> Hero of Time and Speed > by Bronze Inkwell > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Storytime > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nightmare Moon knew she couldn't win. This… thing, whatever it was, was helping Celestia in their fight. It was fast, way too fast. Faster than anything should possibly be. She wondered, as she parried another blow from the creature's sword, was this creature a god? But soon, it didn't matter as the creature ran around her so fast, that it made a tornado. Sure, Pegasi could do that, but it would take at least 100 of the strongest pegasi known to ponykind to do it. It ran around her faster and faster, and as she was about to attack the white and gold blur, a magical blast from Celestia stopped her. It was too much. Maybe if it was a one on one with Celestia, she could win. But this… she couldn't win. But she didn't give up, focusing her rage into a point but before she could cast it, the creature threw lightning, generated from it's own body, at the tainted teal magic around her horn. There was an explosion, and before she knew what was happening, the creature was behind her, holding her down. "WhiTE AliCOrN! Do SOmEthINg!" It yelled at said white alicorn in a distorted voice. Celestia looked at the creature in worry before her horn and hands glowed, the Elements of Harmony surrounding her. Nightmare tried her hardest, but a lightning quick jab at the back of her head dazed her. The next thing she knew, she was in a grey, dusty environment. All around there was nothing. But as she looked up, she saw it. Even though she had never seen it like this before, she knew where she was. "No… NO!" Nightmare Moon tried everything in her power to get back, but the magic binding her to this place was still too strong, too potent. She would have to wait. So wait she did. Little did she know, she wasn't alone. On the far side of the moon, the side nopony ever saw, there laid the creature, passed out, saving its energy for when it would awaken. Twilight, having been Celestia's protege for a few years now, looked up at Celestia in wonder, as she finished the story. "Wait, if the hero was good? Why was he sent to the moon?" Twilight asked, confused. "Well… I think that he keeps Nightmare Moon up there. Fighting her endlessly in a stalemate that remains unbroken." Celestia said, looking up at the moon, a few tears coming to her eyes. "So he sacrificed himself?" Twilight asked, a little saddened as well. "Yes Twilight, he did… why though… I can't tell you because I don't know." Celestia responded, knowing exactly which question the curious filly would ask next. Celestia brought her into a hug, pointing at the moon. "But know this, when you're scared, and a hero will come to save you. Just like how that hero saved me." "Alright… What was his name?" Twilight asked one final question as she yawned. "Hmm… I believe he called himself, Godspeed." > The beginning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I yawned as I walked around the convention, wearing my own version of Godspeed's suit. It was made of plastics and metals, but it sure caught more than a few glances as I walked around by myself. "Man, I knew I should have slept more." I told myself as I walked past rows and rows of booths. However, I was soon jolted awake by a voice coming from my side. Turning quickly, I saw a guy cosplaying as Shopkeeper Magalor from the Kirby RPG style games. You know, the ones where there are 4 roles. Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, Doctor Healmore, and Beam Mage. Anyway, he wore clothes very similar to that of the shady alien. "Hey dude! Come check out my wares!" He calls out in a high but even voice. I was little creeped out, but mentally said, 'fuck it', and went over. There were all kinds of obscure and oddly specific things on and around his booth. An omnitrix from Ben 10. A model spider from that looked exactly like the one that bit Miles Morales in that Spiderman movie. A hylian shield. A white badge that had a golden lightning bolt on it and a gold ring around the edge of the badge. A helmet that looked very similar to the Bio-armor from the Prototype games. A double barreled shotgun with a meathook… I went back a bit to the badge, and picked it up. It was Godspeed's chest badge… the exact thing I didn't have time to complete for my costume. This was possibly the sketchiest thing in history… but I couldn't pass up a chance to complete my costume. I decided to get the badge, along with a model of the Endo-sym armor from the Iron Man comics. "Okay Mr. Speed, that'll be 60 dollars." I wasn't that surprised at the price. This was pretty rare shit after all. But as I locked in the badge, I began to feel dizzy. "Goodbye Mr. Speed, see you never!" The Magolor cosplayer cackled as I passed out. I groaned, getting on my hands and knees as I rubbed my head. "Ow, my everything." I moaned, moving to a tree as I removed the bottom portion of the mask to breath. I propped myself against a tree, slowly getting feeling back into my body as the pain faded. I tried to reach around for my backpack, but soon realized it wasn't even there. Soon my brain told me the situation I was in. At least, what it thought the situation was. What it told me, that I was somehow drugged by that magolor cosplayer,  dragged out to a forest somewhere, and had everything but the clothes on my back taken from me. "That is the last time I ever go to a con." I said to myself, not knowing how accurate that was. However, when I got to completely, I realized that when I pulled up my mask, there was no bunching of cloth under my nose. In fact, the entire front of my mask wasn't even touching my face anymore. When I tried to pull it back down, something came from the suit and closed the gap. "Okay… what the hell…" When I asked that question, two voices spoke up. One I recognized as Jarvis before he became Vision, the other one was Gideon from the Flash. 'Sir? Are you alright? Your vitals are spiking.' Jarvis said, suddenly making a holo-display of my vitals appear on the front of my mask. 'He appears to be in a state of shock. I suggest giving him a jolt to get him out of it.' Gideon replied, a small 2D version of her head appearing in the lower left side of my vision. Just then, a small bar appeared on the right side, to the left of my vitals and body, which had several areas in the red. Bars began to appear on the bar, indicating that it was charging. "Wait! Stop! I'm fine! Just… a bit freaked out." I said, making the bar go back down. 'Apologies Sir. We thought you were in distress.' "Well, I am, but it's a different kind of distress. Uhh, oh! Do you have a recording of what happened in the past… 6 hours?" There was a small pause before Jarvis responded. 'Recordings only go as far back as 10 minutes.' "Well… play that back to me. Up until the time I wake up." Suddenly there was a video screen, it showed the foliage above me but as time went on, and nothing happened, I was about to say shut it off when groups of birds flew by… very big birds. Way to be to be normal birds, birds. "Jarvis, that flock, can you enhance it?" 'Of course sir.' Jarvis zoomed in on the birds, and as he got closer, I realized they weren't birds, they were winged anthropomorphic horses in full golden armor with spears and shields. "Jarvis… Gideon… I don't think we're on Earth any more." After a few seconds they both agreed. 'Affirmative, I cannot contact anyone, and there isn't even a satellite overhead.' 'There is also no short range communication devices in a one mile radius.' I took a breath, running a hand over my head. "Uh, alright. So I guess we need to find civilization on our own. Hmm… Oh! Jarvis, which way did those… creatures fly in?" A compass appeared on my HUD and spun several times till it pointed roughly north of where I was. 'They were heading north. And based on their speed and numbers, I don't think they were a scouting party.' I nodded, standing up and turned till I faced north. "That might mean someone is in trouble. Let's go." I began to run but after 5 minutes, I wasn't feeling remotely tired. I began to push myself and I went faster, and faster, and faster. Everything was now a blur as sparks began to come off me. 