Prelude~The Second Battle of Veyland Sinestre

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Anton continued to stare at the floor of the Valkerie as it cleared the Hanger Doors of the destroyer Lex Talionis. Even as the void screamed around him, he kept his vision on the floor. He had never been in space before; he'd never even left his continent back on Elysia. And yet, here he was, on board a valkyrie for the first wave of what he had heard some of the Veterans call a suicide mission.

He finally looked up as he received a light tap on his pauldron. Looking over, he spotted his Sergeant, Alsia of house Horov. She said, "You're the new field chirurgeon, right?"

"Yes sir", he said automatically, letting go of his lasgun to give her the symbol of the Aquila.

"Good", she said, letting go of the roof-mounted handle in order to sit down next to him. "What's your name?"

"Anton, sir", he said, returning his grip to his lasgun.

She snorted, examining her laspistol. "Anton. Who'd you piss off to be assigned to the first wave?"

Anton said, "I don't know, sir."

She laughed. "Fair enough. I don't know either. Still, better than being stuck on one of the Grav-Cones in a way." A brief silence returned, broken by the roar of the engines and the actions of the other troopers in the bay of the Valkerie. Finally, she once again broke it by asking, "You're one of the Whiteshields that Vandrak pushed through training in order to fill out this mission?"

"Y-yes sir", he said. "H-how could you tell?"

"Besides the fact that you've just been assigned to us as a part of the fresh batch?", she asked. "Your hands."

"My hands?", he asked, looking down at them.

"They're shaking. The ones who come from the PDF don't. Well, they don't as much. Point is, I can tell that this your first drop."

Sure enough, they were shaking. Not much, but enough in order to give his lasgun a slight sway as it rested in between his legs. He nodded slowly, before saying, "I'll, I'll try not to let you down, sir."

"'Victory needs no explanation, defeat allows none'", she quoted, putting her laspistol back in its holster. She shot a quick look at the cockpit, as well as the flashing light behind the pilot's door. "Just get yourself read and remember which levers do what. Drop zone's coming up."

+++++~+++++

Anton's boots slammed into the rough surface, his legs bending on instinct to lessen his impact on the ground. A good thing too, as a hail of autogun fire sailed over where his head would've been. He sprang forward, his lasgun swinging back and forth in front of him as he ran. He was vaguely aware of his squad doing the same, sprinting towards a small outcropping on the edge of the drop zone.

Looking up, he spotted a Lyimicus soldier standing on the outcropping. The pirate was likely the source of the fire, it stopping being to him scrambling with another magazine. Barely slowing down, Anton raised his lasgun, his training, and his Photo-visor aiding him in finding his target. He stopped, steadying his aim, and squeezing off a shot. The red bolt of energy sailed into the Pirate, the thin armor unable to protect him. As Anton began to run again, he was aware that the Pirate had collapsed forward, slumped into the rocks.

Anton finished his sprint to the rocks, slamming his shoulder into the clump of rocks. He stole a look back at the open patch among the craggy rocks, watching as other Drop Troopers landed. Around forty of them, the Valkeries peeling off as the last of them landed.

His attention was drawn back to the other side of rocks by a feral shriek. He braced his lasgun to his shoulder and peeked over the top. He brought his head back down just as a winged beast flew over the top of the rocks. It swooped down like a Dive-bomber on one of the Troopers, using its hook-like talons to rip the troopers clean off in a spurt of blood. Across the outcroppings, several more of the winged beasts flew over, diving on and attacking the Troopers.

"What the frak are these?", one of the troopers next to him yelled. Before Anton could reply, a clattering slammed into the rocks and sent up a series of chips.

"Lysimicus!", another trooper yelled, before firing over the rocks. Anton once again peeked over the top, his Photo-Visor aiding in spotting his targets. Sure enough, his Visor picked up the outlines of Lysmicus militia among the rocks, their human forms broken up occasionally by the unnatural shapes of mutants among them. The sight of the malformed heretics caused Anton to near, before bringing up his own lasgun.

His training kicked in. While it was true he had been rushed through training, it was still Elysian training. He was by no means a poor soldier, and this was his chance to prove that. He squeezed one eye shut, the one that was still open scanning the rocks for a good target. Soon, one showed itself; a mutant carrying a heavy stubber on its shoulder. Anton once again squeezed the trigger, his prayer barely finished as the mutant crumpled.

Next to him, a heavy bolter blazed to life. Near where he was aiming, he watched as the Pirate Militia in the area practically exploded. The Emperor's wrath ripped into them, sending them sprawling with bits and pieces torn off of their forms. Still, he kept his eyes open, scanning back and forth for the enemy.

After a bit, he tore his eyes off of the craggy rocks. He looked down his side of the outcropping, eyeing the Elysians spread out among them for cover. He slung his lasgun over his shoulder and reached behind his back. He pulled out his Medkit and began to head down the line in order to look for any wounded.

As he passed, a few of them looked back at him with a similar expectation. Most shook their heads, indicating that they didn't need any. Finally, he came to one leaning with his back to the rocks. He said, "Hey."

Anton nodded, kneeling down and pulling out his Dignosicator. A few taps on the metal frame caused the screen to blaze to life, and a few more taps caused it to start up and examine the trooper. A few seconds went by, before a beep sounded and an image appeared on the screen.

"Autogun wound, right shoulder", Anton said.

The trooper said, "I know. How bad?"

"Not bad", Anton said. "You'll be apart of the first ones out, but until then, a bit of Morphia should be enough to keep you fighting." As he spoke, he pulled out the plastic bottle and one of his injectors. He sucked up a small amount of the viscous liquid, before sliding it under the Trooper's pauldron. He pushed in the stopper, causing the trooper to groan. Soon, the injector was empty, and Anton pulled out a bandage.

As he was tying some gauze to keep it in place, fresh gunfire erupted from the other side, met by the cracking of lasguns. Next to Anton, another trooper fell back, a hole where his left eye was. Anton sighed, closing his medkit and taking the dead troopers' place.

As he peeked over the rocks, his eyes widened at the sight of the incoming assault. A fresh wave of mutants and heretics were clambering across the rocks. Those that had ranged weapons were firing them wildly, while some were merely lumbering along with clubs, long knives, or boarding pikes. At their head, striding calmly amid the wall of returning fire, stood a Heretic Astartes.

Anton had been fortunate to see an Astartes once before; a Techmarine visiting his father's workplace at one of Elysia's Void Shield generators. This was far from the massive figure; the dark red armor being the only similarity. This beast seemed to flicker with non-physical fire, a focal point around his black and silver bolt pistol. Spikes stuck out of his breastplate and pauldrons, while a single, curved horn stuck out of his helmet. Speaking of his helmet, it seemed to ripple, the base of the beak-like faceplate seeming to possess wicked, needle-esque teeth. In its other hand, it raised a sputtering chainsword, spurring on the charging mass of damned flesh.

The others around him immediately jumped into action. A wall of lasfire rippled out, slamming into the charging mass. Anton did the same, probing his lasgun up on the rocks as he reached back for a grenade. He stopped his rapid squeezing of the trigger just long enough to bring the pin to his mouth, pulling the pin and tossing it in one fluid motion. Other troopers did the same, a small wave of death flying out and falling amongst the heretics.

Anton brought his free hand back up to the grip, swiveling the lasgun back and forth in search of targets. Cut down by either the grenades or the accurate fire of the Drop Troopers, most of the heretics lay dead. A few were backing up, still pouring fire into the Elysian position, while a fresh tide of them poured over the rocks. The Astartes was among the dead, a gaping hole in his chest from a krak missile.

A shadow passed overhead, blocking out the dull light that came from Veyland Sinsetres gas giant. As the last of them fled over the rocks, Anton looked back into the facsimile of a sky.

Above them stood one of the Gravity-cone Platforms that were key to Captain Vandrak's plan. The ancient hulk slowed to a halt, its autocannons lighting up the darkness as it fired on Traitor void-craft. Soon, shimmering funnels of altered gravity flowed down from it, followed by dark shapes falling down it.

Spilling free from the cones came Cadian troopers, pushing past one another to escape the funnels. A few Elysians also came down via Grav-Chute, discarding them amongst the dead and the other chutes. Soon, a sizable amount of Cadian troops spilled forward, pouring over the top of the rocks in a fervent counter-assault.

He was drawn back to reality by Sergeant Alsia, who yelled, "Anton! Go give Ridger help getting the wounded out!"

Anton nodded, leaving the line to head over towards a pair of landing Valkeries. Fresh troops spilled out of them, while a few troopers with medical armbands waved over the wounded. Anton gripped one of the ones who could barely stand, helping lay him on a stretcher in the bay. Soon, the bay of the Valkerie was filled with over twenty wounded, and Anton and Ridger were backing out of the bay.

Another, darker patch of shadow passed over the top of the Valkerie. Looking up, the two of them spotted a pair of the winged creatures diving down. One sailed further over towards the engine, while the other dove down on Ridger. Anton was knocked back by the impact of the creature on the Gunships boarding ramp, while Ridger was torn apart by the beast and its hooked claws.

Anton turned to the side, spotting Ridgers discarded Meltagun. He rolled over, grabbing the weapon and bringing it up at the beast. It turned to him just as the weapon charged up. A bolt of white-hot energy shot forward, boring a hole clean through the chest of the thing. It crumpled back, hissing and steaming.

Before Anton could react, however, the Valkerie lurched to the side. Anton was thrown back into the bay, by some miracle not slamming into one of the others already inside. The Valk seemed to sway like a drunkard back and forth, until it finally listed fully to one side. Anton was thrown into one of the heavy bolters by the door, wincing at the impact. Looking at the bay, Anton watched as it fell over the side of the Planetoid, falling into the null-gravity pull of the gas giant. Anton had just enough time to slide on his respirator before everything went black.

+++++~+++++

Princess Celestia's eyes jerked open. She sat up in her bed, twisting her neck to look outside. All that greeted her was the starry wall of the night sky. Yet, for some reason, something about it was off.

She climbed out of her bed, heading for the balcony of her bedroom. Standing behind the gilded railing, she looked out over Canterlot and the land beyond. In the distance, far below Mount Canterhorn, she saw a small shape fly down. At first glance, it appeared to be a shooting star. However, from her vantage point and the angle it was going down, it clearly wasn't. She didn't know what it was; a dragon, or some creature of the Everfree? That was what her mind told her. However, she knew it wasn't that. The feeling she got from it, as well as the burst of magic that accompanied the shape, were different than the beasts of the Everfree. In fact, they were vaguely... familiar.

