Once I was set free into the light Only to be set ablaze in the darkness Only to be ridiculed and taunted Once I was human Now I am something...different... **********
I entered the bar, stumbling for a stool and craving for the release. I noticed that there was no one excepted for a white-haired modest bartender. Her eyes reminded me of somepony I once knew. She only took a glance at me as she polished a glass. Her gaze sent chills down my spine, thinking of that ominous day.
Just one drink, I thought, to dull this pain. Repeating night after night and no end in sight. The land that I was supposed to save, crumbled in darkness and destruction. It was many months ago, yet I can see the fires again. While they suffered I could only watch and scream for it to be a dream. It seems to me that I am the last one of my kind. All those happy faces, are now...gone.
“C’mon, I need another drink!” I screamed. “No, you’ve had quite eno-” “NO! Do you not understand what I have gone through? They are gone!” The bartender was shocked and began to stammer slightly. “I will never forgive myself for letting everypony down. I ran away and that is a sign of a coward and a fool.” The bartender suddenly smirked and said to me, “You still have a chance to redeem your broken heart, Ian. I have the power to give you one chance to save all of Equestria.” I was struck aback at the sudden response. “How do you know of Equestria? Are you possibly-” “A brony? No. I am a character from the show.” “There must be a mistake, you can’t be here because you’re from another world. Unless you have a human form or somehow travelled into this world by magic.” “You are correct, I did use magic to be human. Now, may I tell you how to save Equestria?” “Yes, I want to see them again and help prevent...that...” “Alright, meet me outside in ten minutes and we’ll talk.”
I couldn’t believe it, I had another chance to save them. After that day, I cannot forget Twilight’s words as she sent me back home. She had said, “Ian, this was not your fight, I must send you back to your own world. I’m sure you will under-” “NO!” I had screamed, “I must not let you go! After all that we’ve been through, after all that we promised one another, you let it go? I will not accept this!” She had smiled at me and said, “You have a heart that hasn’t been tainted by fear, you must not see what happens to everypony. You must go...” I remember the purple mist surrounding me, as I was sent back home.
“It’s coming back to you isn’t it? My faithful student left you with hope inside your heart.” I was, yet again, taken aback. I responded, “You’re...Celestia, aren’t you?” “Why yes, I am. That’s beside the point, I need you to go back in Equestria and save them.” “Why don’t you go and help them too?” “I’ve been corrupted by the virus, so if I did go, I would become like Discord, and all of Equestria would be...” “I see, so it’s a one-mare job!” “No, you will go as a human. It seems that humans aren’t affected by Discord as heavily as ponies are. I will send you back before Discord reappeared. It may be a matter of months to hours before it happens. Whatever you do, do not contact the Mane 6, or it may cause drastic changes. There will be only one chance for redemption Ian. Are you ready for it?” I scoffed for a second, then said, “Celestia, I was born ready, when do we begin?” She smiled, “We begin...NOW!”
The magical cloud suddenly surrounded me and sent me back into Equestria.
I saw flashing lights and swirling patterns as I was pulled into Equestria. The first thing I saw was a crimson red sky, and then I looked down. I was falling towards the Everfree Forest at blazingly fast speeds. It was so fast, that I couldn’t control my descent as I tumbled into the thorns below. “This is going to end very badly...” I muttered. Suddenly, a line of flames streamed towards my location. I could only make out the flaming mane and blue uniform, as I lost consciousness.
I awoke in some testing compound that smelled vaguely like biscuits and hay. My vision was cloudy, and I could make out voices among the random beeps of monitors.
“I saw him fall...what is it?
“It? Ah, you mean the young man here. Well, it’s a male human.”
“Human? Isn’t that an old pony’s tale?”
“Yes, but he has been here before, according to my data...”
“Hey, I think he’s woken up!”
“Good, Spitfire, stand back; we don’t know what type of person he is.”
It was then that I broke free of the leather restraints holding me. Upon landing on my two feet, I saw that I had only my pair of FIM boxers on. The ground was cold, and I felt the coldness of the room surround me. I was suddenly taken over by...it...
“Gah! Why is it so cold down here? What, are you trying to turn me into an icicle!?” I exclaimed.
A brown colt with a British accent walked around me, checking for anomalies in my figure. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the colt introduced himself. “Hello there! How are you feeling? Cold? I took the liberty of searching your belongings for I.D., but there was none to be found. Now, may I ask, what is your name?”
It seemed as if this pony had much to learn about questioning a human. I stayed silent for a few seconds, then advanced on the colt. He seemed surprised, perhaps thinking that I wanted to be diplomatic about it. I saw a streak of fire behind me, “Ah, Spitfire, you never learn do you, filly? You cannot beat me...and neither can you, Dr. Whooves. I know your-”
Spitfire and Dr. Whooves suddenly began to strike as I was ranting.
“FOAL! Don’t you know who I am? Must I remind you, I know your secrets.”
I grabbed both of their heads and lifted them up to eye level. A hidden fury was released within me, as I was losing control. As I was about to incinerate them, the evil suddenly ceased within me.
The Doctor and Spitfire were both panting and bewildered at the strength of the “other” me.
“What in Equestria was that!?” They both exclamied.
I stepped back and looked at my hands. They were red with blood and a headache developed a few moments later. I began to blackout again, but remembered my mission to save Equestria. I gained control over my body and started to walk towards the exit of the lab.
“Wait!” Spitfire shouted, “We want to help you with your problem, and we want to know how you got here. Is that alright with you?”
