1 - Pushing Forward

KER-CHUNK

The violent sound of crystal-on-metal contact echoes in the small cave, as you toss a glowing, magically charged crystal chunk into the modified coal furnace. Shutting the hatch, you take a couple steps back and admire your handy work. Standing in front of you are two curved stone pillars which stand parallel to each other around nine feet tall, and spaced apart by roughly four yards. Hand carved from two large boulders outside your cave, wooden support beams lean against the jagged pillars, a last-minute attempt at some sort of structural integrity. The tips of the pillars curve inwards towards each other, the crystal-lined pointed tips meeting at the top with about a foot of space between them.

It was ugly, hastily built, and to be blunt, could probably be knocked over and destroyed by a child. Regardless, according to Sentinel blueprints, it was complete. Wiping some sweat from your brow, you turn your attention back to the coal furnace. The thing had been torn apart and re-assembled, various arcane components attached to the inner walls, turning it into a makeshift magical receptacle. As the chunk settles at the bottom of the furnace, a few magical sparks bounce from the chunk, shooting out and connecting to several coiled copper rods that had been duct-taped to the sides of the furnace walls. The magical reaction was all you needed to see to confirm the furnace is working as intended.

"The construction of the Slipgate is complete. I will now begin the testing phase." The tinny sounding voice of VEGA crackled out, being broadcast from the speaker of a gramophone . "This will take approximately five to ten minutes to complete. I will update you if I find any missing components or issues." Every time VEGA spoke, the gramophone was engulfed in a magical aura. Your helmet, which was resting on the plate designed to accept vinyl discs, would spin at varying speeds, depending on how much energy VEGA routed to it. This was a crude, yet sufficient way to allow VEGA to speak outside of your helmet, or your chest-plate.

Anytime VEGA activated or called one of his many functions, various contraptions and home appliances scattered around the dark cave would light up or activate. The power source to all of this was being drawn from the eight large, cyan crystals that lined the eastern wall. These crystals would cast a deep blue glow, that would vary in brightness and intensity depending on how much energy VEGA required. Each crystal was about the size of a fifty liter beer keg, and were not easy to acquire without going unnoticed. All of these devices and crystals were taken with one purpose in mind; giving VEGA power. Without the help of your sentient, and very intelligent friend, any chance of returning to Earth is a lost cause.

Turning around, you trudge your way over to the small fire pit in the middle of the cave, sitting atop your less-than-luxurious boulder throne. Speared by a wooden skewer and cooking above the dancing flames is tonight's dinner; the left thigh of the lion-esque beast which once resided in this cave. Said beast was slumped over in the corner of your cave. You really should dispose of that, it's starting to rot. With a deep breath, you find yourself staring down into the pit, eyes glued on the dancing flames which touched and licked the underside of the meat.

It wasn't supposed to be like this... ((Scene Music))

You're used to being ripped away from your main objective, that's not what is concerning you right now. In fact, you almost find it humorous the amount of times demonic entities or people have attempted to thwart your plans by casting you into another dimension.

Almost.

What is carving a feeling of dread in your tortured, rage filled soul is where you have been cast to. You had a gut feeling from the moment you arrived, and that was only confirmed once you saw the populace inhabiting the town about a mile and a half south from here. Equis, specifically somewhere in Equestria. You haven't a clue what year it is, but judging by the unfamiliar and massive forest your cave resides in, coupled with the minuscule town you still haven't found the name of, it's been awhile.

Hell, seeing traces of ponykind for the first time in eons brought memories flooding to the front of your clouded mind. Memories of exploration to unmarked territory with Ceolmund, first contact with Equestrians, the peace treaty, helping with construction of their castle. Nostalgic memories, but the ones that matter to you the most are the memories of her.

Your special Horse Lady, or as her subjects knew her, Princess Celestia.

The deep orange flames rise and fall, growing in size and strength before dissipating not a second later. Reaching a hand forward, you slowly turn the sizzling thigh, inspecting it to see if it has been cooked enough. Giving the thigh a squeeze, you watch beads of clear, bubbly juice leak out of every inch of the thigh, trailing down and falling into the fire. The smell is heavenly, a mix between a t-bone steak on the grill, and a pan full of bacon. Just a little longer...

The thought of finally returning to Celestia has been the only thing that has truthfully kept you going all this time. All the shit you have endured. The realms and dimensions you have saved from their destruction, the overbearing guilt of the billions of lives you were too slow to save. You've endured all of it for the possibility that you might once be able to return home, and see her pretty face again.

But this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Your arrival here was supposed to mark the end of your suffering, a happy ending to your immortal tale of vengeance and rage. Instead, it has become a terribly inconvenient roadblock on your crusade to release Earth, and humanity from the clutches of Hell once again.

You'll never fully come to terms with it, but it seems as if you live to silently suffer. Every time you have found happiness in the last thousands of years, it has been merely a temporary distraction from the pain, always torn away from you in the end. Is she even alive anymore? If enough time has passed for an entire damn forest to grow, whose to say she wasn't overthrown, or passed away by some means? If she was alive, would she even accept you for what you've become?

"Initial testing has been completed. Are you ready for my analysis?" VEGA's calm voice bounces across the stone walls of your tiny base of operations, and snaps you out of your inner monologue of suppressed torment. It's probably for the better that you don't stay here long enough to find out the answers to those questions.

On the bright side, your dinner looks ready. Holding the thigh by the exposed bone, you detach it from the skewer. Rising and turning around, you give your artificial friend most of your attention, but not before taking a large and eager bite. It tastes suspiciously like pork.

"While the structural integrity of the Slipgate may easily be jeopardized by minimal physical contact, my stress tests have proven its resistance to the arcane energy of this world to be adequate enough to form entry and exit portals." Bolts of magic arc across the crystals mounted on your wall, before VEGA continues. "There is an issue, however. While the eight crystals we have acquired supply enough energy to power my most basic functionality, as well as allow me to operate the Slipgate, in its current raw state it is too unstable to be usable."

Taking another bite of the leg, your eyes glance over to the aforementioned power supply, which was pulsing violently and unpredictably. VEGA had a point, and you were well aware of it. VEGA is only able to run off the unstable power source because of how optimized and cleverly engineered his systems are. He can accept a wide range of energy sources, and while he has to dial back his functionality accordingly, he can run off minuscule amounts of power.

"During the testing phase, I conducted seventeen small scale simulations to test the effects routing raw energy to the Slipgate would have. Out of the simulations, sixteen ended in the destruction of the Slipgate, as well as the collapse of the cave. Only one simulation ended in a successful portal being opened. If you were to enter a portal without the required stable energy flow there is a 97.8% chance of the portals being broken mid travel, which would leave you trapped in the void between time and space."

An old-timey looking projector which was mounted on a tripod is engulfed in a magical aura, spinning to life as it casts an image against the cavern walls. It's a picture, taken from footage your helmet was recording a couple days ago. Said picture shows multiple townsponies fleeing from you. Looks of shock and horror are plastered on their faces, as a small arrow is layered over the display, pointing to a store in the background. "There is a wizard's shop located in the town 1.3 miles south of our location. The poster on the window advertises that they sell arcane regulators. I have marked its coordinates on your map."

You take in the blurry sight of the store, memorizing the swinging, over designed and flashy sign that hung above the door. Guess dinner will have to wait until later. Tossing the leg into the fire, you walk over to the gramophone and detach your helmet from the disc. Pulling it over your head, the HUD flickers to life, as a cushioned rubber ring slowly tightens and compresses around your neck, creating an artificial environment. As your armor calibrates itself, you shrug your shoulders and crack your knuckles.

Looks like it's time to go grocery shopping again. Giving your cave a quick glance around, you face the entrance, emerging out into the dark forest.

Your horn lights up a bright orange, as the neon lights to the large, flashy sign slowly flicker out for the last time. Giving a quick glance around the empty streets of the small town, you head inside the store, and lock up for the night. With a sad sigh, you take a look around the shop. Wonderlight's Wizardly Wares, you had poured your heart and soul into this little store, it had been your dream to run ever since you were a little colt. You had everything a unicorn wizard of any kind could ever want. Spell books, potion ingredients, you name it, and this shop had it. For Celestia's sake, a whole section of the store was dedicated to only the top of the line, state-of-the-art magic powered machinery that has been sweeping the country!

...

...But perhaps it wasn't the wisest choice to set up shop in a tiny junction populated almost entirely with Earth ponies. Against the name of the store, most of your customers are business owners seeking new automated tech. You moved out to Dodge Junction after your dear friend Cherry Jubilee had sent you a letter, asking if you could supply her cherry orchard with some new technology. Soon enough, some other businesses began asking for more equipment. Word spread around the general area, and it seemed like ponies from all around were asking for your automated, magical goods. You figured since there was such a high demand, maybe ponies would be willing to travel to get the parts they needed?

Oh well, it's a mistake you have learned a valuable lesson from, and at least you're not going out of business. Just earlier today you had arrived back home after being in Manehattan for several weeks. You were there on a business trip, attempting to find a new storefront. With all the factories and businesses there, surely they need someone like you to supply them.

Cardboard boxes scattered your store, as stock and essentials were in the process of being packaged for shipment. Leaning on the checkout counter, you give out a tired sigh, your eyes finding their way onto the picture mounted on the wall. It was from a couple years back, and had you and your daughter Hazelblossom posing outside of the shop. Her hooves were wrapped around you in a hug, your elderly face caught up in the middle of a laugh.

Fond memories. Speaking of Hazel, it's a good thing she had come out from Vanhoover on a suprise visit, she's been very helpful with packing to move. She arrived around a month ago, with not even a letter informing you she'd be coming. You'll admit though, she hasn't been acting like herself recently. Her arrival is out of character as well, seeing as she was running her own artist shop in Vanhoover. Anytime you've tried to bring up old in-jokes between the both of you she either acts confused, or sometimes even gets offended. Maybe you're just not the comedian you used to be when you were a young stallion.

A muffled scream of panic from outside quickly snaps you out of your thoughts, as you rush over to the window to take a look.

"The beast! It's returned! Everypony inside, lock your doors!" The grey pegasus stallion cries out, holding his brown stetson to his head as he gallops down the road.

Lights from the houses and buildings all around began to turn on, some residence even poking their heads out of their windows, looks of terror plastered on their faces. Beast? What exactly has happened while you were gone? More curious than scared, you decide to go out and ask what all the commotion was about.

Trotting over and opening the door, you wave the stallion over. He notices you immediately and halts his sprint, dust kicking up in front of you.

"What's this beast you're so scared of, Sonny?" You simply ask, your elderly voice doing nothing to comfort him.

"I-It comes from the Everfree! N-near the castle ruins!" He stammered out, gasping for air as he tries to explain. "It... It comes almost every other day! It just takes whatever it pleases, and leaves!"

A bright white flash from behind the stallion catches your attention. Tilting your head to see, you spot a young mare poking out the window of her second floor, a camera in her magical grasp. Your attention is drawn down to what she was taking a picture of. Sweet mother of Celestia...

"That's him! Get inside, lock the doors!" The stallion shakes your shoulders, shoving you back through your door as he runs off to alert the rest of the town.

Doing as the young stallion suggested, you re-lock the front door, and take cover behind the window, eyes glued to the monster outside. It was tall, easily as tall as a minotaur, and even stood on two legs like one. That's where the similarities ended. Its body was covered in some sort of crazy looking armor, face being all but concealed by the deep blue visor of its helmet.

You can see what has everypony so distraught. Its very presence is the embodiment of rage. The way it carries itself, and walks down the town road as if it owns the place. The beast's hands are balled up into tight fists, nearly shaking as it snaps its head up to glare death at the mare who snapped a photo seconds earlier.

You can hear her muffled screech, as she slams the window and ducks down, before the beast strides over to her house, standing below her window. You can only watch in horror as the beast jumps up and clings to her wall, pulling himself up to her balcony. You can hear the mare yell and scream, throwing her body against the window as she desperately tries to keep it closed. It's a lost cause, and without even breaking a sweat or struggling, the beast rips open her window, entering inside. Cracking open your own window to try and get a better sight, you can hear her scream bloody murder, coupled with yelling that sounds like Mayor Buckington.

The curtain obscures the conflict from you, but after a few seconds the screaming comes to a stop, followed by the muffled sound of something being crushed into pieces. Dear Celestia... Did that thing just kill her? Moments later the beast trudges his way over to the window once again. Jumping out the window and landing on the dirt road with a mighty thud, he drops the broken remains of the mare's camera on the ground. He tilts his head to either side and shrugs his shoulders, before turning to look directly at your store.

You stare at him.

He stares at you.

Your head is poking out of your window, and he begins to walk his way over to you, fists clenched tighter than they were before.

Not good.

You slam the window closed and shove as many heavy objects as you can against the door. Through the corner of your eye you can see him closing in with terrifying persistence. Jumping behind the counter, your horn lights up as you get a magical missile spell ready. You've never been a fighter, but owning a store like this means you need to be prepared for intruders. Your legs begin to quiver as you see the thing walk up to the door.

Knock knock knock...

You're shocked to hear the sound of knocking come from your wooden door. Maybe he's trying to ambush you? Catch you off guard before he destroys you with his laser vision? You decide the best course of action is to stay silent.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"N-no pony is home! W-we're closed!" Your bladder is threatening to empty itself, legs on the verge of collapsing inwards. Seconds later, your ears are assaulted by the deafening sound of your door being smashed in. The wooden door swings against the wall as one of the hinges breaks in half. There it stood, its chest rising and falling slowly as it scanned your store. Without waiting for a welcome, the beast leans down and enters through the doorway, which was way too small for a creature of his size.

It's now or never. Your horn glows a bright orange as you jump up from behind the counter, squinting your eyes as you channel all your energy to fire a magic missile right into its chest, intent on ending this foul beast's life. His chest recoils at the impact, magical sparks flying everywhere as you shoot another. Missile after missile, you pump his body full of the most powerful magic you can muster. As you rain hellfire down upon him, you can hear him grunt in what sounds like pain. Dashing towards you with a sudden boost of speed you were not prepared for, you can feel him wrap a hand around your horn, causing your magic to fade out instantly.

"L-let go of me, foul beast! L-leave and never return!" You cry out, eyes closed as you await the end.

But it never comes. After several seconds of deafening silence, you risk cracking open an eye, to find a pair of small eyes glaring down at you, two brown eyebrows furrowed. His grip on your horn is firm, but shockingly gentle for how big and brutish he is. Despite being obscured by the visor, being this close you can actually make out details on his face. He's got pale, almost tan colored skin, with no mane or fur besides a small tuft on the top of his head. His eyes appear to be a light, almost greenish brown.

Despite the presence of unfiltered rage he gives off, the look on his face tells a different story. As he stares into your own eyes, his furrowed brows and tired eyes give off an annoyed look, as if he is silently asking, "Are you done yet?" As you fumble around in his grasp, he releases his grip on your horn. You slump down against the wooden floor, as he stands up and turns to scan over your many isles of products, taking interest in the section dedicated to your automated goods.

Is he... Shopping?

Getting your bearings, you slowly stand and walk up behind the creature, clearing your throat. "W-what... What are you here for?" You managed to squeak out. He turns his head towards you, before looking back towards the many isles. Being so close is absolutely terrifying. It seems like every inch of his armor could be used as a weapon. The gauntlets covering his hands look beaten and scratched, indicating how much use he gets out of them. It's hard to make out in the dark, but you swear you can see some blood staining the right gauntlet.

The beast walks down one of the larger, open isles, running a finger over the price tags on the shelves. This is isle G-8, it's dedicated to power supplies, and ways to either enhance or regulate power flow. Taking a chance, you trot in front of him, as you look back and forth between the shelves and his face, trying to figure out what he's looking for.

"I-I must apologize for my behavior back there... I didn't know you w-were a customer! I have only the m-most advanced in magical equipment here. I've got everything from power banks, fusion cores, arcane power flow regulators-" You yelp, as you feel a hand grab your tail, stopping you in your tracks. Looking up, you can see the beast has knelt down to meet you at eye level, a look of determination in those small eyes of his.

"A-ah... Are you interested in a regulator?" You squeak out, as the beast gives you nothing more than a small nod, releasing the grip on your grey tail. Swallowing the lump in your throat and fighting the urge to cry, you climb back on all fours and escort him towards said products. "Now I'm not sure what size you're looking for, b-but I can guarantee all of these are good for either industrial, or even home use!" You put on your best salespony voice, not doing a very good job.

His eyes scan over the various contraptions, before he reaches a hand out and picks one up, settling on the largest.

"S-she's a beauty, isn't she? Large ones like that are typically used for regulating magic that comes from natural sources, like a crystal-" Your cut off as the beast turns around, heading for the door with your product in his hand. It's clear by his direction that he has no intent to pay, and while the store-owner inside of you is screaming to try and stop him, the realist in you knows that will probably mean the end of your life.

You follow behind him as he leaves your establishment, a crowd of ponies that had gathered outside stare in awe as he simply begins walking back towards the Everfree. Ponies back up and separate as he nears them, clearing a path for himself as he leaves town. Once the beast is out of hearing distance, it seems like the entire town surrounds you, interrogating you.

"Did he attack you?

"What did he do? Are you hurt?"

"He just stole that thingy! He didn't even pay!"

"Did you try to stop him?"

"Did he make you do terrible things? Torment you in ways unimaginable?!"

"Enough!" You yell out, the beginnings of a headache forming from all the voices at once. Rubbing your temples with a hoof, you scan over the crowd, who is staring back at you awaiting your response. "No, he didn't hurt me. As a matter of fact, I tried to hurt him... I thought he was going to kill me, so I used magic missiles on him."

The crowd's eyes go wide, as murmured conversations wash over the townsponies. "He knows magic missile? I thought that spell was outlawed..." You can hear a mare ask to her friend, beginning to feel a tad ashamed for your choice of action.

It's about this time your daughter Hazelblossom slowly emerges from the store, standing by your side with a scared look on her face. "I-is it gone?" Her voice squeaked out, sounding raspy, and frightened.

Placing a hoof over her shoulder, you pull her into a comforting hug. "He's gone, Sweetie, and Papa's okay." You can see her peer up at you, giving a weak smile.

"This has gone on long enough!" The voice of the mayor yells out, shoving his way through the crowd and meeting you face to face. "I'm terribly sorry for this, Wonderlight. I've been so busy attempting to establish some sort of a neighborhood watch, that I forgot to inform you about what's been happening." Mayor Buckington extends a hoof towards you, which you slowly take hold of, giving him a firm shake. "For the past three or four days, this-" Buckington waves his hoof in the air, looking for an answer "-beast, as we've named it, will emerge from the Everfree and terrorize our town."

You release your grip on your daughter, who opts to stand by your side. "Well, I can tell you he's definitely spooky. He doesn't seem to have very good manners, either." You tried lightening up the mood with some classic Wonderlight sarcasm.

"The beast has raided and stolen from six establishments in the last 96 hours. That's including your shop, Wonderlight." Mayor Buckington remains stern as ever, before continuing. "Even if it hasn't harmed a single ponies' life, the cost of damages and stolen goods range in the thousands of bits. It wiped Cherry Jubilee's factory clean of her energy crystals!"

Oh, that explains why he took the largest regulator you had. Scratching the back of your head, you kick some dust up from the ground. "So... What are we going to do about him? The missiles I shot him with were powerful enough to kill a manticore, and all he did was shake it off like it was nothing.

Mayor Buckington gives out a sharp whistle, as the camera wielding mare from before emerges from the crowd, a traumatized look plastered on her young face. She shakily levitates a picture to him, which he slaps on the ground in front of you. "Tomorrow at sunrise I'm headed to Canterlot to meet with Princess Celestia. I'll show her this, and hopefully she'll take it serious enough to send us some much needed help."

The picture on the ground shows the beast in all his terrifying detail. He is facing down the road, away from the camera. With the flash, you are able to make out more specifics of the armor's design, how asymmetric it is, the various hues of green, orange, and brown used, and a distinctive runic symbol painted in red on his helmet.

"I'm not sending any of my townsfolk into the Everfree. Whatever that thing is, it's nothing that I've ever seen mentioned in any history book. This is a job for the Royal Guards." Mayor Buckington says, before giving another loud whistle. "Everypony, return to your homes! Keep the doors locked and stay inside at all costs. I'll only be gone for the day, but I don't want any of you hurt."

As the mayor begins commanding his townsponies, you wave your daughter to join you inside, as you wonder what will come of all this.

2 - Perplexing Discoveries

View Online

Sitting atop your luxurious throne, one of your many royal assistants stands by your side, levitating a large stack of papers in front of you. Ink dipped quill in your magical grasp, your eyes glance over the thousands of articles, scanning the laws and regulations various leaders across your nation wish to impose on their towns or cities. You could swear that with every proposal you read, ten more are written. The large doors to your throne room slowly open, revealing one of your Royal Guards.

"Your Highness, Mayor Buckington of Dodge Junction is here." The white stallion states, giving you a bow

You simply blink at the guard, finishing up your signature on one of the many proposals. "So soon? I assumed he would've been at least a day or two. Is something the matter?"

The guard looks from the door, then back to meet your gaze, a worried look plastered across his chiseled complexion. "He has simply urged me that his matter is of utmost importance."

Looking over to your unicorn assistant, you give him a nod as he levitates the stack away from you, leaving the room. "I understand. Let him inside, and close the doors behind us."

"Yes, Your Highness." He bows his head to you, before leaving the large throne room. Seconds later, the mustached, stetson wearing Mayor of Dodge Junction emerges. Stress plagues his features, as he fumbles around on the red carpet underneath his hooves.

"I received your letter yesterday Mr. Buckington, but I must say I am quite surprised by your quick arrival." You gaze down at him, offering the stallion your full attention.

He gives a nervous bow, not used to being in your presence. Returning to all fours after a second, he clears his throat. "Yes, well... My ponies are feeling less and less safe with each passing day, and for good reasons."

"Do go on, Mayor."

With a shudder and a glance around the room, Buckington looks up to you. "I have reason to believe there is a changeling infestation in my town, Your Highness. I can count at least seven different shop owners and citizens who are acting very peculiar as of recent. Almost as if they haven't a clue who they really are, and are going off of other ponies comments to gauge how to act." Buckington sighs, rubbing his head with a hoof. "I haven't told anypony, but I've been reading up on them after the attack at the royal wedding."

"You have made the right choice coming as soon as possible. Have there been any other strange occurrences in Dodge Junction? Any runic markings or cocoon-like structures, and/or deposits of dead skin? Have there been complaints of a swamp-like smell as of recent?"

Buckington thinks for a moment. "I haven't seen any runic markings or cocoons, but around the market area there definitely is a foul smell as of recent."

"That is all I need to hear, I'll be sure to send a team to help locate and track down any changelings. If I remember correctly, you wrote in your letter there was some creature causing disruption in town as well?"

"Oh, yes! I almost forgot." He reaches into the saddlebag over his back, tossing you a picture. "This is the beast I was describing, Princess. I have never seen or heard about anything like it in all my life."

Taking the picture in your magical grip, you float it in front of your face, and inspect it. It takes all your willpower not to let your wings flutter at what has just graced your eyes. He's unmistakably a human male. How tall he is compared to the buildings around him, his broad, muscular stature. Those exposed, vascular biceps and triceps. How is he here? It had taken you centuries to accept that humanity was all but extinct, and yet here before you is picture proof that at the very least, one remains. Could that mean Anonymous is still alive? As your head fills with questions, you remember you have a guest awaiting your input.

"...I see." You simply state, magenta eyes never leaving the colored photograph. "How long has this creature been coming into town?"

"About five days, Princess. Every time it has entered, it has always left with something in it's possession. Just last night it had stolen an arcane regulator from our wizard's shop." Mr. Buckington takes his hat off his head, holding it to his chest.

Concealed by the visor on his alien looking helmet, the human's identity remains a mystery, which only acts to further your interest on him. "...And you say he has been emerging from the Everfree Forest?" Finally you take your gaze off the photo, to look down at the mayor.

Buckington nods his head. "Yes, Princess. We reckon he is not too far away from the old castle ruins, judging by the direction he comes from."

You give a slow nod yourself, as you glance up at the picture once again, noticing what appears to be some sort of retractable blade on his left arm, alongside some odd device attached to his left shoulder. "Has he been violent or hostile in any means? I can tell by the looks of his armor that he has seen battle."

Mayor Buckington gives a loud scoff, placing his hat back onto his head. "Oh please, where do I start? The mare who took the picture you're looking at? Just seconds after she took that picture, he climbed up into her house and all but pinned her to the ground! He crushed the damn camera before going out and raiding the wizard!"

Looking back between the photo and the mayor, a sinking feeling of worry grows inside of you. Humans, at least the ones you knew were never violent unless they needed to defend themselves. "He pinned her down? Did he harm or hurt her? What about any of the other ponies he has made contact with?" You gaze at him with the intensity of a protective mother.

As you peer down at him, his bold and bombastic display slowly falters. "Well, now that you mention it... Not really." He brings a hoof to his face, playing with his curly mustache. "Come to think of it, I don't think he's hurt a soul... But he's scaring us half to death! Wonderlight, the wizard that owns the shop I mentioned earlier, actually tried slaying the beast with magic missiles when it barged his door."

You give a small exhale of relief at the news, but you're shocked that one of your own ponies would resort to that so suddenly. "He... Survived magic missiles? I understand that he has been causing large amounts of damage, but don't you think that is a little more than excessive, Mayor?"

"Y-you don't understand, P-princess! There's something about this creature! You wouldn't understand unless you see it with your own eyes." Mayor Buckington's eyes gaze passed you, over to one of your many stained glass windows. "It's as if he's lost everything in his life, and has nothing but rage to give back... You can see it, in the way he carries himself. His whole body trembles with the fury of a thousand warriors, and it's terrifying to imagine what he could be capable of if left unrestrained. I've seen angry ponies, and even enraged beasts, this is on a whole different level." He pleads to you, voice filled with terror.

Placing the photograph by your side on the throne, you soften your glare at him. Recomposing yourself, you nod and give a small sigh. "Thank you, Mayor Buckington. This is a massive discovery for Equestria. I will get with my guards, and have them assemble a team to protect your town, as well as search for this creature."

"Oh, thank you Princess-"

"But I must warn you. You are not to share this with anypony else. Until I can contain this creature and confirm my beliefs on what it is, this must remain a secret from the rest of the country. I expect you to treat this with the highest of care, Mr. Buckington." You cut him off before he can complete his thanks, as you stare deep into his very soul.

"A-absolutely, Princess. I'll make sure of it." He bows his head, and turns to leave. "Thank you for hearing me out."

"One more thing, Mayor." You call out to him, as he turns and tilts his head at you. "Please stay close to the castle today. I will arrange to have you escorted back into town by chariot with a team of guards. Relax a little, enjoy your time here."

Mayor Buckington smiles at this, and he gives you another bow. "I am forever grateful, Your Highness." With that, he turns around and leaves the throne room, leaving you alone with your two personal body guards. You levitate the picture back in front of your face, eyes locked on the odd red marking on the human's helmet.

You motion to the guard on your right, giving him the picture. "Find Shining Armor. Explain to him the situation, and have him assemble a search team. Whatever tactics he might use, urge him never to attack, unless the creature attacks innocent ponies."

The guard takes the picture, scanning over the human. "Yes, Your Highness." He bows, sprinting off to find the captain, leaving you alone with one remaining guard.

Leaning back in your throne, you gaze out one of your stained glass windows, the sun being refracted in various patterns across the marble floor. "Oh Anonymous..." You give a sad exhale, reminiscing about your long lost soulmate. "How could I have been so foolish to let him take you?" From outside the window, you can see a pair of sparrows flying around each other, their rapid and unpredictable motions playing out like a fast-paced fight.

Strong, confident, gentle Anonymous. The thought of him brings forth a whirlwind of emotions into your mind so intense that you try not to remember him; for the good of your own sanity. The warmth his very presence brought you, how easily he could make you laugh, how little he cared for royalty, and the waves of political drama titles like 'King' or 'Prince' carried. Despite rising the ranks of his people, and becoming essentially second in command underneath the reign of King Valerian, Anonymous never let his title get in the way of who he was. You can remember the day you first met him, and how pleasant playful banter with him was. Anonymous treated you like he would one of his own people, nothing more and nothing less. It's a certain treatment that is almost non-existent in your life as ruler of Equestria. Even your sister Luna has trouble talking to you as a pony.

It's how nonchalant Anonymous was with you in those very first interactions that had you swooning for him soon after. Never once did he see you as the goddess that lowers and raises the sun, or one of the two rulers of an entire country. He saw you for the playful, caring mare that nopony else sees you as. 'Horse Lady' as he loved to call you, a pet name that would make nobles fume out of their ears, quickly became the name you loved hearing the most. Hearing those two silly words together meant the world was at peace, all the weight of running this country wasn't so heavy when he'd grace you with them.

The sparrows outside bump into each other a couple of times, the male seeming to have successfully court the female. You watch them dance around each other, before flying out of sight. Just like that, their little dance is over, as they fly off to live their simple lives, hopefully to raise little ones. Another sigh escapes you, as you recall the times you and Anonymous had discussed the potential of having little ones of your own.

As the happy thoughts of your human love begin to fade, being replaced by the terrifying and tragic memories of his downfall flood your mind, they are swiftly interrupted by a rapidly approaching red cloud of smoke from between the doors to your throne room. The cloud manifests in front of you, yellow lightning crackles throughout the cloud as it explodes in a dramatic fit, a rolled up letter dropping to the floor.

Shaking away the growing memories, you take the letter in your magical grasp, opening it to read.

Your Highness,

We have made a most perplexing discovery on our latest expedition into Tartarus, and we believe it could aid in quelling the demonic disruptions that have been spreading across Equestria.

We await your presence in the meeting quarters.

Pathfinder
The Council of Celestial Tranquility

Well that was an awful short letter for how much paper was used. Though that is only typical of Pathfinder, she is a mare of action, not of words. Gathering yourself with a calming breath, you rise from your throne. This catches your guard's attention, as he turns to look at you.

"Is something the matter, Your Highness?"

"I have important matters to attend to, Stormkeep. All other audiences today are to be postponed. Post yourself outside the throne room for the rest of your shift." You say, as you descend down the velvet carpet.

"Yes, Your Highness." He gives a bow, following by your side until the two of you leave the grand hall. Closing the large doors behind the both of you, he takes up sentry duty, leaving you to walk the halls of your castle alone.

Gentle clops echo in the grand hallways as you walk yourself towards the secret meeting quarters, hidden deep within the Canterlot hedge maze. It's been almost a year since you've been called to meet with the council, and so much has happened since then. Twilight Sparkle had moved to Ponyville, met her now closest friends, who together had brought you back your dearest sister, Luna. Your niece had even married the captain of the Royal Guard.

...

Luna...

You never once had let her know about the council, and your endeavors in Tartarus. You meant to tell her, but circumstances changed faster than you would have liked.

Maybe now is a good time to show her what's been going on. Turning around with a small smile, you head towards Luna's bedroom.

You arrive in front of your sister's living quarters. Bringing a hoof up to the large doors, you give three gentle knocks, before pushing the door and peeking inside. "Luna?" You politely call out, eyes scanning her bedroom.

"In our private study, dear Sister!" You hear Luna call out. Trotting past her massive bed, you stand in the doorway to her study. Luna is sitting at her reading table, various history books over the last thousand years surround her. Currently, she is face down in How To Win Friends And Speak Like a Regular Pony

"Are you busy, Luna?" You ask, your heart melting at the determined look in her eyes, her deep blue irises scanning over the text with the speed of a Wonderbolt.

"We- Err... I am simply practicing, Sister. I... have all the free time!" She gives you a quick glance, before squinting down at the book in front of her. Luna repeats this motion multiple times, as if to double check that she is following instructions correctly.

You place a hoof to your mouth to stifle a giggle, before motioning to the door. "It sounds like you're making wonderful progress, Luna. May I ask that you accompany me in something?"

Sticking her tongue out of her mouth, she squints as she levitates a bookmark into place, shutting the book. "We would enjoy a break from this strenuous task. 'Tis not easy adapting to new ways of spoken Hooflish." Luna rises from her seat, and trots over to you, giving you a hug which you lovingly return. "What is it thou wishes to do, Sister?"

Leading Luna out of her quarters, you begin making your way towards the sculpture garden. "My audience has been requested somewhere very important, and I would like you to join me."

Luna deflates at this, still rather uncomfortable when dealing with crowds. "May we-" Luna coughs, "may I... ask who we are meeting with, Sister?"

Gazing out a window, you can see that you are nearing the sculpture garden, alongside the massive hedge maze next to it. "Do not worry, Luna... We're not going to be speaking in front of a crowd." Your gaze turns up to the ceiling, trying to figure out how to explain this to her. "Do you remember the days of Anonymous, and the Kingdom of Man?"

Luna tilts her head and looks up to you, confusion spreading over her face. "But of course, Sister. How could we forget?"

You give a small hum, looking forwards as the two of you make your way outside. "Then I presume you remember how they vanished?"

Luna's face saddens, as she nods. "Indeed, we do... Traitor Ceolmund opened a portal to Tartarus, and let forth those behemoths, correct?"

The two of you walk past the various sculptures in the magnificent garden, before taking a left and entering the large maze. "Yes, well... Ceolmund had all but annihilated his own people, and dragged Anonymous into Tartarus with him before his death. After the devastation those beasts brought, I made a vow to never let something like that happen again." You take a right down the maze, then a left.

Right.

Left.

Straight.

Right.

Luna has quickly lost her bearings in the never-ending maze, opting to stay by your side and follow in your directions.

"Behind the backs of all my little ponies, you included, I had formed a council in complete secrecy. I would hoof pick ponies I believed cared for the better of not just Equestria, but the world as a whole. Under strict guidelines, I would grant these ponies temporary immortality and a life of their dreams, in return for their services."

