Life is never predictable. Some people are born, destined for greatness, their fates predetermined for them to rose above the rest, and live wonderful lives. Other's are just meant to be average. To have their day to day, and never make a mark on the world.
For this family, it's neither.
A dragon king, who fought a war three thousand years ago, now released from his stone prison. A mecha, with incredible power, and a past he wished didn't happen. A demon, her body not her own, and within her mind sleeps a different kind of beast. A machine, his mind corrupted, his past stained with madness. A ranger, who understands what his allies do not, and survives on his own. A man, born to fight the nightmares that plague the omniverse, yet is a nightmare himself.
Though different, they are family, and this is their story.
Hey everyone. This is the rewrite of my original displaced stories, which I'm hoping this improves on. Now a few of these characters aren't mine. Many belong to PyraBlue Heart. Hopefully you old fans out there will know which ones. I won't say here because it'll spoil things, but I will when they come up. Anyways, hope I can make a better story than what I first had.
Disclaimer: None of the songs or music I use in this story are mine. All songs belong to their respective owners.
Here it was. The prison. His prison. It housed no one but him. And that was its purpose. It wasn't meant to contain a lot of people. It was meant to contain him, and him alone.
She wasn't sure why she was here again. She wasn't sure why she was ever here. She should have just sealed him away and been done with it, but she couldn't help but come back. Maybe it was because she pitied him. Maybe it was because she hated that she did what she had to do.
“You're here again?” he asked, but his voice held no element of surprise. He knew she had been there for a while now. He knew why she constantly returned. “Come to gloat?”
“No.”
“Then why come here?”
“To make sure you never escape.”
“Escape? Really? Is that really why you're here? This prison is inescapable as long as I don't have the key. You have no reason to believe I'm going to be free any time soon.”
“I have reason to believe because they’ve decided to help you.”
“Ah, you mean those creatures? Yes, they are quite useful aren't they?”
“They are a plague on existence.”
“They are a necessity to balance. With so much life out there, there has to be something dedicated to death.” She glared at his prison. She had loved him once, but she did not love what he had become. This monster that he had turned himself into, now commanding a race of beasts just as destructive and bloodthirsty as he was.
“I pity you, you and your hateful actions.”
“Pity me? Ha! You do not pity me, sister. If you did, you would set me free. No, you fear me, and you're simply trying to face your fear.”
She didn't want to accept it, but he was right. She did fear him, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't face him.
He opened his eyes, rapidly awakening from the horrors of a nightmare. Then again, whether or not he actually slept was up for debate. After all, here he no longer needed sleep, no longer needed to eat, no longer needed to drink. Or, in more exact terms, he couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't drink. So did he dream? Or was it simply his imagination running rampant?
The sun in the outside world was in a different position, so he supposed time had passed. But he only payed attention to the outside world when he had nothing else to do. Then again, he never really had anything to do, so perhaps he had indeed slept.
But it didn't really matter whether or not he slept. He was still trapped, unable to escape. The stones that were once his scales were stiff and immovable. They had been for the past three thousand years. He had been here so long, he had begun to wonder if he had indeed been alive before he was stone, or if he had always been a statue they put in the garden.
It was funny really. They admired him now, but so many centuries ago they had feared him. They admired the statute, and scoffed at the legend. After all, how could something like him exist? How could something be more powerful than the goddesses that ruled their land?
But they weren't goddesses. They were embassies, much like he was. Their parents, perhaps, had been gods, but they were not. They were merely embassies for the heavenly bodies that orbited their world.
Still though, even if they all knew that difference, they still wouldn't believe he existed. And he didn't blame them. After all, he himself questioned his own existence. The only thing that kept him on the fence was the legend. His legend. His history.
They walked along the garden path. It amused him how the public was allowed to explore the castle so freely. Visitors consistently passed by him, some reading the plaque that summarised his past, while others just kept walking. He was nothing but a tourist attraction for the beings he once knew as enemies.
Ponies, what interesting creatures they were.
His sight drifted to the other stone statues in the garden. They depicted heroes, villains, and monstrous beasts conquered in the past. He wondered how many of them were really just prisoners like him. He knew at least one of them had been.
Discord. The draconequus had been sealed away much like himself. Long after he had been of course, but at least he hadn't been the only one. Still though, Discord was free once more, and had been for a while. He had managed to somehow use the slight bit of conflict caused by three fillies to start up the process to free himself. When he had finally escaped, he briefly brought chaos to this land of harmony. And then he was defeated, returned to his prison within a couple of hours. He had gotten a good laugh from it, but was soon surprised to see the princesses take his statue away to free and reform him.
And it had worked.
Although he was still his chaotic self, Discord was now a friend of the ones he once ruled over with an iron fist. It was funny when he thought about it, and he did enjoy the occasional visit from the draconequus. He was, after all, the only one besides the princesses that knew he was real, and that this statue was his prison, and he, unlike the princesses, actually talked to him. He always looked forward to the next time Discord visited him, as he kept him updated about the events of the world.
Still though, he hated not being able to see these things for himself. He would love to see Canterlot, to visit Ponyville, to explore the new world of which he had been missing.
But most of all, he wanted to be able to see his home again, and see how his subjects had gotten along without him. But he would never get that chance.
Or at least, he thought he never would. But as the day went by, fewer and fewer ponies visited the garden of which he was trapped in. Then, a familiar pony came into view.
Celestia walked into the garden, slowly approaching his statue. What was she here for? She stood in front of his statue, and activate her magic. He felt something tether to his mind, and attach him to the embassy of the sun.
“Alduin,” she spoke calmly.
‘And to what do I owe the pleasure your highness?’ Alduin replied. This wasn't the first time she had done this. She did it whenever she sought counsel for something she couldn't solve, whether that be an opponent she couldn't defeat, or a situation that needed to be dealt with. And, although he had no reason to, in fact he had many reasons not to, he would speak his peace if he deemed the problem severe enough. If not, he would tell her to figure things out herself, and to leave him be. He was never to sure why he did this. Perhaps because he didn't like the idea of countless innocents losing their lives. But that didn't matter now. She was here, she had a problem, and she needed his advice.
Celestia flinched a little at his deep, gravely voice speaking into her mind. She had always feared him, one who was so powerful, he was the physical embodiment of destruction itself. Still though, he was a wise old dragon, that had gotten her through several situations that would have normally caused the country to collapse. She had considered freeing him on occasion, but the spell that petrified him did not originate from the elements of harmony, much like Discord. His imprisonment was due to the actions of her parents, and not even the elements could undo what they did. And so he was stuck, never to be free. At least, he never would have been if not for the artifact she held in her hoof.
“An age old foe has returned, a centaur named Tirek. He is causing mass destruction, and must be stopped.”
‘And so you want me to tell you how to defeat him?’
“No, I already have a plan for that. I just need an… insurance policy.” An insurance policy? What did that mean? He noticed the artifact in her hooves. What was she planning?
“Discord has betrayed us, and has decided to side with Tirek. I've called my student over and plan to give her my power, as well as Luna’s and Cadence's, to hide our magic from Tirek.”
‘Is that really the smartest idea? She won't know how to control that much power. You will.’
“Yes, but Tirek doesn't know of her existence. If she has the power, he'll be less likely to find it.”
‘And if he does?’
“Her special talent is magic. If it comes down to a confrontation, she'll be the quickest to adapt to her power, and have the greatest use out of it. She can emit more magic at once than Luna, Cadence, or I can.”
So the plan wasn't as flawed as it seemed to be at first glance. Still though, there were many possibilities where it could fail. And that still didn't tell him why she was here.
‘Well, you seem to be handling things, so why are you here?’
“Like I said, I need an insurance policy.” She held the small artifact up, a smooth, round stone with strange markings, and rested it upon his prison. “This artifact is set to go off should my student fail to stop Tirek. I ask that you succeed, where she could not.”
‘Are you asking me to fight this, Tirek, should your plan fail? And for what reason would I have to do such a thing?’
“Because if you do, I can guarantee your freedom.”
‘Yes, but only if your student fails. And whose to say you won't turn on me the moment I defeat him? It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to keep your country safe.’
“Because I need your help.”
‘You've needed my help before, what makes this different?’
“You've helped me many times. I have reason to trust you.”
‘Yet I do not have reason to trust you.’ Celestia paused. He was right, what reason did Alduin have to trust her? He had done many things for her, but she had done nothing for him. She didn't have the right to ask him to trust her, no matter how much she needed him to. Alduin had no reason to believe she would keep her word.
‘Very well,’ Alduin said, bringing Celestia out of her thoughts. ‘I will help you. But if you betray me in the end, know this. I will not go quietly.’
Celestia shuddered at what that might mean, but nodded anyways. She turned and walked away, hoping beyond hope that her student would be enough.
But unfortunately, she wouldn't be. Twilight and her friends were destined to fail, and soon the artifact at Alduin's feet began to glow. It shattered, and the stone around him cracked and split, then suddenly broke apart. Shaking off the pebbles and dust, Alduin couldn't help but grin.
“Finally,” he said, hearing the sound of his own voice after being silent for so long. “I am free.”
His eyes flew open when the nightmare ended. Wait, had it been a nightmare? There hadn't been anything particularly scary about it. Then why was he so afraid at the sound of that voice?
Whatever the case, it didn't matter now. The dream was fading from his memory faster than he could examine the details. And before he knew it, it was gone. This wasn't uncommon as, being in the condition he was now, he wasn't able to store any memory of the non physical type, meaning dreams were nothing but fleeting fantasies the moment he woke up, which was a shame because he felt that dream held something important in its details. Details he wished he could recall, but was no longer able to.
“Theta, what's the progress on my repairs?” he asked, hoping for good news.
“Repairs are currently at, ninety percent,” the computer replied in its monotone, female voice.
“Seriously? I've been in here for over two centuries how much longer am I gonna be in here?”
“Projected time until repairs are completed, five hours.”
“But that's gotta be- wait did you just say five hours?”
“Affirmative.”
“Why the sudden short wait?”
“The only thing left to repair are your weapon system and limb control subroutines. These repairs will not take long.”
“Why does all of that take ten percent?”
“Would you prefer I only repair one percent and leave you only able to move a pinky?”
“No…”
“Then stop complaining and let me finish the repairs.” Gale sat back, stunned. Theta had become a lot more expressive ever since Gale’s repairs began. Perhaps that had been do to her needing to rebuild Gale's entire body, and since she didn't have any blueprints, she had to restart from the ground up from what she could piece together from his CPU. Perhaps taking so much info from there had inadvertently given her a personality. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing he had encountered.
And so, Gale simply relaxed. He didn't have an actual body to relax in, merely the simulation that Theta kept him in while she recreated his body. He could pretty much do anything in here, which was great at first, but after being stuck in here for over two hundred years, he couldn't stand not talking to anyone anymore. Sure he had Theta, but you could only talk about yourself, other people, and the meaning of life for so long before you started going a little crazy. Fortunately Gale did not have any systems in his circuit board that allowed him to experience insanity. Still though, sometimes he wondered if his code had been corrupted a little.
Gale could only wait for those five hours to pass. Five hours may be short for humans, but for a computerized A.I. as advanced as he was, five hours was more like five years. Still though, Gale had learned patience, and he was still able to entertain himself a little bit with what the simulation allowed him to do. Speaking of which, where had he been on that last project of his? Oh right, it was still in the design phase.
Gale was an inventor. He created robots and machines in his spare time. Some were incredible devices that helped the beings of the world in more ways than one, while others were creations of war, some so dangerous and destructive, they never made it off the drawing board, and the ones that did were kept sealed away in the vault. He was never sure why he made those ones. A giant metal lion that could destroy nations. A huge robotic bird that could level entire countries. No, he was never sure why he built them. Maybe it was to fight the enemies of those he cared about. Perhaps they were an insurance policy against those evils that could not be stopped.
Maybe it was a way to defend the world from himself.
Gale shook his head, not wanting to think about why he ended up here in the first place. It was too painful to remember. Too horrific to forget. And it didn't matter anyways. The past was the past, no point dwelling on it. The only thing to do, was look ahead.
And ahead was his freedom. Gale spent those five hours designing and redesigning new and improved inventions and weapons, including devices that could very well revolutionize society.
He designed anti gravitons. He made blueprints for the world's first space colony. He created the most powerful orbital strike cannon known to man.
But the creatures he lived amongst weren't man. They were ponies, and their technology was not advanced enough to allow him to construct these devices. And so on the drawing board they stayed.
“Repairs complete. Reinstalling Mecha Sonic A.I.” Gale grunted as Theta uninstalled him from herself and into a small chip. It always felt weird, being transferred from one piece of hardware to the next. It made him feel like his soul was being moved, and that didn't necessarily feel good. It didn't hurt, it just didn't feel right. But that was beside the point. He was finally getting his body back.
“Transfer complete. Would you like to run a diagnostics scan?”
“Please.”
“Affirmative. Scanning.” There was a pause as Theta accessed the systems that made his body tick, and made sure they were all working in prime condition. “Limb control systems running at, one hundred percent. Retinal and internal systems running at, one hundred percent. Battle systems are currently on standby, and are running at one hundred percent. Flight systems are currently on standby, and are running at one hundred percent. Internal power core systems running at, one hundred percent. All systems running at optimal capacity. Would you like to be released from the repair station?”
“Yes, please let me out already!”
“Calm down. Opening chamber now.”
The small cylindrical glass wall that protected his body from outside interference unhooked from the rest of the capsule that contained him, and a slow hiss seeped out from the machinery as it lifted up, creating an opening to finally set Gale free.
Gripping the sides of the capsule, Gale lifted himself out of the holding chamber, and took his first real steps since god knows how long ago. He stretched out, testing each limb to remember how to move. He then took in his surroundings.
He was in a small room, deep underground. A place where he could only be found by those who knew where to look. And only two individuals held that honor.
The onscreen hud flickered to life.
“Onboard computer A.I. synchronization complete. Good morning Gale.”
“Morning Theta. So good to finally be back in my own body.”
“Don't get too relaxed. Detecting enemy presence.”
“Enemy presence? Where?”
“Location confirmed to be a small town settled next to the Everfree Forest.”
“Next to it? Then the ponies that live there are either brave, or suicidal. Open the launch chamber.”
“Affirmative.”
On the other side of the room, a wall opened up, revealing a tunnel going straight up. Plated with steel, and lined with lights, the tunnel stretched over a hundred miles upward, right to the surface. Gale stood in the center, and the door closed behind him.
“Begin launch sequence.”
“Affirmative.”
Long metallic arms clamped onto his shoulders, waist, and legs. Gale immediately started up his flight systems, running his boosters at maximum power. The arms held him as his potential energy built higher and higher as the thrusters on his feet continued to increase their power, building up the energy that would launch him out of the tunnel.
“Launching in five… four… three… two… one… launching.”
The arms released, and Gale shot upwards. Blasting towards the exit, there was only one thing one his mind.
She rapidly sat up when her dream ended. She was slightly shivering, and covered in sweat.
What the hell had that been? Why did that dream scare her so much? Sure, that voice had been unnerving, but it didn't seem like anything to be scared of.
“Ugh, I think being a scary demon has turned me into a coward.” She fell back on the bed, lost in thought. She didn't know why, but that dream seemed important. She'd never had a premonition but, well, there were still some things she was discovering about herself, despite being over a hundred years old. But no matter how long she thought, she couldn't make heads or tails of what she had just experienced. And so she did the only thing she could do. She got out of bed.