'Come on… Faster!' I yelled in my mind and I suddenly felt thrusters appear on my shoulder blades and I was going several times faster than before. I was running hard, faster than humanly possible. Now full on streaks of lightning were coming off my body and before I knew it, I was approaching a closed medieval style gate. "Shit! Uh, Uh." 'Sir, now might be a good time to phase.' My eyes widened and I mentally face palmed. If I was a speedster, I could phase! I looked at my body and closed my eyes, trying to do as Doctor Wells told Barry. Feel the air… feel the lightning… feel it coursing through me… become the air… and… phase. My body began to blur and just before I hit the gate, I had completely phased, and went right through it. I looked back and whooped before running the rest of the way to the castle, telling myself to slow down. I soon came to a stop in a throne room where there was a swirling ball of darkness… wait what? It suddenly exploded, revealing a tall black woman. And when I say black, I mean her skin was literally pitch black. Pieces of armor began to materialize on her, and… why did she look so sexy? I shook my head and got ready for a fight. As the black woman who had a horn and wings looked around she spotted me… wait, horn and wings? "Oh? What's this? A special guard my sister hid from me?" The woman said, walking up to me, a small sway in her hips. Her horn shone cyan, speckled with black, along with her hands. Suddenly, the moon began to rise up behind her till it covered the sun. "Well it is too late! Because the night, shall last, forever!" Okay, this was an evil villain. Even had an evil laugh. I stood my ground when a figure came in from the doors behind me. "No… I'm too late." Another woman, just like the black woman but had white skin, came up next to me. "I kNoW iTS nOT mY PlACe tO SAy, bUT wHAt tHe fUCk iS GoiNG oN hErE?" I say, my voice vibrating like my body, making it impossible to connect it to my voice. The tall white woman turned to me and her eyes widened. Now that I was close and could see her face, she had large magenta eyes that I found myself being attracted to. I had a thing for the odd, alright? Before the white woman could say anything, something that was beginning to annoy me, the black woman spoke. "What is going on you foolish colt, is that I have had it with you and my sister, taking all the love of our subjects, but no more! Now, the night, shall last, FOREVER!" The woman cackled, before shooting a beam of… something, at us. I quickly raised up my arms but as time went on, and I felt nothing, I saw the whole world had slowed down around me. That… or I was reacting so fast, that it just seemed like everything is moving in slow motion. Okay, if this was the case, how the hell did Flash get hit so much in the TV show? Seriously, if his reaction time puts him in a state like this, he should never get hit unless he got attacked from behind or he was facing another speedster. Either way, I dodged the attack and got right up in the black womans face. "YoU'rE aN iDIoT." I say, before delivering a right hook to the jaw. At least, I would have had the black woman not teleported. Great, it was like that teleporting woman that popped up every now and then from the Flash. Though I don't think her teleportation was based on eyesight. I looked around, and up on the dais on the other side of the huge hall, the black woman appeared. "You dare insult Nightmare Moon!? You shall be punished!" With that, she sent two beams of energy at me and like before time seemed to slow down. "Jarvis, Gideon, analyze her anatomy and give me a list of weak points. I want to know her Achilles Heel." There was a confirmation from the two of them as they began to scan her body. Apparently my connection to the Speed Force spread to the suit when I used it, which meant that Jarvis and Gideon could process things as fast as I could, maybe even faster. I ran up to the woman again, and without stopping delivered a hard punch to her face, the difference this time being that the hit landed. Her head spun unnaturally fast and she fell to the floor. I gasped, thinking I killed her. I knelt down to see if she was okay but a sweep kick then a blast of energy to my chest made me realize that the speed force induced reaction time wasn't perfect. Apparently, I need to be aware of the danger for it to kick in. That actually explains why Flash got hit so often, most of the attacks that hit him was because he was caught off guard. As I tried to refocus my vision, I saw that the black woman and white woman were now fighting. In all honesty it would have been cooler if they used some hand to hand but right now it was them shooting energy beams from their horns and hands and throwing up energy shields when they couldn't dodge. Suddenly, the voice of Jarvis spoke up. 'Sir, from our analysis, the horn seems to be a foci of sorts for how they release their psionic energy. I suggest either removing it or finding a way to block off the connection.' I nodded then stopped. 'Wait, psionic? They're using their minds to do all this shit? Hmm… that gives me an idea.' I think to myself as I stand back up, and run at the black woman. She sees me and turns to face me, but it's too late. In a wide arc I bring my hands to head and neck, like Sherlock Holmes did in that one movie. No, not the one that had the actor that played Doctor Strange, the one with Robert Downey Jr. Either way, it worked. I then delivered a series of jabs up and down her midsection, effectively knocking the wind out of her. I then made several quick, small circles, before delivering a punch to her face that sent her flying into a wall. Wait… this suit is also Endo-sym armor… 'I wonder…' I bring up my hands and feel energy course down them, and the iconic sound of a repulser charging up. "Oh NOw ThAT's jUsT BadASs." I whisper, a smile growing on my face as I let loose the repulsor blast, it hitting their mark and blasting the woman through the wall. I can't help but laugh a little, the exhilaration getting to me. However it was stopped by the white woman placing a hand on my shoulder. "I thank you for your help, but please, that is my sister." … Bruh. "WeLl sOrrY to SaY, bUt yOuR SiS seEMs TO hAvE GoNE oFf tHe dEePEnD." She sighs, nodding. "I believe a creature has corrupted her. Please, help me expel it from her." … Damn those big pleading magenta eyes. I nod, and put a hand over my heart. "I wILl dO so TO tHE bESt oF mY AbiLiTY, bUT I mUSt aDMiT ThAT aS FaR AS my SkiLLs in ExORciSm gO… I hAVe nONe. Oh, aND mY NamE is GoDSpeED." I say, removing my hand but before she can reply, the top of the hall is blown apart, a seething black woman flying above being the culprit. She summoned a sword that looked to be made of pure blackness. 'Uh… can I do that?' I looked to my right hand and imagined a sword coming into being. Like a symbiote, instead of making a sword, it made my entire arm a sword. '... I can work with this.' I smiled like a maniac and ran up the wall closest to the black horse woman, ready to engage in sword to sword combat.  > Coming back for more > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I gasped as I sat up, but regretted doing so as a full body ache, similar to that of the one that had happened to me when I was sent to this weird world. I groaned, looking around and… where the fuck was I? It looked like the castle from before… but it looked so… old. "Jarvis… Gideon… what happened?" I asked, having to pause every once in a while as I was still aching. "... Unknown sir. But I think I'm malfunctioning. The chronometer says we are 1000 years to the day in the future." Jarvis says, a counter in the upper right of the HUD going from the point I got blasted by those… crystal things, to now. "You are not malfunctioning. We were placed in stasis for 1000 years. Why… unknown. But if I had to guess, it was because of the crystals that creature used." I nodded, barely moving my head. "Yeah, guessed that. So where are we?" I asked the 2 very advanced AI. "Our location is the exact same as that of 1000 years ago. You are possibly the only being to see something as it was, and see it now. Congratulations Sir." Jarvis said, making two hands appear on my HUD that began clapping. 