Luna tilts her head, eyes glancing up to you, before looking back down the path. "Temporary immortality? What were these services they provided?"

Straight.

Left.

"I would send them into Tartarus, disguised by the most advanced cloaking spells known to ponykind. They would learn anything and everything about demons. The council would learn the written and spoken languages of Tartarus, and establish defenses accordingly. I saw just how destructive those creatures were, and while we have a tight lock down on the main gate, I wanted to know everything about them. " You give a sigh, remembering the look of terror Anon flashed you, before he was dragged down by his friend-turned-demon.

"And what about this 'temporary immortality'?" Luna questions further.

"There is a spell that if preformed by a magic user powerful enough, can grant a regular pony immunity to the natural aging process, just like an alicorn. It must be refreshed every decade, and can be removed at anytime. I never required members to take the immortality, it was simply an offering for their efforts."

As you make the final turn, you begin inspecting the hedges carefully, looking for the signature broken branch.

"Thou... sent your own ponies into Tartarus? If we have such tight defenses on the only means of entry to Equestria, surely thou doesn't need to delve deeper..."

"That would be a valid stance to take, dear Luna. However, I firmly believe those demons Ceolmund summoned to have been Equestria's greatest threat. Even more so than Discord, or any other foe we've faced." Locating the broken branch, you trot over to the hedge in question. Shifting aside some branches with a hoof, you tilt your head down and insert your horn into a keyhole which was hidden in the hedge. A deep red glow leaks out from the hedge, before the ground next to you begins to rumble.

Luna seems slightly worried at what is taking place before her, but remains silent as she watches it unfold. The grassy path of the maze begins to lower and separate , revealing a spiraling stone stairwell. Glancing between you and the stairwell, Luna clears her throat. "Have there been any disruptions from Tartarus as of late?"

Removing your horn from the hedge, you motion her to follow you down the stairs. "Not from Tartarus in particular, but Council members across Equestria have been picking up on what they believe to be attempts to open another portal." Lamps on the stone walls ignite with magical flames, lighting the path ahead.

"Who would attempt to bring such a terrible thing back?" Luna asks.

"I am not certain. Whoever is tampering with this hasn't a clue what they are getting themselves into. Some of the council members believe it to be changelings."

Luna hums, looking away from you and focusing on the seemingly never ending spiral. "We suppose that does line up with the various changeling sightings recently.

You nod to her, as the two of you approach the end of the stairwell, which leads into a musty chamber. Hundreds of candles line the walls of the chamber, basking the stone room in a deep orange hue. Five hooded ponies stand on the opposite end of the chamber, huddled together in a group.

The clopping of you and your sister's hooves alert them to your presence. The pony with her back facing you slowly turns around, reaching a hoof up to take off her hood. "Your Highness.." Pathfinder greets, her voice as raspy and as dull as they day she first swore oath to the council.

"I came as soon as I received your letter, Pathfinder." Pathfinder rises to all fours and looks over to Luna, an unreadable expression on her face. "Do not worry, Pathfinder. I decided it was time to let my sister know about what I've been doing while she was gone." You give a quick glance to your younger sister, who weakly smiles back up at you.

Pathfinder nods her head, and gives Luna a bow. "Welcome to the Council of Celestial Tranquility, Princess Luna."

"You mentioned that you had made a discovery on your latest expedition?" You ask, finally noticing a foreign stone object between the remaining four members.

Pathfinder nods, as she turns to walk towards the other members. "That we have, Your Highness. Allow me to show you." She guides you and your sister over to the remaining members. The council members give bows before parting ways, revealing the object they were huddled so closely around. At first glance it appears to be a stone tablet, but upon closer inspection one would find the various ribs, skulls, and spinal columns jutting out of it. The spinal columns run down to the thick shaft of the tablet. On the face of the tablet, and surrounded by exposed ribs is a bright green demonic rune, which is almost identical to the one on the human's helmet from earlier. "Our translators are still working to get the complete scripture, but we believe this to be some sort of testament."

"A testament, you say? For what would the beasts of Tartarus need a testament for?"

Pathfinder motions to one of the hooded council members, who trots off into a backroom. "That's exactly why I wrote to you, Princess." The hooded pony returns, levitating various papers to her. "From what we have translated, it tells the tale of 'The Doom Slayer." A being who was wronged by demonkind, who has dedicated his life to destroy Tartarus, or Hell as they refer to it."

"Thou means to say that the beasts of the dark realm fear something?" Luna speaks up, glancing from Pathfinder to the tablet."

Pathfinder nods her head, as she levitates the papers over to you. "Indeed. From the passages we have been able to translate, this 'Doom Slayer' is the only living creature who can not only survive against the legions of Hell, but can outmatch and outfight them."

"If I may ask, Pathfinder. How are you dissecting scripture out of this tablet? The runes running down the sides seem to be acting not as literature, but as a magical spell." You ask of the lead council member, eyeing the tablet.

"That's our working theory on the smaller runes, Princess. Hoofnote, our lead translator, discovered that upon physical contact a voice will read out one of the many passages through a neural bond." She explained, gesturing to the tablet. The large rune on the face of the tablet pulsed, it's neon green glow almost painful to stare into. "If I may add, we don't know the number of passages there are. Depending on who interacts with it, and a time variable we haven't figured out, it will narrate a different passage."

"...I see..." You simply responded, turning your attention to the papers that were given to you.

"We're still trying to place the passages in chronological order, Princess. As far as we can tell, the page on the top of the pile is the first passage." Pathfinder pipes up once again, as you read.

In the first age, in the first battle, when the shadows first lengthened, one stood. Burned by the embers of Armageddon, his soul blistered by the fires of Hell and tainted beyond ascension, he chose the path of perpetual torment.
In his ravenous hatred he found no peace; and with boiling blood he scoured the Umbral Plains seeking vengeance against the dark lords who had wronged him.
He wore the crown of the Night Sentinels, and those that tasted the bite of his sword named him...
the Doom Slayer.

"he chose the path of perpetual torment." Something about that specific line irks you deeply. Your eyes are glued to the paper, as you drift off into your own little world.

King Valerian's castle was set ablaze, torn asunder by the heinous beasts that roamed the land. Mutilated and mangled corpses of humans strewn about like nothing more than trash, blood and viscera covered the dirt roads of the once prosperous kingdom.

You were slumped over on the ground, unable to stand after taking a fireball to your front left leg. The small pony-like demon that had cast the projectile was lifeless across the road from you, Anonymous' hatchet lodged in it's neck.

Your human love stood in front of you, guarding you from any offenders who might've sought to harm you further. Across the road and suspended in the air by the dark magic flowing through his body was Anonymous' lifetime friend Ceolmund. His eyes glowed a bright red, two black horns had erected out of his forehead.

"I know you're still in there, you arrogant fuck! Come down here and fix this mess before I do it myself!" Anonymous yelled out, fists shaking with rage and sadness.

"Foolish human boy. Have you no comprehension for the power the ritual has brought forth? Your fighting skills are formidable, surrender yourself to the legion before I decide to end you." The deep, ominous voice of the demon which had corrupted Ceolmund bellowed out, taunting your soulmate. You felt the rage inside Anon's soul burn brighter than before, overpowering the worry and fear your own soul cast to his.

"I'll go down in a blaze of glory before I side with demon filth like you." Anonymous reached for the prototype hand-cannon slung around his back. He had opened the breach, placing a large shell into the chamber before flicking the large weapon closed.

"So this is the path you choose, human. Such arrogance shall be the downfall of your pathetic species." Ceolmund's arms raised towards the sun, as dark magic surrounded Anonymous, pulling your soulmate towards him.

"Anonymous!" You cried out, reaching a bloodied and charred hoof out toward him as tears well in your eyes.

"Your suffering will be silent, your torment shall be perpetual... You will bear the burden of your own people's tortur-"

Ceolmund was cut off by the thunderous roar of Anon's weapon, which blasted a morbidly large crater into his stomach.

"Fuck you." Anonymous responded, as he gripped onto Ceolmund's shoulder.

The two of them crashed onto the ground, as Anonymous wasted no time pummeling Ceolmund. Using his empty weapon, he clubbed Ceolmund over the head, before tossing the weapon to the ground and using his fists, Anon punched and kicked his friend turned foe.

The ground beneath them vanished, revealing a mirror into another world covered in fire and brimstone. Clutching onto his life, you could only watch in terror as Ceolmund slowly fell down this portal, not before grabbing Anon's leg and dragging him down.

Anonymous cried out in pain, Ceolmund's molten hand burning away the fabric of his pants and charring his skin. He clawed at the dirt road, reaching for you in vein. The two of you made eye contact, before he was dragged underneath. The last thing you saw of Anonymous was his blood stained hand sinking down the portal, before the dirt road returned.

Tears spill down your face, matting your already clumped and muddied coat. All around you, the human kingdom slowly disintegrated. The castle, the corpses, buildings and creations of human origin faded away, crumbling into a fine dust, which vanished in the wind.

Weakly you pulled off your crown, as you shook a picture out of your majestic mane. The picture displayed you and Anon in a close embrace. Your hoof pressed into his chest, a laugh on your face. Your breath hitched in your throat, as you watched Anonymous slowly vanish from the years old photograph, leaving only you.

"Princess?" Pathfinder's hoof waves in front of your eyes, snapping you out of your flashback.

"I... I have seen the rune on the tablet before, Pathfinder." You stammer out, recomposing yourself.

Pathfinder blinks a few times. "You have?"

"Yes. Just today the mayor of Dodge Junction came to me, describing an armored human which comes into his town. The human's helmet bears that very same symbol." You point a hoof to the bright green rune.

"That's... the mark of the Slayer. You said it was a human?" Pathfinder's pupils dilate. "Princess, if what these passages say are true, finding the human should be your number one priority. He could stop any and all of these demonic activities that have been happening recently.

"I already have a team of Royal Guards on their way to the town. The second I was shown a photograph, I knew this was important."

"Thou never told us about a human sighting, Sister!" Luna scowls, jabbing your side as she glares up at you. "How could thou hide such a thing from us?"

"Luna, it wasn't even thirty minutes ago!" You exclaim, before shaking your head. "Thank you, Pathfinder. Please, keep researching this tablet, I want letters documenting every passage you extract from it."

"Will do, Princess!" Pathfinder bows, before motioning you and your sister away. "I'll let you two get back to your family endeavors now."

With a huff, Luna trots past you towards the stone stairs once again. "Art thou coming, Sister?"

You roll your eyes, and catch up with her, starting your ascent to the surface.

Author's Notes:

Perhaps a little controversial, but yes, the Slayer's name is 'Anon'.

It's been almost four years since I was an active member on this site, but I vaguely remember there being some backlash against characters named Anon/Anonymous.

I've always preferred second person stories where the reader is the main character, but I was never able to fully enjoy when said character had a pre-established name (I.E Alex, James, Andrew, Etc etc.)

This isn't the green guy with the question mark for a face. Anonymous is simply a non descript name that hopefully the reader will be able to swap with his or her real name. In the same way that Doomguy from original game was just a spartan man for the player to self insert!

I'm really out of the loop with a lot of stuff on this website, so feel free to let me know how you feel about the whole name situation!

3 - Situational Awareness

View Online

"The Slipgate is ready. I will open the first exit portal outside the cave."

Your gauntlet covered fingers scratch up and down the ears of the tiny bunny on your lap. The Dutch looking rabbit nuzzles against you, eyes closed as it thumped its rear legs in delight at your dexterous touch. Reaching over to your helmet which was resting on the ground, you pull out a baby carrot and feed it to the critter.

"Alright. Gotta get back to work, Pumpkin." You coo out in a grizzled whisper, gently scooping the rabbit off your lap and setting him on the ground.

Whimpering in response, the bunny paws at the carrot, before munching away. Rising to your feet, you glance over to the exit of the cave. Just as VEGA said, right outside the entrance was a large blue portal, blue particles flowing around the inner radius of the deep blue void.

"Before you enter, I suggest sending smaller organic material through the portal to test the effects. While the power flow is stable, I am not certain of any repercussions using arcane energy would hav-"

You don't hear VEGA finish his warning, as you stride towards the active Slipgate and walk into it. Blue particles surround your body as you are consumed into the deep blue portal. You feel reality bend around you, velocity increasing to speeds unimaginable, as stars and solar systems flash before your eyes. Your vision fades to black, as all light is sucked out of the void.

...

Silence.

...

Deafening silence. There is a distinct lack of anything around you. You're conscious, but you're not connected to your physical form.

...

Was VEGA wrong? Was the connection between the portals broken?

...

Your right foot lands on the muddy road outside your cave. The sun beats down overhead, casting light and warmth to the world around you. You can't help but give a small sigh of relief, but not before you pat yourself down to check for your essentials.

Arms. Legs. Internal organs. Check.

"Analysis complete. Due to our limited power supply, as well as the inherently weaker energy of this world, Slipgate traversal will take 32 percent longer than if powered by a Sentinel battery."

Figures.

The blue portal behind you closes, leaving you standing alone outside your cave. You've forgotten just how beautiful Equestria is. It's almost shocking how vibrant and colorful every aspect of this world is, you'd swear it looks like a children's cartoon from Earth.

Chirping from above catches your attention, as you glance up to see two birds flying around each other. Squinting your eyes, you try to see what kind they are, but the sun above is making it difficult.

"Nrrgh..." You grumble out, placing a hand above your forehead in an attempt to block out Horse Lady's glorious star. If you had to guess, you'd say they are sparrows. The two birds fly around in circles before settling in a tree, taking turns placing sticks in their work-in-progress nest.

Kinda reminds you of the times you and Horse Lady would play with that little tabletop game. The one with the tower of little wooden blocks. Jonga, you think it was called.

"The arcane regulator has reached critical temperatures, and will need time to cool off before I can activate the Slipgate again." VEGA cautions you, speaking through your chest-plate. "The regulator will be ready for use in approximately three hours and two minutes."

Heading back inside your cave, you decide that now is a good time to dispose of that lion thing. You never did get to finish that leg, and you could really go for something besides stolen fruit or vegetables right about now. Speaking of which, Pumpkin has completely pushed over your helmet, gluttonously feasting on the baby carrots that were hidden underneath. You'd discipline that little runt if he wasn't so adorable about it, honking away as he happily stuffs his tiny maw.

Walking past your recently acquired roommate, you grab the scorpion tale of the lion thing, as you drag it towards the entran-

CRACK

Looking down at your hand, the tail dangles back and forth in your grip, having dismembered itself from the corpse. With a deadpan gaze you toss the stinger into the fire pit, before grabbing the decomposing kitty and hoisting it over your shoulder.

"I'll be back." You call out to the bunny sitting inside your helmet, as you exit the cave once again.

The corpse of the winged lion beast slams onto the forest ground, being quickly engulfed by the massive bush you threw it into. Patting the foul smelling fur and skin clumps off your armor, you take a deep breath as you take in the scenery. From what you gathered of the townsponies reactions, this forest is pretty dangerous and terrifying. You'll admit, it's spooky compared to the rest of the land, but in a comical sense. The trees and fauna engulfing the land are deep shades of green and maroon, and you could swear more than one tree had 'evil' faces in the bark.

You walked about five or so acres away from your cave, not wanting the nasty smell of the corpse anywhere near your base. Sure, you're used to nasty smells; but home is supposed to be pleasant. Turning around to head back home, your attention is taken by an opening in the dense forest that somehow went unnoticed. Extending the blade on your arm, you use it as a machete to chop away at the branches and shrubbery in your path.

Stepping out into the open field, your eyes lay upon a sight you never wanted to see in all of your life.

Celestia and Luna's castle. The very same castle you and the rest of your people helped lay the foundation for stands in front of you, in a state of absolute ruin. Where majestic and carefully crafted towers once stood, remains nothing more than the vast air of Equestria. Moss and fauna cover the crumbled and half destroyed walls, the once pristine stone bricks dulled by the withering effects of time.

The bridge that was once used to cross the massive canyon between the two pieces of earth has collapsed in on itself, something that looks to have been a recent occurrence. Slowly, you walk your way to the edge of the canyon, an overbearing sadness beginning to sprout inside of you.

What happened?

Taking a few steps back, you launch into a sprint, jumping off the ground as you soar above the canyon. Just before you begin to fall, the jets on your boots kick in, activating a double jump. It doesn't look like you're gonna cross the gap off your own sprint alone, so you activate the jets on the back of your armor, dashing forward. Mud and grass kick up as you slide to a stop, now standing in front of your lover's destroyed castle.

Oh god. It's even worse up close.

Making your way inside, your eyes take in the mold and moss covered ruins, banners of the two sisters still remain, though they are sun bleached and covered in mold. As you make your way deeper into the castle, you can only wonder as to how exactly Celestia and her sister's reign was over-taken. Judging by the structural damage, a fight of massive scale had to have happened. A pang of guilt hits your stomach, hoping to the heavens above this wasn't the result of demons.

Nearing the throne room, you drag a hand across the stone bricks of the once magnificent halls. You feel the smooth stone graze your gauntlet's finger tips, before a brick out of place catches your index finger. The brick is pulled out of place with ease, and falls onto the floor with an echoing thud. Picking up the brick, you turn it over in your hand to inspect it.

A N o n

Celly!

"I have made another discovery." VEGA's voice shakes you out of the daydream that was beginning to take place.

You kiss the engraving of Celestia's pet name, before reaching behind your back and pressing the stone to your hyperspace inventory. The device on your waist opens up, sucking in the stone before shutting not a second later.

"I can only open portals to destinations known by your automap. In order to speed up the process of leaving this planet and returning to Earth, I will require maps of both astronomical and geographical varieties. To further my potential functionality, I suggest finding any literature of historical, as well as magical significance." VEGA Explains.

Looking over the castle, you make your way back outside and back towards home. You have to hand it to VEGA, he can really keep you on track when you let your emotions get the better of you.

"Our exact coordinates on this planet are unknown as well. When we acquire a map, you will have to find our location before we can continue. By my calculations, we have approximately 138 hours before Earth is completely consumed by the forces of Hell."

Boosting yourself across the canyon once again, you increase your speed to a jog. It hasn't even been a full 24 hours, and it looks like you're going to have to pay that little town a visit once again.

Celestia's sun above your head, you stride your way back into town, intent on borrowing some more supplies. It's for the greater good, these shop owners can spare to lose some product.

You'll admit, you're well acquainted to being feared, and you've grown to enjoy the freedom your sheer intimidation grants you. Despite this, you can't help but feel that the terror these townsponies have for you is different. Typically you are feared by those who know who you are, and what you are capable of. The Hellwalker, the Doom Slayer, whatever name those intimidated so wish to call you. What is different about this fear is that they are treating you as if you're some sort of alien.

Surely they have seen or even heard about humans before? The Kingdom of Man had lost a great number of men that fateful day you were dragged to hell, but you know for a fact some humans had immigrated to Equestria before then.

Not a soul is out and about today, windows and doors have been boarded up and blockaded with heavy objects. As you walk further into town, you can see the remains of the camera you smashed. They didn't even bother to pick it up.

"Bio-scans indicate that the populous has barricaded themselves inside their homes." VEGA pipes up in your helmet.

Scanning your eyes over the various signs to the shops, you take interest in a small bookshop. Walking up to the storefront, you wrap your fist against the tiny, hickory door.

No answer.

Your eye twitches, as you give another three knocks.

Nothing.

Gripping the door with both hands, you sink your fingers against the wood. Fibers splinter and crack, giving underneath your intense grasp. With a grunt of force, you pull the door towards your body, easily breaking it off it's hinges and busting the lock. Tossing the door into the dirt road, you duck down to enter the tiny doorway.

"Momma!" You hear a small filly cry out in terror, popping out from behind a bookshelf as she dashes into the backroom of the store. Your eyes glance to the upper left corner of your HUD, activating an area scan.

"One moment." VEGA replies to your request, as your helmet begins casting a three-dimensional scan of the store to your automap.

You glance over the shelves of the tiny store, noting the distinct lack of non-fiction.

"Scan complete. This store does not contain any literature of magical or historical relevance. There does appear to be a small section in the backroom dedicated to cartography."

Shit, that's the room the little kid ran off to.

As softly as you can, you close in on the backroom. Your heavy boots rumbling the shelves and furniture around you, floorboards underneath threatening to break under your weight. Ducking down and entering, you find the filly from before being cradled by a middle-aged mare with glasses. Both ponies are trembling in fear, as the mare shakily strokes her daughter's yellow mane. Neither of them speak a word, and neither dare open there eyes, terrified they will anger you.

"According to my scans, the bookshelf on your left is the cartography section."

Walking over, you idly scan the various book-spines, your attention constantly being drawn down to the pair of ponies. Your heart aches at the sight. They really are frightened.

"I am detecting a lapse in your concentration. Would you like me to auto scan?"

Without taking your eyes off the mother and daughter, you give a small nod as VEGA takes over research duty. Kneeling next to the mother, your heart strings are tugged as you watch her flinch violently, clutching her daughter tighter. The filly begins to sob, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't wanna die, Momma..." She whispers out, her mother nuzzling against her mane.

"Just be strong, Sweetie..."

Reaching a hand out as gently as you can, you place it behind the mother's head. She yelps out loud and whimpers, recoiling from your touch as she tries to shuffle away.

"Momma!" The filly cries out.

Not one to give up so suddenly, you manage to cup the mare's cheek with your right hand, holding her gently. Taking your left hand, you slowly pet her mane, reaching to scratch behind her ear. Her frantic breath begins to slow and normalize, sniffling as she tries to comprehend what you are doing. Her deep blue eyes slowly flutter open, looking up at you with a fearful expression.

"Scan complete. All of the literature on the shelf is dedicated to fictional stories about cartographers." VEGA calmly speaks.

"P-please... Take anything you want, just don't hurt us..." The mother shivers in your grasp, not sure how she is supposed to react. Her eyes dart back and forth from your face, to the retracted blade on your arm, to the equipment launcher on your shoulder.

Rising back to your feet, the floorboards underneath you creak violently, which makes the young filly flinch before opening her eyes.

"Please mister monster, you scare everypony in town..." She wipes some tears away from her eyes.

Your eyes fall on the young filly, before you notice what looks like a framed map on the floor behind her. Reaching over the mother and daughter who cower away in response, you grab the large picture frame and hold it up to your helmet.

0075256 - "EQUESTRIA" ADDED TO AUTOMAP CATALOG.

Goddamn, how much time has past? Equestria is a lot larger than you remember, and there are so many more cities and towns. Your eyes glance up and down the map, inspecting every detail. Manehatten, Appleloosa, Cloudsdale, the list of towns just go on and on.

"I am charting down the cities and towns. We will still require some form of astronomical map, as well as literature on magic so I may understand how to optimize my systems with the foreign power supply. Going off of previous records; 'Wonderlight's Wizardly Wares' potentially has the type of spell books we require."

A tiny hoof taps you on your boot, snapping you out of your concentration. Without even thinking, you have taken a seat on the floor with your legs crossed. You raise your left arm to reveal the small filly pressing a hoof to your leg.

"Um... M-mister monster? I was studying that, for a school project..." She looks at the map you are holding, a longing look in her eyes. "If you're going to take it, please bring it back before next week... Momma said if I get an A on the project, she'll take me to the arcade in Ponyville..."

That's adorable. You glance up at the mare, who is sitting straight across from you. She's still shaken up, but it seems that sitting down like you have has calmed the situation down a lot. Slowly, you place a free hand on the filly's head, gently petting her like you did to her mother.

"You're lost..." The mother speaks up, watching your index finger slide across the map, as you try to pinpoint your exact location.

You give her a nod, before looking down at the map once again. From what you can remember, the ponies here call that forest you come out of the...

"That's where you live, I think." The filly says, tapping a hoof above the Everfree forest. "And this is where Momma and I live, and where we are right now!" Her tail wags as she climbs up into your lap, now pointing to Dodge Junction.

Out of the corner of your eye you can see the mare take off her glasses, to gently dab her eyes of dried tears. "I... saw that you were checking out the bookshelves. I only sell novels. To be honest, this is really the only bookstore in Dodge Junction. Are you... Looking for a library?" The mare asks.

You nod your head.

"Sweetie, can you point out Ponyville to Mister Giant?"

"Mhm! It's right here, Mister!" The little filly's tail wags as fast as a little puppy dog who just caught a ball, as her hoof stomps onto a small village just north west of the Everfree.

"There's a library in Ponyville called Golden Oak. I'm not sure how welcoming they'll be to you, seeing how uh... assertive, you are." The mother speaks up once again.

Setting the map on the floor, you carefully pick up the filly and place her down, before standing up. Giving the two of them a nod, you begin heading for the entrance to the bookstore.

"Mister Giant?" The mare calls out to you before you take even a step forward.

Turning your head, you give her your attention.

"You're... not going to hurt anypony... are you?"

"I am detecting multiple life signatures rapidly approaching our destination." VEGA pipes up.

You kneel down to meet her at eye level. Placing a fist over your heart, you shake your head.

"Thank you..." She gently whispers.

Standing up once again, you make your way out of her establishment, careful not to break anymore of her property after the waterworks they gave you. Stepping outside back into the open air, you make your way several stores down town hall, towards the store with the flashy sign. With a grunt of annoyance, you decide to try knocking once more. Balling your hand into a fist, you rack it against the wooden door a couple of times.

To your surprise, the door actually opens. Wonderlight peers up at you, clearly intimidated, yet optimistically friendly.

"Oh! Well good afternoon, Mister Giant! Is there something I can help you with?"

You duck your head down and enter through the front door, scanning your eyes over his wares once again.

"I must apologize, a client who is starting up a sawmill in Los Pegasus just bought out all my arcane regulators..." He notices your attention is on the bookshelves of spell books. "Though, it seems that's not of concern to you today!"

You don't pay the elderly pony much mind, as you grab a random book off the shelf, letting VEGA scan through it's contents quickly. You repeat this process for multiple books, Wonderlight stands in the corner awkwardly, smiling at you.

The clip clop of hooves coming up a staircase in a back room catches your attention, as a young mare speaks up. "Papa, you wouldn't happen to know how to make a batch of Eldrick's Curse, would you?" The young mare presents herself before you. She has a beige, almost orange coat like her father, and a turquoise mane and tail. Upon seeing you, she tenses up. "O-oh... H-he's back?" She points a hoof to you, looking at her father.

Wonderlight nods, and smiles politely. "Why yes, Hazel. He's a customer just like anypony else. Isn't that right?"

You don't respond, and opt to stare at Hazel. There's something about her that's off. She seems almost infatuated with you. Slowly, she trots up to your side, rubbing herself against your leg like a cat. "Well allow me to introduce myself... I'm Hazelblossom! You uh, really... Scared me back there." She trails off as she rubs her body all over your legs, rather forcefully too.

Getting annoyed with her antics, you grab her head and shove her away.

Did she just lick your hand?

"I have completed my scan on the bookshelf. None of these are of significant value to us." VEGA says.

You toss the book to the ground, and make for the door.

"Wait! You're leaving so soon?" Hazelblossom seems shocked, trotting by your side all the way to the door. "You've got such a wonderful taste- taste in fashion! A wonderful taste in fashion! I'd love to know more about that suit of armor you've got on!"

Weirdo.

You shake the pony off your leg and re-emerge outside once again. You hear the sound of multiple wings flapping in the distance, followed by the clanking of metal wheels spinning freely. Turning your attention to the sky, you spot exactly what VEGA warned about.

Clad in regal looking armor, six pegasus stallions pull a heavily armored flying chariot. Inside the chariot, two stallions sit. The first was a broad, white coated unicorn with a mane of multiple shades of blue. The other looks awful familiar, a smaller, grey earth pony with a brown cowboy hat.

You know that pony, he was inside the house with the brat who snapped a picture of you. So he went and got royalty, huh? You can't say your very surprised, but it looks like the stealthier approach you were attempting to take will have to be abandoned. No point in trying to hide when the head haunchos know of your presence.

"The Slipgate is ready. Routing power to prepare a portal now."

The chariot lands on the edge of town, in front of the train station. Standing your ground, you watch the two stallions dismount out of the chariot, whilst the pegasi guards detach themselves from the reigns.

"That's him! You see! I can't even leave my town for a damned day without him barging in and causing a ruckus!" The mustached pony rants and raves. "Look! He busted the door down to the bookshop!"

"Stay behind us, Mayor Buckington." The unicorn says.

Levitating a gladiator helmet onto his head, the white unicorn whistles to the six guards, who take up formation behind him. After a couple seconds, they begin marching towards you, the unicorn keeping his stern gaze focused on you.

Very regal looking. Wonder who they serve under?

"The portal will open in ten seconds."

Stopping their advance around four yards away, the unicorn leader clears his throat. "Strange creature!" His voice booms with volume and authority, as if he is trying to let the whole town know he is here. "We mean you no harm, and we are hopeful you do not mean us any! Under direct command of Princess Celestia, you are hereby ordered to surrender yourself into my custody, so I may bring you to her at once!"

"Opening the portal now." Vega says, as a massive blue circle forms behind you.

Celestia. She's alive...

Part of you wants to throw off your helmet and hug this stallion. Run away with him and go reunite with Celestia after all this pain and torture. You stopped letting that part of you make decisions a long time ago, and you'd never be able to live with yourself if you did that. Billions of lives are at stake here. Celestia would understand.

Right?

You can see looks of confusion on the guards, and even the unicorn can't help but glance behind you at the portal.

"Get ready for protocol Thunder, boys..." The unicorn tilts his head to the side to speak to his team, as his guards stiffen up.

Turning around, you begin to walk towards the portal.

"Wait! Halt! By the order of Cel-"

Blue particles embrace you, as you rocket off through space towards your cave.

4 - Ponyville

View Online

It was a bright and beautiful day in Ponyville. Townsponies were trotting their ways back and forth across the dirt roads of the bustling small village. The marketplace was as busy as ever, and ponies were lined up at the various booths, bargaining with the merchants. Fillies and colts ran around here and there, just having been released from school not an hour ago. Not a cloud in the sky today, the sun basked the land in a great warmth, Canterlot visible from seemingly any corner of the village.

Just outside a cafe, in a large, open clearing in the dirt road, dust and wind began to pick up. Plants and bushes whipped around violently, trash and objects on tables being swooped away, pulled towards some anomaly that was taking place.

Slowly but surely, ponies begin to take notice of what is happening in the empty road. Looks of worry spread across the populus, as this wind grows more ominous.

Blue particles begin to spark out and fly around in this contained windstorm, before a small blue ball appears in the road. Shining bright for just a flash, the ball dulls to an almost black shade of color, as it rapidly expands in size. The wind surrounding has grown so intense that some ponies begin to gasp in shock and fear, ears being assaulted by the loud noise.

The ball has transformed into a large, deep blue circle. Standing almost as tall as one of the buildings in this town, the circular anomaly spins ever so slowly, small blue sparks fly out and dance around it.

"S-sweetie, what's going on?" A mare asks fearfully, gripping her coltfriend tightly.

"I don't know!" The stallion replies, shaking as he wraps his front legs around her, the circle pulsing violently.

Particles dance around your body, fizzling out seconds after they were born. Right foot landing on a dirt road, you are greeted to the sight of some sort of diner. Customers sitting at the tables outside the establishment look at you in confusion and fear, gasps emerging from them.

The portal behind you closes, and you are left standing alone in this large intersection.

"The regulator has reached critical levels once again. It will be ready for use in six hours and twelve minutes." VEGA informs you.

That's becoming a problem. Every time you use the Slipgate, it takes longer to cool off than the previous use. Whether it's an issue with the regulator, or the crystals, you need to get it fixed soon.

Your eyes scan over the customers of the diner, before you turn around to inspect your immediate surroundings. Complex, multi-floor houses line the vast roads of this village. Composed of simple materials like maple wood and hay, these houses are grand in scale and design, yet simple in theme. Despite it's appearance on the map from before, you'd argue this could qualify as a town or even a city with how vast it is.

You don't have a clue where the library you're looking for is actually located, the only knowledge you have is it's name. Various crowds of ponies keep their distance away from you, watching you with great curiosity while being too scared to confront you. Picking a direction and walking, you decide to let natural instinct guide you.

You've navigated endless labyrinths of Hell, this should be a cakewalk.

"What is it?" A pink mare with a blonde mane asks, pointing a hoof at you whilst cocking her head towards another pony.

"I dunno, it looks kinda like a robot minotaur, but without the horns or hooves..." replies the other mare, as she raised a pale yellow hoof to adjust her raspberry colored mane.

As you make your way down the road, you close in on a small vendor's cart. Standing behind the cart, a stallion with an apron and a chef's hat is selling sweets to a teenage filly who can't seem to make up her mind. Various confectionery candies and snacks are stacked neatly on the wooden shelves of the cart. From lollipops to chocolates, this stallion had quite the selection of sugary goods.

Your stomach growls at you, reminding you that the last time you ate was now almost 24 hours ago. Closing in on the cart, the stallion is the first to notice you. His pupils dilate, ears folding back as he cowers in fear.

"What's up, big guy? Am I holding the line up or something?" The pegasus filly asks, her eyes focused on the stallion.

You cast a shadow over the teenage pony, who notices the lack of sunlight immediately. With a chocolate bar wrapped around in one of her wings, she slowly follows the gaze from the stallion, looking up at your towering body. Just as the stallion did, her eyes shrink and her jaw drops.

You're not focused on her, your eyes are on that scrumptious looking snack she's got.

Reaching a hand out, you grab a chocolate bar off the cart, holding it up to inspect the 'Great and Chocolate Twixie!' brand bar. Glancing down to the teenager, you point to the candy bar in your grasp, before giving a questioning thumbs up.

She looks at your gesture, then towards the candy bar, and finally back up to meet your questioning gaze. Judging by the look on her face, she's trying to understand what exactly you're requesting of her.

