley of Orange lasers at me. I walked lazily through them, as each beam that should have hit me simply fazed trough me. I watched as Celestia simply stopped before charging up another one of her Red Magma death beams. My Ouroboros snaked its way through the air and I zipped up and around her and grabbed her horn with Energy from both Terumi and myself. Our combination completely engulfed her death ball in a Green light. Her Magic's pure power burnt the crap out of my hand rather quickly. Acting quickly, with a hard squeeze, my Energy infused hand snuffed out her Sun enhanced spell, and I heard a satisfying *Crunch* as her horn snapped in Two from the excess force. She let out a yelp, as she plopped to the ground. Her eyes wide, as she had witnessed her strongest attack spell get snuffed out. She didn't seem to care about her horn in the slightest. I noted, that some of the shadows were now moving. I looked up, and smirked as the sun was finally moving. "Hey Luna!" I called out, knowing she was watching the fight. She jumped up with Nightmare following shortly after. "I believe this place needs a little shade for a few days, don't you think?" I smiled to her. A light red dusted her cheeks before she smiled and lit up her horn. In minutes the Sun was down and the moon was up.. Did it just shake off cobwebs? I'm going to imagine I didn't see that. I brought my attention back to Celestia, as she was focused on Luna and Nightmare. "You brought back the Demon?!" She howled. I got down on a knee to get to eye level. "No, I brought Nightmare with me from my own Universe. A world where you and your Sister are inseparable. I'm glad I found my way here so I could help before things got.." I had to pause, as I looked around at all the destruction.. "Er, before things could get irreversible." I say. I put my hand gently onto her cheek. She flinches back at the motion, and stares into my eyes. Her eyes full of confusion, sorrow, and pain. A potent mix. "Your not a Goddess Celestia. Your not Omnipotent, and your not all powerful. You never will be. Your just a very strong pony that has excess to higher level Magic than most others. Your gift was given to you to protect the Kingdom, not to rule it with an iron hoof." Her eyes widened as she listened to every word I said like it was the first time hearing them. "You have a sister that loves you, and a Kingdom that will love you again. They're probably waiting for you both to come back and say that everything is back to normal." I chuckle at the last bit. I said this, because I could see the guards that would normally be guarding the castle crawling out of all kinds of holes in the walls. Celestia looked to her sister, and then back to me. I motioned back to the guards. She followed my gaze and gasped when she saw the guards she had forsaken. They were clearly all muttering something about her. Her eyes watered with unshed tears as her mane began slowly changing back to her mix of cool colors. "Y-you were waiting.. for me?" She asked softly. The guards murmured with each other before one stepped forward. They were probably still frightened that they might feel her wrath. "P-princess, are you.. Back?" He asked shakily. He then closed his eyes like he was expecting to get hit. Celestia turned to her sister, and looked into her eyes. "And you? Can you forgive me?" She asked, her fire-like wings completely back to normal as well. Luna looked to her with a small smile, as she nodded her head. "Of course Tia, We forgive you. We all forgive you." Her words hit home, as Celestia's eyed bled back to Purple, and she lunged at Luna and sobbed into her neck. The guards all got up and ran over to hug their Princess. I stood up from my spot and walked away as I withdrew Nightmare back into.. Wherever it is she goes to get back in my head. I watched her quickly sink into another Dark Green portal. Jumping up to the roof of the Castle, I sat down and began my intense session of 'What the fuck happened to my Powers'. Everybody needs their time to re-adjust. I'll check on her just in case, but from a distance where I'll be mostly unseen. ----The Next Day? I Don't Know, It's Still Night!---- I stood from my resting spot on the top of the Castle, as my eyes followed the moving Ouroboros chain as it slithered around me. The moonlight glinting off it, as its gentle Green glow made it look almost Ethereal. I sighed lightly as it seemed to move on its own, at least until I asked it to come back. It seemed to ponder on whether or not to do as I asked, but did so in the end. Recoiling back into my sleeve and waiting for me to call on it again. Great, I always wanted a chain that could think for itself. I felt it curl tighter around my wrist, like a real snake. I turned and looked to the group of ponies gathering at the front gates. In front of the door stood a shoddily put together podium, that had both Princesses standing behind it. The, rather large, group of ponies consisted of quite a few faces that I knew, and a lot of them that I didn't. They all had smiles on there faces. And I could understand why. Luna stood next to Celestia, as she gently nuzzled her sister. Celestia's broken horn was gently wrapped in bandages and visible to all those in view of the Two. The Two sister's looked out into the crowd and Luna coughed to start the conversation. That made me smile. "You used me" Terumi's voice rung through my head. "I never said I wouldn't." I replied. "That's not what I fucking meant and you know it!" He growled. "You knew that her Magic was too much for your own to force down, so you used me as a buffer!" His anger was palpable. "Dearest, your anger is well placed. However, I say we hold our frustration for a time when he really needs our help, and simply decline." Nightmare put in her Two cents into the conversation. I heard Terumi mutter a few things. "I fucking love you mare" And then I forced the link closed after the first kiss I heard. I refocused my attention on the town meeting. "Our little ponies, today is a momentous day!" Luna called out, using a dulled down version of the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Today, We welcome back Our dear sister, Princess Celestia!" She gently nudged Celestia forward with her wing. Celestia looked out worriedly over the crowd of ponies, before speaking. "I-I'm sorry for all I've done. I will do my best to make amends for my actions." She said just loud enough for the ponies to hear her. I smiled as Luna draped a wing over her sister's side and shared a warm smile to reassure her. They looked out together as the crowd of ponies murmured happily. One pony, however, spoke up. "Earlier today.. -Er Tonight, I saw a strange creature walking around the town. Did it have anything to do with the Princess returning?" It was the same Teal Unicorn mare from earlier. I figured she didn't care, otherwise I would have hid like I always do. I then noted, in my lack of focus, that beside the mare, was a small light Yellow Pegasus filly. Said filly was staring right at me, with her eyes and mouth wide open. Being the only thing I could think of, I simply put my finger to my lips and made a 'Shh' motion. Her head cocked to the side cutely, before I refocused onto the group discussion happening around her. "You mean that Black and Green.. Thing from earlier?" One stallion asked. "I saw it too! It walked on Two legs!" Another beside him stated, his voice wary. "It looked to be missing a leg." A mare adjacent to him called out knowingly. At this Luna's eyes widened, as she realized what might happen if she didn't intervene. "Yes, Thine 'Monster' did indeed help. It was his efforts that both freed Our self and helped Our sister see reason. Without him, We would be lost." Luna said, making sure they all heard her. I rubbed the bridge of my nose at her honesty. Sure it was nice to get recognition, but I hate getting all the attention. I looked back down, and groaned internally. The small filly was now staring at me with little stars in her eyes. She listened closely to the new conversations around her. "That 'Thing' was a stallion?" One mare asked, sounding annoyed. "It helped us? How would we thank it?" A stallion asked a few ponies down. "I hope he didn't leave, does anypony know where he is?" Another mare asked. At this the small filly seemed to jump right on the band wagon, despite my waving of my arm in the negative. "He's right up there!" She called out as loud as she could, pointing a hoof in my direction. I let my arm go limp to my side in defeat. Suddenly I had the eyes of every single pony in the immediate vicinity. And with it, I felt a mass influx of fear. Crippling fear of the unknown entity standing above them, watching them. God Damnit.. I jumped down quickly, hopefully sating some of the fear before it gets to be too overbearing. I've had nothing but Negative emotions since I got here, so my powers are a bit limited after my spat with Tia. I land gracefully, and look out into the group of ponies. Instantly I spot the one I want. I walk to the edge of the crowd, its ponies backing up slightly at my sudden movement. All except one. I bent down and gave the small filly's head an affectionate rub. The filly looked up to me and smiled even more. "Don't listen very well, do you?" I smiled back to her. "I saw you telling me to be quiet, but I wanted to know. Why?" She asked, cocking her head cutely to the side again. "Some ponies don't like meeting new things, especially if they think it's scary." I replied. Her face scrunched up like she tasted something sour, before it went back to normal. "I don't think your scary Mister." She said. I couldn't help myself, and picked her up by the barrel. I gently tossed her into my shoulder, as I rubbed her mane. "Does this little ball of adorable belong to anypony?" I ask aloud, as the filly lightly kicked my head with a hoof as she clamored to get footing while laughing. She sat on my shoulder and laid her head on my hat. "What's your name Mister?" She asked as I plucked her from my shoulder. I placed her back to the ground as a Butter Yellow Pegasus mare made her way to me. It dawned on me that I hadn't even introduced myself to Luna, let alone the others. As if to solidify my thoughts, I heard Luna's voice call out over all the other voices around me. "Indeed, We haven't heard Thine name yet." Her voice was playful. I chuckled to myself, as even in another Universe, Luna could still read me like a book. Returning her own playfulness with a smirk, I hopped over the ponies and landed next to Luna. "Right, sorry about that. I'm terrible with meeting new ponies." I chuckle. Luna glances at her sister, then back to me. "We do not believe such. Were it not for meeting you, Our little ponies would still be stuck in Eternal Day. We are in your debt." Luna said warmly. I couldn't help but groan. "Nope, not in debt. Just a friend helping-" I had to stop due to the Pinkie Promise threatening me again. "-I had to help you, Luna. There was no going back once I knew you needed me." I immediately went the most sincere thing I could think of. Luna blinked as she took a step back from my claim. Celestia looked to her sister then me as confusion crept onto her face again. "Why does Thou pause in Thine answers to Us?" Luna asked suddenly. If I wasn't standing still, I'm sure I would have fallen over from the bluntness of her question. I grit my teeth gently before answering. "I'm physically unable to lie to you. If my answers aren't true I'm pretty sure I'll die." My inner lie detector didn't go off, so it must be true. I watched Luna look down, as if thinking, before she snapped her head up as if remembering something. "Right, another Universe." She mumbled, a light pink dusting over her cheeks again. "He's from another Universe Luna?" Celestia balked openly. In front of her I heard the many ponies gasp from that little information. "Right, right, beating around the bush and all that jazz." I call out, garnering everyponies attention again. "Hi there! An introduction is long overdue at this point. My name is Hazama. I came from another Universe. I was running from a someone who wants to erase me from Time and Space when I came across your Universe. Upon realizing that you needed help, I found myself doing what I do best." I paused as I thought over what I said. "Does that cover most of the questions?" A collective nod was all I needed. "But, why? What do you gain from all this?" Celestia asked suddenly. I sent her a small glare as I looked up at the Moon. "When you fuck up as much as I do, you tend to do whatever you can to help others." I looked back down, a small smile on my face. "That, and meeting new faces-" I sent a playful glare at the small filly from earlier, earning a giggle from her, "-is always fun, especially when you make friends with them." Luna smiled at my words, as she turned to her sister. "So sister, will you be Hazama's friend?" She sent a small wink towards me as she asked her. I suppressed my laugh, as Celestia looked down across the multitude of ponies. She looked up with a hardened gaze, and her eyes met my own. "If he will be my friend, then I will be his." She said after some thought. To solidify this thought, she reached out a hoof. I, of course, skipped that faze entirely, and pulled her into a hug. She let out this adorable little 'Eep' as I squeezed. Luna's face lit up with her smile as she watched her sister. I released Celestia and watched as she stumbled back slightly. This place was fun, I wish I didn't need to leave. But I had my own world to go back to. My own Luna. I glanced at Luna, and she read me like a book again. She instantly knew something was wrong, and asked me accordingly. "What is wrong, Sir Hazama?" Her voice had worry dripping from it already. Also, 'Sir'? Huh, I haven't hear that one before. "I have to leave." I know I can't fucking lie, so why bother with anything but the cold hard truth at this point. She deflated, as she walked closer to me. "Truly?" She asked. I just nodded. "Tis sad, will Thou come visit?" She asked, hope gleaming in her eyes. I thought about it. How the hell would I get back to keep a promise like that? It's not like I have a beacon or something that will- Something clicked in into place in my head. I flicked my hand and my Token appeared in my palm. "Take this. If you ever need my help, simply call my name into it. I can also use it to find you and come visit. All you have to do is keep it on your person." I stated. A small thought flashed through my head, one that wasn't my own. But I knew what it wanted. I brought the Token to Luna's neck, and from my sleeve the Ouroboros slid out. It quickly wrapped around her neck and did a small loop around my token. In a small flash of Green, the Ouroboros chain was re-wrapped around my wrist, and on Luna's neck lay my Token, in necklace form. Luna held the head of the necklace in her hoof, and stared at it. I noted that she was shaking slightly. She looked up at me and her eyes were flooding with tears. She clutched at the necklace like she was afraid it would disappear. "Thank you.." She whispered softly. I nodded with a smile, as I flicked my wrist again. A certain device falling into my palm, as I play with a few buttons. I'm not entirely sure how to rip hole out of Universes, but I'm sure this Sonic Screwdriver can do it. Before long a small Tear ripped in the air in front of me. I turned to Luna and gave her a quick hug. "Stay safe." I say to her as I walk into the Tear as I Ghosted out. "We will!" Luna smiled, her eyes watery still. A stinging sensation brought my attention to my hand, and I looked at the back of my hand. The stupid seal was there. ... I turned back to look at Luna as the Tear started to close. I lifted my hand up so she could see it. "Really Luna? It was only One day!~" My voice trailed off as the Tear closed off. Luna's eyes widened as heard her sister cry out. "The seal?! How does he have that? Why does he have that?!" Celestia's face was red with both anger and embarrassment at what that seal meant. Luna shook her head, her smile was soft. "It does not matter sister. Now come! There is much fixing to be done!~" She sang out, her mood already happier. Celestia followed suit, grumbling the whole way. ---The Void: Some Time Later--- Hindsight is Twenty Twenty or so they say. Jumping back into the void when you have no idea how to travel it, may not be the best idea. I found myself having my mind wander to parts I had long forgotten. "You know, I was thinking. " I said suddenly. "Careful dumbass, you'll fry your head if you think to much." Terumi snarked. "I've had an epiphany." I continued. "Ugh, what is it? And hurry up before I kill you out of boredom." He said, his voice edged like a knife. I smirked. "Well, for starters, your a Soul that's trying to destroy everything right?" I asked. "Yup." He answered lazily. "And if you get out you'll kill everyone I love?" I asked "For the most part.." He answered, sounding a little confused. "And we both have our own fighting styles. Your is to kill everything that moves, while mine if to dodge and not hurt anything more than absolutely necessary. You could almost say I'm lazy?" I continued. "Yes, I know this, you know this, so where is this going?!" He asked angrily. I smirked. "We both have a smile on our face Ninety percent of the time. Yours from insanity, and mine from cracking jokes. I only need to crack a few puns here and there.. " My smile stretched when I heard Terumi call out. "Don't you fucking dare!" He yelled. "Easy partner! I'm sure I could come up with a good space pun, it would just take me a little time to Planet." "I'll kill you!" He screamed. "And that's what makes us so similar to Undertale that it's ridiculous." I finish. "And what, may I ask, is Undertale?" Nightmare asked. "Don't ask!" Terumi's reply was immediate. "I knew you looked into my memories at some point! Terumi was silent. "..What's your favourite AU?" I ask. "..Reapertale." he answered after a bit of silence. "Doubletale for the win!!" I call out. Before we could get into an argument, I noticed my body being pulled upwards. I looked up just in time to see a blue wall before I was blinded by light. I blinked away the spots, and came face to face with Doctor Whooves. "Oh will you fuck off already?!" I scream out, my eyebrow twitching. My Ouroboros slinking out of my shirt collar slightly to see what I was pissed about. I couldn't move in this weird force field, and it knew that. "Now listen to me for a second-" I heard him, I really did. But my attention was locked on the Sonic Screwdriver he had in his hoof. I will not die here! I have a mare to get back to, and a kid to raise God Damnit! Reacting to my thoughts, the Ouroboros rocketed out of my collar and slammed into a blinking console sitting Five feet away from the Doctor. In a shower of sparks, I heard the Doctor curse. I landed, as the lights overhead flickered once. In that flicker, I had raised my hand up, in it was my Ballisong Knife. A lazy aura of green coating it, as I smiled lightly. It had been ages since I used these things. Floating in front of me was my Ouroboros chain, shining with its own Green and Purple aura as parts of it seemed to flicker in and out of existence. A stray thought passed through my head for a second. Something was seriously wrong with my Ouroboros. In front of me stood the Doctor, a serious look on his face as he stood in the same spot. His Sonic Screwdriver aimed at my head. The only sound for a solid minute was our breathing, and the sparks from the machine I had destroyed. I was about to say something when a voice sounded around us. *Scans complete. Subject exhibits trace amounts of Null Particles. Direct exposure to the Void has caused a mutation of Subject: Hazama's Genetic code. Side affects are unknown at this time, further study is required* The voice said, clearly a computer. I watched the Doctor's eyes widen as he let his hoof drop back down, his Sonic Screwdriver clinking lightly as it brushed the ground. "You weren't that far along when you were last scanned.." He mumbled aloud to himself. "If I hadn't tried to kill you, you would never have willingly gone into the Void. But I came back to kill you so this wouldn't happen!" He yelled. I lowered my hand, as I flipped the butterfly knife back into my sleeve. The Ouroboros slinked back to me and wrapped around my neck loosely like a chain necklace. It rested its head like a medallion so it could watch. "Congratz Doc. Paradoxes are bullshit aren't they?" I grinned, as he grimaced. "But that can't be right, I would have known! The Timeline is constantly being watched for Time travel. So your 'trip' through the Void would have been noted." He mumbled to himself. However, I couldn't help but smile at his slight blunder. "Ah, but that's where your wrong!" I called out, raising my arm to point at him. "As far as I know, I haven't traveled through Time yet. You've only brought me out of my Universe, and simultaneously, The Void." I laughed lightly as the Doctor paled slightly at my hypothesis. He started mumbling incoherently, as I looked up slightly. "Hey TARDIS! How about you cut your losses and bring me back to my Universe?" I ask loudly, unsure if the Computer would be able to hear me- *Request Denied. Subject: Hazama is Infected with Null Particles. Action must be taken* "What exactly are these 'Null Particles' you keep mentioning?" I ask as my curiosity finnaly got the better of me. * You do not have the Doctor's permission for that information* I shrugged, as I looked around again. The lights were flickering slightly, probably from my escape earlier. Not that I cared, even if he wasn't muttering about Time and Space Impossibilities, he was still the same guy who tried to kill me not too long ago. How the hell did he find me anyway? Probably traced my Magic or something- I face palmed at the simplicity of my answer. I quickly fazed out and dove back through the floor of the TARDIS, finding myself in that unexplainable conundrum called The Void. I closed my eyes and focused. I wasn't sure how long it was, it could have taken me a few minutes or a few hours, but I found what I needed. I couldn't remember the feel of Luna's Magic. But I sure as hell could feel my own. Before I was stripped from my Universe, I found out Luna was pregnant. As she told me, her pregnancy was special, as she was an Alicorn. The foal needed magic from the both of us.. I still don't get how I couldn't feel that kind of drain. Anyway, as of this moment, Luna had a mix of her Magic and my own swirling around her belly, so I latched onto the faint feeling of my own Magic. It was actually pretty easy, once you realize that The Void is both Nothing and Everything at the same time. If you percieve it as Nothing, then you get Nothing. So there wasn't anything in between my Magic as it beaconed out. I felt something.. Buzz? Something was vibrating in my sleeve. Upon opening my sleeve's pocket dimension, the Sonic Screwdriver zipped out and floated in front of me. A few buttons were glowing, as another Tear opened up in front of me. Through it, I saw the Office that I left from. Shrugging, I grabbed the Sonic Screwdriver as I hopped through. Upon getting through the Tear and re-fazing, the it closed behind me automatically. Looking around the room, I noted that it was exactly the same as when we left. I looked at the clock, and my eyebrow twitched. Either I was gone for Five minutes, or I was gone for a day or more. Fingers crossed for a day or more. Makes for a more believable story. Spinning the Screwdriver back into my sleeve, I made my way back. Luna was still here, so a lot of time couldn't have gone by- I opened the door to the same scene I left. The girls were all around Luna. The first to see me was Luna, who had a look of confusion on her face. "Done already? By the way the Doctor was talking, I figured you would be gone for a bit long-" She stopped, as he mouth dropped open. Celestia, Pinkie, and Ditzy all turned to face me, confused by Luna's actions. And they all had the same reaction. I was about to ask what was wrong, when a Voice called out. "Oh Dear!" Was that Fluttershy? I turned and saw Fluttershy, with the rest if the Girls. Each of them all had the same open mouthed look of awe on their faces. Getting kind of annoyed, I was about to ask, again, when a small Green blur slammed into my cheek. The familiar feeling of snake scales rubbing in my neck was almost calming. That was, until Ophis spoke out to me. {Why is Brother's arm gone?