'I wonder if Tony purposely programmed that into Jarvis.' I think as I start to feel my body start to return to its normal self. I stand up, stretching and my lord the cracks and pops. It was like the clanging of church bells with how loud and how much. "Note to self, find a spa as soon as possible… and possibly a chiropractor." A blank piece of paper appeared on the HUD, a dotted list of things to do appearing on it with the only thing on it being 'Find a spa/chiropractor'. "Right, anyway, I need to get out of this castle, and find some civilization." Together Gideon and Jarvis began to scan the area for life signs. After a few minutes while I continued to stretch, Gideon spoke up. 'Sir, there is an accumulation of life signs roughly 3 miles to the west of our position.' "Great, good work you two." I stretch one last time before getting into an Olympic runner position. I breathed in then out, and I could feel the lightning begin to course through my body once more. In the span of a few seconds, I was off, out of the castle, over a bridge which collapsed behind me, through the forest, past a black striped gray woman with a white and black mohawk wearing a brown cloak… 'I'll have to go back and apologize later.' I think, and another dot and line of text appear on the to-do list. A few seconds later, I was at the edge of a town… and screams were coming from somewhere near town center. "Guys… when I came back from… wherever. Do you think… I didn't come back alone?" 'Well, you were put in stasis when both you and the creature were hit by that energy. It is quite possible that she came back as well.' I sighed, and told them to prepare for a fight. I ran to where the screams were coming from, and lo and behold, there was the black bitch, cackling as she held the throat of a guard in gold armor… that only covered the crotch, chest, and head. The rest was just… out there. 'This place must not be that big on the nudity in public rule.' I thought, looking around and… yep, all of them were wearing the bare essentials. 'This place is a horny guy's dream.' I thought before shaking it away. "HeY! ReMEmBeR Me!?" I shout, making her freeze before she turns to me, a death glare in her eyes. "You… I will kill you… but not now… no, I'm tired from imprisoning my sister on her sun. For now, you may live." With that, she threw the guard at me, who I swiftly caught, and turned into a black miasma before flying away. I would have run after her if I wasn't so tired myself. I felt hungry, incredibly so. 'God, is this what Barry felt when he didn't eat enough?' I thought as I wavered in place a bit. "Hey, are you okay?" Came the scratchy voice of a female. I looked up, and saw a light blue woman with wings and rainbow hair and tail talking to me as she hovered besides me. She wore nothing but a sports top and very short shorts. "YeAH… wELl, noT REalLy. I nEEd fOoD, a LoT oF iT." I say, my stomach making a loud gurgling noise. "Then here, try some of my super delicious nutrient packed cupcakes!" Said a cheery pink woman with a poofy darker pink mane and tail. While on a bit of the chubby side, she was quite adorable nonetheless. She wore a yellow apron with some striped white and blue shorts. She offered me what looked to be a normal cupcake. I gratefully took it and made the front of my mask disperse enough to reveal my mouth. Some of them gasped, those that were looking at me that is. I quickly ate the cupcake nonetheless, and almost immediately I felt back to my old self. "WOw! I FEel gReaT! ThANks!" I say, giving the pink woman a smile which she happily accepted. "So the story is true… your Godspeed… aren't you." Said a woman with indigo hair that had a pink highlight in the middle. I nod, the mask forming back into place. "Do you know how to defeat Nightmare Moon?" I sigh and shake my head. "FrOm wHAt ThAt wHiTE wiNGeD HoRNed laDy ToLd mE, NiGHtmAre MooN' is nOtHinG mORe tHAn hER siStEr BeiNg PoSsESseD bY soMe KinD oF DemOn. At LEaSt, tHat'S mY uNDerSTanDinG of iT. ShE uSeD tHEsE siX cRysTaLS tO Do… sOMetHiNG." The purple woman gasped, and ran away. "SeEMs liKE shE knOWs soMEthiNg wE dOn'T." I thought out loud as I began to follow her, along with 5 other women. Soon enough we arrived at a large tree that was also a library. As we stepped inside, books were being thrown around as the woman looked for something in particular. Sighing, I went into Flash Time and ran around, picking up books and placing them back where they belong. When I was done I resumed normal time. All they saw was a blur and white lightning going back and forth over the shelfs. "AlRigHT, sTaRT TalKiNg. YoU kNOw sOmeThiNG, dOn'T yOu? AnD iF yoU dO, yOU nEEd tO sHaRE wiTH thE cLaSs." The purple pony froze before taking a shaky sigh then bowing. "Yes, I'm sorry. Let me explain. I'm Twilight Sparkle, protegé of Princess Celestia. 1000 years ago, you and Nightmare Moon were banished to the moon by Princess Celestia, using the Elements of Harmony. I believe that I can use the Elements to defeat her again. But I can't find a book about-" I ran behind her and picked a book off the shelf. I opened the book and sped read through the entire thing from front to back. "WheW! AlriGhT, I hAvE tHiS enTiRe tHinG fOr abOUt 10 miNUteS. WhAt dO yOU nEEd to kNOw?" They all stared at me like I had grown a second head. "B- but… how…" Twilight said, looking between me and the book. I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers, bringing her attention back to me. I made a 'get on with it' motion with my hand and she nodded, blushing. "Right, sorry. Uh, what are the Elements of Harmony?" "ThE chEmiCaL cOmpOUnD thEY aRe mAdE oF is UnKnoWn. ThEiR oRigiNS arE aLsO uNKnoWN. HoWevER, thErE 6 EleMEntS, GeNerOSitY, HoNeStY, KiNDnEss, LaUghTeR, aND LoYaLTy. The 6tH elEmEnt iS unKnOWn aS CelEsTia hAs HiDdEn iT." I quickly respond, placing the book back on the shelves.  "Do you at least know where they are? The first 5 Elements of Harmony?" I nod, and point in the direction of what I now know to be, the Everfree Forest. "YeS, I waS acTuaLlY JuSt tHeRe. It's iN tHe CasTlE in tHe EveRfRee." They gulp, looking at each other. "Darling, no offense, but are you sure? The Everfree… it's quite frankly, the most dangerous forest in the world." Said a white horned woman with dark purple hair in large curls. She actually wore a lot more than the others. She wore a white Sundress that ended just above her hooves and had a purple purse on her left side with a strap going across her body to her right shoulder. "AnD wHaT maKeS iT sO DaNGerOuS?" I ask, leaning against a wall in a relaxed way. "The weather moves all on its own." Said the rainbow haired woman. "There's an evil enchantress, who curses all that run into her." The pink woman responded. "And legend says that all who enter, never come out alive." Said an orange woman with blond hair… and was completely naked. The only clothing she had was a hat. And that pretty much confirms my theory on their nudity taboo. Maybe the poorer they were, the less clothes they wore. Either way, she was naked… and had some thick thighs. Jesus, she could kill a person with those things. What the fuck did she do to get legs like that? "WelL… I calL buLLshiT. I mEan, I caMe oUt aLiVe, aND sO DiD NigHTmaRe MoON. ThE tHinGS abOUt LegEnDs, moST haVe bEEn tWiStEd frOM aGe." I say, standing up and walking to the door. "NoW Let'S GeT a MoVe oN." I turn and look at them. "But BefORe we Go, wHaT aRe yOuR naMEs?" The first one to respond was the rainbow haired woman. "I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus in Equestria… though when it comes to the fastest pony, I have to admit, you're the fastest." She says, a bit boastful at first but becoming humble afterwards. The next one up was the pink woman. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! And when we get back, I'm throwing you a 'Welcome to Equestria' party!" She giggled before bouncing out the door. "Sorry about her Sugarcube, she's just… Pinkie being Pinkie. You get used to it after a while. Anyway, I'm Applejack. Proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres. Pleasure to meet you Godspeed." She took my hand and I was glad I was fast enough to keep up with her strong and fast handshake that probably would have left most sore from it. "I'm Rarity Belle, but most just call me Rarity~" That… that was as seductive as you can get. She blinked rapidly up at me with half lidded eyes, a seductive smile on her face, and she pretty much rubbed her thigh against my crotch area with a leg. She had also run a hand from my left shoulder to my right, removing a finger after a small bit until just the index finger remained which then was removed after she went out the door. At that moment, I was glad I was wearing a suit. The next one was a butter yellow winged woman with long silky pink hair. She also wore nothing. This left her thick thighs and large breasts for all to see. Yet, with how shy she was, instead of the feeling I got from Rarity, I wanted to protect her. Like she was the only innocent being left in the world. "H- Hi. I'm… Fluttershy." "It iS a PleASuRe to mEeT YoU." I said, giving a small bow which made her blush then rush out the door. Yep, definitely a shy one. "And as I said before, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Thank you for helping us Godspeed. I just hope that we can stop Nightmare Moon soon." Twilight said, looking up at the night sky. "Me ToO." I said, a lot more worried than she was. > A colorful lesson (Featuring Rainbow Dash) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The walk to the Everfree was a long one, as it was about a mile and a half away from the town. On the way though, Godspeed got to know this world and his companions a bit better. The first one to talk with him, a bit behind the rest of the group, was Rainbow Dash who had a blush on her face. "Hey, uh, look, I know this might seem odd but… I'm a huge fan. I actually idolized you when I was younger and I… kinda still do." "Let me guess, because of my speed." I asked, raising a hand and vibrating it at super high speeds. She looked at my hand in wonder, and as I slowed it down, I offered it to her. She took it, and began playing with it a little. Sometimes I would vibrate it which would spook her a bit but she ended up giggling and looking at it closer whenever I did. "This is… awesome! Tell me, how are you so fast?" She asked, really excited. I shake my head, and frown. Not that she can see the frown that is. "I was struck by lightning." Rainbow looked at me surprised then annoyed. "Right, I've been hit by lightning a few times and it hasn't made me like you." Rainbow crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "I'm also connected to a universal power called the Speed Force. Those that connect to it are blessed with unimaginable power. Injuries that would take months to heal, heal in a matter of hours. To put it quite simply, those that are connected to it, become the impossible." I explain, making lightning dance between my fingertips. Rainbow went to touch it but I stopped her by holding her hand with my other one. "Don't touch it. Trust me, it'll give you quite the shock." I spin my hand in a fast, tight circle a few times before tossing a small bolt of lightning skywards. This earned me an excited squee as she looked up at the thrown lightning as it dissipated. "That is just way too awesome. What else can you do?" She asked, like a child who was actually paying attention to the kid that actually had an interesting thing to show off at show and tell. I began to explain to her that I could travel through time, punch so hard I could possibly make the planet explode, phasing, and other such abilities. "Wait, I can kinda get time travel and that super punch, but what the heck is phasing?" "Well, I vibrate my molecules at the same frequency of air, which will allow me to phase through all kinds of matter. This, taken to an extreme though, can allow me to match the frequency of another dimension, allowing me to travel to different universes." She looked at me as if… well, actually, nevermind. There isn't much to compare since she was literally being told that the impossible was, in fact, possible. "Dude, that's just… insane. I mean, just the super speed and the super healing alone would be great for me, but all that other stuff… I just can't imagine it." Rainbow looked down at herself, a little sad. "After all of that, I just seem… normal." I put a hand on her shoulder, making her look at me. "Trust me, normal is sometimes a good thing. Okay, tell me the name of someone everyone knows." I asked, already putting a little lesson plan together. "Easy, Princess Celestia." Rainbow quickly replies, not seeing the cogs turning in my head. "Okay. And what do you know about her? Aside from common knowledge that is." Rainbow went to speak but stopped herself short. Now actually taking time to think about the solar monarch. "Exactly, you know nothing because you've never cared to learn about that. It's the same with every famous person. All the ponies will see is what's on the surface, what they are known for. They will never know how they really are, they don't see the personality, the emotions, everything that makes them… like everyone else." Rainbow was giving her full attention to me, absorbing my little lesson like a sponge with water. "Now tell me, what will the ponies see when they look at me? Will they only see the hero? Or that I'm not just a hero, that I'm also like them. Someone who has worries, doubts, just like them." Rainbow looked down, now in deep thought. She continued to stay silent for about 5 minutes before she spoke again. "They'll see the hero… and won't think about anything else. They won't… care to." Her ears folded downwards, completing the saddened look of a puppy who was denied a treat. I patted her shoulder to sort of 'congratulate' her. I didn't mean to dampen her mood, but she needed a bit of a reality check. "Being normal doesn't seem so bad now, does it?" She nods as we close in on the forest. I ran up ahead so I was between them and the forest. I raised my voice a bit, just to make sure everyone heard me. "Alright everyone, gather round. I read up on this place, and I already know about it. Heck, to me, it's just like home. Well… in a sense that you don't control the weather and stuff like that. Trust me, it's a good thing too. Two people where I'm from had that power… and nearly destroyed a city." They all gaped, mortified that someone would misuse their powers like that. "Our target is the Castle of the Two Sisters… which, coincidentally, I just came from. We've already charted out the course, which is the safest and fastest way to the castle. But I still advise caution. There's no telling what Nightmare has up her sleeves. Two single file lines please, and I'll bring up the rear. I know you're all going to ask why, and the reason being is that I have a fast enough reaction time that I'll be able to save you if something does happen." They look to each other and, seeing as nopony else actually had a plan, decided that going along with my plan was the best course of action. "Alright, Rainbow, Applejack, you two are in the front. Fluttershy, Pinkie, in the middle. Rarity, Twilight, in the back." They did as they were told, and then began our trek through the forest. Of course, a certain possessed alicorn was listening to that, and prepared to do everything she could to slow us down. > Journey to the Center of Everfree: Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The walk went uninterrupted for about 4 minutes until Twilight pulled back to talk to me. Guess it was Twilight's turn to have a 'heart to heart' with me. "Umm, Miste-" "Call me Speed, for simplicity's sake." Twilight nods and continues. "Where are you from?" She asks, looking at me curiously. "Another planet, possibly universe. Don't know really, there are no clues as to how I arrived here. Either way, I can't go back." Twilight looks down, sad for me. "That must be horrible." I shake my head and shrug my shoulders. "Eh, I've come to terms with it. After all, I had a 1000 years to do so. Hell, now that I really think about it, they've been dead centuries ago. Even if I somehow do find a way back, everything I know… will be gone." I look down at my hands, before clenching them. "That's why I'm going to do everything in my power to keep this world safe, because this world is my new