"Are... you wanting to know if it's good?" She meekly pipes up, glancing from the candy bar to your face.

You give a nod.

The vendor and the filly exchange looks, before the stallion rapidly nods his head at you.

"A-absolutely! It's easily my number one selling snack!" He puts on a very manufactured smile, teeth almost grinding together. "...Right, Missy?"

"I mean, it's alright I guess..." She shrugs, as a hoof is stuffed into her mouth.

"First time customers get a free pick of whatever candy they please!" The stallion interrupts her, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as he looks up at you.

You weren't planning on paying anyway, but that's nice of him to offer.

"Give it back, you big bully!" The sound of a young colt grabs the attention of everypony in the general area.

All three of you turn around, to see a very heavy set unicorn colt levitating some sort of doll above a much smaller, skinnier earth pony colt. Using his magic, the unicorn waves the toy all around, as the smaller colt jumps up in the air, desperately trying to reclaim his property.

"What's the matter, pipsqueak? Can't go a day without your stupid little doll?" The fatty teases more, laughing and chortling.

"You big bully! I'll tell my mom on you!"

Despite your stomach's growls of desperation, you hand the candy bar to the teenager, who yelps at your sudden and forceful contact, before striding your way over to this dispute.

Crowds of ponies have their eyes locked on you, watching in awe and fear as you close in on the two kids.

"Oh no... Please tell me he isn't going to hurt the children..."

"Hah! You need your mommy to fight for you? You're such a little loser, you know that?" The overweight runt says, as the doll begins to shake violently in his magical grip,

The smaller colt gasps, as the stitching on his doll threatens to come undone. "No! Stop it!" He cries out.

Your right boot lands with a booming thud right next to the bully, whose back was turned to you this whole time. Dust kicks up and wafts in front of his face, causing him to cough and close his eyes. Shaking his head and wiping his eyes, you watch his gaze go from the scratched up toe of your boot, slowly up your leg and up your body. Your chest rises and falls as you glare down at him through your tinted visor. The bully's eyes shrink to the size of pinpricks, as his plump body begins to tremble.

You slowly close your right hand, balling it into a fist. The leather glove creaks and squeaks violently as your whole fist shakes.

"I... I... It's not what..." The unicorn stammers out, tears forming in his eyes as sweat pours down his plump face.

With your left hand you snatch the doll out of his magic, easily overpowering his untrained levitation spell, which disperses at your interruption. The crowd gasps at this, and the bully screams out in fear as he turns tail and gallops down the road.

"M-momma! Momma!" He cries out, tears stream down his lard-filled body as he pushes past the crowd of ponies, leaving only you and his small victim in the street.

Said colt was sitting on his haunches, eyes trained on you with a look of awe plastered on his young face.

"Woah..." He mutters out.

Kneeling down next to him, you offer his homemade looking doll back to him. Pinching one of it's front legs between your fingers, you roll your index and thumb back and forth, making the doll wave to the colt. This extracts a giggle from the little colt, who grabs the toy from your hand and hugs it tightly.

"Thank you, Mr. Robot!" he praises to you, nuzzling your leg before throwing the toy on his back and running off down the road happily.

Fuckin' bullies. They're just jealous they never had cool toys like that.

Standing up once again, you make your way down the road to continue your search for this library, leaving the crowd of ponies to trail behind you from several yards away. You can feel their eyes on your back, judging and watching your every move with the curiosity of a small child.

It's been about thirty or so minutes, and after going around in several circles, you've managed to find yourself standing before a massive oak tree in the middle of the road. The sign next to the door reads 'Golden Oak Library'. The ponies in this town are loads more friendly and curious than those from Dodge Junction. Several have come up to offer you help or to try and introduce themselves to you. While you'll never admit it, it was with the help of a pony in the crowd behind you that you're here in front of the library so soon. Roseluck, one of the mares who gossiped about you earlier. She had noticed you taking interest in books and bookstores, and put two and two together in her head.

"Mr. Robot, the library is closed today!" a random mare calls out from the crowd.

Grabbing the door handle, you give it a twist to test it. Sure enough, it's locked.

"I think Twilight is home, but last I spoke with her she wouldn't stop talking about some big 're-organizing' event she was planning. I think that's today, Mr. Robot!"

Releasing your grip on the handle, you take a step back. Leaning back and bringing your right leg up, you kick the door in, which causes the crowd behind you to gasp. From what you can see nobody is inside, so you decide to change that by entering.

Ducking down and entering through the tiny doorway, you are greeted to a very quaint looking interior. Bookshelves which were carved out of the tree itself line the walls of this massive library, a wooden table with a golden horse head statue occupies the middle of the lobby area. There's a staircase to your right, which leads up to a window with a telescope, as well as what appears to be another floor.

From upstairs, you can hear a muffled groan of annoyance, followed by the sound of multiple books dropping to the ground.

"Rainbow Dash, for the last time, what have I told you about smashing your way inside?" A very feminine sounding voice complains, as the clip clop of hooves echoes down the stairs above. Revealing herself is a purple unicorn with a multicolored lavender mane. "Can't you just knock like every pony els-" She cuts herself off as her deep purple eyes train on you, scanning you up and down. "What are you?"

That's a first. She actually sounds more curious than scared.

"Scan complete. The bookshelf directly in front of you is dedicated to magical knowledge." VEGA pipes up.

You turn your attention to said bookshelf, walking over and grabbing a random book. You can hear the pony trot her way down the stairs before closing the door you kicked in, grumbling at the broken locking mechanism. Opening the book, you idly flip the pages, your HUD flashing various notifications as the pages are photo-scanned, and saved to your PDA.

The purple pony has trotted her way right up to your side, and with a quick glance you can see she is inspecting every little nook and cranny of your armor.

"Such an interesting design, I've never seen anything like it!" She hums in wonder, poking and prodding your legs, whilst trotting over to your left side. "To be honest, I've never seen anything like you before!"

Finding nothing of interest in that book, you drop it to the floor as you pick up another.

"Gah! Hey, watch it!" She yelps out in annoyance, head being struck with the book you dropped. "Wait... Are you, reading? About magic?!" The excitement in her voice is palpable, as she claps her front hooves together.

"I suggest using the index at the back of the book, that will increase productivity by a multiple of eight." VEGA suggests.

You oblige him, and scroll to the very back of the book, pointer and middle fingers trailing down the list of information.

The pony gasps at this, and squeals in delight. "You know what an index is! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! This is the best day ever!" She bounces around you, occasionally bumping against you as she giggles like a schoolgirl. "An alien visited ME of all ponies, and is interested in learning about magic!"

You raise your head up from the book, staring blankly at the wooden wall in front of you.

Alien? Who the hell is she calling alien? Fuck it, you've got several days before Earth is toast, a couple minutes of studying up on history won't hurt.

You slam the book closed, startling the purple unicorn who was jumping all around you. Peeling yourself away from the bookshelf, you scan the rest of the walls in search for the history section. It doesn't take more than a minute to locate, and after a quick glance you grab the book Equestria: The Beginning of Harmony. Flipping to the index, you scan down to the H section.

Harmony, History of Equis, How the Kingdom Fell.

Bingo, they've gotta be talking about the Kingdom of Man!

Flipping back to the chapter in question, you skim over the text.

"Oh my gosh, you're even interested in history! Spike, take a letter!" The unicorn gallops back up stairs, calling to some stranger.

You toss the book to the floor.

It was a short story about some young colt who decided to name his tree-house Castle Hasselhoof. How the hell is that worthy of being in a history book?

Anger and confusion build up inside you, as you grab book after book. Index after index, with every book you scan, you're left with more questions and less answers. There's not a single mention of humanity anywhere. No pictures, no accounts from nobles of past, nothing.

"I am detecting another lapse in your ability to focus. While most of my energy is being used on cooling down the regulator, I have some unused power available. Would you like me to auto scan?" VEGA asks.

You slump your shoulders, mentally fatigued from this unexplained gap in history.

"I understand. Due to power constraints, you will need to point your helmet at whichever bookshelf you would like me to scan."

Scanning your eyes over the lobby area, you search for something to sit on. You find a small step stool next to the front door.

Looks sturdy enough, you suppose.

The purple unicorn reemerges from upstairs, quills, paper and ink levitating next to her as she trots her way back down. "Mr. Alien, let me be the first pony to welcome you to Equestria! My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I will answer any questions you hav-" Her eyes go wide, as she notices you heading towards the door. "Wait, don't leave! You haven't even told me your name, or where you come from!"

You can't help but internally chuckle at how excited she is, and within seconds she's right back at your side, looking up at you with puppy eyes.

"Please Mr. Alien!"

Grabbing the step stool, you shake her off your leg and drag your new seat across the wooden floor. Placing it in front of the magic shelf, you plop yourself onto the wooden stool with a loud and booming thud. The little stool creaks, yet stays intact, an impressive feat for the weight of your suit. You hunch over, resting your elbows on your spread knees, hands clasped together as VEGA begins scanning the books.

"The regulator will be ready for use in five hours and two minutes."

Twilight Sparkle stands by the door, looking at you with a glint of hope in her eyes. While you can't move your helmet to face her, you keep your eyes trained to her direction.

"You're going to stay, right?..."

You nod your head.

Twilight does a giddy dance with her hooves, before dashing over and sitting in front of you, quill and paper levitating in front of her face.

"Oh this is going to be so wonderful! I've been practicing for years in case I ever came across extra terrestrial life. I just knew there was more out there in the universe!" Twilight clears her throat. "Now once again, my name is Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"

You raise an eyebrow to Twilight, idly rubbing your hands together while you wait for VEGA to complete his task.

Several seconds of awkward silence pass at her expense, and you can see her get nervous. "Do... you have a name?"

You nod your head.

"Great! What is it?"

You remain silent.

Twilight's eyes dart back and forth, as she gives you one of the most nervous smiles you've ever seen. If she had a shirt on, you guarantee she'd be tugging the collar right now.

"Can you speak, Mr. Alien?"

You nod.

At this, Twilight's nerves calm just a tad, and you can see a glint of annoyance in her eyes. "So you can understand me, you have a name, and you can speak. So...?" She rolls the quill in her magic around in a circle.

Ah yes, the iconic 'get on with it' gesture. Much to her disappointment, you do not grace her with the use of your vocal cords, and instead raise your eyebrows at her.

"Ugh! Nevermind..." She groans, dragging the quill against her paper violently, scratching something out. "I suppose the most efficient way to conduct this interview shall be in yes-no! I will ask you a yes-no question, and all you have to do is answer me; yes, or no! Sound like a plan?"

As Twilight explains the deep intricacies and difficulties behind the 'yes-no' format of questionnaire, you glance to your HUD and inspect VEGA's progress on dissecting which books will be worth looking on the magical knowledge shelf. Currently, he's about ten percent complete. Shifting your weight around, the stool creaks violently, groaning at your mass.

At this point you wonder what's going to break first, the chair, or your patience.

"Now then, I have been preparing for a moment like this all my life, so I already have some key questions lined up for you! I expect you to be completely and totally honest with me, we are making Equestrian history today!" Twilight raises a hoof to the air, striking a pose for several seconds. When her little triumphant act isn't supported with some sort of soundtrack, she awkwardly sits back down on her pillow. "First order of business; are you here to invade or take over Equestria?"

You've shifted your posture, going from twiddling your thumbs, to resting your palm against your helmet, elbow on your leg. You scoff at the nerd, before giving your head another bored shake.

Quill makes contact with paper, as Twilight hums. "Very interesting. I am glad that's the case, Mr. Alien. I would've hated to have to use the Elements on the first ever extra-terrestrial visitor!"

That's an egotistical way to flaunt your might. What the hell are the 'Elements'?

"Next question! Are you trying to return to your own world?"

You blink at this question, before sitting up straight. Eyes locked on Twilight, you give a very confident nod.

Twilight is taken aback by your sudden change in demeanor. "A-ah, I see! Are you the dominant species on your plane-gah!"

Twilight is cut off by you gripping her shoulders. You snatch the paper out of her magic and point to the question she just asked.

"Can't we get a couple more questions out before I help you with that? We only just met, Mr. Alien!"

You shake her a couple times.

"Okay, okay!" Twilight yells out, eyes spinning around as you let go of her. Shaking her head, she gets back on all fours. "I have a whole section dedicated to astronomy upstairs. It's just near the balcony."

You take a mental note of which bookshelf was the magical knowledge one, before heading upstairs with Twilight. She leads you up two floors in the tree house, facing a much smaller bookshelf right next to a door that leads to the balcony.

"Here! It's kind of a small collection. Astronomy really isn't that big of a study, seeing as the star clusters change depending on how Princess Luna arranges them. I set it right next to the balcony. I just love coming out here and reading in the fresh air!" Twilight's eyes scan over the tiny bookshelf, which only consisted of four books. "Mr. Alien, do you like to read?"

Grabbing the leftmost book on the shelf, you give a small nod in response before skimming through the pages.

"Make yourself at home. Why don't you go take a seat on the balcony? I'll have Spike go make us some tea." Twilight trots off to find this 'Spike' fellow.

With your eyes glued to the book, you use your free hand to grab the other three before making your way out into the open air. Placing the other books down on a coffee table, you opt to stand, the comfortable looking lounge chairs being several sizes too small for you. Ponies down below have for the most part returned to their routines, save for a couple small crowds watching over the library. In one of these crowds was none other than Roseluck, and her friend with the blonde mane. Roseluck waves to you with a smile, which you return with a nod of your head.

"NOW!" A raspy, tom-boyish voice calls out from above.

You're not given a chance to react, as a blue streak zooms from the branches above and collides into your back, knocking you forward.

"Set 'em up, knock 'em down!" A southern sounding mare calls out from somewhere unknown, as a lasso is tossed over your head, quickly tightening around your neck and right arm.

Reaching for the rope, you are struck by that same blue menace, this time in your chest. The speed is unlike anything you've encountered before, and it was surprising enough to almost knock you off your feet.

The sound of party horns and whoopie cushions going off invade your ears, as a blast of confetti and streamers shove you against the wall of the library.

"Surprise!!!" A pink mare shouts, bouncing up and down in front of you, a brightly colored cannon in her possession.

You grunt and groan at every attack, anger fuming inside of you at the ambush. Grabbing hold of the rope with your right hand, you tug it as hard as you can, tugging an orange earth pony from the ground below onto the balcony.

"Whoa Nelly!" She hits the floor on her side, but quickly gets back on all fours, wrangling the rope against you despite being weaker.

"Hey! Nopony hurts my friends!" That same raspy voice from earlier yells.

Turning to face the voice, you are greeted to the sight of a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane accelerating towards you at an alarming speed. Right arm occupied with the cowgirl and the rope, you bend at the knees and open your left hand, ready to counter her third attack. The blue menace dashes straight at you, hellbent on knocking you on your ass. Just before she makes contact, you dash to the right and grip the base of her tail.

"Ga-aah!" She yelps in pain, your arm being tugged as you stop her mid-flight.

"Pinkie! Party Cannon!" The orange pony calls out, as the bouncy pink one aims the small canon at you.

Custom Munitions Loaded.

Your equipment launcher extends from your shoulder, pointing towards the barrel of the tiny cannon. A satisfying BLOOP echoes out, as a small rock the size of a tennis ball shoots out, lodging itself in the pony's weapon.

"Heeeeyy! No fair, I don't have a rock cannon!" The pink one complains, smacking the barrel of her weapon.

"GIRLS!" Twilight Sparkle yells from the door behind you.

Your three attackers look over to Twilight, the blue one in your grip squirming around and punching your arm.

"Twilight! We thought it was too late! Quick, destroy it with lasers or something!" The blue menace yells back.

"Girls, get off of him! He's not hurting anypony!" Twilight demands, as the three ponies look over to her, confused looks on their faces.

Wasting no time, you toss the rainbow colored one to the side and grab the rope tied around you. Gripping with both hands, you rip it in twain, which causes the orange mare's jaw to drop in astonishment.

"Twi', what has gotten into yer head? Look'it what it did to mah rope!" The orange mare points a hoof to her destroyed wrangling device.

"Yeah! And he has too hurt somepony! Didn't you see the little colt he made run for the hills?" The blue one scrambles back onto her hooves, glaring daggers at you whilst dragging her hoof against the ground.

This blue one better step down, she'll be in a world of hurt if she pushes too far.

The bushes above begin to rustle, as somepony speaks up."Um... Actually, that little colt was being a bully to another colt..." A yellow pegasus with a pink mane meekly emerges, cowering in fear when you glance up at her.

Twilight groans and trots over to your side. "Look. Is he hurting me?" She asks of her friends, who look worried for her safety.

Furrowing your eyes at the blue one, you kneel down to pick up the books that were knocked out of your grip.

"Oh come on, Twilight! He broke down your door!" The blue pony points a hoof at you, complaining to Twilight. "Who just goes around breaking peoples stuff?"

"Rainbow Dash, you break my windows and walls on an almost weekly basis, and I consider you one of my best friends."

"Yeah well-... I-... It's different!" Rainbow turns her head away, still giving you stink eye. "And that reminds me!" Jumping off the ground, Rainbow Dash flies up and gets in the face of the yellow pegasus above. "Where the heck were you when we jumped him, Fluttershy? You didn't attack him from behind like we planned, and made ME do all the work!"

"I um... I told you that I... wasn't... that I didn't wanna be apart of the fight... if that's okay..." Fluttershy paws at the tree, looking down at you. "Pinkie Pie and Applejack said it was okay..."

The orange cowgirl, presumably named Applejack seeing as she's not pink, notices you recollecting the books off the floor, and slowly turns to Twilight. "So, you say he's not a bad guy, Twi?"

Twilight helps you pick up the mess that was made, placing the books onto the coffee table. "Yes, I do. I'm very thankful I have great friends who are worried about my safety, but there really was no need for a surprise attack like that." Twilight looks up to you, a small smile forming. "As a matter of fact, he's not from Equestria at all. From what he's told me, he's trying to find his way back to his own planet."

Guilt hits you like a freight train at her words, as you stare at the book in your hands. You don't want to leave, especially in such a rush. Unfortunately Earth needs you, and you're not about to let your own race be wiped out.

"Aww, don't be sad, Mr. Robot Monkey!" Pinkie Pie has somehow managed to climb onto your shoulders, swooping her head down and pressing her face against your visor. "We'll help you get back home!"

As your visor begins to steam up from her breath, you place a hand to her cheek and scoop her head to the side.

Twilight blinks a couple times, and looks around at her friends. "Wait, where's Rarity?"

Applejack rolls her eyes. "She wanted to get all dressed up 'fore we did this little ambush thingy. Dash and I got tired a' waitin'. Ah'm sure she'll be over in a couple minutes." Applejack trots right up to you, extending her right hoof. "Ah'm terribly sorry there, Mister. The names' Applejack!"

You wrap your hand around her hoof, giving her a firm shake.

"Whooh doggy, that's a mighty powerful grip ya got there, partner!" Applejack whistles out, flashing a smirk to Rainbow. "Ah betcha five bits this fella could give you a run fer your money in a hoof wrestle, Dash."

"Oh, you're on!" Rainbow Dash replies, zooming inside the library. "C'mon, let's settle this right now!"

Pinkie Pie hops off your shoulders, bouncing inside. "Oh! Oooh! I love watching hoof wrestling!"

Twilight looks up at you, a tired and apologetic look on her face. "I'm really sorry about that... My friends just really care for me, and are really quick to act when they see what looks like trouble."

You reach over and scratch behind her ear, causing her eyes to close and a slight blush to form.

"I'll help you with your research in anyway I can. As much as I want to know about you, I'm sure returning home is more important to you."

Twilight opens her eyes to look up at your own. They glisten in wonder, as they peer into your soul, or what's left of it. It reminds you of how Celestia would always look into your eyes when the two of you were alone. You stop scratching her ear, and pat her side a couple times, grabbing the books off the coffee table.

Twilight shakes her head a couple times as she turns to head back inside. "It sounds like they want you inside. I'll go set up some history and magic books for studying." She trots inside with a skip in her step that wasn't present before.

She seems friendly.

Walking over to the edge of the balcony, your eyes scan over the quaint village. You can see children running around in the streets, couples trotting alongside each other as they go about their days. Off in the horizon you can see a large, majestic castle hanging off the side of a mountain. Large spiraling towers jut out from every side, a massive waterfall underneath. It looks like an evolution of the old castle, yet refined and modernized. The smallest of smiles graces your chiseled features, knowing that Celestia is up there.

Whimpering from the tree catches your attention, as you turn around to investigate. Leaves gently fall to the balcony floor, as Fluttershy trembles in the branch, avoiding eye contact.

"O-oh... I was just going to um... I just really wanted to get down, if that's okay..." Fluttershy trips all over her own words, barely able to speak without some sort of a stutter. "If you don't want me to get down that's okay, too... I don't want to make you angry..."

Rolling your eyes, you walk over just underneath Fluttershy, and extend your arms, offering to catch her.

She cowers back, another whimper escapes her mouth.

You were about to pat your legs, like you would to call a dog over, when a thumping against your boot catches your attention. Looking down you see a very familiar black and white rabbit headbutting your left boot, looking up at one of your pouches on your waist.

Pumpkin? What the hell is he doing here? Must've followed you through the Slipgate. You kneel down and pick him up, cradling him in your arms as you scratch behind one of his ears.

"Oh my goodness! Is that a Dutch rabbit?" Fluttershy exclaims, dashing down from the tree and standing on her hind legs, resting her front legs on your waist. "I've never seen a Dutch rabbit before! Look at his cute little face!"

Pumpkin honks in delight at your touch, as you reach into your pouch, offering Fluttershy a baby carrot to feed Pumpkin, as you lead her inside the library.

5 - Nightmare

View Online

Rainbow Dash growls and groans in force. Putting all of her strength into her right hoof which was wrapped in your own grip, she leans to the side. Through your visor you stare into her soul, a smug smirk on your face.

"C'mon Rainbow, show 'em whose boss!" Pinkie Pie cheers on.

Applejack is watching intent, a mix between a smirk and slight concern on her face. "Alright... Stop foolin' around big guy, Ah've got money on this y'know!"

"Shut up, A.J.! I need all the cheers I can get!" Rainbow complains, huffing and puffing as she wipes some sweat from her forehead. "You're not so tough, watch this!" She growls once again, leaning her body into her hoof.

Amused by how dedicated she is to winning, you decide to humor her for a second. Faking worry, you begin to let your arm drop, eyes darting from your hand to her face as she 'overpowers' you.

Dash's eyes light up at this, as she smirks. "You're... going... down!"

You flex your arm, making it tremble as you let her push you near inches away from the surface of the table. You shake your arm violently, feigning struggled resistance to her attack. You turn your head to Applejack, flashing her a look of worry.

"C'mon now! Don't let her win!" Applejack's eyes are the size of pinpricks, as Rainbow is basically hanging off your arm, trying to tug you down to the table.

You give A.J. a wink, before ceasing your act. As if there was nothing pushing you back in the first place, you easily overpower Rainbow Dash, and swing her hoof the other direction.

"Wha~?!" Dash's pupils shrink as you effortlessly push her hoof into the table.

"Hah! Good job there buckaroo, I knew you could beat her!" Applejack trots over, slapping you on the back.

"My my~... Such a display of power!" Rarity, who had shown up a couple hours ago fans a hoof in front of her face. This causes the baby dragon by her side to fold his arms, pouting in jealousy.

Pinkie Pie dashes behind Rainbow, rubbing her shoulders like a cornerman would to his boxer. "Don't listen to Applejack, Dashie! You almost had him!"

The four of you were killing time whilst you waited for the regulator to cool off. You had spent the past four or so hours knee-deep in books with Twilight. This little journey into magical knowledge and astronomy has proven to be very informative, but very troublesome. For starters, most information regarding magic has proven to be useless to VEGA. The original idea was to expand his grasp on the new energy source so he might be able to optimize functions. Instead, you've found that there's not much else he can do with raw magical energy besides basic conversion.

Furthermore, no known map of the solar systems in this galaxy has proven to locate Earth. VEGA is under the impression that you will have to get into dimension and universe traversal, which is going to require a lot more than eight magic crystals and a single regulator to pull off. Last you checked, you have approximately 95 hours before Earth is completely overrun by the demonic invasion, and that's assuming they haven't rebuilt the Super Gore Nest.

The sun is descending across the west horizon, basking the land in a deep orange hue. Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were huddled in a little group across the table from you, debating about whether or not you cheated in the fight. Fluttershy was off in the corner, cuddling with Pumpkin as she read some children's book to him. Across the room and resting on a pillow, Twilight and Rarity had some romance novel open, but their attention was given to the wrestling match that just took place. All day today, Twilight Sparkle has been giving you friendly looks out of the corner of your eye. Any time you have glanced over to her, she gives a bright smile and a wave, seemingly ecstatic to have made your acquaintance.

This is getting heavy. You need some fresh air to think about what move to make next. One way or another, you're getting your ass back to Earth.

"Aw get off yer high horse, Dash! You lost fair 'n square. Right, Twi'?" Applejack slams a hoof onto the table, looking over to Twilight.

Twilight's eyes were watching your every move. With a shake of her head, she turns to face Applejack. "I don't know, it seemed pretty close. Maybe you two should have a rematch?" Twilight suggested.

"Yeah! You just caught me by surprise, I totally had you!" Rainbow Dash zooms in front of your face, flashing you a confident grin.

You were too focused with your thoughts to acknowledge her presence right now. Standing up you trudge your way over to the front door, gently pulling it open.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, big guy! You scared you'll lose or something?" Rainbow Dash yells, as you step outside into the cool dusk air.

The sun is no longer visible in the crystal clear sky tonight, as the various houses begin turning on lights inside. Picking a random direction, you keep your gaze in front of you.

Doubt creeps into your mind, and you can't help but wonder if this is all a lost cause. With every new piece of information, you are set back further and further from returning to Earth on your own. God knows how long it will take to locate more of those energy crystals, and it almost seems pointless to try and find more. According to VEGA, you'll need almost 300 times your current power output to be able to travel between planets alone, and at that point you'd need to construct a sturdier Slipgate.

But you can't stand the thought of the consequences of failure. All those innocent lives being brutalized and tortured, it fuels the fire deep inside you. You've become the one thing demons fear, and the one thing they strive to torment the most. Any grounds you tread, death and destruction follows suit. Demons must be the reason you've wound up back home, they just want to lull you into a false sense of happiness before they destroy Equestria too.

Conversation from an open window above catches your attention, as the moon slowly begins to bask the world in it's softer shades.

"Momma, I'm scared... What if that big monster comes to eat me in my sleep?" The trembling voice of a very familiar colt sniffles out.

"Well, if you're going around being mean to younger colts I wouldn't blame him." The stern voice of a mare retorts.

"I won't ever do it again, I'm just scared... I don't wanna go to sleep, Momma. I'm gonna have nightmares!"

You hear a sigh escape the mother, followed by a kiss. "Don't worry, Darling. If you have scary dreams, Princess Luna will be there to keep you safe, okay?"

The cogs turn in your head, as an idea hatches. It's not an idea you want to pursue, but at this point it might be your only option. Horse Lady's sister has to know about the galaxy, it's her special talent after all.

"It's so pretty out tonight isn't it, Mister Alien?" Twilight Sparkle speaks up from your side.

If you were any less of a man you'd jump out of your skin. Fucking hell, she's quiet.

Walking past the house, you decide to take the long way back to the library. VEGA only needs a couple more minutes before he can activate the Slipgate. Crickets chirp off in the distance, as street lights illuminate the large dirt roads of Ponyville.

"I know you want to return home as soon as possible... That visor makes it really hard to see, but anypony with half a heart can see the sadness behind your eyes." Twilight walks very close to your left leg, as you two wander. "If there's anything you need, I'm here for you, as a friend!" The both of you reach Golden Oak once again.

"The Slipgate is ready for operation. I will open a portal in front of you in 30 seconds."

Standing outside the library, you look back down to her. Twilight is looking up at you, a deep concern visible in her purple eyes. "You... can sleep with me if you want. I have a spare bedroom."

Kneeling down, you place your hands on her withers, gently rubbing up and down her soft coat. Twilight's eyes glance down at your exposed arms, then down to your armored hands. Her eyelids squint ever so slightly, as she hums in delight at your touch. "That feels so wonderful, Mister Alien." Her voice is calm and relaxed. After a couple seconds, her eyes trail back up to meet your own underneath your visor.

"Opening the portal now." VEGA calls out from your chestplate speaker, instead of from inside your helmet.

A bright blue light casts itself over the front of Golden Oaks, as Twilight's interest is peaked. "P-portal? You can open portals?!"

You pat her side a couple times, just as the front door opens.

"What the heck is going on?" Rainbow Dash calls out, looking between you and Twilight. "Uh, am I interrupting something?"

Standing up, you whistle from underneath your helmet. Seconds later Pumpkin hops his way outside, jumping into your arms.

"W-wait! Don't leave, there's so much more to talk about!" Twilight begs.

Turning around to walk into the portal, two purple hooves wrap around your right leg. Looking back, you can see Twilight sprawled out on her stomach, tears forming in her eyes. The other four ponies walk outside to see what all the commotion is about, all giving different reactions to the situation.

Shaking the overly friendly purple pony off your leg, you vanish into the portal.

...

Reemerging into the dark cave, you set Pumpkin down and take off your helmet. Placing the helmet onto the gramophone, you rub your face with your hands, fatigue from your situation weighs you down like a bag of sand. Off in the corner of the cave, the eight energy crystals give off heatwaves, pulsing rapidly and violently. The arcane regulator is red hot, the metal body contracts and contorts, giving off steam and smoke.

"The regulator will be ready for use in nine hours."

Tossing a handful of baby carrots to Pumpkin, you scan your cave for a place to take a nap. The last time you've slept was when the priests entombed you in that sarcophagus eons ago. After being put into the Divinity Machine, sleep was rendered pointless to your now immortal body, becoming a leisurely activity or a means to pass time. It was more of a blessing for you, however, as the dream realm offers nothing but horrific memories from your past now.

Sitting against the cave wall, you rest your head against the cold stone, damning yourself for what you're about to do. You close your eyes, and tone the midnight ambiance out, drifting off into your own personal hell.

RATTA-TATTA-TATTA-TATTA-TATTA

Ducking behind a wall just in the nick of time, heavy caliber bullets whiz past you, embedding themselves in the stone pillar beside your position. Your left forearm is bleeding profusely from the gun run seconds before hand, and you fear an artery has been ruptured. Thunderous mechanical legs stomp their way towards you, their loud motors sending vibrations through the ground underneath. With your plasma energy depleted, you toss the B.F.G onto the ground, gripping the chaingun slung around your back.

Wrapping the ammo belt around your left forearm, you brace the chaingun underneath your armpit, as you reemerge from your cover.

The Spider Mastermind roars in anger as you dare enter her line of sight once again, her super chaingun spins to life as she prepares another volley of full-metal-jacket destruction.

"Eat this, shit-for-brains!" You reply to her howl, jamming down the trigger of your own automatic weapon. Fireballs emerge from the multiple muzzles, silver barrels rotating in rapid-succession as you pump piping hot lead into her brain-like body.

The cyborg wretch of Hell roars in pain, her tiny arms flail in pain and anger, as her own volley of bullets is knocked off target by your attack. Using this to your advantage, you begin sprinting to the right, chaingun recoiling violently as you hose her down. The ammo belt slowly unwinds itself from your left arm, blood staining the brass casings as the bullet tips scratch your wrist. The pain is immeasurable, and you can feel yourself getting dizzy from the blood loss.

As you run circles around the Mastermind, chunks of brain matter spew out in every direction, blood seeping out from the multiple wounds which pepper her flabby body. Despite the constant hellfire, she refuses to succumb to death by bullet.

The Spider Mastermind faces you once again, her own chaingun throws a wall of metal down-range towards your direction. Cobblestone dust and fragments kick up in your face, two of her bullets manage to rip through your left calf and thigh.

You let out a howl of pain, collapsing onto the ground whilst never letting go of the trigger. With no other options, you focus fire onto her front right leg, right at her knee joint. The muzzle flashes from your gun leave flashers in your eyes, which make it harder to keep on target.

CLANK

Her right knee buckles and collapses in on itself, and you can see her eyes open in shock. A shriek escapes her mouth, as her robotic chassis begins to break apart. Deafening groans echo from her metal legs, the steel beams bending under the momentum of her body falling forward.

Just as the remaining bullets in the belt are fed through your chaingun, you watch as the Mastermind collapses to the ground. Her left leg snaps off it's knee joint, impaling her through the eye, as her chassis explodes. A massive fireball billows out, slowly dissipating to reveal her smoldering remains.

You huff and puff in pain and exhaustion, adrenaline depleting out of your system as your wounds begin to flare up. Shakily you rise to your feet, eyes scanning over the viscera that was once the leader behind this demonic invasion. A somber silence fills the large cathedral this battle took place in, as a portal emerges behind the corpse. With nowhere else to go but forward, you limp yourself through the piping hot mess of guts and metal, leaving behind most your arsenal besides your shotgun.

Emerging through the portal, you can hear birds chirping, and bees buzzing around this bright green valley. Blades of grass sway in the gentle wind, flowers glistening underneath the light of the sun.

You've done it.

It's finally over.

What other person can say they've gone to Hell and returned? That whole time you were surviving off of instincts and fear alone, and yet you've managed to prove too powerful for Hell itself.

A nervous chuckle escapes your mouth, before you explode into a fit of uncontrolled laughter. You collapse in the soft soil, letting the cool grass engulf your bruised and battered body. The stinging pain in your arm and leg mean nothing to you right now, as you let Earth embrace you. Your exposed and scarred abs become sore as your laughter slowly subsides, eyes locked on the smoke plume in the sky.