} She hissed worriedly. Ahh, that would be reason enough for the simultaneous reactions. Well, to be honest, I had completely forgotten that my arm was gone. I just needed to explain how I lost the arm.. In five minutes.. Oh, fuck me.. "That's what you get for making a fucking Undertale reference!" Terumi laughed out. I was too focused on the feeling of pure anger. Said feeling was being stabbed into the back of my head, and I knew it was Luna. Holy fuck the room just went pitch black! I turned to look at Luna, and saw the White glow that was her eyes. I gulped, as my smile was strained. "Now Luna, I can-" "Explain!" The room shook as it got Even Darker! I think I might die today.. > One Crisis Adverted.. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- We all sat in silence after I had explained what happened. Well, more everyone else was. I was busy scolding my Ouroboros. As Luna had darkened the room with her anger, my fear spiked again. It lashed out at her, to try to alleviate me of my fear. It got a few inches from her muzzle before it was stopped by a light Green wall forming in front of it. I snatched it from the air and held it tightly as I let the makeshift shield dissipate. I held it tightly the entire time I talked, never once letting it go, until I was done. The Ouroboros was currently floating lazily in front of my face, as it sent a small string of thoughts into my head. It took me a minute to make heads or tails of it, but it basically said it was sorry. There was something about Instinct, but I couldn't really tell you if I heard it right. In fact, at this point I was almost positive that the basis of its sentience is Instinct. It acts to keep me safe, and doesn't like when I use it for things I wouldn't need to. Looks like I won't be lazing around anymore.. Unless I figure out how to teleport. "So you were ripped from our universe?" A soft voice called out, snapping me from my inner ramblings. I nodded gently and looked to Tia, who had spoken. "And were attacked by some mean Timey Doctor?" Came the voice of Pinkie. Another nod, and a soft boop on the nose to the mare sitting on my lap. She giggled lightly, and I couldn't help the smile the grew on my face. I even drew her into a hug, her mane filling my nose with the scent of cotton candy and cupcakes. "You fought an alternate Celestia and made that worlds Luna like you?" This time it was Ditzy, who was leaning on my side. I let my arm drape over her, and pulled her into the small hug with an affirmative hum. Ditzy simply giggled as she pushed against the wall on Pink and Green that were pinning her. "You traversed the Void and gained a new ability from your trip.." This wasn't a question, and it was from Luna. I let the Two in my one-armed hug go, and looked to Luna. She was looking at my floating Ouroboros warily. "Yup. Don't worry. I just haven't had to deal with it a lot, I'll have it calmed down around my friends." I glared at the chain, as it slithered back around my neck, forming it's necklace. I snapped my fingers. "That's right!" I got up, gently setting Pinkie on the ground. Walking over to Luna, I flipped a Token from my sleeve.. And I stared at it for a second. Where the hell were these things coming from? I remember grabbing one of the multiplying ones for Wayde back when I made the blasted thing.. So is my pocket dimension full of these things or something? Speaking of that night.. My hair was still a dulled Olive Green color! I'll never have my Forest Green hair again! Anyway, I brought it to Luna's neck, and with the help of the Ouroboros, I made another necklace. Luna looked at it, confused. "It's my Token. I'm supposed to hear you if you speak into it, and I can use it as a beacon to find you. It also, apparently, makes a good necklace." I said, smirking. I watched as Luna did almost exactly as Other Luna did. She grasped it with a hoof like she had never received a gift before. I was beginning to wonder why that was. "Y-You mean this?" She said softly. She looked to me with tears now visible in her eyes. I feel like I'm missing something important here. The confusion on my face opted for Celestia to speak. "When the Stallion of a herd gives a member of the herd a necklace, or other sentimental jewelry, its an act of proposal." Celestia said, making me almost stop breathing. Why haven't I heard of that before now? I feel like someone should have at least told me the rules to this crap before I- Oh god.. Does.. Does that count? Luna herself is a part of my Herd, but not the One from the other Universe. I did tell her that I was her over in another universe, and the god damned seal activated on her as well.. You know what, I'll cross that road if it ever comes up, back to what really matters. I pulled Luna into a hug, and a searing kiss. Breaking apart, I gave her loving smile as I rubbed noses with her. "Of course. I mean I was going to do it anyway, but I guess now was as good a time as ever." I shrugged lightly. "So, I guess I should be a little bit ore formal yeah?" I asked no one in particular, as I grabbed her hoof. I proceeded to lower myself into a kneel, and looked up at Luna. "Princess Luna, will you allow me the honor of becoming your husband? Will you marry me?" I asked. Luna sat there, looking at me with an open mouth. Hell, even her tears had disappeared.. God damn, I've never felt this nervous before! Is this what happens when you do this kind of thing? I can feel sweat running down my neck, my heart is going crazy here! "..." Luna said something, but it was far to soft for me to hear. I leaned in a bit and went to ask her to repeat herself, but- "Yes! A thousand times, yes!" She called out as she jumped from her bed and dove at me. She bowled me over and began crying into my neck. "Yes!" Came her muffled voice. "I will carry our child and we will become a family!" She called out as she shook from her tears. I held her as tight as I could, as I felt a tear fall down my own face. A family? I don't think I could ask for more from this world. A life with Luna just sounded so.. Soothing. After a few more minutes of letting out emotion, I helped her up. She sat there, positively beaming as I held her hoof. She leaned into me and sighed almost dreamily. I chuckled and looked back to the rest of the girls. Ditzy had a soft smile on her face and leaned on Celestia's right leg. While Pinkie had her famous grin attached like glue on her face, as she leaned onto Celestia's left leg. Celestia herself was just sitting there, a smile ghosting her lips. However, she looked to be lost in thought, and I could make a wild guess as to why. In fact, I wasn't the only one to notice it. Ditzy and Pinkie both looked up and then looked to each other. They got up gently, making sure that she wasn't leaning on either of them. They walked over to me, and I couldn't help the grin on my face as Pinkie leaned in to my ear. "Don't leave out Tia, okie dokie Hazie?" She asked as she leaned in for a kiss. I rubbed her hair affectionately as I returned her kiss, a quick fight with her laffytaffy-like tongue and a chuckle after. I nodded, while flashing her a thumbs up... I'm still surprised they know what that means... As soon as Pinkie left, a slightly flushed looking Ditzy came up. She leaned in as well, and I had to hold back a choke. "After her, you'll let us have a shot right?" She then leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, and turned around. Only to flick me lightly with her tail, as she looked over her shoulder with a wink. The Two left after giving Celestia a quick peck on opposite cheeks, giggling like school fillies their entire way out. A small sigh came from my right, and I looked to Luna, eyebrow raised. "I knew it would happen someday." She began in a whisper. "I have been rather selfish after all. I was supposed to share you with her a while ago. She has been rather patient." She looked to her sister, "But it looks as though we need to introduce another herd mate into the luxuries of out nightly escapades." She finished, her breath licking hotly at my ears. I let a smile creep onto my face, as I asked her something. "Will you be able to hold up outside the hospital? Or should we stay here?" I asked, glancing at Tia. She seemed to be back to normal, as she was looking at us with her head cocked to the side in confusion. "Oh don't worry. I've gotten quite used to the drain on my Magic as it is. Lets go home, shall we?" She asked. I gently pushed a finger to her lips, and motioned for just a minute more time. I all but slid over to Tia, and took her hoof gently. "Are you okay Tia? You spaced out a minute ago." I asked. I heard Luna stifling a small laugh. She already knew what I was doing. I love that mare. "Y-yes! Of course I am Hazama. I just wasn't expecting you to propose to my sister tonight, it caught me off guard." She said, as she looked away slightly. I gently grabbed her head and tilted it back towards me. "You know what I realized a bit ago, Tia?" I asked her, moving my head closer to hers. She sputtered slightly, as if not being used to the contact.. "W-what is it?" She asked, her face flushing slightly. "I noticed I've been neglecting you, Tia." I said as I leaned forward and gently nipped at her ear, and then kissed her neck lightly. I felt her shudder, even as I watched her wings fidget behind her. "N-no! You've been busy! I understand." She answered as she leaned into my touch and her eyes lidding slightly. I ran my fingers along her neck and shoulders, feeling her melt at my touch. "Would you like to join Luna and myself tonight? We would love for you to join us." I asked, giving the underside of her jawline a trail of kisses. She whimpered slightly, as she nuzzled my neck. "Yes.." She muttered. I gave Luna the signal, and she quickly teleported them to where their rooms were. "Are you sure you're ready sister?" Luna asked Tia, giving her a slightly worried look. Celestia perked up from my previous ministrations, and stared at her sister. Glancing at their current position, she stood straighter, and put on a smile. "Of course Lulu! Why wouldn't I be?" She said, her voice shaking ever so slightly despite her calm demeanor. ******************************** ******************************** Warning: Explicit Material Ahead ******************************** ******************************** ----Third Person---- Hazama took in the contrast between the two bed chambers. Luna’s room was set to look like a beautifully clear night. She had cast illusions to make the ceiling appear like a starlit sky, and he could remember lying on his back, watching the rotation of the stars, the passing of the moon, and just being so completely enthralled with it. Hues of violets, dark blues, and black had been the choice for Luna’s room, so what he stood in now felt familiar in design, but woefully different in delivery. Looking at the room itself he could see the cream colored white that adorned the walls, door, and even tiles he stepped on. In the center was a massive rug that spread out from under the giant bed. Gold seemed to be inlaid in every groove, crevice, and handle that happened to exist within the room. Soft morning pink seemed to be the choice for the well made bed. He could see the golden posts that rose up around the corners, the pink curtains that were drawn back, tied with golden ropes, and the darker pink pillows that existed on the bed itself. He took all of this in and looked at the elder sister, and co-ruler of Equestria, who was fidgeting and looking at her hooves, or the wall behind him, or the ceiling, or basically anything other than himself. There was a gentle chuckling, and he looked to see Luna who was happily observing her sister’s actions. “Sister, I’m quite certain that Hazama will not bite, unless you wish for him to.” Celestia looked at her sister, and then finally her magenta colored eyes met his own. He could see the nervousness she had, the thin veil of confidence leaving her the moment they walked into her bed chambers. Gently he reached out, cupping her cheek, and gave her a soft kiss. She stiffened for a moment, but only for a moment. When he broke the kiss her lips were still moving, acting as if they were attempting to gently suckle his own lips. He gave her a smile. “Celestia, if you’re too nervous, we don’t have to do anything.” Her eyes which had closed for the kiss opened, her expression wasn’t one of relief, but of resolution, and she shook her head. “No, I,” she swallowed down her nervousness, “I want to. I want to feel you, I want to experience what Luna has, and I want you to make me your mare.” He smiled, gently, and kissed her once again. She led him toward the bed, and he watched as something popped into existence. There before him was an ice bucket, full of ice, and a bottle of champagne partly buried in the ice. He understood what she was doing. The champagne could be used to lighten the mood, help give courage, and dull her insecurities and inhibitions. It also wouldn’t be her. Leaning forward he ran his hand down the back of her neck, causing her to lean into his touch. He kissed her once more, and then he felt her nuzzle against him. “Save that for after,” he said. She nodded, and he watched as she moved toward the bed, her actions stiff, almost mechanical, and once again tittering caught her attention. She turned toward Luna who gave her sister a sly smile. Where Celestia had been moving stiffly, Luna moved with grace, where Celestia’s movements seemed forced, Luna’s seemed seductive, alluring, and desirable. Luna neared Hazama, her horn glowing softly, and he felt the feeling of his clothes once again being removed by the magical touch of the alpha mare of his herd. Smiling, Luna looked at Celestia, her teal colored eyes filled with lust and mischief. She looked at Hazama before directing him to the bed. He sat down, and then he watched as she made her way to the floor. Her tongue snaked out of her mouth, finding the tip of her desire, and she began to gently lick it. Her tongue rolling over it, around it, tasting every bit of it, before her mouth moved closer, and he felt her take him into her mouth. He watched as she blinked coyishly at him, feigning innocence which seemed to make this entire act far more erotic than it was. He let out a soft moan as she began to work harder. He felt himself building toward release, but she stopped. He looked at her, uncertain of what she was doing, until he noticed that she gesturing for Celestia come over. Slowly Celestia took her sister’s place, her tongue attempted to mimic her sister’s but there was certainly a difference in skill. It wasn’t as if Celestia’s skill was lacking. She was doing well, but Hazama had gotten used to the way that Luna did this. He felt Celestia’s mouth close over him, and this was the difference. Luna’s tongue work was unmatched, yet Celestia felt as if she could suck the cream out of a cream doughnut, while never taking a bite, and from the opposite end of a garden hose. He practically felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head. The way her mouth felt around his cock was nothing short of perfection. He heard a wet pop and looked to see her panting. He noticed the way she was fidgeting, the way her hind legs seemed to move closer to one another, and it told him more than words could. “Sister, let us love you.” Hazama rose from the bed, only to watch as Celestia took his place. She lay on her stomach, her hind legs splayed out behind her, and he moved closer to her. Her ethereal mane was no longer flowing. Instead she choose to present herself as a mare, as his mare, and she wanted to feel him take the steps to make her into his mare. She wondered, for a moment, if her place in this herd might be to be a broodmare. A half dreamy look crossed her face. To be with foal would be a wonderful experience. Her thoughts however were interrupted by the feeling of fingers gently spreading her sex. She moaned as she felt his warm breath touching the entrance to her marehood. The feeling was electric, almost as if a charge went straight through her, and she let out a gentle moan. She felt his tongue as it slid around her entrance, teasing her, causing her to hips to buck toward him. Then she felt his tongue slide inside of her. The way he took time to discover her, to feel her, and then when he found her clit. Her eyes widened and nearly crossed as he began to suckle on her clit. She felt his fingers moving into her, the way they moved deeper into her core. She raised her hips more, desperate to feel him deeper inside of her. Her mouth opened in a pant. Her attention was so focused on him, on what Hazama was doing that she didn’t notice Luna getting into the bed with her. She didn’t notice her sister’s glistening marehood before her, but a gentle nudge from her sister’s magic turned her attention. She looked at what was presented to her, felt what was happening to her, and her tongue moved out, finding Luna’s sweet snatch, and moved into it. In her long years she had rarely taken time to truly pleasure herself, to experience the joy of physical intimacy, to feel the wonder that was a lover giving her all she needed and craved. Yet, despite her novice experience she treated Luna’s marehood like it was the last cream horn to ever exist. Her tongue moved into Luna, taking in the tart and sweet taste that was her sister. Luna moaned as she felt her sister, she felt Celestia’s tongue deep inside of her, deep in a place where life was created, and she couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. In these moments, here, in either, nay in any, of their bed chambers she was the alpha. She would be lying if she didn’t admit that the feel of dominance wasn’t arousing in and of itself. As her sister continued to lap at her marehood she focused her magic on Hazama. Feeling his length, the texture of it, the way it felt, and she began to let her magic do the wonders of letting her feel his wonderful stallionhood in her mouth. She greedily sucked at it as her magic relayed what she was doing to him. She could hear his muffled moans, and she desperately wanted to feel his essence sliding down her throat. She was his mare, his first mare, and the alpha for his mares. She felt Celestia’s tactics changing, and no longer was she satisifed with lapping at her marehood, but she was now gently licking and suckling her clit. The same clit that had began to stick out, the one that screamed to be paid attention to. She began to pant as she felt this, and her magic failed her. No longer could she concentrate, no longer was she able to focus, but instead she was losing herself to the pleasure her sister was giving her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Celestia’s now limp and non-ethereal mane moving slightly as she alternated from sucking and licking her clit back to licking her marehood. Celestia felt so sexy, so alive, so desired, and she loved it. It had always been about control with her. She was the one who kept things going, she shouldered so much of the responsibilities, and yet here she was, the control taken from her, and she loved it. She was getting pleasure, giving pleasure, and that was all that mattered. Not the nobility whining about their perceived slights, not the concerns of the government, but instead it was being here, in this moment, and giving everything that she was getting. She felt Hazama’s tongue leave her marehood, and finally she looked back at him. Daring to look away from the wonderful treat she had been suckling and licking. She saw him lining up, and her eyes once again reflected the nervousness she had felt. He gently stroked her rump, touching her cutie mark, and she could see nothing but love in his eyes. She moved her tail, and then she felt him pushing into her. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. What she felt now was wonderful. He was wonderful. Her attention went back to Luna and she began to give her sister the attention she felt she needed. She could feel Hazama inside of her, his hand moving slightly, and then she felt it. His finger tracing her tailhole. She wondered what it was that he was doing until she felt the finger leave a for a moment. Uncertain of what he had been doing she continued to enjoy making her sister squirm. That was until she felt his finger, now slick with something, sliding into her tailhole. Her eyes widened as she felt this intrusion. She could feel his finger inserted into her tailhole, his stallionhood inside of her, and she felt something bubbling up inside. She let out a muffled moan into Luna, and her sister took that moment to move again. Luna looked at what was happening. Celestia was riding out a massive orgasm. It was one she knew her sister had been needing for so long, and she was so thankful that Hazama gave it to her. She kissed her sister, tasting herself on Celestia’s lips and tongue. Celestia’s eyes looked as though she was caught between a dream and the waking world. Luna gave her sister’s muzzle a gentle lick, and then she looked up at Hazama who was still pumping into her. Luna looked at Celestia who looked like she was getting her second wind. She watched her sister’s head become flush with the mattress, her rump rising slightly for Hazama, and she moaned slightly before raising her head a little and looking back at her lover, her stallion, and her object of affection. “Oh… Oh please, don’t stop! Don’t stop! Take me harder!” Celestia cried. With that command he began to thrust his hips into her harder, the sound of their flesh smacking echoed through the bedchambers. Celestia began to match his thrusts. It was awkward at first, raising her hips without her hind legs under her, but she began to do it, her hips bending up toward him, meeting him, matching his entrance into her. The intense pleasure ran through her mind over and over again. It was what she wanted, it was everything she had denied for so long. She felt herself tip over the edge again. “AHHHH!” she cried as she felt her second intense orgasm. Hazama felt the way she gripped him inside, the way she was milking him, and he pulled out. She made a soft whining sound, her head turning to look at him, the way her magenta eyes looked so full of longing. “Please, inside, do it inside.” Unable to deny her request he hilted himself inside of her again, and she let out the lewdest sound she had ever heard in her life. She looked back at him, watching his hand as it gripped her hip, his face so focused on the pleasure, and without noticing she was beginning something of a mantra. “Inside, please inside, please do it in me. I...I...I,” she was saying between her gasps and soft moans. Then she felt him bury himself as deeply as he could. His stallionhood twitched inside of her indicating the need and passion, and then she felt it as ropes of his essence filled her. She laid her head on the mattress, feeling so sated. She barely noticed that Luna was up, moving around the bed, nor did she notice that her sister was standing behind her with Hazama. Luna looked at the man that was her husband, her lover, her lifelong mate. Without a word said she kissed him. He felt her directing him toward the bed, and once more he felt her wonderful mouth engulfing him. Between the two there was no doubt that Luna was far more skilled. A distant memory, something from another life, seemed to echo about there being that top ten percent that actually had talent in fellatio. Luna was that top ten percent. She felt him stiffening once again, and she moved back. He watched as she moved to a different side of the bed, her fore hooves and belly laid on it, but her hind legs dropped off to the floor. She turned her head toward him. “Please beloved, claim your mare.” Walking behind her his fingers found her marehood, and he gently traced it. She let out a soft moan, but her eyes remained trained on him. She watched him, feeling his fingers moving from her marehood to her tail hole. She let out a gasp as he pushed two of his fingers into her. She wouldn’t deny it. She did enjoy this. She enjoyed feeling him claiming her, his loving her, adoring her, it was something she wanted, and she had long since decided that she loved to feel his playing and rutting her tail hole. She felt his fingers remove, and his shaft that was still slick with her saliva slipped into her tail hole. It fit perfect. There was no other way of saying it. His stallionhood was simply meant to go there. She felt his thrusts begin slowly, getting her used to it, and then it began to speed