She then shifted her gaze over towards the Maze. Specifically, at the Statue of Discord.

1~Xenos Scum

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Anton yelled in alarm as he was suddenly hit by a burst of moonlight. In his panic, he fell free of the Valkerie. His arms flailed wildly, panic clouding his judgment as he tumbled through the sky like a dropped toy. Managing to right himself, he looked around it soon becoming apparent that he was no longer on Veyland Sinstre. Off in the distance stood a proper mountain, with what looked like some form of Fortress on it. For as far as the eye could see, a massive plain spread out. And directly below him, a collision course imminent, was a dark forest.

Anton's tried to force down his panic. His instructor had told him that, when dropping over an obstacle-filled location like a forest or a city, try to aim for clearings. However, that wouldn't do him any good if he didn't find anything to slow his descent.

Once again darting his head back and forth, he finally came across another item thrown free of the Valkerie during its death spiral; a Grav-Chute. He angled his body towards it, soon getting close enough to grab it. His hands felt strangely numb, yet he had just enough coordination left in them to slide it onto his back.

He turned his attention back to the rapidly approaching ground. His altimeter warned him that he was rapidly approaching the forest below: 1200 meters, 1100 meters, 1000 meters. His eyes scanned the ground, desperate for someplace to touch down without breaking something. Finally, as he dipped into the hundreds of meters, he finally spotted something. A small scar in the forest canopy, running parallel to a small river. He once again angled himself, turning his hips in order to try and come down in a spiral.

The number on his vizor grew smaller and smaller: 700, 600, 500. That was the standard deployment altitude. He brought his hand up to the activation cable, attempting to grab it. However, despite the numbness fading, he simply couldn't seem to get a grip on it. Not wanting to tear his eyes off his descent, he kept fumbling for it. 400, 300, 200. Finally, after a bit, he felt the small tab on the outer part of the cable push out from the Chute. "Thank the Emperor", he muttered, pushing the tab out.

He jerked back, his body righting itself as the grav-generators kicked in and he slowed. His head jerked back, somehow slamming into one of the guidance jets. His body also felt off, as if he had somehow stretched, although he chalked it up to shock and the head collision. He finally touched down, stumbling a few steps as he did. Finally, his suddenly sore body, aching head, and exhaustion caught up to him. He collapsed forward, his enclosed head falling face-first into a small puddle of mud. Even without the mud blocking his vizor, he was still consumed by darkness as his eyes slid closed.

+++++~+++++

Anton groaned, his eyes almost refusing to open. The heavy lids remained stubbornly shut until, after a great deal of forcing, he managed to cause them to open. His head also refused to budge from its position, his neck stiff. For some weird reason, it also seemed to tug at the inside of his uniform, causing a weird tension against it.

He shifted his arms, and uttered praise to the Emperor that he could still feel them. His instructor had told him about how dangerous an uncontrolled drop could be, and while not the same, he still had some bruises from the Ribbreaker to prove it. He lifted his arms, pressing down his still numb hands to try and push himself up.

He also tried to shift his legs, yet failed to. He was able to move them, and it felt as if he was standing up. However, due to his slumped over stature, it felt like he wasn't. It was by far the oddest feeling he had ever felt. He sighed, chalking up to the impact of his landing. He brought up one of his hands to wipe the mud from his vizor. It was still feeling numb, but to his pleasant surprise, he was simply able to wipe it off with the whole mass. That feeling was soon replaced by abject horror when he saw his hand.

Well, what he assumed to be his hand. Instead of the opposable limb he was used to, he was greeted by a flat stump. And yet, it wasn't severed; his glove was still on it, albeit now in a cup shape covering it. His wrist also seemed to have vanished, now a part of an almost cylindrical mass of flesh that ran up to his elbow. In a small gap between his glove and his drop suit was a small patch of what he could only assume to be light tan fur.

He stared at the limb for another few seconds, pure and utter shock on his face and filtering through his mind. Finally, his alarm caught up with him. He jerked up his other hand, revealing that it had adopted a similar shape to the first one. However, the act of him bringing it up caused him to lose his balance and fall forward. As he landed again, his now longer neck allowed him to look at his body.

Instead of the pure human form he was used to, he was greeted by some strange sort of body. His body was long, easily as long as he was once tall. His legs had dislocated from his body, and now stood on either side of it like the drumsticks on a bird. Most alarming of all, however, was the series of long, dark red hairs that ran down his back end.

He jerked his head side to side, his mind addled by his alarm and fear. In most directions, he was greeted by a small stretch of grassland, followed by a seeming wall of trees. Finally, his eyes landed on the river. He stood once again, taking shaky, almost baby steps towards it. He stumbled frequently, but he reached it without falling over again. As he reached the edge, he lifted up his photo-vizor, before leaning forward over the running water. It was slow and clear enough to give him a clear view of his malformed visage.

His human features were gone, replaced by almost animal-like ones. His nose and upper jaw had basically fused together, joining with his extended lower jaw to form a short muzzle. His eyes seemed to have grown in size, the dark amber orbs full of fear. The same tan fur that was on what was once his wrist also covered his face, and with his vizor up, he could feel the breeze pushing the hairs back and forth across his face. Again, a notable detail stood out to him; a short, lighter tan horn that seemingly cut through his helmet.

His breathing increased, his upper body lightly convulsing. He was no longer human; it didn't matter if he was mutated beyond recognition, or if he had somehow been turned into a xeno, or what. His purity had been forever tainted.

A fresh thought came to mind. In desperation, he turned back to the clearing, scanning it for his lasgun, or maybe the meltagun he had used to kill that winged beast. However, the non-natural shapes of those weapons didn't stick out from the short grass. He let out what he could describe as a whimper, before reaching down to his webbing. Fortunately, his knife was still affixed to his belt. He yanked the blade free, gripping it in both of his limbs in order to prevent from dropping it, before he brought it to his throat.

He leaned back as far as he could, trying to keep from falling over as he tried to angle the blade just right to slit his throat. The blade quivered in his shaking grip, although he didn't know why he was shaking. Was he simply off-balance, or was he... hesitating. He pushed that thought aside, before trying to move the knife closer. Instead, he finally lost his footing, and fell forward.

The knife fell from his grip, landing harmlessly in the mud by the bank of the river. He fell a bit further forward, his new fur falling into the flowing water. As he laid there, a few racking sobs ran up his body, tears falling into the river. In between the sobs, he muttered sloppily, "Em-emperor forg-give me. Forgive me."

2~Crash Sight

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Anton pushed himself up a bit, bringing his head out of the water. He brought his... hand? Over to his knife, wrapping it around the handle. Managed to lift it up, still shaky in his grip. He stared at it, the moon reflecting off of the water and onto the blade. It flashed across his face, partially blinding him for a split second. He sighed, before pressing the blade back into the mud.

He pressed his head into the mud too, prevented from staining his helmet by the horn sticking from his head. His tears kept flowing as he was lamenting his loss of purity. Now, he was no better than the Lysimicus traitors. If anything, he was lower than them, as he was mutated beyond anything that they were. At least they had somewhat maintained their human form.

The thought caused him to snarl. He may have been changed, but he was still an Elysian. In spirit, at least, still a servant of the God-Emperor.

He picked the knife back up and dipped it into the water. The mud run-off of the blade, and his brow furrowed in disdain and anger. He wished that the situation could be done to him. How he could wash away the corruption clinging to his form, and reclaim his former purity. When the mud was washed off, he pulled it back and, after a bit of fumbling, slid it back into its scabbard.

He pressed his hands on either side of his head, before pushing up. He rose up until his legs couldn't extend any further. He looked around, again gazing at nothing but the dark woods. He shook his head, feeling his ears involuntarily pressing to his helmet. He didn't see anything that could explicitly be an Imperial base on his way down. He was uncertain if he could even operate his Voxbead anymore, so that meant he couldn't try and contact any Imperial position...

"The Valkerie", he said to himself. He remembered seeing it go down further up the river. If he followed it, then he could find it. With luck, there was a survivor there that could grant him the Emperor's Mercy. At the worst, he could at least find some supplies and shelter. From there... well, he could work that out when he got there.

Some sense of duty in him, he took a step forward. Well, he tried to; it was closer to a stumble, his legs somehow managing to keep up with him to prevent him from collapsing. He stopped, breathing hard, before placing one of his limbs forward. It sunk into the mud slightly, and he brought forward the other one, placing it a bit ahead of the first. After a few more of these slow steps, he was finally able to grow accustomed to moving this way, much to his disgust. Still, until he could properly cleanse himself, it was the best he could do. He muttered, "O Immortal Emperor, guide my path with your holy light, so that I might find my path." And with that, he began a slow march along the side of the river.

+++++~+++++

After a while, the moon above the trees began to sink out of sight. A bright light shown from what he assumed to be the east, likely the rising of the star of this planet. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but at the very least for an hour. His limbs ached, matching the spiritual lamentation that wormed its way throughout his body.

He had tried to distract himself as best he could; he remembered his instructor mentioning that it was best to keep oneself busy when alone, as that was the time when thoughts of heresy would begin to enter the mind. He hummed to himself, trying to both remember the tune to the Ecclisarchs litanies and to keep time with his plodding limbs. Still, boredom forced its way into his mind, with doubt and fear following it.

What if there wasn't anyone left at the crash site? Worse, what if they were as twisted as he was? Still, he had no real way of finding out until he got there. So, not wanting that fear to worsen, he kept on walking.

After a bit more walking, he spotted something that gave him hope. A small piece of metal plating rested in the mud along the river banks. He pushed his way through the shallows, arriving on the same shore as it before heading over to it as fast as he could.

It appeared to have been shorn off from the wing, if the shape of it was to be believed. Ever since he had boarded the Valkerie for the attack on House Lysimicus, he cracked a smile. He had to be close.

He scanned the clearing that the piece of metal rested on. Most of it was dominated by tall grass and a few rocks, occasionally broken by a bush. On one side of the clearing rose a sheer cliff, small roots and stones spotting it like the camo pattern on a Drop Sentinel. Still, he didn't see the downed Gunship. He scowled, before looking up the Cliff. There was no way he could climb it in his current state. It had to be here. He headed into the clearing, twisting his neck around in an attempt to spot the familiar outline.