The Doctor responded to Spitfire, “Are you mad, woman? He nearly killed us! Do you realize how much of a danger it will be if Discord had his power!?”
“Exactly, that’s why he is our only hope, or do you want to live in a lab the rest of your life?”
“Well I-”
“I was being sarcastic!” She turned to me again. “Will you let us help you?”
I responded with one of Pinkie’s old lines, “Well,duh! I mean, if that’s alright with you, I guess...In all seriousness, yes.” I glanced once again into her eyes, she trusts me like...her...
**********
(Please note: the following is backstory)
**********
It was only three years ago, but only I can recall the day it all went into madness. These wounds on my soul are not my own, but the burden of them, and their hopes. The first on-time Winter Wrap-up day ended, when the stars fell again. The star was I, for I had fallen into Equestria and in Cloudsdale. The morning was awkward for the pegasi waking up that morning, having never seen a human before. I was quickly brought to Celestia’s throne room. The walls were made of pure diamonds and mosaic paintings hung from walls above my head. She asked me how I got there, and I didn’t recall how I did. Celestia said that I was to be with the Mane Six, which I already knew well, for a few months. During those months, I gained respect among the Six, and I became one of their useful allies. I became Twilight’s secondary assistant, behind Spike. I got to know all of them, and we were like family. That family, came to a grinding halt before it could truly bloom. It was around summer that the Discord incident began.
The morning was like any other, I woke up near sunrise and made myself some black coffee. Something seemed off, but I didn’t think it was important to say. As I was sipping coffee, Twilight asked me if I wanted to come to Applejack’s place, I declined the offer. I was planning to continue the diary of my adventures, and it needed editing. As she walked out the door, I looked at the mare for the last good time, then it closed.
Hours later, I noticed that things were going weird. The sky rained down chocolate rain from cotton candy clouds. At first, I thought of it as a wonderful sight, noting the “Chocolate Rain” reference. I walked outside, and Rarity’s house was upside-down! Something was amiss, and I rushed to Celestia’s palace for answers. As I entered the palace, I received a letter from Derpy; it was addressed to me personally. It stated that a being called “Discord” has given the Mane Six troubles, causing disharmony in them all. “He’s here, I must head to the center of Ponyville, that’s probably where he’ll be. Now, I need to prepare myself for whatever is causing Twilight and her friends, trouble.” I mumbled to myself. So, I headed out to face Discord.
The creature was quite shocked to see a human in Equestria, at first. He said, “So, this is the ‘human’ they mentioned, huh? You seem determined to defeat me, I gather, from your face. Yet, I do not have the time for you, boy. Now, run along home, to where someone cares about you.” “You know not of the friendship of the Mane Six, Discord! They will always defeat you! Once Twilight and her...wait...did you take the Elements from them? That explains why they couldn’t quickly defeat you!” “Oh, you catch on quick, but you said that they could defeat me with friendship?” “Oh, I see, you’re trollin’ now, to make me lose control. They will-”
They arrived from the plaid hills, all except Twilight were gray. “What happened Twi? Wh-” Twilight shushed me and gave me a look. She had lost hope, and I told her not to. “Why would you? You must remember what you learned about Friendship!” Twilight only nodded her head in silence. “You have to believe me, we will pull through!” Twilight finally spoke, “Ian, I appreciate your dedication to us, but this is our fight. You don’t have to hel-” “But I do! Remember that your friends are with you, no matter who they are or if they change. You must help them realize love, by showing them that you care for them!” “Can we do that? They are all corrupted by Discord! There is no hope!” “Yes, there is, you just have to grab onto it and never let go of memories, Twilight! Don’t ever let go!” Her eyes widened, as I finally got to her. She understood, and the words she spoke, woke her friends from their trance. They were ready to take on Discord. “Are we ready, my fellow ponies? Let’s do this!” The rainbow came down, and it evaporated into gas and floated harmlessly away.
Discord smirked and laughed at us. “You thought this could defeat me? What foolish little ponies and friend! Human, your heart was not filled with love or pleasure, do you not want for your friends to defeat me?” I was shocked and I felt pressure in my chest, my heart began to pound loudly. “Is this true, has my heart not found love? No, this cannot be it! No, I refuse to be it again! Why has it returned!! AHHH!!!!”
I collapsed and a new self was formed, an evil colt. It was crimson red, and had a horn and wings with white eyes. This colt was the evil inside me. It spoke in a raspy voice, “ Ian, you are a fool. You think friends can help you?” I looked at Twi and her friends, and I spoke with caution. “I must...take care of this and you defeat Discord, all right?” Twilight nodded and said, “Yes, we all have our demons, so defeat him and come back, okay?” “Sure, I will, kick Discord’s butt for me, alright?” “Will do!”
The colt roared much like a manticore. The noise pierced my ears, and the Mane Six all stammered and shook. Discord got out of his chair, and laughed maniacally. He surrounded me with a dark black cloud, and I became possessed by the being. Twilight suddenly made a portal with her horn, and said, “You have to go now! While you still have a-” She was cut off as Discord grabbed her by her mane, and threw her several feet away. I began to tumble into the portal, as I saw Discord beating my friends. There was nothing I could do, as I fell into the dark void.
**********
“Hello? Are you asleep or something?” Spitfire said, as I awoke from my daydream. “Um, no, I’m still asleep, because you can only exist in dreams...” I spoke with a serious tone. Spitfire blushed only for an instant, and quickly backed away from me. “Stop, that’s a bit..uh...” “Is he awake yet?” Doctor Whooves asked, “Yes he is!” “What is his answer?” “It’s yes, didn’t you hear him before?” “Yes, but I distracted by the backstory and how cheesy it is.” I realized what he just said, “Hey! You broke the fourth wall! That’s not allowed!” The doctor continued on, “Well, the bronies reading this won’t mind, will they? Will you?” “Stop that! Seriously, we need to get to the story!” “Well, you just explained it to us in the previous section! I really don’t feel like reading it again!”