...Smoke plume?

Your eyes trail down the plume, following it to it's source.

An entire city skyline is ablaze, the various skyscrapers' flames combining smoke into a single, pitch black smoke plume which trails into the horizon for miles. Across the city, you can see flaming projectiles being cast back and forth, gargoyles and demons flying in every direction. Your shoulders slump, as you grip your left forearm, wrapping it in a bandage to stop the bleeding. You limp your way up a small, grassy hill to get a better view of the carnage.

Impaled on a rusty, jagged spike is the decapitated head of a rabbit.

A very familiar rabbit.

Limping over, your arms begin to tremble at the sight. Kneeling in front of the spike, you place a shaky hand on the side of the bunny's head, folding back its ear to look inside. Laser engraved inside the ear is the number 93. Daisy's number from the adoption center.

Underneath your helmet, your face slowly contorts into a mess of sadness and anger. Detaching her head from the spike, you hold it in your gloved hands, idly rubbing your thumb over her forehead.

A rabbit, a harmless animal of prey. Not any regular old rabbit either, there were live rabbits hopping around behind you. Specifically your fucking rabbit. After the thousands of demons asses you've kicked, the cathedrals and keeps inside the nine circles you've destroyed, they had the gull to kill the one thing you had left.

You're about to throw off your helmet and scream, when the sound of hoofsteps in the grass behind you catches your attention. Without looking behind, you calm your breath.

It's just a dream, stay calm.

"We have not seen a human for centuries. Art thou Equis born, Slayer?" Luna's voice graces your ears, a brief reprieve from the horrid memories.

She knows the name Slayer, huh? Play it cool, Anonymous. She can't know it's you.

Refusing to turn around, you pet Daisy's head, hands still trembling from the rage. After a few seconds, the hoofsteps grow closer, stopping at your side.

A gasp escapes Luna's mouth. "We have been watching over thine nightmare, though we must admit, we have never encountered something as terrible as this..." Luna ducks her head down to nuzzle your side, looking down to Daisy's head. "Is this what the demons took from thou, Slayer?"

That's really bothering you that she knows about the name Slayer. Regardless, you give her a small nod. Rising to your feet, the world around you begins to disintegrate, leaving you and Luna alone in a black void.

"Our sister and I were alerted to your presence. We believe that you shall be able aid us in a growing issue within Equestria, Slayer." Luna keeps her eyes on you, as you pace around in the void.

Your old, bright green UAC armor fades away, being replaced with your newest iteration of the Praetor suit. Channeling your focus into the dream realm, you form the world around you into what you remember the Fortress of Doom looking like. Your hub area forms before your eyes, the massive window in front of you and Luna showcases Earth engulfed in the various demonic pentagrams.

Luna walks over to your side once again, eyes locked on the suffering planet. "...Is this your home world, Slayer?"

You nod your head, as you focus on the dream again. The fortress fades away, as the destroyed and mangled ruins of a city are constructed. Remains of building infrastructure surround you and Luna, cement and glass scattered around. Imps and possessed humans run around, laying waste to the human population left alive.

Luna's gaze saddens, as she watches the events unfold before her. A human mother kneels in the middle of the road, hugging her boy tightly as an Imp prepares a fireball to toss at them. Running up behind the Imp, you grab its head forcefully. Placing a hand into it's mouth, you put all your strength into breaking it's jaw off it's skull. The Imp screeches in pain, collapsing onto the ground as it fades away.

Luna has gone pale in her face, and looks as if she's about to throw up at any second. Her eyes glance from where the Imp disappeared, over to the human parent and child. "Your home world is under attack, by demons? You are trying to return home... Is this why you have been stealing materials from our subjects?"

This is proving to be easier than you thought. Luna has always been very perceptive when it comes to these things. You give her another nod, turning your full attention to her as the streets fade away.

Luna sighs, and nods her head. "We understand. If thou art seeking our help, we must inform thee that we have never seen this planet before. We have explored our own galaxy and beyond, but we do not recall such a planet."

Fuck.

"However, we do believe there is something that might help thou locate thine galaxy. We wish to meet you in-person with our dearest sister Celestia. From a letter she received yesterday, thou was last sighted in Ponyville. Is this a good place to arrange a meeting?" Luna asks, her eyes never leaving your tinted visor.

As much as you want to hide away from Celestia, do you have a choice at this point? Even if she doesn't know it's you specifically, she already knows of your presence. You'll just have to steel your nerves, and act like you don't know her.

After several seconds of thought, you nod your head to your lover's sister.

Luna gives a small smile and nods. "Then it is settled. Tomorrow when the sun reaches it's zenith, we shall set out for Ponyville by chariot to pick you up." As she says this, a wind begins to pick up, as Luna is slowly dragged away from you. "Fear not, Slayer. We shall assist thou in anyway we can." Luna is sucked away into the abyss, leaving you alone in the void.

6 - So Close, So Far

View Online

Warm, murky fluids surrounds your body as you slowly flutter your eyes open. Your arms and legs are binded by a sticky, paste-like substance, your vision to the outside world obscured by the green, translucent material in front of you.

The fuck is all this?

Stifling a yawn, you squint your eyes and peek through the material. Connected by the horn via umbilical cord-like tubes, two pony-like creatures kneel on either side of your cocoon like prison. Peeking out further, you can see at least five or six more of these intruders snooping around your cave, taking interest in the Slipgate, as well as the various machinery you have set up around the cave. Your cocoon prison is in the very back of the cave, behind the Slipgate, tucked in the furthest corner.

The two bug-ponies in front of you have their eyes closed, as the tubes connected to their horns pulse and bulge, feeding some sort of fluid into them. Trailing your eyes around the inside of the cocoon, you locate what you assume to be those very same tubes, one being connect to your left bicep, the other to your neck.

You curse yourself for not keeping your helmet on before you went to sleep, your hair and face are covered in this warm gunk. You tug your right arm away from it's sticky, malleable binds. The fluid stretches with the consistency of melted cheese, before giving underneath your strength. With your right arm free, you grip the tube on your arm, pulling it off. A pitch black, cloud like material spews out of the tube like a fountain, as well as a superfluous hole in your arm which mends itself instantly. You yank the tube off your neck with the same effect. The smokey substance has no smell, but upon contact with your exposed skin burns hotter than any fire you've faced.

A crash from the cave catches your attention as anger builds inside you at the invasion. These little shits are gonna ruin your chance of getting back to Earth if you don't do something.

Freeing the rest of your limbs from their sticky jail, you punch straight through the cocoon, ripping yourself an exit. Stepping out of the cocoon which has collapsed in on itself, neither of the two ponies before you notice you've exited. With a quick glance around your cave, it seems everyone else is oblivious to you as well, too caught up in inspecting your base. Each of these creatures look identical to each other. They all have a matte-black, fur-less body, jagged horns and exposed teeth, legs covered in holes. Their eyes are a bright blue, with no iris to be seen.

Grabbing both sleeping bug-ponies by their horns, you smash their heads together in their sleep. Blue blood and green brains splatter on your gauntlets, as fragments of skull collapse down their necks.

This catches the attention of one of the other intruders, who turns it's head to your direction.

With the remains of the two now dead bugs in your hands, you keep your gaze on the one bug-pony who dared to face you. You glare death into his very being, which causes him to freeze in place and give an audible gulp.

"The energy source! It has awoken!" Another bug-pony hisses out in a high pitched, ghoulish voice.

Dropping the two brutalized corpses, you reach behind your back into your hyperspace inventory. The device activates, as you pull out just the right tool for this job.

"Seize him!" One of them hisses out, causing the others to unleash war cries.

Right hand wrapped around the pistol grip, fingers on your left hand tightly grip the rubberized, polymer pump. Scanning over the threats, you flex your left arm.

CLICK-CLACK

Wasting no time, you sprint forward and point your repeating boomstick forwards. Jamming down the trigger, a massive fireball explodes from the muzzle. Piping hot buckshot launches forward, pelting the chest of the front-most bug-pony in bullet wounds. Glowing blue blood leaks from the gaping, smoking hole in it's chest as it collapses and skids to a halt.

Racking the pump again, you dash to the left and ram into a bug-pony which was mid-flight. The foul creature screeches, as it flies backwards and smashes into a table. The gramophone your helmet was on crashes to the ground, followed by various other appliances.

As it scrambles to get onto it's hooves, you step onto it's chest. Pointing the barrel of your gun to it's head, you watch it's cranium transform into a hot pile of brain matter and skull fragments.

"For the Queen!" A voice calls from behind, as a bug-pony jumps onto your back, sinking it's teeth into your neck.

That helmet would've been nice right about now.

You grunt in pain, and use your left hand to grab it's head. Ripping it off your back, you fling it into the two remaining invaders, who fall over like bowling pins.

As they fumble around on-top of each other, you brace the shotgun underneath your armpit. Pressing in the secondary trigger, you watch as a sticky bomb is pulled from the internal magazine inside the stock, and loaded into battery. A green L.E.D lights up on the side of the receiver, before you pull the main trigger.

Just as one bug-pony stands up, the sticky bomb arcs towards it, lodging itself into its mouth. The other two bugs screech in terror, desperately trying to flee as the bomb flashes and explodes.

Chunks of body fly in every direction, the cave rumbles at the shock wave as dust spins around from the disturbance.

When everything is said and done, you stand alone in your half destroyed base. Most the equipment used to power VEGA's functions have been destroyed, save for his main power supply and the Slipgate.

Great. Just what you fucking need right now. As if the limitations of your setup weren't a hindrance, now you'll have to almost start from scratch.

A hoof shakily taps the back of your boot, causing you to turn around.

The upper torso of a bug-pony has crawled its way over to you, having left a long trail of blue blood and viscera. Shakily, it raises a hoof to point at you, coughing up blood. "Your hate... will... feed us... For eternity!"

You raise your right boot and stomp it's neck, decapitating it. It's eyes dim, tongue lulling out of it's mouth.

You pick up the head off the ground, blood pouring out all over your hand. As you stare into it's eyes, your confusion and anger only grows in scale.

Fuck Ponyville. You need answers now.

Shoving the head into your inventory, you grab your helmet off the ground and equip it. Your HUD flashes to life as your systems calibrate themselves.

"The coordinates have been set. Opening the portal now." VEGA says.

Whimpers of terror catch your attention, as Pumpkin slowly emerges from underneath a table.

Poor guy, he didn't need to see that.

You grab a woven basket off the ground, and place Pumpkin inside just as your Slipgate fires up.

You and your sister Luna are sitting in your private dining quarters, enjoying a simple breakfast of pancakes and eggs. The sound of forks and knives clanking against plates occupies the otherwise silent room, as you levitate a glass of milk to your lips.

"The Slayer wishes to meet us in Ponyville, Sister." Luna breaks the silence.

You stifle a spit-take, trying your hardest not to choke on the creamy, cold liquid going down your throat. "Does he now?"

Luna frowns, her eyes locked on the meal in front of her. "Indeed. We observed a nightmare of his, and we were able to communicate with him before it ended."

You dab your mouth with a napkin, taking a small bite of your fluffy, butter and berry coated pillows of heaven. "What did you two talk about, Luna?"

"He never spoke a word to us, and instead manipulated the dreamworld to communicate his desires and intentions." Luna closes her eyes, taking a sip of orange juice before continuing. "He is lost, and is trying to return home."

Your heart flutters at your sister's words, a spark of hope forming within you. "Oh, well by all means I am willing to help him with that!" Without thinking, the smallest of smiles has formed on your face, once drowsy eyes now open with a youthful exuberance.

Luna looks up from her food to you, giving a sad smile. "He's not from Equis, Sister. Twas the first thing we asked of him."

And just like that, the spark of hope dies inside your lonely heart. "...There are humans from off Equis? You've never encountered life in our solar system, have you?"

Luna shakes her head, finally taking a bite of a pancake. "That is correct, Sister. The planet he is trying to return to is one I have never seen in our galaxy, even the farthest corners. It is under siege by demons, and it seems his people need his help in order to survive."

"That would explain the literature from those testaments." You ponder, taking another bite. "...Did you tell him about the situation Equestria is having with the attempted rituals?"

Luna nods her head softly, a conflicted look on her face as her eyes drift down to her now cold food. "We did, but we are not sure if he wished to help. I offered to show him something I believe could help him locate his planet if he agreed to meet with the two of us."

Just as you're about to take another bite of fluffy goodness, your fork lowers from your mouth. "Luna, please tell me you're not referring to what I think you are."

"I never told him what it was, Sister."

"Luna." Your voice grows stern, as you furrow your eyebrows. "No living creature is ever going to touch the Godstone again, you know what happened to Star Swirl."

"Was I supposed to just tell him there was no hope, Sister?" Luna is quick to retort, using proper modern grammar. "If his nightmare was anything to go off of, his planet needs him now, Sister... and perhaps more than we might need him."

Several seconds pass, before you slump your shoulders and soften your gaze. "I suppose we can give him the details on his arrival. When did you schedule to meet him?"

"Exactly noon, we arranged to meet in front of the library Twilight Sparkle lives in." Luna says, before standing up. "It shall give enough time to prepare a chariot to escort us to and from, yes?"

You take another sip of milk. "It shall, Luna. You may nap if you wish, I can arrange the rest for us. Those bags under your eyes tell me you had a long night."

Luna bows her head, before going to leave the room. "Sister?" Luna cocks her head back to look at you.

"Yes, Luna?"

"I do not believe it is Anonymous." She says simply.

You blink a couple times at this, looking back at her. "I know that."

Luna turns her body to face you. "Do you? We do not mean to sound rude, but we can tell you wish to believe it is him."

You sigh, and cast your gaze outside the balcony. "Can you blame me, Luna? I know it's been thousands of years, and sometimes it gets hard to remember what he even looks like... But the story behind those testaments Pathfinder sends me, it's all so ominously reminiscent of what happened. Even the phrase 'He chose the path of perpetual torment.'. That is almost verbatim what Ceolmund told Anon after he refused to surrender." You lower your head, another sigh escaping you. "It's childish, I know... But I knew Anonymous. He was a lover first, and a frighteningly brutal fighter when forced to be."

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Luna flash you a small smile. "If it is worth anything, we did not see Slayer's face, his helmet keeps his identity a mystery." She walks through the door, leaving you alone to finish your meal.

"I'm telling you, Princess! A portal the size of a house just formed behind him, and he disappeared into it!" Shining Armor explains to you, walking by your side as the two of you walk the hallways of your palace.

"I believe you, Shining. He was spotted in Ponyville yesterday. Twilight sent me two letters about it, and the former described a portal much like the one you're describing right now." You say in an attempt to calm your flustered nephew-in-law.

"Twily? That thing met Twily?! Oh if he so much as placed a paw on her, I'm gonna-!"

"Don't worry, Shining. As a matter of fact, Twilight expressed much delight in Slayer's arrival. She wrote about how his entrance was violent, but he was very interested in history, magic, and even the solar system."

Shining relaxes just a tad, sighing. "Oh, that's good... He's definitely intimidating when you see him in person, Celestia. That photograph doesn't do him justice." He shudders.

The two of you round a corner and make your way outside. Luna is sitting in one of her own chariots, impatiently tapping a hoof against the dark metal of her mobile throne. "You kept us waiting, Sister. What took you so long?" She groans, before giving Shining a wave.

"Making preparations for a royal visit takes time, Luna. Didn't I tell you to get some rest? You look wiped." You and Shining Armor approach her chariot, before four of your royal guards emerge from the hangar, tugging along a double-themed chariot. The left side is lunar themed, the right being solar. Each pair of guards was either Celestial or Lunar and were stationed accordingly with the theme of the chariot.

"We still have that old heap of junk? It is so gaudy, Sister!" Luna complains, resting her face on the side of her chariot. "We wish to take our own chariot, it's aesthetics are much more appealing!"

You giggle at your younger sister's immature rant. You don't think she'll ever grow out of this 'moody teenager' attitude she has. Not that you mind, it is most entertaining. "Oh come now, Luna. It's not that gaudy. Besides, your side even has a little steering wheel."

Luna grumbles, slowly emerging from her own chariot. "...This is a fair point..."

Shining Armor chuckles at the display, before bowing to you. "Well, I've said my piece, Princess Celestia. Permission to take my leave? I'd like to spend some time with my wife before I return to Dodge Junction."

"There is no need for such formality when you're with family, Shining. You may leave whenever you please."

A heavy rumbling in the earth catches your attention. In the streets of Canterlot below you, a self contained windstorm begins to sprout to life, swirling around at the end of the street which leads to the gated hangar entrance. Plants hanging off of street lamps begin to sway violently, drinks and food on tables being swept around.

"I don't think you'll be needing that chariot, Celestia..." Shining mutters to you, watching the anomaly unfold.

Just like Shining described earlier, a small blue ball emerges in the middle of the storm, which quickly expands out into a massive, spiraling portal. Light blue streaks line the circular, black void, magical particles spew out like sparks from a firework.

Brilliant, marble road presents itself in front of you, reflecting the light from the sun overhead. The portal closes behind you, leaving you standing in the middle of a one-way street. At the end of the street is a large, gold plated fence. Not a pony was in the street, save for two guards protecting the marvelous gate in front of you. They stare forward, eyes unwavering as they keep their angry glare.

Looking down to the woven basket gripped tightly in your right hand, you confirm that Pumpkin has made it safely. The rabbit scans his surroundings, nose twitching with his ears folded back. You're becoming a little too attached to this little guy.

As you close in on the gate, two spears lower to block your path. "Halt! Who goes there?" The guard on your right speaks up, but appears to regret his choice of actions. The guard on the left visibly gulps as you stomp towards the two.

"S-state... your... business..." He trails off, as you tower over him.

The guard to the left takes a couple steps back, before a familiar young, yet gravelly voice catches everyone's attention. "Stand down, let him inside!"

Sounds like the head honcho of that dispatch unit a couple days ago.

The guards hastily open the gate, and part ways. Before entering, you grab the right guard's steel spear, and break it over your knee. This causes him to yelp and cower in fear.

The clip-clop of hooves on marble road draws your gaze up the shiny stairs you were ascending. Sure enough, that blue haired captain is standing at the top of the stairs, accompanied by...

"Slayer! Did we not agree on meeting in Ponyville?" Luna tilts her head, giving you a confused, yet pleasantly surprised expression.

Her beauty. Her free-flowing, pastel rainbow mane cascades down her white coated, slender body, accentuating her eternal perfection. Those large, magenta eyes look into your own, offering nothing but warmth and welcome despite your identity remaining a mystery. Her wings, which are tucked in their normal resting position give occasional pulses, threatening to flutter out. You can't keep your eyes off her, the rest of the world fades into obscurity.

"Is that a bunny rabbit?" The raspy voice of the stallion catches your attention.

Get a grip, Anonymous. Show her nothing. It'll only hurt her more if she finds out it's you.

"Overhead light disengaged." VEGA calls out to you, as the L.E.Ds overhead turn off, obscuring your face as much as possible.

Reaching behind your back, your left hand touches to your inventory. Pulling the desired item from within, you toss it on the ground in front of the stallion. The bug-pony's eyes are lifeless, skin having gone pale as a few squirts of blood spew out from it's ripped jugular veins. As the blue blood stains the once spotless marble road, your eyebrows return to their natural resting position; furrowed in eternal anger.

The stallion's eyes go wide, as your ex-intruder's head rolls over a couple of times, resting before his front hooves. "What the..."

Your eyes trail up to Luna, who is staring down at the head in absolute horror. Luna turns her head to look at her sister, who had much the same reaction as her. A silent conversation takes place between the two of them before Luna clears her throat. "J-join us inside, Slayer. We've much to discuss." Luna's eyes dart to her older sister, who hastily nods her head in agreement.

The stallion shudders at the dismembered head. "Shall I accompany you three?"

"There will be no need, Shining Armor." Celestia says, eyeing you up and down with a cautiously optimistic expression. "I trust Slayer means us no harm." Her eyes look into your tinted visor hopefully.

The only thing you give your soulmate is a simple nod, as you walk in-between her and Luna. Shining Armor gives a nervous bow, whistling to some guards as the three of you enter the magnificent palace.

Luna takes her place beside her older sister, the both of them walk in front of you. Majestic banners which display artwork of the two sisters line the regal hallways, each of the stained glass windows depicts artwork of events past. The clopping of hooves, along with the stomping of your own armored feet echo in the grand hallways, as you're lead deeper and deeper into the palace.

Celestia and Luna's pace is slightly slower than your own, and soon enough you find yourself in the middle of both sisters, instead of behind. Try as you might, you can't help but give quick glances over to Celestia, sub-consciously trying to savor her beauty. It seems she has the same idea, her own eyes cast glances over to you, especially fixated on your helmet. On the surface, her eyes are curious, but you know her more than that. Behind those eyes is a pent-up longing, a question that has remained unanswered for millennia: Is it you?

"We must apologize, Slayer. We did not expect the changelings to seek you out." Luna speaks up from your left.

You gently tilt your helmet towards Celestia, which causes her to snap her head back forward, pupils shrinking for a second.

This silly horse, how you've missed her so.

The three of you close in on a grand dining area. A massive table with hundreds of chairs awaits you. Celestia and Luna make their way over to the two largest chairs in the room. Placing Pumpkin's basket on the table, you opt to stand near Celestia.

Celestia adjusts herself in her chair, before clearing her throat and turning her attention down towards you. "Now, as surprised and overjoyed as I am to see a human for the first time in centuries, there are issues far more important than my own personal interests."

Centuries? Those questions from the old castle ruins are starting to resurface to the front of your head.

"My sister Luna has informed me that you are trying to return to your own world. Is this true?" Celestia asks, gaze having switched from curious wonder to complete seriousness.

Speaking would give away your identity, so VEGA's going to have to be an ambassador of sorts here. You glance to the top left corner of your HUD, requesting a neural connection.

"I understand. I shall communicate via your chestplate speaker." VEGA acknowledges your request. Seconds later, your chestplate crackles out, vibrating gently as VEGA routes himself into it. "Approximately 20 minutes ago, our base of operations was infiltrated by these bug-like equines you have referred to as 'Changelings'."

Celestia and Luna look absolutely flabbergasted at VEGA's robotic, tinny voice. You can tell by the looks on their faces they are far more curious about VEGA than what he just spoke about.

Celestia is the first to recover. "And where is this base of operations, Slayer?"

"We are stationed in a small cave in the Everfree forest, 1.3 miles north of Dodge Junction." VEGA replies. "All the equipment that has been setup is responsible for my functionality as of right now. Without power, I will not be able to help Slayer return to Earth to stop the demonic invasion."

Celestia thinks over VEGA's words, eyebrows furrowing. "Is this why you have been stealing from Dodge Junction? You have been gathering materials to return home?"

Hah. Home...

"Correct." VEGA says.

"Your choice of words is most interesting as well, you speak as if you are a separate entity from yourself, Slayer." Celestia adds.

"Slayer is the human in the suit of armor you are talking to, Princess Celestia. I am VEGA, a formless, sentient intelligence which is running off of his suit's systems."

This seems to peak Celestia's interest, and you can see her demeanor change ever so slightly more upbeat. "I see... So you are a companion of sorts to him?"

"Correct."

"Did you do anything to disturb the Changelings, Slayer?" Luna pipes up, leaning forward in her chair.

"The motive behind the invasion is currently unknown, Princess Luna. The changelings took great interest in the Slayer, entrapping him in a cocoon before siphoning an unknown energy from his body." VEGA replies to the younger of the siblings. "It is worth noting they were investigating the setup of machinery and appliances, one could assume they were alerted to our presence and were attempting to halt our efforts."

At the bottom middle of your visor, a notification flashes:

ECHO PLAYBACK READY: DETACH ECHO DEVICE AND DEPLOY.

You reach to your belt and detach the small disk from it's pouch. Holding it up like a small frisbee, you toss it onto the massive table. Two wings extend out on either side of the disk, and just before it falls to the table surface, it spins to life. A mechanical whirring noise fills the room, as the disk elevates several feet above all three of you, casting a hologram onto the table.

The hologram recording depicts the events leading up to your awakening. It displays various tables of appliances of your cave, before several changelings emerge from the bounds of the hologram. They speak to each other in their native tongue, poking and prodding the devices.

You're only half paying attention to the echo playback, eyes focused intently on Celestia. Her eyes are glued to the playback, watching in wonder at the events that unfold. She watches the changelings mess with your base, before two wander past the hologram's limits. Those deep magenta beauties scan all over the playback, almost as if she is searching for something besides the invaders.

"I was not able to record Slayer's position, he was out of the line-of-sight of the echo scanner at the time." VEGA says, before a red dot flashes a couple feet outside of the hologram. "This is roughly where Slayer was at the time of recording."

As the red dot disappears, Tia's eyes stay locked on the empty space, never once glancing back at the actual hologram. The sight pulls at your heartstrings. She doesn't care about the cave, the stolen goods, the changelings.

She cares about you. She's trying to find you in the recording.

A smashing noise is heard, before all the holographic changelings turn to face the direction the red dot was. The racking of your shotgun echos from the disk's small speaker, as the changelings charge off screen. Sounds of death and destruction from not even an hour ago repeat, body parts and blood occasionally spray out and land on the empty cave floor.

You emerge into frame of the hologram, face being obscured by the low quality bright blue scan. The changeling you decapitated crawls up behind you and speaks. "Your hate... will... feed us... For eternity!" As you stomp it's neck, the hologram turns off, and the echo device floats down to the table.

Celestia and Luna are looking at the disk, troubled looks plastered on both of their faces.

With a deep inhale and exhale, Celestia speaks. "This is worse than we thought..." She pauses for a couple of seconds. "Slayer, I believe you are right in your assumption. I do not think they know you are trying to return to your own world, but they are most definitely attempting to thwart you in some way. Over the past several months, there have been multiple attempts of demonic rituals, as well as attempts to open portals to Tartarus; I believe these attempts to be of changeling origin. Changelings traditionally feast off of love, and tried to take over Equestria last year by feasting off the love of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor..." Celestia's gaze turns to the side of the room. "...but perhaps now they are trying to feed off the hate of the underworld."

Your fists clench as the love of your life speaks.

Your eyebrows furrow.

Your teeth grit.

Your arms are visibly trembling in rage, and both sisters have taken notice.

"Art thou... alright, Slayer?" Luna speaks up.

Celestia's eyes scan you up and down, worry deep inside them. "Slayer... I understand your world needs you, and you have my vow that my sister Luna and I will do everything in our power to make sure you are able to return." She glances from Luna, back to you. "But I have seen what terrible corruption can happen when one fools with the dark realm, and I fear for the safety of my little ponies. Will you... aid us, in stopping these disturbances before they get out of hoof?"

You're about five seconds away from smashing everything in this room, so you do the one thing that calms you down besides destruction.

You pace back and forth.

"We can supply thou with whatever he desires, Slayer. Thou has our word." Luna offers, as if she's trying to tempt you into agreement.

Each boot lands in front of the other, as you trek slowly around the two sister's chairs. You can feel their eyes on your back, confused at your display. You don't mind, it's warming to feel their presence after so long.

"...Slayer?" Celestia speaks up, worry plaguing her vocal cords.

The room is immaculate, and reflects Celestia's beauty. Every color, every material, meticulously chosen to accent her majesty and perfection.

Earth, or Equestria? Which means more to you? Well that's obvious, but it's not a matter of your personal opinion.

"Please, Slayer... I have been suppressing the attempts as much as I can, but I'm reaching my limits. I believe you might be Equestria's only hope..." Celestia gives the faintest of sighs. "I've already had to witness the downfall of humanity, I will not let my little ponies meet the same fate."

With your back turned to her, you cock your head in her direction. You can feel the weight of the worlds on your shoulders, each passing second is another milestone in the death of your own people. You carry this with all your might, but the burden wears you down all the same.

You scan your eyes across your HUD, inspecting VEGA's predictions of how much time Earth has left before it is past the point of salvation.

"Going off of previous records, as well as my own calculations, Earth has approximately 80 hours before it is entirely corrupted by the forces of Hell." VEGA speaks out loud, catching the attention of the two sisters.

You turn to face Tia and Lulu, slamming your right fist into your left palm. With a crack of your neck and your knuckles, you walk right up to your fuzzy horse woman. You've got time. You'll save her adorable little world in a day or two, then haul ass to Earth.

Celestia looks towards you, intimidated by your rapid approach but hopeful in your intentions.

As gently as you can you place her right hoof in your own hand. Clasping your left hand to cover it completely, you kneel and press her hoof to your forehead, bowing to her.

"I... Thank you, Slayer. Your service will not go unrewarded." Celestia sounds like the largest burden in the universe has been lifted off her back. She looks over to Luna, flashing a look of hesitation before speaking. "In case you do not believe me, I think my sister Luna and I should show you to what might locate your home."

"Sister...? Are you sure you wish to do this now-"

Celestia glances over to Luna, motioning her to silence. "Follow me, I will explain on the way there."

Rising to your feet in front of her, you turn to the basket containing your fluffy roommate.

"I suggest placing your little friend somewhere safe, Slayer." Celestia urges you, flashing you a look of concern. "I can arrange to have him placed in a sanctuary for now."

You glance from Pumpkin to Horse Lady, before nodding in agreement.

Celestia and Luna's hoofsteps echo down the vast halls underneath the palace. You've been descending lower and lower for what seems like an eternity. The trip has been almost completely silent, save for occasional whispered conversations between Celestia and her younger sister. You've been toning them out, fixating on taking in your surroundings. You've got a gut feeling that for better or worse you'll be spending more time here.

"This artifact was discovered centuries ago, and is one of the most sacred items in all of Equestria." Celestia breaks the silence, walking with elegance and grace. "It was excavated from the temple of Neigh Say, an earth pony from before my time."

The three of you finish your long descent underneath the palace. Two massive stone doors stand before you, easily 20 or 30 feet tall.

"Neigh Say has been forgotten in modern Equestrian history, but she was believed by many to have been gifted all-knowing wisdom from the heavens. Her knowledge was as vast as the ocean, and no question was ever left unanswered by her."

Luna and Celestia's horns glow in unison, as the titan doors open inwards, revealing a massive chamber. Though you are deep below the surface and there is not a light source in sight, the chamber is basked in a dull blue hue. Standing alone in the seemingly endless room, a golden orb surrounded by a stone pillar illuminates the cold stone floor below it.

"Neigh Say's temple was constructed to commemorate her life and wisdom, though her closest followers hid many artifacts inside. One of them was this." Celestia motions a hoof to the stone pillar in the center of the room. "Scriptures refer to it simply as 'the Godstone'."

You eye the Godstone up and down. It really isn't anything special, just a glowing yellow orb surrounded in a slag-like stone.

"It is said that Neigh Say would spend hours every day working on this stone, engraving and sealing her limitless knowledge into it." Luna pipes up, eyes locked on the pulsing sphere.

"The legend goes that if one interacts with the Godstone, the secret of life itself will be unveiled to them. From the birth of the first star, to the far reaches of space and time." Celestia looks over to her younger sister with somber eyes. "My sister Luna knows the farthest reaches of our galaxy, and not even she could locate your planet..." She turns her attention to you, that sad look intensifies with every passing moment. It's as if the weight of your situation is finally dawning on her. The lives at stake, and the potential of what will happen without your assistance. "I told myself I would never allow any living creature to interact with this, but it may be your only hope."

Your eyes are trained on Celestia. It's astonishing how well she can maintain her poise and posture when she is troubled like this. You don't think you've ever told her, but you looked up to her for it. Her composure gave you strength in a way. Her magenta eyes look past your visor, into your own. Her inner eyebrows angle upwards, and her lips curl ever so softly downwards.

"We would offer the use of magic to aid you in your return, but it would be pointless if we do not know where you are heading." Luna says.

Actually, that brings up a good point.

You scan your eyes over the various elements on your HUD, before VEGA's icon flashes over your visor.

"I understand. Routing all available power to the neural bond." VEGA's tinny voice crackles out, echoing in the chamber. "Neural bond strengthened. I will now be able to store any and all information that passes through your brain."

Without giving either of the sisters another glance, you stride your way over to the Godstone. You raise a hand up to it, ready to touch the glowing, yellow orb.

"Ano- Slayer!" Celestia yells, raising a hoof out to you.

You slowly turn your head back to her, eyebrow raised.

She seems slightly flustered at her own outburst, but she regains her composure. "Please, be careful... I am only aware of two other ponies who have touched the stone, and both of them were driven to insanity afterwards." Her gaze softens, voice lowering in volume. "You're stronger than they were, just... Be careful."

Personal sanity has not been a concern of yours for eons.

You turn your helmet back to the stone, and place your palm on the face of the orb.

7 - New Rage

View Online

Placing your palm on the glowing orb surrounded on stone, yellow sparks begin to flutter out and run throughout your arm. You watch as your right gauntlet pulses and glows with this new energy source, the yellow glow and tingling sensation travel further up your arm with every passing moment. The feeling started out painless, and it almost tickles, but its growing in intensity. You watch your fingers twitch and spasm uncontrollably as more and more energy is pumped through your armor and into your body. Your HUD isn't showing any recognition of this new energy, which is slightly concerning.

It tickled a second ago when it was only in your arm, but now the energy is passing through your entire body. You begin to shake, muscles contracting and throbbing violently. You try to pull yourself free from the stone, but your body isn't responding to your own commands.

A sudden jolt of energy hits your body.

You see the vast nothingness of space, empty of all life.

A bright flash, millions upon millions of universes and galaxies are created in the blink of an eye.

You watch the sun rise and fall on planets never seen by your own eyes.

You bare witness to secrets and truths no mortal being was ever supposed to know.

You are everything and nothing at once. You're the creator of life, the dandelion swaying in the wind, the insect feasting on fecal matter.

Nanoseconds feel like hours, as you rocket through space and time. You watch billions of historical events unfold, planets being populated and killed in endless planes of time.