After a bit, he saw a cave jutting out of the side of the cliff, which he wouldn't've been able to see from the river. Outside the cave was a small carved trench, kicked up dirt spilling out around the edge of it. Inside the cave, he spotted a flickering light, as well as an unnatural shape.

He headed towards the mouth of the cave, his limbs clicking on the ground as the trench ended and the dirt turned to stone. He lowered his visor again, a faint clicking coming from it as its low-light enhancers started up.

Inside the cave, the Valkerie laid inside, partially in pieces. One of the wings was almost completely broken off, the rocket pod almost fully resting on the ground. The other wing had bent over the top of the gunship, resting on the top as it was bent against the wall of the cave. Shards of metal of various sizes, ranging from the size of kinetic rounds to ones as big as a human head, were scattered across the ground. Both the side door and the main door were open, the former completely broken off.

Anton pushed past the chunks of metal, arriving at the side door. He pressed both of his front limbs on the flooring, before pushing himself up into the interior of the gunship.

Much like the exterior of the gunship, scattered around the interior were the corpses of the injured troopers. Well, he assumed they were the injured troopers. Like him, they had been twisted from their human forms and turned into... whatever he was. However, they were relatively uniform for mutants; besides coloring, they were only different in form in three ways. Some had horns like he did, others had wings, and a few more had neither. It didn't really matter; all of them were dead, their equipment spilling from their webbing and uniforms.

Anton turned around, carefully clambering down from the open side door. He walked around the side of the gunship, climbing up a rock to get a look into the cockpit. The same story from the interior greeted him as he looked through the smashed plate-glass. Both of the pilots had been malformed into these creatures; one with wings, one with a horn. Both appeared to have died on impact, either by the impact or by the bits of shrapnel from the crash.

He climbed down the rock, stepping back a bit to get a full look at the crashed valkerie. All in all, it wasn't as badly damaged as he would've guessed. Even still, there was no way he could do anything major with it. Even if he were a Techpreist, he had no experience as a pilot, and as such couldn't fly it. And with no survivors, he had no way of ending his corruption. He sighed, before recalling the standard practise in a crash. He was to recover any all all salvageable equipment, before trying to either make contact with Imperial Command or digging in.

With quick, muttered prayer to the Emperor, he climbed back into the gunship, planning on doing just that.

3~Taking Stock

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Anton groaned, standing up straight as he rotated his neck. As it twisted one way, he heard a loud snap. For a brief second, he hoped that his mutated neck was rather weak, and he had somehow broken it. However, instead of his body dropping, he merely felt a brief well of relief pour over his upper body. He sighed, before lowering it back down, gripping the webbing of the final dead trooper in his teeth.

Lacking opposable digits with which to transport the items, he had been forced to rummage through the slain with his teeth. It wasn't the most efficient method, but it was the best he could do given his malformity.

The boots of the former man's legs slammed into the stone floor of the cave. He pulled it back a little bit more, before letting go and letting the corpse fall to the ground. He walked around it, examining the body. The fur of this one was a dark red, and with the hair cut short, he couldn't get a look at his hair. He pressed a limb down on the chest, before lowering his head down and picking at the webbing packs.

He grabbed the pair of grenades hanging closer to the head, placing them down in a pile next to around a half-dozen more. A few of the packs had been torn apart, their contents either missing or broken. Still, he managed to find an intact power pack for a lasgun, which he pulled out and placed on the floor. A few of the packs hanging by the tail had some emergency combat rations in them, in addition to a lamp-pack and combat knife. He flipped the body over, before pilfering the last of the packs for anything else they had. Once he had finished, he once again grabbed the webbing in his teeth, before dragging the corpse outside.

In he had dug a decent-sized hole after he had pulled out the first trooper, into which he had placed the corpses. He stopped dragging it just before the edge of the hole, using his front limbs to push it in the rest of the way. It tumbled on top of the others, the mass of flesh shifting somewhat from the impact. He sighed, before grabbing a large container next to him.

Using one of the canteens, he has pulled the remaining promethium fuel from the tank of the Valkerie. He poured it into several of the trooper's mess kits, as well as into any empty medical containers he could find. He worked his way around the hole, one by one emptying out the containers over the bodies. Soon, they were all empty, and the corpses covered in the fuel.

He grabbed another item he had brought out with him: a knife and a rock. He couldn't properly light the matches in his survival gear, so this crude method would have to suffice. He scraped the blade against stone several times, eventually sending a shower of sparks free from the rock. It sailed into the hole, falling upon the promethium. Soon, the whole pit had become a raging inferno, the stench of burning flesh and melting armor reaching his nose. He gagged, but remained glued to the spot, watching the flames roaring.

He stared at it, wondering if he should jump upon it. It would be fitting; he would be purging his unclean body and corrupted mind from the Emperor's sight. However, something held him back. He didn't necessarily know what; guilt, perhaps? No, no that wasn't it. The answer finally hit him as he managed to see, albeit for a short time, one of the faces of the dead through the flames. It looked at peace, and that was why he didn't fling himself upon the pyre. He first had to prove himself worthy of confronting the Emperor, which he could hardly do without first having proven his devotion. Only then, with a deed of some recognition behind him, could he in good conscious go to meet the Emperor. Maybe then, he could forgive his mutated form, and allow him a place by his side.

He turned back to the inferno, the face he had seen disappearing in the roaring flames. He sighed, lowering his head so that it stared at the grass by the edge of the pit. He muttered, slowly and methodically, "O immortal Emperor have mercy on us, miserable unworthies that we are. O master of the galaxy, protect your flock from the alien. O keeper of the light, guide our darkened path with your radiance. We are your warriors and we are servants to thee, we stand free from blindness of heart, free from hypocrisy, vainglory and deceits, but captive to hatred, malice and anger, to the filth, the alien, the heretic. By thy agony and bloody sweat; by thy Golden Throne and thy death; by thy destruction and re-emergence as the God of men, keep and strengthen us, we who fight for thee."

With that, he stood. After sliding the knife into its scabbard, he turned away from the fire and went back into the cave.

+++++~+++++

Anton decided that it would be best to go through all of his equipment one more time, just to make sure that he had documented all of it. He started with what he had just counted: namely his food and rations.

Almost all of the canteens were damaged, their contents leaking out and onto the bodies. He had found three intact out of the ten troopers in the troop bay, one of which he used for siphoning the fuel, leaving him with two. He had better luck with combat rations. A whole fifteen packets of corpse starch, along with a bit of Grox jerky, a few Emperors Mercy Bars, and the food supplement packets from his medkit. However, the score of his haul had been three bottles of Amasec; two for medicinal use in the Medics pack, and one tucked beneath the navigator's seat.

Next was a pile of utility items. Most of them were small items and conveniences. A few intact mess kits, a pair of lamp-packs, some adhesive tape, excess items from a grooming kit, a tinderbox that he couldn't open, and a whistle. However, he did have a few larger items; a sleep-bag, an auspex, field glasses, lasgun cleaning kits, and, of course, several medkits.

Tools was another group that he had a decent amount of selection in. A majority of it was made up of several small, collapsable entrenching tools, one of which he had used to dig the hole. He also had several spare combat knives, which he could use for a variety of purposes if he had to. Most important, however, was the pistol-like frame of Las-Cutter. He shook his head, before turning to the small pile of weapons.

That had probably been the best he had gotten. Most of the Lasguns were still intact, along with a decent amount of power packs. Most were standard Accetran Mk. IVs, however, he also found an MK. IVc, complete with an under-barrel grenade launcher. He had also managed to find the Melta-gun he had used back on Veyland Sinsetre, along with the petrol-pyrum flasks that Ridger had on him. One of the dead had been cradling a shotgun, which was also intact, as well as having a decent amount of shells. Finally, he found a laspistol on the medic and a power sword on a wounded Sergeant, giving him a decent arsenal.

Of course, given his current state, he was practically unable to use most of it. His new limbs were too big to fit in the trigger guards. Even if he could, his lack of opposable digits made It near impossible to pull the trigger. He growled in anger, muttering a curse to his new form, before sighing and shaking his head.

He reached down, grabbing the MK. IVc and lifting it up. He turned it over in his limbs, examining the slightly scraped exterior of the weapon. He shifted his forelimbs slightly so as to press the stock to his shoulder and hold it steady, aimed at the cave wall. He imagined the several weeks of training, in which he had spent a good deal of time at the range, swiveling the weapon back and forth.

He sighed, looking back at the weapon only to see a faint golden aura surrounding it. He yelped, falling back and hastily pulling his knife out of its sheath. It remained floating in the air, although when he drew his knife, it dropped to the ground.

He stood there, panting, watching the small pile of weapons. He lowered the knife, looking around. Nothing that could've made that aura was present; for that matter, he didn't see anything alive in general. He looked back to the weapons, finally dropping the knife. He imagined picking up the lasgun again, and he saw a faint gold light coming from the horn on his head. As it started, the lasgun in question lifted itself off the ground, floating at about neck height. He thought of shifting it left and right, and it turned in the direction he guided it to. A thought occurred to him, and he pictured pulling the trigger. On command, he saw the trigger depress, a loud crack and a red bolt of light flew out of the barrel and flew into the forest canopy outside. Finally, he pictured setting it down, wherein it lowered to the cave floor.

During the whole time, he was still panting, eyes wide and sweat pouring down his head. He hadn't seen one, but he knew other Trainees who had seen Psykers in action. They had said that the Psyker had parts of their body glow with unnatural light, before they cast their sorceries. However, none of them had mentioned moving things like this.

"Y-yeah", he said shakily. "It... it m-must just b-be a quirk of this xen-xenos kind. Yeah." He laughed slightly, the sound being somewhat manic even to him. "I'm... I'm not a Psyker as-as well as a x-xeno. I... I'm not. I c-can't be."

4~Thumps in the Night

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Anton laid out the last of his supplies, completely dominating the wall of one of the Valkerie. He looked outside of the wreck on last time, squinting slightly as the setting sun hit struck his eyes. He ducked inside the wreck, moving aside the door-mounted Heavy Bolter and into the interior.

He examined the interior, cleaned out of the shards of metal and other bits of wreckage. He had scattered them across the cave entrance, so as to alert him if anything entered it. He set the lasgun down on one of the remaining seats, before sitting down next to it. After a bit of getting onto it and shifting around in order to get comfortable, he leaned back on the seat. He stared at the ceiling of the crashed gunship, lolling his head from side to side. Finally, he sat up a bit, and began to take off his armor.