I realized that I had just told my backstory to them without realizing it. “Oh...well...will we go and fight Discord?” Spitfire and Dr. Whooves laughed at the question. “If the Mane Six can’t defeat him, how can we?” Spitfire asked. “Simple, do what Twilight did when she came here, make friends!” Dr. Whooves stepped in and stated, “There aren’t many that aren’t corrupted by the virus that made you insane on that day. I only know of Spitfire and I who haven’t been corrupted.”
I had an idea to spot the immune ponies, with a tactic that Pinkie Pie came up with long ago. “We will host, a party!” I shouted. “We will call it, Six Streamers” They looked at me like I was insane. Spitfire claimed that a “party” wasn’t going to fix madness. “That’s not the point, it’s to attract the immune ponies. Only they will know what it means, the Mane Six. It will include you two, other ponies, and me.” “Will it work?” Spitfire asked, “I dunno, but it’s worth a shot.” So, we planned a party on October 10th, the anniversary of the first episode.
It had been over a week since the invites were sent out, and we didn't get any responses. It was the day of the party, and random streamers covered various types of lab equipment. The preparations were really last minute, it's a good thing I found Pinkie's party cannon! The food was burnt cupcakes, because none of us could cook. I had wanted to bake muffins, but there were no more ingredients left.
Preparations aside, I wanted to scout out some random ponies in time for the meeting. I gathered my military clothes and headed outside. Doctor Whooves claimed that I would have to be "as nutty as a fruitcake" to go out there. I simply ignored him and ran out into the town of Ponyville.
Everything seemed normal enough, the skies were blue and houses weren't upside-down. Even so, something was off, I could sense it a mile away. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go out on my own, I'd better turn back..." Just when I was turning to go, a yellow pegasi cut my route off.
"Excuse me miss, may I-" "Pass? No. I don't think that I'll let you." "But I have to..." "That's just too bad, kid. Hey, that's a nice hat you have on. It would be a shame if it were to, I dunno, disappear!"
The yellow mare had flown above my head and reached for my hat. I had got it from my parents some time ago, and I wasn't about to give it up easily.
"I don't think so, Fluttershy." "Wha- How do you know my name?" "You honestly don't remember, tis a shame. You were so sweet and adorable, now you are a pathetic wench. Discord really turned you around for the worse, didn't he?" "How do you...that doesn't matter. You seem too clever for your own good, Pinkie!!"
A sudden pink flash appeared in front of me, Meanie Pie.
"Yeah, what do you want, Flutterbi-" "Hey, hey, hey! do you really think that the readers want to hear that word?" I interrupted. "I don't care what they do...who are you anyway?" "That is for me to know and you to find out- Hey! Give me my hat back!"
Fluttershy had taken my hat while I wasn't looking. Not that it mattered anyway, the trip seemed like a waste of time.
As I tried to sneak away, the two mares cornered me in an alleyway. They advanced on me with steady precision, not leaving any room for an escape. It seems I had to fight my way out. Knocking them out shouldn't be a problem. At least they aren't fast or powerful like RD and AJ, then I'd be in trouble. As I thought this I realized how wrong I was, as a sudden yellow streak came and hit me square in the jaw. I nearly blacked out from the impact, when Pinkie Pie kicked my "happy place" for good measure. Of course, the impact hurt like hell, but I stood strong. I staggered quickly past them, when Fluttershy tripped me and left me sprawled on the ground.
A smell of muffins filled the air, which kept me conscious and alert. I asked myself, "Could it be Derpy? I mean, who else would carry muffins everywhere..." My vision faded into blurry shapes. I slowly crawled away from Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, who were somewhat distracted by the smell of the muffins. I saw Derpy fly and land in front of the two mares, with a tray of muffins in one of her hooves.
"Hey, want a muffin?" Fluttershy and Pinkie laughed in unison, "No, we don't, we hate muffins..." Derpy suddenly snapped her neck towards her right side. "YOU DARE INSULT MUFFINS?!!" "Yeah, we do-"
Suddenly, Derpy smashed both of the mares' faces in with the muffins. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were knocked out instantly. Derpy flew over to me and asked, "You alright mister?" I was still in shock from her outburst. "Yeah...sure..." "Do you want a muffin?" "Umm....maybe later..." "That's just too bad, because Lyra and I made them from scratch." "Tell you what, once I get to see Lyra, we can go and eat the muffins at my place, deal?" "Alright...Lyra, you can come out now."
A light blue mare appeared with a floating tray of muffins. She looked at me and was concerned for my health, hardly noticing that I was a human. "Hey, are you alright?" I responded with a strained, "Yes..." "You kinda look pale, are you sure you're alright?" I looked myself over and responded, "No, I am a bit damaged...just a tad though nothing to worry about..." As I said this, I noticed that Fluttershy and Pinkie were waking up. "Umm...we gotta go, follow me and run!!" The 3 of us ran as fast as we could out of Ponyville.
”Are they catching up to us?” Lyra asked. "I dunno, but keep running, we mustn't stop for anypony!" I said "I could do this forever!" Derpy said. "Well you don't have to use your legs!!" Lyra and I screamed in unison. "Oh...sorry..."