So much information could never be stored in a single mind. The largest libraries on Earth would be too inferior in size to accommodate. Like a cup being filled to it's brim, this forbidden knowledge leaks out of the receptacle your mind has become.

You grunt and groan, the pain and intensity escalate faster and to levels never felt before. It's as if you're in an electric chair, and someone is turning a dial which has no limit. Unable to control yourself, you open your mouth and let out a howl of pain. Yellow light engulfs your eyes, blinding you from inside your own body as you feel energy pouring out of your mouth. As you scream and cry underneath your helmet, your lungs are constantly filled with oxygen, enabling your body to scream for eternity.

You swear you can hear Celestia screaming for you to pull away, but at this point that might as well be your ears playing tricks on you.

You can only watch in absolute horror as Slayer's body is overwhelmed with the power of the Godstone. His howling screams of agony are giving you flashbacks to Anonymous' final moments with you. His entire body is glowing, lighting up the massive chamber in the heavenly, yellow glow.

"Slayer! Pull away!" You cry out, fighting back tears as you watch him. Unconsciously you begin galloping towards him.

"Sister! Do not interfere! He'll never find his home world if you stop the process!" Luna yells back, Slayer's scream reaching deafening levels of intensity.

"It's killing him from the inside, Luna! I refuse to lose him so soon!" Tears fall down your face, as you engulf Slayer in your magic. With all of your might, you pull him away from the stone.

Slayer collapses onto his knees instantly. His hands reach up to his helmet as he rips it off, vomiting onto the stone floor underneath him. His head hangs low, face being obscured by his massive gauntlets. His body wretches as he dry heaves for breath between waves of vomit.

Blinking away the tears, you walk up behind him and place a hoof on his back, rubbing up and down in a supporting manner. "Breathe, Slayer... Just breathe." You coo out gently, putting aside your own worries to tend to his needs.

"Nrraggh... G-god... Augh..." He moans and groans in agony, voice hoarse and scratchy. Slayer is in an absolute state of despair. His body shakes and shudders violently, his exposed biceps are blotchy and purple from veins and blood vessels bursting.

His hair... It's a deep shade of mocha, just like Anonymous. At the sound of your voice, Slayer leaned in your direction, putting some of his weight against your legs. The contact makes your heart flutter, and you lean in to nuzzle against his neck.

"You're safe, Slayer. I promise." You speak softly, taking this opportunity to inhale his scent. A hint of sweat and earthy tones, the musk of a champion. "Did you find what you sought after?"

As you expected, Slayer does not respond to your question. His chest rises and falls, and it seems his soul focus is regulating his breath and heart rate. Looking down at his gauntlets, you notice they begin to shake and tremble.

Slayer scoots away from you, and with his head still hung low enough to hide his face, he scoops up his helmet and places it back on his head. Shakily he rises to his feet, gaze locked on the Godstone which gave off it's normal pulsing glow.

"...Slayer?" You manage to pipe up, nervous at his stance. You glance over to Luna, who is staring back with a look of disappointment in your actions.

"Scan complete." VEGA's voice crackled out from Slayer's chestplate. "If my data is correct, Slayer bared witness to over 16 trillion universes and galaxies. Out of these, 376 million galaxies were identical to the solar system Earth resides in, yet none were under demonic invasion. Judging by the placement of Equis' solar system to the solar systems containing Earth like planets, it would take an entire planet's worth of energy to form a portal with enough power to travel even half that distance."

VEGA's words hang in the air, as everyone in the chamber remains dead silent. Slayer's fists stop shaking, as he freezes in place. The sight pulls at your heart, as the reality of his situation reveals itself.

"We are by all means stranded here." VEGA concludes his hypothesis.

Luna glares at you from your right side, and you flash a glare back to her. Didn't she just hear VEGA? Even if he did find his universe, there would be almost no way to gather enough power to return. Not even the power of the strongest unicorns and alicorns combined could muster that much energy.

Your mind is screaming at you to go comfort him. Begging and pleading with your body to move right up to him and embrace him. Despite this, your legs refuse to acknowledge your mind's command, and you stay put. The glow from the Godstone engulfs his front in it's heavenly glow, casting his back in a dark shadow. He looks so vulnerable from this angle, it pains your very being.

"I'm so sorry, Slayer..." Your voice is as soft as a newborn foal's fur, finally mustering the strength to take a step towards him.

Just as you place a single hoof down, Slayer's fists clench, causing you to halt once again.

He strides back over to the Godstone, rubbing his palm over the orb back and forth. Just as the energy begins to spark back up, he pulls his hand away and balls it into a fist. With all of his might, he brings his fist down to the Godstone. yellow sparks shoot out as the face of the orb cracks. This only seems to enrage Slayer more as he brings his fist down again, this time even harder than before. Punch after punch, chunks of the orb begin to fly across the room as he wails on it.

"Slayer! Cease this at once! That is the only one of it's kind!" Luna uses her Canterlot voice, stomping over to Slayer.

He doesn't listen, using both fists as he crushes the slag-like pillar the orb rested in. Placing his left hand on the side of the pillar, he grabs the orb and pulls it towards himself. His body trembles and shakes, the ground underneath rumbles as the orb is finally ripped out of it's socket.

"Slayer!" Luna stomps her hoof, as he holds the orb up high. Luna puts a hoof on his shoulder and spins him around to face her.

Slayer's eyes are filled with the rage of a million tortured souls, locking eyes with Luna. Your younger sister's ears fold instantly, as she immediately begins backing up. The blade on his left forearm extends, causing you and your sister to gasp.

Preparing a magical bolt to stun Slayer, you watch him toss the orb into the air and slice it in twain. The Godstone dulls to a dark bronze color, both of it's halves crash onto the floor and shatter like glass. All three of you stare at the remains of the stone, you and Luna are in a state of absolute shock.

"Have you no comprehension for what you have just done...?" Luna shakily asks, her voice caught between fear and anger, her eyes glance up and down Slayer's body.

His blade retracts, stance returning to normal as his eyes scan over the broken orb.

Taking a chance, you walk over to Slayer, and place a hoof on his shoulder. You gaze into his visor, barely able to make out his eyes underneath the tinted glass. They're green, just like Anon's. His eyebrows were furrowed, pupils shrunken in rage. Despite this, when he meets your gaze, his demeanor softens in an instant, as if your very presence alone calms him. His shoulders slump as you curl your neck around his own, wrapping a wing around his back.

"I cannot begin to imagine the stress you must be under, Slayer... You have my word that you will always have a home here in Equestria." Your wing rubs up and down his back as he stands there. He doesn't hug you back, but he doesn't pull away either. Ever so slightly, he leans his helmet against your head.

"I am detecting multiple life signatures inside our base of operations." VEGA's voice interrupts your moment of intimacy with Slayer.

Both of you pull away, looking into each other's eyes.

"DNA scans suggest they are demonic in nature, their place of origin somewhere in Dodge Junction. The Slipgate will take 13 hours to cool off-" VEGA's voice fizzles out, having been cut off prematurely by some sort of interruption.

With wide eyes, you stare into Slayer's visor, watching his eyebrows furrow once again. "We must leave, now." You say.

Slayer shuffles away from you, braking into a full on sprint as he slams the giant doors open. You and Luna take wing, catching up to him.

Wind soars past the double themed chariot, as your royal guards rocket towards Dodge Junction as fast as their wings can take them. Various towns and cities fly by in the horizon as you near the small junction village. You and your sister are sitting in your proper seats, Slayer is standing in the middle, one foot on the edge of the chariot as he scans the surroundings. Off in the distance, you can see smoke billowing out into the clear sky, trailing for miles.

"Faster! My little ponies are in trouble!" You command your guards, who accelerate even faster.

The chariot finally closes in on the small town, and the sight terrifies you. Massive tentacles curl up the various buildings in town, pieces of earth have separated and parted from each other. The entire town is on fire, as ghoulish beings roam the streets.

You watch Slayer place a hand behind his back, pressing it to a circular device on his waist. The device lights up, as something materializes into his grip. It's some sort of a handheld weapon, strikingly similar to the handcannon Anonymous had his blacksmiths make for him all those years ago. This one has a wooden handle, and two steel barrels, along with some jagged spike attached to the bottom.

Slayer brings the weapon in front of his visor, his left hand reaches into a pouch as two red cartridges are pulled out. He breaks open the weapon, loading both cartridges before flicking the weapon closed.

You're about to call out and instruct him what to do, but it's far too late. The chariot rocks from the left to the right, as Slayer jumps out mid-flight into the town below.

"Slayer!" You call out, leaning off the side to watch him fall.

In the middle of the street, a group of pony-like ghouls are surrounding a large, superficial pile of guts and gore. Their horns are glowing dark red, as they pump energy into the heap of meat. The ghoul in the middle screeches in agony as Slayer's boots collide into it's back, breaking it's spine. The fiend looks up, only to have it's head stomped in by his right boot.

((Scene Music))

Blood and brains splatter over the other five demons, who all let out howls of rage. You can only watch in astonishment from your eagle's eye view in the sky, as Slayer expertly and efficiently ends the lives of the crowd. He blasts one in the chest with his weapon, before ramming another one into the ground. A demon leaps in front of him, horn pointed right at Slayer's throat.

Just before contact, the blade on his forearm extends as Slayer chops the demon's head clean off it's body mid-flight. The ghoul on the ground is finally getting up onto it's hooves, just in time for Slayer to grab it's front right leg. Slayer jams his gauntlet into it's knee joint, causing the leg bone to pierce through it's skin. Wasting no time, Slayer jams the bone into the ghoul's temple.

"D-do you want us to go down, Princess?" One of your guards calls out from his position in front of you.

You snap yourself out of your trance and look over to him. "No. Set myself and Luna down on top of that hill. I want you to return to Canterlot and bring as many large chariots as you can. We need to evacuate the town as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness!" He salutes, as the team lands on the hill half a mile away from the town.

You and Luna demount, as sounds of death and destruction echo from the town below. The chariot flies off, leaving you two to witness Slayer's wrath from a far. In the time it took you to coordinate and land here, a path of dead hell-spawn has been made straight into town hall. An explosion causes the ground to rumble, as you watch viscera and gibs fly up several feet in the air.

"We need to move, Sister. Slayer is distracting the demons, we should look for survivors." Luna's wings spread.

You don't respond, and simply nod in agreement, taking wing and flying into town with her.

As you and Luna fly into town, you spot a massive group of ponies sprinting out of town. You can see Mayor Buckington herding the townsponies in the safest direction possible. Mares, foals, colts and stallions are running for their lives, dodging falling debris and hostile projectiles being tossed from hell-spawn. Shining Armor is in the pack as well, casting magic missiles in the direction of the horde. It seems to be a last ditch effort, as his projectiles fly all over the place, aim being messed up by his backwards galloping.

Three bright yellow projectiles impact the ground surrounding the crowd, forcing them to funnel down a small alleyway. Curiously, you turn to face where these projectiles came from.

Standing on a rooftop, Slayer has a new weapon braced underneath his right armpit. It's light grey, and a lot longer than the previous weapon. You watch him fire another one of these projectiles. The flashing yellow ball arcs it's way down the road and lands yards away from Mayor Buckington.

It explodes, kicking up dust and dirt in his face, blocking off yet another path from him. Anger wells inside you at the display. Is he tormenting your little ponies? He agreed to help, not to make things worse!

As the dust from the explosion settles, the corpse of a demon twitches and spasms in the crater, most of it's limbs blown to chunks.

He is helping. Like a shepherd guiding his flock, Slayer is not only protecting your little ponies from immediate threats, but he is helping to funnel them in a safe direction, correcting any errors in judgement Buckington makes.

Turning back to Slayer, you find that he is now back on the road with a new weapon in his hands. It's large and boxy, mainly black and silver with a tan heat-shroud near the front. A horde of demons cast fireballs and plasma toward Slayer, who returns fire with this new weapon.

Bright blue balls of concentrated energy launch from the front of the weapon, melting the skin of the hell-spawn horde and sending static electricity through their bodies. One demon is pumped with so much energy, his body explodes in an arc of electricity, flying up and crashing into a window.

"Luna!" You point to a clearing in the distance. "I want them to rendezvous there, go down and help Shining Armor protect the group!"

Luna nods, and ducks down, landing next to Shining as she begins casting projectiles of her own into the hordes of demons.

Your own attention is on Slayer at the moment. You watch him lay waste to demon after demon. When he's not executing them from a distance, he is ripping flesh from bone, tearing muscle fibers apart like tissue paper. He's not just killing them to protect the innocent, he's killing with the intent of inflicting pain and suffering.

You can see it in the eyes of his prey, They are terrified of his very existence, yet throw themselves at his feet. The device on his shoulder erects from it's resting position, pointing at a large, minotaur-like demon which was dashing towards Slayer. As the demon grabs Slayer and attempts to attack, a small flame ignites from the device, before an onslaught of fire belches out in the demon's face. White hot, pressurized fire spews out, melting flesh and muscle from the beast's head. As the fire subsides, the beast falls to the ground, bare skull charred.

Another pony-like demon cowers away, galloping past Slayer in a desperate attempt to flee. Slayer grabs the base of it's tail with his right hand, the blade on his left arm extends. Your heart sinks at what you bare witness to, as Slayer repeatedly stabs and spears the flank of the demon. The pony screams and cries in terror, smashing it's front hooves against the dirt like a child getting spanked.

Slayer chops it's tail off, swinging his arm around as he dismembers it's hind legs from it's body. The demon looks up at him, pupils the size of pinpricks as it is decapitated.

He's protecting your little ponies, but his ways are disgusting. He's the definition of a cold blooded killer. You've never witnessed such raw hatred in all of your life, and it's stomach churning to spectate.

What made him this way? What could drive one man to cause so much death and destruction?

What happens if he feels betrayed by you or your ponies?

Is... this what has become of Anonymous?

Your attention is drawn away from Slayer, as a dark purple flash appears in front of the crowd. A tall, bipedal demon stands before the townsponies. The crowd screams in terror as it makes a mad dash towards Shining Armor. Shining reacts by charging up a missile spell, but he's too slow. The demon raises a clawed hand and slashes his face.

Shining Armor cries out in pain, one of the razor sharp claws having clipped a chunk off the tip of his horn, and gouging his right eye. Blinded in one eye, and magically crippled for a moment, Shining flips around and bucks his hind legs into the beast.

The purple demon ducks to the side, slashing open Shining's left flank. Blood oozes down his lame hind quarters, as he struggles to stand. The demon grabs Shining Armor by his mane, lifting him into the air and preparing to decapitate or disembowel the captain.

KER-CHUNK

An explosion, followed by the sound of chain rattling around echoes out as a bronze hook impaled the beast in it's chest. A ratcheting sound is heard immediately after as the beast instinctively drops Shining to the ground, gripping the hook attached to it's chest. Seconds later, a massive green blur smashes into the demon. An ear shattering explosion booms out as the demon's entire upper body is blown to bits.

Standing in the remains of the once alive creature, the Slayer breaks open his double barreled weapon, quickly reloading it.

The crowd looks up at Slayer in fear, standing still as they have reached the clearing finally. Slayer's chest rises and falls softly, the two barrels of his gun leak smoke profusely. The smell of sulfur and intestines coat Slayer as he scans the crowd up and down.

Shining Armor hacks and coughs on the ground, looking up at Slayer slowly. The look in his one functional eye is a mix of terror and awe, the hellish blaze of the town behind Slayer casts his body in an ominous orange glow. "You... You saved me."

Slayer gives Shining Armor nothing more than a glance, his eyes still scanning over the crowd. You land by Slayer's side, the crowd of ponies bow to you, still shaken up by all the events of the last hour.

Mayor Buckington takes a headcount, looking over the tens of ponies. "We're missing one!" He yells out, fear palpable in his voice. "Wonderlight! has anypony seen him before this all happened?"

"M-my dad was killed by those things!" A young mare sobs very loudly, holding her head in her hooves. Slayer's eyes look up and down her, flashing her a look of doubt.

Without wasting another moment, Slayer turns around and marches back into town. Curious in his intentions, you opt to follow him.

"Luna, stay with the townsponies. I want them all evacuated to the Canterlot hospital."

"We will see to it, Sister." Luna nods, and stands with Shining Armor, tending to his wounds just as medics rush over.

Your eyes constantly dart across your HUD, scanning for any more signs of demonic life. So far you've wiped out every last one, the only thing that is left is the gore tentacles that are corrupting the land. Horse Lady has decided to tag along by your side, her eyes filled with worry and sorrow at what has become of this once quaint little town.

The only sounds in the once populated town is the crackling of fire in the buildings, save for the foot and hoofsteps of you and Celestia. Out of the corner of your eye you can see her maneuvering around the gore and viscera, impressively keeping her majestic grace all the same. She has a somber look on her face, as if she is contemplating her choices and actions. It pains you to see her in such a state, but you're not ready to speak to her. You've got a lot of contemplating of your own to do.

"I... must thank you, for saving Shining Armor." Celestia breaks the silence, as you two round a corner.

You tilt your head to her direction, waiting for her to continue.

"That beast caught everypony off guard, and if it wasn't for your reaction speed..." She casts her gaze down to the dirt below her, which is covered in debris and guts. "His wife will be very thankful to hear you saved him, Slayer. Thank you."

Celestia looks up to face you, and you give her a simple nod of your head.

Rounding a final corner, you come across Wonderlight's Wizardly Wares. Or at least, what's left of it. The entire building is covered in hellish flesh and tentacles, a surefire sign this is where the invasion started. Glancing over your HUD, you call an area scan. After a few seconds, the request fails. VEGA's systems are completely offline.

That reminds you, you've gotta stop by your cave to go confront the little shits who broke him.

The front door to the shop is completely sealed shut in this fleshy, cyst and boil covered material. While you can't take advantage of VEGA's systems, your own suit has some tricks of it's own. Your equipment launcher extends out, the flame thrower ignites and launches a white hot stream of napalm onto the skin.

Celestia recoils at the action, looking away whilst you burn an entrance. You glance over to her, silently asking if she's going to follow you inside. After a few seconds, she shudders and ducks inside with you.

The shop is an absolute mess, shelves and products have been thrown around and destroyed. A trail of blood on the wooden floor catches your attention, leading into a backroom. You pull out your combat shotgun and rack the pump, following the trail. You and Celestia are lead down a staircase into a damp and murky basement. Celestia lights up her horn, illuminating the dark room.

Engulfed in a bloody, fleshy cocoon, Wonderlight swings back and forth from the ceiling. His horn has been broken off and stabbed into his left eye, sparks fizzling out of the base on his head.

"P-please... Let this end..." He coughs up blood, voice hoarse. Cracking open an eye, he looks you and Celestia up and down. "My... Daughter... Changeling... Tried.. Stopping..." He can barely speak, being weakened by the fleshy prison, as well as his injuries.

"Everything will be okay, Wonderlight. Just relax." Celestia's heavenly voice graces the elder's ears.

You walk up to him and slice the cocoon off of the ceiling, catching him on his decent to the ground. Placing him gently on the ground, you tear the flesh off his body, freeing him. He's actually completely intact, which is more than a pleasant surprise.

Celestia kneels down next to you, her horn lights up. "This may hurt, please bare with me." Wonderlight's broken horn impaled in his eye is engulfed in Celestia's magic, as it is slowly removed.

Wonderlight grunts in pain, before his eye is wrapped in that same magic. His eyelid is pulled shut, as Celestia's magic closes the wound in his eyeball.

You scoop the old pony off the ground and hold him to your chest. "I'm so sorry... I didn't see the signs until it was too late... Hazelblossom kept forcing me to stay out of my own basement, she said she was working on a personal project. We had a little argument, and I went to see what was so important that I didn't see..." He motions to the gore nest in the corner of the room, which has already been half destroyed. "T-they just kept pouring out by the dozens... I managed to close the thing, but not before one of them snapped my horn and hung me there to die..."

"You said your daughter is the cause of this?" Celestia asks, still tending to his eye as you make for the exit.

Wonderlight nods, wincing in pain. "Mhm... I should've known, she didn't act at all like herself these past several weeks..." Wonderlight has a puzzled look on his face, continuing seconds later. "Though, despite revealing herself to me by accident, she actually tried to stop that portal thingy and save me. It's like something didn't go to plan, and she wanted it to stop."

You glance down, giving him a perplexed look.

"Slayer, when we find this changeling, I ask that you do not end it so suddenly." Celestia speaks up, looking towards you. "Now that we know for certain the changelings are the cause of this, I want to bring this one in for questioning."

Questioning. Yeah, like that's gonna make a difference. Let's go question the little runts who fucked up your base and are trying to rip the world apart.

You flash her an 'are you serious?' face, which she responds with a stern look of her own.

"Your violence has been very eye opening to me, Slayer. I thank you for your service, but I will not allow such constant brutality to be the solution to Equestria's problems. I trust that you'll find it in you to abide by that, if you wish to stay in my country..." Celestia seemed hesitant to say that last part, but kept her stern facade up all the same.

You flash her an angry look, before slumping your shoulders. You wouldn't do this for Hayden, or VEGA, or anyone else who wished you to stop. But for her, you'll try it out.

After several minutes, you return to the clearing. Several chariots have arrived, and medics surround the townsponies, checking them for injuries. Tens of royal guards rush into town past you and Celestia, presumably to contain and remove the mess.

Mayor Buckington turns around and notices you walking by Celestia's side, Wonderlight in your hands. He seems fearful of your presence, but gives a sigh of relief seeing the old pony is safe and alive. "Oh thank Celestia, I was worried sick!"

Horse Lady gives the mayor a smile, extending a wing to you. "I am not the one to thank right now, Mister Buckington. Slayer here was the one who found him."

Placing the old pony on his hooves, he hobbles over to the mayor and gives him a hug. Your eyes scan over the various ponies, most of which are boarding large passenger chariots. Celestia is speaking to you, but you have her toned out. The technicolor-ed, pastel ponies blend in with each other like gumballs in a candy dispenser. One of the chariots is hauled out of formation, seconds away from take off. At the very front of the chariot, you spot her.

There you are, you little cunt.

You push past Buckington, who falls onto his haunches at your push.

"Hey! Watch yourself!" He complains.

You push past guards and ponies, increasing your speed to a jog as the chariot begins to accelerate. Just before it takes off, you grab the very back of it. The whole chariot creaks violently, and the pegasi guards trip over themselves, being stopped by your tug. Ponies onboard the chariot gasp in shock, parting ways as you climb aboard.

Hazelblossom looks up at you. Her eyes shrink and her ears fold back, cowering as you stride towards her. "I uh... D-did you find my dad? Gah!" She yelps as you grab her mane, lifting her up and throwing her off the ride.

Hazel hits the ground right in front of Celestia, who squints her eyes down at her. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, changeling." Tia injects loads of venom into that last part, as she speaks up. "Guards! Shackle this one and put her on her own chariot."

A team of guards quickly surround her, pinning her to the ground and restraining her.

You hop off the chariot and take your place by Horse Lady's side, patting her on the back a couple of times.

She sighs and leans her head against your own. "Oh, Slayer... I hope this ends soon. I cannot bare to see what might come of all this."

You scratch under her chin a couple times, as the townsponies are hauled off towards Canterlot.

8 - Bad Cop, Worse Cop

View Online

You knew what to expect when you returned to your cave, but seeing it only made your hatred and rage worse. The demons that VEGA had detected before they ravaged the place were still there, reveling in their handiwork. After brutalizing and turning them into piles of red pulp, Celestia had to use her magic to pull you away from the destroyed remains of your base. After you two had rescued Wonderlight, you had wandered off to your cave, and she had tagged along.

You're mad.

You're more than mad.

They ought to make a new word to describe the fiery anguish inside you, because the current roster of words is too tame.

The culmination of this last week's events have you racked with pain and anger, which is only intensified with every worried glance Celestia gives you out of the corner of her gorgeous eyes. You could see it earlier in the day, when you brutalized that demon pony in the town. She's heard about your feats, your immense power and ferocity from somewhere, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes, she's awe-struck.

She's scared of you, but it seems deeper than that. She's nervous of what might happen if you betrayed her, but that didn't seem to be a major concern. There's something more underneath those eyes of hers, as if she's scared to find out you're identity. Like she has an idea who you are, but isn't sure she'll like the answer.

You yourself don't like the idea of letting her know, but having to always keep her at arms length is so painful. You can't imagine what kind of pain it might bring Celestia if she found out this monster is the man she used to call her lover.

You're thinking too much about this.

Celestia's chariot rolls to a stop on the polished stone of Canterlot. In front of the royal hospital, dozens of other chariots are lined up in mismatched patterns, a sign of hasty landings. Inside the massive hallway, you can see royal guards and medical personnel galloping and trotting to and fro in every direction.

From the corner of your eye you watch Celestia turn to face you, concern plagues her delicate features. "I must tend to my subjects. Would you be willing to accompany me? I feel that you will be... Less threatening, if I am by your side."

As Celestia walks off the ramp of her chariot, you opt to hop out the side, the ground rumbling under your heavy landing. You don't feel like wasting time convincing marshmallow horses you're not evil. Every second not spent putting an end to Equestria's demonic threat is just more time for you to sulk into eternal depression over your own failure. For the sake of your conscience, the only thing that is important to you is finding that changeling impostor.

You walk by Celestia's side, but refuse to look at her. Royal guards who were posted outside the doors levitate horns to their mouths, playing a triumphant song to let everypony know their monarch has arrived. The townsponies from Dodge Junction are crowded into the waiting room of the massive hospital. As Celestia makes her grand entrance, the ponies give bows before rushing up and bombarding her with questions. Parents hold their young close, whilst others sit or pace nervously back and forth, waiting for their injuries to be tended to.

Sitting by herself with her back to you and Horse Lady, a smaller pink alicorn rests on her haunches, staring off at one of the hospital doors. Her multi-color mane cascades down the side of her neck like a waterfall, her pink wings constantly shift around as if she is unable to find a comfortable resting position. As if on cue the door opens, revealing a bandaged and eye-patched Shining Armor. The pretty pink princess jumps off her seat, galloping over and embracing Shining in a tight hug.

"I was so worried about you, Shiny!" Her young voice was weary and weak, as if she was on the verge of tears. "I caught a glimpse of you being rushed inside... There... There was so much blood..." She sniffles, as tears dot the stallion's puffy chest.

Shining gives a weak chuckle, one of his hooves gently rubs up and down her back lovingly. "Those things wanted a piece of the best... I suppose they got it." His laughter is hollow and almost forced, the gloomy look in his eye tells the story of a man who was confident his time was up.

You can't see Wonderlight anywhere in the waiting room, presumably he's being worked on at the moment. Perhaps Shining will know where they put that changeling?

Pushing past the crowd of ponies surrounding Celestia, you stride your way over to Shining Armor and his pink wife. He cracked an eye open and saw you, nodding his head with a weak smile as you close in.

"As a matter of fact, I don't think I'd be here to hold you again if it weren't for this big guy." Shining Armor releases his grip on his wife, who sniffles once again before turning to face you. "Cadence, meet Slayer." He says, motioning a hoof towards you.

Cadence looks towards you with a warm smile, appreciation and joy behind those purple eyes of hers. "I cannot begin to express how thankful I am, Slayer. I don't know what I would have done if... You hadn't..." As Cadence makes eye contact with you under your visor, her pupils shrink to the size of pinpricks. Her ears fold back as her mouth gapes ever so slowly.

Shining looks back and forth between you and Cadence, and you offer him a quick glance of confusion yourself.

"...Cadey? Everything alright?" Shining asks, nuzzling her neck gently.

Cadence speaks out in a near silent whisper, her words swept under her own breath.

"Cadey?"

"What did they take from you?" Cadence spoke barely a notch louder, but it was enough that you could actually understand her this time. Ever so slowly, Cadence walks up to you, placing one of her hooves to your chest. Her horn is engulfed in a blue glow, as she touches her tip to your exposed neck. Cadence's face grows almost pail, as she stumbles back, holding onto Shining Armor. "I-I'm sorry... I need s-some space." Averting her gaze from your own, she embraces Shining and tugs him towards the exit and outside.

You're left standing by yourself, several ponies look up at you with confused, and even angry stares, as if you did something to offend them.

The fuck was all that about?

From the same door Shining Armor emerged out of, a nurse walks out with a clipboard in her possession. "Is there a Mister Slayer here?" Her nasally, nerdy voice booms out, her eyes locked on the clipboard. "Mister Slayer? Anypony seen a Mister Slayer?"

This catches Celestia's attention, who politely excuses herself from the crowd that had gathered. She trots up to your side as you approach the nurse.

You and Horse Lady are walking side by side, as she leads you towards the castle dungeons. The visit with Wonderlight was short, but relatively sweet you suppose. That cocoon he was imprisoned in has caused several internal injuries, and doctors believe they will have long term effects on his health. Regardless, he is making steady progress towards recovery. Wonderlight thanked you for saving his life, and simply requested that during the interrogation you did not slay the changeling. He said that if everything went alright, and if Celestia would allow it, he wanted to offer a home for the thing.

He said he was 'confident that one in particular meant no harm in any of this'. Yeah right. Regardless, Celestia has re-iterated that she shall not tolerate you murdering this one, despite how violent the interrogation may get.

Arriving at the dungeon, two guards part ways in front of a steel door, allowing entrance into the small containment room. Chained to a steel chair and restrained by a straitjacket, 'Hazelblossom' looks up to you and Celestia with bags under her eyes.

"P-please! This is all a big mistake! You've got the wrong pony!" She pleads and begs, wriggling around in her restraints.

Furrowing your eyebrows under your visor, you fold your arms and cross your legs, leaning against the wall of the tiny room.

Celestia stands beside the chair, glaring down at Hazelblossom with an intense stare. "Do you wish to try introducing yourself again?"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Hazel remains steadfast with her story. "P-princess, please! I'm telling you I'm innocent. T-the changeling must have shape-shifted to look like me!"

Celestia cocks her head to the side, rolling her eyes over to meet yours with a half lidded gaze. She cracks the smallest of smirks. "Is this so, Hazelblossom? Then it must be no issue at all for you to answer me some simple questions?"

Hazel's eyes shrink, but she nods her head. "Of course, Princess."

You shuffle your arms around, amused at this side of Celestia you haven't seen before.

"Mr. Wonderlight told me and my dear friend here that you refused to let him into his own basement. What was so important that he not see?"

"It was a birthday gift! A big birthday surprise." Hazel spat out without any thought.

Tia raises an eyebrow, before continuing. "A birthday surprise?"

"Yes! H-his birthday is in... Well, it's soon. I was making him a great big surprise party filled with uh... Games! Games and, food."

Alright, you're bored.

You push yourself off the wall, and slowly make your way over to the chair. Tia notices this and instinctively backs away, allowing you as much room as you need. As you approach her chair, Hazelblossom's eyes shrink, her nostrils flare up as if she's trying to inhale your scent. It's the same thing she was doing earlier in the week, before all hell broke loose.

As you close in on her, she manages to press her nose against your armor, inhaling deeply before letting out a content sigh. As if she realized what she just did, she shakes her head rapidly and tries to play it off, despite keeping her eyes glued on you. "Oh... Perhaps you c-can talk some sense into the Princess, Mr. Giant? W-we've met before, you've seen me!"

You reach a hand to your hyperspace inventory, and pull out a very special tool.

It's been awhile since you've fired her up, hopefully her carburetor isn't clogged.

Celestia and Hazelblossom both eye the device up and down. Hazel looks worried for her own safety, and recoils at the hefty scent the device gives off. Celestia glances from it, back up to your visor, flashing you a look of concern.

"Heh heh... Such fond... Memories... R-remember when you came to look for books, Mister Giant?"

You stand inches away from the steel chair, raising the tool above Hazel's head as you shake it around. Fuel sloshes back and forth inside the small gas tank.

"Or... That time you... T-took one of those... thingys...?" Hazel's eyes are glued to the device above her head.

You flick the choke, and grab the pull cord. With a firm yank, the jagged teeth on the chain spin around, before coming to a stop.

That's alright. The first crank never fires.

Sweat beads drop off of Hazel's forehead, as her body trembles, eyes glued to the jagged chain. "I don't know what else to tell you! I'm not an impostor!"

With another yank, smoke billows out the exhaust on the side as your pride and joy revs to life. The small room is engulfed with the deafening sound of an enraged two-stroke engine. Jamming down the trigger, the teeth on the blade arm rocket around in circles, flicking specs of dried blood and guts all over Hazel's face. In the corner of the room, Celestia cringes at the sound and display, yet keeps her gaze locked on you.

"N-no! Please! Oh dear lord no!" Hazel cries out, as you lower the spinning chain closer and closer to her neck. She recoils back, tilting her head either direction as she desperately tries to distance herself from a terrible demise. As the teeth spin inches away from her neck, Hazelblossom lets out a howling screech, her body engulfed in green fire.

Sitting in the unicorn mare's place is non-other than the most basic of changelings. It's fangs are exposed, glistening with venom as it hisses up at you.

You turn the chainsaw off, tossing it to the side as you grab the changeling's horn, pinning it's head to the back of the chair.

Celestia is by your side in an instant, glaring death down at the changeling. "You have ten seconds to explain why you are putting the entire world at risk before I send you to the deepest caverns of Tartarus."

The changeling's hisses slowly die down as it hyperventilates. "W-we didn't know unleashing the beasts would cause so much destruction! I swear to you!" It's raspy voice is filled with terror, as it tries to fill it's lungs back up with air. "A-after the failed assault of Canterlot, we were scattered! The Queen was nowhere to be found, and one by one we starved to death!"

Celestia bumps your leg with her flank, and nods her head towards the hand you were using to hold the horn. Obliging her, you release your grip.