After discovering the gravity field his mutated form had, he had done a little bit of testing about it. Much as it pained him to admit, but his new Xeno form made up for its downsides to an almost equal degree as his human form. The manipulation slid up to the straps of his Flak Armor, undoing them and letting it fall off. He sighed in minor relief as he did so, as his armor stopped compressing his new fur, letting the small amount of slack in the uniform out and stop compressing the fur.

He took off the helmet, placing it next to the small pile of armor plates, and turned his attention to his uniform. His manipulation pulled down the zipper of the drop suit jacket, undoing it as he was able to remove the rough uniform. Instantly, the sweat-soaked fur was blasted by a wave of cold air, causing him to shiver slightly. He laid his uniform over one of the seats, using his limb to grab and pull out his undershirt, unsticking it from the damp fur.

Anton sighed, heading to his pile of gear. He grabbed a sleepbag from the collection, laying it over a small section of floor. He bunched up the drop suit, placing it near the end of it. He grabbed the lasgun off of the seat in his manipulation, setting it next to the bag. Finally, he slid inside it himself. It took a bit of shifting and turning in order to get some semblance of comfort from it, but finally, he was in a position that didn't hurt.

He pressed his head to his chest, pressing his inhuman limbs to his chest in a mockery of the Aquila. He shut his eyes, murmuring slowly under his breath, "O Immortal Emperor, mercy upon me, miserable unworthy that I am. O Master of the Galaxy, protect Your flock from the... from the alien. O Keeper of the Light, guide our darkened path with Your radience. I am Your warrior and I am a servant to thee. I stand free from blindness of heart, free from hypocrisy, vainglory, and deceits, but captive to hatred, malice, and anger, to the filth, the a-alien, the heretic. By Thy agony and bloody sweat; by Thy Golden Throne and Thy Death. By Thy destruction and re-emergence as the god of Men. Keep and strengthen me, I who fight for thee." Finally, exhaustion and despair caught up to him, and his eyes didn't open as he drifted into sleep.

+++++~+++++

Anton awoke to the sound of shifting metal. His eyes forced themselves open, still heavy from his earlier actions. However, his training kicked in, and he reached for the lasgun.

His aura had just begun to shine around the weapon when a head poked inside the bay of the gunship. At least, Anton assumed it was a head. It appeared to be made of various sticks and branches, all stuck together in the vague resemblance of a canine shape. Small tuffts of moss and leaves decorated a few of them, as well as just enough around its head to give it the appearance of eyebrows. Baleful green magics swirled around in its eyes, along with a faint green glow in its throat.

It looked around in the cabin, no doubt looking for something. Anton slid out of the sleepbag as quietly as he could, using his aura to bring his lasgun to his shoulder. It turned to him, its green eyes narrowing slightly.

It lunged forward, attempting to rush him. Anton fired a shot, striking the beast in its chest. Though an amount of the sticks were blown off of it, smoking and charred, the beast kept coming at him. He brought up the weapon to block it as it dove in, attempting to bite into his throat.

However, his weak grip on the weapon failed, and his aura failed. The shifted its head, realizing that it was no longer being forced back. It threw the lasgun to the flooring, before turning back to Anton. It lunged at him, its needle-like teeth gnashing as it tried to overpower the Elysian. Anton used his limbs to try and hold back its jaws, jamming them on either side of its mouth to both try and keep it shut and to force it away from his neck.

Anton wildly shoved his rear legs up, slamming into the creatures underbelly. His limbs stung from the impact, yet he persisted in this attempt to dislodge the creature. Finally, one of the impacts forced the create off of him, reeling back and shaking its head in disorientation.

Anton used the opportunity to scramble over to the small pile of weapons on the other side of the cabin. He grabbed another lasgun in one of his limbs, wrapping the handguard in his aura as he brought it up to the beast. He fired several times, a few going wide due to panic. However, enough hit the beast that it deemed he wasn't worth it. It scampered out of the cabin, and Antons eyes stopped following it in exchange for another target: the folded in Heavy Bolter.

Tossing the lasgun on one of the chairs, he springted around the bank of seats of the weapon. He undid the clamp holding it in place and swung the weapon out, the metal bar locking in place as it gave him a wide firing arc. Including the fleeing beast, which was running up to a pair of creatures similar to it by the mouth of the cave.

It stopped and made weird noises to the others, giving Anton enough time to bring the Heavy Bolter about. Unlike the triggerguards of the lasguns and laspistol, the Heavy Bolter merely had a pair of plungers, allowing him to better use the weapon without resorting to his aura.

The weapon roared to life, deep reverberating booms echoing off the cave walls as the Emperors Wrath spilled free from the barrel. Tracers lit up the interior as the first of the bolts slammed into the wooden creature. The impact sent it bowling over, shards of wood spraying across the entrance of the cave. Two of the creatures were torn apart in seconds, their forms blown into pieces. The final one slipped away, running back and forth in an effort to dodge the bolts. It slipped around the outcropping of the rock near the cave entrance and disappeared into the night.

5~Digging In

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A bolt of sunlight slammed Anton in the eye, coaxing it open. Despite the protests of his twisted body, his mind had awoken, and with it, the body stirred. He lifted up his head, watching as the sun filtered into the cave entrance. Just beyond that, he saw the broken wooden shapes of the beasts he had killed last night. He turned his head a bit, seeing the Heavy Bolter that he rested against. He cracked a small smile and murmured, "'Big guns never tire', eh?"

He stood, his shoulder aching from leaning against the heavy weapon. He rolled it slightly, finally being greeted by a faint crack. He turned back into the cabin of the Valkyrie, grabbing the Mk. IVc and climbing out of the back. He pushed his way around the pushed aside scraps of metal, coming to a stop over the two piles of wood. He kicked the remains of one's head, which broke apart fully under the impact. He muttered, "Xenos scum", before spitting on it. Even if it was just an animal, it was still something he could enact righteous vengeance against.

He slung the lasgun over his body, turning to look at the space between the cave and the two outcroppings on either side. It was simple grass, which they had covered without him knowing. Not to mention, the cave had proven not to be defensible, meaning that he had need of a better-fortified position.

He sighed; he knew exactly what that meant. He turned back to the Valkyrie, climbing into the cabin and heading for the back. He slid a belt holding the power sword and the laspistol on it around his side, tightening it as best he could. He wrapped his webbing around his forward body, clipping it over his undershirt. Finally, he grabbed the last thing he would need in order to take care of the issue: his entrenching tool.

Even though he was with a Drop Trooper, that didn't mean he didn't know how to dig trenches or set up fortifications. As Elysian units were often deployed behind the lines of the unclean, they often had to create hardpoints in order to resist being rooted out. As such, he had been taught how to throw up a few basic defensive structures and positions. Even if he hadn't, it seemed simple enough.

He headed back out of the cave, eyeing the treeline beyond the mouth of the small canyon. He turned back to the scattered bits of metal at the mouth of the cave. While they'll be useful, they simply weren't enough of them nor in the right shape or size in order to viable for standard throw-up fortifications. He snorted, sliding the entrenching tool into his webbing and beginning a slow walk towards said trees.

+++++~+++++

Anton growled around the entrenching tool clenched in his teeth, his aura focused on dragging the massive pile of chopped wood behind him. He finally reached the entrance of the canyon, dropping the wood and spitting out his shovel. He rubbed his teeth against the fur on his front limb, trying to get the taste of cheap paint and rubber out of his mouth.

After a bit, he finally managed to get it down to a tolerable level, and turned back to the wood. It was mostly made from sturdy branches and a few small saplings. He drew his knife and grabbed the nearest cut-down sapling and began to little down the end of it. Using his aura to use the knife while both of his front limbs held the sapling was surprisingly efficient, and soon he had a small pile of wood shavings in front of him, as well as a sharpened wooden pike.

He stabbed the blade into the mud, bringing the tip of the pike over towards him, tapping a limb into the tip. A small prick of pain came from the limb, and he set it down. Grabbing another, he repeated the process, holding it in both limbs and using the knife to whittle down the tip. Soon, he had a small pile of about eight.

He grabbed a pair of thicker logs, as well as a few bits of cords and scraps of metal. He grabbed the metal shard and the two logs, using the flat of the entrenching tool to nail it in. The wood splintered slightly, but appeared to hold. Indeed, when he shook the two logs, it didn't seem to budge. Grabbing the pikes and the cords, he began to lash them to the top of the T-shaped bar. Soon, he had a decent length of an Abatis.

He dug another small hole, near the wall of the canyon entrance. He stuck the bottom in the whole, before taking a step back in order to look at the defensive structure. The far end touched the canyon wall, extending about half-way across the canyon mouth. He stoped down, stepping around the protruding buts of the pikes in order to pack dirt around the base. Stepping back, he couldn't help but smile. That smile faded as he turned to the open space, and then to the small bundle of branches. He didn't have enough to make another abatis of that size; and even then, he still had to make a door of sorts in order to get out of the canyon, should the need arise. Meaning, he needed more wood.

He sighed, grabbing the shovel and his lasgun. This was going to be a long day.

6~Beasts

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Anton bit into the small bit of corpse-starch he had brought out as lunch. The doughy, flavorless substance mashed around in his gums, dented over and over by his teeth. Finally, he swallowed it, running his tongue over his teeth in order to clear the strange aftertaste of it before it fully set in. He sighed, before pushing out a little more and taking another bite.

He sat on top of a makeshift trench he was digging, rear legs resting down the hill while one of his forward limbs supported him. After several days of digging and setting up reinforcements by himself, he had a small trench going across around half of the clearing closest to the cave. The dirt had been thrown down the hill, coating it in a good degree.

Finally, he decided that what he had eaten was enough. He covered the starch with the hang-over of the wrapper, tucking it back into one of his pouches. He turned back so that he was right-side-up, and grabbed his shovel, falling back into the trench. He stuck it into the dirt, scooping up a shovelful and chucked it over the trench wall. He brought it back down to the floor of the trench and began to scoop up another one.

After a bit, he stopped as he had cleared out a decent amount of dirt. He stuck the shovel in the ground, climbing back out of the trench. He turned to a pile of wooden boards he had cut larger trees, grabbing one in his aura before taking it back to the trench. He lined it up with the horizontal boards already lining the trench walls, using spare bits of metal to knock it into the hard-packed dirt of the trench wall. Using a mixture of his magic and his forward limbs, he began to bend the piece of metal, securing it into the wood. As it finally bent against the length of the wood, he pushed forward a bit, and fell forward.