up. She felt him going deep into her rectum, she bit the pillow as the pleasurable plain moved through her. She moaned as he continued to give her exactly what she desired. She saw Celestia watching them, her sister’s eyes seemingly mesmerized on the act happening before her. She watched as her sister’s right hoof moved under her belly, finding her sensitive marehood and began to stroke it. She thought of seeing Hazama deep in her sister’s tail hole, hearing her sister moan, and buck her hips. Watching her beg Hazama to rut her like a filly on her first estrus. She felt his quickened thrusts, her body was reacting, and soon she was gushing as she orgasmed. She lay there, panting, her tongue lolled out. She felt him pull out from her and then she turned toward him. He seemed confused until she nudged her head toward Celestia. Taking the hint he got behind the solar Diarch, his cock rubbed against her juices that were practically running down her legs, and then he pressed his cock against her tail hole. “NGH!” Celestial grunted as she felt his stallion hood entering her tailhole. “Relax,” he whispered as his hand found her wing and began to gently stroke her joints. She moaned as she felt his shaft slowly moving into her rectum. When she let a small whimper out he slowed down, and even stopped. Somehow she was certain that his stallionhood simply grew. There was no other explanation. It was the only thing she could think of that would explain how it felt so much bigger in her tail hole. Before long she felt him complete seated inside of her. His flesh flush with her rump. She felt him pull back and then he thrust forward. She bit down on the blanket on her bed, her mind ablaze with the new sensations she was feeling. She moaned through her gritted teeth as he began to work up a rhythm. It was a strange mix of pleasure and pain. She felt his thrusts becoming harder and faster. The sound of their flash slapping echoed, and she couldn’t contain herself. Her mouth left the blanket and instead she felt her orgasm bubble up and leave her. “YES! YES! RUT ME! RUT MY TAILHOLE! RUT MMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!” she cried out in her own Royal Canterlot Voice. She fell forward again, and she felt his thrusts increase, become sporadic, and then his hand gripped her cutie mark hard as he thrust deep into her rectum once more. She felt ropes of his essence once again spill into her, and she lay there, unable to speak as she panted. She felt him pull out from her, and he crawled up between the two of them. Gently she nuzzled against where his arm had been. The flesh there had become scarred, almost burned, but it was part of him, and she loved every piece of him. She looked at Luna, her sister, her herd mate, and her alpha. Luna crawled up close to him, laying her head on his chest. He gently stroked her ears, causing her to make the sweetest sounds. Her sister seemed content to be near him, curled up like this, and in truth so was she. “Was it all you dreamed of beloved?” Luna asked as Hazama gently stroked her mane. “It was better,” he admitted. “Mmmm, it was quite nice,” Celestia said as she snuggled beside him, “Although I must admit that it felt, a bit naughty.” Luna tittered, “That is what made it so wonderful.” She stretched, “We need to bathe before we stick to this bed, and sister, I fear that you may need to burn these blankets and sheets.” Celestia smiled, “It’s a small price to pay.” For a moment it appeared that none of them were interested in getting off of the bed. “We truly should get up.” Celestia looked at Luna, “Perhaps, but I feel quite wonderful right here. Although my dock and tail hole are sore.” Luna laughed, “My sister, that is simply something that you shall come to enjoy.” Slowly, Luna rose from her place. She felt her legs shaking, almost as if she was about to fall, but she quickly righted herself. Using her magic she lifted both Celestia and Hazama into the air, and carried them toward the bath that was connected to Celestia’s bedchambers. Like her own it was a monument to extravagance. The tub was a massive marble basin, carved lovingly by the artisans contracted to create it. Small sculptures of Pegasi were engraved into the sides of the tub, and each of their eyes was perfect sapphires. It spoke of lavish spending, but at the same time the tub itself was created to be huge, giving far more room than was needed by a single pony. This was exactly what Luna wanted. She used her magic to turn on the water, which was already hot thanks to a sunstone, and added a bit of bubble bath to the mix. She then gently deposited her two herd mates into the waiting bath. She then moved into it, enjoying the feeling of the hot water around her well rutted tail hole. She moved toward Hazama, her horn glowing. The spell was a simple one. A rejuvenation spell that was perfect for what she wanted. She could see him feeling better, and she began to gently move her magic until it once again covered his length. He let out a soft moan, his eyes trained on her, and she gave him a sly smile as she got him hard once more. It was the second time they had been together, becoming a single flesh, in a bathtub. She felt him slid into her marehood, His arm went to her rump, and he helped to lift and lower her onto the shaft that she so enjoyed. She let out a soft moan, her body beyond sensitive, but this was important. She felt their thrusts getting faster, their need rising, and she was determined to feel him spill his essence into her. It wasn’t a competition with her sister, no, it was a desire to feel him claim her as she wanted to be claimed. His hand gripped against the crescent moon that was her cutie mark, his mouth moved to her neck, and she felt him kiss and nip her. She breathed out in a raspy voice as they mated. She could feel him swelling, his need was nearly there, but she hoped he could hold off for just a few more moments. She felt her marehood quivering, and she realized that even if he could hold off it was likely she would be unable to do so. She felt herself tipping past the point of need, well into the place where she could no longer handle the intense pleasure that he was giving her. No, at this moment she was beyond all hope. Her orgasm shook her to her very core. “YES!” she cried in her Royal Canterlot Voice. She fell against him, her chest shuddering and heaving from the intense pleasure. Still she felt his shaft inside of her, twitching, and his hips still thrusting. Behind her she felt Celestia lifting her with her magic, and she felt herself getting re-impaled on his wonderful shaft. She felt his thrusts quickening, his need was on the border as hers was, and then she felt him lean forward, his arm wrapping around her side, his spasming shaft shooting rope after rope of his essence into her. She shuddered once more, feeling the intense pleasure rushing through her. Slowly his length softened and it slid out of her. She leaned against the side of the tub, ridding out her orgasm, and she felt two sets of eyes on her. She looked at Hazama first, and she was rewarded with a look that told her that he was more than happy with what had happened. Her eyes then went to her dear sister who was smiling brightly. “Lulu, is this going to be common in the herd?” Luna nodded, “Yes, I believe this should be something that needs to be experienced more often.” Hazama nodded, leaned back, and was only partly aware of who observed what happened. Nightmare had observed it all, and she felt herself craving what she had witnessed. The closeness, the need, the desire, it was everything she had wanted. ******************************** ******************************** Explicit Scene Over ******************************** ******************************** ----First Person---- You know what? Today went great, all things considered! "I will never understand how you get so lucky." The voice of a pouting Terumi reached out into my head. "Oh? How so? I thought it was pretty obvious, what with how I treat them and such-" "That's not what I meant! God damn idiot.. You know, when you do stupid shit, and only get away because something of equal bullshit counters it. As an example." He paused, as if readying his gloat. "You lose your arm after a fight with an un-killable Eye monster, only to get off scott free because you managed to get a pony pregnant. Your luck is ridiculous, and I can't wait for it to turn bad." He huffed. I couldn't help but notice he was right, and shrugged at his statement. Oh well. "If having good luck is bad, then I'm all set. I stated. I didn't care as long as nothing stupid happens for the next week- A sudden flood of Magic rushed through my senses, catching me off guard. Was that.. Discord? "It feels weird, be careful idiot." Terumi grumbled. "This feels familiar.." Nightmare chimed in, but it didn't sound like she meant to. I stood up and got out of the tub. Luna and Celestia both looked over at me from their comfy spots. "I felt some weird Magic, I'm gonna go check it out. Don't worry, you Two relax." I explained, snapping my fingers and my suit reappeared on my body with a flash of Green. As I opened the door, I reached into the color of my shirt and pulled out a squirming Green snake. {Brother leave again. Get hurt again} Ophis spoke to me, as I put her down on a countertop. I rubbed her head affectionately. "Don't worry, big brother will be back. Have a little faith." I chuckled as the snake pouted. As I left, I heard the Two girls grumbling. "Should we follow him? You know how this usually goes." Luna asked. All she got was a bunch of bubbles being blown from under the water. Celestia had dived under the water to not hear her sister. She was too comfy to get up right now. Soon enough, I found myself on the outskirts of Canterlot. "Something seems really wrong here, be careful." Terumi said. My eyes scanned the area, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Continuing on my way towards Discords Magic, I found myself stopping shortly after starting. I saw Discord, next to a cage, with the other Elements of Harmony, minus Twilight, in the cage itself. He was slumped over like he was tired. I raced over, my hand coating itself in Energy before I could even stop, ready to slash the cage open. "Discord? Girls?! What happened?" I asked, raising my hand up. The cage slicing open, as the girls turned to me in surprise. Discord looked over, and mouthed something to me. I'm.. Sorry? What? And why the hell did he look so defeated? "Hazama, watch-" I heard an inhale, and I immediately felt all my Magic drain out of me, much like it did when I lost my arm. I felt like I was in shock, as my body froze up and I collapsed onto the ground. I noticed my hand getting paler, as if I had lost a lot of blood. I couldn't feel it at all. My Magic was gone. And it wasn't coming back like it usually does, not even a trickle. I felt my body shaking. "Ah! What divine Magic you had Mr. Hazama. It was quite filling! Now all I need is the Magic from the Alicorns and I will be unstoppable!" A deep laugh echoed over my body, even as I struggled to catch my breath. I looked up and saw something I had only seen in books. A Red skinned minotaur with Two big horns jutting from his head, and a big Grey beard. He laughed as he walked away, and Discord begged for his Magic back. Tirek? Tirek was free? And Discord helped him?! Why?! After all we've done for him!? I felt the telltale signs of my Magic covering my body, reacting to my rage. But it was stopped, as I coughed up blood, and a lot of it. My body had tried pulling in Magic from the air, but it was like my body refused the Magic. So I was going to die then? My body can't live without Magic. Most beings in this world can't. The girls don't seem too affected by it, so it must not be so bad for adults. But the backlash could have drastic side affects to younger ponies and foals- My eyes widened, even as the Red giant lumbered away. My unborn child. I grit my teeth and pushed myself up off the ground with a grunt. I looked over at the girls as they struggled to get up with no energy. Standing up, with the help of a tree, I heard Discord apologizing to the others. When they didn't answer him, he turned his attention to me. He walked slowly over to me, but I reached inside my pocket, and took out One of my Ballisong Knives. "Discord.." I called out, making him stop. My breathing was ragged, from lack of energy and anger. "If anything.. Happens to my unborn child, I will personally show you where my arm went.." I growled out at him, as I turned and began my slow walk after Tirek. I didn't care what happened to me, I needed to make sure Luna stays safe. I won't lose another family. > ...Another Crisis Started > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Third Person---- Hazama started making his way back towards Canterlot, his hand clenched in a fist. His mind was zipping about ideas and plans, yet none could hope to match the power that Tirek had stolen from him. He needed help. "Terumi, Nightmare, I need your help. I can feel that your powers were kept safe from Tirek's absorption. Why, I don't know, but you've gotta help me save Luna." He asked his two head mates. "Wrong." Terumi answered shortly. "Your just trying to trick me again. I ain't your god damned battery! And besides, Luna will be fine, its what's inside her that won't make it! He laughed out, mocking Hazama. In fact, I'm loving this! The negativity that will ooze from Luna will make my life much easier, especially when you give up on life as well! This is a win-win for me!" Hazama had stopped walking to listen to his counterparts ramblings, his face softening to a neutral expression, rather than the rage filled one from before. "Oh this is divine! I never expected our revenge to start so soon, let alone having it go so smoothly in our favor." Nightmare purred in delight. Hazama listened to his Two head mates, and couldn't help a sigh escape from his lips. This got the Two laughing in his head to stop. "You won't help me then? Fine, I never needed your help anyway. I've still got Plan B and Emergency Plan C. So shut up and watch. A determined look flashed across his face, as he began walking again, no longer limping from exhaustion. "What the fuck are you talking abou- " Terumi was promptly cut off as Hazama severed the connection, not needing to hear any more rambling. "Ouro, you there?" He asked quickly. Shakily the chain around his neck slithered out, the Ouroboros hovering in front of his face as it responded to his call. He studied the chain, noting the faded glow from it. His Ouroboros took Magic, however small it was, it was still Magic. He figured that since the chain refused to fully dematerialize, it was taking what little Magic he should be regenerating now. He had no issue with that, as having his Ouroboros would be great. Magic or not, he would at least put up a fight. "I need your help buddy, your the only one who can help me." He asked the floating chain. It took a second, but the chain seemed to brighten slightly as it nodded its snake like head, sending a small thought of acceptance through Hazama's head. He smiled, gently petting the chain's head, and letting it rest around his neck until he needed it. "Hazama!" The collective voice of the girls called out to him, he stopped, and let them catch up. "What are you doing? You can't charge off and fight Tirek all by yourself darling!" Rarity was the first to speak, and her eyes were full of fear. He knelt down to their level, even as Applejack spoke next. "Rarity's right, ya'll can't go fightin him without your Magic." She said sternly. "I don't want to see you get hurt!" Spoke a rather loud Fluttershy. He looked behind Fluttershy to see Discord standing behind her, much like a child stood behind their mother when they did something stupid. He smiled lightly at the girls that had spoken. They were, after all, just trying to protect him. He gently rubbed Fluttershy's head as he stood up. "I know that I shouldn't, but I need to. Luna needs me. I won't let her down." He said, his eye cracking open as a blur of Pink appeared in his face. Pinkie sat there, gripping the sides of his head, as she stared into his slightly open eye with every bit of serious he knew she could muster. Exactly like when he made his life promise to never lie again. "You can beat him?" She asked. "Without a doubt" He responded without hesitation. He gently put Pinkie back on the ground, and began walking away again. "I've got everything planned out, even if my Magic is gone." He stated simply. Suddenly he went rigid, and looked exactly at Canterlot Castle. "Ouro!" He called out. Quick as lightning the chain that was wrapped around his neck slipped down through his shirt, and out his sleeve. It launched through the air and latched onto the roof of the castle. With a flash of movement he was gone from the small clearing. The group of friends looking at each other, then quickly making a run for the Castle. Hazama landed on the roof, right in time to watch Twilight getting drained of her Magic as well. She had stood before Celestia, Luna and a Third Alicorn, this one Pink, to try and stop the Red centaur from advancing his agenda. Her Magic would probably been enough, if it wasn't for Tirek stealing Hazama's Magic before hand. The slightly glowing chain of the Ouroboros clinked silently as Hazama put his hand in his pocket. He was about to speak out, until Tirek spoke. "Ah! This Magic is perfect. My powers are growing nicely. All that's left is the Three Princesses!" He laughed. Celestia moved forward and glared at Tirek. "How did you get free from Tartarus?" She asked. "Cerberus should have kept you locked in that accursed place for Eternity." Tirek took a step forward, now only a few steps from Celestia. "Yes, I should thank your Knight in Shining Armor, Hazama and his fellow otherworldly friends. Their extensive use of high powered Magic roused me of my slumber, and Mr. Hazama's trip to Tartarus was all the distraction for Cerberus I needed." He spoke. Hazama grit his teeth as he remembered the day he lost his arm. That entire day was almost One giant fuck up, and now Tirek gets added to the mess. He smirked however, as he remembered Wayde's words. 'Learn from your mistakes.' Exactly what he was going to do. "Tirek." He called out just loud enough for everybody to look up at him. The Red centaur doing the same, with his smile showing off his fangs. "Ah, my Green friend! Back up already? Most ponies I drain don't get back up for at least an hour." He chuckled more to himself than anything else. Hazama jumped down, landing between Tirek and Celestia. His Ouroboros curled around Twilight and lifted her gently over toward her teacher. Celestia took over with her Magic, letting the chain spiral around Hazama. "I'm a sturdy guy. Anyways, I challenge you." Hazama replied casually. Tirek looked at him blankly for a second, before breaking out into a fit of laughter. A few moments of laughing later, he stopped, and wiped a tear from his eye. "Of course, I guess I owe you for the sneak attack from earlier. Is right now good for you?" He asked rhetorically as he lifted a hand up, his Orange Magic pulsing to life around it much like a Unicorn horn would. Hazama quickly shook his head. "Not here. Lets take this outside Canterlot." He said, looking around at the many ponies hiding on nooks and crevices, watching them with fear. Tirek looked around, and a light scowl showed on his face. "Fine." He said simply, his Magic pulsed out, and in the blink of an eye, the Three Alicorns, Twilight, Tirek and Hazama were Teleported outside Canterlot. Ironically, only a few hundred yards from the Elements as they made their way back. Tirek let his Magic course through his body, its glow shimmered like heatwaves as it gathered at his horns slowly, almost as if on purpose. Hazama took this time to speak, rather than prepare for the incoming attack. "I wanted to thank you." He said simply. Tirek, and everybody else for that matter, balked at the statement. "What the hell are you doing?! Your actually going to fight him? You have no chance!" Terumi growled, and Hazama his counterpart try to flood his system with his power. He shook it off without a care. "I will, and you'll watch me do it without you. From here on out, keep you power to yourself." Hazama replied coldly. "If it wasn't for you, Tirek, then I would have never remembered something fundamental about myself." He stood there, hand in his pocket. Not a care in the world for the mass of Orange Magic charging into a deadly ball on Tirek's head. "This world has Magic. It's flexible, and easy to use. It's everywhere, and even hangs in the air in generous supply. Yet its not my power. It's just something that I've grown accustomed to using over my stay in this world. My power, is Seither " At that moments a flow of dark Green energy began seeping from Hazama. "And I'm going to show you, just what I can do with it!" The world seemed to stop for a second as he spoke again, his words laced with power. "Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field Deployed! Code S.O.L., BlazBlue, Activate!" Instantly an intricate Magic Circle burst to life on the ground underneath them. In a show of power a wave of Green energy pushed through Tirek, blasting everyone else out of the Circle's radius. Celestia and Luna were shocked at what they felt while in that circle. Even if it was for just an instant, they felt their very life force draining from them. Celestia lit up her horn, and began trying to heal her student, who lay sprawled out before her. The Magic drain was hefty for the Unicorn that relied solely on it. She turned her attention back to her mate, only to cringe at the grin that was present on his face. "Ah.. Now this is something I haven't felt in a while." Hazama muttered just loud enough for others to hear. His arm raised as he flexed his fingers. Besides him an dark Green clawed hand, much like a dragons, rose from the ground into being next to him. It flexed with his fingers, and his smirk turned feral, as he looked over to Tirek. He blinked, and watched the large centaur grin back. "Be sure to make this fun, Hazama. Wouldn't want all your bravado to go to waste." He taunted, as he launched the glowing Orange Magic from his horns, as it shot out as a beam towards Hazama. In a flash, the Green hand rose up in front of Hazama, and blocked the beam. Instantly the hand disintegrated under the power of the beam, and the Magic continued unhindered. However Hazama was no longer standing there, and the beam shot through the air into the horizon. Tirek felt a tab on his shoulder, and turned to look. In an instant he felt a blow to the other side of his head. Hazama had zipped around and spin kicked him on the temple. A rush of Green Seither flowed from his leg like fire as Tirek skidded sideways from the force. Hazama followed through, by letting his Ouroboros wrap around Tirek's leg and he zipped over, in between the centaur's legs in a crouch. Whipping his hand outwards, a lance of hardened Seither shot from his fingers, piercing Tirek's leg. With a deft flick of the wrist, he let the lance shoot to the opposite leg while letting go. In a flourish, he did the same to the other legs, leaving them crisscrossed with Green lances of Seither. With a quick flip and a jump, he spun mid-air to deliver a Seither powered back kick to the top of the dazed centaur's head. Following through with the motions, he reared his fist back, and Seither flared along his arm like flames. Slamming his fist onto the exact same spot, he watched as Tirek stumbled slightly from the pain, and the Seither lances held his legs tight. Spotting his chance, he deftly spun around and delivered a mid-air roundhouse kick to the side of Tirek's head. The flame like Seither exploding fiercely from his leg. Tirek tumbled as his legs were unable to restore his lost balance. Tirek plopped onto the ground with a thud, as Hazama landed gracefully a few yards away, his grin still present. With a grunt, Tirek flexed his Magic and his body's natural strength and shattered the bonds piercing his legs,. He stood, and brushed of some dirt from his shoulder. Giving Hazama a flat look, he spoke. "So this is your power then?" He focused on his life force being forcefully drained, it was minute, but still a problem should this fight last longer than intended. Feeling his life force slipping into Hazama's and strengthening his own was a bit concerning. Such tactics and powers