The changeling swallows, before tearfully continuing. "We tried everything! Eating meat, vegetables, everything! Nothing we found could satiate our hunger like love... Until we found hate." The changeling's eyes look into Celestia's own. "S-some of us were able to hide in society, and feast off of the love ponies had for each other. It wasn't until I discovered how much more satiating hate was, that we ditched love entirely. We looked anywhere and everywhere for sources of hate, and came across old scripture describing a d-demonic outbreak..."

"Old scripture? What kind of scripture?" Celestia seems confused, yet enraged at this news.

"W-we found it in the Everfree! Deep within an ancient castle's ruins, there were tales carved into stone, depicting beasts and creatures who lived to hate." Tears are falling down the changeling's face, staining her straitjacket. "In our desperate attempt at survival, we searched for every little bit of text we could find about these creatures, and spread out all over Equestria to try and summon them..." The little creature closes her eyes, sobbing before bursting into wails of sadness. "I'm so sorry! We learned our lesson after the Canterlot raid, we really did! We just-! We didn't-!" Her breath hitches, as she devolves into incoherence.

Celestia's stern gaze is slowly faltering, as she watches the changeling cry.

"We don't want anypony to die! We just didn't want to go extinct!"

As Horse Lady leans in to nuzzle the changeling, you reach down to pick up your chainsaw, placing it back in your inventory.

Something better come out of this.

"You have committed a terrible act against all life on Equis. Do you understand this, little one?" Celestia's voice is stern, yet soft as silk. Like a mother to a misbehaving child.

The changeling hiccups and hitches, nodding her head. "Uhm-hmm..."

"I will offer you a chance to redeem yourself, and your kind of your wrong doings. Are there any other groups close to summoning another outbreak?"

The changeling sniffles, as Celestia uses a wing to dry her tears. "O-only two that I can think of... M-most my brothers and sisters have already died, or are too weak, or don't have enough resources... I was one of the lucky ones, a-and got in with such a caring old stallion." Pain and regret fill her voice as she says those last words.

Tia extends a wing towards you. "As far as I am aware, Slayer is the only being in existence with the power to stop the beasts of the underworld. Help him locate and stop these rituals before they happen. If, and only if all your brothers and sisters are brought back in and stopped, then I will allow you to prove your alliance to Equestria in prison. If not, then I will have no choice but to banish every last one of you."

The changeling looks over to you, then back up to Celestia. "Will... will he kill any of my siblings?"

"That is not up to me to answer. If your siblings remain compliant, then perhaps he will not have to."

After several seconds of silence, the changeling speaks once again. "The first group I know of is in Manehattan..."

9 - Silent Suffering

View Online

The blade of your axe embedded against the side of the hickory tree. Beads of sweat rolled down your forehead, down your exposed, sticky chest. You had been chopping at this baby for hours, and she was finally about to fall. Your hands gripped the wooden handle tighter, as you detached and swung once again.

Again and again, you swung into the side of the tree, every swing harder than the last, until before long you were grunting like a caveman.

With one final strike, the large tree shuddered, fibers at the base splintered and cracked as it begun it's rapid descent.

"Heads up! Timber!" You would yell out, motioning your fellow men to step aside.

The tree smashed against the ground with a booming thud, earth rumbling all around at the impact. You wiped some sweat from your brow, your ripped chest rose and fell with labored breath.

"My my~... Such a vulgar display of power." The sweetest voice you've ever heard graced your ears, like the sound of a flowing river from the heavens above.

You turned around to confront the beautiful sounding stranger, surprised to find a tall, white pony trotting towards you. Her eyebrows were up in amusement, pillowy lips curved upwards in a playful grin. Her pastel, rainbow mane cascaded down her body, glistening and shining in it's magical perfection.

Your fellow men gathered around the large tree, as they begun to de-bark and de-branch it. You gave a welcoming smile to the gorgeous stranger, and placed your axe blade into the dirt, resting on the handle. "Oh please, that wasn't even half of my full power... You outta see me when I'm angry." You cracked a wry smirk of your own, teasing her back.

The strange lady cocked an eyebrow higher than the other, her grin widened. "Oh? Well I'm sure if I ever did anything to make such a strong man as yourself angry, we would have to find something for you to take that energy out on."

Caught off guard, your grin faded as you blinked a couple times. Not a second later you recomposed yourself, adjusting your stance. "What do you mean by that?"

She turned her head away, keeping her magenta eyes fixated on you. "Well, I suppose that depends. What do you think I meant?" She pursed her lips, her innocent voice and face betrayed the playfully naughty look in her eyes.

"You coming onto me?"

The majestic, flirty stranger simply hummed at your question, turning her attention towards the large tree. "You and your people are making wonderful progress, may I ask what the lumber will be used for?" Her golden regalia sparkled and shined brightly in the summer sun, glistening with perfection.

She was royalty, no doubt about it. You never cared for royals yourself, but there was something about this one. She's a head hancho, sure, but she's playful in all the right ways. Willing to set aside the formalities for a little fun whenever possible.

You rocked your weight back and forth on the handle of your axe, as you glanced from the tree back to the stranger. "Yeah, it's hickory. We're using it for... Furnishings? Yeah, I think so... Bed frames, chairs, dressers, that sort of thing." You waved your hand in the direction of the fallen tree. "The wood-workers are whipping up some barrels of stain. It'll look absolutely beautiful when it's finished. It gives the wood a deep, mocha color."

The tall pony's mouth was curled in a genuine smile, her eyes never once left you. Every word you spoke to her was fascinating, and she wanted to know every little detail.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful. You people are putting such love and care into your work. I have been spectating from a far, and I must say I am very impressed."

Those eyes. That smile. There's something about this one, her presence is as radiant as the sun itself. All your worries inside faded away with every second of her company.

"Bow before me, peasants!" A snooty, nasally posh voice caught you and the pony's attention. Yards away, looking around in every direction, Nobleman Yerick searches for something. "Have any of you filthy peasants seen Sire Anonymous?! I have been looking up and down for his stubborn rear!"

Your shoulders would slump, eyes locked on the man who was barely taller than five feet. After several turns of his head, and mumbled conversations from your men, Yerick found you and proceeded to power-walk his way over.

"Sire Anonymous! Have you any idea how long I have been searching for you?!" His curly mustache glistened in the summer sun, the pits of his shirt damp with sweat.

You knew alright. It's the main reason you picked up an axe in the first place. This little runt always found a way to drag you back into politics.

"Oh? Royal business you must attend to?" The delightful stranger asks, eyebrows raised as she watched the short man approach.

"I wouldn't call it royal." You groaned out, before swinging the axe above your head and embedding it into the hickory tree.

"Your presence at the castle has been requested at once! King Valerian has requested that you-" As Yerick approached, he preformed an over-dramatic double take. "Dear lords! You're absolutely filthy! What on equis are you doing working with the low class anyway?"

Your eyebrow would twitch, as you glared down at him. "It's called helping, Yerick. You should try it sometime."

"Nobles do not associate with such filthy peasants! You should know better." About this time, Yerick noticed your visitor. With eyes wide and mouth agape, he bowed to her. "I am terribly sorry about this, I hope you are satisfied with the progress we are making."

The tall, horned and winged pony would simply smile and nod. "I was just telling this fine gentleman how grateful I am for his services. I cannot express my gratitude enough."

Yerick went red in the face, before snapping out of his egotistical thoughts. "I am sorry to end the pleasantries, but this rascal right here" - Yerick grabbed your massive, sweaty forearm - "needs to be attending a very important meeting with the King, and must leave at once."

With a glare and a sharp tug, you released yourself from his tiny hand. "Let me guess, Ceolmund got his hand stuck in the cookie jar again?"

The pony stranger brought a regalia covered hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Yerick glared up at you, grabbing your arm and pulling you away from the worksite. "Just get a move on, why don't you!"

As you're pulled away, you turned around to offer a single wave to the stranger. "See you around, Horse Lady."

"Have a wonderful day, Slayer." She would smile, watching you as you walked away.

...

"Slayer?" She would call out, causing you to stare back into her own eyes.

...Slayer?

"Slayer, is something on your mind?" Celestia asks, looking into your visor with concern, the sun from the balcony window behind her cascades her pale body in it's warm embrace.

God damn it Anonymous, get it together. That's the second time today you've dozed off.

Situation report: It's been four days since Dodge Junction suffered a demonic outbreak, and a lot has happened since then.

For starters, after the interrogation of the captured changeling, Celestia dispatched groups of ponies from 'The Council of Celestial Tranquility' to go undercover and locate changeling activity. The two locations revealed were Ponyville and Manehattan, though Celestia warns there have been ritual attempts across the country. Dodge Junction itself has been entirely ridden of it's corruption, but it's an absolute wreck. The damage to the terrain is almost irreparable, and there was discussion of building anew somewhere else.

Second, and this one is very aggravating: Celestia does not want you stepping foot outside of Canterlot, or even the castle until the exact location of the changeling hideouts has been uncovered. She said something about how she fears you'll do more harm than good wandering around looking for them.

Thanks, Horse Lady. Speaking of which, that reminds you.

Third, and this is the reason you, Celestia, and several of her guard and servants are crowded in this small room; Your public welcoming announcement to Equestria. Photos and news articles swept the nation after your appearance in Ponyville, and they were only amplified once you 'cleansed out' Dodge Junction. Celestia has decided that the best course of action is to make a public speech in front of the castle, where she will calm worries of the outbreaks, as well as officially welcome you into Equestria.

Through the glass door which leads out to the room's balcony, you can see the massive crowd of ponies below. Cameras flash, as ponies speak with themselves, the crowd spreads down the street for blocks. Celestia is looking over a fancy piece of parchment, rehearsing her speech as her servants prepare the area.

Dread fills your heart as Celestia reads over her lines. You're not scared to face the crowd, you're scared because you know what will come after. You've seen this too many times in the past for it to be coincidence. You'll save a planet, a species, a civilization from the clutches of Hell and be paraded around as their hero. The celebration always acts as a milestone, the beginning of their final moments.

Argent D'nur, Earth, anywhere you tread will eventually die out completely. All you can do is sit here and look at the love of your life, Your constant attention is causing her composure to falter. Celestia gives rapid glances from behind her parchment, constantly checking to see if you are still looking, and every time without fail she gets more and more flustered.

"Slayer, it is rude to stare." She says, her voice playful.

You're not gonna let anything happen to her. No matter the cost.

"Your Highness, it's time." A unicorn assistant speaks up, bowing before the alicorn.

Celestia nods her head, as she levitates the parchment over to the assistant, who takes it without hesitation. As if she can sense your dread, she walks over in front of you, nuzzling against your neck. "Everything will be fine, Slayer. I promise you."

You can't help but close your eyes at her contact, leaning your head against her own.

Celestia pulls away from you, before turning around to face the balcony door. "Just stay in here for now. When I call your name and turn to face the door, walk out onto the balcony." With that, trumpets and horns blare from outside, signalling the start of the speech. The crowd roars in anticipation, as Celestia magics open the door, walking out into the open with eternal grace.

Each step she takes is calculated and precise, with no room for error. Her hips sway as every hoof lands onto the floor, regalia clinking.

Maybe you're in the wrong, for hiding away. Doesn't she deserve to know that you're alive?

The roar of applause and cheers slowly die down as the trumpets and horns finish their song. "My dearest subjects! I stand before you today with a heavy heart. As I am sure many of you are aware, the quaint town of Dodge Junction underwent a terrible invasion. Beasts from the underworld were aided by a juvenile, and ignorant mind. Many of you saw the pictures, the smoke rising across the Equestrian skyline. I am deeply saddened to announce Dodge Junction has been all but demolished entirely.

"These monsters of the dark realm ravaged the town with brutal efficiency, corrupting the very soil my little ponies constructed on top of. Their hatred and savagery was unlike anything Equestria has ever faced, and I fear this is only the beginning of a troubled time.

"But there is hope. Despite the terrible destruction, the heinous violence these creatures displayed, the brave mayor of Dodge was able to lead his ponies to safety. Casualties did occur, but thanks to the quick wit of those involved I am happy to announce there were no fatalities."

The crowd roars in applause, stomping their hooves at the news.

Celestia closes her eyes with a gentle smile, raising a wing to motion the crowd to calm. "There is someone else who deserves Equestria's gratitude. Some of you may have heard rumors of him, or perhaps have encountered him face to face."

Celestia's horn lights up, as she creates a minimalistic slideshow which depicts a brief history of your time here. Albeit toned down in violence. The first scene displays you walking into Dodge Junction, ponies cowering in fear as you loot and steal. The art-style is on par with her stained glass windows. "Upon his arrival, he was thought to be a monster. He destroyed and looted from multiple businesses, costing thousands in bits."

Once again the picture changes, displaying you bowing before herself and Luna. Your hands are gripping her hoof as you pressed it to your helmet. "He came to me and my sister, explaining to us his situation. He meant no harm to ponykind, or even the business owners. The stranger was displaced from his home-world, and was trying to return to stop a massive invasion beyond my own comprehension."

The picture changes to a depiction of Dodge Junction on fire, with you knee-deep in combat. Off to the side, Royal guards and Mayor Buckington are leading a crowd of ponies away from the town. "Despite finding out he will never be able to return, he has sworn alliance to Equestria, and fought off the hordes of hell-spawn. His strength is limitless, his will is forged in iron, and steadfast. His quick wit and ferocity saved the lives of countless, including the life of Shining Armor; captain of the Royal Guard.

"Though his ways are violent, he has proven himself to be an ally Equestria shall cherish for the rest of time. Please help me to welcome Slayer to our great nation."

Celestia opens a wing towards the balcony door, looking inside as the crowd goes wild behind her. Fighting back the dread in your chest, you rise from your seat and emerge onto the balcony. The warmth of the sun is the first thing you feel, it's not uncomfortably hot, yet not too cool. The crowd roars louder as you make your appearance, whistling and cheering as some even jump up and down. Camera flashes sparkle over the crowd as you scan your gaze over the ocean of ponies.

Celestia is looking over at you, a genuine smile on her delicate face. Her wings are spread open wide, her perfectly kept feathers on full display. As you turn to face her, two of her guards emerge from the room, carrying a fancy silk pillow. As they bow in front of her, Celestia levitates an object off the pillow. It's a gold medal, with an engraving of a shield with her cutie mark on the face. The silk ribbon the medal is attached to shares the colors of her mane, along with the primary colors of your armor.

"For your gallantry and heroism saving my little ponies, I bestow this medal to you, great Slayer." Celestia's magenta eyes twinkle in the sunlight, as she gazes into your visor.

You give her a slow blink, acting as a sort of bow, before you tilt your head forwards. Celestia levitates the ribbon around your neck, clicking it into place. Once she releases the medal from her grip, you turn to face the crowd who cheers once again.

"The road ahead of us may be weary, but fear not my little ponies! With the help of Slayer, we as a nation shall prevail into ever lasting peace!"

The crowd is deafeningly loud, as flowers are tossed into the air. Celestia stands by your side, trying to look you in the eyes.

You stare off into the distance, that dreadful guilt hits you like a truck.

You just want this little parade to finish, so you can get back to getting VEGA online again.

"Mister Slayer, my son has a gift for you!" A unicorn stallion yells excitedly, pushing his young colt forward.

Shakily and nervously, the little boy levitates a piece of paper in front of you. Hastily drawn in crayon is a crude depiction of you next to the colt and his family. Arrows with names above indicate who is who, and at the very top of the drawing a title reads: mY BAST FREND SALYR SLAYER

Cameras flash rapidly, blinding you for a second as you kneel to pat the kid on the head. You hand the drawing to one of Celestia's assistants, who places it into a fancy looking cart on wheels.

Turns out there was a second part to this 'announcement' that Celestia never told you about. It's been about half an hour since the speech, and the rest of that time has been spent wandering around Canterlot by Celestia's side, meeting and greeting with the population. Journalists and paparazzi have been surrounding you two, constantly snapping pictures of every little thing you do.

Celestia herself grabbed the picture from the cart, inspecting it. "Awww... How adorable!" Placing it back on the massive pile of sweets and goods, Celestia took her place by your side once again. "I am happy to see my little ponies have warmed to you, Slayer. You seem to be popular with the children." A giggle escapes her mouth, as you two slowly maneuver down the crowded road.

To be honest, you're getting annoyed fast. These paparazzi would be picking up broken lenses if Horse Lady wasn't here. Even still you're having a real hard time stopping yourself from pushing past the crowd and isolating yourself in your command room.

Celestia senses your annoyance, and leans in to whisper. "Just a little while longer, Slayer... I'm sure you want to get back to fixing up another one of those portal devices."

You flash her a quick look, before slumping your shoulders. Making another Slipgate is honestly just a distraction, the burden of Earth's demise is getting harder and harder to ignore.

Celestia turns her head to one of her guards, and after a whispered conversation, the guard springs to action. "Alright everypony, let's give the Princess and Slayer some space." Him and his fellow guards move forward, dispersing and spreading the crowd who all give audible complaints. "Come on, they've got a busy day ahead of them. Let's give them some room, okay?"

Turning her head to face you once again, Celestia's eyes go wide as a loud grumble escapes her stomach. "Oh! Goodness, I must apologize!" Placing a hoof to her mouth, she struggles to hold back a fit of giggling. "Breakfast was rather scarce this morning... Would you mind if we grabbed a bite to eat?"

You can't help but chuckle underneath your helmet, loud enough that she could hear. Celestia smiled wider at your audible laugh, allowing herself to giggle louder.

This fucking mare.

You nod your head as she leads the both of you down the road. The guards have been doing a good job at carving a path through the crowd of ponies, and within several minutes the two of you are standing before a cafe. It was nothing fancy, just a small mom-and-pop restaurant. You and Celestia take a seat at one of the tables outside.

"This is one of my favorite places to dine. They do not get a lot of business, but their food is absolutely delectable." A waiter comes outside, placing down two menus before bowing to Celestia. She levitates the menu up to her face, scanning over it. "Are you going to order anything? I don't believe I've seen you eat once all this time," Celestia says, a small grin forming on her face. "Is my country's food not to your liking?" A giggle escapes her mouth.

You've been starving for days, but you've never had time to take off your helmet to eat in peace. All the busywork from the last several days has caused the growling to stop.

Fuck it. Maybe you shouldn't show your face yet, but talking to her can't hurt.

"I haven't had the urge to eat, Celestia." You answer simply. Your voice is gravelly and deep, as if you are speaking through a throat full of rocks. The speaker on your helmet distorts your voice further, making you sound nothing like what you used to millennia ago.

Celestia's eyes go wide, her menu lowering as she stares at you in absolute shock. Her mouth opens ever so slightly, flabbergasted that you actually have vocal function. "Oh. I see..." Clearing her throat, she attempts to recompose herself. "...Any reason for that, Slayer?"

To keep yourself occupied, you grab the menu and idly inspect it. "I only eat when necessary, or when a threat isn't looming overhead."

Jesus Christ, how much food can you make out of hay and flowers? Besides the overwhelming amount of horsey-food, there's a decent selection of human appropriate food as well. Baked potatoes, salads, non-meat breakfasts, the list goes on.

"Surely you must be hungry? The humans I knew had to eat at the very least a meal a day." Celestia places the menu on the table, leaning in.

"It's recommended to eat daily, but it is not required, Celestia." You answer simply. The sun shines in front of you, hiding your face behind the visor's reflection.

A waiter trots over with two glasses of water, offering to take the menus. "What can I get started for you two, Your Highness?"

Celestia smiles and turns to face the teenage colt. "I will have the daisy and tomato soup, please."

Nodding his head, the colt turns to face you. "Anything for you, Sir?"

You remained silent, only turning your visor away from him, looking out towards the street.

"I'll uh... take that as a no." He says, bowing once more and trotting inside.

Royal guards have made a parameter around the street corner the cafe sits at, halting any and all ponies from getting too close. You watch the massive crowd stare at you and Celestia in wonder and adoration, whilst others who were trotting up and down the street stop to look for a second.

"You know, Slayer... I've heard that you are quite the celebrity with my guards."

You cock your head towards Celestia, yet don't respond.

Celestia magics the straw in her glass, stirring the water around idly. "They look up to you for your combat skills and bravery. Shining Armor hasn't stopped praising you for your actions in Dodge Junction."

Glancing back to the crowd, you notice one of the guards occasionally glances behind, looking you up and down. Admiration and wonder are deep in his grey eyes.

Shining Armor, that guy's wife acted real strange around you. You've caught glimpses of her the past couple days, she's been asking around about you yet refuses to confront you.

"How is he doing?"

Celestia takes a sip of her water. "Shining Armor has gone blind in the eye that was injured, and his magical abilities will be stunted from the chip to his horn. He is on the path to recovery, however."

"His wife was happy to see him alive."

"I saw that when we visited the hospital. She ran out with him in a hurry after you greeted each other... Did something happen?"

You turn your head back to face her. "I never spoke to her. Something about my presence bothered her deeply."

The teenage waiter returns with a tray on his back, which he expertly shuffles onto the table. "Here you are, Your Highness." He bows, and gives her the bowl with a spoon before leaving once again.

Celestia hums in delight, taking the spoon and politely feeding herself. As she consumes the broth, a smile curls up on her face. She tilts her head up savoring the taste for several seconds before swallowing. "So divine. There is something about family owned restaurants that royal chefs can never replicate."

For the rest of your time at the cafe you sat in silence, watching Horse Lady cherish every sip of her soup.

The sun is setting across the west horizon, basking the land in an orange hue. After your lunch with Celestia, she had to part ways and return to her royal duties. This gave you plenty of time to wander Canterlot and acquire the things you needed to set up shop again. You just finished getting VEGA back online, which only left making a Slipgate. Celestia had given you access to a large, unused chamber which was supposed to be for royalty in the future. Besides a massive bed, it was previously completely baron, perfect for your needs.

All the goodies the ponies of Canterlot had gifted to you are displayed nice and neatly on various tables and shelves. A fridge in the corner of the room stores all the food related items, as well as displaying the picture that kid drew for you. Mounted to the wall, a steel rack which was back-lit with magical lights displays your full arsenal.

Combat Shotgun, Super Shotgun, Heavy Cannon, Chaingun, Plasma Rifle, Ballista, Rocket Launcher and Chainsaw, as well as bucket-loads of modifications for every weapon.

There's a certain weapon you'd love to have right about now, but a certain robotic fellow snatched it from you when you gave him the crucible sword.

Fuck Hayden.

Gripping your PDA in your left hand, you scroll up and down Sentinel schematics for a baseline power supply. You were going to make it right this time, so everything had to be perfect. Celestia granted you access to the crystal caverns below the castle, and you extracted some hefty looking crystals yet to be connected up in a circuit.

Gripping one of the power tools, you scan your eyes over your HUD, as the gramophone in the corner spins to life.

"I understand. Shuffling music from your suit's data drive," VEGA says.

The tool whirs to life, a high-pitched grinding noise engulfs the large room as you get to work.

"Playing 'The Healer Stalks' by Bobby Prince."

It's been awhile since you've had a day that busy. Slayer's welcoming speech, the walk around town, the various meetings with mayors and politicians. Slumber is just around the corner, and you'll need loads of it for tomorrow. The Grand Galloping Gala is tomorrow, and you know you'll be bombarded with questions regarding Equestria's most popular citizen right now.

Speaking of which, it might not be a terrible idea to invite him to the event. He doesn't seem to be one for pleasantries like that, but it's the thought that counts.

After all, it would at least give him a distraction from the pain. That poor soul, you can't imagine what it must feel like to know an entire planet is being killed. You've been trying to be supportive for him, but he remains as stoic as ever.

Down the hallway that leads to Slayer's chambers, something catches your attention.

Is that... Music?

Walking over to his door, you gently push it inwards. The room is almost entirely dark, save for the magical glow from the crystals inside. Slayer is on his knees with his back towards you, using a grinding tool to work on a large piece of metal. Sure enough, music is blaring out from a gramophone on his bedside table. It's a jazzy, relaxing tune.

Well well, he has good taste in music at least.

"Slayer?" You call out into the room, your voice rather quiet compared to the music, as well as the sound of his tool. He doesn't respond, working away.

You take a step inside, watching him work away. His determination to get his project done reminds you of Anonymous. The way he's hunched over the metal bar, grinding it down so it will fit flush against another. It warms your heart.

"Slayer, do you have a moment?" You spoke a couple notches louder. Slayer's tool shuts off, yet he doesn't turn around. Taking a chance, you continue speaking. "I won't be long, I'm sure you want to get your portal done as soon as possible."

Slayer's helmet tilts down, and appears to fumble with the tool in his hands.

"I... just wanted to invite you to a banquet I am having tomorrow. It's the Grand Galloping Gala, an event hosted every year. There will be food, music, pleasantries... I know it would make my little ponies very happy for you to make an appearance."

Slayer remains silent, the music echoes in the massive room.

"Twilight Sparkle will be attending, if you wanted to catch up with her, too."

Goodness, Celestia. You're acting like a school filly!

With a small sigh, your head lowers an inch. "I wouldn't blame you if you do not show up. I personally despise attending myself, but it is a personal duty of mine. Perhaps the sight of a bunch of snooty nobles might take your mind off anything bothering it?"

Slayer seems to scoff at your last comment, as his helmet slowly tilts back, some of his visor's glass visible now. "I'll think about it, Celestia." With that, he turns the tool back on, grinding away at the metal once again.

You nod your head and close the door, leaving him alone. Such a simple, vague answer, and yet it made you giddy and excited on the inside.

Maybe tomorrow won't be such a drag after all.

...

Somewhere far away, deep within the realm of Urdak...

Down inside a small, heavily guarded and sacred chamber, the Khan Makyr stands before a pool of Argent energy. Her eyes watch the energy flow freely within the deep vat, pulsing with life and power. For reasons beyond her comprehension, the Doom Slayer has disappeared off the face of the universe. Without his interference, there is nothing to stop the sacrament of Earth. The door to the chamber opens up behind her, revealing one of her personal assistants.

"Your Grace... I have important news for you." The frail ex-Sentinel spoke up, skin wrinkled from corruption.

"You may speak when ready..." The Khan Maykr would answer simply, eyes never leaving the pool. This energy would allow her kind to prevail for eons.

Stepping closer, the elderly man spoke. "We have located the Slayer... He is in the Equidae quadrant, 26 dimensions opposite of our own," He said, waiting a moment before continuing. "If you wish, we can prepare a portal to his location."

The Khan Makyr knew where Slayer was located, it was how he arrived there which is beyond her knowledge. Records show that after destroying the largest Gore Nest on Earth, Slayer traversed through a Slipgate bound for his personal fortress. Mid-travel, the Slipgate closed, sending him rocketing through the very fibers of time and space. It is an absolute anomaly that he ended up where he did.

With a calm inhale and exhale, the Khan Makyr speaks. "Do not disturb the Slayer... He is where he belongs now. Without him interfering with our plans, there is no reason to pursue him further."

The ex-Sentinel man bows his head, resting against his cane. "Yes, Your Grace... Deag Grav is waiting for you in the meeting chambers."

Closing her eyes in content, the Khan Makyr nods slowly, turning around to leave with her elderly assistant.

As the two leave towards the meeting chambers, a single being is left in the room. Clad in ancient Sentinel armor, his mouth was obscured by the mask he wore. His skin was pale and purple, rotted from his death, and corrupted by his resurrection. Two massive, black horns curl out of either side of his head, his eyes glow a deep shade of crimson, identical to the pool of Argent energy before him.

Rage and anger plagues his mind, hellbent on extracting revenge from his comrade turned arch-foe. Balling his hands into fists, the Marauder makes his way towards the command room.

10 - Relax A Little, Enjoy Yourself

View Online

Celestia's sun sets outside, basking your command room in an orange hue. The smell of ozone and burnt metal cloud the massive room, metal shavings and slag are sprayed across the marble floor, a result of your hours of intense labor. Standing in the corner of the room was a very impressive, structurally sound Slipgate. Constructed out of steel and concrete, gems now line the inner walls of the metal rings, improving the strength of the main portal tenfold.

With your hands on your hips, you look up and down your fancy new toy with satisfaction. Only took you 19 hours.

...Shit, only 19 hours? This was supposed to keep you busy for the next couple of days. Hell, this thing was gonna be your excuse for not showing up to that shindig Celestia's having.

God damn it, Anonymous. Why must you be so good at building things? Guess you'll have to find something else to distract yourself with.

Looking outside, you guess it to be dusk. The sky is crystal clear today, presumably for the big party that's happening later tonight.

A party. Demons are knocking on her door, and Tia's having a party. With VEGA up an running, as well as a new Slipgate, you've half a mind to head to Manehattan right now and sort this whole issue yourself. Does she think this is some sort of a joke? Maybe it's just to calm the public. You wouldn't be surprised if she gets bombarded with questions regarding the invasion.

The hundreds of snobby, ass-kissing nobles licking her boots every second. How does she put up with them and maintain such poise? After 30 minutes of being near them you were on the verge of breaking shit. She did mention she despises going to this event, so it's got to wear on her mental well-being to a degree. You really don't care for such a meaningless event, though she sure sounded like she wanted you to come.

With a heavy sigh, you look over the Slipgate. She's rough around the edges, but you can make her look fancy later.

Going to the shindig would be a good excuse to test her out, you suppose.

You stand still in the middle of your command room, glancing from the Slipgate, to the sky outside.

"VEGA, what time is it?" You grunt out, voice as rough as ever.

"It is 7:05 PM. According to my scans, the Grand Galloping Gala was opened to the public 55 minutes ago, and will continue until 1:30 AM."

You raise an arm to scratch behind your head, before you catch a waft of your own B.O.

A shower wouldn't hurt.

Uneasiness fills the entire castle as hundreds of your little ponies try to enjoy the night. The news of Dodge Junction's destruction has caused a rumble of nervousness across the country, and nowhere is it more apparent than right here in Canterlot. Ponies wander to and fro, conversing or dancing, meandering about as they typically would, but the elephant in the room casts a shadow too big to ignore.

You can hear it everywhere, honing in on a specific conversation in the sea of dozens going on, and anypony would be able to hear the keywords in an instant. Words like 'Slayer', or phrases like "What's going to happen now?" You're surprised that only a couple of your subjects here and there have asked you face to face about Equestria's safety. Perhaps they can see the stress in your eyes.

The Gala has been going on for a good two hours, and as per tradition you spent the first hour greeting guests on their arrival. Now, however, you find yourself casually strolling in the very busy ballroom. The band up on stage is playing a relaxing, ambient song that encourages discussion and laughs. Off in the banquet area, you catch Twilight Sparkle and her parents spending time with her brother Shining Armor. Twilight must have just encountered him recently, her hooves go up and down her older brother's body, frantically and tearfully inspecting his healing injuries.

"Shiny thought it would be good to spend some time with his family alone... They didn't find out until today." The voice of your niece catches your attention, as she trots up beside you.

"Your husband is quite the strong stallion, Cadence. Even after his injuries he wanted nothing more than to protect the innocent."

Cadence smiles softly at that, nodding her head. "Thank you." She whispers. Cadence looks around the ballroom, turning to face you. "Did Slayer not show up? I don't think I've seen him yet."

You hum, as you begin to walk towards the door to the gardens. "I invited him, but I do not believe he will show up." Slowly, the sounds of the crowds begin to dull as you make your way outside with Cadence. "I do not put it against him. The burden on his shoulders must be immense."

Taking her place by your side, Cadence's eyes trail all over the garden, taking in it's beauty in the moonlight. "Auntie, what do you think of Slayer?"

Fauna dances around in the gentle breeze, woodland critters of all types ranging from common to rare wander about. "His ways are concerningly violent, but I believe he will be one of Equestria's greatest allies." You answer simply.

"Auntie, that's not what I meant." Cadence deadpans at you, voice hinting to her motives.

Oh dear, here we go.

"Cadence, I do not have feelings of a romantic nature for Slayer, nor do I require a partner."

"Well if the public displays of affection towards him are anything to go off of, I'd say that's not the case." Cadence retorts.

The two of you take a seat in a clearing within the garden. The grass below is cool to the touch, yet perfectly dry.

"Come on, Celestia! I'm the Princess of love, this is my duty to solve! All my life, whenever I've looked into your heart I've felt your love for your country and subjects. I've felt your devotion to keeping peace and tranquility throughout the land, the guilt of banishing your sister," Cadence pauses, looking from the grass to your face. "But deep behind all of that, there has always been this tinge of darkness. Just the smallest hint of loneliness, and longing for something or somepony that was taken from you."

You keep your eyes locked to your niece, frustrated at her confrontation yet willing to hear her out.

"But ever since Slayer has appeared, that darkness has almost faded away. It's been replaced with excitement, wonder and nervousness... And even dread. Am I wrong, Auntie?"

Without noticing your eyebrows have furrowed at your niece. After several seconds of silence you give an audible sigh and neutralize your facial expression. "I suppose I have been unrestrained in my displays of affection with him. No, Cadence, I do not have feelings for Slayer. He just... reminds me, of someone I cared for deeply."

Cadence smiles at this, and shuffles her body to face you. "Well, who does he remind you of?"

Raising your head up to look at Luna's sky, you take a deep breath of the cool night's air. "You're aware of the large gaps in early Equestrian history, correct?"

Cadence ponders for a second, before nodding. "I think so... You mean when Equestria was first being established?"

You nod your head. "Yes, well... Many ponies believe it to be a conspiracy, a cover-up of terrible heinous acts of cruelty" - Shaking your head, you look at the grass below your hooves - "This couldn't be further from the truth."

"What happened, then?"

"Did I ever tell you about the Kingdom of Man, Cadence?"

Cadence shakes her head.

"They were a well established kingdom north of Equestria. They were so much more advanced than any other colony or kingdom at the time, and not just in technology. They had a functioning class system, currency, etiquette. Two wandering souls from the kingdom had migrated down south to look for new land, and happened upon Equestria, which was struggling to establish itself."