He stood up, scowling, when he noticed that he had cut himself just above his twisted glove, where his wrist would be if he were still pure. A thin trail of blood oozed from the cut, spreading down the limb, up and over his glove until it fell to the dirt. A sharp stinging pain came up from it, causing him to hiss. Even after the pain died down, however, he continued to look at it. He sat down, supported by the mass of his lower end. He brought his other limb up to the cut, pressing it. A fresh wave of blood came out, accompanied by pain. He clenched his teeth, yet continued to press. "Holy pain", he muttered. "Recompense for my sin of existence. I offer my blood to the Emperor; I pray it quenches his thirst." He finally pulled out a bandage, wrapping it around the cut and tying it off.

His attention was drawn away from his wound by a light pinging. He looked at the small auspex remote, the green and white screen showing a white dot growing increasingly closer. He used his aura to bring it closer to his face, checking to make sure that it was right. After a few seconds of recalibration, sure enough; something big was coming.

Anton slid the auspex into another pouch on his webbing, grabbing his lasgun which it was leaned on, and dove into the half-finished trench. He placed a pair of grenades next to him on the lip of the trench, pressing the stock to his shoulder as he aimed.

The beeping grew louder, and he heard a light stomping noise. He continued to scan back and forth across the opening, looking for any sign of the movement his auspex was picking up. Finally, he saw a flicker of movement on the other side of the abatis and shifted his lasgun to aim at it.

A large... thing came in front of the abatis. It appeared to be similar to a lion, a beast he had seen on the heraldry of one of the Noble Houses. However, it was much larger than he pictured it, and that basic form was the only similarity he could spot. A pair of long ears poked out in front of the blood-red mane, while a pair of leathery wings sprouted from its back. They looked too small to support flight, so that gave him a small degree of comfort. What off-set that comfort was the massive, barbed tail sticking out from its lower back, hanging over its shoulder and twitching menacingly.

It stopped, took a few big sniffs, and looked in his direction. It snarled, getting up on its rear legs and issuing a roar. Anton saw that it had a few ribs showing across its chest. It was hungry. And that would mean it would be more aggressive.

Anton muttered, "Grant me the sight of the eagle, the calm of the breeze, the patience of the saint, and the skill to smite the foe from afar." He closed an eye as he adjusted the weapon, lining up a shot with its head. He depressed the trigger, and a loud crack sounded, smacking the beast right between the eyes. It fell back, roaring and hissing in equal measure. After a second, it got to its feet, a black scorch-mark in between eyes filled with rage.

In one fluid motion, he raced forward, smashing aside the abatis with its tail and paws. The abatis did draw blood, the tips sticking out of various parts across its arms and one in its tail. However, like the lasgun shot, it only seemed to slow it down and anger it. Soon, it had completely smashed the barricade, and was barreling across the clearing.

Anton growled, "Frack, frack, frack." He grabbed one of the grenades, using his aura to keep the lasgun up and firing. Like before, however, the bolts only seemed to make it mad. Even still, after a few shots, it started to slow slightly, low growls coming from it. This was the window he had been waiting for.

"Great God-Emperor", he muttered, bringing the grenade closer to his mouth. "Watch over your servant, and bestow on him the skill and patience to time the moment and make the kill." He grabbed the pin in his teeth, albeit with a bit of difficulty due to them being a bit bigger than before. He pulled his limb back, the pin still in his teeth, and chucked the grenade overhead at the slowing beast.

It landed in front of it, and as the beast lumbered forward, it came over the grenade. The grenade detonated, sending it rolling back down the slope to rest at the bottom. Anton spit out the pin, grabbing the lasgun in his grip and wrapping the sling around his neck. He moved slowly down the hill, watching for movement at the canyon entrance or from the beast. However, nothing appeared, and he finally arrived at the side of it.

The lower part of the beast had been torn to bits. Bits of gore decorated the ground around where the grenade had gone off. Even more, in addition to bits of bone fragments and an ever-growing pool of blood. Anton walked around the mauled lower legs, looking at the head. The damage wasn't as severe near the top; only two or three lasbolt strikes. However, he judged it dead, due both to the mass of injuries and glassy-eyed look it bore. Anton poked it with the lasgun to be sure, but it was dead.

Anton walked around the beast, poking it a bit more and examining its body. It was massive, easily as big as an Astartes, and even though it appeared to be malnourished, it was still rippling with meat. In addition, he figured that he could do some other things with it. "I wouldn't mind a proper pillow", he mused, slinging his lasgun over his shoulder and pulling out his combat knife.

7~The Shattered Citadel

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Anton growled as he shoved a branch out of his face. He lowered his cursed body slightly so as to go under it, before righting himself and continuing to walk. All around him, the dark woods obscured his sight too far ahead. In the distance, the bubbling of the river by his camp reached his ears, even though said camp was at least a klom or so back.

He adjusted the strap of his lasgun across his shoulder, the body of the weapon resting against his side. After the past few months (At least he assumed it was months; he hadn't bothered to count), most of the animals had come to avoid the clearing in front of his entrenchment, meaning he had to range out to find food. Beyond that, he wanted to properly build up the fortifications into something more permanent. Specifically, he wanted to construct a pillbox that he could put the Heavy Bolter in; and for that, he needed wood.

He stopped at one of the trees in front of him, noting the fact that there appeared to be a clearing beyond it. Unlike most of the other trees, this one appeared to have grown up relatively uniformly, lacking the almost signature curved trunks that the vast majority of the other trees had. Another benefit, the tree was small compared to most of those other trees, meaning it would be less of a major effort to move it. Not that he minded the extra effort; the exhaustion was another form of penance.

He grabbed pulled out the auspex, flicking it on. As it booted up with a whir, he used his aura to pull out the entrenching tool from his back, stabbing it into the ground. Green pulses went out, yet nothing popped up on the motion tracker. He shut it off and put it back into its case, before picking up the entrenching tool again and starting to hack into it.

After a good ten minutes, alternating between using his aura and his hooves, he heard cracking coming from the tree. Backing away, the tree fell to the ground, only held to its stump by a few strands of broken wood. He smiled to himself, putting the entrenching tool away. He was about to try and move the log when his peripheral vision picked up something. He looked off to the side, his vision now unobscured by the cut-down tree, and his eyes widened.

He ducked behind the log after his mind caught up with his eyes, unslinging his lasgun. He propped it up on the log, aura poised around the trigger. He did as he had been trained to do: scan the upper parts of the structure for snipers, or the movement of enemies. After a few seconds, he stood up, lasgun still held in its aura, as he slowly began to move forward.

He raced across the bridge when he reached it, diving into a bush next to the derelict path. He once again looked up at the castle, eyes darting across the ruins to see if his movement had drawn any attention. Once again, there was no one there. He stood up, coiling his legs and darting out of the bush, before running to the front of the ruin.

He slammed into the wall, hissing in brief pain. He skimmed along the edge of it, coming to the base of the staircase. He climbed up the stairs as fast as he could, lasgun aimed up at the broken sections of the wall above him. He pushed open the door with the barrel of his lasgun, shifting his body in to look inside.

Down the sights of his lasgun, he scanned the massive interior. The room was long, with the remains of a high, vaulted ceiling hanging above. Bits of stone and other debris littered the ground, while patches of grass stuck out of the ruined floor. Several hallways jutted off from the side, running off into other areas of the fortress. On the far side, a pair of tapestries hung in tatters above some sort of dais, depicting some sort of creature...

After looking at them for a second, he looked over his shoulder at his own cursed form. The two figures, whatever they were, appeared to be similar to him. He scowled at the thought; so that made him either a Xeno or a type of stable mutant. That didn't mean a thing to the Emperor, as both of those things were nothing but scum. He closed his eyes, muttering, "I swear to remain steadfast and true in my Loyalty, and may the darkness claim my soul if I prove unworthy." After a deep breath, he pushed his shoulder into the wall and entered, scanning his lasgun in every direction.

As nothing revealed itself, he stalked along the edge of the room, levitating out and reactivating the auspex scanner. Once again, there was nothing on the motion tracker. Still keeping it out, he checked each of the hallways along his side of the room, moving further and further down the chamber. Finally, he reached the far side, looking up at the banners.

The one in front of him was mostly a dark blue, with a mix of later and darker patches that were shaped like clouds. The main figure was another shade of blue, bordering on purple, in the vague shape of his own cursed form. Like it, this figure also had a horn, while lighter blue shapes were in the form of a tail, hair, and wings. A crescent moon was above the figure, white on the dark blue. Looking over at the other banner, the other one depicted a similar figure, save for being white and dull pink, having a background of various shades of yellow, and a sun above it instead of a moon.

"Some form of idol?", he asked himself out loud. Looking up on the dais, he saw it lead further into the ruin up a pair of stairs.

His eye darted back to the auspex, its blinks once again revealing nothing. He went up the stairs slowly, peeking in-between one of the railings once he reached that height. Once up on that level, he saw another room down the hall.

After stalking through the corridor, he nudged open the door with the barrel of his lasgun, peeking in and looking around. The interior of this room was, for the most part, bare, with only a few vines and loose stones around the room. The room's main feature was some form of... shrine was the closest analog that he had. A pillar rose up from the center, topped by a stone orb. Several more orbs jutted out on supports, these ones carved with symbols as opposed to being blank like the one in the center.

He walked around it, looking to see if it had any form of inscription or other indication as to its purpose. After a while, he found none, and simply decided to spit on it. "Xeno heresy", he muttered, before heading to one of the windows.

This room looked down onto some form of an inner bailey, which was in even worse shape than other parts of the fort he had seen. Parts of it had been completely broken apart, with tiles and chunks of stone from destroy structures littering the court. Creepers, bits of grass, and even a few bushes broke through the cracks in the stone, stubborn in their dedication to live.

His eyes fell on one of the stone blocks, lowering the photo-visor on his helmet to see if he could get a better look. It looked relatively intact, considering the state that the rest of the structure was in. He raised the visor, another small smile on his face. Despite the fact it was a rope bridge, the bridge that connected this ruin to the rest of the forest had been pretty stable. And, if he could move the blocks, he might be able to get a pillbox of stone instead of wood. He put away the auspex, slung his lasgun over his shoulder, and cracked his neck.