home." Twilight smiles up at me, sad that I was never going home, but happy that I was as every bit a hero as she had dreamed of and then some. "That's sweet. You know, there's a story about you." I raised an eyebrow, not that she could see it. "Really? Do tell." "Well, it says that when the magic of Harmony sensed a disturbance, you appeared to correct it. You ran through the town and castle like lightning, nothing able to stop you. I read in some books that they saw you pass through walls like a ghost or spirit." I chuckled, nodding my head. "Yeah, I did. Though, it was actually something we speedsters can do. It's called Phasing." I put out my arm, vibrating it as we passed a few branches, my arm going through them like it wasn't even there. "We vibrate our bodies so fast that our molecules can pass through the molecules of other objects." I make a show of making a fist, then pressing the finger of my other hand against it till it worms it's way through. "Incredible. Anyway, the story continues on to tell how you appeared before Nightmare Moon, alongside Princess Celestia. You then began to help Princess Celestia fight Nightmare  Moon until Princess Celestia decided to use the Elements of Harmony. However, before Nightmare Moon could hope to dodge or attack, you stopped her, and held her still. This sent both you and Nightmare Moon to the moon for the next 1000 years. They say you fought her the whole time, making sure she wouldn't come back until then." Twilight finished, looking up at the moon high in the sky. "You became a legend that day. The Legend of the God of Speed vs The Goddess of the Moon." I chuckle, shaking my head. "Hehe, well, despite my namesake, I am no god. I'm just a guy that was trying to live his life, one day at a time. Also, that last part is a bit untrue. The entire time I was in the moon, I was actually in a coma of sorts." Twilight nodded, but then got a curious look. "Some also say your armor turned into weapons, some never before seen in this world. Is that true?" I nodded, and showed her the palm of my hand. I then make a repulsor appear at the center of my palm. "This is called a repulsor, powered by the arc reactor in my chestpiece and by the excess lightning I generate. They are my suit's primary weapons. I use them to generate concussive blasts of energy, to which if I up the power to a high enough degree, can vaporize targets instantly." Twilight gasped in shock, looking at my suit as no longer a mechanical marvel, but a weapon of mass destruction. Which, to a degree, is not too far off. "That's… horrible. Why would you ever do such a thing?" "Cause in my world, the villains don't care if you live or die. So, why should we do the same? Sometimes, they are just too far gone and it is better for everyone that they just no longer exist. I know your world has something like that, everyworld does." Twilight goes to retort, but stops to think. "I… suppose that is true. But I still don't think death is the best answer." I sighed and shrugged. This world was soft, if things like banishment and being turned to stone are the worst case scenarios, then death would be an extreme they will not be able to rationalize, even if it was the best course of action. Twilight walked away, deep in thought. The next few minutes passed in silence, that is, until I felt the ground shake. It was then I realized we were on a cliff face. This meant- "Rockslide! Everyone, get to stable ground!" I yelled, rushing forwards to push them onto more stable ground. But I was too late as the ground crumbled beneath us. We began to slide down the cliff and I watched as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash caught Pinkie Pie, lifting her from the cliff and taking their time in setting her on the ground below. This left me, Twilight, and Applejack. I couldn't get a good foothold so I let myself slide till I reached the edge. Turning, I grabbed the ledge and hooked my fingers into the hard rock. I grunted, trying my best to hoist myself up. Looking to my right however, I saw Applejack holding Twilight's hands. I knew Twilight wasn't going to be able to hold on. Looking down at my feet, I remember I'm in an Iron Man suit. I mentally facepalm as I mentally command the suit to make me fly. I let myself drop from the cliff and after a few seconds I felt a force against my feet and hands. Looking at them, I saw I was indeed flying. I flew over so I was below Twilight, and motioned to Applejack to drop the unicorn. After a few seconds, Twilight let go and I caught her bridal style. After that, I gently set us onto the ground. I went back up to help Applejack down, but she found her own path by jumping and sliding down a pile of rocks. "Well, that could have gone horribly. Jarvis, any idea what could have caused that?" "Maybe, there was an energy surge in the ground that caused the rockslide. From previous scans, it is similar to that of the energy used by Nightmare Moon." I nod, running a hand over my head. "Okay, thanks Jarvis. Alert me whenever you get a reading of a similar surge of energy." Jarvis gave a confirmation before disappearing from the HUD. Looking back to the girls, they all gave me a weird look. "Sorry, I was talking to one of my suit's A.I.." Even more confused looks. "A.I? Artificial Intelligence? My god, how far along in technology are you guys?" I asked, kinda surprised they didn't even know something that was a popular Sci-Fi topic. "Uh, I guess the most advanced technology we have are trains, airships, and… something some of Princess Celestia's scientists are calling a 'computer'." Twilight responded, a bit excited to learn something new. I shook my head and pinched my nose. "I'm in the beginning of the Age of Information mixed with the Industrial Age." I say, lifting a hand to my forehead and turning away from them, realizing how far back in technology these ponies really are. "'Age of Information'? 'Industrial Age'?" Twilight whispered to herself, a bit fascinated to learn something from another world. "Right, uh, okay. You know how we can think and talk and act?" I asked, and they all nodded. "Well, Artificial Intelligence is the same thing, but instead of a living being doing all of that, it's a machine. Or, more specifically, a computer. But, the computers Twilight is talking about will be like the first computers from my world, ones that required their own massive room to function. Nowadays, computers can be bought at any local tech store. Some can even be carried around in something like a backpack." Twilight's jaw had dropped, and was drooling, trying to imagine the technology I was talking about. However, our peaceful moment was stopped when an alarm blared in my suit, signifying that Nightmare Moon was using her magic. I turned where the alarm dictated, and a second later there was a loud roar. Either the black bitch had transformed into a giant monster, or had heavily upset a giant monster. My money was on the latter. That is, if I had any money. I watched in a ready stance as, out of all things, a god-damned Manticore lept out from the dark. Honestly, my inner Greek mythology fanboy was yelling in joy. On the other hand, the Manticore was pissed and looked ready to slash us to ribbons. But, as I looked at the massive feline hybrid, I caught sight of something. Going into Flash Time, I walked over to Fluttershy. Putting my hand on her shoulder, she blinked and looked around, surprised at the stillness of her surroundings. "Wh- What's going on?" Fluttershy asked as she hugged me, her breasts squishing against the area right between my stomach and chest. "Fluttershy, welcome to Flash Time." Fluttershy looked at me quizzically but didn't speak as I showed her the source of the problem. "I would remove it myself, but I must admit my knowledge of medicine is less than satisfactory, much less the medical practice of treating wounded animals. That is why I have brought you here, to do what you do best." Fluttershy blushed from the praise but nodded. Fluttershy carefully examined the wound before taking out the giant thorn and throwing it to the side. We both took a few steps back and I returned us back to normal speed. The roaring Manticore stopped roaring, now looking at it's once wounded paw