We never stopped running until we got to the meeting place. The place was in sight, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My body suddenly seized up from shock and I began to breathe erratically. Lyra and Derpy began to carry me towards the place, but I told them to stop.
"Hey...wait- call the Doctor over here and tell him it's happening again." "Huh?" "Just trust me on this one, alright?
A few moments later, Spitfire and Dr. Whooves came out and all four of the ponies carried me inside. Upon closing the door, Doctor Whooves began to strap me in a bed with leather straps. There were many straps for all my limbs, in light of the previous incident. He then began to sedate me, inducing a dreamlike state. My body seemed weightless, as I drifted off to sleep. This was interrupted by a strange figure who's face was blurred into a dark blue mist.
"We need your help...Celestia is gone and we are the only ones still aware of Discord's control." "Wha..." "There's no time, please, help us." "Where are you?" "We are everywhere that you look, you only need to call our name..." "What is your na-"
The blue mist suddenly turned a dark blood red color.
"What the hell?!!" I shouted A deep voice whispered out, "I shall take control of your body, John." "My name is Ian! What do you want?" "Remember the dark stallion in the Discord incident?" "Yeah..." "That...was me, or should I say, you." "What the hell are you suggesting?" "I am the stallion version of yourself, and I am trapped within your body." "Kind of like..." "Yeah, that...I have been waiting for you to notice my voice." "Hmm..." "Anyway, I am your instinct and true power, you must control me or I may cause your new-found friends harm." "How do I go about doing that?" "Follow the dark blue mist at night, that's where the answer lies..."
I began to wake up, just as the Doctor threw a bucket of water on my head.
"AHH!! THAT'S cold...did you really have to do that?" The Doctor smiled and said, "Why yes, it was for science!" "Never mind that, I have a new plan of action for tomorrow..." "What is it?" "We have to save Princess Luna."
All four ponies gasped at my proposition.
"But...that's insane!" "Your asking to get yourself killed!"
"The one thing they won't expect only a few of us. They are the lion's den, where we must tread carefully. One wrong move and it's over. It will only take one person, me, to set her free. I have done this before, and have gotten no alert phases...er...I mean, no one spotted me."
The Doctor saw what I was getting at, "Seems like we have no other choice, John." "Doctor, can you make a small earpiece for me, providing all of the contacts I'll need?" "That's easy, I'll have it done by tonight." "Good, Derpy!" "Yes?" "Can you scout out the entrance points and exits, and Spitfire will tag along too." "Okay!" "Lyra!" "Yes?" "How many years have you studied humans?" "All my life, why?" "Can you keep me from having a mental breakdown?" Lyra hesitated, "Umm...sure...why not."
"Alright, all I need is a cool bandanna and a tranquilizer dart..." "Here," The Doctor handed me a customized USP .45 with laser sights "don't even ask where or who I stole it from." "Did you....never mind....Tonight we shall sleep and gather info on Canterlot's layout, is everyone clear on their duties?"
Derpy raised a hoof, "When do we get to eat my muffins?" "Oh," I chuckled a bit, "might as well eat them now..."
With the plans laid out, all we had to do was to carry them out. With that in mind, I went to bed and so did the rest of the group.
Author's Note: This chapter might seem confusing, so try to keep up...
It was the first dream that I had in many years...the lack of sleep stemmed from the incident earlier. I remember....
"Where am I?" I asked An echoing voice slurred out. "You are in between universes..." "No...I thought that only Dr. Whooves could do that." "In dreams, we see the alternative of our world, another possible outcome or scenario." "How is that relevant? In any case, what do you have to show me anyway?" "It's an alternative world, where you killed your comrades...it was not of your free will, you were controlled by Discord. You can feel it, can't you? Your heart is pounding to see who you killed, right? Let me show you the truth..."
I was in my body again, but this time I felt a power rushing into me. "What is this..." I suddenly felt my body sprint towards Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. "What am I...." I saw myself do the unthinkable, killing two of the Mane Six with my bare hands. "No...this can't be...why is this happening!!"
The voice spoke to me again, "You see, you will come across him, and you will destroy and mend." My hands shook uncontrollably, as I struggled to utter words. "Wha...the hell does that mean?" "You will see...you..."
The images faded away, as white light blinded my eyes. "What the hell was that? Could it be that another me would come along...no...that's not possible...then how can..."
I heard hooves...not the ones of my comrades...but ones of...an enemy? I grabbed the weapon Dr. Whooves gave me earlier, and hid under my bed. How could somepony infiltrate this far into...unless....
He had white eyes and a black body. He had on a dark crimson chest plate of armor and a cape. His eyes were empty of anything, I couldn't see his pupils. His senses were sharp, despite his heavy breathing. He knew I was under the bed, yet he trotted around the room. In a voice, much like mine, he said, "Ian, come out of that bed, I need to talk to you." I was naturally shaken up by his voice, which was void of emotion. "Come here now, or I might have to exterminate your friends."
I crawled out from under the bed, and stood eye level to the stallion. I composed myself, and said, "Whatever you want is not here, move along." The stallion scanned me, and saw the weapon in my hand. "You don't plan on using that, do you?" "I'll save the bullets for more worthy adversaries." "Is that so?" "Yes, and if you are who I think you are, you'd best not to interfere." "Don't fret Ian, for I am you." "Yeah, I know that already." "I was sent from that alternative story...erm...universe to help you." "Equivalent exchange, right?" "Yes, I help you with your princess, and you help me with my problem." "We have the same dilemma, so how will we go about doing this?" "Simple, we switch universes, temporarily. You can't obviously infiltrate the castle without an inside man." "Your universe has two evils...Celestia is being controlled by Discord in your universe." "Yes, Discord will not be expecting a human who isn't controlled." "How will the timelines not interfere?" "Simple, since it is night in this version of Equestria, the other will be day." "I think I got this..." "Are you ready to make the switch?" "Let's do this!"