“Come on Lisa, time to start the day.”
Lisa sat back up in her bed. Unwillingly leaving the covers, Lisa walked to her wardrobe and changed out of her creamy yellow pajamas, and into her standard, black, business suit. Why did she wear a business suit? Because she was a demon.
And a demon was all about business.
Her white shirt on, her red tie secured, and her black coat buttoned up, with a pencil skirt to match, Lisa stepped into her kitchen and started making breakfast.
“What should I have today?” she wondered as she approached the pantry. Opening it she found that it was… empty.
“Eggs it is then.”
Lisa walked to her fridge and grabbed the carton where the white, oval shaped hen products that would soon become scrambled eggs were stashed. Grabbing a few, she set the carton back in its place and turned on the stove. She cracked the eggs against the side of a pan that she had set on the fire, and let the yoke spill in. A tendril whipped out of her back, phasing through her suit, and opened a drawer containing her cooking utensils. Wrapping around the handle of the spatula, the tendril quickly returned and handed it to Lisa, which she then took and began to scramble the eggs as the tendril sank back into her back.
Two more came out and started making coffee, turning on the machine and crushing up some bean from a small bag on the counter. Another raced out of the house, going who knows where.
Lisa barely paid any attention as her tendrils worked. Using them was second nature by now, and they were incredibly useful tools, both for utility and intimidation. They acted automatically, only obeying her thoughts directly when she took manual control of them. But otherwise, she could simply issue an order, and they would get it done.
Soon breakfast was served to the lone occupant of the house, and Lisa sat down at the table, plate of eggs in hand, and a pair of tendrils carrying her coffee behind her. Setting the items down, her last tendril went into her office and retrieved her reading glasses as the third tendril finally returned, a newspaper in its grasp. Taking both items, she put on her glasses and read the paper as she ate. How does she eat without a face you ask? Well… I don't actually know. And neither does Lisa for that matter. She stopped questioning it ages ago. Anyways, she skimmed through the articles as she searched for something interesting to read.
“Hmm, Filthy Rich attempting to raise prices on Apple family products? Yeah, because Granny Smith would let him do that. What else is new?”
Unfortunately she didn't find anything too interesting. At least, nothing that concerned her. Though, nothing really ever concerned her.
Now finished with breakfast, Lisa stood, cleaned her plate, and set everything back to where it was.
“Alright, time to be creepy in the forest.” Lisa headed out her door, walking into the small field that surrounded her home.
Her house was a small log cabin in a clearing that rested deep in the Everfree Forest. So deep in fact, that no sentient creature would ever venture here. And if they did, Lisa would be able to take her time stopping them, and forcing them to turn around.
She headed into the forest, wondering just who it was that she'd be scaring from the forest today. You might think it mean of her to do that, but in all actuality she was saving the lives of any who encountered her. Being the strongest thing that lived in this forest, Lisa took it upon herself to keep the peace, which meant she had to keep ponies, or any other sentient creatures, away from the wildlife that would most likely kill them. She wasn't able to save every single person that wandered into her forest, she was only one demoness after all, but she did try to save as many as possible.
And wouldn't you know it, her heightened senses immediately picked up on three adventurous fillies.
“Seriously?” Lisa said to herself. “How many times are those three gonna walk in here?”
Stealthily walking through the trees, Lisa eventually encountered her quarry. The three young ponies known only as the CMC.
“C’mon girls!” the lead filly, Apple Bloom, said. “We're almost to Zecora’s!”
“We're coming just calm down,” the second filly, Sweetie Belle, replied.
“Why are we going to Zecora’s again?” the third filly, Scootaloo, asked.
“Because Zecora said she was finished with that new potion she’s been working on! Apparently it's supposed to give anypony who drinks it a temporary immunity to poison!”
“Any poison?” Sweetie asked. “Is that even possible?”
“Y'all just don't understand what kinda skill Zecora has. She's the best darn potion maker in all of Equestria! Maybe the world!”
Lisa sighed. So they were headed to Zecora’s this time, which was good. Lisa had become good friends with the zebra, and had worked with her to enchant the path to her house to keep the monsters away, so she knew they would be safe. Still, it didn't hurt to make sure they got there safely. And so she followed from a distance, keeping out of their sight, but keeping them in hers. It didn't take long for the girls to reach the alchemist’s hut, and knock on the door. And soon, Zecora answered them.
“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. It is so good to see the three of you.”
“Hey Zecora!” Apple Bloom greeted. “You said you were finished with that potion right?”
“I did, it's true. Would you like to see it too?”
“Yeah!”
“Then come into this little hut of mine, the potion I've made is truly divine.”
The girls went inside, and Zecora was about to shut the door when she saw Lisa. Lisa gave a nod, which Zecora smiled and returned before closing the door. Knowing they were safe, Lisa was about to head back when she had the sudden urge to sneeze.
‘Must be talking about me,’ she thought. And sure enough, they were.
“Hey miss Zecora?” Scootaloo asked. “Have you ever seen that demon in the forest?”
“Which one do you speak of little one? The demons number far more than one.”
“The one they call, the Demon of the Everfree.”
“Ah, that demon, yes I have seen her. I once met her when I was quite hurt.”
“You did?” Sweetie said shocked. “Did she attack you?”
“No, in fact she helped me out. She defended me against Timberwolf snouts. And once the wooden beasts were gone, she healed my leg, and helped me move on.”
“But aren't demons evil?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Some for sure, are a horrible fright. But there are others that try to be creatures of the light.”
Lisa smiled at her rhyming dialect. Lisa always appreciated it when Zecora defended her. She never asked her to, but nonetheless the zebra took it upon herself to correct anyone she found to be misinformed, even if telling them the truth didn't do much to change what they thought.
Not needing to worry any longer, Lisa walked back into the forest. She took in a deep breath and sighed as she wandered through the foliage, the scent of the forest filling her non existent nose, and smiled, even though she had no mouth.
He woke up to the biggest headache of his life. Groaning loudly, he pressed a hand up to his head to try and massage the pain away.
“Ugh, feels like my head just got stuffed into a soup can.” Slowly he sat up, the only thing on his mind being some weird dream he just woke up from. He didn't remember it too well, remembering dreams was never a strong suit of his, but he did recall the two voices spoke, talking about some sort of conflict they had.
“Oooh, my head. What happened last night?” He recalled that he and a friend of his had gone to a convention, but that was it. They walked through the entrance, and the rest was just a blur. Deciding that trying to piece together what had happened was useless for now, he did the only other thing he could do.
Find out where he was.
Looking around he found he was in some kind of cave. It was small, with a few holes in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to stream down like holy rays touching the earth. Moss covered some of the stone that was around him, making the place look as though it had gone untouched for thousands of years.
“Where am I?” he asked himself. Seeing an entrance to a tunnel on the other side, he began to walk towards what he hoped would be the exit to the cavern. “C’mon Nathan, let's figure out where we are.”
Nathan wandered down the path that led him out of the cave he woke up in, hoping beyond hope he would have some idea as to where he was when he got out. But when he stepped into the outside world, those hopes were shattered.
The cave exited into a forest. The trees were dark and warped, and it looked like a ferocious monster could leap out of the bushes at any second.
“Where the hell am I?” With no one to answer the question, Nathan had no choice but to walk, and find his way out of the forest. As he walked, he couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched. Every so often he would turn around, and find nothing, but he still felt like it was there.
And so he pressed onward, trying to find his way out of these dark woods. Even though he was walking straight, he felt as though he was going in circles.
“Okay, I'm pretty sure this is the third time I've passed that tree,” Nathan said, looking at the gnarled trunk that gave the appearance of a face. And he still felt as though he was being watched. What was going on? “Okay who's out there?”
Silence.
“I know you're there, no use hiding!”
Still, there was no reply.
Nathan sighed and began to walk once more. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of green eyes watched him as he left.
He was getting nowhere by this point. Every step he took just made him more and more irritated.
“How the hell do I get out of this damn forest?!” he shouted. He sat down on a fallen trunk, and let out a sigh. “Ugh, I need a break.”
Just as he did however, that feeling of being watched returned. But it wasn't alone. This time, the rustling of leaves followed the unnerving feeling.
“Hello?” Nathan asked, now certain he was being followed. “Who's there?”
The only reply he received was a low growl, like that of a hungry wolf. The bush directly in front of him rustled again, and a pair of green eyes appeared between the leaves. It wasn't long before the bush rustled again, and a wooden paw emerged.
What came from the foliage was the last thing Nathan ever expected to see. Stepping out of the foliage was a wolf made of wood and twigs, green eyes glowing with a mystical, ancient power.
“The hell are you?” Nathan asked. His questioned was answered with two more wolves creeping from the underbrush, their hunger evident in their growls. “Of course there's more of you.”
He was about to turn and run when additional members of the pack came in from behind him, even more coming from the left and the right. They had completely surrounded him.
‘Shit,’ Nathan thought. ‘Am I… gonna die?’
The wolves creeped ever closer towards their victim, a few licking their lips in anticipation of their catch. Their hunt was over. Time to feed.
Nathan would have backed up against a tree if he could, but the wolves surrounded him on all sides. There was nowhere he could go. The only thing that held them back, and kept him alive, was curiosity, though he didn't know why. It was like they had never seen anything like him before, and were checking him out before they attacked. And, although he had never seen anything like them before either, he assumed that they had seen a human before.
Right?
Suddenly the first wolf barked, and they all jumped him. Nathan barely had time to cry out before they were upon him, tearing apart his flesh, and gnawing on his bones.
Except they weren't.
Nathan could feel them on top of him, and he could feel them biting him, but it didn't hurt. Opening his eyes, he saw the wolves were chewing on…
‘Metal?’ The surprise was evident in Nathan's thoughts. The body they were chewing on, his body, was entirely made of metal. ‘My… My body is made of metal?’
The wolves seemed to be as confused as he was. When they found they couldn't tear into the skin of their catch, they stopped and looked at him. Well, all except one, who insisted on chewing on his foot.
Nathan sat up, looking at his hands. Each finger was a multi jointed sharp piece of steel, able to bend and flex like any other finger. His palms were black, and on the back of his hands were small yellow plates.
His fore arms were a larger piece of blue colored metal, kind of like a gauntlet, and there was a smaller, cylindrical piece from the elbow to the shoulder.
His chest looked like a jet turbine, and his legs followed the same design as his arms. His feet were like big metal red shoes, with the heel separated from the rest of the foot, presumably for balance.
The wooden beasts sniffed him curiously. Seeing as they apparently couldn't hurt him, they decided to try and figure out just what exactly he was. He smelled like the stuff that could be found underneath mountains, and didn't taste all that good. Of course, the wolf still chewing on his foot seemed to think otherwise, but since the majority of the pack decided that Nathan wasn't worth trying to eat, the alpha wolf called the others back and left, the pack following suit.
With them gone, Nathan quickly got up and ran, trying to find something that could give him an idea as to what he was now. Rushing through the woods, Nathan soon heard the calm tide of a river, and made his way to the source. Clambering down to the shore of the small water crossing, he kneeled down and look at himself. Although the image was blurry, he knew the face that stared back at him.
“Metal Sonic,” Nathan whispered to himself. “I'm… Metal Sonic.”
With no clue as to how this had come to pass, Nathan sat down on the rocky shoreline, thinking about what he had become. Just what had happened to him? And furthermore, where did this put him? Was he on Mobius? Or Little Planet? Or somewhere else from the sonic universe? And why was he Metal Sonic, of all people?
But then he began to think of his home, his life. Was he maybe still in his world, and if he was, why had he become this? What did this all mean? And what about the people he left behind? His friends? His family?
His family? Well, he didn't really have one anymore, considering his life. In fact, he didn't have a lot of things. The place he lived could barely be called a home, and it wasn't like he had very many friends, or a good life for that matter. When he thought about it, this wasn't the worst thing that had happened to him. In fact, it had the potential to be the best.
“Well then,” Metal said, a new sense of optimism within him, “guess I'm free.”
He awoke with a cry of surprise, the nightmare of which he just came from scarring his mind.
But… why?
That dream hadn't been scary. It had just been two people, a brother and a sister, talking. He wasn't sure why, but the brother's voice scared him. And quite frankly, he didn't want to know why.
Groaning, he sat up, his head nearly scraping the ceiling. How long had he been asleep? He did wake up on occasion to stretch out his body or entertain himself in some way, but his so called, “naps,” only ever lasted fifty years. This time however, it felt like he hadn't moved for over a hundred years. His iron joints were stiff, and his steel limbs still felt asleep.
“Ugh, god damn,” he muttered under his breath. Decreasing his size, he stood up and stretched, trying to get the tension out his back. Then he realized that, since he was a robot, having tension in his back probably wasn't actually a thing, and so he stopped stretching.
He looked around the small chamber that he had slept in for the past thousand years. Well, it was small to him, but quite sizeable for anyone who entered. But not for him.
“Well, now what?” He never had anything to do when he awoke. A shame too. He supposed he would just go back to sleep, but the idea bored him. He wanted to go somewhere. Do something. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be going anywhere as long as his chamber stayed sealed up.
Back when he first created this place, he set it up so the entrance was sealed from both sides. It would only open once his help was needed.
“Great job past Nathan,” Nathan muttered to himself. “You lock yourself up for all eternity because nothing that requires your help ever happens anymore!”
Walking to the entrance, Nathan glared at the stone doorway that kept him trapped in here. He punched it, but the door stood like a wall made of titanium. Immovable, and impossible to get around.
With a sigh, he walked back to his so called bed and sat on the edge. His mind began to wander, soon reminiscing on the old days where he was once regaled as one of the greatest heroes of Equestria. Now though, he wasn't sure what the world thought of him.
Then his mind drifted towards his teammates. He was sadden, still hurting over the loss of his team. But it was for the better. They had been interfering too much with this world's destiny. Some things just needed to happen, and they had to accept that. Instead however, they turned on him, and now he was alone. Still though, there was one upside to their separation. Clenching his fist, Nathan thought back upon his old, “leader.”
His eyes flew open as the nightmare that plagued his dreams banished his slumber to some far corner of his mind where it would likely never return. Well, eventually it would, all beings needed sleep, and so did he. Still though, he knew the fear coursing through his veins would make it hard to rest for a while at least.
And yet, more than anything, more than the fear he felt, more than the bone chilling feeling that dream had given, he was confused. What about that dream had been so scary? But perhaps that was the scary part. He knew internally that there was something in that dream that should be feared. Not something he alone should fear, but that everyone and everything needed to fear, lest the darkness that he felt descend upon another, with the madness and malice that it wrought, drowning them in its mere presence.
“Sister…” he muttered to himself. The second voice had called the first that. Sister. It was odd really. The second voice scared him, but the first had done the exact opposite. The first voice calmed him, made him feel hopeful and happy unlike he had ever felt in several years. But he could tell that the owner of that voice too, feared the second.
Although he wanted to know more, he didn't have enough clues to piece together any sort of conclusion to the location or the identities of the voices. Honestly, he wasn't even sure why he cared so much. It had just been a dream.
Right?
It didn't matter anymore. The dream had happened, it had briefly scared him, now he needed to get on with his life. And so with that, he pulled off the covers, and rolled out of bed.
He stood tall and stretched. A bone cracked in his back, and a wave of relief washed over him as the small bit of stress left his body. With a sigh, he walked over to a mirror that served as a vanity, and took a good, long look at himself.