in confusion. Fluttershy spoke softly. "Mr. Manticore, sir, me and my friend here found a thorn in your paw, and took it out for you. Can you let us pass please?" The Manticore seemed to understand, grabbing me and Fluttershy in a hug and licking us. After showing us it's appreciation, it turned and walked away. I flicked off what cat slobber I could and turned to the rest of the girls, all of them looking at me and Fluttershy in confusion. "I'll explain what happened when the world isn't in danger of freezing over." This however got me looks of shock and complete terror. Apparently these ponies didn't understand the laws of thermodynamics. "C'mon, we're running out time!" Despite wanting to ask millions of questions, they held back and we continued forwards. However, a certain moon themed entity that had been listening in also looked at me in a bit of curiosity mixed with fear. > Journey to the Center of Everfree: Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before I tell you the next set of events, know this, I don't scare easily. Horror movies? Been watching them since I was six. I enjoyed watching them, but at the same time didn't. I was, and still am, a very logical person. Horror games? Eh, I saw them more as a puzzle challenge than anything. Haunted Houses? I accidentally broke an actor's nose when they tried to scare me. So you have to understand, when a bunch of trees suddenly morphed to look like monsters, and the girls started to scream in terror, I was rolling my eyes in exasperation. That was until Pinkie Pie started laughing at them… which caused the tree she was laughing at to return to normal… and then a whole song and dance routine followed. Yeah, brain gets car and goes brrr. Even Jarvis and Gideon had no logical explanation. The girls were all laughing until we exited that cursed section of the forest. I know it was cursed cause Jarvis had alerted me of Nightmare's magic before the trees transformed. Now, though, we were at the bank of a raging river, leaving me to ponder how to get across. Normally, I would try running across, but the surface tension of the water wasn't calm enough or rigid enough for me to run across. At least, from what I understood of how the Flash ran on water. Applejack had suggested we fly across, but Fluttershy was exhausted from saving Rarity and Pinkie, and Rainbow wasn't strong enough to fly someone across by herself. My suit could, but I didn't know how long it would last trying to do such a thing. Apparently, even though the lightning I generated helped recharge the batteries in the suit, the processors had to go into Overdrive to keep up with my sped up perception of time. Gideon was fine, as she was built for it, but Jarvis, not so much. The drain was more powerful than what I generated, so my battery was now at 35%. I needed to conserve what I could for the battle against Nightmare, so I was trying to use my suit as least as possible at the moment. Looking up and down the river, I began to devise a plan. "Alright… I'm going to run up and down the river, to see if there is a way to get across nearby. You six stay here, recharge yourselves, and get ready for more walking when I return." They nodded, okay with that idea. Deciding to go against the river first, I sped my way up the river. Finding nothing, I went back to the group… and found that they had crossed. Also, Rarity no longer had a tail. Shame, her look didn't seem complete without it. Also, the river was now calm. After making my way across, I asked them what had happened. "We met this nice serpent fellow, who was upset that his glorious mustache had been ruined by a dark cloud." Rarity explained. "So, I cut off my tail, and used it to fix his mustache." "Damn, that's pretty generous of you Rarity. Shame you lost your tail though." She stopped, her ears perking. "Oh… why do you say that dear?" I shrugged as I walked past her. "It really completed your look. I liked it." I didn't see her blush, nor hear her silently squeal like a girl who had been told that her crush liked her looks. After that, we continued on our journey. This time though, Rarity stuck quite close to me, asking me a few questions about me, my world, and what fashion was like there. "To be truthful, I'm the worst person to ask about fashion." She waved me off, and followed up with; "Well, any input is better than nothing at all dear." I thought about that, and came up short. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Hmm, well, for one, everybody had to wear clothes if they wanted to go out in public. They could face serious charges if they didn't. Being here though, with you all… well, okay with going without such, kinda threw me for a loop." Rarity looked back at the few naked ponies behind us, and nodded. "Yes, I can see how such a change would disturb you. But if everypony-" "Everyone, sorry for interrupting, but we say everyone, but please, continue." She nodded and did so. "Yes, um, if everyone wore clothes, then there must have been lots of different styles, yes?" I nodded, but explained that our style changes from class, gender, and time. "In modern day, we, that of the medium class, wear whatever we feel is comfortable. Sure, some care about their style, but I didn't. I don't really remember them all, but here are the ones I do. Hmm, there was Gothic, Western, Casual, Business Casual, and many more I can't think of off the top of my head." I said, scratching the back of my helmet. Strangely enough, it didn't make the loud screeching noise metal against metal usually makes. "Hmm, interesting. And, uh, what style would you say I have?" She asked, slightly posing in the most attractive way she could. "Uh…" I had to be honest, I was blushing. It wasn't everyday an attractive woman was trying to seem even more attractive to me. "Well, in a word, uh, fancy, I guess. Your elegant sundress, aside from being a bit dirty from the earlier rock slide, is very beautiful, and greatly compliments your looks." Rarity blushed, looking away. "Oh, that's right, I must look absolutely horrid right now. Come by my boutique later and I'll give you a taste of what I look like at my best~" She said enticingly. Somewhere, in the back of my mind that usually takes my current situation and turns it into a meme, a voice spoke. 'She wants the D!' I quickly shut that voice up as I responded. "To be honest, I think you look beautiful no matter what. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you were a model." Rarity's blush deepened and she raced back to where she should be, next to Twilight with her face and even some of her ears a light shade of red. Mixed with her coat color, made her look like a whited out version of Pinkie. Soon after that conversation, we finally saw the castle come into view. However, another problem soon became apparent. "Oh no, the bridge! Now how are we gonna get across?" Twilight exclaimed, looking down into the foggy ravine. Rainbow scoffed and flapped her wings, showing them off as she jumped off the cliff, and hovered down to the other half of the bridge, which she picked up and flew to the other side, trying to repair it. But soon, Jarvis alerted me of Nightmare Moon, and with my suit, I saw three pegasi come from the dense fog on the other side. They looked similar to Rainbow in terms of body shape, but it was covered by a skin tight latex suit. However their breasts and ass were a bit bigger than Rainbow's. While I couldn't hear what was being said, I saw Rainbow turn her back to them. After which their eyes began to glow. I saw this and launched myself to the other side, blasting two of the evil pegasi with repulsor blasts. The third however went right up to me and, what I guess, tried to hypnotize me. Unfortunately for her, I still had my helmet. Also, my brain was just too fast for normal hypnotism to work. I smacked her away, and blasted her, which caused the three to turn into that miasma from earlier and into the castle. "Wow, that was awesome." Rainbow said, having finished repairing the bridge. When the others joined us, Rainbow told us what the 'Shadowbolts' had tried to do. But she chose her friends over their deal. Something I was kinda proud of. It didn't take us long to get to the front gate, but