The stallion me bumped his hoof with my hand, a brohoof. He began uttering code numbers, "22, 42, 22, La Mortia De Levante...Alpha, Circa, Beta, Darkness binding fates, and Light release..." There was a grey hole opening up in the floor, I bid me a farewell, and jumped into the void.
Not a sound was heard, nor any voice, whatever this may bring, it was my choice...
Author's note #2: See what I mean? If you want to see the other universe, read Crimson Bonds. If you want to see the human side, go after the chapter of the same name in Crimson Bonds. If you want the pony version, stay with this story. If you are confused, which I don't blame you, follow a path that you want to read.
Author's Note: Purely character development...and some plot of course.
The sun rose slowly that morning, and so did Ian's group. The group did not see Ian in his bed, so they searched all over the place. There was no sign of him leaving the place on foot. All that they saw were hoofprints leading toward me, an obvious giveaway, as I looked at the rising sun. I had a lone cigarette in my mouth, and a pair of aviators covered my eyes. I noticed the group approaching me, and decided to let them ask questions first.
Dr. Whooves knew that Ian had switched with his pony counterpart, but decided not to tell the group as of yet. He called out to the stallion, "Did you happen to see a human pass by a few hours ago?"
I ignored Dr, Whooves and kept puffing away on his cigarette. After a few seconds of rising tension, Spitfire burst full speed at me. I was not amused, having to spit out the remainder of my cigarette. "Woman, you interrupted my breakfast. You must want to be beaten down..."
Spitfire was soon stopped by Derpy, despite her being in a blind rage. Spitfire shouted towards me, "What did you do to Ian?! He wouldn't get up and just leave us, he has to help us save Equestria!" I just smirked, and laughed hysterically, "I AM Ian! Only I'm the stallion version of him." "What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Wha-"
"Enough, Spitfire...I'll explain what happened to everyone here..." Dr. Whooves said. "Fine..."
So, after a few minutes of explaining the scenario, Spitfire now understood what happened.
"So, you guys switched roles, in different worlds right?" "Yeah." "That would prevent a collapse in the dimensions, since there aren't two of you in the same world..." "Kind of like Back to the Future, if you put it in simple terms." "What are you talking about?" "Oh, nothing in particular...By the way, you guys can call me Montez, to avoid confusion." "Yeah, I guess that makes it easier."
Dr. Whooves spoke again, "Did Ian explain our plan to you?" "Yes, that's why he gave me his equipment and the bandanna you gave him. That's also why I just smoked a pack of cigs, to get in the mood." "That's good, all we need to do, is infiltrate the castle, after the scouting is complete."
"I think he means us, Derpy. Let's go, if we're not back in a few hours, assume we've been captured." "In other words, Plan B." "That's right, Derpy. Now-"
Montez finished Spitfire's sentence, "We're Oscar Mike, move out..." "Whatever..." Derpy and Spitfire flew towards the castle, zooming in and out of the clouds to avoid detection.
POVC: Derpy
As we flew through the clouds, I took notes on the guards' positions and vantage points. Spitfire was silent throughout the trip. I tried talking to her, but she just turned away. I even tried giving her a muffin to cheer her up, but even delicious blueberry muffins have their limits. After an hour of scouting, she finally opened up, mumbling to herself.
"What's wrong Spitfire?" "I...can't believe he just left us..." "Why do you say that?" "He could of at least left us a note or warned us of that switch thing..." "But Montez said that it was spur of the moment. And besides, his world is in the same scenario as ours." "That doesn't matter! I don't care about him, I care about the Ian!...Wait! That's not what I..."
Spitfire began to blush a bright red. "Well, it's not...umm...." I smiled, "Listen, I know that you may have feelings for him, but right now we have a mission to do. Anyway, it'll come up when the time is right. This is between you and me, alright? Until you tell him yourself."
We had finished completing the scouting mission, having nopony see us. We flew back to our headquarters, promising that what happens in Equestria stays in Equestria.
POVC: Stallion Ian/ Montez
I stood up on all fours, as I saw the two mares approach us. "How was it? Did you get caught at all?" Derpy answered, "No, we did not. Whenever you're ready to go..." "Not yet, we shall wait until the night falls to attack."
I had the plan all ready and things were running smoothly. Now all we needed to do was wait...
The sky seemed a bit darker than usual, as dark clouds shrouded the landscape. Thunder boomed and echoed in the night, perfect cover for a sneaking mission. Rain ceaselessly pounded on the houses of Ponyville, and puddles of dark mud were scattered around. In this cover of the stormy night, I had on the darkest of cloaks and a black and silver camo suit, to blend in the darkness.
I had not eaten for a few hours, which was a bad idea. My stomach rumbled, as I began to feel a warm acid in my throat. I knew that throwing up now was the best thing to do, or risk detection later on. I held back the urge, and began to focus my energy on the task ahead. All four of my legs shook in anticipation, wanting to collapse under my weight. I imagined myself alone in the pounding rain, constructing a mental shield over my nerves.
A dark crimson light surrounded me, as I began to focus on where I must be. I felt my body being lifted into the air, and thrown at an unimaginable speed. The sensation suddenly stopped as I slowly opened my eyes. I was suddenly right outside the town of Canterlot. I had teleported there with ease, despite not having any magical horn. I quietly trotted around corners and hid in bales of hay. The castle stood tall, as I crossed the moat.