Over the short time he had been in this world, he had experienced a few changes, both mentally, and physically. In his original world, he had been nothing but a fearful, orphaned boy, barely able to stand on his own without cowering in fear at the chaos that had surrounded him. A brief flash of the literal hell his world had become plagued him for but a moment, but it was long enough to make him flinch and grip his head as though he had a headache. But just as quick as it came, it was gone.
Yes, back then, he had been nothing but a fearful child, unable to do anything about the destruction and madness that surrounded him. But now, he was stronger. No longer was he such a coward. Now he could stand on his own two feet. Now he had the strength and will to make a difference if he so choose.
Ironically, he never needed to. The world he now found himself in was calm and peaceful. Whoever had given him this power must have a strange sense of humor. He had all this power, but no reason to use any of it.
“Master Symbol, I see you are awake.” Symbol turned to see one of the castle’s butlers, Right Hoof, standing at his door. He was an aged stallion, not so old to be put in a senior citizen home, but old enough to have some gray hairs and the trademark voice of wisdom that came with his age. His coat was white, his mane black with strips of gray here and there. An earth pony was he, and he had the pleasure of being the castle’s head butler. “I suppose that means I don't need to drag you out of bed.”
“Not today Right Hoof.”
“Excellent. Well, breakfast is ready in the dining hall whenever you are ready.”
“Thanks, I'll be right down.”
“Of course sir.” Right Hoof turned and left, closing the door behind him. Symbol walked to his dresser and pulled out some clothes. A black shirt, some white jeans, and a green jacket with intricate designs, a golden trim, and a trail of fabric much like that of a duster or coat, giving him the appearance of some sort of skilled magician. However, though he did know a card trick or two, he was no magic user. Magic did not exist where he came from, so he was incapable of using its power. The last article of clothing he equiped was a small necklace. It wasn't anything special, but it was the only thing he had from one of the few people he cared about back home.
It was a small, metal charm in the shape of a black sun inside of a circle of iron. To anyone else, it was just a piece of metal, but to him it was much more. So much more.
Symbol made his way to the dining area, the rumble of his stomach alerting him that his body required sustenance. He pushed the large double doors that lead to the royal dining area open, and made his way to his seat near the end of the excessively long table.
‘Seriously, why is this table so long?’ Symbol thought to himself. ‘There's never been enough guests in this room to fill up half the seats!’
As he sat down, he noticed he wasn't the only one present. Across from him sat Twilight Sparkle, a mare he considered a good friend. She, like Symbol, lived here in the Castle. It was one of the many privileges of being Celestia's star pupil.
Speaking of which, the royal alicorn herself was also present, sitting at the end of the table as she always did. Her regal form sat tall and straight, never losing form even around company she knew she could relax with.
“Good morning,” Symbol called as he took his seat.
“Good morning Symbol,” Celestia replied kindly, a smile gracing her lips.
“Morning,” Twilight said, her eyes not leaving the book laid out in front of her.
“Hey, where's Spike?”
“Where do you think?”
“Unconscious in his room?”
“Yep.” Symbol chuckled a bit. For being Twilight's number one assistant, Spike could be incredibly lazy sometimes.
The doors to the kitchen suddenly swung open, and a line of waiters and waitresses walked out, their eyes closed and their form akin to perfection as they brought silver covered platters containing today's breakfast. As they set them down, the servers then removed the metal domes that hid their meals, and revealed them to be the simplest, yet most exquisite breakfast known to exist.
Pancakes.
Blueberry pancakes, chocolate pancakes, raspberry pancakes! There were all different kinds of pancakes, each one a golden brown, circular shape of tantalizing flavor.
“Whoo! Pancakes!” Symbol cried as he quickly grabbed a couple.
“Pancakes?” Twilight proclaimed, the heavy focus on her book practically dissolving as she saw the incredible flapjacks.
“Indeed, pancakes,” Celestia said with a smile, barely holding in a giggle at the excitement of her two younger companions. Though she couldn't really blame them, she too was excited.
Pancakes were one of the few simple meals the three of them got to enjoy. Dinners and lunches were usually super fancy due to the preference of nobles who visited the palace on almost a daily basis. And so, to give them a sort of break from it all, the head chef, Secret Ingredient, would make them a simple breakfast that they could actually enjoy. And so, he made them scrambled eggs, omelets, french toast, and of course, pancakes.
Celestia ate calmly and quietly while Symbol and Twilight practically made it a competition to see who could eat more. Symbol, being of a larger size, was able to easily devour each and every flapjack that entered his mouth, and Twilight used her magic to divide hers up into smaller pieces for her to ingest. As Symbol reached for another, his hand brushed up against Twilight's hoof, and the two instantly glared at each other.
“Foolish Sparkle, that pancake belongs to me,” Symbol said in a mock villain voice.
“Don't be so sure of that Symbol,” Twilight replied in a similar manner.
“You think you can best me?”
“One would think you'd remember my arcane advantage.”
“Only the weak would cheat in a contest such as this.”
“And only the loser would denounce his opponent’s power.”
“And only the distracted would lose their quarry,” Celestia interrupted. Twilight and Symbol froze.
No, it couldn't be.
They quickly glanced at the plate and, seeing their prize gone, whipped their heads back towards Celestia, only able to watch as she dug into the final pancake.
“You cheated!” Symbol said.
“All's fair in love and war,” Celestia replied nonchalantly. Symbol could only fall from his chair, hit the ground on his knees, and cry out, so that the world may know his suffering.
“CURSE YOU CELESTIA!” The princess of the sun could only chuckle as Symbol and Twilight wailed in defeat, the loss of the final pancake more devastating than any physical or mental blow the two had ever felt before.
Symbol stood on the balcony overlooking the castle gardens, still plotting revenge on Celestia. But what could he do, hold one of her cakes hostage?
‘Actually, that just might work,’ Symbol thought. Chuckling madly, he rubbed his hands together like any good villain and looked upon the world that would soon feel his wrath. “You shall rue the day you crossed me Celestia! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!”
“Excuse me?” Symbol nearly leaped off the balcony when he jumped in surprise. On his left was a guard pony giving him the most suspicious look that had ever been laid upon him.
“Oh, uh… nothing! Just uh, messing around a little.” The guard's glare deepened for a moment, then he nodded and flew off. Symbol breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, almost overheard my plans. Can't have them warning Celestia. Her cakes would be better guarded the the Canterlot Vault.”
The thought made him laugh. Thay mare really did love her sweets. He looked out into the blue sky, a few clouds floating here and there, the bright sun casting down on the happy ponies below. Symbol smiled, breathing in the fresh, cool air, and sighed.
Ponyville was a peaceful town, full of friendly residents, and interesting individuals. Though the ponies that lived here weren't the bravest, or the toughest, they could generally stand pretty much anything, what with them living right outside the Everfree Forest.
Still though, they’ve never had to deal with something like this.
Twilight and her friends crashed to the ground, their power completely drained. The princess of friendship could just barely lift herself up as she wondered how she could be so stupid.
In front of her, standing taller than any building or tree, was the centaur Tirek, a monstrosity of power that had just robbed the world of its only chance.
How could she be so stupid?
“Mwah ha ha ha ha ha!” Tirek laughed, feeling the incredible amount of magical power coursing through his veins. “This is more power than I could have ever hoped for! I thank you Princess Twilight!”
Twilight didn't have the strength to speak. She could only wonder how things had gotten so bad.
The box, a crystal chest that had sprouted from the tree of harmony, had six locks. Six keys. Twilight and her friends had found those keys, and had opened up the magical container. Within it, was an incredible power, one so immense, it dwarfed Tirek’s in comparison. It made Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity all hope that they could finally defeat the centaur.
But the power they received was still power, and that brought their downfall.
The moment they tried to unleash their new power upon Tirek, he simply opened his mouth and absorbed it. Instead of being destroyed by the power, he was draining it, and getting stronger. Growing larger in size, Tirek could only grin as his power grew, and his opponent's weakened. The girls tried to stop him, tried to relinquish their power from his grasp, but it was useless. He took everything from them, and left them powerless.
And so they had fallen to the ground, drained, defeated, no chance of victory in sight. And now Twilight could only watch as Tirek lifted a hoof.
“Guess I should reward you for the power boost, so I'll make it quick.”
She wanted to stop him, to save her friends, but there was nothing Twilight could do to stop him. And so, she closed her eyes, and tried to hold on to the last bit of her pride as she waited for the end.
But the end didn't come.
Whereas Twilight expected to feel the massive hoof crashing down onto her, instead she heard a distant roar, echoing amongst the clouds. Tirek’s hoof came down, but not on top of her. Instead, he had drawn his hoof back, his attention now on the sky.
“What was that?” Tirek questioned, before another roar rumbled through the air, like the booming thunder of a storm. Now a little panicked, Tirek looked this way and that, trying to find the source of the cries, but the clouds above blocked his view.
Wait, clouds?
The sky had been clear just a few moments ago. And yet now, storm clouds completely covered the sky, and, although she didn't have any proof, Twilight knew something was being kept hidden within them.
The roar sounded off again, closer this time. Whatever was making that noise was coming, and Twilight wasn't sure if she should be hopeful, or afraid.
The roar came again, even closer now, and Twilight swore she could hear the flapping of large wings.
“Whoever is out there, show yourself!” Tirek shouted. This was getting annoying. Whoever it was that decided to interrupt him was going to pay the price.
“No, it couldn't be.” Twilight turned around, surprised to see Discord. She thought he had fled.
“Discord?” she questioned, both curious and worried at the draconcus' worried expression. But the spirit of chaos didn't answer. He just kept on looking up. And so, she too looked up.
And she saw a legend, descend from the clouds.
The beast hidden within the sky finally dipped below the cloud cover. It was quite possibly the most terrifying thing she had ever laid eyes upon. A beast, only rumored to exist in legend. A monstrosity, that was the embodiment of destruction itself. A creature, that devoured all, even time.
It stopped its descent and landed atop a house. Raising its head, its ferocious red eye glared at Tirek. Twilight could hardly find the strength to speak in the presence of the black scaled beast.
“I-Its… its…” Twilight began.
“Alduin, the World Eater.” Discord finished.
The black dragon of legend straighten upon hearing his name. His crimson pupils shifted to the other present members of the battle, and Twilight wasn't sure if he was tallying casualties, or searching for his next meal.
“T-Twilight?” Rainbow Dash barely managed to say. “W-what is that?”
“T-that's Alduin,” she answered, “a dragon rumored to exist three thousand years ago. According to legend, he was the king of dragons, and lead his subjects in a war with Equestria. But in the end… he w-was too powerful to be defeated, so instead he was sealed away.”
“Well, at least one person here recalls my legend.” The deep voice of the dragon made everyone involuntarily shiver. This was bad. This was really bad. Tirek may have been a threat, but Alduin was infinitely worse. If the legends were true, Alduin could control time and space with nothing but his voice! Power like that was something that shouldn't be messed with.
“So I see the legends are true, you do exist,” Tirek remarked. “Heh, taking your power will be a welcome bonus to my strength.”
Alduin looked at the red centaur, unimpressed.
“What, you think yourself to be powerful? Well then, allow me to show you just how truly weak you are.” With a single leap, Alduin was in the air. His wings carried him up, higher and higher as he flew around his opponent. Tirek attempted to blast him with beams of magic, but Alduin dodged them easily. Getting above Tirek, Alduin smirked and opened his mouth.
“Krii, lun aus!” From his jaws came a bullet of purple energy. It slammed into Tirek, and immediately the centaur went down. He collapsed to his knees, his breathing suddenly labored, and his strength quickly fading.
“What… What did you do to me?” Alduin landed in front of him, chuckling at the weakened state of his foe.
“I used a shout, known as marked for death. It weakens whoever is unlucky enough to be touched by its power, to the point where they can barely stand.” Alduin approached Tirek, leaning down so he was eye level with him. “Terrifying how weak you've become, isn't it?”
“You… bastard.”
“You're the one who messed with the wrong dragon.” Alduin straightened again, and shouted, “Gol, hah dov!”
This time, a golden colored burst of energy emitted from Alduin's mouth, and swarmed itself around Tirek. The villain struggled a bit, crying out in sudden pain as he held his head. But soon, his cries stopped, and he stood, a blank stare adorning his face.
“How may I serve you, my master?” Twilight blinked. Did he say master? Weren't they just fighting? Why was Tirek now regarding Alduin as his master?
‘It must have something to do with that strange language he spoke in,’ Twilight thought. ‘Did he maybe cast some sort of spell?’
“Tirek,” Alduin said, interrupting the mare’s thoughts, “return all of the energy you have stolen, and return to Tartarus.”
“Yes master.” With his arms outstretched, and palms to the sky, Tirek opened his mouth, and a trail of magical energy snaked its way from his lips. The magic first came at Twilight and her friends, returning to them their strength. Discord was next on the list to retrieve his power, and afterwards the magic began to make its way to the other residents of Ponyville, and then the rest of Equestria. Soon, all of the magic was returned, and Tirek was back in his weakened state. Without a word, the small centaur left, returning to his prison in Tartarus just as he was commanded to do.
Alduin watched the defeated villain go, an indifferent expression on his face. His vision turned skyward, and he roared in triumph, claiming victory over the battle.
To say the situation was bad, was an understatement. Oh the day had started out fine for sure, but then it escalated to this.
Whatever the heck this was supposed to be anyways.
Twilight could hardly fathom the literal madness that surrounded her. The ground was random colors, small bits of which were randomly floating in the air, none of the trees were green, pink clouds rained down hot chocolate, and the sky was a slightly different shade of blue that you wouldn't notice unless you really looked. But when you did notice, it was probably by far the most annoying thing out of this world of chaos.
And all of this was caused by the actions of one, singular spirit.
“Oh ho ho! Isn't this so much fun Twilight?” Discord, the spirit of chaos, asked the once purple mare, who's fur and mane now took on a more grayish color. Twilight, for the most part, wasn't listening. She had failed after all. She failed Celestia, her friends. She failed the entirety of Equestria! Everything that was happening was her fault.
“Oh don't look so down. It's the coronation of my rule!” Discord proclaimed, a cardboard crown held together by tape and a cape that was several sizes too small appearing on his form. “Have some fun! I know I will!”
The chaotic entity chuckled to himself as Twilight began to walk away. She couldn't do this. She couldn't stop him. Discord may have only been a spirit, but he had powers on par with what she thought a god might have. He could do anything he wanted at any time, and no one could stop him!
And so, Twilight did the only thing she could. She walked home. She made her way to the front of her literal tree house, opened the door with a depressed glance, and shut it with an equally depressed sigh.
“Well, she's no fun,” Discord muttered. But he couldn't blame her. He had, after all, made her the opposite of her defining quality. Friendship. And thus, now she was just a depressing loner. Still though, the spirit of madness was not without a conscious. “Eh, maybe I'll turn her into a chaos spirit later. Depressing ponies are no fun to rule over.”
But he did not realize that this, “rule,” he had attained would be so short lived. Something was coming.
And it was coming fast.
Twilight looked in bewilderment at the mess in front of her.
There were scrolls everywhere.
The pile of parchments had built up like a miniature mountain, taking up half the library. Then, the top of this mountain erupted like a volcano, a burst of green flame shooting out from the peak. And from this oddly colored fire, came Spike, laying on top of the piles of paper, a sickened look on his face.