"...Was Slayer apart of this kingdom?"

You give Cadence a warm smile and shake your head. "That would be very surprising if he was, Cadence. Much like Equestria, the Kingdom of Man prided themselves on peace and tranquility, yet did take precautions in preparing for battle. Slayer does appear to be a human, which was the only species in that kingdom. Tall, bipedal beings with little to no fur or hair, except for their heads.

"Their arrival in our land couldn't have been at a better time. So much civil conflict was going on within Equestria, and without proper systems in place, we were doomed to fail."

"So an alliance was made?"

"Very perceptive, Cadence. Almost every part of Equestrian culture can be traced back to the Kingdom of Man. The way royalty is decided, how we establish land, how monetary manners are dealt with. Even simple things like cuisine and music were taught to us by the humans."

"But then if they were such a great ally, why isn't there a single mention of them anywhere? I didn't even know human was a word until you said it just now."

Your face turns gloomy, as your eyes unfocus. "There was one member of the kingdom who stood out to me. He was one of the two men who traveled here in the first place. Anonymous was his name. He was so kind hearted, so playful and carefree. He had the title of royalty, yet cared only for the everyman. The other was named Ceolmund. He took his position as Prince very seriously, and sought new land and knowledge for power. While Anonymous stayed true to his nature, Ceolmund drove himself down a path of no return. He managed to tap into the underworld, and after being gifted ultimate power from the gods of Tartarus, opened a portal which brought forth the beasts Equestria is facing now."

Cadence watches you as you speak, her own face lights up as you mention the name Anonymous.

"From my time together with Anonymous, I came to find how close he and Ceolmund were. Despite how vastly different their beliefs were, Anon truly loved and cared for his younger friend as if they were brothers. When Ceolmund unleashed the beasts of the underworld, it took everyone by surprise, and by the dozens the human race was being quickly executed. Anonymous was the only one who stood a chance, and despite never having been a fighter, the anger of Ceolmund's betrayal fueled him to persevere against the beasts he faced.

"Ultimately the portal was closed, and the land was saved from total destruction... But it was at the cost of humanity. I watched Ceolmund drag Anon down to Hell as the entire kingdom fell before my own eyes. Anything and everything human or pony created, if it referenced mankind, it vanished. Beautiful poems would fade away, leaving only the paper they were written on. As if a curse was put on the land, if anypony tried to make anything in relation to humankind, it would vanish. Over the years humanity faded from the thoughts of ponies, turning into a simple mare's tale."

Your horn lights up, as you pull something out of your mane. Levitating it over to Cadence, you watch her eyes scan over the small photograph.

"It's very pretty, but if I may ask... What is so special about it?"

Depicted on the photograph is yourself in front of a stretch of mountains, the sun setting behind. A smile stretches across your face as you point your hoof towards something not visible within frame.

"It's a photograph of Anonymous and I on the day he proposed to me."

Cadence's eyes shrink, as she realizes what you are implying. "I'm so sorry."

You lean in next to Cadence, pointing a hoof to the empty part of the picture. "He was right there. He had made a rather crude joke, and I nudged him in the chest for it."

"If I may ask, Auntie. What about Slayer reminds you of Anonymous?"

This, actually took you aback. What did remind you of him?

"I suppose the stories I have heard of his past play a part. You're aware of the effects a soul-bond has with an alicorn's soul, right?"

"Of course, Auntie. How could I not being the Princess of Love?" She giggles, rolling her eyes as she takes up a 'teacher' voice. "When an alicorn and a regular pony soul-bond, the pony's soul will become immortal from the effects of time. It was the first thing you taught me when I became a princess."

You nod your head, and smile gently. "Anonymous and I discovered that rule doesn't just apply to ponies."

Cadence's eyes go wide. "So, assuming he wasn't killed... Anon would be alive to this day?"

"I believe so, yes."

After a few seconds, Cadence speaks up. "Have you ever asked who Slayer is?"

You scoff at your niece's suggestion, gently placing the picture back into your mane. "Cadence, it's not Anonymous."

"I think you're wrong, Auntie! You wanna know why I stormed out in the hospital when I met him face to face? I wasn't trying to be rude, he saved my husbands life for goodness sake!"

Surprised by her outburst, you back your head away an inch.

"Everypony who I've talked to has told me there is a sense of despair you can feel in his presence. You've felt it, right? There is something about being near him that just makes you feel cold and dark."

You nod your head.

"Behind the anger, the rage and hatred for the demons he lays waste to, is loneliness. When I looked into his heart I almost threw up at how massive that darkness is inside of him. It's a terrible, horrible feeling of regret, depression, and guilt. I struggle to comprehend how he is still alive today with all that baggage he carries. And yet, whenever he is next to you, do you want to know what he feels in his heart?"

You speak not a word, moving not a muscle as you wait for your niece to finish.

"Longing, Auntie. That darkness will disappear for just a moment whenever you're around. It's as if he wants to love you, but he fears he will lose you if he opens up."

"Cadence... Even if it was him, it is not my intention to pry into that. With everything Slayer has gone through, the last thing he needs is me pushing about his personal life."

"Would you accept it, if Slayer turned out to be Anon...?"

You stare into Cadence's eyes. "In a heartbeat."

"You know, he's suffering alone, Celestia. Have you ever thought that perhaps he's scared to reveal himself to you? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't nuzzle into some foreign princess unless I knew her."

A blue flash from inside the castle behind you catches your attention. Muffled gasps and screams come from inside, and through the windows you catch glimpses of one of Slayer's portals.

Cadence grins, watching with you as a certain biped emerges into the ballroom, portal closing behind him. "I'm going to go check on Shiny. Have a good night, Auntie!" She says, as she trots off.

"Cadence."

She turns around, cocking her head to the side.

"Please... Do not trouble Slayer with this. I don't mind if you go to interact with him, but just understand what he just went through."

As the portal closes behind you, you are greeted to the sight of hundreds of well dressed ponies staring in shock and awe at your arrival. Muffled conversations fill the room, and even the band on stage stops playing. You figured one of two scenarios was going to happen.

A: Everyone in sight stops to look at you, too scared to even meet your eyes for more than a second.

B: You'll be surrounded by hordes of ponies, all praising to you and asking questions.

It's A. It's always A.

Not that you particularly minded, you're only here to check up on Celestia. That big silly horse is nowhere in sight at the moment. You're standing in the middle of some sort of ballroom, to your left is a banquet area with hundreds of tables, most of which are occupied. Behind the tables is a food court, with tables upon tables of food ready to be served. To your right is a dance area, where ponies were dancing to the slow paced music. With all the eyes on you and the lack of music, the party has devolved into deafening silence. Ponies all around scowl and glare at you, talking with themselves about your lack of etiquette.

Glancing over to the band up on stage, they all cower and quickly resume playing music. You don't feel like standing in one place and being a scary statue, so you opt to go towards the food.

As you trudge your way between the rows and rows of occupied tables, ponies all complain and scoff at you.'

"Good heavens! What awful attire to wear to such an event like this!"

"By Celestia, have you any manners? We are trying to eat!"

"Even the Elements of Harmony have better etiquette than that, who let this brutish ape in anyway?"

As you near the edge of the dining area, a child's voice catches your attention.

"Mom, after we're done eating can we please go to the animal sanctuary by the garden? I wanna see the monkeys!"

Animal sanctuary. Oh shit, that reminds you, you haven't seen Pumpkin in days. That's gotta be where they've been keeping him.

Grabbing a cloth napkin from the suit of a random stallion, you walk over to the tables of food.

By god, it all looks delicious. Dumplings, omelets, every kind of salad imaginable, even raw vegetables waiting to be mixed.

Carrots and lettuce are Pumpkin's favorite, so you grab a handful of each and set them on the napkin. As you prepare to chop them into bite-sized pieces, hoofsteps trot up behind you.

"It appears nopony else has the confidence to say this, so I shall say it right to your face." A snooty stallion with a top hat and monocle speaks up, glaring up at you.

You slowly tilt your helmet down to him, the light from the chandelier above reflects against your visor, allowing him access to himself.

"It hasn't even been thirty seconds, and you've proven yourself to be absolutely too brutish to be attending a high-class event like this. Please, do us all a favor and escort yourself out at once. I-"

The blade on your left arm extends, glistening in the bright light.

"I... Would suggest... Erm..." He stammers over his own words, as you slowly raise the blade. His little 'man of the house' act crumbles away instantly, as he excuses himself from your presence.

Turning your attention down to the vegetables, you fulfill the reason you extended the blade in the first place. Your blade cuts through the veggies with no effort, as you chop them into a little bunny-sized salad. Wiping your blade clean, you retract it and scoop the food into the napkin, folding it up.

Right. Time to find that little rascal.

Kneeling in the cool grass within the sanctuary, you use your fingers on your right hand to guide Pumpkin around your legs. Like a cool little dude, he hops all around you, preforming stunts of great acrobatic skill with haste. With every completed task, you reward him with delicious lettuce goodness.

"And here everypony is thinking you're some sort of villain... You know, my husband said when he first saw you, you had a cute little bunny in a basket." A very upbeat and sweet voice graces your ears.

Princess Cadence. Wonder what she's doing here.

Trotting up beside you, she watches you guide Pumpkin all around your body. "I really didn't get to properly meet you... I wanted to apologize to you for running off like that. May I sit here?"

You don't respond, or even acknowledge her presence, focusing on Pumpkin. The little rabbit nudges your leg, pointing over to a bush in front of you.

"I saw something inside of you that I've never felt before. I'm so sorry for what happened to your planet. I don't think anypony on Equis could bare to hold a burden as heavy as the one you carry... Not even Celestia or Luna."

Looking up to the bush Pumpkin points at, you notice a mature female rabbit, as well as four baby bunnies. Pumpkin nudges the napkin filled with food, then points to the family again.

The little guy is a family man now. Good for him.

Cadence watches from your side as you gently ball up the napkin and toss it over to the pile of bunnies. Pumpkin nuzzles into your side before hopping off to join his family. "I'm sure you don't want to discuss it, so I won't pry any further." Cadence trails a hoof around in the grass.

Staying silent, you keep your eyes focused on Pumpkin, as he cuddles around his family. The baby rabbits hop around in delight, as him and his lover drag the napkin into the bush.

"You know, Auntie Celestia told me that your species used to live in Equestria so long ago. I just find that so fascinating... In a way, you're like a lost piece of history."

You stare at the bush Pumpkin and his family hopped off into, watching the leaves sway back and forth.

"What happened to them?" You grunt out underneath your helmet, though the infliction in your voice made it sound like a statement rather than a question.

Cadence blinks innocently at you, tilting her head. "Auntie never told me. Why do you ask?"

You remain silent at her question, squinting your eyes in frustration.

"I think we both know why you want to know." Cadence circles her hoof in the grass a couple of times. "Celestia is suffering too. It would mean the world to her to see you again... Anonymous."

Tap the brakes.

Just hold on a minute.

Pardon?

Excuse me?

In your state of mental gymnastics you fail to realize your eyebrows furrowing, eyes widening.

"You don't have to hide away... You won't lose her just by embracing her again." Cadence coos out softly, scooting closer next to you.

"Your husband was mere moments away from death, Cadenza. If I embrace Celestia before I put an end to this threat, I risk putting her in a similar circumstance. I refuse to let that happen."

Cadence furrows her brow, a mix between insult and annoyance on her face. "This isn't a fight you have to face alone, Anon! Can't you see how strong Celestia is? She's fought off hundreds of world devouring beasts before all on her own!"

You turn to face the pink menace of love, glaring at her underneath your visor. "A mindset like that is what destroys a civilization, little one. Celestia has seen what I'm capable of up close, I've seen the fear in her eyes. She doesn't need to know this monster is the man she used to love."

"I don't see a monster. Do you want to know what I see, Anonymous?" Cadence asks, placing a hoof on your leg as she looks into your reflective visor. "I see a soul who was ripped away from everything he knew and loved. A soul who has faced un-imaginable amounts of pain and hardship, who has overcome feats beyond that of any other. A soul who has lost so much, he's afraid he'll lose the only thing that matters to him." Cadence's hoof gently runs up and down your leg. "...I think Celestia can see that too. If she's scared, it's because she fears for your safety, not what you might do."

As much as you'd love to keep your eyebrows furrowed, Cadence's words give you the slightest bit of hope. With a deep exhale, your shoulders fall, head shaking slowly. "What is your goal, Cadenza?"

Cadence's lips curl up in a gentle smile. "I'm the princess of love, silly. It is my duty to unite those who are destined for each other, and I'd say getting the ruler of Equestria and her long lost boyfriend together is a pretty big duty."

"We were engaged." You croak out, looking down to the grass below you.

"Well I suppose that makes it just that more important then, huh big guy?" She giggles, before sighing and looking down at one of your hands. "You know, if you're Auntie's fiancé, if you two got married you'd technically be my uncle... I've always wanted an uncle."

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." A regal, and very annoyed voice booms out from behind the pretty pink pony. Turning around, you spot a pair of white hooves dressed in golden regalia, a pastel mane flowing off to the side. "Were you not listening to what I told you earlier?"

"A-auntie Celestia!" Cadence shrieks, scrambling onto all fours in front of the monarch. "I was just- It wasn't-!"

Celestia's stern gaze falls on the smaller alicorn who cowers underneath. "I've heard enough. Twilight is looking for you, I'd suggest you go find her."

Cadence pouts at Celestia, before tilting her nose up to the air and trotting off. Before she disappears, she flashes you a wink and a smile, leaving you alone with Tia.

"I'm terribly sorry, Slayer... Was Princess Cadence bothering you?"

Eyes never leaving Celestia's gorgeous features, you rise to your feet. "If it was a bother, I would have dealt with it."

Tia seems amused at your response, offering a gentle smile. "I must admit, I am pleasantly surprised to see you have attended. What made you decide to come?"

Standing by her side, the two of you begin to walk back towards the ballroom. "I was interested to see how your nobles act when you're not in their presence."

"And were you surprised with the answer you found?"

"Nobility remains as uptight and pompous as they were eons ago."

Celestia chuckles at that, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Dealing with the nobles is one of the less glamorous parts of being a princess, yes... I take it they were less than pleasant to you?"

"Apparently I'm wearing the wrong attire to stand in one place and eat expensive food."

"Oh come now, you are fit for a king with a suit like that." Celestia laughs, as the two of you close in on the ballroom. "I know just the thing to rile them up. Care to partake?"

You raise an eyebrow, and follow Horse Lady inside, As the two of you emerge back into the massive banquet area, nobility all gawk at the two of you. The same ponies who were scowling at you half an hour ago are now smiling wide, bowing to the princess. Celestia leads you over to the food tables, her eyes flash over the dessert table multiple times.

"Would you like to know something, Slayer?" Celestia asks, as you two walk past a massive, multi level chocolate cake. "Confectionery foods like this were gifted to Equestria by humankind."

You knew that. You were the one who introduced Celestia to cake yourself so long ago. You'll never forget that look on her face when she took her first bite of chocolate cake.

"Oh, I have just the perfect idea!" Celestia says, as she levitates a knife and cuts herself a piece off the cake. "Now dessert isn't supposed to be served for another three hours... But we're not trying to be polite now, are we?" She flashes you a smirk as she places the piece onto a plate.

The dish levitates in front of you, and you softly take it out of the air, grabbing a fork off the table. All around you can see nobility and party goers looking over, as cameras begin to flash. Celestia pays them no mind, her eyes sparkling in amusement and excitement.

She's ecstatic about this, making her own nobles gawk at such a lack of mannerisms. A wild smile is plastered across her face, her eyes glance from the slice on the plate, to your visor. "Well, are you going to keep me waiting any longer?"

You can't help but crack a smirk of your own, as you dig the fork into the very front of the slice. The metal teeth sink into the moist, fluffy treat as you scoop off a decent sized chunk. "Can't feed you if your mouth's closed." You croak out, slowly raising the fork to her mouth.

Celestia giggles, closing her eyes and opening her mouth, awaiting your payload.

The ground slowly rumbles, growing in intensity. Tables rattle around, chinaware vibrating and shaking, moving around as glasses of water are knocked over. Wind begins to swirl around several yards away from your position, ruffling up the coats, dresses, and manes of multiple ponies. A couple red sparks fly around, before a dark red ball forms.

The ball grows rapidly in size, transforming into a large, dark red circle. The inner radius is pitch black, the circumference is a bright red, just like Argent energy.

Celestia's eyes slowly flutter open, as the two of you stare at the exit portal in the middle of the room.

Red sparks flutter around in the middle of the portal, as a figure slowly emerges.

11 - Ballroom Brawl

View Online

Thunderous, booming footsteps echo out in the massive ballroom. The ambient noise of the spinning vortex acts as a background soundtrack to the bi-pedal intruder emerging into fray. The band on stage has stopped their sonata, and not a soul in sight dares to make a noise, eyes locked intently on the stranger. Four horns erect out of his head, two on the top of his forehead, the others from behind his skull face forwards like ram horns. Bulbous, swollen purple veins sprout across his exposed, pale chest, originating from the Argent cell in his asymmetrical chestplate.

His steps are slow and methodical, armor clunking and rattling as his feet land on the shiny marble underneath. The paint on his ancient Sentinel armor is weathered and worn, metal plating scratched from the countless battles he has fought in. He stands tall, body pointed directly towards you. Within his pale grasp is the handle of a crucible battle-axe, yet to be activated. His eyes glow a bright crimson, as deep as the Argent energy used to power the portal behind him. His gaze is filled with a rage that burns hotter than the core of the sun itself, and it's pointed directly into your soul.

Celestia and yourself never take your gaze off the intruder, watching as he takes his sweet time approaching. He cares not for his surroundings, or the hundreds of living beings around him. His eyes say everything. He wants you, and you alone.

You toss the fork and the plate of cake onto the ground behind you. The chinaware shatters, fork clanking around as it settles on the ground.

Celestia goes to take a step forward, and out of the corner of your eye you can see her start to raise her wings. Instinctively, you place your right hand to her chest, and gently push her back, positioning yourself in front of her.

"Am I interrupting your little tea party, Slayer?" His voice is laced with venom, and he speaks as slowly as he walks, riding out every syllable with pure unadulterated hatred. "Murdering our priests, and then hiding away in your little fairy tail world... How cowardly of you."

The demonic crucible battle-axe in his grip springs to life as a massive, bright red energy blade erects at the top. Runes line the inside of the double edged blade, which is being dragged against the marble floor. The Marauder slowly walks to the side, taunting you with the sparks flying up from his weapon. "The Khan Makyr wishes to leave you alone, but you and I both know this cannot happen..."

You step forward, and stride the opposite direction he is. Crowds of ponies back up, allowing the two of you room to circle each other.

"Your sins against the legion have displayed your true colors, Slayer... They are disgusting. You were never one of us. You were nothing but a usurper. A false idol." He scoops his axe into the ground, causing flakes of marble to fly up. "And yet after your grievous offences, your worthless planet is no more. Heed my words, Slayer. Your end shall be slow and wrought with pain."

"I've killed bigger and worse than you." You hiss out, eyebrows furrowing as you reach into your inventory.

Tens of royal guards emerge all around, circling the both of you. Horns engulf with an array of different magical hues, wings sprout and swoop downwards sending their owners skybound. guards take to the air, attempting to block in the intruder. From your right side, Celestia spreads her wings and enters the circle. "Return to whence you came, or be banished to the underworld." Celestia's voice booms with authority, horn glowing. God damnit, Celestia... Out of the many thoughts racking your brain, this was the most intrusive.

The Marauder's gaze falls onto Celestia, flashing her a quizzical look. He looks down to her cutie mark, and then glances around the room. He looks at the various sun-themed banners and decorations, piecing together a story in his head. Chuckling under his mask, he turns to face you once again. "So this is the goddess of the sun you never shut up about? Well, my eyes have been opened, Slayer. Before you perish, I will make you watch as I take her head for a trophy."

(Scene Music)

The Marauder tightens his grip on his axe, and swings it in your direction. A massive blade of energy rockets towards you at an alarming rate. Before it makes contact you dash to the right, watching as the crowd behind you scramble to get out of the way. The red blade smashes into the wall of the ballroom, near inches away from cleaving a mare clean in half.

The room disrupts into trampling and screams of terror, as the party goers evacuate as quickly as possible. With your chaingun in your grip you jam down the trigger, launching a burst of piping hot lead towards the ex-Sentinel. In quick retaliation to your attack, a crucible shield erects from the Marauder's left arm.

The shield easily blocks your onslaught, bullets crumple and smash against the energy barrier, shrapnel spewing out all over the place.

You never thought you'd have to go up against a Sentinel like this. You've trained with Sentinel warriors and fought side by side, but this is a different story. His push-forward offensive is on-par with your own.

"Your efforts are in vain, Slayer. I know your every move, you were raised by our best." The Marauder dashes back and forth, closing the distance in rapid succession.

The royal guards surrounding you two push forward. Unicorns fire magic missiles towards the ex-Sentinel warrior. The effort seems to be in vain, as his shield soaks most of them up. The bolts that hit him seem to have no effect except to anger him.

The Marauder rakes his axe towards you once again, sending another blade flying towards you. Prepared this time, you dodge out of the way and grab a table. Hurling the table into the air, the blade explodes on contact before it can reach the crowd in the back.

Turning around, you are slightly surprised to see the Marauder full on sprinting up to you. The hatred in his eyes strikes your soul, as he raises his axe to attack. Before he can swing down on you, you dash forward and punch him in the chest.

The Marauder growls in pain, before pulling a shotgun from his belt and quickly firing it at you. Your HUD flashes a warning, as piping hot buckshot sprays against your chestplate, knocking you back.

Swooping in from above, Celestia launches a beam of constant energy at the Marauder. He activates his shield once again, focusing on defending himself from the alicorn.

With his back turned away, your onslaught begins. Pulling out your rocket launcher, you pump a couple missiles into his back. Shards of his armor fly off, chunks of flesh being ripped apart as he turns around to face you.

"How utterly weak of you." He growls out, throwing another blade towards you.

With a glance behind, you note the seven guards the blade will barrel towards once you dodge it. With a scan of your surroundings, you grab another table and dash to the side, stopping the blade mid-flight.

Celestia's onslaught, as well as the constant barrage from her guards are taking their toll on his patience. Yelling in anger, the Marauder raises his axe to the sky, summoning a Hell-hound. The spiritual wolf springs to action, sprinting towards the guards in the back. Jumping into the crowd, the wolf bites the neck of the frontmost guard, ripping him apart as his comrades try to pull the beast off.

Swapping weapons, you lock the 'Precision Scope' onto your Heavy Cannon. Scoping in, a deafening blast echoes in the ballroom as you snipe the ghastly wolf from across the room. Some of the guards hall the wounded one away, others redeploy their shields.

Swooping in from behind, Celestia launches dozens of bright yellow magic missiles towards the Marauder in a magical gun-run. With the speed and ferocity of a hawk, she flies above, swinging around for a second run.

A cocky guard moves out of formation, charging the Marauder from behind. Knowing that he's signing his own death warrant, you sprint up behind him and slam your body into his, pushing him away. Super Shotgun at the ready, you jam both barrels against the ex-Sentinel's back, pulling the trigger. Dual strikers puncture the primers on the 8-gauge shotgun shells, as a cacophony of gunpowder hatred is flung right into his back.

The Marauder's back armor is destroyed, pale white back bloodied and ripped apart from piping-hot buckshot. Within an instant he flips himself around, kicking you in the chest to distance himself. Left hand reaching for his shotgun once again, he draws and pulls the trigger.

Click...

Crimson eyes dart down to the firearm in his hand with confusion and anger. Breaking open his weapon, he discovers a lack of ammunition in the dual chambers.

A yellow aura engulfs the extra shells on his belt, levitating them away and flinging them across the ballroom. Celestia flaps her wings, horn pointed straight towards your attacker, charging up another magical onslaught.

With anger and fury in his eyes, the Marauder dashes towards you and swings his axe. His pale arms clench, corrupted muscles flexing with vigor and hatred—his diabolical weapon swings over head with the force of a freight train. The jets on your suit activate, propelling you to the side as fast as they can; unfortunately a second too late. His energy blade cleaves against your right shoulder plate, carving a monstrous crater down your entire right side. The heat from the strike seeps through the almost impenetrable armor, molten droplets leak inside and sputter across your bare skin.

The pain? Agonizing.

The smell? Stomach-churning.

You can feel the skin on your body boil and bubble, fats rendered by the very suit designed to protect you. The fiery anguish is of a foreign intensity that ceases your internal tactician dead in its tracks. Your foe is unrelenting in his onslaught, utilizing your brief bout of confusion to his advantage. Ignoring all other assailants within the massive ballroom, the Marauder slams his body into your own, sending you tumbling into the crowd of royal guards behind. He rakes his axe forward, rending the air in a searing maelstrom of heat and hatred.

In a second you’re back on your feet, dashing forward into the oncoming attack, so as to prevent others from it’s heinous effects. Exploding in a fit of crimson sparks, the projectile melts through your chestplate and abdominal armor, exposing your bare skin with a massive diagonal slash.

A bright golden beam of concentrated magic blasts the Marauder in the back, ceasing his forward assault and giving you time to regroup yourself. Like a pilot in a dogfight, Celestia swoops overhead. With a beat of her majestic wings she swings around, flying away from you in an attempt to kite your aggressor—both away from yourself and the majority of the ponies who had not evacuated the ballroom yet.

He takes the bait—hatred filled eyes locked on the alicorn overhead. Marble plates below crack and spread apart, never built to sustain such heavy footfalls. Barreling forth, he throws tables out of his way, hellbent on bringing Celestia hurdling to the ground.

He’s growing tired... With every swing of his axe, his accuracy decreases, chest heaving of exhaustion. Blood oozes down his rotten body, staining the armor he wears and smearing against the glistening marble floor beneath. If it weren’t for his height, the Marauder would be hard to keep track of. Hundreds of party goers gallop back and forth, their deafening screams overlay the sound of his own growls of pain and anger. Thousands of conflicts beforehand have honed in on your target acquisition skills, the adrenaline pumping through your veins enhances your sense as you lock in on the Marauder’s position.

You tone everything out. The waves of screams from terrified nobility. The stench of burnt plastics—the clumps of piping hot pastries smeared against your sweat covered body. You close your eyes, exhaling through your nostrils—you can feel his feet smashing against the brilliant red carpet in the middle of the room. You feel the room shudder violently as he leaps into the air, grappling onto the golden statue of Celestia. Instincts take over, all thoughts silenced.

Armored hands guide the barrel-end of your super shotgun across the sea of ponies. Your legs begin to move, as you effortlessly push guards out of your way. With a mighty press of the secondary trigger, the underbarrel grappling hook rockets out from it’s bronze housing. Soaring through the air with unwavering accuracy, the barbed hooks forged in pig-iron penetrate their target without mercy.

Your digits dig into the handle of your weapon, as the steel chain reels back—hurling you through the air towards your target. The hook finally retreats from it’s nest, slamming back into its housing; just as you close the distance between yourself and the Marauder. You slam your body against his own, knocking him off his feet as he smashes into the ground below; the axe he held so tightly before flies away, cleaving into a wooden table which bursts into flames. With the back of his head exposed, you jam the trigger down. The deafening explosion—the powerful recoil and shockwave that follows after, rewarded by the addictive smell of freshly burnt sulfur acts as a sensational finale to tonight’s brawl. The Marauder’s head erupts into a shower of armor, flesh, skull and brain fragments which splatter the surrounding area.

In an instant your senses return to you, the uncomfortable sensation of food and pastries smeared against your arms, the scent of sulfur, guts, and burning wood from a table beside you—the agonizing pain coming from your shoulder and chest. One thing stands out to you in this very moment, and that’s the sudden lack of all screaming and chaos, save for one constant wail of agony. Below your feet, you watch the Marauder’s corpse burst into flames, burning away into sparks which vanish in the still air, leaving nothing but the bloodstained, fragmented marble tiling underneath.

Besides the crackling and popping of a wooden table set ablaze, the only other sound worth paying attention to is coming from a young stallion collapsed on the floor yards away from you. He rests on his side, clutching his right flank with both hooves. Blood oozes out from two gaping holes over his cutie mark. Bits and chunks of ripped up muscle tissue, flesh and fats sprinkle his yellow coat, his spider-bite-esque wound penetrates deep enough that you can see a grotesque glimpse of his pelvis. As if the dual holes weren’t damning enough, the fresh dripping blood which stains each spike of your Super Shotgun’s meathook confirms what exactly happened. In the heat of the battle, you didn’t pay much mind as to what exactly your meathook was aimed at, simply caring that you had something to swing off of in order to intercept your foe.

Guards rush over to the injured stallion, tending his wounds as best they can without any supplies. “Oh sweet Celestia before me! I can’t…! I can’t move my leg! My bucking leg!” Tears stream down his blocky face, his pearly whites clamp down as he cries.

All eyes in the room fall onto your person, casting looks of betrayal and confusion at you. Every little movement you make is being judged with prey-like fear. Straightening out your back from your hunched over state, you break open your shotgun and reload it, two spent shells hit the floor, echoing hollow rattles across the banquet hall. Participants gasp at the action, camera-wielding journalists for the ruined event now aim their devices at you, snapping photo after photo in rapid succession.

Two glorious wings beat against the air, bringing the alabaster alicorn to touchdown with grace and perfection. Magenta eyes scan over the hellscape which has formed, before locking in on the injured stallion. Her face is stoic, expression unreadable as she trots right past you, sizing up her subject's injury.

Royal guards do their best to tend to his gaping wound, constantly exchanging bloodied and soiled gauze tissue for fresh supplies. One of the two stallions looks up at his monarch. "He's losing blood fast, Your Highness. We need to evacuate him as soon as possible."

"See that you do." She responds, before softening her gaze at the injured stallion. "Do not be afraid, my little pony... Stay awake, and I will see you through this."

You turn your body to face this congregation, and in one moment, three things happen.

One.

Your own wounds flare up, the foul scent of your own burnt flesh and skin cloud your mind, your armor is still red hot from where you took argent blades.

Two.

Celestia tilts her head back to look at you, and while she hides it very well you can see clear as day the betrayal and disappointment in her soul.

Three.

Two pairs of regalia covered hooves stampede into the room. Princess Cadence and Princess Luna glance around, horns glowing and wings flared, ready to attack any perceived threat at a moment's notice. Cadence is the first to notice her adoptive aunt, and halts her spell in an instant, galloping over. "Auntie! What's going on? Why is everything on fire?!"

Luna trots up from behind, her eyes dart from the stallion's hind quarters, then to your bloodstained meathook, putting the puzzle pieces together. She mutters something unintelligible to herself, ears twitching as they threaten to fold.

"Cadence, help these guards escort my subject to the hospital. Luna, I need this entire area on lockdown. No pony is allowed to enter until we secure it." Celestia calmly commands, shifting her attention to you. Her legs begin to move, as she saunters forward. "Slayer, would you join me somewhere?" Her angelic voice has a questioning ring to it; as if the presence of her own subjects is preventing her from saying what is truthfully on her mind.

Shaky hands guide your steel barreled weapon back into its inventory, before they clutch at the open wounds in your shoulder and side.

Fuck... It's been awhile since anything hurt that bad. Mancubus fireballs are one thing, but this is on a league of its own.

With a final glance around the room, you trail Celestia, allowing her to lead.

The vast halls of your castle are quiet, agonizingly so. Besides the sound of your millennia-long trained lungs inhaling and exhaling, the muffled clank of your regalia-covered hooves against the luscious silk carpet below, paired with the deep and rumbling footfalls of the armored human walking by your side feel like punches to your gut, every step leaves a terrible ringing which amplifies your internal anxiety; though your stoic gaze allows none of it to cast outwards. If you’re being completely honest with yourself—you haven’t a clue where you’re taking Slayer, with no destination in mind other than somewhere private; away from the banquet hall. Emotionally, you feel like a cargo train coming off the rails. The culmination of tonight’s events have left you utterly baffled as to how you are supposed to feel. The conversation with Cadence earlier in the castle gardens gave you a glint of hope that perhaps this mysterious human by your side might be the one soul your battered heart has been crying out for these past thousands of years, and his actions up until a few minutes ago supported that.

You and your accomplice round yet another corner, trekking mindlessly through the labyrinth of hallways your castle consists of. The previous hallway held within its titan walls large, glorious marble pillars which stood on either side of the pristine carpet below, supporting the heavy ceiling above, and saluting those who may stride past. Now, however, you and Slayer find yourself inside a hallway dwarfed by the previous; one of the many wings to the guestrooms. Perhaps one of these shall suffice… You inquire internally, offering nothing but a glance to your destructively-unpredictable partner.

Unpredictable. The more this one word bounces around in your head, the more it perfectly describes his nature, and acts as a quick reminder why you’re dragging him away in the first place. How could he have so carelessly harm one of your subjects in the way he did? The incursion tonight was very much a fast-paced, chaotic mess, but rendering a pony’s hindquarters lame just to gain a tactical advantage racks you with an anger so fierce it is unfamiliar to you… Yet, despite this one hiccup, he has proven himself to be a saviour to your subjects not once—but twice. Was it just a hiccup? There were a hundred different things in that room for him to aim at, what if it was a fluke? You give Slayer a look over; his armor has suffered monstrous damage that will easily take days to repair, though shockingly his terrible wounds he sustained have undergone immense healing—dark purple blotches of healing skin remain, instead of the boiling pot of skin and flesh tissue it once was. You’ll get your answers soon enough, Celestia. You remind yourself, eyeing a vacant room for the two of you.

“Join me, please?” You calmly ask Slayer, using your magic to open the simple wooden door to the vacant guest bedroom. Cleanly, but with a layer of dust covering every inch of the place, it had “unattended”, written all over it. You’ve never seen it before.