"It's going to take a while to get up there...I hate stairs." I muttered.
"Stop complaining, and get to the rendezvous point in thirty minutes." The Doctor chimed in via codec.
"I remember the plan, I take out the annoying pests on the levels, and you guys break in through a few windows." "Good, you still have the ration that Derpy gave you?"
"You mean the muffin?"
"Yeah, the muffin. Despite its looks, it isn't any ordinary muffin. What you have there is a blueberry muffin! You can use it to distract the sentries, or you can eat it."
"Anything else I need to know?"
"Nope, nothing else, happy sneaking!"
I sighed and jumped over the drawbridge, which was a forty foot gap. I landed on solid ground and ducked behind the stone wall entrance leading into the lobby. Four griffins outlined the lobby leading to a set of stairs, all heavily armed with an array of edged weapons. This isn't going to be easy. I imagined myself as an old beggar, whose crumpled muscles and jagged teeth would make anypony queasy. I took that form, and strolled into the lobby.
The four griffins surrounded me, with four blades drawn to my neck.
"Take it easy, I'm merely an old beggar who wishes to receive change..."
One of them lowered their weapons, as my eyes wandered to the stairs.
"You shouldn't be here, leave at once!"
"It seems that my plan was foiled. Man, I am horrible at lying..."
I swiftly ran under the weapon of one griffin, and kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold. I used his weapon to feint a slice towards another guard's neck, where he passed out in fright. The remaining two looked at each other in fear, as they both dropped their weapons and tried to flee. I struck the one guard's neck with my left hoof, swiftly rendering him incapacitated. The other was more of a problem, as he ran faster than I could. I took one of the guards' helmets and threw it into the griffin's skull, where it made a resounding thud. I grinned with satisfaction, as it was quite a while since I had truly been in shape.
I ran up the stairs toward the rendezvous point, when I noticed a sign pointing towards an elevator.
"Well, look what we have here..."
The hallway leading to the elevator was well-lit, and there were no guards around.
"Excellent.."
I pressed the button to go up to the top floor, whistling some MGS tunes while I waited. I noticed that my head hurt a little, but I ignored it as I heard the elevator come to my floor. The sliding doors opened, as Discord smiled at me.
"Why, I haven't seen you before, who are you?"
"I am the new janitor, I've come to mop the floor with you."
"I've not heard a pun that bad since Pinkie Pie said that the punch was spiked...You are free to rescue your princess, I have no use for her. I know who you are, but I do not care if you try to defeat me, because it's the Mane Six you have to worry about. They are more powerful than me, so defeating me is useless."
"We'll see who wins Discord, we'll see..."
He stepped out of the elevator, and bid me farewell.
I got up to the top floor, the sliding doors opened up. The roof that had once covered the throne room was now a hole in the ceiling. Rain flowed down the steps and in the elevator shaft, disabling the electronic controls. I was outside the elevator now, scanning for any sign of Princess Luna or the others.
A figure flew towards me, leaving me little time to react. I jumped away from the figure, as it sped around and headbutted me out of the large stain-glass window. Ironically enough, it was of the two princesses, the dark and light sides. I felt the cold summer rain hit my face, as I tumbled down towards the castle grounds. I fell over ten stories down, landing on my back legs.
"Gah! Son of a-"
No time to react, gotta warn the others- My thoughts ran and I didn't notice the figure speeding towards me yet again. Lightning struck the sky, as I saw Rainbow Dash's face, smirking as she kicked me back several feet. I tumbled in the mud and was blown out of the outer walls bordering the castle. I heard a loud boom of a party cannon as I was tangled in streamers, unable to move my body. I noticed a beautiful crimson bow attached to my chest, which emitted a copious amount of electricity through my body. My head was abruptly bucked back by Applejack, as she laughed maniacally. A pack of timberwolves were cast upon me by Fluttershy, who's head seemed to dangle about. I was then covered in a purple light, which threw me into a lake.
My body seemed to shrink, as I neared the bottom of the lake. A mare went into the water to save me, using her magic to pull me out. After getting out of the water, I gasped for air. I could make out Lyra's face, as she cast yet another spell on me.
My body began to change into human form again, as my front legs crumpled into arms. I could feel all the bones readjusting and it felt white-hot. I began to slowly rise to my two feet, and I cracked my knuckles. Dr. Whooves, Derpy, Spitfire, and Lyra soon gathered around me. I got out of my bindings, and sighed heavily.
"Guys, the Mane Six are after us, be prepared to give it all you got!"
As if on cue, the Mane Six arrived, their faces contorted and unrecognizable compared to their former glory. They had bags under their eyes, and were breathing heavily.
Twilight spoke, "Oh? You survived the fight with us? You must be tough."
I shook my head, "No, my body heals rapidly when I change form..."
As soon as the words left my lips, I began heaving chunks everywhere. My limbs were shaking, my eyes were teetering every which way, my body was shutting down. No, not now! I can't be a burden to my friends...I can't let them down!! I screamed, and I felt the strength leave my body.
"C'mon guys, we have to end this before I reach my limit..."
The rain pounded even harder now, as the ponies snorted and dug their hooves in the ground. Lightning cued our advance, as we began the fight...
My eyes closed for an instant, as my body slowed down once more. I felt nauseated and pale. Despite this, I managed to keep myself on both feet. The night surrounded me, as I fell into darkness...