“God, it's like throwing up a forest,” the purple drake complained before his eyes widened as his cheeks puffed out once more, a green tint on their surface, and he burped, letting loose another scroll from his jaws. “Please, no more.”
“Um, Spike?” Twilight called out worriedly. “You alright?”
“Oh Celestia Twilight make it stop! Every second I just-” he was interrupted when another burp let loose, the flames from his mouth creating another scroll. “Oooooh, my stomach.”
“What is all this?” Twilight levitated one of the many scrolls to her view, and saw the royal seal enclosed on it. She carefully removed the ribbon that tied the scroll shut and opened the rolled up letter. “Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that… hey wait, this is one of my friendship reports!”
She picked up another. And another. And another! They were all friendship reports! But what could this mean?
“Is Celestia trying to tell me something?”
BURP!
“Oh god…”
“But what?”
BURP!
“Please, no more…”
“Is she reminding me that I failed? No, she wouldn't do that.”
BURP!
“I can't...”
“Hmm… why is she sending these then?”
BURP!
“Why cruel fate? Why…?”
“Is she maybe… trying to remind me of my successes? Of all the things I've done? Of all the friends I've made?”
BURP!
“Just let it end!”
“Yes that's it! How could I have forgotten? No friendship is perfect!”
BURP!
“Kill me!”
“Everyone has flaws, but that's what makes friendships work! Because our flaws make us different, they also bind us together! Thanks Spike!”
“Twilight don't leave me!” Spike called out as his surrogate sister ran out the door, color returning to her form. The door shut behind her, and Spike was left in silence.
…
…
…
“Huh, maybe it's-”
BURP!
Twilight ran outside, looking for her friends. One by one she gathered them up, and read to them about the times they spent together, and how important they all were to her. And it was with those words that her friends returned. And, after a quick trip back to the library to grab the elements, now that Twilight thought about it Discord’s riddle was really obvious, they headed for the crazy king.
Discord himself was sat on his throne, playing with the sun and the moon like they were children's toys.
“Night! Day! Night! Day! Night! Day!” The spirit of chaos stopped and thought to himself. “I wonder what would happen if I-”
“Discord!” He heard a voice call out. Turning around, he saw Twilight and her friends, all back with their bright pony colors, and the elements of harmony equipped to their forms.
“Well crap,” he muttered with a nervous gulp. He had some doubt in his mind about whether or not this girls could actually use those elements, but he knew what kind of person harmony was. If it meant beating him into submission, harmony would let a five year old handle its power.
“Discord, we have come to end your reign of chaos!”
“Pfft, you can try, but you'll fail.”
“Oh yeah?” Applejack interjected. “Well we've got the elements of harmony, and their ain't nothing you can do ta stop ‘em!”
“True, true. But the real question, can you hit me with them?”
“Can we what?”
“Can you hit me with them? Those elements take a bit of time to charge up, whereas I can do anything instantly! If you were to fire your attack, all I'd need to do is teleport to the other side of the world, then come back when your power of friendship deus ex machina finishes up unleashing the massive rainbow that petrifies people!”
The elements of harmony froze. He was right. If he wanted to, he could simply avoid their attack. They'd waste energy just trying to hit him, and before too long they'd run out of power, and then Discord would win! Twilight could hardly believe it. After all of that. After struggling her way through the maze, after losing herself, and all of her friends, after getting them back and finding the elements. Was it all pointless? Was there really nothing they could do?
“See how futile your struggle is? In the end, no matter what you do, or what you try, chaos always wi-” Discord was suddenly interrupted with a metal fist slamming into his jaw. The draconicus was sent flying, slamming into the ground and colliding with somepony’s house. With a groan, Discord sat up and rubbed his throbbing skull.
“If chaos always wins, then I guess I'd better get involved.” Discord froze. That voice. That distinctive, robotic voice. Discord knew that voice.
Discord feared that voice.
From where he once stood, there was a plume of smoke, his throne of madness having crashed to the ground when he was punched out of it, the heavy stone and gems it was comprised of having made quite the impact.
From within this rising smoke cloud, Discord could see a distinctive figure. It was tall, stood on two legs, and had spines protruding from its head. A red light shown through from its singular eye, its piercing gaze driving right into the draconicus.
“Long time no see,” the voice said again as the smoke cleared, revealing a blue, robotic hedgehog, “Discord.”
Lisa wandered aimlessly through her forest. She watched owls go from tree to tree, bunnies go from bush to bush, and hummingbirds go from flower to flower. All was calm and peaceful, and Lisa was enjoying the quiet. She began to hum a tune to herself, one that began to draw attention from the animals around her.
“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars,” she began softly, singing one of her favorite songs. “Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.”
She gently pet the head of a timber wolf as she passed it by, one of which nuzzled into her hand and followed her.
“In other words, hold my hand. In other words, darling kiss me.” The more she sang, the more peaceful things became, if that was possible. Everything in the Everfree, even the trees themselves, went silent, just to listen to her melodious voice, as each lyric rang from her nonexistent lips.
“Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forevermore. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you.”
She began again, the soft tone of her voice beginning to lull some of the creatures around her to sleep. This is why she was queen of the forest. Sure she may have been the strongest, and probably the smartest creature in the Everfree, but it was her ability to keep the peace that truly made her the queen. Her kind voice and calming presence would deter any creature from harming another, as for almost all of them, she had been around since they were newborns. Yes, she truly was the queen of the Everfree Forest, and the creatures around her were her loyal beasts.
As the timber wolf that followed her began to curl up and rest, Lisa smiled and pet the mystical wooden dog. It closed its eyes happily as she scratched it behind the ear, and gave Lisa a playful lick on the cheek. Lisa could only chuckle, and sung once more, until the wolf was asleep.
Standing up, she was about to head home, when she once again felt three familiar presences enter her woods.
“Seriously?” Lisa chided. “Weren't they just here yesterday?”
Knowing that nothing good would come from leaving them alone, Lisa begrudgingly walked towards the three fillies that constantly came into the forest. She began to wonder if she should either scare them out like should usually would, or just pick them up and literally throw them out.
“Ugh, maybe they're just going to Zecora’s again.” But she knew that wasn't true. She could already sense them wandering off the path into uncharted territory. Into the Everfree they came, and Lisa would have to watch over them.
It didn't take her long to find the girls. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were all walking side by side, Apple Bloom a little bit ahead of her companions and with a flashlight in her mouth.
“Can we please not do this?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I mean, I know some of the things we've done weren't exactly the best ideas, but this is just stupid.”
“Come on Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo replied, “don't you wanna see it too? I've never seen a demon before! This is exciting!”
“Haven't you ever wondered why it's called a demon?”
“Hey, Zecora said she was nice,” Apple Bloom said, taking the flashlight out of her mouth. “If that's true, then we don't have to be afraid when we find her.”
“Finding her isn't the part that worries me. Being in here is.”
“We've been in here a bunch of times, we'll be fine.”
‘If only Sweetie Belle was a little more assertive,’ Lisa mentally groaned. Don't get her wrong, she loved the three little fillies, but they’ve wandered into the Everfree more times than she could count. She knew they would mostly do it to find their cutie marks, they were the cutie mark crusaders after all, but with the amount of times they came in here, Lisa was wondering if they'd gone insane.
‘Should I just let them find me? Ugh, but that'll ruin my cover. I don't need ponies trashing one of the last naturally growing places in the world just to find me.’ While she considered this, the girls managed to wander their way to the edge of a raven. On the other side of the gap in the earth was the castle of two sisters, in all its ruined glory.
“Whoa, is that the old castle Rainbow told us about?” Scootaloo wondered.
“You mean the one where they fought Nightmare Moon?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I think so. It's right by a raven, and deep in the forest like mah sister said it was.”
“Hey, do you think the demon lives in there?”
“Only one way to find out!” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walked over to the old wooden bridge that spanned the chasm, an action that both Lisa and Sweetie Belle could hardly believe.
‘They're not seriously going to,’ they thought in unison. But the moment Scootaloo stepped on the bridge, both girls had a realization. ‘Oh my god they are.’
“Wait!” Sweetie Belle raced forward, trying to be the voice of reason. “I really don't think this is a good idea.”
“Why not?” Scootaloo asked. “We barely weigh anything, the bridge will hold.”
“And if it doesn't?”
“Then it doesn't and we die. Come on Sweetie Belle, you can't spend your whole life worrying about everything.”
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, took in a deep breath, and sighed. Then, she stepped on the bridge.
‘Are you kidding me?’ Lisa thought as the three began to walk across the bridge. With every step, the old wood creaked, making Lisa finch. She could only hope the ancient planks held strong.
And they would have held strong, had the fillies gone one at a time. But they didn't go one at a time, they went all at once. And, just like a twig in the hands of a child, the wooden planks snapped, and broke apart.
The cutie mark crusaders began to fall to their deaths, but Lisa intervened. Acting quickly, she ran towards the side of the cliff. Not deciding to make a gamble on whether or not her tendrils would be fast enough to catch the girls, Lisa dove into the chasm, extending her tendrils to catch the girls. With her falling, her extendable limbs were able to reach the fillies in time and bring them back to Lisa. She then took the screaming girls in her arms, hugged them closely to her chest, and turned so her back was towards the ground.
Her landing was, less than pleasant.
Although her tendrils buried themselves into the stone walls around her in attempt to save her, they only managed to slow her fall a bit before she crashed into the bottom of the chasm.
Did it hurt? Oh most certainly, but it wasn't the worst pain Lisa had felt. She did smack her head against the rock however, and now she had a raging headache, and the screams of the fillies in her arms weren't helping in the slightest. She groaned and rubbed her aching skull. And today had started out so wonderfully too.
Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle all finally stopped screaming. Looking around with confused looks, they quickly realized that they weren't falling. They weren't gonna die!
“Whoo!” Scootaloo cheered. “That was awesome!”
“That was not awesome, we could've died!” Sweetie Belle shouted.
“But we're okay, ain't we?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Ugh, I guess, but that was really dangerous! If the fall had been any further, one of us might've gotten hurt!”
“Oh come on Sweetie Belle, it wasn't that… far…” Scootaloo looked up and saw just how far above them the broken bridge was. If one had to make a guess, it'd be about five stories above them. How'd they survive that?
“Well, now that you know you're all safe and sound, mind getting off me?” The girls froze. Where had they voice come from? They looked down, and saw they were sitting atop some sort of bipedal, faceless creature. They immediately screamed and ran for the nearest cover they could find, which was a small boulder about a few feet away. The monster sat up with a groan.
“Oooh, my head.” She blinked once. Twice. Three times. Her vision finally cleared and she shook her head. “You can come out now. I'm not gonna hurt you. Would kinda be pointless to, since I just saved your lives.”
The three fillies peaked over their stone in both fear, and curiosity.
“Who… What are you?”
“I am a demoness, and prefer to be addressed as such. My name is Lisa, but most know me as the demon of the Everfree.”
“W-Wait, you're the demon of the Everfree?”
“In the flesh. And you three are a group of troublesome little fillies that are constantly wandering into my forest.” Lisa expected them to be shocked that she knew them. She expected them to thank her for saving them, or feel shame for causing her so much trouble.
She did not expect them to pounce on her like a pack of hungry wolves, and ask her hundreds of things all at once. Sweetie Belle seemed to be trying to thank her, but her voice was overshadowed by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asking question after question, barely letting themselves breathe.
“Girls, girls, GIRLS!” Lisa shouted, causing the fillies to halt their voices. “One at a time, please.”
“How'd you save us?”
“Are you really strong?”
“Thank you for saving us!”
“In order to save you I jumped off the cliff and caught you, I wouldn't say I myself am strong but my tendrils are, and you are very welcome Sweetie Belle.”
“Wait, what are tendrils?” Scootaloo asked.
“These,” Lisa replied as her tendrils came out of her back. One grabbed the fillies and set them down while the other three helped Lisa stand up.
“Whoa,” the fillies said amazed. They had never seen anything like these strange limbs. They could extend, retract, and bend every which way. The black extensions of Lisa's body receded back into her body, hiding from view.
Nathan trudged through the green and brown of the lush forest that he was still lost in. He had yet to see an exit, but something told him he was getting close. And no, it wasn't some sort of sixth sense kind of thing. Rather, it was more of a… notification for lack of a better word.
Predicted distance to edge of forest biome: 30ft
“Right,” Metal grumbled. Apparently physical appearance wasn't that only thing that had changed. Some sort of software had been embedded into his head, and was now giving him constant reminders of how close he was.
Predicted distance to edge of forest biome: 25ft
And so he walked.
Predicted distance to edge of forest biome: 20ft
And walked.
Predicted distance to edge of forest biome: 15ft
And walked.
Predicted distance to edge of forest biome: 10ft
“Would you stop reminding me how close I am to the edge of the forest every five seconds?!”
Affirmative; Biome range prediction set to “request”
“Oh… cool. So uh, how much further?”
Edge of biome reached
Just as the monotone robotic voice in his head said that, the dark foliage gave way to a blinding light. Nathan shielded his face as his optical sensors adjusted to the sudden change in light exposure, and when he could clearly see again, his eyes gazed upon the view in front of him.
Apple trees. Hundreds, if not thousands, of apple trees.
“The hell?” Nathan question stepping into the red fruit’s vineyard. His head turned this way and that, looking at the many perfectly standing trees that surrounded him. “Where am I now?”
Placement and repeating species of tree suggest you are located on farmland
“Well I kind of figured that, I meant where as in location.”
Location unknown; More data required
“Alrighty then.” And so Nathan ventured ever onward to someplace where civilization might be. These vineyards obviously meant there was a farm somewhere, but he didn't see anything nearby. “Hey uh, computer I guess? Can you tell me where the nearest lifeforms are?”
Affirmative; Distance to closest lifeform: 1ft
Nathan looked around in shock, but only saw the apple trees. Where was the-
“Ugh, I mean besides the trees. Scan for sentient lifeforms.”
Adjusting Scan; Lifeforms detected, however whether they retain sentience is unknown
“Well are they at least human?”
Negative, but they appear to be performing human-like actions
“Hmm, well I shouldn't be too surprised. I mean, nothing like those tree wolves exists back home so I guess it makes sense that humans don't live here. What direction are they in?”
Three are several meters to the west, but a large quantity are also located to the southeast
“Okay, I can only assume that the large quantity is a town so I guess I'm heading there.” Turning towards the indicated direction of the town, Nathan slowly made his way there. As he walked, he decided to inquire with the new voice in his head.
“So what are you exactly?”
I am an artificial intelligence designated to help operate all subroutines, basic functions, and advanced systems at your command
“Okay, so can you tell me who made us like this?”
Information unavailable
“Tch, figures that a mystery like that can't be answered so easily.”
My databanks only contain information you contained prior to your transformation; Any and all data you require must either be discovered, downloaded, or obtained some other way first; However, I do perform constant scans of our environment to provide the most immediate information needed
“I see. Well, do you have a name?”
Negative
“Well I gotta call you something. Hmm, what to name you… oh I know! How about Epsilon?”
Affirmative; I shall now respond to the name Epsilon
With that settled, Nathan and his new companion Epsilon traveled to the town Epsilon had identified. It wasn't long before Nathan walked over a hill and the town came into view.
It was a small village, a population probably ranging around a hundred fifty occupants, maybe more. The buildings were mostly small and colorful, but a few stood out from the rest, mainly the town hall, a larger home, which was probably the equivalent of a mansion here, a tree, which had windows, a door, and a balcony, and a large carousel. The place looked familiar, but Nathan couldn't exactly put his finger on where he had seen the place beforehand. Shrugging, he strolled down the hill and entered the town.