8~First Contact

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Anton awoke to what sounded like screams.

He leaned up, climbing out of the small alcove he had dug inside the pillbox, throwing the fur blanket off of him as he grabbed a lasgun. He cast a brief look around the interior of his pillbox.

The structure was made up mostly of intact blocks of stone he had dragged from the ruined fortress, complimented by bits of wood. A small slit covered most of the wall facing the entrance of the canyon, giving him a great view over that entrance. He flicked on the lamp-pack next to his makeshift bed, which cast light over the faint carvings over his new entrenchment. He slipped on his webbing and grabbed the lasgun leaning on the crude wall, before peeking out of the slit.

Outside, he couldn't see too much. Despite the lack of the forest canopy over him, the darkness was so oppressive that he could barely see the entrance to the canyon. Muttering to himself, he grabbed his helmet, which rested on a box he had dragged from the crashed valkyrie. Sliding it on and lowering the visor, he once again looked outside.

This time, he was able to see clearly as the Photo-Visor brightened up the dark like a torch lights up shadow. Ahead, a pair of faint shapes ran towards him. One he recognized almost instantly; the glowing eyes and shifting form of one of those wooden beasts. The other he didn't recognize, though he somehow felt it was vaguely familiar. It was smaller and brightly colored, standing out even amongst the darkness of the night.

Whatever the second figure was, it must have seen the light from his lamp-pack emanating out of the pillbox. It raced towards him, the wooden beast on its heels. Anton crouched down slightly, propping his lasgun on the edge of the pillbox wall and aiming down the sights.

The second creature jumped over the abatis, stumbling and falling to the ground just beyond the wooden spikes. The beast slammed into the spikes at full force, snarling and reaching past the barricade in a desperate attempt to claw at its prey. Anton closed an eye as he lined up his lasgun, muttering, "Bringer of death, speak your name; For you are my life, and the foe's death". With the manipulation of his aura, he pulled the trigger once. The bright red bolt of energy slammed into the beast, which tore out a chunk of wood and leaving the planks around it scorched black. It pulled itself free, dark green sorceries swirling around it, before it lumbered off.

Anton set down the lasgun, before pulling the Power sword he had strapped to his webbing. He didn't ignite the blade, yet held it in his aura as he headed out the doorframe. He climbed out of the trench and started walking down the hill towards the second figure, who was only just then starting to stand.

Through his visor, he was able to make out much more of it than he had been able to before. It was a vaguely equine shape, with dark orange fur and blonde hair and tail. With a start, he realized that it looked similar to him in terms of body structure. It lacked a horn, yet besides that, it was almost exactly like him. He clenched his teeth, before activating the energy field of his sword.

The other creature, who had been moving towards him, stopped dead in her tracks. By the blue light of his sword, he was able to make out more features about it better. It had white freckles amid its face, along with a red band holding a ponytail behind its head. A small amount of blood covered its side, while sweat poured from its hair.

After a short amount of panting, it said in an odd accent, "P-please. Ya gotta help me!"

"What?", Anton asked, lowering the tip of his sword. That wasn't what he expected.

"T-timberwolves", it said. "Th-they attacked me, mah ma and pa out on the road. Y-ya gotta help them!"

Anton looked at it once again, focusing on its features specifically. Fear showed on its face, eyes wide as portholes and tears mixing with the sweat running down its face. Still, Anton snorted. He said, "If they're not with you, then they're probably dead or dying."

"Wha?", she grunted. "N-no. Pa ain't like that. Ma neither. Th-they're alive!"

Anton studied the creature, a war waging in his head. On one side of the conflict was his zeal, urging him to kill this Xeno filth now in order to prove his worth to the Emperor. On the other side was a surprise force; pity. He felt somewhat sorry for it, and wanted to help it. Perhaps because it was like him, and was in need of aid.

No!, his mind protested. I am a human! A divine soldier of the Immortal Emperor! Not some Xeno-loving heretic. I am to protect humanity and the realm of the God-Emperor, not play rescuer to some Xeno. However, the traitorous thoughts that pitied this thing rang back with the reply that he was a Xeno, and so his oath of service and protection would apply to this thing too. The war waged in his mind as he turned his head away from the other creature, gritting his teeth. After a bit, he finally reached a resolution.

He slid his sword into its sheath, before walking up the hill. The other creature followed him, practically yelling, "Please! Ya can't just leave 'um out there!"

"And I'm not going out there without my armor and a medkit", he snapped back, shocking the thing into silence. He winced involuntarily at its reaction, mentally berating himself. Not that it was wrong or mean or anything like that, but the fact that he seemingly cared for the feelings of some Xeno degenerate.

He hopped into the trench, the other thing climbing in behind him. As he walked into the pillbox, shucking off his webbing and grabbing his flak cuirass, he asked, "Where are they?"

"The road is almost straight ahead from here", the orange creature said. Anton had found what he believed it was discussing; a path of mud and dirt he had found one time, yet disregarded it. He slipped on his cuirass, with the webbing going on top of it. He also grabbed a medkit and, almost as an afterthought, picked up one of his spare combat knives and tossed it at the feet of the orange creature.

"Turn off the lamp-pack", he said, pointing to the switch on the side of the lamp. "Try to stay out of sight of the clearing. If one of those beasts gets inside the outer perimeter and comes up here, aim for the eye. And, by the Golden Throne, whatever you do: Don't enter the cave." He was already committing heresy by letting this thing live, let alone hiding it. He would go before the Emperor, with or without his redemption, if she so much as touched any of more Imperial Hardware than was needed.

The creature nodded, shell-shock on its face. Anton pushed past it, before climbing out of the trench and heading out of his canyon.

+++++~+++++

As he walked further and further from the structure of the canyon, the more and more his faith was knawing at his sudden and treacherous mockery of a conscience.

Why was he seeking to aid this Xeno? Furthermore, why was he helping that Xeno by helping other Xenos!? They were nothing but scum, and deserved to die in this Emperor-forsaken wood. Just like him, their presence was an affront to the Emperor!

And yet, he kept walking. His mind protested vehemently, urging him to turn around and put a las-bolt in the head of that orange thing. He didn't stop and turn around, however; he kept walking in the direction that the orange creature had directed him.

Finally, he heard sounds of conflict ahead of him. Crouching down, he stalked forward, the sounds of wood cracking, snarls, and crude battle cries echoing through the trees. Even though the near-total night vision that his Photo-Visor gave him, he couldn't fully see what was going on. However, he made his way closer to the path before he finally had a good view of the altercation.

In the middle of the road was a basic wooden cart, its lead laying limp against the ground. Around it was a small assertion of sticks and branches, while a half-dozen of the wooden beasts stood opposite the cart, further down the road. Standing in front of the cart, facing the beasts, stood a larger version of the same creature he had saved, albeit differently colored. As opposed to orange and blonde, this one was yellow and some shade of red; it was hard to tell through purely the night vision. What he could see was he was soaked in blood and sap, a strange hat crooked on its head, standing in front of something else that laid crumpled on the road.

As he watched, a larger beast stalked out of the woods. It towered over the other beasts, its green eyes shining on the other creature like neon searchlights. The creature snorted, not digging in its hooves and readying to charge. Despite himself, Anton couldn't help but admire its bravery. Still, he would not want to risk killing it, his own reasoning argued back and forth within his head.

He pulled a grenade from his belt, bringing the cylinder up to his mouth and latching his teeth around the pin. With a muttered prayer, he jerked his head to the side, the pin going with his mouth, before chucking the grenade onto the road amid the wooden monsters. Instinctively, he yelled, "Get down!" The other creature somehow picked up on what he meant, and dove to the ground, wrapping his limbs over the thing on the ground.

The wooden beasts weren't as fortunate. Shrapnel ripped through the cluster of them, the splinters from their shattered wooden frames only adding to the damage done to the ones further from the detonation. Most of them were blown into little more than splinters, with big one the only beast with any consistent form. Anton emerged from the treeline, squeezing the trigger on his lasgun a few times. The bolts scorched the wooden beast, which snarled and ran back into the woods.

Anton walked out onto the path, his lasgun switching direction from where the beast had fled and onto the other creature. It seemed to notice, as it held up a hoof at him, a pained look on its face. It spoke in the same accent that the other creature had, saying, "Please. Ah don't mean ya any harm. It's mah wife. She's-" He cut himself off as he tried to kneel, falling fully to the ground and hissing in agony.

Anton pulled his cogitator from his medkit, he walked up next to the fallen creature and activated it. He passed the whirring bio-scanner over its body, soon receiving the damages that were done to it. "You're either thick-skinned or have the Emperor's grace. Most of your wounds are superficial; small cuts and whatnot. You have a few deep cuts along your side, but nothing that time and faith can't heal."

The creature fixed him with a puzzled look, before shaking his head. "Please. Mah wife. She bought some time so our daughter could run, and one of um got her pretty bad."

Anton sighed, before turning around and looking at the other one. What he originally been unable to make out was another one of these creatures: female, if a few features around the head were to be believed. This one was two shades of orange, with her curly hair being a darker shade than her fur. She laid against the back of the cart, wheezing and gasping around a small trail of blood that ran down her mouth. He once again activated the bio-scanner and ran it over her, before grimacing and shaking his head.

"She won't make it to dawn", he said, standing up and looking over at the other creature. "You were right about her being hit. Deep strike, just below the throat. Between that and a few bite-marks near internal blood vessels? It'll be slow, but there's nothing I can do." Both of them looked at him, looks of shock gracing their faces.

"What!?", he almost screamed, trying and failing to hoist himself up. "Th-there 'as to be somethin' ya can do!"

"She is as good as dead", Anton insisted. "Her wounds are internal and very serious. I don't know if I can do anything. Even if I can, there's no guarantee that she'll live."

"Th-then we can get 'er to Ponyville Hospital!", the creature said. "Y-you're a unicorn! You can carry 'er wit' your magic!"

"How far is this hospital?", Anton asked, putting his cogitator back and undoing the holster of his laspistol.

The creature winced in pain, before pointing down the road. "A few more miles. We-we can find mah daughter, then ah can pull the cart. T-they can-"

Anton shook his head, saying, "She's still as good as dead. At this point, it's just a matter of long you want her to remain before she goes to meet the Emperor." Why am I trying to comfort this Xeno? It clearly has no concept of the God-Emperor's glory, and even if it did, the Emperor offers no mercy to their kind, he thought, scowling. "Besides, I said most of your wounds weren't serious. You're still not in any condition to do anything serious."