I felt better as I awoke from my slumber.
"Where the hay am I?"
I was surrounded by stars and comets of all sizes, in a relatively enclosed space. I seemed to be floating in midair, but I could sense ground a few feet below me. My body wouldn't move on its own, as I tried to move them in any way possible. My muscles creaked from the strain of moving anything.
I heard a faint echo, "It seems that you are awake. We have suspended you in time for a brief moment to discuss something important with you."
I didn't take notice of the voice, as I was still trying to move.
The voice was all around me, I couldn't pinpoint who was trying to speak to me. I could only guess at who the voice was coming from.
I called out, "Luna? We have come to rescue you! Or...at least that's what we tried to do anyway..."
"We know of your valiant efforts to rescue me, but alas, it is you who needed to be rescued. We have known of your potential power that is locked away. It is more powerful than our own, but it is very dangerous to use. You have the power to use a type of magic that existed long before we were created. This magic is called 'Imagination', which you have an abundance of. You can create anything or be anything, you just need to have accelerated training."
"How are we supposed to do that?"
"Try listing ideas in your head, and combine them to make something."
"I dunno, I have too many ideas in my head as it is, if you tell me to make something of that, I might fail."
"You will only fail if your heart isn't in your creation. Make anything you wish..."
I started thinking of a basic weapon, an assault rifle. I started to visualize the bullets, stock, sights, magazines, I even added a silencer and an attached grenade launcher.
"Alright! Now all we need is a target range..."
As soon as the thought came to mind, several moving targets appeared. I imagined myself as a war veteran, with over twenty years of combat experience. I took the fifty targets down in under thirty seconds.
In about an hour, I became adept at the 'Imagination' magic. All I needed to do now was to return to the aid of my friends.
Princess Luna smiled, "We are proud of you, now go..."
"What about you, Luna?" "Hmm?" "The whole purpose of us coming to Canterlot was to rescue you!" "We are not sure that you'll find us very useful against the Discorded Mane Six..." "That's all the more reason for you to join the fight, we need all the help we can get!" "Alright, we will join you, despite the odds of our defeat..." "Thank you Luna. Now, let's get crackin'!"
Time began to flow again, as I returned back to the charge, where everypony else was frozen in time. Luna looked at the Mane Six and sighed. I knew that she took notice that the Mane Six were now the 'bad guys', a totally opposite scenario of the Nightmare Moon incident. The two of us waited for time to pass normally, focusing on the battle to come.
My body began to recover from its earlier wounds. I was back to myself again.
Time resumed, as my body moved at a blazing speed. This was the perfect scenario to test out my ability. My brain worked and my body seemed much looser. I took deep breaths, and focused my energy into the fight.
The leader is the most crucial element of the Six, so I have to get rid of her first. The first step is to isolate her and her magic abilities. A shield covered the left side of my body, to negate any magical attacks.
Twilight stopped in her tracks, "My, my! A magic negating shield, how original!"
I ignored her, as I charged a her straight on. She easily teleported out of my reach when I got close to her. A tranquilizer gun formed in my hand, with the gun already loaded. I kept it hidden behind my shield, as I chased her around the hill. She fired several beams of magic, which burnt the grass around me to a crisp. I sat down on the grass, and closed my eyes, relying on my other senses to help me. I could hear her hooves, as she charged me head on, which was risky for any normal pegasus. I opened my eyes to see Twilight's horn only a foot away from my face. I kicked her in the face with my legs, as I heard a mild crunch of her nose breaking. She flew several feet upwards, where she had no control of where she would fall. In that instant, I fired a dart right between her eyes, knocking her out instantly. She landed with a light thud, as I turned to face the others.
"MINE!!" Rarity shouted, as she dove for my tranquilizer gun.
"Nope." I uttered, as I dodged her swiftly.
Her eyes were all bloodshot and she panted with intensity. Her horn glowed blue, as she tried to use her magic against me. I let go of the gun, letting it float to her. I shaped my hands to make a 'hand' gun, as Rarity's hooves touched the gun. Her actions were so predictable, as she aimed the gun at me. I raised an eyebrow, as the bullets melted out of the cracks of the gun, rendering it useless. In a desperate fashion, she threw the gun at my face, which I flash-stepped away. I appeared beside her, and brought my 'hand' gun to her temple.
"Bang."
Rarity didn't even know what hit her, as she was knocked out swiftly. I casually strolled back to my friends, who were fighting with every ounce of their strength. I spoke to each of them telepathically, "Listen guys, I'll handle the rest of the Six, draw out Discord."
Derpy spoke back, "But Discord is too powerful for us to handle, much less draw out."
Dr. Whooves also responded, "Indeed. However, you did take out two of the six ponies quickly, without much effort. I suppose it's the least we can do."
I spoke, "You guys can just hang loose for a bit, while I take the rest out. Thanks for weakening them! You all entrusted me with saving Equestria, so I shall help YOU! I think that plan is more fair."
"We'll assist you if it looks like you're on the ropes. That's a guarantee." Spitfire added.
With that, I took all the pressure of defeating the rest of the Mane Six. I stared Pinkie Pie down, for she was unpredictable, but Applejack rushed in.
She kicked me in the groin, with a heavy crunch. I was not expecting that, as I flinched for a fraction of a second. Regaining my senses, I grabbed her back hooves and threw her in the air. I needed to buy some time to heal my 'injury'. I resettled my area with some cool ice, and took a breath to calm down.