And yet, it was empty.
The streets were barren, and not a soul was in view. It was oddly quiet too, like the whole town was holding its breath, and Nathan had the strangest feeling of being watched.
“Hey Epsilon, I thought you said there were people here,” Nathan muttered to himself.
There are, but they all seem to be hiding inside the buildings for some unknown reason
“Well if that's the case they're probably hiding from me.” Nathan walked around a bit more, and was about to call out when suddenly, a loud beeping noise sounded off in his head.
WARNING! Speeding target approaching from behind; Activating defense matrix
With the speed of a bullet, Nathan whipped around and caught something aimed straight at his head. Without a second thought, he whipped the hostile target around him and tossed it into the wall of a nearby building, causing it to crash through the wall.
‘Did I really just throw something through a wall?’ Nathan thought. ‘Damn, I'm stronger than I thought.’
As the smoke cleared from the collapsing said wall, Nathan's would be attacker glared daggers at him. To his surprise, Nathan was facing a blue pegasus mare with a rainbow colored mane and tail. Much like the town, she too looked familiar.
Target identified as Rainbow Dash from the show, My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic; A pegasus mare self identified as the fastest flyer in all Equestria; Conformation on such fact is yet to be determined
‘Ah, so that's what I know her from.’ My Little Pony was a show that was often played on the T.V. for the younger kids at the adoption center. He had watched it a few times, and knew a little about the main cast, but even that was limited information. ‘Okay, so I know who she is. New question, why is she attacking me?’
“I don't know what you are, but you're going down!” Rainbow shouted. With a flap of her wings Dash was flying at her robotic foe. Nathan's defense matrix however, was much faster than she was, and so the blue pegasus's attack was dodged easily. Taken aback at first, Rainbow shook off her surprise and quickly backtracked for another attack. Nathan however once again blocked her attack, backhanding her across the street.
The rainbow haired mare tumbled into another wall, slamming into it causing her to lose the air from her lungs. She coughed heavily and attempted to steady her breathing. Once she caught her breath, she stood, slightly trembling from the pain.
“You're gonna… pay for that.”
“Hey now, why don't we calm down, and remedy the situation before things get worse,” Nathan suggested.
“What?”
“Look I was just minding my own business when you attacked me. How about we calm down, before you seriously get hurt.”
“You think you're so tough, I'll show you!” Rainbow Dash cried out in pure rage and charged once more. With a roll of his eyes, Nathan stood ready, and, once she was close enough, threw an uppercut that connected with her chin.
One could hear the force of connection when metal met flesh. A sickening crack told Nathan he had most likely just accidentally broken Rainbow's jaw, or had at least dislocated it, and the pegasus was sent flying into the air. She landed roughly on her back, completely unconscious.
“Great, now I've severely injured a main character,” Nathan muttered.
“Rainbow Dash!” a voice cried.
“And here come the rest.” He turned to meet the oncoming ponies in a panicked rush. The five mares quickly surrounded the injured pony and checked her over before one, an orange with with a blond mane and a cowboy hat, stood, a look of pure rage on her face.
“You! Yer gonna pay for what ya did ta Rainbow!”
“Hey I was just acting in self defence! She attacked me first!” The pony was a little surprised at Nathan's voice. Clearly she didn't expect him to be able to speak. “Look, I'm sorry that I injured her like that, but she wouldn't back off, even when I tried to calm the situation down.”
“Yeah? Well then excuse me fer doin this!” She charged, and Nathan was afraid he’d have to beat down another pony, when a lavender one with a dark purple mane teleported in between them.
“Wait Applejack, he might be telling the truth. You know how everypony gets when something new shows up, and Rainbow might have overreacted.”
“That don't excuse what he did ta Dash!”
“Maybe but he did apologize. If Rainbow was being as violent as he claims, he may have had no choice.”
“Like I said,” Nathan interrupted, “I'm really sorry for hurting, Rainbow Dash is it? Anyways, I'm sorry for hurting her, but she attacked first.”
“So what do ya suggest we do Twi?”
“We get Rainbow to my house, heal her jaw, and wait for her to wake up so we can hear both sides of the story. Then we go from there, okay?”
The opposing mare grumbled a bit, but agreed, and went to help move Rainbow to the purple mare’s house.
“Well, glad that's been handled,” Nathan said.
“Yeah sorry about that. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tend to be action first, talk second.”
“It's cool. I doubt she's seen anything like me before so I don't blame the sudden aggression.”
“Yeah, that tends to happen around here. Anyways, my name is Twilight Sparkle. And yours?”
“My name?” Nathan pondered a bit. What was his name now? He was in a whole new world, a whole new place, in a whole new body. Perhaps this could be a fresh start for him. And so, Nathan decided the shed the name he’d been born with, and instead donned a new persona. “My name is Sonic. Metal, Sonic."
The cold, dark, stone room was still sealed behind the giant stone door that held it closed. And so Nathan sat, his head resting on his hand, waiting.
And waiting…
And waiting…
“God damn it! Am I ever gonna get out of here?” But unfortunately, the silence around him did not hold the answer. It merely told him to wait.
And wait…
And wait…
He could've been asleep. Yes, he most certainly could've just laid down on his cobblestone bed, closed his eye, and fallen asleep. But something told him he needed to be awake. Something told him he needed to be ready. But as to why he felt this way, he couldn't be sure. After all, not even the greatest blast of magic could burrow into the walls, and not even the loudest bell’s sound would resonate in these halls. The outside world in its entirety was closed off from this place, and Nathan was regretting his choice to make that so. And he could only leave if he was needed, yet another choice he regretted making, especially since they were all still out and about. With this in mind, he doubted that his services would ever be required.
Even so, as he began to ponder just what exactly he was going to do for the next millennia, he heard a loud noise.
CRACK!
‘... what was that?’ Nathan wondered as he looked about.
CRACK!
‘There it is again. What is that?’ Stepping away from his bed, Nathan rounded the only corner in his chamber, and looked at the door that kept him trapped here.
There was massive crack down the middle.
CRACK!
The crack spread further down the stone gate’s center, creating a jagged line from the bottom to the top. Seeing his chance, Nathan immediately ran at the exit of his self-imposed imprisonment and slammed into it at full force, causing it to crumble like dust. As the rock shattered around him, Nathan quickly came to a stop, and gazed upon the first bit of sunlight he had seen in centuries.
He breathed in the fresh air, and sighed in relief. But then he remembered, that door would come unsealed should he be needed. So why was he released?
“Take them all!” Nathan looked around at the sound of the vicious voice, and saw that not all was peaceful as he had first believed. Ponies were running in massive panic, chased by bug like creatures Nathan knew only as changelings. The chitin covered ponies were grabbing civilians left and right, and Nathan knew he had to stop them.
Charging forward, the loud footfalls of his feet drew the attention away from the innocent, and onto himself. The invaders saw him, and before they could react, Nathan punched one in armor, presumably a commander, out of the sky and into a wall. Without a second thought, he raised his left arm, the cannon that replaced his left hand immediately firing shot after shot of pure energy, annihilating anything they touched.
Finally getting over the initial surprise of the new combatant, the Changelings charged the intruder with the intent to kill. But for as powerful as they were, their magic blasts, powerful attacks, and swarming tactics did nothing against the metal giant. Soon, the changelings were forced to retreat, and Nathan stood tall, victorious.
“HRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
Thane rolled under another magical beam from his opponent and took cover behind another column. Chrysalis laughed triumphantly as her opponent hid from her.
“What's the matter Thane? Can't face the queen?”
“You're no queen of mine,” Thane muttered, taking a pot shot at the insectoid alicorn with a combuster, but Chrysalis merely deflected the bullet with a small, magical shield.
“Ha! Is that the best you've got?”
“No, but I do have this!” A fusion grenade formed in his hand, and Thane tossed it back, straight at Chrysalis. She easily blasted it out of the air and turned her attention back towards her opponent.
But he wasn't there.
Chrysalis looked around hurriedly, her back to the marriage alter as she tried to find the robot she had just fought against. However, no matter where she looked she couldn't find him.
Well, not until she looked up.
Somehow Thane had gotten above her, and was coming down, full speed, an omniwrench in either hand. Reacting quickly, Chrysalis stepped back, just barely dodging Thane’s surprise attack, before delivering a decisive kick to his head. Thane flew across the temporary nave, sailing over benches and tumbling down the aisle till he hit the large wooden doors at the entrance.
“Thane!” he heard a voice call as one of his comrades, Krystal, rushed to his side. “You okay?”
“Yeah, damn bug is harder to kill than I thought.”
“Thane!” cried another voice, as the last two members of his team, Zane and Katie, rushed to his side. “Here, let me heal you.”
Zane placed one of his gun like hands against Thane, and from the barrel came these little pinpricks of blue light. They surrounded Thane, and immediately the leader of the group felt better.
“Thanks Zane.”
“No problem.” The four of them stood up. Side by side, they were ready to fight. They were, after all, the Phoenix Rangers.
“HRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!!!” The mighty bellow caught them all off guard. While Chrysalis rapidly looked about, the Phoenix Rangers froze. That roar. That war cry.
They knew that war cry.
A loud thumping, like the footsteps of a giant, began to approach.
THUMP…
THUMP…
THUMP…
Chrysalis slowly turned around, a look of fear dawning her face, as a massive shadow eclipsed the stained glass behind her. Then, without warning, a massive fist burst through the sunlight colored window, shattering it into countless pieces, and ramming into the insect queen. Chrysalis was sent flying but quickly caught herself in mid air, and landed amongst the broken wooden seats where observers of the interrupted marriage once sat.
Smoke from the collapsed wall prevented her from seeing just what had attacked her, but as the wind from the outside world blew, her assailant quickly came into view.
All she saw was a giant, orange, oval surrounded by dark gray steel.
Just as she was about to question just who, or what, this intruder was, the wall to her left collapsed as a massive arm cannon forced its way inside. The blaster began to charge up, and Chrysalis had barely enough time to move out of the way before a huge blast of pure energy fired from it, completely vaporizing the wall on the opposite side. And before she could recover from her emergency dive, the same hand from before reached in and grabbed her, bringing her outside.
By this point, Chrysalis was terrified. Who was this iron giant, and why was it attacking her? Looking at it now, it merely looked like a massive version of the Phoenix Rangers. But that couldn't be right, the Phoenix Rangers only had four members.
Right?
Well whatever the case, this thing was here, and it was attacking her.
“SURRENDER.”
“What?”
“SURRENDER OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.”
Surrender or suffer the consequences? Okay, this thing may have been big, but no way was it going to make Chrysalis surrender, not when she was this close!
Using a burst of magic to force the giant to release her from his grip, Chrysalis flew up above the darkly colored titan. She began to force energy through her veins, grunting as she prepared to enact a massive transformation.
“Haven't taken this form in a while,” Chrysalis muttered as strange markings began to cover her body. “But it should do the trick!”
Her eyes glowed green as the symbols covered every inch of her, starting from her hooves and spreading to her wings. Chrysalis grunted in pain as a sickening crack rang out, the sound of her own chitin breaking apart. Nathan immediately took note that this transformation was not like any other he had seen a changeling perform, and stood ready to meet the new threat.
Another crack rang through the air, and all of the changelings suddenly came to a stop. The queen began to shiver violently, almost in agony, and the changelings did the same. Cracks also began to show up on each individual insect pony, and from those crack green light shown through, and they twitched and and cried out as foam built up in their mouths. The invaders started to scream, a horrid, eerie noise that made one's blood curl. Then, just as quickly as their suffering began, they all went quiet, and fell to the ground.
There was an unnatural silence as the many bodies of the changelings landed on the earth of which they attacked. Their eyes were dark and lifeless, like every single one of them had suddenly died. Chrysalis herself fell from her position in the sky, and her head was impaled on the spire of a nearby tower, the pole piercing her jaw and skull. Again the silence reigned, but then cheers of joy and laughter came from the populace of Canterlot city, celebrating the end of the attack. But those who were wise enough, kept up their guard. The changelings had come to invade.
It couldn't be this easy.
And they were right in their suspicions. As the ponies of Canterlot cheered and hugged, more cracks appeared on the corpses of the invaders. Then, from one of the bodies, sprang a long, singular appendage. Everypony froze in horror as the corpse was ripped apart from the inside out, and when the shell burst open, all that was left was a monster.
From the changeling bodies came large, black insects. They each had long, thin bodies, six legs sprouting from their sides, and large wings protruding from their backs. Their faces were horribly deformed, having lengthened a bit and their jaws splitting into dual mandibles lined with sharp teeth, and their eyes now caps for hundreds of smaller pupils that saw everything. They were covered in green blood and gore, and to top it all off, long, menacing stingers protruded from their rear ends.
These were no longer changelings, they were bugs.
The bugs took flight, the sound of their large wings creating a buzz the clouded the sound of everything within its range. Orders from captains to their men were difficult to hear, and the time wasted while they tried to relay orders allowed the insects to descend upon the fearful populace, and collect. The attackers were fast, and the clicks and pheromones which were now their language allowed them all to communicate faster than any other living creature. And they had one mission: attack, collect, and protect the queen.
While all of this was happening, Nathan tried to reach Chrysalis’s corpse. It was clear she too would transform, and he didn't want to see what the queen of these bugs looked like. He aimed his arm cannon at the dead body of the ringleader of the invasion, but the bugs stopped him. They slammed into his gun as a unit, their coordination and strength quickly forcing the massive cannon downwards. Nathan tried to swat them away, but now they were faster, stronger, smarter. They easily dodged each swipe he made at them, and attacked with balls of acid being flung from their jaws. The acid didn't hurt much, but Nathan knew too much of the stuff couldn't be good. He fired his arm cannon, and the bullet of energy manage to vaporize a few of his attackers, but the bugs didn't care. As long as his attention was off the queen, their lives didn't matter.
From Chrysalis’s body, a green sac, almost like a cocoon, began to emerge. It slowly grew in size, hanging off the dead queen’s corpse, the occasional shift becoming visible. The cocoon kept growing and growing, reaching a monstrous size before too long. And by the time Nathan noticed it, the cocoon burst.
Tearing its way out, came the queen herself. A massive version of her subjects, Chrysalis emerged from her cask, and let out a high-pitched screech, deafening the entire city. She stood tall on her six grotesque legs, and faced her robotic opponent.
‘Holy shit…’ Nathan thought. ‘That's a big bug.’
Shaking off the shock, Nathan aimed his arm cannon and fired. The shot landed, hitting Chrysalis in the face. But instead of exploding like it was supposed to, the energy was instead absorbed into Chrysalis, spreading over her body in a coat of pure power, before quickly fading away.
‘Energy resistant chitin. Great.’ Seeing as his gun didn't work, Nathan instead threw a punch, and that did some damage. Chrysalis screeched in pain as the giant steel fist came into contact with her face, and her many eyes glared daggers at Nathan. Though she definitely felt the pain, barely any damage had been done, and Chrysalis was already rearing up for a counter attack.
Before her could do anything, Chrysalis hooked her mandibles onto Nathan’s arm cannon. Acid gushed out of her mouth like water from a fountain, and the giant Phoenix Ranger cried out in pain as his arm began to melt. Another punch threw her off, but the damage was done.