did not seem fitting for one deemed in such high regard for being the good guy. He smiled as he gather more Magic to go on the offensive, it's Orange glow wafting off him. "Your attacks are brutal, your tactics lethal, and your powers are indeed frightening. One would think you to be a villain easier than a hero." Tirek stated, his own curiosity getting the better of him. He watched as Hazama's grin faltered, and fell. Seemingly thinking on his actions so far. His answer surprised all who heard it. "To beat a monster, sometimes you've gotta be One." He said simply. "I don't want to, but I don't have a choice anymore." Tirek was going to ask him to elaborate before he noticed something odd. Hazama's breathing was labored, as if he was the One being beaten into the ground. He was sweating, and he seemed almost to sway in the wind. A grin formed on Tirek's face, as he understood. "Your power. This Seither of yours, you've not used it in ages, haven't you?" He asked. Hazama stiffened ever so slightly, but that was all he needed. He laughed. "You can't control your own power! It's eating away at your stamina faster than you can take mine! What a joke!" He growled as he Teleported over to Hazama. The Green haired man inhaled sharply at the sudden move. He watched as Tirek brought a fist down towards the top of his head. With a quick raise of his arm, a burst of Green flames jutted out from the ground forming a flickering barrier of sorts. The Seither wrapped around Tirek's fist and arm like a flaming snake. Tirek smirked, as he brought his other arm in from the other side. Hazama was locked in place, his hand raised to control the Seither holding back the Magic infused arm before him. He only glanced at the glowing fist coming in from the other side, before he grit his teeth. Hazama was slammed into the ground as Tirek's fist burrowed into his shoulder. Like a rocket, Hazama was shot from the force of the punch, rag dolling along the ground as he bounced like a ball. Slamming his hand into the ground, he flipped himself into the air, only to catch a glimmer of Orange at his side. An explosion shook the ground as Tirek hit Hazama with a blast of Magic. He smirked as he watched a trail of smoke launch from the plume. Landing in a roll, and coughing, was Hazama. His suit slightly charred, and his breathing labored even more than before. "Covering yourself in your power to make a buffer for the blast at the last second.. You are quite the survivor Hazama." Tirek spoke, his voice carrying something akin to respect. Hazama took a few deep breaths before standing. "Jeeze.." He muttered. "Your built like a damn tank!" "What the hell are you doing?! You know he's holding back, so how can you still think you can beat him?!" Terumi called out, the desperation and anxiety filled his words. "Just let me help you!" "Nope." He replied shortly. "Why?! Your going to get us killed you idiot!" Terumi cried out in anger. "Because I have a plan." He spoke out loud, drawing Tirek's attention. "When things look bleak, you bring out everything you have!" He growled, as even more Seither began twisting around his body. "Yorumungando" The Seither surrounding Hazama pulsed, before it layered itself over his body. He now had a layer of Green Seither over every inch of his body. He raised his hand and flexed his finger, as if testing something. He grinned, before not One, but Four Ouroboros chains shot from his sleeve. Each one glowing darkly as they slithered like snakes around the battlefield. In a flash they circled around Tirek as he watched them carefully. One shot towards his leg, but swerved as the centaur raised a hand to catch it, it slid over his body gracefully, as another followed on the other side. He went to smack that One away, but it simply coiled around his arm like a spring. The Third chain serpent slid under him and swiveled around his legs as the Fourth coiled around his neck. The first one had done a few laps around his mid-section, even as he tried to pull of the chains One by One. A flash of Green brought his attention back forward, as a glowing Green hand of Seither popped up from the ground in front of him. It instantly grabbed him by the head, as he heard Hazama speak. "You must be tired, you should lay down" Hazama smirked as the Ouroboros pulled as One. The One wrapped around his legs pulled them all together, as the one on his arm brought his center of balance off as it pulled him to the left. The chain on his neck and the hand both jerked him to the left as well, his body bounced as it was forced down in less than a second. "Zan'eiga!" Tirek felt and saw Hazama flash forwards to his side as he swiped his hand up. A dark Green Seither snake imbedded itself into his side, and launched him into the air. "Gashōkyaku!" The same Seither lit up like flames as Hazama jumped after him. The Green haired man spun mid-air and focused the full force of his flaming kick upwards into Tirek's chest. The centaur was sent flying upwards even further, until he was stopped suddenly. A tugging feeling around his midsection brought his mind back from the blur of action. He looked down, to find the chains that hand wrapped around his torso earlier were imbedded deep into the ground. He was exactly were Hazama wanted him, and his eyes widened. "Ressenga!" Hazama did the same motion only slamming his still flaming leg cracking into his spine from above, launching him downwards. He landed in the same spot he had just been in, he saw his own footprints. Those chains were a nuisance, he would have to deal with them first. He began standing up, sending Magic to his muscles to force the chains to groan as he pushed his legs apart slowly. He heard one snap, and he smirked. Readying himself for one final tug against the now flimsy chains, he was startled by a sudden laugh next to him. He looked to his right only to see Hazama standing there, his Green aura more fiery than before. But it was the man's smile that made him falter the most. Like a child who was given a toy, his smile stretched from One corner of his face to the other, it almost looked impossible. "Mizuchi Rekkazan" His words were like a trigger, as small portals opened up behind him, and small pillars of the fiery Seither rose up and formed Three snake like constructs, each about Twice Hazama's height. They reared back, as Ouroboros chains thrust from the same portals. They acted like whips, each one rapidly slashing at Tirek. small cuts formed all along his arms in a second as he raised his now free arms to block them. Like small lances they pierced into his flesh at all angles, some in his arms, and some in his torso. Hazama began cackling lightly as he waved his arm downwards. His larger constructs now glowing an unhealthy Green, their eyes Black abysses of their own, they moved with his arm. In a flash they pounced, One on his neck, another on an arm, the final on his back. The second they all latched on, they detonated. The blast pushed anyone not ready back a fair bit. Celestia had to catch Twilight lest she fly out into the woods behind them. Luna was standing next to her sister, her eyes full of worry. The Pink Alicorn was standing a little back, nut they all had the same feeling. Something was wrong with this battle. Hazama stood waiting for the smoke to clear, his smile dulling down to a mild smirk. "You okay in there?" He called out. "I completely understand, don't worry. It's been ages since I've used these powers, and even then, I've never used them both at the same time before." He gloated on the outside, but on the inside he knew he should watch himself. He had no idea what the Magic sucking freak would pull next. This thing had Discords powers, or at least his Magic. And from the memories he has, it took himself and Terumi just to hold him off for the Elements to get to him. Yes, he wasn't at full power, but Discord wasn't playing at a hundred percent either. "I must commend you young Hazama. Your powers are both unique and dangerous. But you lack the experience to use them properly in this kind of fight." Tirek spoke as he walked casualy out of the small smoking crater. His wounds healing shut, with chips of Orange Magic cracking off his body and disappearing. He had shielded himself from the brunt of the attack. His Magic was potent, but that was all Tirek had going for him. "Oh? I'm sorry, should I have skipped the warmup?" Hazama asked, his head tilting slightly. Tirek barked out a laugh, before he spoke. "Warmup my boy? I can feel your body shaking from here! You may have the power to put up a fight, but you can't keep it up. Then again, your accursed Runes on the ground have been sucking up quite a bit of my life energy. The fact that I felt even more leave as you attacked just now, meant that you really did just go all out. If you had ever trained these abilities of yours, this fight would have gone very differently." Tirek stated as he stopped a few yards away from Hazama. "Yeah, you don't need to remind me of my carelessness. I know, I got complacent with my Magic. Too used to it being there. You'd think I would have figured this out ages ago. Terumi doesn't use Magic, he never has! That's why you didn't take his powers." Hazama lightly kicked a rock in frustration. "You have no idea how much I want to kick my own ass." "..I hate you. I loath you with my entire being, idiot. You only ever learn important lessons when everything you know is in jeopardy." Terumi growled. "Now let me help you, we can beat him, together." Terumi grumbled. "As much as I like this fight, the combination of your Runes, attacks, and apparent adaptability, I must end this. Perhaps we will duel again after I rule over this entire world." Tirek spoke, as Orange and Red energy flowed over his body as he gathered a massive amount of Magic. Hazama could only stare, as he felt the Magic wash over him, as it flowed over the arena they had set up. His eyes widened when the circle that represented his BlazBlue shattered upon full contact with the Magic. The shock of the backlash knocked the wind out of him, and caused his focus to slip away from his Over Drive, his Green aura falling away. Hazama looked up, eyes wild with fear. Tirek had crushed his power with just a flex of what he was holding back! "Don't just stand there!" Terumi called out, snapping Hazama out of his fear filled trance, but it was pointless. In an a flash of Orange, he felt a pressure on his back, and then pain. He was buried into the ground as he was pushed forwards, carving a trench with his own body as the beam of Magic that connected to his back pushed him at an angle. All he heard was Tirek's laughter, everything else was white noise. He felt the burns on his back, and the feeling of what could only be broken ribs. Everything else was numb, probably from the pure Magic that had even started melting the rocks around him. He heard Celestia and that other mare scream, and he felt a rush of Magic pulsing outwards. He had taken their Magic, and Luna was next. His one reason for fighting was in danger. "Just take my power you fucking idiot!" Terumi called out. Hazama chuckled lightly, despite spitting up a bit of blood. "It won't be enough." He stated simply. He pushed himself up, and out of the crater. His body rejecting the movement, yet he pushed on. "Then what are you going to do? Huh?! You gonna walk up to him and get us killed?!" Terumi screamed in rage. Hazama stood up, and looked over to Tirek, who was walking closer to Luna. "No, I'm gonna show him not to corner a wounded animal." Hazama took a step forward, and almost collapsed, barely holding himself up. He looked ragged, but he still had his smile on his face. "The fuck does that mean?!" "Tirek!" He called out. He watched was Tired let out a sigh, before turning around. His eyes narrowed at the wounded man before him. Something was strange. He looked hurt, he seemed hurt, yet he was smiling like he wasn't. "When everything you have doesn't work, you give more." Hazama said, slowly standing straight. "That's literally impossible you dumbass!" Terumi called out, confused at his alter ego's words. Tirek didn't understand as well. "Since I'm almost positive I'm gonna die here, I have Three choice words before I do this." Hazama grinned. "H-hazama.." Celestia called out weakly. "Don't.." Tirek was now even more confused, and was now bordering angry at the lack of information. "How the fuck does she know what the fuck you doing?! I fucking hate you!" Terumi raged even more. Until Hazama placed his hand on his own chest. "Don't you dare.." He muttered. "That was your plan all along.. You.. You planned something like this would happen, even back then?!" Hazama Fazed his hand right into his chest, and with a grunt, he pulled out a shining Gemstone. The Crystal that kept his powers in control, had only one loophole in its Enchantments. If he were to take it out himself, the gem couldn't do anything to stop him. Holding the vibrantly glowing gem in his hand, he looked to Tirek. "Go Fuck Yourself" He crushed the Gem in his hand. The change was immediate. The world around them changed. A Green hue was the only real color left, as a pillar of Green light shot up into the sky. The Elements felt it first. The air was different. It had a weight to it now. It was hard for them to breath. The feeling quickly spread through the area, not stopping even as the light began dying down. Hazama stood there, like nothing had happened. Literally. His wounds were gone, even his suit was back to normal. The most prominent change however, was the slim, Black and Green arm in place of his missing one. It looked exactly like the Ones he summoned earlier from the ground, only it looked to be acting as his new arm. It was small and thin like a real arm, just made from Seither. He raised it up and gave a quick flex, before turning to Tirek. His hair and hat completely shadowed his eyes, not a trace of them could be seen. "What new power is this then, Hazama?" Tirek asked, curious of the man's new arm. He was taken by surprise when said man was instantly in his face, rearing back a fist. Tirek went to block it, but in a burst of Seither, the man's arm burst forward, faster than before. The blow lacked the Seither itself behind it, but the speed drove the fist further than it did before. A flash of Green, and an invisible kick connected with his head. Tirek gathered some Magic, but not before getting Three more explosive punches to the gut. He let the Magic release in a wall and pushed it away as to force the Green haired man away from him. He took a breath, his wounds healing. "Impressive, you use the explosive power of your Seither to launch your limbs at lightning speeds, doing more damage than before without the extra power. I admit, your new tactic is brutal." He called over to Hazama. The man didn't respond at all, simply got back into his fighting stance. Tirek watched as the mans physical arm, the one that had done the punching, dripped blood. Having split the skin from punching with no reinforcements. It faded from view, then in an instant it was back, good as new, not a drop of blood or rips in the flesh to be seen. Hazama's regeneration was better than his own! He blinked, and Hazama was gone. Tirek looked left, only to feel something crash into his skull. His eyes had spots in them as he tried to settle his head. However, another blow threw him back a bit. This one was aimed at his shoulder, and it was hit at seemingly both sides at once, front and back. He looked around, the man was nowhere to be seen. Another crack to the skull brought his vision downwards, just in time to see Hazama land in front of him. His legs were covered in the Green flames. One of the legs lifted as the flames exploded downwards, and in an instant he was gone again. He was using the same technique on his legs to explosively increase his speed! Another crushing blow to the head and Tirek growled as he gather more Magic than he thought he needed. His body glowed Orange, as he began to release it. Suddenly, Hazama appeared in front of him, his Seither arm arched back. Tirek let out a guttural roar as he let the Magic go. Hazama swung his arm, the Green arm flashing to life, increasing in size, and an instant later, it disappeared as he swung it at his wall of Magic. He was going to laugh at the poor idiot for challenging him again, however, he was stopped short. A deep cut appeared on One of his horns, and the Magic that was set to go off, disappeared as well. Hazama's arm flashed back into existence, but it carried a clear Orange glow. The Green flames pushed the Orange from it, and the Orange fell to the ground like wet dirt, only to shoot off into the air. Tirek watched as what he now knew to be his Magic flew into Celestia's horn. Tirek's eyes widened, and he focused on Hazama once again. "How?! How did you strip me of my Magic?" He growled, his own fear beginning to surface. Instead of answering him, Hazama launched himself at Tirek, his Seither arm ready again. Out of instinct, Tirek stepped back and conjured up his usual laser blast. Launching it, he grew more panicked as Hazama simply slashed at the Magic with his disappearing arm, and another slash appeared on his horn. He felt another section of his Magic was cleaved from himself from the connection he had to his stolen Magic. The Magic soared over to the Pink Alicorn of Love and into her own horn. Some even went further back and into Twilight's. Tirek's eyes narrowed as he stood tall once again, allowing his hold on his Magic to slip. If he would steal the Magic back, then he wouldn't use it. Tirek took a step forward, but was stopped by a crushing blow to one of his legs. This one had small burns on it. Before he could address the problem, another blow to his back grabbed his attention. He felt the burn, and grit his teeth. Without his Magic backing him up, his body was being torn apart. A spark of an idea flashed through his head, as he pushed his Magic into his body itself. He just couldn't fire it, he could out last Hazama if he did this right. With a grunt, he slammed his fist onto the ground, and he watched the ground upheave a bit from the force. But he felt it again. The pulling and slashing of his Magic. But how?! He turned, and saw Hazama with his arm poised at the ground. He had attached himself to the trace amounts of his Magic in the ground? He watched as the Green haired man rose up from his crouch, and looked to swing his non-existent arm. In a flash, the arm reappeared Once again, and he felt his horn drop off from the top of his head. A large portion of his Magic dropped from his total amount, and he realized, that without a decent enough amount of Magic, he couldn't hold The Magic of the Pagasi and Earth Ponies anymore. Hazama had shaved off Discords power, which was enough for the difference. Tirek shrunk down, to about the size of an Alicorn, and he growled, in both anger and fear. Hazama stood there, waiting for him to use Magic again. And he would, but now that he was smaller, he was faster. And that meant he could win, as long as Discord didn't come and ruin the fight. Tirek pushed Magic into his body, and watched as Hazama rushed forward, like clockwork. He knew the arm of his was still there, just invisible when it took his Magic. He needed to watch it, judge it's trajectory and dodge it. IF he could do that, he could win. Hazama was slowing down again. And quickly at that. Tirek jumped to the right, dodging the arm, as it crashed into the ground, it didn't go invisible this time. He watched Hazama glance at his own hand, the fingers had started to Petrify. He watched with morbid fascination as the stone cracked away and his arm faded. When it reappeared, his arm was coated in more stone than before. Tirek stood up straight, watching the struggle against Petrification unfold in front of him. "Your time is up. You did well, much better than I ever would have guessed. But in the end you still failed." He said, as he pulled more Magic from his core, charging another beam, ready to vaporize the poor creature in front of him that had tried so hard only to die anyway. This triggered a reaction from Hazama, as he stood straight, clenching his fist before it turned to stone, followed by the rest of his arm. He rushed forward, surprising Tirek Once more. He grabbed onto Tirek's face, the Seither reacting to the action and lighting his arm up in the same flames as earlier. With a scream, the first sound since this odd transformation, he glowed Green. Tirek felt his Magic, he felt it being torn from him. He was thrown back by the force, as he shrunk back down to his feeble form, unable to even cast a levitation spell. No taller than the average stallion, as he hunched over. He looked up and saw something that put a grin on his face. Hazama was completely petrified. His arm was still held out, and his face frozen in a scream. Tirek walked over, and grabbed a rock. He could still win, he just needed to- "No, you've outlived your purpose to me." A soft yet monotone voice called from behind him. Tirek turned, only to drop his rock in shock. "You?! What are you doing-" "Vanish" The voice said simply. Tirek let out a screech of pain, as he was vaporized on the spot. The only trace of him left was the horn that was cut off in the battle. The new figure walked over to Hazama and stared at his statue. A ways away, Luna finally found her voice, even as she stood by her downed sister and her apprentice. "Who are you? What do you want?" She asked carefully, unwilling to anger the One who killed Tirek so quickly. The figure turned around as she walked around Hazama's statue. She had incredibly long Purple hair, deep Red eyes and wore clothes that looked like a princess would wear. "My name is Izanami. And this New Hazama intrigues me." She said as she poked his statue. Instantly the stone encasing him fell apart liked a cracked eggshell, and he fell into the girls waiting arms. She turned to look at the One pony fully conscious at the time, and looked her in the eyes. Luna met her gaze, before her eyes lost their shine and she fell sleep on the spot, falling onto her sister. Izanami blinked, and she was back in her home in the Void. She laid Hazama on a bed that formed instantly as she laid him down and made sure the Void knew not to eat her guest. She then stared at him, waiting for him to wake up. She was Immortal and Timeless after all. She could wait.. > Prepare for War! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazama found himself floating in what he could only assume was the same White Void from before when he met Faust. He had no idea where he was but he knew something had happened. His fight with Tirek was a little foggy near the end, his full power was a bit much to take in all at once. Almost immediately after letting it out, he felt his head buzz with thoughts that didn't seem like his own. But they weren't Terumi's either. At the time he didn't care, as his body seemed to move on instinct and used a ferocious attack style that he had never thought of. Even going so far as to use his Ghosting ability to heal the more superficial wounds that the punches caused. His mind wandered back to the thoughts that flooded his mind. They were short, but they held purpose. There were so many that it was impossible to focus on just one. Yet at the same time, there was one that stood out. And it kept asking him the same question. *Do you wish for more power? There was so much going on at the time that the words were lost in the mass of his own thoughts, only small traces remained like a dream you couldn't quite remember. "..Wake up!" A voice echoes though the White Void, causing his focus to waver slightly. But now that he really thought about it, he could feel like he already knew what had spoken to him. It was so familiar to him yet foreign, almost like the- "Get the Fuck up!" Wham! ----Mindscape---- Hazama jolted up from the ground, and found himself looking at a smirking Terumi. Nightmare stood beside him, the fanged grin shone like the mirth in her eyes. Hazama sighed, and laid back down. "Did you have to? I was in the middle of something important.. I think.." Hazama's brow furrowed in concentration, yet for all he could try, he couldn't remember what it was he was thinking about. "Right, you can't feel the death looming on out front door." Terumi paused like he was thinking of something, but let out a sigh himself. "Izanami" He watched as Hazama's eye cracked open in surprise, before it closed and he let out a groan of anguish. "Jesus.. Where do they come from?" He muttered under his breath. "Dearest who is this Izanami that you keep speaking of?" Nightmare asked, as she sat down. "Closest thing to a God that you can have aside from Faust herself." Terumi answered. Hazama felt a chill go down his spine, but he couldn't place why. He groaned again, as he sat up, holding his head with his One hand. He only idly noted that the Seither construct he had made was gone. His head was buzzing, even as he made to stand up. "So, uh-" Terumi's voice caught his attention. Lightly shaking his head to rid himself of the strange feeling, he looked over to Terumi. The man was hunched over next to his Mate, and she was apparently making fun of him. "Come on now, your the One who said you wanted to." She chided him. He grumbled a bit under his breath, and he looked up. An annoyed look on his face. "Look, I'm sorry about the whole 'not giving you my power' thing. You needed help and I didn't give it." Terumi said, his voice oddly somber. Hazama studied Terumi for a bit, as if thinking something over. "That's not my problem. If that was all it was, you know I would have just thrown your apology over my shoulder with a smile." Hazama's face tightened, and the sound of grinding teeth was heard. "No, what makes this unforgivable, is that you would risk everything I've worked for, everything I've done.. For revenge, and a small chance of getting out." Hazama said softly, as he relaxed slightly. "Well congratulations, you've taken away One of my failsafe's should you ever get out." Terumi growled slightly. "One?!" Terumi called out angrily, but was stopped suddenly. In a flash of movement Hazama crossed the distance between them, and he held Terumi by his collar, his eye shining dangerously under the shadow of his hat. "You ever try anything like that again, and I will Ghost us through the planet into its goddamned core, am I clear?" He hissed through clenched teeth. Terumi stared Hazama in the eyes, his grin returning as he clenched his fist tightly. Letting his fist fly into Hazama's cheek, he was surprised. The only motion that was made from the contact, was Hazama spitting a little blood off to the side. The arm holding him up didn't so much a twitch. He grunted, and let another punch fly. Terumi felt the hand let go of his collar, as he watched Hazama duck the punch. He went to kick off the hat wearing idiot, but found no footing as he kicked at the air. He felt something clamp on his throat like a vice, and his vision swam faster than he could blink. He felt his head slam into the ground, cracking the stone floor that they stood on. He focused his vision, and smirked at the sight. Hazama held his hand on his throat like a vice, his eye still shining with an ethereal Gold mixed with Green. "What?!" Nightmares voice called out. Terumi glanced in her direction, and snarled. A Green Seither hand had sprouted from the ground and trapped her like it was a cage. "Let her- Urk!" Terumi gasped as the grip tightened around his neck. The Seither construct tightened its grip on Nightmare at the same time. "Am. I. Clear?" Hazama's tone was calm, yet full of venom. Terumi inhaled the best he could, and glared at the man holding him down. "Crystal." He choked out. In a swift motion, he was lifted up and thrown away from Hazama, Nightmare following as the Seither construct flung her in the same direction. Terumi landed as gracefully as he could, and caught his Mate from her fall. Letting her stand up next to him, the Two glared over at Hazama, as he stood there with his hand rubbing his sore jaw. It took a few minutes for the tension in the room to settle. "So, wanna tell me what that was? Or do we have to get physical again?" Terumi asked, his tone full of impatience. They watched Hazama crouch down, resting his arm along his knees. "..If the roles were reversed. Would you blame me?" Hazama asked softly. Terumi scoffed. "Of course not-" He was interrupted once again. "If you were have a child with Nightmare, and said child was endangered at the same time as Nightmare.. You wouldn't do everything in your power to help her?" Hazama's words cut right through whatever he was about to say. He knew he would. He would have tore that Red Centaur to pieces, if he had the chance. "You would have won, you know." Hazama's voice broke through again. "You will always have the advantage in a fight. There aren't too many fights that have an abundance of good feelings in them. I'm always at a goddamned handicap when I fight.." Hazama explained. "Can I ask for your help in fighting Izanami?" Terumi merely nodded his head, even as Nightmare sighed loudly. She would never understand this Sibling-like Rivalry the Two had. "Good, because Izanami is number One on my list of Women I'ld like to never fight alone" Hazama laughed lightly. "Your God is a Mare?!" Nightmare growled out. "...There's a list?" Terumi asked, his curiosity piqued. "List later, I demand to know what this harlot looks like and what she wants with you Two!" Nightmare asked ferociously. Hazama's eyebrow quirked at his addition to her statement. Why did she care about him? "Right, right. Terumi snapped his fingers, and an image of Izanami began forming. "She's only interested in things that can help her destroy everything, so I guess she wants out help." He shrugged, before getting tackled to the ground. He was confused and angry at Hazama for bowling him over like that, before he spoke. "Stop! Don't you remember who were dealing with here?!" Terumi had a second at most to register his error before the image of Izanami finished, and then solidified. It took a few steps forward and looked around. Hazama stood quickly, helping his counterpart up at the same time. "That image is quite.. Realistic. This is the harlot? She does not look so tough." Nightmare spoke, catching the image's attention. "Oh? You have multiple souls in your head? Interesting." The image spoke in a soft monotone. "Shit.." Terumi grumbled as he carefully and slowly slid himself in front of Nightmare. "Izanami. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Hazama asked, his usual smile back. "Just making sure my new Toy wasn't broken, you were taking a long time to wake up." She said simply. "Toy?!" Nightmare shouted out of shock. Izanami turned her attention to the once who spoke, and an almost invisible frown on her face. Before she could move though, Terumi stepped up into her sightline. "Terumi? Are you trapped here? Your memories and Hazama's are both mixed in here. Its hard to get a clear read on who's is who's." She spoke, turning to look at Hazama again. "Your memories are most difficult to read properly. But if I stay here long enough, I will understand why your so different from what I expected." "Your digging through our head?" Terumi asked in a low growl. "Of course, but your most prominent memories keep getting in my way. Why are you so intimate with members of another species?" She asked, ignoring the red flush across Nightmares face. "Your looking at out more personal memories?" Hazama asked, his smile fading into a slight frown. "How else would I find your weak points?" She said simply, before pausing. "You both have a child on the way." Hazama and Terumi bristled at the comment, and Nightmare's eyebrow rose at her comment. Before she could say anything however, she was blown back by a wave of Energy. Both Terumi and Hazama had flared their respective powers. "Get out of our head!" The Two shouted, and in a flash of brilliant Green the area around them was obliterated. ----The Void----- Hazama opened his eyes and back flipped off of whatever he was laying on. He landed in his fighting stance, but quickly sagged forwards a fair bit, as he began breathing heavily. His eyes widened as he looked around, recognizing the Void around him, no wonder he felt physically drained. All around him was that inky blackness that you shouldn't be able to see through, yet small lights shone through like the night sky. In front of him stood the diminutive form of Izanami, in all her priestess clothing. She simply stood there, looking into his eyes with that blank look of hers. "Alright then." Hazama spoke first, straightening himself up as he spoke. He felt a bit more at ease the longer he stayed in the Void. "Now that we've met properly, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Hazama, former human from Earth, and protector of this Equestria." He bowed politely. Izanami stood there for a few seconds, before replying. "You already know about me, and what I want. So why would I need to introduce myself?" She asked, before a small, almost invisible frown appeared on her face. "And its that prior knowledge of yours that has me interested. Not many people know of my existence, let alone my true goals of destruction. Those that do find out, are killed without question." She cocked her head slightly to the side. "How do you know of me?" She asked. A light chuckle was heard from Hazama, as he smirked. "Lets just say that your more easily read up on than you think." He said cryptically with a grin. "All of this information is common knowledge then? Then the 'Earth' you come from is more dangerous than I thought." She mumbled loudly to herself. "I wouldn't say common, more, easily found for anybody knowing where to look. But never mind all that. What did you pull me into the Void for?" He asked calmly. "I simply wished to judge how to handle you. You don't act like the Hazama from my world, and you've even managed to befriend Yuki Terumi. You are smart, almost too smart. While I was in your head, I looked through quite a few of your 'back-up' plans. You have plans to handle every person from my world, and even some from the ponies own world. Tirek was an unknown to you, as I had figured, and used him to gauge your powers and abilities." She explained. "Did that bitch just say we were fucking friends? I'll kill her. I'll kill her and watch her burn." Hazama chuckled at Terumi's half hearted complaint. "Easy there, using the word 'friend' will open a can of worms I don't want to deal with right now. Regardless of that, I was wondering if-" Hazama was stopped short, as his body seemed to stop working aside from a slight tingling. It felt as if everything was frozen besides Izanami. "And this is how I need to take you down. You should be honored that it took my ability to work outside of Time to kill you." She said, raising her hand facing her palm towards him. "She can just, stop time.. Just like that?! I though there would be at least a fucking warning or some shit!" Terumi called out agitatedly. "Any chance you can help? I'm stuck like this. I can't even summon the Ouroboros!" Hazama began worrying. "We're tied to each other you dumbass! If you cant move, then neither can I!" Terumi seethed, his anger boiling. But it wouldn't help. "I will never understand why you chose to help these ponies. They will only die like everything else. Nothing that dies is worthy of existing, so I must eliminate everything that defiles this universe with Life." Izanami began charging her attack, Yellow Seither gathering at her palm. "You are the same, Hazama. From a different world or not, you will still die In the end." "And now she's fucking monologuing?!" Terumi's anger began saturating the very air around Hazama's body. *Do you want to fight? "..What? What was-" "Try all you want, you cannot match my ability. All your power is wasted when you cant move." She stated calmly. "Now, die." She released the ball of Seither in her hand, and it soared through the air. "I swear to fucking god, I will destroy you!" Terumi roared inside Hazama's head. *Do you want to protect? The strange voice called out through the Void again, snapping Hazama's eyes open. "I will protect them! Everyone!" In a blinding flash of Yellow, the Seither erupted with insane velocity. Izanami didn't even blink, as she let time resume. Her head cocked sideways, as she saw Hazama's body laying on the ground through the smoke. "You are.. More durable than I thought possible. No matter, nothing a second blast won't cure." She gathered more Seither in her hand. "Hah.. You're gonna have to.. Try a little harder than that!" Hazama coughed up a substantial amount of blood as he struggled to move. Getting to his knees, he sent a glare at Izanami as blood dribbled down the corners of his mouth. "Fine then, harder it is." Izanami froze time again, pulling more of her near limitless Seither into the attack. A slight cracking noise garnered her attention. She watched in amazed fascination as an ever so slight Purple glow began shining from Hazama's chest. It spread, until it covered his entire body. She couldn't help but gasp slightly, as she watched Hazama lurch forward in a half step. A shattering noise was all the indication of him breaking her hold over his time. He stumbled a bit, as he stood as straight as he could. He looked up at her, his face still set in a glare. "Why do you have to be such a cliché huh?" He grumbled angrily. "Life sucks, do you think we don't know that?" In a flash of Dark Green Seither, Hazama's Seither arm appeared. In its grip was an already forming ball of a dangerous looking combination of Green Seither and bolts of Purple flaring from it. "We choose to go on, regardless!" The ball of Seither began shining brightly, "Some of us don't have time to die! Cause people count on us to survive!" He roared as he threw the ball of Seither at Izanami. It pulsed as it left his hand, before it bulged to the size of beach ball. Izanami didn't even flinch as she launched her own attack. As if rising to the occasion, the Green and Purple ball pulsed again, before bulging out to Four times its size. Her eyes widened as she glanced back at Hazama. Hazama had opened his left eye, it's color now a glowing Purple, as wisps of Green and Purple energy seeped into the open air. Her attack was met full force with Hazama's own, and watched as it bounced of his with almost no effort. The ball of Seither was radiating power, the amount even surprised her a little. She smiled. Nothing surprised her anymore. She would enjoy fighting Hazama. She was engulfed in the ball of Seither as it exploded. When it was all over, and the smoke was cleared, she was still standing in the exact same spot. The only visual response to her getting hit by the attack was her slightly charred skin that healed over fairly quick. When she looked over to Hazama, she couldn't help but let the small smile transform into a full grin. Hazama was gone. She would have to hunt him. ----With Hazama---- Hazama fell to the ground, hard. His wounds were deep and due to how and where they were made, he couldn't just regenerate like he liked. Sitting up the best he could, he spat out a glob of blood onto the metallic floor he found himself on. Looking around, he found the area to be familiar. Only now did he realize that somebody was yelling out behind him. "We need to go in and out of universes One-One-Nine through Two-Zero-Seven, keep the times and places as sporadic as possible!" The voice called over the slight whirring of machine. Hazama grunted as he made motion to stand, catching the familiar Brown pony's attention. "Stay down! The hit you took was meant to destabilize your body. You were never meant to fight Izanami at this point in time! Why is everything you do ahead of schedule?!" The Doctor's words came out as more worried than agitated. "Doctor, I've got the first aid kit!" The sound of Ditzy's voice was almost enough to make Hazama hug her, but he knew it wasn't his Ditzy. "Perfect, I need you to make sure he doesn't move around-" "I'm fine." Hazama cut in, his eye still cracked open from the fight, letting the Two ponies get a glimpse of the Purple color. It seemed to draw a serious reaction from the Doctor, as he turned on a dime to face Him fully, his hoof reaching up for his necktie. "Computer, run scan. Subject: Hazama." He called out shakily. *Scan complete, Subject Hazama is saturated in Null Particles. Removal impossible. "W-what?! How?" The Doctor asked no one in particular. In a flash his Sonic Screwdriver was in his hoof again. *Dodge to the left A sharp pain caused by the words in Hazama head made him lean to the left while wincing slightly. A blast of some kind of energy whizzed by his head, and connected with the wall behind him. He rubbed his head as he sent a glare towards the Doctor. "I don't have time for this crap right now. You can try to kill me some other time, but your plan wont work. She'll find me no matter what. She knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get me. I need you to bring me to the most barren planet you can, as quick as you can." The Doctor seemed confused, as he lowered his Sonic Screwdriver. "Why aren't you attacking me? In every other universes you attack me as soon as your fully saturated-" "I told you I was different. We need to hurry, Time isn't something the TARDIS can keep from Izanami." Hazama interrupted the Doctor. The Doctor stared at him for a few seconds, before trotting over to a consol. He began typing up a few things, before turning around again. The door behind Hazama opened up, revealing an oddly dark yet Orange light. As he walked out, he looked up. Above him hung the Sun and the Moon, yet they looked as if they had collided forcefully. "There, this Equestria was the one that got caught in the crossfire of Nightmare Moon and Solar Queen. The Two went all out in their battle, and broke their pacts with the Celestial Bodies that made up their Magic. With no shade, and no real sunlight, nothing grew, and all plant life dwindled to nothing over the course of a hundred years. Now the only thing alive on this cursed Equestria, are Two broken, Immortal Alicorns. They'll probably leave you alone." The Doctor turned and walked back into the TARDIS. "I've got some stuff to do, I'll be back where I can" Hazama's face contorted to confusion as the door began shutting. "Don't you mean 'When" you can?" He asked. The Doctor smirked. "Since when has that been a problem?" He laughed lightly at the slight scowl on Hazama's face. The TARDIS closed its door ad vanished in a second flat after that. Hazama glared at the empty space it had occupied. "Dick.." He muttered, before he sat on the dry ground. With a stray thought, he flicked his wrist, and One of his Tokens whipped out into the horizon. If he had time, he would help out, but just in case, he'd rather be able to find this world again. He took a deep breath and relaxed into the slight slouch that felt good on his back, before breathing as deeply as he could. He pushed all his focus from outside his body, towards the inside. Soon enough, he found what he needed. Connecting himself to his power, he felt it tug him towards it, like a black hole. A slight frown appeared on his face as he pushed deeper, and soon found himself inside his mind again. Still sitting down, he could feel Terumi staring at him. "The hell are you doing?" Terumi asked calmly, only a slight annoyance lingered in his voice. Hazama cracked an eye open, Gold met Green in a small stare off. "I've recently acquired a modicum of new power that could destroy us, I'm currently trying to see why I went Berserker Mode in the fight against Tirek" Hazama said, his eye closed in concentration. "Shortly after, I began hearing the new voice." He added. Terumi cocked his head to the side as he walked around to Hazama's back. "I haven't heard jack shit, you sure your okay? We kinda have to fight a living God soon, so I need you to be able to focus here." Terumi cracked a joke, as he sat down, his back meeting Hazama's as he matched his doppelgangers position as he closed his eyes. "That's half the reason I came in here. Now shut up and lets do this." Hazama grumbled. "Damn right, I don't want to do this as much as you do, idiot.." Terumi growled. A grunt from both of them was the only warning that was given. In a swirl of wind they both focused on their respective powers, each different in polarity, yet similar in make. Having a feel for their own power and feeling the others close by, they sat there, meditating for the first time together, for what felt like hours. When One would let the levels drop slightly, the other would follow. Even pulsing their power at different times, although difficult at first, was soon added to the routine. For the first time since they had arrived on Equestria, they were working together. After what felt like days, they both stood up and grinned at each other. Terumi's glowing Green eyes met Hazama's cracked open Golden one. "So, I assume we did that so we would be able to address the elephant now in the room?" Terumi glanced upwards. But was surprised by Hazama's answer. "No, that was training for something I want to try later. I already knew it was here. I'm more surprised it took you that long to sense it." Hazama turned around. "So? What exactly are you?" Out of the ground shot Hazama's Ouroboros. Or rather, the new and improved version. *You already know "Then enlighten me, jackass" Terumi growled, getting irritated already. *We are a collective though that originates from where you call the Void "Can you tell me why you gave me power? If it wasn't for you, then I'd be floating in the Void dead." Hazama asked simply. However, it was met with silence in the form of a long pause. *You are unique.. No, you are interesting. You wish for power not for yourself, but simply to protect those you care for. If you don't need the power, then you don't use it. If you don't have enough, you make more. Your sacrifices are great yet you gain nothing. You are.. Interesting Hazama couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the reason. "Right on all accounts but One. I gain all I need, a family and friends that believe in me. I don't need anything but that to be happy." Hazama paused slightly, before turning to Terumi. "Hey about what Izanami said earlier.." he trailed off on purpose. Terumi glanced quickly at Nightmare, before nodding. Hazama cocked his head to the side questioningly. "Rewind" Was all Terumi said. "Rewind? Oh right!" Hazama snapped a finger as he figured it out. "That god damned mirror bullshit that ruined both our days back with Discord.." He paused once more, before smirking at Terumi. "Your welcome. I'm actually surprised you haven't tried beating me to death yet. I did Technically get your girl pregnant." Hazama said, his smirk getting bigger as Terumi's disappeared. "You ruined it. We were actually communicating like actual people, and you've made me need to cave your face inside your skull." Terumi's voice was calm, despite the venom behind them. "Consider this payback for Tirek." Hazama stated calmly. Terumi immediately calmed, and glared at the ground. "Your a total pain." Terumi grumbled. "Says the man who hasn't told his mate that she's pregnant " At Terumi's slightly scared look, he continued. "She would have never let you gamble on her unborn child like you did. You planned on forcing your power when I got knocked out. I know how you think." Hazama smirked. "And I'll never understand the way you think. Terumi sighed. Hazama gave him a pat on the shoulder before turning around facing the floating Ouroboros chain. It's length flickering in and out like it had trouble keeping it's physical form. "So, what do I call you? You came from the Void, and took up residence in my Nox Nyctores, I feel like you should have a name that isn't the same as the weapon that you originate from." Hazama asked the chain. It seemed to think for a second before replying. *Sakkaku Kusari. I believe it means 'Illusion Chain' in the Language you call Japanese "Right, not bad actually. I'm going to call you Saku while we're alone. Hazama grinned. *But that means 'Bloom'. Why would you name me this? "It's not a name per say, it's a nick name. Sakkaku Kusari is a mouthful to say when I'm not introducing you. In battle, I will introduce you as my new Nox Nyctores: Sakkaku Kusari. His grin split even wider as the chain nodded at his explanation. He turned to Terumi, who was chuckling to himself. "You just have to make friends with anything that talks, don't you? Terumi snarled almost playfully. "Well, I try at least. Anyway, we need to use our remaining time to get our sync in the real world, see ya on the other side!" Hazama smiled as he vanished. Terumi simply sat back down on the ground, closing his eyes. He heard the chain, Saku, dive into the ground, probably to keep tabs on Hazama. His face split in half by his grin as he forced his power out