I had dropped my shield during the impact, but I did not bother to pick it up. I wanted Applejack to taste some irony for a change, so I grabbed a tree from my surroundings. It was but a mere sapling, but it would do, as I gripped it like a spear. Applejack weaved under it, as I tried to commit to nonlethal strikes. I saw her getting very close to striking me again, so I dropped the sapling, and jumped away from her reach. I stayed in mid-air for several seconds, reassessing the situation, as I saw Rainbow Dash spiraling towards me.
I had to make a decision fast, to fight strength or speed, I chose speed. I dodged her attack, and formed eagle's wings, and I went after her. She was very fast, but I used my wings to my advantage. I followed her as she tried going upwards, making corkscrews throughout the sky. The G-forces were taking their toll, as I grew sick and slowed down. I was now floating and trying to get my bearings, as Rainbow Dash took another strike at me. This time, I couldn't react, and I was hit in the abdomen as the wind was instantly knocked out of me.
I felt the wind rushing past me, as the sky became lines of dark colors. I didn't try to fight the downward momentum, instead I dove further downward and increased my speed. I dug my feet in the ground, and performed several backwards rolls and used my toes as a springboard. I went up at a steep angle, and I soon faced Rainbow Dash.
She raised an eyebrow, thoroughly impressed at my evasive maneuvers. She regained focus, as she prepared for another attack. I put my right hand over my face, as a black mask covered my face. I produced a great amount of gravitational pressure, and my body was pounding from adrenaline. She was not expecting this great transformation, but she decided to attack anyway. Her speed was fast, but not fast enough to keep up with me. I flashed away as soon as she came within striking distance.
As I first suspected, she was very stubborn. She kept trying to hit me and maneuver around to outflank me. She eventually tired down enough for me to disappear out of her line of sight. She looked around her, with sweat pouring from her, but forgot to look at the most crucial spot. I struck her abdomen with an uppercut, which shocked her. She had no more stamina left, and began to fall to the ground one-hundred feet below. I created a mountain of pillows, so she landed safely. With this, the greatest flier in Equestria, was not anymore.
I floated downwards and landed on my feet, looking for Applejack. Her hat was on the ground, I began to pick it up. I heard a slight movement behind me, as I turned to see Applejack's hooves meet my face. Blood rushed from my broken nose as my head began pounding. This made me disoriented, as Applejack kicked me with a rough roundhouse kick. I staggered from the blow, and found that I had broken three ribs. I began to feel the past blows from the others, and I began to weaken again. It was apparent, that this wasn't going to be as easy as apple pie.
The strikes from earlier had me discombobulated, making my head pound and a high-pitched ringing sound vibrated my ears. My vision grew very hazy, but I didn't have any time to quit now, I still had to defeat Applejack. I often wondered how hard she could kick someone, I just found out the hard way.
She saw that I was dazed, so she made her advance. Applejack was extremely cautious when attacking. She dashed away from my field of vision, leaving an after image behind her. I dropped down to my knees and held my arms to guard my neck. In the middle of the fight, she suddenly stopped her attack, and her eyes widened. She looked past me, at something that was truly horrifying. I decided to turn around, and it hit me...
There was a large tornado heading for us, with debris slinging objects and ponies alike. Nopony could stop it from reaching us, and it picked up speed. I stood frozen in place, as my legs shook violently. I couldn't focus anymore, my head was aching. Everyone knew that their time was short, for the storm was too violent to contain. Enemies and friends alike all huddled in a group, shaking in fear. Their eyes became dark, as they all passed out from the stress.
I was the only person awake now, as I faced the storm head-on. "This feeling...it's like Death itself came to visit..." I stood on my feet, while the lightning struck several trees, turning them to ash. It began to rain fire, as the scenery went up in flames. "Flames...just like...." A fleeting memory went by, of another life, where I was normal, and in a different world. The paradise that I saw just hours before was now more resembling a wasteland.
A bright ball of white light expanded from the storm's core. It swallowed me up, along with everyone else. The ball lifted us upwards to the sky, and towards the moon. The planet itself was collapsing, as countless lives ended.
The light had stopped in space, as an even brighter creature trotted towards me.
The figure spoke, "The destruction of two, no, four universes...It is a shame to say, but it is your fault!"
I was speechless, as the figure continued, "This was what I was afraid of, no universes shall ever connect without consequence. There is but one thing that will fix this. I must erase you from existence..."
"What?!! My mission is still not over! I must restore Equestria to its original beauty! I cannot sit down while you take away these worlds!"
"You are but a mere mortal, you couldn't save them then, neither could you save them now. You are reckless, to switch with a parallel you...No, that's wrong, you are but a fragment of another. In other words, you are the missing part of someone, much like a separate personality is part of a person."
"What are you blabbering about? I thought you said that you'd destroy me?"
The figure ignored the question, as it trotted away into the light.
I woke up and saw that everyone was walking into a portal. I had no idea what was going on, as I headed towards it. The other ponies all surrounded me, and they pointed their hooves and horns at me.
"What are you doing? Traitors!!"
Dr. Whooves shook his head, "Montez, do you really want to save Equestria?"
"Yeah! Of course I do!" "We have to turn you into a pony so you can help your other self with Discord. The job is not yet done." "Who will be coming with me?" "Everyone will, it will take all of us to defeat Discord, for he is insanely powerful. There is no more time left, we have to do this!"
I allowed them to change me into my stallion form, "Well Discord, I hope you're ready, because now there's two of me!"
I charged into the portal, "With everyone supporting me, I can't lose!"
(Author's Note: The FINAL chapters will be produced in Crimson Bonds, with no more splittings of stories. I sure hope that this finishes well...)