She screamed again, a sound that called the attention of her hive, and their orders changed. Now, instead of attacking, collecting, and protecting the queen, they were to attack Nathan, and kill him no matter the cost. The insects followed their queen’s orders to the letter, and swarmed Nathan.
He tried to fight back, but there were just too many. They crawled inside hole in his arm, and Nathan could feel them start to mess with his systems. He needed to get them out of there, but how?
Well, bugs like heat, but a little too much heat can kill them easily. With this in mind, Nathan shut off his ventilation and cooling systems, and let the heat build up. He quickly went from cool, to warm, to hot, and then to on fire. The bugs inside him started to light up like firecrackers, and the heat became too much for the bugs surrounding him, and so, with nothing in his way, Nathan charged the queen. He gripped her by the neck, and shoved the melted muzzle of his gun, which was now like a hot, jagged knife, and speared Chrysalis through the chest. An unholy wail was unleashed from Chrysalis and all of her subjects as they rapidly fell to the ground. With no queen to direct them, one by one the bugs passed out, littering the city with the bodies of insects.
Nathan dropped the corpse of the queen, and it collapsed. He too, fell to his knees, exhausted. If had been a long time since he fought like this.
Nathan began to shrink, his systems no longer able to compensate for such a massive body, so he shrank down to give them a break. Sitting down on a fallen pillar, Nathan took deep, calming breaths.
“Nathan!” Looking up, Nathan saw the old members of his team running towards him.
‘Oh great, my old paly pals. Yay.’ If he could roll his eye, he would, and he did consider leaving but then be saw Zane and, seeing the state of his left arm, he knew he needed the medic’s nanomachines.
“So, you're free,” said Thane, Nathan’s former leader. Thane was a simple ranger bot, with a dark steel body and red markings on his body, kind of like a secondary color to his primary grey. Unlike Nathan, he had two hands instead a gun for his left, both of which were crossed in something a bit more than distaste, but not quite hate.
To Thane’s left was Katie, and to his right, Krystal. The two looked pretty similar, the only difference being purple for Katie’s secondary color and a green for Krystal’s, and Katie’s left arm replaced with a gun, and the same happening to Krystal’s right.
And finally, there was Zane. Zane also looked like your average ranger, with light blue for his secondary color and both of his arms were cannons, which was odd since he was the least violent out of all his teammates.
“Nathan!” Zane cried. “Christ, here let me heal you.”
Blue little dots of light, Zane’s self produced nanomachines, poured from his gun nozzle and bathed Nathan with their healing abilities. He could feel the little robots connect to his databanks and use his information to rebuild his arm. As his arm cannon began to repair, Nathan glanced down at his former comrades.
“So, who let the changelings in?”
Chapter Twelve: The Start of Something New (Symbol)
Symbol was standing in front of Celestia, a bewildered look on his face at the bizarre request the sun monarch had just made.
“I would like you to accompany Twilight on her trip to Ponyville. She's going there to oversee that the preparations for the summer sun celebration are all in order before my arrival, and I would like to send you there as an escort and guard.”
“Escort and guard? I'm pretty sure Twilight can defend herself Celestia.”
“Be that as it may, I'd like you to go anyways. It'll be a good chance for you to get out and be more familiar with our world. And, if Twilight does indeed need your help, then there you'll be.”
Symbol thought on this. The logic was sound, and it wasn't like he was doing anything anyways, so he thought, why not? And after a bit of preparation, Symbol was ready to leave.
All he had to do, was wait for Twilight.
“So… where is she?” Spike asked.
“You're guess is as good as mine,” Symbol replied. “Not like Twilight to drag her feet at the request of the princess.”
“Well earlier she was talking about the old, “Mare in the Moon,” legend, saying that some sort of evil power was going to return. Maybe that's why she's taking so long?”
“Hmmm, maybe… no wait, there she is!” Just as he said, their lavender friend was rounding the corner, several books and bags in her magical grip.
“Sorry for taking so long,” Twilight said as she climbed into the carriage. “Couldn't decide what I would need so I decided to bring everything.”
“Your whole library?”
“Well obviously not. Just what I would need pertaining to Nightmare Moon.”
“Twilight do you seriously believe that legend?”
“The signs don't lie Symbol, Nightmare Moon is destined to return soon, at least within the year. I just want to be prepared in case that day happens to be today.” With a roll of his eyes, Symbol signaled the royal guards to start pulling the carriage. A nod from the twin white pegasi was all they gave before the trailer took flight, gliding down to the small town in the distance.
To say the community of Ponyville was skittish was an understatement. Upon their arrival, several ponies panicked at the mere sight of Symbol, many screaming at the top of their lungs and running in fear, while a few even demanded the guards that had flown them here capture him. Symbol, in his own right, was a little hurt, but he understood why. Ponies where generally a very sheltered race of creatures. If you came from outside their land, or if you held different values and cultures than they did, you were generally viewed as an abomination to be terrified of and attacked. Ironic that the citizens of the land of peace and happiness were so xenophobic.
It was a problem Symbol had to deal with when first coming to this world, and Symbol knew all he had to do was be patient and the ponies would eventually accept him. In the meantime, they had a job to do.
Twilight began to wander around the quaint little town, looking about and marking things off her checklist.
Decorations? Check.
Banners welcoming the princess? Check.
Everything nice and tidy? Check.
Well that's it for the more general objectives,” Twilight said flipping to the next page. “Now to visit more specific ponies for their more specific jobs. First up, a place called Sweet Apple Acres is in charge of the catering. We need to talk to somepony named Applejack.”
“Well howdy do!” Twilight yelped at the reply she had not been ready for. In front of her stood an orange mare with a blond mane, light green eyes, and a cowboy hat. “If yer lookin fer Applejack, that’d be me.”
“I see. So, how are the food preparations coming along?”
“Just fine Ms…”
“Twilight.”
“Twilight! If ya wanna stay fer brunch we'd be happy ta show ya what we got in stock!”
“Oh that's okay, I've got to-”
“Oh c’mon Twilight, we've got all day to make sure everything is ready. Why don't we have a little bite to eat before we continue?”
Applejack clearly hadn't noticed Symbol before, because she was giving him a queer look now.
“Scuse me fer asking but, what sorta critter are you?”
“Me? Oh, I'm a human. Name's Symbol, it's a pleasure to meet you,” Symbol said with an extended hand.
“Well then, my name's Applejack, nice to meet you too,” the orange mare said, now much calmer knowing Symbol wasn't just some monster.
After that, the trio went on to find the appointed weather pony, Rainbow Dash. Judging by the cloud cover, one could assume the mare had yet to do her job.
“Cleared skies? Uncheck.”
“Hey wait wait wait, I was just about to clear them out!” The outburst came from a blue furred, rainbow maned, pegasus mare with bright pink irises.
“I assume you're Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.
“That's me! Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in all of Equestriaaaa what the hay are you?” Once again, Symbol had been noticed. And once again, the reaction bordered on suspicion and aggression.
“Well, my name's Symbol, and I'm a human.”
“A human? What's a human?”
“You could say a human is a creature from a very far away land.”
“Oh, well uh, nice to meet you. So anyways, I heard you say I wasn't doing my job?”
“Well Rainbow Dash,” Twilight began, “the sky needs to be clear by tonight, but I still see clouds. Care to explain?”
“Oh, well I was just practicing a few tricks to show the wonderbolts later tonight!”
“I see. Well, would the Wonderbolts be very impressed if you failed to do your job?”
“I… guess not.”
“Then I suggest you get started. With the amount of clouds up there, it'll take you all day to clear it up.”
“Hey I can get rid of those clouds in ten seconds flat!”
“Really? Prove it.”
“You're on!” And off she went, flying full speed towards the objects of her task. With a quiet smirk, Twilight checked off the cleared skies task off her checklist.
“Dang Twilight, didn't take you for the manipulative type,” Symbol proclaimed.
“Oh trust me, it's no surprise,” Spike responded. “One time, she tricked me into doing both her chores and mine, and all I got was an emerald.”
“Ooo, harsh.”
“Hey, not my fault you fell for the tricks of a ten year old.”
“I was three!”
“Still not my fault! Now, the next pony we need to visit is… Rarity. She's in charge of decorating the town hall.” And so off they went.
The town hall was a tall, cylindrical building. A deck surrounded the bottom floor, and a balcony wrapped around the second. It was a mostly alabaster white, with wooden planks in formations that looked like structural supports, giving it an appearance as if belonged in a town full of cottages, which Ponyville arguably was. Pink tinted windows lined the structure, and a brown roof with a single spire topped it all off, and Twilight, Symbol, and Spike paused for but a moment to look before heading inside.
The interior of the town hall differed vastly from its exterior.
The inside wasn't a bundle of offices like one would suspect, but more like a grand theater meant only for the rich. A small stage with a balcony above it sat at the far side of the room, and the walls were lined with more balconies. Pink corners donned every entrance to every outlook, and flags had been hung up above the main area, amongst the grand windows that allowed light to flood in. These flags were donned with multiple designs, the two most prominent ones being a golden one with a unicorn on it, representing the sun, and a blue one with an earth pony on it, representing the moon. One could guess the golden one was meant for Celestia, the unicorn stitched on it most likely depicting the princess’s front half. The earth pony on the moon flag however was anyone's guess.
Amongst all this decor were ponies, all busying themselves with hanging up more flags and banners. Directing them all was a white unicorn with an illustrious purple mane.
“A little to the left… perfect! Now, let's hang the Apple family's banner on the right side of the stage.”
“Excuse me?” Twilight interjected. “Are you Rarity?”
“Hmm?” Turning around, the unicorn meet her slightly dark blue eyes with Twilight's purple ones. “Oh yes that would be me darling. How can I help you?”
“Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm here to oversee that all of the preparations for Celestia's arrival are good and ready before the celebration begins.”
“Oh of course darling. Well, as you can see, we're having the banners of the moon and sun hung up front so they stand out from the rest. The others are crests from varying families in Ponyville and-” Symbol stunned out as the two mares talked. Word of his presence must have started spreading around, because, although they still held that first look of surprise upon seeing him, they no longer held such aggressive stares.
He looked around the open room, admiring the beauty and creativity in its design. Though, he did have one complaint.
“What's with this town and balconies?” Nonetheless, he thought it looked nice. “Hey Spike, what do you-”
Symbol turned to see an odd expression on the young drake’s face, one Symbol had never seen him wear. It could be described as a mix of confusion, lust, and some other third thing that Symbol rather not think about in the context of his young friend.
“Yo Spike, you doin alright?” Symbol questioned, waving a hand in front of the purple dragon’s face.
“She's beautiful,” was all Spike managed to say before collapsing on his back, unconscious. Apparently Spike thought Rarity was quite literally, “drop dead gorgeous.” With a roll of his eyes, Symbol picked him up and slung him over his shoulder, just in time to see Twilight returning.
“Finally, I got to talk to a normal pony for once.”
“Normal? I'd say all of these ponies are pretty normal.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well from my experience, earth ponies are usually down to earth, pegasi are prideful and competitive, and unicorns are generally high class.”
“I… can't refute you there. I suppose you're right then.”
“Which means we're the weird ones.”
“What?”
“People who think average is weird are generally weird themselves. It's kind of hypocritical.”
“I'm not weird!”
“If I remember correctly, you at one point started practicing this spell to change your mane to a more rainbow colored design, all so you could look like Celestia when you were six.”
“Who told you that?!”
“Celestia.”
“… okay yes I did do that but I was just a kid then!”
“Still pretty weird.”
“Ugh, whatever. Okay who's next?” Looking at her list once more, Twilight peered at the name of the next activity leader. “According to my list, a mare named Fluttershy is in charge of coordinating a small flock of songbirds into singing at the celebration.”
“Really? Huh, that'd be impressive”
“Well , her house is over on the edge of town, shall we- oof!” Without looking, Twilight had managed to collide with another pony, a pink, earth pony mare. Everything about this girl was pink except for her eyes, which were a sky blue. Before Twilight could even apologise, the mare gasped heavily and ran off, leaving behind nothing but a cloud of dust. “Well… that was weird.”
“So… on to Fluttershy?”
“Yeah, on to Fluttershy.”
The walk to the cottage wasn't long, and was actually very pretty. The cottage itself looked less like a building and looked more like something from a fairy tail. It was covered in grass and moss that somehow made it look wondrous, and Symbol could hardly believe the sight before his eyes.
“Wow, whoever lives here must be rich!”
“I don't think so. According to this, Fluttershy’s home is a licensed nature preserve.”
“Really? Well, guess the decor makes sense. So where is she?”
“I think she's right there.” Twilight pointed at a creamy yellow mare with a pink mane and tail. Upon hearing the voices of others, she turned around, revealing her light blue/teal colored eyes. “Hello! You're Fluttershy correct?”
“Oh, um… y-yes…”
“And I understand you're in charge of the music?”
“Um… y-yes…” It was quickly becoming evident that Fluttershy was painfully… well, shy. She kept getting quieter and quieter, making It difficult to understand anything she said.
“Ugh, where am I?” Spike muttered, waking up. Then, with a loud gasp, the quivering mare turned into an ecstatic pony. A cry of glee erupted from her mouth as she rushed forward, knocked Symbol down, and wrapped her hooves around Spike. “Um… wat?”
“Oh you're just so cute and precious!” Fluttershy said snuggling Spike. “I've never seen a baby dragon before! You're just adorable!”
“Uh… thanks?” After a few more face nuzzles, Fluttershy realized that someone had been holding Spike when he woke up, and turned to see just who she had knocked down. She nearly screamed.
In front of her lay Symbol, a human, which was something she had never seen before. Though his stature was different, the way he stood up reminded her of a standing bear. Still though, he may look scary, but she needed to apologize.
“Oh, I'm sorry I knocked you down.”
“No problem. I'm just surprised you didn't see me until now.”
“Oh, well then I'm sorry for that too.”
“Hey no worries! Name's Symbol, first and only human in Equestria.” Symbol extended a hand, which Fluttershy promptly shook.
“Um, my name is Fluttershy, and I'm the animal caretaker of Ponyville.”
“Well Fluttershy, it's a pleasure to meet you. So, you're organizing some songbirds to sing at the celebration?”
“Mhm. Would you like to see them?”
“Sure! I've never seen birds organized into a choir before!”
“Right this way then Symbol.” Fluttershy lead Symbol around to the side of the house, were some birds had been organized into a quintet of singers. With the motion of her hoof, Fluttershy’s birds began to sing, chirping a beautiful tune to accompany any party. The song made Symbol feel elated, and once it was over, Symbol thanked Fluttershy for the wonderful performance and headed for the place he and Twilight would be staying at overnight.
A giant tree in the center of town, that also served as a library.
The Golden Oak Library was the only library in town. It was small, but had an incredible design. Somehow the tree had grown incredibly thick, and someone decided to hollow it out and make a library out of it.
“Man, the architecture of this world never ceases to amaze me,” Symbol said as he approached the door. He grabbed the knob, and turned it, opening the door to a room full of noise.
There were ponies everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen. They were all over the place, and loud music was blaring out of the speakers on the other side of the main room. Apparently somepony had decided to throw a party in here, Symbol wasn't sure why, and invited the whole town. But even so, the moment he opened the door, all attention was on him. The ponies were still unsure about this strange new creature. Luckily, Symbol knew how to calm their fears. He scanned the crowd, put on his trademark grin, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Time. Time is the passage through which all things travel. But Alduin had been frozen for an incredible amount of time, petrified by his greatest foes. Though, now he was free, and within those first moments of freedom, he had already claimed victory over a decisive battle. And now he was at rest, the centuries he spent awake in stone, making way for a wave of fatigue that needed to be dealt with immediately. And so he slept, settled into a cave on a mountain that overlooked the town he had just saved, on the very edge of the Everfree Forest.