we stopped to go over a game plan. "Alright, this is it. We're going all in on this, and while we don't know our opponent's hand, we do know ours. 5 of the elements are here, and supposedly, once there is a 'spark', the sixth should appear. But, if that's not the case, then we grab and go. Where… I don't know. But at least we'll have something. If Nightmare shows up, I'll deal with her until the elements can be used or y'all escape." Having a plan set, we turned to the door. Lifting my hands up, I unleashed a repulsor blast, making doors fly off their hinges and into the ruined castle. > Time for a Rematch > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- They were here. I knew they were. That creature had the audacity to storm my home once, now it does so again. Ponies claimed it to be a god, but he himself said he wasn't. Which meant he could be killed. And yet… we didn't want to. He had said something, something that shook us to our core. '... when the world isn't in danger of freezing over.' What did he mean by that? How was such a cataclysm connected to our glorious night? We had to find out, we needed it alone. But how? As we waited in the shadows, we saw him, along with the mare who foretold my return, as well as 5 others, run into the chamber which houses the elements. We had tried to remove them ourselves, but that blasted sun whorse had put a shield around the pedestal. As we watched them remove the elements from their safe haven, we smiled. They had just led themselves to their own downfall. After a bit, the 5 left, leaving only our target and the lavender unicorn. When we went to summon our magic, the creature turned to wear we were directly, and shot two beams of light at me. We were shocked, and quickly dodged, making ourselves known. We shut off the entrance, and began to cast a spell which would transport us a good distance away. I gathered the elements, bringing them close to me. The unicorn and creature ran at me and they connected with me just as I cast my spell, sending all three of us to another, far off, part of the castle. We shoved them away, however the elements began to glow. Had the unicorn actually activated them!? But then, they stopped, falling to the ground. We laughed in triumph, and smashed the elements to bits. We had won, without the elements there was nothing to stop me. But then, the creature spoke with a chuckle. "Time for Plan C." That was when we realized, it had been holding back. With no elements, it saw only one path that would lead to their victory. Our death. It summoned a blade made of its suit, and rushed at me at a speed I couldn't keep up with. I summoned a shield, but didn't anticipate the power behind the hit, making my shield fracture, and on the second hit, fall apart. Even a dragon would have had trouble breaking the shield of a weakened Alicorn, but this creature made it seem like it was made of tree bark at best. Flying into the air to get away, we saw that it too began to fly after me with help from the devices in it's hands and hooves. Small contraptions formed on its shoulders, which then sent even smaller devices flying straight at us. Summoning another shield, the devices exploded to a degree that would have likely killed us if it had hit. They shattered my shield, but the shockwave sent us flying through the wall of our castle. It suddenly appeared before me, and I noticed we were alone. "Wait!" We shouted, trying to catch our breath. To our surprise he did, and we could feel him smirk under his mask. "A last request? Usually it's the villain asking the hero that. But fine, I'll humor you." He crossed his arms, waiting. "Earlier… you said the world would freeze from our glorious night... Why?" We asked, beginning to stand. "Lady, do you not know the laws of thermodynamics? Look, the day is needed, as well as the night. The sun warms the planet, and also gives nutrients to plants to help them grow and survive. Now, this is where the proverb, 'too much of a good thing' comes in. Too much sun will slowly roast the world as it keeps getting hotter and hotter and hotter. The night brings balance to that, cooling off the planet. But again, it can't last forever. Without the cycle, the night will continuously get colder and colder, until everything freezes." We were taken aback. Was what he said true? 'No~...' No, it wasn't, he was just a sun lover as well. We didn't see it, but our eyes glowed red for a second, our dark cyan magic turning black. We blasted him so hard, he was sent flying into the room we came out of. But then we saw it, the elements had awakened. I rushed at them, but was once more caught by the creature. As the rainbow energy hit us, we felt ourselves shatter. I groaned, not knowing how much time had passed, but as I saw that where the room was once dark, it was now getting brighter from the rising sun. I sighed, knowing we had won. I was a bit surprised the girls had been able to fix, and then use the elements, but I wasn't complaining. I rolled onto my back, and began to breathe easier. "Definitely don't want that happening again." I groaned. Not realizing I hadn't disguised my voice. As I lay there, trying to stop the world from spinning, a figure, or should I say, 'figures', entered my vision. One, was the unmistakable Princess Celestia. I might have only seen here a thousand years ago, but the flowing 4 colored mane is a dead giveaway. But, now that I wasn't focused on other things, I could see more of her features. One, she had the body of a goddess, to me that is. Her breasts were huge, yet, with her larger frame, it fit her perfectly. She was easily over 8 feet tall, without her horn that is. Her ass was the stuff that could start holy wars. And the flowing robes and gleaming jewelry made it feel like I should be bowing. The other figure was a bit taller than the other 6, standing at about 6 foot 7, her fur a nice cyan blue. She was proportioned like Celestia, but her breasts were a bit smaller in proportion. Her ass was the competition in the holy ass war with Celestia though. Thankfully, my body was too tired to get a hard on. Not like they would have been able to see it anyways, what with the armor and all. "Godspeed, are you alright?" Celestia asked, her voice a lot more maternal and mature than when I had met her 1000 years ago. I nod, and try to get up, but fail. "Uh… little help?" Celestia giggles and her horn glows, levitating me into an upright condition. "Thanks for that." I said, taking a few stretches. "Damn, I'm never going to get used to that, and hopefully I won't have to." I say, finally getting the kinks out of my limbs and back. "Ar't thou hurt?" Asks the smaller Alicorn in worry. I give the so-so gesture with my hand. "Yes, and no. Being thrown through a wall will hurt anyone, but the armor took the brunt of the damage." The Alicorn winced, and suddenly everything made sense. I paused, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, were you… damn, you shrunk… a lot." Caught off guard by the comment, Celestia and the smaller Alicorn giggled. But immediately afterwards the smaller Alicorn looked guilty again. "Still… We are sorry to have put thee through so much." I waved a hand in a 'forget about it' motion. "Nah, you have nothing to be sorry for. You weren't in control, and you couldn't help that. Let's just say the demon who possessed you will be the one to say sorry." She winced once more, looking gloomy. "Yet we were the one that let the demon trick us into controlling thineself." I just give the girl a sympathetic look and pat her back. "Hey, I'm still alive, and all my limbs are intact. And if you really feel that bad, let me take you out for dinner or something. Though, you're gonna have to pay. As of the moment, I'm broke." I joke, pulling on the lower section of the armor, making it stretch so it looked like I was turning pockets inside out. This does cause her to giggle, and she nods. "Very well, we accept." I smile in return, though not that she can see it, and back away. "Great, well… it looks like y'all have the situation under control… Though, now that I think about it, I don't have a place to live… or anything but the armor on me at the moment." I frown, now realizing the predicament I was