towards his landlords own. He couldn't wait to see what the man was planning, it was always something new and crazy. They would need it if they were going to fight Izanami. They would need a miracle. ----A few hours later---- Hazama lay on the ground, head propped up on a rock. A light snoring escaped his lips as he slept. He may not need to sleep often, but all the repeated fighting had taken a lot out of the man. A small thumping sound woke him from his light slumber. He looked to his left, and noted the standing forms of Ponies he recognized. Only with a few key differences. In front of him stood the forms of Celestia and Luna. Each of their manes lay flat on their heads, not a trace of the Magic that usually flowed through them. They both stood defensively, and a good Twenty yards away in the slight shadow of a tree. Luna looked ragged, and worn down. Scuff marks and small singe spots all over her fur, and he could see faint scars running through her fur down her side. Her eyes, although wary of him, held no fight in them. Celestia looked equally beaten down, not as many scorch marks, but more scuff marks were visible. Both of them were missing their cutie marks on their flanks. It looked like they were forcibly removed by a powerful laser or something of that regard. "Right then.." He mumbled to himself. He slowly made his way off the ground, making sure his movements were slow and deliberate. Even going so far as to stretch and yawn. The Two former-Princesses looked on warily as he moved. "Who are you?" It was Celestia that broke the silence. He looked in her eyes, and found a small glimmer of curiosity underneath her deadened look. "My name is Hazama. I come from another Universe. Regrettably I don't have a lot of time to explain much, but I can do that later. Right now, however, I ask you: Do you wish to redeem yourselves?" Hazama asked simply. Both Alicorns looked confused at his words, but it was Luna that scoffed lightly at him. "And how would you, of all things be able to do that? We killed everything on Equis! All because we couldn't feel happy with what we had.." Luna simmered back down into her depressed look. Celestia nuzzled the top of her sister's head, as she spoke next. "We chose our own fate, we must deal with it accordingly." She seemed resolute, but it made Hazama smile slightly. "But you feel guilty, yes?" He asked. "If I took you away, to my Universe, you can try to work off the debt you owe. It won't be the same, but it would at least be something. There's no reason to sit here and wait for your non-existent deaths. What would your subjects say to you if they saw their Princesses loathing in self hate?" He continued. "How dare you?!" Luna spoke up, her eyes flaring in anger. "You know you made a mistake. One you wont ever make again. So learn from your mistakes, and try to help others do the same. By being there for others in ways you haven't. You'll gain nothing if you don't even try!" Hazama growled. Luna backed down, tears swelling up in her eyes. "If they know about what we did, then why would they listen to us? What your asking is for us to repay millions of lives.. It's impossible!" Celestia countered, as she sagged her head down a bit. "I never said it would be easy. But, nothing is impossible! It's only impossible if you make it so. Hell, I've Died before!" A sudden feeling of dread washed over him, making him shudder. "Sakkaku, can you open a portal to my Universe?" He asked aloud. The flickering snake chain slithered from his collar and with a gleam of its eyes, a small portal opened up. A small gasp was heard from both sides of the portal. Both came from their respective Celestia's, as he waved to his Tia on the other side. She seemed to focused on the strange window to another world than Hazama, as she simply waved back as she glanced around the area around him. With a nod, he motioned for the Two awestruck Alicorns. With a quick motion, the chain wrapped around them and pulled them towards the portal. "I'll bring you back after I'm done here, if that's what you want, I just don't need anybody in the way at the moment. Sorry! Love you Tia! Say hi to Luna for me!" He called out to his Celestia through the portal, as the Two Alicorns were dropped through the portal. An indignant cry came from the portal before it closed. Hazama rubbed a temple.. It's going to be a long night when he gets back. "You sure do care a lot for these equines.. Why?" The monotone of Izanami broke his thoughts. He sighed as he turned around. "For some reason, I don't think you'll understand even if I tell you. You act like a child that doesn't understand something, throwing it away instead of figuring it out. I doubt you even understand basic emotions anymore, since you gave up on those so long ago, that you don't even remember them." Hazama scowled. However, his words made a smile form on Izanami's face, however small it was. "Your the first one to talk to me like that. Prove to me that your willpower super cedes my own. Give me a fight worth remembering Hazama of Earth!" She called out, as she began expelling a massive amount of Seither. The same shiver from earlier came back as Hazama began sweating slightly. "Shit.. This is gonna suck" He said, as an explosion rocketed him backwards. Catching himself, he realized that was just her releasing her power.. He could no longer feel her Seither at all. And then she disappeared. "Scratch that. I'm royally fucked.." He mumbled, as he prepared for what would probably be the shortest fight he ever had. > Headbutting Walls > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A burst of air behind him was all the warning Hazama had gotten before he was sent flying forward. He bounced and flipped a few times before landing on his feet shakily, as he slid back a bit. He shook his head to rid himself of the cobwebs the hit had brought. He regained his composure and looked back at where he was hit from. There, standing on what looked like a Magic circle, was Izanami, just floating there with a bored look on her face. Hazama couldn’t help the defeated sigh that escaped his lips. “I assume you’d like me to fight back then? I was honestly hoping we could talk this out a bit more.” Hazama ignored the sweat dripping down his neck. He could feel the power rolling off of Izanami in waves and it unnerved him. “Don’t start being a bitch now of all times! Focus! Don’t forget why were doing this crap in the first place. If I have to take over to start the fight, I’ll gladly do it for you” Terumi spoke. Hazama could almost hear the grin on his face. “Right, right..” Another sigh, before he stood up from his slouched over position. “Oh? Are you ready to fight me now?” Izanami asked, her head cocked to the side. Her Yasakani no Magatama spun behind her, and began glowing. In a flash of movement she had rushed towards Hazama, her fist glowing with a faint Yellow. She launched a flurry of quick strikes that Hazama tried his best to counter. A blow to the shoulder, knocking his aim off slightly, made him hit her arm rather than her own shoulder. The Balisong Knife that flashed into his hand slashed through her arm like butter, as he went for a reverse slash across her torso. However she flipped using her hovering platform and kicked his arm away. His eyes flashed Green, as his Seither arm erupted from his shoulder. Its Green energy rolling off it like fire. It pulsed and grew slightly as he slashed his clawed hand out at Izanami. Leaving Four small gashes through the skin near her ribs, she jumped again, flipping forward and batting both arms farther away. In a flash of Green flames a Green clawed hand erupted from the ground ready to pierce Izanami through the chest from behind. As if she knew it was there, her Magatama pointed towards the incoming hand and blasted it apart. Seeing the chance, Hazama kicked upwards, forcing Izanami backwards and separating the Two. Izanami looked to the flickering Green flames on the ground to the ones on his arm and smirked lightly. “That encounter only lasted around Two to Three seconds. Your response time and reaction speed are impressive. But it seems you are overtaxing yourself.” Izanami said casually, her monotone voice sounding almost mocking. Hazama glared at her as he breathed rapidly. Forcing the arm wasn’t something he was used to yet, but at least it was out now. His body wasn’t quite used to the movement speed they were fighting in, but it didn’t matter. Feeling a rush of Green energy flow through him, he instantly caught his breath. Standing up straight once again, he smirked. “Whatever you say. You ready for round Two?” He asked casually, as Izanami simply cocked an eyebrow at his sudden rejuvenation. Shrugging it off, she launched forward, only to disappear once again. Hazama spun around and slashed his Balisong Knife at an incoming Yellow ball of Seither. The ball sliced in half and rocketed past him into the distance, where they exploded. He backpedaled slightly as he noticed the veritable wave of the blasts coming at him from afar. With a swift motion he flicked out his second Knife into his Seither hand, gripping it experimentally. He found it to work well enough, as he became a blur of motion. Trying to carve his way through the volley of explosive Yellow bullets. Halfway through he found himself surrounded by explosions, as he braced himself for the inevitable. The explosions shook the ground he stood on before they seemed to stop. He looked around for Izanami, before he felt something touch his shoulder. It was only by instinct did he twist away from it, and only managed a gash on his shoulder. He quickly spun around and made to slash at whatever had caused it. The clang of metal on metal was heard as Knife met Magatama. Each infused with their respective Seither. Green clashed against Yellow, as Hazama pushed against it. His Seither arm pulsed, adding strength to its clash. *SNAP* Hazama stared blankly as the blade broke in half and the knife dissolved into Green mist in his hand. The Magatama disappeared, as did Izanami. Another rush of air behind him, only this time he was ready for it. “What?” Izanami’s soft voice called out. She stared in disbelief at the sight before her. Coming from seemingly nowhere, Hazama’s Ouroboros was sticking out of thin air. It was currently wrapped fully around her arm, stopping her from slamming Hazama’s head again. “I had no idea those could break.” Hazama muttered to himself, as he stood up and slid his remaining Knife into his sleeve. “I only had the Two you know.. You don’t see me breaking your shit do you?” Hazama turned to face her. His eyes glowed a faint Green before he blinked and his original Golden color was back. He seemed to flinch back at that, and chuckled lightly to himself. “Sorry, anyway, do you like it?” He asked. The chain flung her backwards and uncoiled at the same time. It circled around Hazama protectively as it seemed to flicker in and out of existence. She couldn’t place where the beginning of the chain was, if it even had one. “What did you do?” She asked, suddenly serious. “What have you done?” “Meet my new Nox Nyctores: Sakkaku Kusari, or Dream Chain, whichever you prefer.” Hazama made the motion to let the chain twirl around his arm before it seemingly fazed right through it and began it’s trek anew. “What have you done to the Fragment?!” Izanami actually sounded angry at that. Hazama blinked, before he remembered how the Nox Nyctores were all made. Each with a Fragment of Takemikazuchi as it’s base. “Dunno, maybe it’s just gone. Couldn't care less to be honest.” Hazama shrugged. Izanami jumped forward and latched onto Hazama, as she launched him up into the air. Her Magatama’s spun rapidly, seemingly collecting a massive amount of Seither. In a burst they separated and formed in front of her, each pointed at Hazama. The first shot, its blast crackling with energy as it careened towards the green haired man. He was still smirking. With a simply whipping motion, his chains slashed through the beam with no hassle. The second blast came just behind it, leaving the chain behind as it raced for the vulnerable Hazama. However the chains just vanished into thin air, and reappeared in front of the blast. Spiraling into it, the Yellow blast dissipated like the first. The remaining Two Magamata’s spiraled together, as they gathered more Seither. With a small grunt of exertion, Izanami launched her attack, adding more Seither with her hand. The blast was Three times the size of the recent ones. Hazama’s eyes widened as his face contorted in concentration. The chain flipped around and coiled around him like a protective shell, right before the blast sheered through him. As the blast subsided, she smirked. There wasn't a trace of him left, not even smoke. She wanted to laugh, but she knew that she had a lot of work to do now that Hazama was gone. She turned around and raised a hand to charge up the needed energy to open a portal back to the Void. The air in front of her began to swirl, as the form of Hazama faded into view inside the swirling vortex of disappearing and reappearing chains. As the chains settled down he smirked at her, his eyes glinting happily. “Oh that was so cool! I’m finding out about so many new things today!” He exclaimed with a smile. He immediately hunched over slightly, as he fought to catch his breath. Another wave of Green energy washed over him as he stood up straight again. “Very draining though. Round Three then?” He asked, motioning for her to take her turn with his Seither arm. Izanami took a slow breath, calming the growing anger she had gained from fighting this Green haired idiot. An emotion she was positive she didn’t have before this fight. She glared at the man standing before her and began walking towards him. “Your arm, is made of Seither. Show me what it can truly do. I only saw what it did to Tirek, I don’t really know what it did.” She said calmly, as she stood before him. He cocked his head to the side, before looking to his hand. He studied it, like he was looking at it for the first time. He looked to Izanami, and then grimaced slightly. “I’m not to sure I want to do that.. But I know you won’t stop pestering me about it, so.. Why not?” He let out another sigh, before stepping back away from Izanami. He raised up his arm, and pulsed his Seither. The arm grew, and the vanished as he swung down at Izanami. The effects were instant. Izanami’s hand greyed out and began dusting away into the wind, her look one of bewilderment. She felt every single drop of Seither leave her hand in One go, causing the power soaked appendage to die instantly. It was already regenerating, but it was the principal of the matter that he could damage her. However.. Hazama’s scream drew her from her inner thoughts, as he began howling in nothing short of agony. He was clutching at his Seither arm. Said appendage was alight with yellow flames, as the Green that made up the arm itself was encroaching on the rest of his chest. Just as the encroachment made the halfway mark he roared and slammed his burning Yellow arm down onto the ground. The resulting explosion wiped out the immediate area. Izanami waited for the dust to settle patiently. She was rewarded with the sight of the barren wasteland that was the crater that had formed under them. In the middle, and only a few dozen feet away from her, was the panting Hazama. His vision was locked upwards, and his arms hanging limp at his sides. He slowly brought his vision to her, and sent out a hollow chuckle. Another wave of Green energy washed over him, and he was standing back up straight. Izanami growled lightly at that. “Jesus lady.” Hazama began. “I knew you had a Near-Limitless amount of power. But I was expecting that to work a little better. No more of that. That was the closest I ever want to be to burning in fucking lava!” He growled, his eyes flashing Green as his anger showed. They flashed back to Gold quick enough, as he shook his head again. “So, did you gather what you wanted?” He asked with a smile on his face. Izanami looked him straight in the eyes, as she nodded her head. “Yes, believe I know everything I need to about your powers and abilities. Everything from this point on will only get boring.” Izanami said, her face back to her usual impassive. “Oh? Enlighten me. I’ll let ya know if your close.” Hazama smirked. “Fine then.” She began. “You lost your battle maneuverability from your Ouroboros, but gained a form of Teleportation. Your Sakkaku Kusari can appear at will wherever you need them, making for a superb last second defense. You have the ability to become intangible, however my ability’s counter that for the most part. Your Seither arm can extend and enlarge as you will it, and allows you to both summon them from the ground and absorb power from your opponent.” She stared at him, as if asking if she got it all. “Well, uh..” Hazama chuckled as he scratched his cheek lightly. “You’ve almost got me. You’ve missed a few things, but I haven't shown them to you. Though I’m rather surprised you haven’t figured one out by now.” Hazama let his smile come back. “Care for found Four then?” Izanami seemed to think on it for a second, however.. “No.” She stated abruptly. “I will not let this farce of a fight last any longer. You have entertained me enough today, so I will grant you a quick death.” Izanami stated simply. Hazama blinked, and she was gone. His instincts screamed at him, so he dove to the left. As he dove he saw a blur of Purple to his right, and did a quick flip. His hand, however didn’t make contact with the ground and he tumbled forward. Landing in a slump, he got up, only to feel off balanced. He turned and saw Izanami holding up something. Was that his arm? He looked down and saw Two things. One, his arm was severed clean off and blood was pouring down his side. Second? He had a smoldering hole in his chest, also pouring blood down to the ground. He barely caught himself as he fell forward at the sight. He looked up at Izanami to see her engulf her hand, his arm included, in her Yellow Seither. His arm disintegrated instantly. Her other hand was still glowing, as blood dissolved off it. “You.. Cheating.. Bitch..” Hazama coughed out as he fell forward into a pool of his own blood. “You fought as well as a worm could fight against a lion.” Izanami said, as she crouched down to watch the light leave his eyes. “If it’s any consolation, you fought better than most.” She watched, as Hazama’s ragged breathing began to slow. “Fuck.. That! I’m.. The Best!” Hazama coughed out, as he began laughing as best he could. Izanami watched in morbid fascination as he began to dissolve into thin air. He eyes widened as he vanished, just like- “Gah!” She turned around. Fading back into view, as if he was never really there, was Hazama. She watched him land solidly on the ground, and hunch over breathing heavily, and sweat dripped from his face as if he just expended all of his energy at once. She watched as that meddling wave of Green energy washed over him again, and he stood up straight again. Only this time was different. In a glimmer, almost like looking through a veil of water, she saw Hazama’s hat vanish and his hair stand on end as Terumi’s cloak formed on his shoulders and his eyes opened. ”Fucking Christ, that one pulled everything. You okay, partner?” Terumi’s voice called out, through the veil. It even sounded garbled like he was talking through water. ”Yeah, I’ll be fine, thanks.” Hazama’s garbled response seemed to kick off the veil disappearing. Izanami was furious! They were working together?! That explains how he kept getting his energy back. But she was more furious that the man was standing, like she hadn’t just gutted him a second ago. How?! “You know what? Given the circumstances that I learned it and who I was fighting.. I think it’s only natural that I call that Technique: Izanagi .” He smiled as he looked at her. “Izanagi? Is that a joke or something?” She asked without thinking. Hazama chuckled lightly. “One that you wouldn’t understand.. Believe it.” He laughed heartily at his reference. “What did you do? How did you do that?” She asked, her anger getting the better of her. “Simple.” He began his eyes shining Gold. “I rejected the reality that I died in, as a dream. A very taxing ability that comes with Sakkaku Kusari. Normally I doubt I’d be able to fight much after that. But-” “Your working together with Terumi. He’s replenishing your power for you.” She interrupted him. Then she smiled. “But you forget, that even Terumi is no match for the amount of power I wield.” She watched Hazama smirk. “Do you remember how Terumi gets his power?” He asked suddenly. “Yes, he gets it from the negative emotions such as Fear, Sadness, Anger and the like. Why is this important?” She asked, getting impatient. “Did you know, that when a cataclysmic event happens, people get chalk full of negative emotions. Especially when they have people they love die. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but.. I’m glad were on a completely dead planet. Terumi says there's enough energy in the air in this area alone to last us a good while.” He chuckled darkly. “Are you ready to see who lasts longer? How about we continue on to round Five and see where this goes!” He lunged forward. Izanami couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face. She had found something new, that wouldn’t die She was going to abuse it as much as she could. She felt a rush as she dismembered Hazama again, only to have her head get cleaved nearly off by the Green clawed arm. His own feral grin appeared on his face as he kicked her away and faded away to regain his lost arm. ----Canterlot Castle---- Celestia sat on her throne, her sister, Luna siting in the one next to her. Before them stood what looked to be mirror copies of themselves. “So you say that you inadvertently caused the deaths of Everypony and everything on your Equis?” A simple nod was all the answer that they got. “And Hazama sent you here, to repent, yes?” Luna asked, her eyes scanning them. The Two defeated Alicorns looked up and nodded once more. “Then that is what you must do.” Luna said simply. “But we killed everything! Why would you ever let us near your own subjects?” Other Luna asked angrily. “Would you ever let it happen again?” Celestia asked, as she stood up. “No, never! We-” They started at the same time. “Then that is all we need to hear. You need to want to be forgiven before you can work for forgiveness.” Celestia continued as she walked down the few steps to her double. “And if Hazama believes there is good in you, and you should be forgiven, then that is what must be done. Hazama has on more than One account proved to be helpful when we believed him not to be. He has a good feeling when it comes to ponies that need help.” Luna said as she made her way to her double as well. “Come now, let’s get you cleaned up. You look like you Two need a bath. Oh Lulu! Maybe we can have them keep court busy so we can have some more alone time with Hazama?” Celestia asked with a smile. “Faust knows that stallion needs to relax more. That sounds wonderful Tia!” Luna agreed. The Two Other Alicorns stopped in front of the bath, and gaped at their twins. “You Two, and that creature?” Other Luna asked, a sour look on her face. Suddenly the temperature in the room seemed to drop drastically. “His name is Hazama, and he is why your not still on that dying world. In fact, here.” She tossed her twin and her sister the soap. “I’ll tell you how we met and how he helped.” Luna said as she climbed in the rather large bath. Celestia let out a sigh as she followed her sister into the bath. “I’m not a fan of how this story starts..” She mumbles. Luna gently bat her sister on the head with a wing as she began telling the story. “It all began with..” ----Dead Equis---- “Don’t slow down on me now, it’s only round Ninteen!” Hazama laughed as he teleported behind Izanami again, launching a fierce kick at her back. She turned around and grabbed his leg. Her Magatama spun into action quickly and charged more Yellow Seither. It crackled like electricity as they shot around Hazama. He reared back his Seither arm and with another pulse it grew again. He jabbed it forwards, as he flipped his body and grabbed Izanami’s arm, locking them both in a game of chicken. Both smiled at the other as the attacks met their target. Izanami slid backwards on her Two feet from the force of the hit, as the deep gashes across her chest healed and her clothes repaired themselves again. She watched as Hazama flew backwards in a trail of smoke before flipping and sliding onto the ground. Using his arm as a brake, he launched forwards and disappeared in a flash of Green as he boosted his legs with a burst of Seither. A small ‘booming’ noise was the only indication that he had moved, but it was all she needed. She spun right and clapped her hands. A Yellow shield with intricate patterns appeared in front of her, as his leg slammed into it, leaving a few small cracks. Behind her, her Magatama spun away and began peppering the area with Yellow Bullets. Hazama threw his Seither hand up, drawing up one from the ground in front of him as it acted as a shield. He focused on his chains as he poured some of the energy they had into a ball of Seither he was gathering. With a grunt, he threw it to the right, and watched it vanish. Izanami had half a second to realize what happened, as she turned to the right to counter it. However she cursed herself when it appeared on her left, flying right into her chest. The ball exploded in a flurry of Purple and Green Seither. The only lasting injuries she received were from the Purple attacks, but they were few and far between. She smiled as he stood back up, breathing heavy. Those same ones seemed to take a lot out of him for longer periods every time. “You’re the One slowing down. Careful, you could die before you blink!” Izanami blinked forward and grabbed Hazama’s face with her free hand. She slammed him down into the ground and her Magatama’s all rammed into his back. Red blood splattered around the area, until he vanished again. He reformed a few feet from where he died, the same smile on his face. “Twenty it is then.” He shrugged, his eyes flashing Purple as he put on a grin. ----Canterlot Castle---- The set of twin Princesses were sitting in the Library, as they compared history. That was until multiple sets of hoofsteps caught their attention. “Princess! Everypony’s up an-” Twilight froze, as she looked back and forth from Other Celestia to Celestia. “Jeeze, I assume this craziness is Hazama’s fault?” Rainbow asked with a chuckle. “Yes, Rainbow.. Twilight, are you alright?” Celestia asked her student softly. “Twilights broken! Oooh! Is that another Lunie?!” Pinkie jumped over her friends and dropped right in front of the Other Luna. Said Princess was looking at the Pink party pony oddly. “Awwe, this one doesn’t like Hazie!” Pinkie pouted. Luna chuckled as she leaned over and nuzzled the cotton-candy mane of Pinkie. “Yes, but don’t worry, it just means there’s more for us.” Luna gently whispered into her herd mates ear. The Pink pony shuddered at the notion, and leaned into Luna’s nuzzle further. “Oh dear! Whatever happened to your coats darlings? It’s all singed off! I know I’ve got something for that, I’ll be back!” Rarity zipped off out the doors they came in. “Ya’ll look like ya had a fight with the Sun. Ya’ll okay?” Applejack asked. A stiff nod was all she shot from Other Celestia. Fluttershy was too busy hiding behind Twilight, gently nudging her to wake her from her stupor. “O-Oh! Sorry! I’ had a few things running through my head there.” Twilights said as blushed from her zone out. “A few? Egghead you were out of it for a solid Minute there!” Rainbow laughed. “I said I was sorry!” She glared at Rainbow. “Anyway, what happened Princess?” She asked. “Oh right! Introductions!” Celestia blushed lightly at her own mess up. “Luna, Celestia, these are the Elements of Harmony. Twilight, girls, these are alternate versions of us that Hazama apparently found on one of his trips.” Celestia finished shortly. Twilight gawked openly. “That's it? I was expecting more of a story.” Rainbow said. “I’m more curious of why the Elements need normal ponies now, what happened?” Other Celestia asked. “Well, that ties into where we stopped earlier in the story. Here, Everypony sit down..” Luna began. ----Dead Equis---- “R-Right then..” Hazama breathed heavily, his Green aura taking much longer to help him now. “Round Forty-Seven” He stood back up, his face covered in sweat. “When are you going to admit it? You’ve been running on steam since try number Forty. Your almost dead on your feet.” Izanami looked at him with a blank look. “In fact you’ve barely landed a hit on me in over Ten tries.” “Don’t count me out yet, I’ve got a few more tries in me.” He smirked. He glanced around, the ever deepening crater they made was getting really deep, they could only really see because a few spouts of lava had erupted from all the seismic activity. He couldn’t get out of the crater, Izanami refused to let him refuel Terumi by moving to a new location. He had One more trick he could pull of now, but the thought of it made him frown. “I’ll start us off this time.” Izanami said as she rushed forward. She flipped nimbly over his head before she twirled around and jammed her heel into his head. He ducked right as the foot connected, and grunted as he dove into Izanami. Having never expecting him to dive into her, she let him push her onto the floor. “Why can’t you let other people be happy?! Why cant you be happy?!” Hazama cried out, his eyes began watering slightly. Izanami only smirked at his attempt at talking to her. His eyes hardened at this, and he closed them. “Fine then. Lets do this!” He called out, his face contorting in focus again, only this time he began fading out, becoming intangible. Izanami began wondering what he was doing. Until she noticed the intangibility carrying over to her body as well. Slowly her body faded out like his. “What good does this do?” She asked Hazama. He smirked as she tried breaking his hold on her, before falling backwards. “Were going on a trip!” He called out, tightening his hold on her. The zipped right through what Hazama assumed was most of the planet, when if became to bright to open his eyes, he began feeling the heat through the intangibility. “Burn in hell, your immortal witch!” Hazama screamed as he dropped the intangibility. Both of them immediately began screaming as they were flash fried, Hazama once again fading from view. In a swirl of wind and chains he reappeared on the surface. He flopped onto the ground instantly, his energy gone. Staring up into the sky, he smiled. “Forty-Eight fucking tries..” He muttered. He felt almost no energy returning to him. Terumi must be out, go figure. He couldn’t even move, let alone go home at this point. He needed a nap.. The ground beneath him began shaking, rousing him from his almost slumber. About Fifty feet from him, a pillar of lava erupted from the ground, and out walked a burnt Izanami. “Really?” He wheezed out. “You should be honored.” She spoke, as he skin regrew and her perfect complexion came back again. “You are the first to throw me to the planets core.” Her face held no emotion, not even rage. “You will die-” The ground erupting around her feet stopped her flat. The cracks spread fast and fissures began forming quickly. The slab of ground he was laying on soon fell down, and into lava. The last thing he heard was Izanami screaming in rage and a loud explosion, before he passed out cold. Cold was a good word, that's what it was. But wasn’t he falling into a planet before this? Wouldn’t that be really- “I’m dead aren’t I?” He asked no one in particular. ”Than a door-nail.” Was Terumi’s instant reply echoed about the void, even though he was still in his head.. Strange. Hazama stood up and looked around. They were in that White void that they found Faust in before. ”You are not dead. You simply wished to be here.” The soft, yet loud voice of Faust called over to him. He watched her just fly in over the horizon of nothingness. ”You said I wasn’t dead? Can you send me back to fight Izanami?” Hazama asked. Faust looked over at him and frowned. ”You cannot kill her, not as you are now.” She spoke softly. ”As good as you are at dying, I think you’ve done enough of that today partner.” Terumi chuckled. ”Although it was fun to watch.” ”I don’t care if I can’t win, I have to try! I have a few more things I want to try!” Hazama called out, determined. “Don’t worry, I told you, you can’t hide from me.” Izanami’s voice echoed about as she materialized in the White void. “I will kill you Hazama! If its the last thing I do, I will erase you from existence!” She seethed. ”Whooo there, you should Simmer down there, you’ll burn up at this rate.” Hazama joked lightly. ”Easy there idiot, she can still kill you, I can’t do much here.” ”Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered already. We do this shit together!” Hazama’s eyes flashed Purple before he burst into Purple mist. The mist split in Two and solidified. On one side stood Hazama, and the other stood Terumi. Hazama looked over to Izanami, and was about to challenge her but- ”Who are you do defile my home?!” Faust’s voices called out, angrily. ”Oh cool, Three on One! Round Forty-Nine, here we come!” Hazama called out almost giddily as he got into his ready stance. ”I will never understand you, but whatever. I’ve always wanted a re-match with her!” Terumi cracked his neck as he got ready. ”You are not welcome here! Leave!” Faust flared her wings, as she got prepared as well. “I don’t care for the flying horse, or Terumi, I just want Hazama!” Izanami growled as she got ready. The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning! > Breaking Walls > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Four stood in an eerie silence as the area changed around them, finding themselves standing in an empty meadow of some sort, courtesy of Faust. It was only after that, when Hazama chuckled lightly and hopped back past his teammates and stood a good Twenty feet away from them. He lowered himself so that his lone arm could touch the ground. Slowly, his body began emitting a small Green glow as he fed his ghostly chains into the ground. He looked up and if you looked carefully you would see more chains spreading quickly around the battlefield in a dome shape. "Right then, I'll take Support" He smirked as he looked at his teammates. "Terumi, you take DPS and Faust, you take Tank" He called out his directions. "Right!" Terumi grinned back as he hopped behind Faust and leaned into her ear. 'That means you try to keep her attention on you, no matter what.' Faust simply nodded before she flapped her wings and began flying. In an flash of Black Magic she summoned a sword at her side and charged. As she approached Izanami she swung the sword in a wide arc, releasing a wave of dark Purple Magic. Izanami raised a hand and batted the attack aside like water, she frowned as she raised a hand and charged up her Seither. In a flurry of movement Faust swung the sword again, however this time it faded slightly, before splitting into Two different swords. One shot forward while the other swung and launched another wave. Izanami didn't even flinch as the sword that lunged at her burrowed its way into her stomach. She stared stoically as she launched her own attack, her Yellow ball easily piercing through the Purple wave. Faust simply stared back at Izanami as the blast hit her square in the chest, exploding. When the dust settled Faust sat there with barely a singe on her fur as she looked back at Izanami, her Two swords had multiplied again, leaving Four swords floating around the Alicorn Goddess. Suddenly Izanami dodged to the left as a Green chain zipped by her, she looked to her right and saw Terumi flying towards her with a maniacal grin on his face. She went to raise her hand again, intending on slapping him away like a fly, only to realize she couldn't. She glanced down and saw that her arm had somehow been wrapped up by another chain that followed the first. She looked on as the chains quickly wrapped themselves around her torso, locking her arms in place. She brought her gaze back up to Terumi, only to cock her head sideways in intrigue. At Terumi's side, an Ouroboros chain slithered out his torn off sleeve, quickly followed by almost a dozen more, each swirling around the first like ropes. They split near the end and connected themselves Two by Two, creating a clawed hand. Terumi pulled back his new arm and laughed as he thrust it forward, the arm glowing a sickly Green. He looked on in glee as it punched clean through her stomach, making her spit up a bit of blood. Izanami simply stared at Terumi as he withdrew his arm and began backpedaling away from her. She scoffed slightly, as she flared her power. It shattering the chains around her and her wounds healed instantly. Raising her hand, this time simply pointing at him. Instantly the Magatama on her back spun to action and began charging their crackling energy. The Magatama rushed around her and pointed themselves at Terumi. They quickly launched their charged attack at once and sent the conjoined beam careening towards Terumi's still grinning face. Right in front of him a small hole opened up in the air. The beam went right in, but didn't come out the other side. Izanami had less than half a second to register the flash of Yellow in her peripheral vision. The attack sent her skidding back due to the force of it. She glanced over where it came from and noted the quickly dissipating hole in the air. Behind it was Hazama, still crouched at the sidelines. His smile brought a frown to her face, as her anger was slowly rising. "Do you like it? I call it my Sakkaku Shihai, or Illusion Dominion if you prefer." Izanami wasted no time and sent another hastily formed ball of Yellow Seither at Hazama. She watched as her attack passed though another one of his portals as it reached some kind of wall. Her instincts took over as she jumped backwards to avoid the ball of Yellow from above. Even as the attack exploded she was already willing her Magatama outwards. Only now did she see the faint chains spread all around them in a dome of some kind. "Ah! I think you have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment!" Hazama called out. Izanami glanced up, and sighed irritably. A wave of Purple Magic crashed into her, followed by another. Through the smoke she saw her Magatama get smacked down by the remaining Two floating swords. She went to jump out of the small cloud of dust, when she heard something land behind her. She looked over her shoulder at the smiling Terumi. A Green glow brought her attention to his chain arm, as it held a rather small ball of Green and Black Seither, only to watch Terumi flick it at her. It shot at her like a bullet and hit her shoulder. A veritable pillar of Green Seither erupted like a pillar as Terumi laughed hysterically. Faust watched from above as she quickly sent more Magic to her horn. It glowed with a Black aura as her swords flew back to her, before splitting in Two again, leaving Eight swords floating lazily around her. Below her, in the crater left from Terumi's attack, Izanami stood, completely unfazed by the massive explosion. In fact, the aura around her was growing, the Yellow darkening and some Black seeping in from the ground she stood on. Faust watched as Izanami began floating, or walking, however you look at it. She was walking on her Magic circle into the air. Suddenly a black and Purple aura lit up around Izanami, before she raised her hand towards Terumi. Around her, Purple ghost like faces formed from the aura, and swirled around her. Izanami pushed her hand back down, and the collected ghosts all rushed outwards like a swarm. As even more began pouring out like water. Faust spun her floating swords, like buzz saws, and launched them around her like a protective swarm of her own. The glowing Purple swords sliced cleanly through the smoke like ghosts and the dissipated soon enough, one by one they were taken down. Terumi was on the ground, his own Green snake Seither constructs flitting around him, his eyes watching for any to make it through. The ones that did were met with a solid Seither powered punch that blasted them apart. However, he glanced up and grimaced. The sky was full of them, and he glanced up at Faust. The Alicorn Goddess was just sitting there in the middle of the sky, as her swords buzzed around her. His eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey! The idiot has me covered, disperse this swarm!" He called out to Faust. She looked at him before nodding. Her horns glow switched from Black to Gold, before she pushed a fair bit of Magic into it. In a blinding flash of Gold, a Wave of White Magic surged outwards in a pulse. Each and every one of the ghosts vanished into Purple dust as it disappeared. Terumi began laughing, until he noticed that in all the confusion, he had lost sight of Izanami. "You should never take your eyes off of your opponent. Nayuta: Āku Doraibu" Time froze, and her hand glowed a dark Purple. She plunged her hand into Terumi's chest. Only for herself to cough up blood. She looked down at the impossibility. No one could escape her ability to Freeze Time. Yet she found her own hand plunged into her chest from a portal that appeared next to her arm. Time unfroze in a shatter affect and Terumi immediately jumped away as quickly as he could. "And you should really stop hitting yourself. It's not a good hobby to have, ya know?" Hazama joked, as Izanami glared at him. His eyes glowed a Deep Purple. "You!" Izanami seethed as she ripped her arm from the portal. "I will kill you, and you will not revive again." Izanami jumped towards Hazama's position and slammed her still glowing hand into the barrier in front of him. She almost snarled when her attack once again fazed through the chains and out a portal to her left. As she yanked her own hand from her shoulder, she took a few steps back. She let her wounds heal over by pulsing her power out. "On no, keep trying, it's cute." Hazama smiled again. However, Izanami noticed him breathing rather heavily for somebody who hasn't moved an inch since the fight started. She blinked and a small smile flicked across her face. "Your technique must be very taxing. I imagine warping Reality with Illusion and vise versa must be quite draining." She stated. She watched as Hazama cursed lightly under his breath before he smirked, looking behind her. "Your fight is with me!" Faust roared from above., as a beam of Gold Magic burned through the air. Izanami jumped left, only to realize her mistake. Her mistake being Hazama's shit eating grin as he let the beam rip right through his portal as he opened up another right in above of her. She was forced downwards by the blast and another Green one from her right made her carve a trench with her own body. She quickly stood up and floated out of the trench, as she pulsed her power to heal her injuries again. She glared at the Three with as much hate as she could muster. She relaxed as much as she could, and closed her eyes. "Zekkai: Āku Fōsu" She Intoned as Seither wafted from her in vigor. Below she heard an indignant cry from Hazama, and a small scoff from Terumi. "You what?!" Hazama growled. "She's been whooping our asses.. And she hasn't been able to guard this whole time?" Terumi grumbled aloud. "That's total bullshit!" Hazama sneered, before sighing. "This is why I hated fighting you in the game.." Hazama muttered. Izanami said nothing as she rushed at Terumi, as she began using her Seither enhanced limbs in close quarters. A swift kick to his midsection made Terumi back up. He threw a enhanced punch out, aiming at her shoulder, only for the smaller fighter to nimbly twist out of the way. She spun around him fully before aiming a rising kick at his head. He blocked by grabbing her foot, and let another fist fly towards her. In an instant a Yellow wall surrounded her and blocked Terumi's fist. It was so jarring that it made Terumi rebound slightly from the force of his own attack being stopped. Given enough room, she spun and lashed out with another kick, launching a wave of Yellow Seither at the still off balance Terumi. In an instant a portal wide enough to send the attack away appeared. Izanami pulled up her Seither shield to block it, as she extended it to a full dome. She blinked as a smaller portal opened up in her bubble and a miniature Yellow wave flew in. Upon connecting with her face, it exploded, the blast being held inside the dome she had made. Only a slight charring of her cheek and clothes were the only indication that she had gotten hit. "Oi! Will you knock it off with the kicks already?! Your wearing a skirt woman!" Hazama called out, his cheeks dusted a light Red. "Hey now, if the girl wants to show off her underwear, that's fine." Terumi chuckled. Izanami subconsciously pulled down her skirt a bit at the remark. She gazed at Hazama, once again confused. "Why do you care? Are we not enemies?" She asked, her curiosity ebbing into her monotone voice. "It's common courtesy!" Hazama countered quickly. "Bored now!" Terumi called out as he snapped his fingers. Multiple Green snake constructs popped out of the ground around Izanami and pounced. Each met with a wall of Yellow and were stopped cold by the dome of Seither. "Not gonna work!" Terumi called out, flipping into the air and lashing out with an axe kick. His leg alight with Green and Black flames as it collided with the barrier. With a glass like shatter, the wall crumbled from the force of the Five way attack. Each snake construct latched onto a limb, holding her in place. She watched as Terumi held out his clawed hand. Green bolts of lightning jumped around his arm, as his aura spiked and his grin faded in concentration. The surged, and Terumi began laughing. He looked back up at Izanami, his grin back full force. "I figured you wanted to see what I've been working on in my spare time, here!" He raised his hand, finger pointed at Izanami like a gun, as the lightning gathered at the tip of the finger. "Hōden: Jū!" In a flash of Green, a bolt of Lightning shot from Terumi's finger and nailed Izanami in the chest. The force of the attack made his constructs fade, as she was dropped to the ground with a burning hole near her shoulder. Terumi chuckled to himself as he aimed his finger again. "Or Discharge: Gun, if you feel like English works better. I've been working on this since our fight with Discord! Took ages to get the fucking Magic to do what I wanted. I understand why the idiot likes to use it so much though." He grinned as he jumped into the air and took aim with a crazed glint in his eyes. Izanami jumped up from her spot as quickly as she could, as she checked the damage. The singed flesh slowly knit itself back in place as she pulsed her power. She looked up and with a snap her Magatama jumped from her back again, soaring about as she let her barrier form up again. Only this time it was instantly nailed with a Golden beam from above, the pure force sent her skidding back, yet lacked the power to break it. She turned her attention to the floating Alicorn, only to get slammed back by another beam. As she righted herself, she idly wondered what Hazama was doing, as he had clearly showed the ability to transport those beams of hers before. She found herself distracted, as Faust charged her next attack. This time, however, the color of her horn was a burning Orange. The ground below Izanami erupted into flames as she quickly rounded off her barrier to a full sphere. The flames licked right through as if they were ethereal, as they began burning the bottoms of her feet, rather quickly burning through her plated boots. She jumped up and began to float. Above her, the swirling Black swords from earlier rushed downwards and began bashing into her barrier, keeping her rooted on the ground on top of the flames. Her feet were already charring from the intense heat, as she began calling upon her ghosts again. The Purple skulls spreading from the darkening spot under her, as she sent them into the ground to extinguish the flames. Above her the swords stopped attacking and glowed a sickly Purple, as they moved together quickly. In a flash of Black Magic the Eighy swords were replaced by a single sword. This one didn't glow Purple, instead it had a deep Blue one. The blade looked more intricate than the previous ones, and it even moved with more grace than its predecessors. It swung up and flicked around slashing at her. The Blade fazed right through her barrier like the flames that had been snuffed out, and froze the barrier in ice in seconds. Izanami reached out and caught the blade not an inch from her neck, her hand freezing over instantly. She looked at the sword as it struggled to break out of her grasp. She idly wondered how many Spells the Alicorn Goddess could maintain at once. Next to her she watched as Terumi landed casually. Falling shortly after were her Magatama's, landing in a small heap in front of him. He looked on with a grin, his chain arm still crackling with Green electricity. Izanami felt something prick against her finger, and glanced down. She saw the quickly retreating Green Seither hand of Hazama pop back out the portal it had come in. She flicked her finger outwards as she pulsed her power to heal her wounds again, getting the feeling back into her feet and finger. Her eyes widened, as she looked past Terumi at Hazama. He was still crouched outside the battlefield, but his glowing arm was furiously aflame, before it died down and he released a sigh of comfort. "Every Support character need an ability to Regenerate Mana- Er, Magic!" Hazama explained, flexing his Green arm before letting it fall to the ground. "Hōden: Taihō"" Terumi called out, bringing her attention crashing back to him. A cannonball sized ball of Lightning was careening towards her. Not wanting to get hit with it, she strengthened her barrier. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as the ball disappeared from her view, as another of Hazama's portals opened up in front of it. Not a second later the attack hit her square in the back, shocking her and blasting her forward into Terumi's grinning face. He grabbed her with his chains and threw her upwards. "That was the Cannon, you wanna see the Sword?" He asked, jumping after her, letting the Lightning erupt from his hand. Izanami recovered midair, and an ominous Black Aura began charging around her. Terumi drew his arm back, ready to slash her in half- "Jintō no Koku " She intoned darkly, as everything took on a Blue hue. Terumi sat there mid-air, his grin plastered on his face as he float there unmoving in frozen Time. She glanced backwards and saw the Blue Blade coming at her from behind, and a giant ball of Burning fire sat frozen mid-air above her, poised to drop on her after getting diced up. This was their attempt at a finisher. She narrowed her eyes at her actual target, his eyes glowed a deep Purple now, not a drop of Gold coloring left in them. Hazama flinched at the intensity behind her gaze as she began to walk forward in the air. "This has gone far enough. Time will stay frozen for them until I kill them. You, I will enjoy." She dodged a burning fist as he launched his Seither arm at her through a portal. She grabbed it and with a swift tug, she tore it off. She watched him shudder in pain, as blood dribbled from his mouth. He probably bit his tongue to stop himself from frying out. Snapping her fingers she summoned her Magatama to her side again. She carefully took aim as she charged a massive amount of Seither into them. One pointed to Terumi, another pointed to the floating Alicorn, the third and fourth were both aimed at Hazama. "I don't think you can make more than One portal, so choose carefully." She let the energy fly, each beam blasting through the air with ferocity. She watched as a portal opened up in front of Terumi absorbing the attack. Immediately the attack reappeared to her right, and she simply froze it mid-air, at the same time she watched another portal open up and take in the blast aimed at Faust. However as soon as it closed one opened up high above her. Or rather, the beam burst through the illusion not Five feet from Faust, just missing the Alicorn into the sky. In front of her Hazama's barrier of chains stood no chance against her attack, shattering it. It careened towards him, slamming into him and launching him backwards. He groaned as he lay on the floor. "Do you have any last words? I'll be sure keep them treasured if their interesting. I might even tell your 'Luna' before she dies as well" She asked him as she walked over to him bending over him. A blob of blood flew onto her shirt, as he spit on her with a scowl on his face, his eyes burning with rage. "Go F-fuck yourself!" He growled through the blood pooling in his mouth. Izanami simply stood up, picking up Hazama by the collar. She thrust her hand straight through his chest, even as he seemed to look past her. With a heave, he called out. "Sakkaku men'eki" His voice dying out even as his aura flared to life for a brief moment, and the Purple left his eyes as his arm fell to his side limply. She tossed him to the ground, waiting for him to revive himself. She knew he could, and waited for him to vanish. A strange shattering noise brought her attention behind her. "Hōden:- What?!" Terumi shouted, his target disappeared from his vision, and was forced to land quickly to avoid Faust's giant ball of fire. "What?" She asked in confusion as well, before looking around for Izanami. "How? How did you free yourselves?!" She growled angrily, tired of things not going her way. She watched the floating Alicorn Goddess gasp, catching the attention of Terumi. He looked over, past Izanami and saw Hazama laying in a pool of his own blood. "How? How did you get him? I didn't even see you move." She asked, her eyes burning in hatred. Around her an aura of Gold began forming. "Even now.." She heard Terumi mutter, she glanced at him. He was holding a Purple glowing chain, as it seemed attached to his chest. A quick check confirmed that she had one as well. "Even now you do things that make no sense." He gripped the chain tightly. "Why the Fuck did you save me?!" He asked, a look of anger on his face. He let his head fall down, his chain arm shaking in fury. "What's wrong Terumi? I thought you hated him? He was foolish and an idiot." Izanami asked. All she got was a low chuckle. "I know you didn't wanna kill her.." He muttered lowly, as if talking to someone. "But I just can't stand here and fucking mock you!" Terumi called out angrily, his head shot up, locking eyes with Izanami as a strange Black aura began flaring up around him. "That idiot was my Brother!" The aura grew bigger, covering him in a Black cloud. "Kamigaeri: Orochizantō Reppūga! " The Black aura condensed on Terumi's form, coating him in a layer of darkness. Slowly his body bulked up, and his hair grew out until it touched the floor and his Green glowing eyes flashed. Lines of Green began glowing along his body. "I'll destroy you so completely that you'll never be able to regenerate again!" Black and Green energy poured into the air. "Terumi.." Faust muttered, her eyes wide and brimming with unshed tears. She tore her vision from him and looked back to Hazama with a determined look. "Your a fool Terumi. Hakumen couldn't kill me with the real Susanoo unit, how will yours fair any better if it's but a ghost of what it could be?" Izanami asked, flaring her power to match what Terumi was putting out, the Two auras clashed and fought for dominance themselves. Terumi said nothing, only disappeared from her view, slamming an armored fist into her stomach. She rocketed away due to the force behind it, bouncing off of the ground before righting herself mid-air. In a burst of speed, she matched Terumi and sent a spin kick towards his torso. Using his elbow, he knocked it downwards. With a grunt, he traded a few more bone shattering blows with her, before an attack broke through. Izanami's hand pierced right through his stomach as she ducked under a wild right hook. Strangely enough, Terumi made no noise when it hit, instead he lowered down and did a lightning quick uppercut, catching her off guard. She was sent flying into the air again, only this time Terumi stopped her quickly mid-flight by grabbing her ankle. She let loose a few fierce kicks to his head, but it didn't seem to do any real damage. Struggle all she might, she couldn't break the grip he had on her. He quickly swung her around above his head and slammed her into the ground. Izanami blinked at the ferocious attack, before trying to get up. An armored fist collided with her stomach before she could even move however, and was followed by a forceful kick in the same spot, digging her into a small hole in the process. Using her body as a springboard Terumi had jumped high into the air. His aura sprang to life as he began spinning, making himself a swirling vortex of Black and Green energy. Slamming into Izanami with full force the ground split open and Green fire erupted from the cracks, as a small pillar of Black shot into the air. Once the area cleared of dust, Terumi was standing there, holding up Izanami by the throat. "I wonder, how many times can you reattach your head?" He squeezed his grip, and a few pops were heard as Izanami squirmed in his grip, any attacks she tried died out with another squeeze. "Or will you just regenerate your head all over again? Oh I hope so, I want to make you watch yourself get beheaded!" Terumi growled as he squeezed, hearing a cracking noise. Four Yellow beams nailed him in the back, making him drop her. He glanced over his shoulder to see her Magatama's floating there, charging their simple attacks. He turned his vision back to his opponent. "How will you handle me and my weapons?" Izanami asked, standing normal as if nothing happened.. Again. Terumi said nothing once more, opting to jump forward and slam his fist into the ground in front of her. The ground underneath them broke apart and spiked up from the force. Casually swiping at the rocks in front of her breaking them apart easily, she barely saw the fist slamming into her cheek. Flipping back, she sent a wave of Seither outwards, destroying the rocks and sending them shooting off at Terumi. Getting blasted in the back again, he grunted as he quickly honed in on the nearest Magatama and let loose a glowing kick, sending it careening into the ground. Ducking under another beam, he made to move on to the next one. Yet was met with Izanami slamming a palm upwards on his chin, sending him sliding back as he shook his head. He offhandedly noted the Four spinning Magatama circling him again. He stood up straight, breaking his posture. "Let me show you." Terumi said, gripping the glowing Purple chain that stuck from his chest. "What happens when we finally work together!" Terumi grunted as he yanked off the chain, and a Purple energy began flowing around him. The energy shot into his right hand, leaving a baseball sized ball of condensed power. He grasped it with his other hand and pulled, stretching it out. With a yell, he let it go, and with a flourish and a spin, it was ready. In his hand was a Dark Purple spear, covered in neon Green markings. It emitted a light Green glow, as he brandished the spear with a shaky breath. He began chuckling to himself, before laughing in a crazed state. He cocked his head to the side and pointed the spear at Izanami. "This! This is his Emergency plan! Talking and Tiring you out only got him killed, so now it's my turn to show you what should have been first!" He jumped forwards, thrusting the spear though the first Magatama in front him, ignoring the blasts from the other Three. He stood there, as the Magatama evaporated into Yellow mist and dissipated into thin air. Terumi spun the spear, letting it sit on his shoulder. "Go ahead, bring it back." He told her, his voice stoic for the first time in the fight. Izanami simply pulsed her power, recovering any damage done to her and her Magatama, not seeing what the point of this exercise. Her Three Magatama were back to normal, as if never damaged. Terumi seemed to be waiting for something, but shook his head when nothing happened. "You have no idea what just happened do you?" He asked. She simply stood there, an annoyed expression adorning her face. The lull in the fight was boring her. "You had Four Magatama, you watched me stab it." He stated calmly. Izanami immediately held her head, as flashes of her using her Magatama flashed though her head. She did indeed have Four, but- "How?! What did you do?!" She asked in fear, for the first time in a long time. "I've rewritten it. Simple as that. Although I guess I would explain more if I stated the name of this Spear. Sakkaku no yari: Kakinaoshi or Illusion Spear: Rewrite. This, is the combination of Hazama's Nox Nyctores: Sakkaku Kusari and my own abilities in this Black Susanoo form. The ability to make illusions into reality and reality into illusions, condensed and amplified. A combination that would never have been born if he was still here." Terumi explained, brandishing the spear again, pointing it at her again. He took a step forward and faltered, almost falling. With a growl of determination, he rose up to his full height, his Black armor chipping and falling away slowly. Wisps of Black energy poured from the cracks. "Of course, I don't have a lot of time. As you can imagine, the drain of this Spear is insane, hell, I doubt you could hold it long. I'm still standing because I've accepted that I'm going to die. Are you ready to do the same?" He called out as he crouched down, the spear held behind him. He dove forward and swung the spear in a wide arc. Knocking Two Magatama to the ground, and raising the spear above his head. With lightning quick reflexes he spun it around his back, deflecting a blast from the only remaining Magatama. In front of him stood Izanami, her barrier already forming and her hands outstretched, pulling a massive amount of Seither into a small crackling ball. With a yell, she launched the attack, just as her barrier finished. The ball flew from her hands and expanded Twenty times what it started as. The massive attack was moving fast, as Terumi brought the spear up. Rearing back, he charged his Seither, the Dark Green running over his body like fire, as the Black armor chipped more from the strain. Taking careful aim, he threw the spear with as much force as he could. With a roar, the spear left his hand and soared through the air. The Two attacks collided. The ball cleaved right in half like hot iron through butter. The spear shot through at blinding spear and met her barrier. Upon contact with the barrier, both began cracking. With an eerie Purple shine, the spear pushed through, the barrier without breaking it. It pierced into and through her torso, a few inches underneath her heart as it rammed into the ground, keeping her impaled. Terumi collapsed onto his knee's, his Black Susanoo armor shattering and falling to the ground before evaporating. "W-what?" Terumi asked, confused. "How did I.. Miss?" Terumi collapsed fully on the ground, his breathing ragged. "Jesus Christ man, next time, can you not go for a suicide finisher? They're a bit overrated if you ask me." Hazama's voice called out from next to him, having crouched down to his level. "H-How?" Terumi asked, a silent rage burned in his eyes. His answer began as a hand on his shoulder, as Hazama fed Terumi some of his power. "Stay awake and you'll get your answer." Hazama stood up. As Faust landed next to him, and sighed. He horn lit up Pink and a similar glow began covering Terumi. "W-what?" Izanami's weak voice interrupted. Hazama turned and looked the crazed woman up and down. "I killed you!" She spoke though gritted teeth as blood began pouring from her mouth, the gaping hole in her stomach was the cause. "Yup. And then you proceeded to leave me with the One being capable of breathing life into Anything. Not a smart idea." He walked over to her, crouching again to get on her eye level. He watched her shake, and tears began falling from her eyes. "You know, I've been watching you this entire fight. For someone who seems to think herself to omnipotent to feel human emotions, you sure have shown a few of them." He said, gently wiping the tears from her eyes. "What exactly happened? Why do you hate humans so much?" He asked. "Humans die, I've told you that." She spoke softly. Hazama frowned. "But there has to be more than that to the story. And I'm going to help you!" he stated happily, as he summoned his chain. Gently pushing it to her head, she blinked at the sudden Purple light in her eyes. She stood, in some dark void. Just nothing in any way she looked. "Whoo! Its a smidge empty right now.." Hazama's voice cut in from her right. She jumped, and sidestepped as she put up her guard. He simply smiled and put up his hands in surrender. "Easy girl, were in your head. I'm here to help." He said. "Help with what?" She scoffed as she turned around. She heard him chuckle. "Easy, we start from the beginning." He snapped his fingers, and the world around them faded, and a new one loaded in. In it, was a small girl with Purple hair barely Three years old, playing with some home made dolls with an older woman with Blue hair. Both were laughing and just having fun. "What do you think you're doing?" Izanami asked, her eyes glued to the woman in front of her. "We're going through your memories." He stated simply. "So that's your mom? She's pretty." He told the girl. The scene in front of them changed to what looked to be a few years later. A Six year old Izanami sat on a swing, as an young man with Dark Red hair smiled and cheered her on as he pushed her. This was her dad. Izanami's eyes were glued to man with no real readable emotion in them. The scene shifted again, a few more moments when the Two parents were playing with the smaller Izanami. The next major memory was one where Izanami was standing next to a boy her age, roughly Sixteen maybe Fourteen? The Two looked happy, and her parents were congratulating them. They looked to have just been married. Hazama idly asked himself how old Izanami really was. The scenes went on to show the Two having a kid and begin raising it, until it flashes forward again. The memory of her getting her abilities and powers were hidden, and the next scene was her showing off her powers to her husband, and him looking happy for her, as they began playing with their child again. "Why? Why are you making me relive this?" She asked, her eyes tearing up as she looked at her previous husbands face. Hazama didn't answer, and only pushed forward from there. Things quickly began to go downhill. The next few scenes were still happy but something seemed.. Off. Everybody was happy, even Izanami was smiling in the memory, but her smile seemed more forced. Soon enough, they watched as Izanami watched her parents age, and herself unable to help, as they died. Hazama skipped over the memory of their funeral as quickly as he could. She soon began outliving her husband, and even her own child. Hazama's eyes glazed over as he watched it happen in front of him. A terrifying thought passed into his head, and imbedded inside it like a knife. He shook his head, and focused on his current task. He watched as Izanami isolated herself from others, and watched as everybody around her died, while she stayed the same. Some lifetime being caught and called a witch, others tested on for her invulnerability. After a while, he watched her snap, deciding that humanity should die, just like everything did. "I think I understand." Hazama said softly, still staring into the distance, even as the images faded. "Oh you do?!" Izanami turned on him and yelled, her eyes burning with rage. "Explain it to me then." She grit her teeth. Hazama turned to look at her, his face devoid of his smirk. "You gained your powers, and in the process, you had to watch as everyone you loved aged and died. You feel like the world, and humanity has betrayed you, even though you too, were destined to die before you got your powers. You feel as if the universe was against you, and it should pay for the pain it made you suffer. And in trying to do so, you've had to wait so long, that you began to get bored. Boredom is the worst for you, because it's always in your horizon. Eventually, you'll do everything, see everything. Then the only thing left would be to kill everything, and see what happens." He explained, as he knelt down again. "I've seen things that no one should ever see. In my boredom I've-" She began. "You lost sight of what's most important." Hazama interrupted, grabbing her shoulders. "You forgot what it felt like to live. All those memories? They happened. And they live on in your head. The love you felt for your family, your husband.. Your child? All of that stays with you in your heart, even if you drown it in fear and anger, it's still there. Waiting for you to find it again. And you can feel it, can't you? You remember the feeling of their love for you. Even when they knew you were going out live them, they loved you." Hazama smiled as Izanami smiled her first genuine smile in many years, as her eyes closed. Hazama grew serious. "So why? Why are you trying to eliminate those memories from everyone else? Is nobody allowed to feel love? To love someone else? To start a family?" He asked her, his words cut deep. "Let me help you. I know I won't be able to bring back what you felt all those years ago, but the least you can do, is let me have a chance to try to give you a reason to Live again. I may not be great at it, hell I know I suck at a lot of things, but I can promise you, you won't be bored. Not with me around, of course." He grinned. Izanami thought about it. All of it. She was bored of how she lived now. A change would be good, and.. The man in front of her had got her to smile.. Smile! She hadn't done that since her husband was still alive. She stood tall, and looked at him. She walked up to him, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. "You have a silver tongue, Hazama. It will be fun to listen to you explain why I'm still alive to everybody." She smirked. Hazama chuckled. "You know what? I think I've actually had to do worse!" He laughed. Izanami blinked and cocked her head in confusion. Shaking it of, she looked at him in her usual stoic way. "Now, Get out of my head." She told him. He chuckled as he started fading out. "Huh, that went full circle huh?" His voice echoed as he vanished. Back in Faust's world. Izanami opened her eyes, to Hazama's smiling face again. She watched him reach down and flick the spear that was still in her torso. It shattered at his touch, and instantly the hole disappeared, and she felt back to normal. She stood up and looked down at the still crouched Hazama, she nodded. "Alright!" Hazama exclaimed happily as he stood up. *Bam* "The fuck do you mean, 'Alright'?!" Terumi growled, as he stood there, Hazama holding his stomach. "The fuck was all that?! She healed me in like, a minute, tops! Where the fuck were you?!" Terumi snarled, his eyes flashing in anger. Hazama stood up. "Well, you were doing your 'vengeance' thing.. I wanted you to have your moment. And I've always wanted to see you use Black Susanoo." He grumbled the last bit. He was grabbed by Terumi, as he spoke through grit teeth. "I fucking hate you." He said as he vanished into Purple mist, fusing back into Hazama. "Ah, finally. Normalcy." "Care to explain to those not in on your plans?" Faust spoke, her eyes darting from him to Izanami. Said Purple haired woman was standing right behind him, chuckling at everything. Hazama pouted slightly. "Ugh, but I don't want to explain this twice!" A proverbial lightbulb lit up above his head. "Can you open up a portal to my Equis real quick?" He asked her. She nodded, the portal opening up, and on the other side, was every pony he cared about, in the library.. "Cool, come on Izanami!" He beckoned her to the portal and promptly pushed her through. "Huh?" Came the voice of Tia. "You!" Came the voice of Luna. Hopping through the portal, he saw a lot of Magic being readied. "Woah there! Calm down!" He called out, his hands up to diffuse the situation. "Hazama? What's going on?" Luna asked. Behind Hazama, the portal began to close. "Oh no you don't!" He step halfway into the portal, stopping it. "H-Hazama, you can't!" "Your the one who wanted answers! Come on!" He called out, and with a grunt he yanked something through the portal. Soon enough Faust was standing in the room, everyponies eyes on her. "Alright then! Pinkie, we need snacks and drinks, this one's gonna be a doozy!" Hazama called out to the party pony. She stood up and saluted him. "Yessirooni!" And with that she zipped away. "Mother?" Tia asked softly. Faust turned her head to her and smiled. "Hello Celestia, my bright little Sun. And Luna my shining little Moon." Faust answered. The three hugged, as Hazama ran for the door. "Pinkie! I need a glass of water, stat! Spit-take emergency Code Red!" He called out. A glass of water slid rapidly down the hallway into his waiting hand, and he took a few large gulps. He coughed, and spit some out onto the floor in a spray. "What?!" He asked loudly. This was going to be one hell of a talk.