When Tirek had been defeated, and sent back to Tartarus, the ponies were unsure how to react to their savior. True, he had just saved Equestria from a huge threat, but he himself was the biggest threat the nation had ever encountered. Even so, that purple mare, Celestia's student if he remembered correctly, did take the time to thank him.
He had watched her approach nervously. She knew who he was, so he didn't blame her, and found her bravery admirable. Once more, she had yet to charge up any magic, a sign of peace and trust, which was probably why Alduin bothered to listen to her in the first place.
“U-Um… Lord Alduin?” The term, “lord,” hadn't been applied to him for so long, he nearly forgot that was a part of his title. Alduin strolled from his position of victory, and approached the young alicorn. From the corner of his eyes, he saw two of her comrades prepare to attack, but wing from Twilight stopped them. Smart mare.
The World Eater halted as soon as he was near, and his head lowered until it was level with his current subject of interest.
“You are Twilight Sparkle, correct?”
“Um, y-yes. How do you know my-”
“I've been petrified as a stone statue in the garden of Canterlot castle for three thousand years. I tend to learn who it is that kept in my prison’s keep.”
Twilight nodded and nervously swallowed. Facing him, facing the embodiment of destruction, the avatar of the end times, was absolutely terrifying. She wanted to run, to hide, to pray that she would never encounter this beast ever again. But as a princess, and with him free, she knew this would not be their last meeting, merely the first.
“So, I would like to thank you, for saving myself, my friends, and all of Equestria.”
“Do not thank me. It was your teacher that asked me to come, should you fail. She freed me to save you all. Course, whether or not that was a wise action is yet to be determined, so perhaps you should withhold your gratitude.”
Another nervous gulp. Twilight could hardly speak in the dragon's presence, having only enough courage to formulate that sentence. Seeing this, Alduin grinned.
“Perhaps you already suspect it to have been a foolish move.” Standing tall, the black scaled dragon turned and left without a word. With a flap of his wings, he was up in the air, and flying towards the mountain that overlooked the town.
And that's how he ended up here, in the cave where he rested. Unfortunately, his dreams were not peaceful.
Flashes and sequences of the war he fought, of the dragons he lost, of the destruction he placated. It plagued him like no other, and the dragon king was hardly getting the rest he needed. Another brief flash of a face he loved appeared, and Alduin's eyes snapped open.
With a grumble, and a yawn showing signs of the still yet faded fatigue, Alduin sat up. He had planned to fly back to the dragon lands after this, but there was no way he could now. It irked him how fate worked to keep him from his people. Oh how he missed his subjects.
“C’mon girls! This way!” A voice?
“Hold on Applebloom we're coming!” Two voices?
“Slow down you two!” Three? Alduin gazed at the entryway to his temporary home, and watched as three little fillies scurried inside. “Is this the place?”
“Sure is!” The first to enter was a yellow furred filly with a red mane and a large pink bow. She had an accent that was clearly southern, and eyes full of excitement.
“Whoa, this place is huge!” The second filly was orange with a magenta colored mane. Her voice was a little rough, and she had wings that Alduin noted were a bit small for a filly of her size.
“Well it would have to be, that dragon was pretty big.” The last filly had a white coat, with a mane that was half light purple, half pink.
The three intruders looked about the cave, somehow entirely missing Alduin until they bumped into his chest. The three fillies viewed the obstacle with some confusion, perhaps about to make a comment on some sort of wall that barred their way, till they took in the details of said wall. The wall had scales. So to, did the individual they were looking for, have scales. Theses scales were black. So were the scales of the individual they sought after. Putting two and two together, the young trespassers came to the conclusion that they had just stumbled into their person of interest.
Immediately they screamed, ducking for cover behind a few rocks at the entrance of the cave. The old dragon chuckled briefly. If they had come looking for him, then why were they so terrified?
“Come out little ones,” Alduin called. “I won't harm you.”
Hesitantly, the three fillies creeped out. Clearly the dragon was far more intimidating up close, and the legend surrounding him didn't do much for his appearance either. Still though, he had saved Ponyville, so he couldn't be all that bad.
“Um… mister Alduin sir?” the white one asked.
“Yes?”
“We just wanted to… thank you for saving our sisters and our town.”
“Y-Yeah!” the yellow one proclaimed. “Who knows what woulda happened if you hadn't come along!”
“Well, I did not do it without reason,” Alduin began to explain as he approached them. “Celestia, you leader, made a deal with me. In exchange for defeating Tirek if Twilight could not, I would be free. Now come along, I shall take you home before it-”
CRACKLE BOOM!
The loud clap of thunder resonated loudly within the walls of the cave. Looking outside, Alduin saw that a lightning storm had suddenly formed. Most likely, Ponyville was due for some rain, and the weather ponies were only just now enacting it.
“Hmm… how troublesome.”
“What's wrong mister Alduin?” the orange filly asked.
“Seems as though taking you home would be an impossibility now. Though the lighting would hardly affect me, should I attempt to fly you three home, there is a high probability that you all would be struck by lightning, and die in an instant. And since it's getting dark, letting you three walk home would be a suicide mission.”
“Oh come on, we made it here didn't we?”
“Perhaps, but that was in daylight. I will not risk the lives of those who have hardly lived. Come, we shall wait until tomorrow.” Alduin lead the fillies deeper into the cave. In all honesty, he could use his clear skies shout to stop the storm, but he was never too keen on messing with nature. And considering the fact that nature here required assistance from the population that lived within, who knows what could happen if a single storm is negated in such a fragile system as this. So instead of clearing the sky, Alduin decided to be patient. After all, good things come to those who wait.
“So tell me,” Alduin questioned, “what are all of your names?”
“I'm Scootaloo, the second greatest pegasus in Ponyville, and number one fan of Rainbow Dash!” The orange one proclaimed with excitement. Clearly the love and admiration of this, “Rainbow Dash,” was an extensive part of her personality, as well as her ego.
“I'm Sweetie Belle, it's nice to meet you,” the white one answered. She seemed far more polite and orderly than her two companions, clearly having been taught proper manners by a pony still close to her to this very day.
“And I'm Apple Bloom, a pleasure ta make yer acquaintance,” the yellow one replied. Her southern accent, combined with the style of her bow, and the subtle muscle mass underneath her fur told Alduin it was likely that she was a farmer or rancher of some kind. Maybe even both.
“Greetings. And, I can already assume you know who I am?”
“Yer Alduin right? That legendary dragon that lead a war against Equestria in a greedy attempt to take over?”
“Hey yeah, didn't you used to be a bad guy? Why'd you save Ponyville then?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“As I said before, I had made a deal with Celestia. But in the past, I was not a, “bad guy.” Things weren't that simple back then.” Alduin strolled over to the very back of the cave, and settled down into the spot that served as a temporary bed. “Come, I shall explain to you what my side of that legend was like.”
The fillies sat down in the crook of the ancient king’s body. Now settled, the three fillies were ready to hear once more, the legend they thought they knew so well.
“As you know, my legend describes that three thousand years ago, I lead an attack on Equestria, in a greedy attempt to take over the land. That legend would have you believe that I was evil, and that the kingdom of dragons at that time was full of nothing but beasts of greed, and that ponies were a heroic force that brought us down. It teaches such ignorance, a disgusting amalgamation of what truly occurred. I will not be telling you the story you know, I will describe to you what both sides experienced. To begin, it all started a century before the events of the war…”
My eyes opened to the scenery of a dark cave. My head was pounding, and my body ached. I struggled to lift myself up, and when the soreness within my bones became too much I simply collapsed. I tried to think back on how I got here, but I had no memories to recall. I probably would've panicked if the pain hadn't dulled my mind as well.
I laid there for hours, simply letting the pain pass. Eventually, I came upon the strength to stand up, and walk to the exit of the cavern I found myself in. At the mouth of the cave, I could see a vast forest below me. The trees were white, and covered in autumn leaves. I didn't yet possess the strength to fly, so carefully I crawled down the mountainside, using the claws on my wings and feet to grip the rock to keep from sliding off.
These were my waking moments in this new world. Had I any idea what would follow, I might not have even left that cave.
Traversing the forest was a challenge in it of itself. The trees grew closely together, not close enough that I couldn't squeeze through, but enough so that moving through wasn't exactly easy. But I marched on, hoping to find some semblance of civilization, and perhaps some answer as to where I was. But the forest seemed to go on forever, and soon I became lost, unable to find the cave from which I had come.
After hours of searching, I could no longer take it, and collapsed again. My body was far weaker than I had realized, and I was robbed of my movement once more. I questioned what had happened to me before now, but silence was my only response. So, with naught more to do, I slept, hoping that rest would allow me to move once again.
My slumber was interrupted by the sound of a dropped bucket. Perhaps the sound itself had not awoken me, but the precense of another, as my eyes opened just as the bucket hit the earth. In front of me stood a pony, one of average stature, with a tan coat and brown mane. A straw hat donned his head, and a pail with some dirt served as his cutie mark.
He was frozen in fear, and it didn't take long for me to figure out why. I attempted to calm the trespasser of my dreams, but before a single word left my jaws, he had bolted. His fearful screams and panicked breaths afterwards only further confirmed his fear of me. But why? What reason did that pony have to fear me? The answers I would only receive should I follow, but was that a wise choice? If he feared me, who's to say his compatriots wouldn't? Evidently I had no choice, and so I followed, heading straight for the town that would begin these horrid events.
Alduin was going to continue further, but looking down he saw the fillies had fallen asleep. Perhaps he had been a bit slow with the beginning of his tale, and the three had lost interest. Besides, it was getting late, and Alduin also needed his rest. So without a word, Alduin curled around them in a protective manner, and drifted off, to peaceful dreams.
Discord was a master purveyor of madness, so cultured in the insanity he created, that by wielding its power, to most he seemed nigh invincible.
The being in front of him was one of the few that could prove that wrong.
The robotic hedgehog glared with its one, crimson eye. The pupil in said eye was yellow, and it stared straight into his soul. Discord had always been wary of that eye. Even now, he could feel it stripping him of the fear and madness he shrouded himself in, identifying his body structure. His weak points. That eye was… unnerving.
Gale meanwhile held a very different opinion about his opponent. He, much like Discord suspected, scanned the draconequus for any noticeable difference to his form or power since that last time they met. His scans turned up nothing, which was exactly what Gale was hoping for. With a smirk, or at least he’d have one if he had a mouth, Gale stood ready to fight. Discord was powerful to be sure, but it wasn't anything Gale couldn't handle. He had beat him once before, he could do it again.
The first move was Discord’s. The draconequus flew forward, charging his magic around his fist and took a swing at Gale. Gale however, dodged the blow, ducking underneath the attack before returning with an uppercut straight to his chin. Discord grunted, but managed to use the force now pushing him upwards to use his long body like a whip, slamming Gale with the full force of his form. Both competitors were sent flying, but their determination kept the battle going. Curling into a ball, Gale changed direction mid flight and hurled himself towards the spirit of chaos like a giant flying buzzsaw.
Discord saw the attack coming, and swung his body around to meet it. Surrounding his tail in magic, Discord met the blue ball of death with a powerful swing, and sent it careening towards the ground. The pure force of the collision of earth and steel created a crater, shattering bits and pieces of the earth into dust that clouded the mechanical combatant. Though that blow may have looked severe to the inexperienced, Discord knew this fight had only just begun.
“Skill. I forgot to factor in skill.” The dust cleared, revealing Gale lying down, half buried in the ground, almost without a care. “Though your power and appearance may be the same, I forgot to factor in the possibility of an increase of skill. You've improved.”
“I can hardly say the same of you.”
“I haven't even begun.” There was a spark, and energy burst from Gale's body, crackling off his form like bolts of electricity, shattering the rock around him. Suddenly he was gone, and a second later, a steel knee implanted itself in Discord’s side. The spirit of chaos could hardly cough up the blood building up in his lungs before the kick came. Burying his foot in the back of his neck, Gale sent Discord down towards the earth he had just come from. Not letting up, Gale moved in for another attack, but Discord expected this, and maneuvered his body out of range, swinging himself around and headbutting Gale's side. The robotic hedgehog was sent flying, but soon recovered, and landed on his feet.
“Hmm, the way you move your body, it's like you're using yourself as a weapon.”
“Glad you noticed!” Discord shouted, firing a beam of pure chaotic magic. Gale deflected the beam before firing off his own energy shot. The bullet hit its mark, and exploded on contact. The smoke cleared, and Discord was gone.
“Behind you!” Gale quickly turned, following the warning of one of the onlookers. The draconequus was behind him now, his tail once again coated in chaotic energy, swinging right at him. Bringing up an arm, Gale blocked the attack, the pure force cracking the wall of a nearby building. But Gale held firm, which worked perfectly for Discord. Wrapping his body around the robot, Discord magically charged every muscle in his body and began to constrict.
“You seem to be in a tight spot.”
“Tch. Chaos…” Discord’s widen as he recognized the chant. He began to unwrap his body as fast as he could, but he wasn't fast enough. “BLAST!”
The explosion of chaos energy sent Discord flying, shredding a good portion of his skin, and removing one of his wings. Crashing against the ground, the draconequus slid a good ten feet before colliding with a wall.
Gale stood tall, showing off his clear advantage against the chaotic spirit. He strolled towards the downed beast, intent on either making sure Discord would stick around to be sealed, or ending the battle permanently. Sure enough, Discord was hurt, bad. A point blank chaos blast could kill almost anything, so the fact that he was alive was rather impressive.
“Damn… stupid… robot…” the chaos king muttered.
“You brought this on yourself,” Gale replied. “Now, are you gonna surrender, or do I need to finish this for good?”
Discord merely spit blood on Gale's metal cheek. In return, Gale kicked him, sending him flying into another building, collapsing it on top of him.
“Well, that settles that.” He was about to go check on any civilian casualties that may have been caused by the crossfire, but it seemed Discord wasn't done yet. Ripping himself from the rubble, Discord’s eyes were pure yellow. Energy was building up around him, and he turned his head towards the sky, and opened his mouth.
‘Great, a soul attack.’ Soul attacks were something only spirits were capable of. When outside of their own dimensional space, spirits are forced to form physical bodies to retain both their existence, and their sanity. However, they can temporarily release their true forms from the confines of their physical bodies, to unleash a devastating attack.
Wild, purple energy ripped itself out of Discord’s body, and flew rapidly through his mouth. The chaos magic spiraled upward, continuously expanding, until it reached the size of a full grown dragon.
It's body was long, and had no limbs except for the two wings on its back. The head much like Discord’s, but its eyes constantly rolled in their sockets. Its mouth was open, and it was breathing heavily.
“GRRRRAAAAAAAKAKAKAKAKA!” The insane roar of the true spirit of chaos. The crazy beast flew around rapidly, searching for its target. Once one of its eyes met Gale, it seemed to almost smile. “RAAAASHA!”
It dove, heading straight for Gale, who proceeded to roll his eyes.
“Honestly, you'd think after all this time, he'd wise up a bit.” Standing firm, arms forward, Gale was ready. Compartments opened up in his arms, facing his foe, and began to charge up.