The creature looked at his wife, who in turn looked at him. Looking down, Anton saw her faintly... smile? He shook his head, before returning his eyes to him, eyes pleading so much that words were not even necessary. Still, he said, "Please. Th-there really ain't anythin' y'all can do?"

Anton looked at him, and saw a look that he had never expected to see on a Xeno. Desperation. He knew that Xenos had some facsimile or approximation of emotions: Hate, Cruelty, Joy at the deaths of the citizens of the Imperium. He stole a glance at the crumpled form of the female, who was shifting slightly as her body processed the air brought in through ragged breaths. Try as he might, he could not help but draw parallels to the troopers he had helped load onto the Valkyrie on Veylend Sinstre. Wheezing, clinging to life out of something beyond their own ideas of self, but for a cause.

Anton scowled, biting his tongue. Not in indecision, but in penance for his new sin. "Fine. I'll try. But not here; don't want them coming back. If you can, grab her legs."

9~Face to Face

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As it turned out, the wounds that the male Xeno endured were sufficient enough to prevent him from aiding in the carrying of his wife. He had risen to his full height, towering a good half-foot over Anton, before slumping back down, hissing. The most severe of his wounds, a long scar across his lower back, limited his ability to stand properly. He limped alongside Anton through the woods, his eyes locked on the female.

She had been draped over his back, her head resting in the crook of his... foreleg. Blood soaked down his back, running through the cracks in his armor and soaking into his uniform. He had given them both a half-dose of Morphia before they had left for his entrenchment, though she would still occasionally murmur or hiss in pain on his back.

He snorted to himself, stopping to carefully adjust her position on his back. He still wasn't entirely sure as to why he was even bothering to save them from the beasts, let alone wasting supplies on saving the female. The cogitator results were even worse than he had told the other one. There was a very good chance that she might not survive the hour, with death practically guaranteed by morning.

Without really thinking, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Hmm?", the male asked, mostly focusing mostly on his wife and on walking.

Anton said, "I've never seen anyone like you out here. I honestly don't think I've talked to another hu... being, in at least six months."

"Mah wife an' ah", he said, limping along with a hiss. "We deliver apples ta towns outside'a Ponyville sometimes. We brought mah daughter, Applejack, along with us as a sorta punishment fer an... incident in town. There was a rockfall on the main road, and we wanted ta be back at the farm fer mah youngest's birthday tomorrow. An, well, we saw this old trail that ran through the Everfree on the map, and thought we could just rush through, an'..."

"You were attacked by the Beasts", Anton finished.

"Timberwolves, yea", he said.

"They have a name?", Anton asked.

The two forded the river, droplets of blood swirling around and drifting downriver in a swirl of red and blue. "Yea", the male laughed. "Mines Bright Mac, by the way. And, uh, that's Buttercup; mah wife."

"A pleasure", Anton said, despite his opinion on the matter being contrary to that.

The two of them reached the barricade without any major issue, though the trail of blood might be an issue later on. Anton pushed aside the abatis, allowing Bright Mac to enter before him. He closed the barricade, before beginning the climb up the hill.

The two of them reached the top of the house, Anton setting the female down as he climbed down into the trench, shifting his head towards the pillbox. Through his photo-visor, he saw the other one, who he realized must be Applejack, was sitting huddled in the corner, clutching the knife. "You can turn the Lamp-pack on. Bring it over here, along with the white box with the caduceus on it."

"Th-the wah?", she asked, illuminated once again by the bright light.

"The white box next to the spare helmet", Anton groused. As she brought it over to him, she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes darting between Bright Mac leaning against the wall of the trench and Buttercups bloody and wheezing form.

"Ma?", she asked.

Buttercup looked over at her, a faint smile gracing her lips. "H-hey..." She held out a hoof, cupping Applejack's chin.

Anton grabbed the medi-kit, opening it up and reaching for the medical stapler. He muttered, "I pray to slow the blood and close the wound." He went for the largest wound along her chest, pressing the head of the tool to the top part of the wound, squeezing the trigger. As he removed it, a small staple remained in its place, as he pressed the wound closed and squeezed another staple out. "I pray to slow the blood and close the wound."

The others stared at him, not wanting to interrupt him in his work. He shocked them out of it as he told them, "One of you hold up the light." Bright Mac did that, leaning against the wooden planks along the trench wall. "You, uh... Applejack, right?" When she nodded, he pointed back to the small tube holding the Sterilizing fluid of Cleansing. "Take that and some of the bandages. Apply a small amount of the fluid to the smaller wounds, then wrap them as tightly as possible. As you do, recite 'I pray to slow the blood and close the wound.'"

Applejack nodded, laying out one of her arms and doing as he told her. Anton, meanwhile, continued to stable shut the wound, finally closing the wound. As soon as it was done, he grabbed the Lotion of Embalm, running the coarse gel-like substance over the wound, before he stepped back.

Applejack finished her wrapping, backing away from her mother. The mare looked up at her daughter, holding out a bandaged hoof to her. She would whisper something to Applejack, though Anton was unable to hear exactly what was said. Anton used his aura to drag the medi-kit over to him as he began to wrap up the long claw marks along Bright Mac's rear legs.

As he did, Bright Mac asked, "So, sh-she'll be ok?"

"I didn't say that", Anton said, interrupting his prayers as he applied the Sterilizing lotion.

"What?", Applejack asked. "B-but-"

"I told your father I would try", Anton said, his ears involuntarily folding against his head. "I didn't guarantee that I would be able to save her."

"B-but you're a unicorn!", Applejack said, choking back a sob. "C-can't you use your magic t-ta heal 'er?"

Anton stiffened at the mention of magic, tightening the bandage more than he meant to. A wince from Bright Mac drew him back to reality. He shook his head, pushing the thought of his further degeneration into his mind. "If I could, why would I bother wasting these supplies. I've done all that I can. Her fate is in up to the Mercy of the Emperor."

"E-emperor?", Bright Mac asked.

"The God-Emperor", Anton said, as if it were obvious. Which, to him, it was. "'The Emperor is our guiding light, a beacon of hope for... us, in a galaxy of darkness. As we serve Him, He is our greatest servant. As we pray to Him, His thoughts are only for us. And in the dark when the shadows threaten, The Emperor is with us, in spirit and in fact.' If he wills that she live, then she shall."

The two of them stared at him as he finished bandaging Bright Mac. He closed the medi-kit. He leaned back, taking off his helmet and pulling out his canteen. "Wh-what if t-the Emperor can't-t 'elp ma?"

Anton looked at her, biting back an insult. He sighed, before saying simply, "Then her time has come."

Applejack just stared at him, shock written on her face. Bright Mac spoke next: "Th-thank you. Ah... ah mean it."

Anton stood, picking up and closing the medi-kit. "I don't have any other... well, holes in the ground. I can go get you a few spare tarps or something."

"I-its fine", Bright Mac. "C-can ya give us a bit? W-we need to-"

He didn't finish; He didn't need to. Anton nodded. He picked up his helmet and walked into the pillbox. He set them down next to his gear, before slipping off his lasgun and armor. He slid back into his hole, resting his head against the folded-up tarp. Despite himself, he murmured a prayer for the heavily injured female before sleep finally claimed him once again.

+++++~+++++

When he awoke, the sun pierced through the canopy and into his pillbox. He had rolled over in his sleep, allowing the sun to strike his eyes like a thousand tiny meltaguns. He climbed out of his hole, his limbs cracking in order to shake off the stiffness of sleep. He rolled his head on his neck, still idly hoping that the motion would break his neck and kill him.

He emerged from the pillbox and into the trench, eyes falling on the three others. All lay there, eyes clamped shut, with patches of the fur on their faces wet from tears. Bright Mac and Applejack, however, were still moving from the rising and falling of their chests as they breathed. The other female, Buttercup if Bright Mac was right, lay perfectly still, a faint smile on her face.

He walked up to her, pressing a hoof to her neck. He felt no pulse.

10~Returning the Fallen

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Anton sighed, removing his hoof from the neck of the dead female. He stole a look at the other two, who still slept next to her. He headed back inside his pillbox, looking through a few of the spare items that he had lying around the interior. Finally, he found what he was looking for: a faded and somewhat torn cloth he had found at the old fortress. It was an old set of curtains, if where he found it was any indication. However, it would now serve a new purpose; a shroud.

He grabbed the corpse with his aura, lifting it off the ground so that only her hooves scraped against the ground. He placed her on the laid-out shroud, shifting her body around a little bit. He had never handled something like this, even for humans; to say it was difficult was like saying the souls of mutants were damned.

That thought made him pause just as he had finished placing Buttercup's legs inside her shroud. Surely, his soul was damned now, after what he was doing. The priests back home had long preached about how the Xenos were tainted, and how aiding them was akin to service to the dark gods. Not only had he aided them, but he was also now caring for one of their dead.

He pulled free his combat knife, studying the blade as it reflected the morning light. He could just... end them now. The bigger one was wounded, and both of them were asleep. It wouldn't be too complicated to drive his knife into the backs of their skulls. Clean and simple... so why didn't he?

He growled to himself, before sliding the knife back into its sheath. He had already had this same battle several times, all over the same points and over the same conclusions. He knew this, as well as knew exactly what conclusion he would come to in regards to what he was debating.

Turning away from the two sleeping forms, finished laying out the corpse. He grabbed both ends on one side fo the body, tying up the strands of cloth into a knot. He did the same to the other side, before crinking his neck. He stared at it, silent as a Sentry, before he was alerted to the growling of his stomach. He hadn't really had the opportunity to have anything to eat last night, given the Xenos, and now his stomach cried out for salvation.

He headed inside the pillbox and pulling out a few things from one of the backpacks he had scavenged from the Valkyrie. He pulled his mess kit out of the bag, as well as a few packets of Corpse-Starch and some of the local flora he had deemed safe to eat.

He pulled out a few logs and set them up, placing the fire-starter from the tinder box atop them. After igniting the wood, he began to slice up the dense, thick bars of Corpse-starch, rendering them down a smaller yet still decent size. He placed them in the tray of the mess kit. He threw in the mix of local berries and flowers, using the tip of his knife to stir them around as he held the tray over the fire. He knew it wasn't needed to cook any of the ingredients, but he wanted something hot to try and take his mind off of his heresy. Plus, it made the corpse starch taste better to have it hang around in the juices of the other plants.