in. "Actually, I was just about to remedy that. Godspeed, it would be an honor if you came and lived with me and my sister at our castle." I was about to say something, but was cut off. "And I understand you don't want to feel like you are living there for free, I can give you a job as my or my sister's personal guard." I was going to agree, stating that I would be honored. But now, I feel like I would have everything I would need for the foreseeable future. A job, and a place to live. However; "I would love that, but I don't think I would make a good secret service agent. Don't have the experience. Although, after I get the proper training, I would gladly take you up on the offer." Celestia smiled, as did her sister. "Understandable. But please know that the training will only be a formality." I shrug, accepting that. "As long as I get some food, a nice place to sleep, and a nice employer, I'll be happy." She giggles, her smile growing. After that, I'm introduced to Celestia's sister, who goes by Luna. We head back to town, the 6 mares now sporting some fancy new jewelry with Rarity beaming with joy, seeing how her tail had grown back. But when we do get back to town, that's when things go downhill. The marefriend of the guard Nightmare Moon had almost killed tried to attack Luna, but before the mare could get close to Luna, she was already on the ground, my knee in her back and her arm in a position to where if I just pulled it a little, it would break. "You're not the smartest of the bunch, are ye?" I rhetorically asked the mare, putting a tiny bit of pressure on her arm, making her cry out in pain. Suffice to say, she earned herself a nice long stay in the castle dungeons. But after I had saved Luna, that was when the reporters came rushing at us like a tidal wave. The questions only stopped when I raised my hand for silence. "C'mon, be a bit civil. Now then, you have 5 questions. Hmm… you." I said, pointing at a pink filly with a press hat you would see in cartoons. She also wore a simple dress that was more for show than anything. "Diamond Tiara of Gabby Gums, can you remove your mask?" She asked. I was a bit surprised, and after taking a few minutes to think, though it was only a second for them, I decided. I knew that, even if I did try to keep my identity a secret, the sudden appearance of a human would make someone connect the dots. So I nodded, and closed my eyes, sending a mental command to retract my mask. There were a lot of gasps as my mask moved like slime, sliding into the suit revealing details of my face. First was my hair, a reddish brown that made it look like red autumn leaves just beginning to turn brown. Next was my eyes, which are a cool sky blue. Then my nose, and lastly my mouth and chin. I opened my eyes, smiling gently. "That answer your question?" I asked, looking at the dumbstruck filly. Cameras flashed wildly, and I didn't doubt that by this time tomorrow, all of Equestria would know of my existence. After the cameras died down, I looked over the crowd then pointed at a skinny white pegasus in a T-shirt and khaki shorts. "Um, Featherweight of Gabby Gums. Wh- what are you going to do now?" I hummed in thought, stroking my chin. "That is a very good question. The princesses have offered me a job as either of their personal guards, but sadly I had to decline." There was a gasp and then a mummer from the crowd, along with more camera flashes. "However, I have told them that, once I undertake the proper training, I would take them up on that offer." After I waited for them to calm down, I pointed to a naked mint green unicorn with a notepad. "Hi, Lyra Heartstrings, are you a human!?" She practically screamed. That was when I realized that mare wasn't a reporter. "Yes, and no. Did I used to be human? Yes. Am I human now? Not completely. I'm part of a subspecies of humans known as Meta-humans. My very DNA has been fused with Dark Matter and X-Elements." I said, remembering Harrison Wells', who was really Eobard Thawne, speech from the pilot episode of 'The Flash'. "So, while I look human, that is only part of what I really am." I then pointed at a stallion that had brown fur and brown hair, wearing an overcoat and press hat. "Chronicle of the Daily Sun. We've all heard the tale of how you battled Nightmare Moon 1000 years ago, are any of the legends true? Are you able to make weapons from your armor, and move through solid objects like a ghost?" I nod, doing a demonstration by making a sword form on my right arm and making an energy shield form above my left arm. They all gasped, and more shots were taken. Then, I demonstrated my phasing powers by walking through a tree. "Okay, last question." I say, pointing at Twilight Sparkle. "What's your name?" I smile, making my mask reform around my head. "My name is Nathaniel Heart, but anyone who needs me, can call me Godspeed. And know this, I will be working on making a system that will allow anyone who needs my aid to summon me at a moment's notice. Will I be replacing firefighters or the guards? No, but if they need my assistance I will not hesitate to help." I finish, turning to face the princesses. "That went well. But I think we should leave. We have much to do." Celestia smiled, turning to walk away with an arm around Luna's shoulder. I followed behind them, looking behind me as we walked closer to a chariot. I gave the town of Ponyville a final farewell, knowing I would come back here a few times. Apart from the whole 'returning evil night demon', Ponyville seemed like a rather nice place to live. But then again, I could be basing that off of the 6 mares I had met. As the three of us climbed into the chariot, I noticed that the 4 Pegasi guards were having trouble pulling all 4 of us along. "You guys need me to get off?" I ask them. All they did was look back to the sun princess. "You don't need to do that Nathaniel, I could ask for a few more guards to help pull the chariot." I smiled and jumped off the chariot, activating the repulsors allowing me to fly. Their eyes widened, along with everypony else's. "Nevermind then. Just follow behind us, okay?" I nod, not bothering to tell them I was going to do that anyway. As the guards get a running start I jet off of the ground, instantly going from 5 feet off the ground to 50 feet. I smile, doing a small loop in the air then hovering, waiting for the chariot to gain some air. I wait for about 5 minutes, then fly a bit higher before doing another loop, and setting the thrust to max, making me quickly race up to mach 1, then past it. Now, normally, the speed force acts in such a way that speedsters don't make a sonic boom. Seeing as a sonic boom from a jet can shatter windows if it's too close. But, seeing as I was only channeling the protective part of the Speed Force, a lightning charged ring of energy exploded behind me, lighting the sky with it. "This, I could get used to this." I smirk, rapidly catching up to the chariot then slowing down so I was neck and neck with the princesses. I shout over to them, "Nice day for a flight, isn't it?" I laugh at their dumbstruck faces, then race to the bottom of the mountain. Disabling the repulsors, I quickly ran up the mountain path to the city. Only slowing down when I had to jump the front gate of the castle, using my repulsors to fly me to the landing strip the royal chariot had just set down at. "Man, this place looks amazing." I say, now finally slowing down enough to really take in my surroundings. The architecture of some of the tower tops reminds me of the Kremlin or the Taj Mahal. You know which part. The Hershey Kiss tops. They were purple with gold lines spiraling to the top. The rest looked like it was made from white marble. Which, while it looks nice, isn't exactly the sturdiest of material. "Much better than any castle I've seen from my world."  "Glad to know that my architects from so long ago were better than an alien civilization." Celestia said with the barest hint of a mocking tone. I laughed at the small jab, making Celestia grin. "Come, I bet you must be quite hungry." Celestia beckoned me to follow her, which I did. 'Well, here's to a new life I guess.' I thought to myself as I followed the celestial sisters into their castle in the sky.