The deadbolt clacks, you exhale, and you spin around to face the elephant—nay, human in the room. “Let me first say that I am forever grateful for your help defeating that… intruder. However, I believe that you could have handled things better back there, seeing as one of my subjects could potentially be disabled for life.”

The armored man standing at the other side of the room shifts his weight on his feet, and through his visor you watch an eyebrow raise. “You’re safe, and the threat is dealt with.”

“Well- I appreciate your dedication to my personal safety, but I hold my subjects near to my heart, and I would hope you’d put the same care into protecting them as you do to me.”

Slayer’s hands flex, then hesitate, as if he was going to ball them into fists. “Celestia, he was one in a room of hundreds. You should be thankful no one died.” His voice grows half a notch louder than previous, a hint of annoyance emerging.

Your wings shift ever-so slightly at his retort. “Believe me, I am more than happy that is the case. However, what I am not so happy about is the fact that we just held a ceremony welcoming you as a friend and hero to Equestria, and not even 24 hours later you have challenged that!”

“Challenged it? I asked for no such titles, yet you decided to bestow them upon me anyways. What the common pony thinks about me is none of my concern. However helpful you believe it to have been, the majority still see me as a monster, and unlike being a hero, being a monster actually allows me to accomplish my goals without obstruction!”

His voice sounds strained, as if it is the most his vocal cords had had to work in years—it most likely was. With an audible huff, Slayer turns away from you, pacing back and forth as he so often does.

Despite your best efforts, your majestic wings unfurl themselves from their rest, your eyebrows furrow as you lightly stomp the ground with a hoof. “Perhaps I should have expected this much! Afterall, are you not the Doom Slayer? The Hellwalker? The unchained predator that the heinous creatures of the underworld fear?”

This seems to strike his core. Slayer stiffens at these words, stopping dead in his tracks—helmet turning at a snail’s pace to meet your gaze. “How do you know those names?”

“When I am satisfied, you will get your answers.” Your commanding voice silences him. “Tell me… Is anger, death and destruction all you have ever been? What could have brought you to become this god of mayhem I see before me? Maybe I was the one at fault for ever allowing you to step foot in my country!”

The demeanour of the armored man has changed significantly; where he once stood tall and confident, he’s now slumped forward, shoulders sagged halfway, his furrowed eyebrows convey anger yet are betrayed by his darting eyes which shift from your own gaze down to your hooves.

You turn your head to the side, eyes mindlessly scan over the boring, dust covered furniture in this rather small bedroom. “Like I said before… I am forever grateful for what you have done—weeks ago as well as today… But you took a knee before me; you made a vow to protect myself and my land from whatever may come forth. I don’t expect you to be everypony’s friend, but at the very least I expected you to keep a vow.” With an exasperated sigh, your wings begin to fold inwards, as you turn to face the door. “I’m hopeful that I did not misjudge you, Slayer… though, if your many titles are anything to go by, I fear I have made a fool of myself.”

The deadbolt is engulfed with your magical aura, and begins to unlock.

“Hmph. Very chiding, Celestia...” His bassy, grit-filled voice booms from behind you, muffled underneath his helmet. “I haven’t heard that tone of voice in a long time. You speak to me like a wife would to her mis-behaving husband.”

You stop mid-step, your vaunted escape out the door ground to a halt by this out-of-character retort. You can feel your heart skip a beat, as your eyebrows uncontrollably furrow, your pupils shrink as they zone in on the fine details of the wooden door before you. “Are you getting petty with me, Slaye—”

“You see someone in me.” That booming growl cuts you off mid sentence, his right foot raises and lowers with a half-step towards you. “Did you think I wouldn't notice your glances and little acts of affection? I’ve seen the way you look at me, Celestia.” Silence floods the room, accompanied only by the sound of his weight shuffling from one side to the other. “You’re not just keeping me around to protect your country, are you?”

You feel like you’ve been hit by a train. In one swift motion, Slayer has derailed your entire train of thought, and clouded your mind in contradictory thoughts. Standing in utter awe, you can do nothing but tilt your head to the side—so as to catch Slayer in your peripheral vision.

“Who do you think you’re going to find underneath this helmet, Celestia?”

An inhale— and an exhale. Eyelids sag down, your eyes sink to the floor below you. “Forgive me if I have made you uncomfortable… I believe that in trying to make you feel welcome here, I have allowed myself to act unrestrained.” You let your eyes close completely, warm breath flows out through your nostrils as you raise your head. “You share many attributes with someone who was very dear to me… Someone who was taken from me…

“He was, and always will be, my soulmate… Dead or alive, through grief and anguish.”

Silence invades, as it so often does. The armored mystery man stands before you, his battle-torn chest rises and falls with soft, drawn out breaths.

You feel empty, and grey—void of all purpose or function. A single thought which you have held away for centuries sparks alive, and creeps its way back into your head, the one thought which could single-handedly crumple your will to go on. What if… he’s gone?

“I have had many titles in my life, Celestia. None of them I ever asked for, or truthfully wanted.” You can hear him take one more step closer. “There was one title I was denied, and that alone is the reason I fight. It’s the only reason I am alive today.”

Your ears perk up ever so slightly, pinpointing on him. “And what is this title?”

“Husband.”

For just a single pump you can feel your heartbeat cease. Your eyelids flutter open as you finally summon the willpower to gaze up at Slayer. His demeanour is… different. He stands with a sagged slump, one that lacks confidence, and seems in it’s own way, vulnerable.

"Being torn from the target of your affections changes you... I'm sure you're all too familiar with that." He turns his body, casting his gaze out the dusty window, looking over the city below in the night sky. "I can still remember the day I proposed to her; the look of shock, and overwhelming joy—how the setting sun lowering beneath the mountains beyond casted her body in it's eternal bliss. I remember how it felt to be jabbed in the chest by her, for making vulgar jokes. That memory alone has, and always will keep me going. Just to see her smile again would make my life worthwhile."

You blink—once, twice, then thrice. With a quick glance to Slayer, you covertly magic your prized photograph from out of your ethereal mane; the same photograph you showed Cadence earlier in the night. The sun falling behind the mountains in the distance, how it's deep orange light casts your body in a gentle warmth. Your eyes unfocus, heart rate increasing.

He turns back to face you, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "My time is filled with agony and loss, Celestia. Everything I come in contact with is destroyed eventually, intended or not. Wherever I tread, the demons follow." His voice wavers at that last bit. "I've fought for so long, and I've seen so much... I'm afraid of what might happen if I return."

You swallow the lump in your throat, and return your gaze to Slayer, placing the picture back in your mane. "I have learned in my life that love conquers all, Slayer. It is why I rule Equestria like I do, the power of friendship and love are beautiful things. Hardship and loss are only natural, but your love will prevail. Always."

"What would happen if I took this helmet off, Celestia? After everything you've seen me do, everything I've done before that? Would you accept this man of yours back into your life, knowing all this?"

"Always… He is my soulmate. Never in a million years would I give up on him." You practically whisper.

He stares at you, eyes unreadable through the deep blue glass they hide behind. "Celestia?"

You take a step forward and stand feet away from him, never once taking your gaze off those eyes of his. "Yes, Slayer?"

He goes to take a step forward, but hesitates. "I want to come home, but I don't think I should… Not yet."

Your heart aches at his words, even more so at his hesitance. With lips that threaten to tremble, you take a step forward and speak. "It’s okay to be afraid…”

He shakes his head, crouched into an almost fetal position, though if it were upright instead of laying down.

“But I’m here for you. This kingdom welcome’s anycreature who would uphold its values.” You bite your lip, gazing at that darkened visor.

He paws at the ground. You can almost hear a muffled sort of whimpering, dully being carried to you across the short distance.

And then he looks up, with suddenty to make you jump, his response, a quiet whisper that cuts through the air, like a scythe through wheat. “You don’t understand, Tia! It’s like staring at the Door’s of Eden. I have experienced the wonders and beauties within… but once you leave—” he paused, standing up again, stance changing back into the one she was most familiar with—stolid, and unyielding. “—you can never come back.”

You force composure, becoming as unyielding as the man in front of you. “Is that truly what you believe? There is no invisible force keeping you from that future! No, the only thing keeping you from that future is you.”

“Tha—”

You cut him off, your voice becoming slightly strained. “You think you’re the only one who lost a title that day? Huh?! I was going to become a wife! But instead, all I became was a would-be widow, tasked with putting a failing kingdom back together. Piece by piece!”

Your breathing is labored, your eyes, assuredly red, You feel the oncoming sniffles, and you make a herculean effort to hold back the tears. A few slipped through, splattering on the floor heavily, but you don’t barely notice. Instead, your eyes are locked on the unmoving form of Slayer, who had slid a smidge closer while you were talking—nay, shouting.

You hear the tiny exhale of breath—his breath, and your breath hitches and you lean in, waiting for his response.

“I forgot how loud you could be when you’re angry.”

It was less than edifying.

Your voice cracks slightly. “That’s… that’s all you have to say!?” And then you are upon him in a frenzy, hooves striking out with the force of thousands of years of repressed emotion. His visor, his breastplate, his arms, none are spared from your wrath. The tears that you had precariously held back are spilling furiously down your cheeks, matting messly within your coat. You feel his arms enclose around you, easily breaking through your striking wings, and haphazardly trapping one on your back, leaving the other to violently lash out. It was quick to be reigned in.

You hear screaming. Your screaming. It was a destructive, violent sob—the kind typically accompanied by uplifted furniture and wayward spells. But this one wasn’t. Suppressed by Slayer, you could do nothing but continue to thrash around, trying desperately to escape.

After several minutes, it transitioned to a struggle of hopeless anger, and then, to resignation. Your throat is haggard in a manner you haven’t felt in forever. Your eyes are sore from the number of tears that have poured forth from them. Your head rests on his shoulder.

Several more minutes pass by, and probably several more after that, until you lose track of the numerous amounts of minutes passing, your body melting into his as though you were tranquilized.

Perhaps you have been.

Slayer feels like porcelain. As though, even in all his armor, one little prod and he’d break—shatter, into so many little pieces, you’d never be able to put him back together. But his grip is invariably strong regardless. You feel quite the same.

You hear his breath, underneath his helmet, soft and tired. It prompts you to put forth one, simple request, in a voice so quiet that even a mouse might miss it.

“Please come home.”

He stands still for what feels like an eternity, waging an internal battle of suppressed emotions, and conflicting feelings. After a moment, he makes his decision.

As gently as he can, Slayer shuffles his arms off your body, scooting away just enough to allow his gauntlet-covered hands to grab either side of his helmet. Synthetic leather creaks and squeaks, air seals hiss as their pressure is lost, electronics blip and beep—up his helmet drags, before finally lifting off his head.

Two eyelids open, revealing familiar eyes underneath.

Armored hooves clank across the fractured marble tiling of the ballroom, as two Royal Medics begin hauling away the injured party-goer on a stretcher. On the outside you remain stoic as ever, but the smile of a princess can hide many secrets—this is especially true for the Princess of Love. Your pink hooves threaten to tremble, as you just now begin to comprehend the true weight of Equestria’s situation.

“Cadey!”

That raspy voice you love so dearly calls to you from behind, catching you off guard and making you jump an inch into the air. “Bah! S-shiny! What did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that?!”

Your favorite stallion in the world gallops over, craning his neck around yours as he wraps a forehoof over you. “I’m sorry, I’m just so glad to see that you’re okay…”

You return the affection with passion, leaning into his embrace and nuzzling against his cheek. “It’s okay… I’m glad you’re safe too. What about Twilight and her friends?”

“Twily’s fine. She and her friends are shaken up, but they’re fine.” Shining Armor’s voice is muffled against your neck, as he takes a moment to inhale your scent. “This can’t keep happening… We’re not even safe within our own castle.”

“I know, sweetie… I know. I’m sure Auntie and Luna feel the same way.”

“Auntie… Speaking of which, where is she?” Shining raises his head, looking into your eyes before glancing around the destroyed ballroom. “Luna’s right over there with the guards, but I haven’t seen Celestia once since this started. Come to think of it… Where’s Slayer?”

You gaze around the room with your husband, idly scanning for the two people in question. “Celestia had pulled Slayer away to talk with him… She didn’t seem very pleased with him.”

“Hmm? Why’s that?”

You bite your lip, and motion to the puddle of blood several yards away. “You caught a glimpse of that injured stallion, right?”

Shining Armor cringes. “The one with the nasty flank wound?”

“Mhm…”

“Yeah, I got a good look at him, what’s up?”

“...I’m not sure if he meant to, but it sounds like that was Slayer’s doing.”

Shining’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, as he looks down at the floor below. “...Why would he do that?”

You give a small shrug, baffled yourself. “I can’t say, I’m sure that’s what Auntie is trying to find out right now.”

“Well, whatever the case, I don’t feel safe with you out here. Let’s call it a night, yeah?” Shining Armor huddles closer, motioning you to join him in leaving the wrecked room.

“Yeah… Let’s.” You say with a soft smile, walking side by side with the love of your life, putting tonight behind the both of you.

As you both make your way away from the mess, your ears catch two very distinctive noises echoing from your right side—The elegant, albeit weary and less calculated steps of your Auntie’s regalia on top of marble tiles, accompanied by the larger, boomier footfalls of the armored man by her side. One of Slayer’s massive arms is wrapped ever so gently around Celestia’s neck, the two of them trek at a slow, almost staggered limp—as if they both are helping each other stay upright, and if one were to fall, they both would.

With eyes wide and mouth agape, your vision locks in on two emerald eyes, which stare back at you. Neither you, nor Slayer speak a word, as you both walk in opposite directions accompanied by your special partners. Just before he and Celestia round a corner, Slayer gives you a small nod.

You turn to face forwards again, with a slight skip in your step, and a familiar warmth inside your heart.

The warmth of knowing that two lost souls have found eachother again.

12 - The Morning After

View Online

Not much more than a single sentence was spoken between you and Celestia for the rest of the night. After everything that was said, both of you were worn out, and just wanted the peace of each other's presence. You two had retreated into her personal quarters, clutching onto one another with no intentions of letting go. You two never kissed, or undressed, or did anything other than remain tightly wound in a mix of arms, forelegs and wings.

Your helmet rests on its side on the floor, having been dropped the moment you two had entered. With your back against the headrest of your fiance's luxurious canopy bed, your armored hands blanket Celestia's alabaster barrel as best as they can. The alicorn in question is sitting on your lap, face to face with you. Her beautiful eyes are bloodshot and red, her face fur is matted with dried tears from multiple sessions of sobbing throughout the midnight hours. The morning sun bleeds in through the open balcony next to the bed; with a touch of finesse, Celestia was able to raise the sun and start the day without ever needing to abandon your comfort.

The two of you sit in silence, as Celestia trails a hoof as gently as she can up and down your battle damaged armor, inspecting your healing injuries with motherly concern. "How do you endure such cruelty, yet remain as stoic as you do?" Her gentle, ragged voice is no louder than a morning breeze.

You opt to remain silent, trailing your own eyes over her face. Nothing you can think of feels worth speaking to her, lest you come off arrogant, or self-loathing.

"I'm sorry... For raising my voice at you." Celestia frowns, her head lowers as her eyes fall south. "Things have been so much more stressful than they have ever been. I haven't felt this uncertain of my countries fate since... I lost you."

You shake your head and place a hand onto her cheek, lifting her head up so you can look into her eyes. "Don't apologize. If anything, I should. You've been more than accommodating for me, considering what little you knew."

She gives an empty chuckle, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "The moment I heard of your presence, I was praying it would be you."

"...More than anything, I wanted to return to you, Celestia."

"I know, Anonymous. I know." Her beautiful eyes open, gazing into your own, and despite the sadness they cast, you can't help but feel a comforting warmth from the very sight of them. Celestia sighs, before leaning forward, craning her neck around yours as her forelegs wrap around your back. You return the gesture, and cradle her closely, burying your face into her neck as you inhale the scent of her shampoo.

"Celestia?"

"Yes, my love?"

There's a long moment of silence, as you consider your words carefully. For countless years you have survived on your own, keeping your pain and sorrow inside. Now, however, as you clutch onto your partner, that doesn't feel appropriate anymore.

"I'm scared to leave this room."

You nuzzle into her neck, rubbing your hands up and down her back slowly. You can feel her reciprocate, and you swear you hear her breath hitch—though that may as well be your mind playing tricks.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't feel much the same, Anon."

"What if... What if I'm too slow? Who's to say ten more of those rotten bastards won't show up the second I take my eyes off of you?"

Celestia clutches you tighter, using her wings to blanket you as she gently shushes you. "Ssshhh... Letting yourself dwell on these things will only keep your morale down, Anon. Whatever happens, you and I will face it head on." She pulls away, and now it's her turn to hold your cheek with a hoof, forcing eye contact. "Together. As we were always meant to. I will allow nothing to come between us, just as I'm sure you won't."

Unlike moments previous, it is difficult, almost painfully so, to remain gazing into your lover's eyes. Her warm words are intended to provide reassurance, you're sure of it. Unfortunately, these promises of protection and safety come across as nothing more than lies; temporary truths, waiting to be broken.

Doubt creeps it's way into your mind, and before long it plagues your face. In an instant Celestia takes note, her velvet lips curl downwards as she leans forward to nuzzle against your cheek.

"You may not believe me now... I don't expect you to, but I'm hopeful that overtime you'll learn to trust me again."

I want to, Celestia. The sentence racks your brain, sitting in the back of your throat begging to be spoken. You open your dry lips to speak.

GGRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLMMMBMBBMMM...

One of the most violent, armor rattling, bed rocking growls you've ever heard or felt bellows from your stomach. Words escape you and your accomplice. Celestia's eyes go wide, as they dart from your face down to your stomach.

"G-goodness, Anonymous! If you were hungry, you could have just told me!" Her angelic voice is an octave higher than normal, a mix between concern for your health, and seconds away from a giggle fit. "W-when was the last time you had a proper meal?"

Despite herself, those lips curl upwards into an amused grin; an armored hood touches her mouth as she tries to contain herself.

Her smile is infectious, and soon enough your own lips raise. If anything, you're thankful that—despite your current state—you can still manage to bring joy to your favorite horse lady.

"It's been a minute or two."

Her chest rumbles, and the giggles soon overtake her.

"Oh, come now. The morning is still young, perhaps some proper food might ease tensions?"

Celestia nuzzles your nose with closed eyes, and you return the gesture with gusto.

"I'd like that."

A few more adorable titters ring out, before Celestia sighs, almost in relief. "I think breakfast would do both of us many favors..." With one final nuzzle for good measure, Celestia begins to scoot off of you.

One hoof hits the floor, then two, then four. Celestia stretches and yawns, spreading her wings before resting them at her sides. From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of her own reflection from her bedside mirror. "Goodness! I look like an utter trainwreck..." She bites her lip, looking into her own sore eyes, her disheveled mane and matted fur. "I believe a bit of a grooming session is in order for myself."

Slowly, Celestia turns to face you. "Would you... Care to join me?"

Any other time, this would be a flirt—an invitation for activities best not spoken about in polite company; a chance to explore and to cherish each other in the most ultimate of ways.

This time is different.

Celestia's gaze is soft, her voice has the slightest waver, almost undetectable. There was no way to misinterpret her question; all she asks for is your company as she prepares herself for the public eye.

You offer Celestia a simple nod accompanied with a closed smile. "Of course. I could use a bit of a wash, myself." A forearm raises, as your offhand bats away dried clumps pastry onto the marble floor below.

"...Thank you." She whispers, motioning you to follow her.

Though it was never directly spoken, it seems you and Celestia have agreed on something in regards to your relationship.

Both of you are in no place to be rushing into things right now. Affection of a more intimate level will return in time, but that is not now.

For now, you have a fiance' in need of grooming. As for yourself?

A damn shower.

"The dining quarters are down the hall of the southern wing, okay?" Celestia's sing song voice dances in your ears, as you watch her saunter out of the bathroom—clean, prim and proper. "I'll have my maids bring you a robe. The fit may be... strained. It's intended for visiting minotaur royalty, but it should suffice."

"I won't be long."

With that, Celestia makes her exit, leaving you to stare into the steamy, fog covered glass within her grandiose bathroom. The 'thing' that stares back at you is so simple in its physical form, but an anomaly to grasp.

It stands tall, naked from head to toe. It's body's muscular, incredibly so—Massive arms connected to a wide, beefy upper chest. Shoulder muscles support a thick neck, which stands above two rock-hard pectorals. It's body is riddled with scars of various shapes and sizes which trail down to even it's naked legs; each scar has its own story. The largest, and most significant of these past wounds is a bubbled out, deep-mauve scare which wraps around the left calf above the ankle. Five jagged lines spread apart, forming what appears to be a clawed hand. This was the wound that changed everything—the wound from a friend-turned-foe.

A shudder rattles your body, and you turn your attention back to the mirror, focusing on the thing's face.

Simple, ordinary, run of the mill. Short hair and emerald eyes compliment a blocky, chiseled complexion. This face carries no abnormalities—save for a few minor scratches and scars—it is entirely average.

A human male.

A plain, regular, human male.

You.

You stare into those emerald eyes in the steamy glass, and they stare back. Vague memories and images flash through your brain. Trekking across foreign lands with a close friend, frolicking through flower-laden fields with a lover. Simple images—happy images. You believe these to be memories of your own. They may as well be, there is no other reason they would be hiding within the limits of your conscience.

This very face in the mirror is yours, is it not? Why else would its eyelids close when your own do?

Without thought, a hand reaches up and rests against the glass. Condensation smears against your skin, as the physical hand aligns with the reflection.

Your lips begin to move, as you speak your name to the mirror. The creature in the glass speaks back, pronouncing every syllable just as you do. The name sounds odd when pronounced by your own tongue, and it feels unfitting when associated with yourself. By all means, you are Anonymous; the human being within the reflection before you. Yet despite this, the notion of reclaiming this title rocks your body and mind with discomfort.

Feelings of inadequacy dribble into your mind, before your stomach unleashes another bellowing growl—desperate for some form of sustenance.

Maybe Celestia had a point about breakfast... You muse internally, opting to part ways from your mirror image. Navigating your way back into Celestia's bedroom, you find the lower half of your Preator Suit resting neatly on top of the bed, paired with a luxurious, elegantly crafted fleece robe decorated in various hues of yellow, white, and purple—Celestia's cutiemark is branded onto each of the robe's shoulders, as well as one side of the chest. The pants and shoes to your armor are as dirty as they were yesterday, but have been presented in a neat display.

With nothing else to do, you sit on the side of the bed and clad the lower half of your armor, covering your naked legs, and concealing your manhood. Despite what one might want to believe, you don't have a set of traditional 'underclothing' that goes with the suit; instead, the armor is lined with firm, synthetic fabric which acts as built-in comfort. It makes wearing the suit for long periods of time bearable—though odor can arise if not washed every so often. Not that odor has ever concerned you. You wear the suit for protection, not to smell nice.

After you fasten and secure your pants and boots, you dawn the robe. The faux fur feels like an angel's voice in physical form, and it's almost as soft as Celestia's own coat. Its comfortable enough that you could almost see yourself wearing this more than once. A glance to the dresser mirror in front of the bed reveals that while the fit is rather tight, the robe conceals most of your scars, and you'd dare say you look rather clean in it.

"So then I said to Spearhead; "Banana seat? You'd know a lot about those, wouldn't you?" You can hear Shining Armor in the room ahead of you, guffawing at his own joke as he smashes a hoof into the table before him.

"Sh-shining! That's terrible!" Princess Cadence attempts to scold him, though she's struggling to stop snickering and giggling at his crudeness. It's hard to pinpoint where without seeing, but you can hear Celestia off to the side sharing her own laughter.

Like a bunch of teenagers. Your naked hands press against the doors to Tia's private dining hall, pushing them open swiftly and without incident. Sure enough Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are sat together on one side of a simple rectangular table dressed in fancy cloth; Celestia is sitting at one of the two ends by herself, enjoying a large plate of fruit-laden pancakes.

"Hey, in all fairness I wouldn't make those jokes if he wasn't okay with it! If anything, I'd think it makes him more comfortable around..." Shining Armor trails off.

Two and a half pairs of eyes fall onto your person, each of the three ponies before you react in a range of emotion. Celestia's well-trained politeness fades away in a heartbeat, being quickly replaced by a genuine warmth of such intensity it strikes your heart, and you find yourself unable to look away.

Shining Armor looks you up and down with his remaining eye, quizzical concern laces his blocky face, your appearance having robbed him of his words.

Princess Cadence glances between you and Celestia, her lips uncontrollably curl upwards as she watches you two interact with baited breath.

With each passing moment, you and Celestia become increasingly lost in each other's eyes; the very idea of looking away seems outrageous and absurd. Unfortunately for you, Celestia manages to snap herself out of this bout, batting her eyes back down to the meal before her. "I see that the robe fits nicely, Dear." Her horn lights up, levitating fork and knife over to her dish as she cuts into her pancakes.

Armored feet guide you across the room and over to your horse-fiancé, whom you greet with a gentle rub of her crest.

Celestia struggles to contain a gentle coo, and cranes her neck to look up at you. "There is food in the kitchen... Please, feel free to dish yourself. Anything that you want I can have my chefs make."

A nod of Celestia's head points you to a set of double doors. across the room. Without much input of your own, you give her a loving pat and make your way into the kitchen, breezing right past Cadence and her husband.

The double doors to the kitchen swivel closed, as Slayer—Anonymous disappears into the kitchen. You feel absolutely ecstatic; Auntie's royal façade fading away the moment her dear human entered the room speaks volumes as to just how repressed she's been. Overwhelming warmth builds inside your chest, and it's almost impossible not to squeal out in delight.

"...Dear?" Shining speaks up from your side, craning his head forward to look over at Auntie Celestia. "Is there uh... something I'm missing?"

Unable to contain it, you let out a small squeal, gently nudging your husband as you peer over to Celestia. "Oooohh! Can I tell him? Please, Auntie, can I tell him?"

Celestia, to her credit, reacts in a very calm and collected manner; albeit slightly flustered. Politely she cuts herself a chunk out of her meal, chewing and swallowing it. "I am still adjusting to this myself, Cadence... Anonymous and I both, really." Her eyes drift back down to her pancakes. “It is a lot to take in, especially with everything happening right now.”

“Wait— I’m confused. Who’s Anonymous? Why are you calling Slayer ‘Dear’ like you two are dating? Weren’t you chewing him out last night for that negligent injury?” Shining’s raspy voice is strained, a hoof rests on his head.

"Oh Shiny, it's so wonderful! Anonymous is—"

As if on cue, the western door to the dining room swings open, revealing a tired and very disheveled Luna. Dark bags hang under her bloodshot eyes, her mane is frizzy and unkept. Her tired legs drag her over to the table, taking a seat adjacent to her sibling. “Dearest Sister… ‘tis worse than we thought. Our subject’s feelings of safety are dwindling ever more, and their reception of Slayer has been tarnished since last nights events... we cannot describe to you the things we have witnessed in tonight's nightmares.”

Celestia’s gaze falls on her younger sister, her lips curl into a frown. "How man—"

“Already? Has the news spread that fast?” Shining responds faster than Celestia can. “What did he do?”

Celestia clears her throat. "Ahem... He defended Equestria as best as he could, but in doing so—"

"Disheveled the trust of our subjects! We saw not one good dream last night sister! Not one!" Luna's booming voice is quick to catch her sister off guard.

"Well where does this Anonymous guy come into play? Why was Slayer walking around in a robe?" Shining Armor has to raise his own voice just to keep the conversation going.

It doesn't take a master of psychology to see that the sanctity of breakfast is quickly unraveling. Piping hot food is being ignored, left to cool idly as confusion and stress flood the arena. Poor Auntie Celestia almost appears to be sinking back into her seat as the onslaught of questions keep coming.

"Anonymous?! Who is thou referring to, Armor?! That name is not to be spoken with such carelessness!" Luna glares into your husband's eye, who cowers in response. Her razor sharp glance snaps back to her eldest sibling, mellowing into a look more of confusion and hope. "What dost this boy speak of, Sister?"

"Lulu, please, I am going to get to tha—"

The kitchen doors swivel open, revealing a robe-clad human expertly balancing a large silver platter pack to the brim with food. Like, so much food it towers over Anon's head, and could feed a family of seven easily with extra for leftovers. Behind Anonymous, one of Celestia's private chefs has a nervous smile on her face, eyeing the platter in a ducked stance; ready to bolt forward to catch anything should it fall. All eyes in the room fall on the somewhat comical sight, silence invades once again.

"Aaaannnnd... Perfect!" With all the delicacy of a swan, Chef Honey Bunch levitates a one-gallon pitcher of milk onto the large silver plate. "Good to go, Sir!" She bows before you, a tad nervous from your towering physique, but eager to serve.

Honey Bunch steps aside as you near the island cabinet in the middle of the room, wrapping your digits around either side of the dish and hoisting it up. Plates and chinaware rustle and clatter against each other, their contents slide from side to side, threatening to tumble towards the ground if you so much as twitch.

"Are you sure you have that? It's no issue at all for me to wheel it out for you! I mean... that is a lot of food, and I could just as easily roll it out to you on three carts."

You give the middle-age mare a simple glance, before you make for the double doors. Her ruby eyes follow your every movement as you trek past her. Seemingly snapping herself out of a trance, she scurries ahead of you. "Oh! Let me grab that door for you, Sir!"

She's a chipper one, this mare. You haven't so much as said hello to her, and she's offered her services to you with passion and vigor; even going so far as to offer cooking meat.

Honey Bunches trots past you, kicking a button on the floor which causes the double doors to swivel outwards, locking in place. Bustling conversation in the room before you ceases, leaving you in what would be a terrible silence, if you happened to care. The tower of food and plates before you comes up to just under your nose, keeping your vision limited. Despite this obstruction, you manage to spot all three residents at the table, with a plus-one next to Celly.

"Shining Armor..." Celestia's eyes glance from the stallion, then over to her sister. "...Luna..." Then, ever so slowly, she brings her eyes up to you. "...This is Anonymous. My fiancé from over a thousand years ago."

"Anonymous..." Luna's astonished eyes meet your own. "...All this time...?"

You don't even offer her a nod. With a hearty clunk, you place the platter onto the dinner table, keeping your eyes focused on the task at hand; unstacking the tower of food and drink before you. Your dexterous digits grab plates and bowls with ease, lining each of the dishes in an orderly fashion of food type, and size of the dish.

"Jeez, dude... Save some for the rest of us, Huh?" Shining Armor quips with an amused voice, watching you set down a gallon pitcher of milk.

"...Thou... waited all this time to reveal thine self?..." You can hear Luna rise from her seat, followed by the echo-y clip clop of her shoe-dressed hooves coming around the table.

Can't this wait, Sis? I haven't eaten in weeks. You want to say it, you need to say it; unfortunately, your lips hold steadfast.

"...Thou stole from our land... Destroyed the Godstone..." The hoof steps grow ever closer.

Don't push it, Luna. You set down a plate of scrambled eggs.

"Ravaged the land, and struck fear into the hearts of our subjects!" You can feel Luna feet away from you.

Just one bite. Can I have that? Your digits grab a silver fork, which you stab into the steaming hot pile of scrambled eggs. The aroma taunts you ever so, you are but inches away from ending a terrible period of starvation.

"And thou believes he can just—just return?! As if not one of these offences ever took place?!" A cobalt hoof strikes your wrist, sending the fork flying across the room. Chunks of egg scatter across the marble floor as the ringing clatter of the utensil shocks the guests in the room. "Have you ANY idea the pain and sorrow you have brought us? Brought our sister?! Look at us when we speak to you, you—you utter fool!" Luna's teal eyes glare into your soul with only the utmost of betrayal.

Two hands ball into fists.

"That's enough, Luna!" Celestia's voice booms out, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads. Celestia's stern features soften, eyes never leaving her younger sibling. "Luna... He's back." She coos out in a motherly tone, motioning a hoof towards you. "All this time we thought he was gone, he fought day and night, and he's back..."

Luna's eyes dart back and forth between you and Celestia. After several seconds which feel like minutes, her lower lip trembles for a moment, her eyebrows twitch. "...W—why did you toy with us...?" She asks, peering back at you, her voice nothing more than a whisper. "You lied to us in your nightmare... why?" She takes a step closer.

You feel something inside of you. A painful tightness in your chest all too familiar; a pain that can sap the willpower away from the strongest beings in existence in one fell swoop—heart ache.

"It would have hurt you and Celestia more if I showed up, only to leave again. I figured it best to act a stranger, and save you two the pain." Luna seems taken aback by these words; a reluctant glance to the left shows Celestia is much the same.

"...I missed you." Luna whispers, tears welling in her eyes, one of her front hooves lifts an inch off the ground.

You open your arms. "Come here."

Wearily, Luna steps forward and succumbs to your embrace. She buries her face into your chest, allowing you to wrap your arms around her crest and withers. She does not sob or cry, but as she nuzzles deeper against the fuzzy material of your robe, you can feel a single tear seep through the fabric and wet your skin. The two of you hold this position for what feels like minutes, no one dares interrupt this moment of troubled reunification.

When Luna feels like she's ready, she softly pulls away and clears her throat. You look down into her eyes and pat her side. "My apologies... It has been a long night for us." Sheepishly she turns towards her family. "Would you still accept a fifth at the table? We missed our lunch today."

Perpetual Torment

by NiceMouse

1 - Pushing Forward

2 - Perplexing Discoveries

3 - Situational Awareness

4 - Ponyville

5 - Nightmare

6 - So Close, So Far

7 - New Rage

8 - Bad Cop, Worse Cop

9 - Silent Suffering

10 - Relax A Little, Enjoy Yourself

11 - Ballroom Brawl

12 - The Morning After