Chaos focus complete in 5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Chaos focus, aligned and ready.
“Chaos… BLAST!” Upon uttering the words, the energy which usually formed a explosion around the caster, was instead focused into a beam of pure destruction. The intensely concentrated burst vaporized about half of the spirit's body. The other half roared in pain, and veered off, before hitting the dirt, and unwillingly returning to its body.
Dust settled, winds calmed, and all stood silent in the amazement of what had just happened. This battle, was over.
After using her tendrils to lift them out of the gorge, Lisa lead the Cutie Mark Crusaders through the Everfree Forest, passing by mystical animals and magical beasts of all kinds!
“Whoa,” Scootaloo gasped, “I've never seen a timberwolf this close before! Well, not a nice one at least.”
Being Lisa’s “guests,” came with certain perks, one of them being the safety the forest now provided. No creature in the Everfree would ever dare to imagine hurting anyone Lisa was guiding, much less actually trying to. She was their queen, and friends of the queen were friends of theirs.
“This little one is so cute!” Sweetie Belle practically squealed. It wasn't often that one would get to see a timberpup. The litter of the alpha timberwolf were hardly ever allowed to venture out of their pack’s nest, only doing so upon Lisa’s request, or when they were being trained to hunt.
“Careful,” Lisa warned. “The little ones tend to nip when they get excited.”
It was rare that she got to share the more peaceful and caring side of the Everfree. Most ponies only witnessed the horrifying terror it constantly displayed, which made Lisa all the happier when others saw it for more than that.
“How much longer till we get back Ms. Lisa?” Apple Bloom inquired.
“Not too much longer,” Lisa replied. “So, have you girls learned your lesson after all this?”
“Never enter the Everfree Forest without another pony,” the three replied.
“Very good. Now, I believe you three have somewhere to be.” Passing the last tree and bush revealed the apple tree vineyards of Sweet Apple Acres. The red barn that served as their home stood tall in the distance, and three ponies could be seen moving about in said distance. “Here we are, Sweet Apple Acres. You three get on home alright?”
“Thanks Ms. Lisa!” the three fillies replied as they headed for the barn. Seeing the three of them scurry off made Lisa smile. It reminded her of another young filly she used to visit.
“Welp, time to head home.” And head home she did. She wandered through the woods, the occasional animal coming to say hello, and ventured back to her house, intent on getting some rest after such a long day.
On the dawn of the next day, it occurred to Lisa that she didn't exactly dissuade the CMC from telling every pony in Ponyville about her existence. Most knew of her, but thought she was merely legend, and the ones that did know she existed, tended to keep things quiet per her request. Her hope was that the three fillies had enough sense to keep their meeting a secret.
A few hours later, and the presence of six ponies and three fillies, told that they did not, and thus Lisa’s day just got a whole lot busier.
“Why does this crap always happen?” Lisa lamented as she made her way to her would be trespassers. “A person wants to keep a secret, but somewhere along the way, someone doesn't know how to shut up!”
Stepping outside and wandering into the forest once more, Lisa began to take note of who exactly had come with the Crusaders. Six familiar, magical presences alerted her that these newcomers were very powerful indeed. After all, there were the elements of harmony.
“Of course it's them. Who else would they bring?” It took awhile, but Lisa soon came upon them, the eight intruders of her forest.
“Apple Bloom, that demon is nothin’ more than a legend, y’all should know that by now,” the element of honesty, Applejack, said to the three fillies before her.
“But sis, we met her! She saved us when were falling into that raven outside the castle of the two sisters!”
“Say what now?” A pause. A pregnant pause. A pause that was pregnant with the terror at the realization that you just said something you probably shouldn't have.
“Wait wait wait wait,” Rainbow Dash said, breaking the tension. “You guys went all the way out, to the castle of the two sisters?”
“That's about a mile into the forest,” Twilight, still a unicorn by this point, which Lisa preferred, asserted. “What were you three even doing all the way back there?”
“Um…” Scootaloo began, “...looking for the demon of the Everfree?”
The three did not escape scrutiny, all of which Lisa promptly ignored as she walked away. She would keep an eye on them, but if they didn't go past the castle of two sisters, then she had nothing to worry about.
Keeping out of their sight wasn't hard. Ponies were notorious for ignoring things that weren't right in front of them, perhaps due to their skittish and docile nature. Keeping them in sight was even easier, as the group wasn't really going for stealth, and stayed upon the path to the ancient decrepit castle.
Once there, the fillies looked around, and called out.
“Lisa?” Apple Bloom shouted.
“Lisa?” Sweetie Belle copied.
“LISA!” Scootaloo shouted, hoping maybe an increase in volume would better her chances. But unfortunately, it did not.
“Who in the hay are y’all callin fer?” Applejack asked. “I thought you said we were lookin for the demon of the Everfree.”
“We are!” Sweetie Belle replied. “Her real name is Lisa, and we found her around here. Lisa!”
The, “mane six,” as they were sometimes referred to, looked skeptical of their younger cohorts, but began the call as well. Lisa sighed at the sound of the uproar.
‘Should I just show myself? I mean, what's the worst that could happen?’ Then Lisa remembered the last time she asked that question, and how wrong it actually went. So instead Lisa decided to wait, hopping the mares would get bored and finally leave.
Unfortunately, the group kept going, wandering farther and farther into the forest. Lisa had hoped they would turn back at the castle of two sisters, but they instead decided to wander farther into the forest than any of them had ever been.
‘Come on, turn back already!’ Lisa cried in her mind. But the herd of mares could not hear her, and subsequently went onward. And as they walked, Twilight noticed something was… off.
“Hey, does anypony else think the trees are… different?” Indeed, the trees had begun to change appearance. While normally their gnarled trunks of brown were topped with green leaves of varying shades, these trees were slender and bare, as if it was still winter. Seeing these, the group felt more unnerved than usual, and they began to wonder if coming here was such a good idea.
“M-Maybe we should t-turn back,” Fluttershy said fearfully. “I-I don't think we're s-supposed to be here.”
“Ah’ve gotta agree wit’ Fluttershy on this one,” Applejack agreed. “This place is givin me the creeps.”
“But we haven't found Lisa yet!” Apple Bloom said. “Can't we search a little longer?”
The older mares were unsure at first, but the puppy eyes given to them all by the three young fillies evidently convinced them.
“Oh very well,” Rarity said. “But only for ten more minutes, then we leave okay?”
And so they continued, unaware of the demon that was now hurriedly searching for them.
The Deep Dark. Lisa always hated this part of the forest. Unlike the rest of the Everfree, the Deep Dark messed with her in whatever way it could. In this case, it made her lose her quarry.
Upon seeing them enter this part of the woods, Lisa had attempted to call out to the mares she had followed, to keep them from going further, but after passing a tree, they were gone. The Deep Dark was the most mysterious part of the forest, able to switch those who wandered inside from place to place, attack them with illusions, and generally do things to keep them trapped forever.
“Scootaloo! Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!” Lisa cried the young fillys’ names, hoping to get a response, but none came. She begged whatever powers that be allow her to find them before they found it.
The group of mares and fillies kept wandering further into the forest. It had already been fifteen minutes by this point, but the illusions of the Deep Dark kept them thinking that they had only been here for two. And as they went further and further, Twilight suddenly heard something.
‘Come…’
“What?” Twilight inquired out loud.
“What?” Pinkie asked.
“What? Wait, who said that?”
“I did!”
“No, Pinkie not that. I meant the other thing.”
“What other thing?” Rainbow asked.
‘Come…’
“That other thing!”
“Twi, ah haven't the foggiest idea what you mean,” Applejack said.
“Can none of you hear that?” And it was true, none of them could. Only Twilight was able to catch, the calling from afar.
‘Come…’
“Well something's calling out to us.”
“L-Like a g-g-ghost?” Fluttershy asked fearfully.
“No, I don't think so.” It was strange. Twilight knew she should probably ignore whatever was talking and just turn back, but she was oddly drawn to the voice. She couldn't ignore it. She had to go to it. “You girls head back. I'm gonna investigate this.”
“Are you sure darling?” Rarity asked. “I can't imagine that anything beckoning in a place like this could mean you any good.”
“It'll just take a second, I'll be fine.” Rarity was about to protest, but Twilight was already going on her way. She thought about going after her, but decided against it. Besides, Twilight was the most powerful unicorn she knew, what could go wrong?
‘Come… Come...’
Twilight continued onwards into the dead woods, the voice that beckoned getting louder and louder.
‘Come… Come… Come…”
The voice she followed made her shiver, but Twilight wasn't dissuaded. She kept following the sound, coming to the call.
Up ahead, the dead trunks thinned out, making way to a bare field, empty, save for one tree that stretched into the sky like the tower of a castle. While most of the trees were varying shades of dark brown, this tree was black, and gave off an ominous presence. The wind had chilled slightly, and not a sound could be heard.
And that's what she noticed first. All was quiet, so quiet in fact, Twilight felt the need to shout just to hear herself think. Even the voice, which had beckoned her all this way, was silent. Clearly, she had arrived.
Although no voice was calling, Twilight felt drawn to the tree. She slowly approached, careful of any creatures or magical runes that could cause her misfortune. But soon the thought of danger was cast aside when she stood before the wood monolith. On the trunk, Twilight noticed a small carving. A circle, that had been crossed out, almost making a target. She reached to inspect the odd marking, questioning its origin and-
“STOP!” Twilight froze in surprise. She went to turn towards the voice, but she was stopped again. “Don't move!”
Obeying the call, Twilight became as still as a popsicle.
“Now, walk back slowly.” Doing as she was told, Twilight backed away from the tree. Her yearning to touch and investigate the tree grew suddenly, but the stranger behind her wasn't having it. “Okay, now that you're away from the tree, let me first apologize.”
Before she could ask what that meant, Twilight felt something hit her from behind, and she collapsed, her vision going dark.
Lisa investigated the purple unicorn, checking her physically and mentally.
“Good, I just barely stopped her.” Twilight had gotten awful close to touching the tree, and it was only by sheer luck that Lisa had been able to make it in time. Looking up, she glared at the mark. “I told you a long time ago, you're never getting out of that tree.”
All she received in response was silence. Grimacing, Lisa picked up the purple unicorn, and made her way out of the Deep Dark.
Saying that Metal was impressed with the inside of Twilight’s house was an understatement. The Golden Oaks Library is what some might describe as a bookworm's ultimate treehouse. The hollowed out trunk contained within it shelves filled with rows and rows of books, each shelf categorized by type, and by letter. In the center of the room was a single table with a wooden pony head in the middle, and off to the side was what could be described as a, “scribe’s table.”
“This treehouse is awesome!” Metal proclaimed.
“Why thank you,” Twilight replied, glad to see the metallic creature had an appreciation for books. “But this is more of a library than a treehouse.”
“Library?” Metal barely held back a smirk, the irony of books being kept in a tree not lost on him. “So, is this where I’m gonna be interrogated?”
“Interrogated?”
“For taking out the rainbow pony?”
“Oh, well we still have to wait for Dash to wake up. AJ and Fluttershy already took her to the hospital so hopefully she heals up soon.”
“Yeah… again, sorry for breaking her jaw, or fracturing it, or whatever damage I managed to do to her… anyway, sorry about that, and I hope we can clear up the situation.”
“So do I, I would hate to label something like you as an enemy right away.”
“... why?”
“You’re something I’ve never seen before, possibly something nopony has ever seen before! Well, except for whoever made you, but that’s besides the point. You’re a machine right?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Well, current technology, publicly known technology at least, is far more primitive compared to you! From our brief interaction, I can deduce that you are a free thinking, fully-functioning automaton! We’ve only had trains for a few decades, but you’re something far beyond what has even been imagined in our current day and age! There’s so much to learn from you!” Twilight then gasped. “If I figure out how you function, I could lead Equestria into a new age of technology and science!”
The loud squeal of excitement made Metal flinch from the pitch. Shaking his head, he looked around and grabbed a random book, one titled, “Equestrian Fables.” The pages contained what could be considered long tales of epic legend, shortened to the length of children’s stories.
“And you plan on learning all of this from me how?”
“Well, I can just ask you about your inner functions. Oh! Or, if you’re willing, you can take me to whoever made you and I can-”
“And I’m gonna have to stop you there.” Twilight look at Metal in confusion as he skimmed some tale about a mare trapped in the moon. “It’s Twilight, right? Well Twilight, unfortunately, I have no idea who built this body. I just woke up a few hours ago with no memories of this world to call my own. I have just about as much knowledge about my body as you do.”
I have knowledge pertaining to your bodily function, will that be useful to provide to this individual?
‘Hmmm… perhaps lets keep that to ourselves for now. Don’t wanna give them any information to use against us just in case that pegasus decides to paint us as the villain.’
Affirmative
“Hmm, I see. Well, I could take you apart, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t be cool with that right?”
“Considering the fact that you have no pre-knowledge of my body and how it works yes I would like to refrain from that option.”
“Right. Well, I suppose I could come up with some way to figure out how to study you without damaging you.”
“Well you get working on that. I’m gonna check out some history books.”
“History books?”
“Might as well learn about the world I’m gonna spend the rest of my days in right?”
“... good point.”
And so Metal grabbed a random book and began reading. Epsilon suggested simply scanning the book and learning its contents instantly, but Metal preferred reading the natural way. In his mind, it allowed him to learn more about the text, and all it contained. He would save the scanning for things that bored him. Like calculus textbooks.
As he skimmed through the pages, he found some odd similarities between some of Equestria’s history, and the legends he briefly skimmed in the “Equestrian Fables” book. Mainly having to do with the recently returned Princess Luna.
“Hey Twilight, was this Luna really…?”
“The mare in the moon? I saw you reading the Equestrian Fables book, and yes that legend is true. The history book you’re reading actually came out about a week ago. When Luna was introduced to the public, historians scrambled to reinvestigate all the legends and stories having to do with a second princess when Equestria’s matriarchy began, and found that most of them were true. That book mostly focuses on the events that occured during her rule.”
“Huh, neat.” Metal turned his attention back to the “Equestrian Fables” book and read through it again. Along with Luna’s fall from grace, there were also stories about an ancient chaotic spirit-deity named Discord, an evil tyrant named Sombra, a centaur named Tirek, a trio of sirens, and some sort of dark force known as the shadow pony. “Hey Twilight, you don’t suppose these other legends are true. Are they?”
“No, why?”
“Well if the one about Luna was true, don’t you think that some of these others could be real?”
“I understand your thinking, but there was evidence to suggest that there was a second princess in Equestria over a thousand years ago before Nightmare Moon returned. As for these other legends, there is very little, if any evidence supporting them.”
“Doesn’t mean they aren’t true. All legends come from somewhere.”
“True, but it’s more than likely that these legends were created to either explain phenomenon, myths of religion, or to promote the exploits of heroes. For example, although Starswirl the Bearded did in fact exist, many people created myths about his adventures, some of which Celestia confirmed herself were untrue. Like the tale of the Manus, an ancient entity that is the source of magic in our world. The legend tells that Starswirl discovered this creature, when in fact there is no such thing.”
“If you say so.” Continuing to read until he grew bored of the records, Metal set the book down and began to explore his thoughts.
This talk of his mysterious creator brought up his inquiries to his being here. After all, people weren't just randomly transported to other worlds, right? So what was his purpose? Why was he here?
“You alright Metal?” Twilight asked, snapping him from his thoughts.