He was distracted from the cooking process by the sound of stirring from outside. Looking through the open doorway, he saw Bright Mac starting to awaken, pushing himself up despite his injury. His nostrils flared before the two of them locked eyes.

Bright Mac half stumbled, half walked into the pillbox, his limp evident. "What is that?", he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Local plants I've deemed save to eat", Anton said, stirring it a little bit. "Along with some... well, let's just say it's not the best meal, but it's all I've really got."

Anton removed the tray from the fire, letting the chunks of vegetables and half-melted corpse-starch mix together without the heat. He removed three cups from the bag, setting one off to the side while letting the other rest in front of them. As he ladled some of the hot mess into the cups, he added, "I ran out of salt tablets about a week ago, and don't have any other seasoning. Sorry."

"It's fine", Bright Mac said. He took the offered cup, before throwing it back and sending some of the contents flying down his throat. He gagged slightly, before regaining his composure with a raised hoof to signal he was ok. He began to chew, before swallowing the contents with a hearty gulp. "Well... it ain't the worst thing ah've ever had. But, yeah, it could use some extra stuff."

"I know. I just don't have any", Anton said, eating his own mixture.

Bright Mac nodded, before looking back at the shroud that lay just outside of the pillbox. "She went in the night?"

"Yeah", Anton said, polishing off his own small portion. "I've done what I could."

"Ah know, an thank ya", he said, glumly staring into the dying fire. "...L-look. Ah know you've done a lot fer us. B-but. Would ya mind h-helpin' us get back ta our home? It ain't too far, and-"

"Yes", Anton said before his mind could even debate his heresy. "We can move when you are ready."

+++++~+++++

Bright Mac had insisted on carrying his wife, to which Anton hadn't objected. They hadn't left immediately after their meal, however. Bright's daughter, Applejack, had woken up and seen the bag. It had taken over forty minutes to get her away from the bag so that Bright could pick it up.

Even as the three of them walked down the faded path, she hadn't stopped crying. A small trail of tears followed behind them, not all of them from the female. After a while, he had noticed the tears that were also sliding down the face of Bright Mac. Both continued to trudge along behind him, even despite their obvious mourning.

Anton sighed, turning back to the path in front of him. He reached a hoof up to adjust the patrol cap on his head, slowing down slightly as he did so. He had elected only to wear the cuirass of his flak armor, believing that the risk of further attack was rather low. Beyond the beasts being punished for their attack, it was also daytime, with the beasts mostly being nocturnal.

"How much further?", Anton asked, also deeming speed to be an aspect of the movement.

Bright Mac sniffled, before saying, "Not much further. We're almost outta the woods, an' the house ain't too much farther beyond that."

The three of them once again resumed their silent walk, much to both the relief and disappointment of Anton. He had managed to isolate a major factor in his... his tolerance... of these Xenos; that factor being loneliness. He was simply desiring company, due to having been on his own for so long. He supposed that, if denied someone to talk to, even a lowly Xeno would do. That was no excuse for his damning sin, but he brushed it aside. He was similar to them, he supposed; it was something that clicked for his cursed mind.

Soon, the thick trees broke apart at the mouth of the road. Anton came to a halt as the brighter light of the unobstructed area outside the forest temporarily blinded him. When his vision adjusted, his eyes widened.

In almost every direction out from them, orderly rows of crops were arranged like troops on parade. It was mostly trees bearing red fruit on one side of the road, while the other side was broken up by a few different lines of fences by crop type. Here, the road was harder packed, and a fence lined the edge of the road. In the distance, he could see a small bridge over a bubbling stream. Even further beyond that, he could make out the vague shape of a cluster of structures.

The word 'Agri-World' popped into his head immediately, before he shook his head. Even if they were similar from what he could see, it was still damnable to compare these Xenos and whatever basic farms they had created to the breadbaskets of Imperial sectors. He straightened up, adjusted the strap on his shouldered lasgun, and continued down the road.

The three of them passed over the bridge and down the road, the hot sun beating down on the three of them. Anton sighed, before undoing the buttons on the front of his jumpsuit, allowing his body to breath a bit better through the thinner fabric of his undershirt.

Eventually, they reached a wooden archway that split off from the road, which Bright Mac and Applejack turned down. The small side path led them to the cluster of buildings that Anton had seen earlier. A few of them were small pens, in which strange-looking creatures roamed about behind wire fences. One was a large red building that Anton assumed was some form of storage facility. Flanking it was a large, several-story house, on which another of the Xenos was sitting.

This one appeared older, or at the least in less good condition. He decided it was female; light green with light silver hair and a mark of a pie on her flank. She stood up from her chair, brightening at the sight of them. "Yer back! BIG MAC", she called, turning her head back. "Yer parents and sister are back!"

"Comin'!", another voice called from inside.

The older one stepped off the porch, before her eyes narrowed at Anton. "Who're you?", she asked, seemingly finally taking in the state of the other two. "An' where's Buttercup?"

Bright Mac didn't answer; he just gently unslung the shroud from his back and rested it against the ground. The older one's eyes widened, shaking her head lightly. Applejack began crying harder, falling onto her flank in racking sobs.

Yet another new Xeno came out the door; this one male and colored red and dark orange with a green mark and some form of collar. "Sorry, Granny, ah was-" He stopped as he saw the others, before his own widened eyes fell on the shroud. "No. N-no."

He stepped off of the porch, walking up to the other three of them. Anton stepped off to the side, developing an interest in the swirling dirt beneath him. He had seen death, of course, but this was different. It felt personal, and as much as he hated it, it just felt wrong to look up as they mourned. Finally, however, he had the nerve to look up, watching as the four of them embraced one another, united in their shared pain.

11~Proper Introductions

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Anton left without another word. The family seemed to notice him leave, too caught up in their mourning. He was down the path leading to their house and onto the main road before they even looked up. "H-hey?", Applejack asked. "Where'd that colt go?"

Anton didn't hear what any of the others said; the wind had picked up, drowning out the voices of the others. He moved down the road, moving as fast as he could without breaking into a run. Blood roared in his ears as he went, as his mind roared against his traitorous thoughts.

Said thoughts wanted him to go back and comfort them. He knew what it felt to lose something so important to himself. They were now hurting, just as he had when he had been stripped of his humanity and his purity. However, for once in the past day, his zeal had won out against his heresy.

He was soon once again trudging into the woods, shade covering everything over him like a shroud. He marched down the road, much faster now that he was unburdened by his escort of the Xenos. Soon, the marks he had made on trees came into view, to which he followed them back to the river. Once again crossing it, he went up the small slope to his emplacement. Slipping past and closing his barricade, he returned to the bunker. A wave of exhaustion washed over him; he barely had time to shuck off his armor and half-fall into his hole before sleep claimed him.

+++++~+++++

Six days passed with little to nothing happening. As much as he despised it, he did miss the contact with the others, however limited it was. Still, he hadn't seen any signs of them, and had managed to build up enough of a resistance to his heretical mind in order to avoid going out of the woods again.

He gathered up a bunch of his spare clothes, laying them across his back and heading out of his pillbox. He walked down the hill, gazing up at the slightly cloudy sky through the gaps in the trees. Soon, he stopped by the river, laying the clothes on a rock and picking out one of the undershirts.

He put it in the flowing water, using his aura to shift the fabric around. After a little bit, he lifted it up and wrung out the water that had been absorbed by it. After most of the water had been drained out, he put it back into the water and did the same procedure again. After he had wrung the water out for the second time, he placed it on another rock to dry. He had soap, but he had only so much and would've preferred to use it on himself.

His ears flicked involuntarily, picking up on faint rustling in the bushes across the river. Anton looked up, eyes narrowed on the treeline. He slowly set the jumpsuit he was cleaning down, his magic reaching for two points on his belt. His pistol was drawn from its holster, resting next to his head. Meanwhile, his sword was pulled a short way out of its scabbard, ready to be pulled free fully when needed.

Finally, he was able to pinpoint the noise; a twig snapping just to his right across the river. His pistol shot away from his head, pointed at the noise. His aura depressed the trigger three times, sending three bolts of red energy sailing into the trees. He was greeted by a series of noises; a branch snapping off, the sizzling of burning wood, and... a panicked yell?

"The hay was that!?", a male voice cried out.

Anton drew and activated his sword, a glowing blue field surrounding the blade. "Come out!", Anton yelled. "Slowly."

He could hear a little bit of muted argument between the male voice and someone else. Before he decided to repeat himself, two figures stepped out of the treeline. One he recognized instantly as Applejack, while he recognized the other a few seconds later as the red male that had come out of the house after the green female had called him.

"It's us, it's us", Applejack said. "Don't need ta worry."

"Apologies", Anton said, turning off and holstering his sword and pistol. "Usually when something comes through the trees, it's not friendly."

"No hard feelings", Applejack said, nudging the male.

He looked at Applejack, before looking back up at Anton. "Uh, eeyup. It ain't no problem."

An awkward silence settled over the three of them, only broken by the bubbling of water over stones. Finally, it was broken by Anton sitting down. "I-is there something you need?"

"Oh, yeah!", Applejack said. The two of them walked through the shallows of the stream, setting a pair of containers next to him. Applejack's package was a small box filled with small pastries and a small glass bottle. The male, Big Mac if he recalled correctly, set down a big bucket full of plump, bright red fruit.

"What are they?", Anton asked, picking up one of the fruit.

"Oh, that's just an apple", Applejack said. "Pa and Granny wanted you to have them as a thank you. F-fer everythin' ya did wit' Ma."

"Those are Apple Fritters and Glaze", Big Mac said, pointing to the box that Applejack had brought. "AJ made um 'erself as 'er own little thank you."

Anton studied the fruit, turning it over in his hoof to examine all of its surfaces. It was a completely smooth sphere, save for two small indents on the top and bottom for a stem and a small section of leaves. After a few seconds, he took a deep bite, his teeth ripping through the hardened skin on the exterior and ripping into the soft flesh of the inside.

Instantly, a sweet flavor arced up his tongue and reached his brain. He tore the chunk his teeth were around free from the rest of the fruit, chewing it slowly to both study and savor its taste. As soon as the last of the sweet flesh of the inside had been broken up by his teeth, he studied the apple again, the red skin now broken by a valley of white flesh. He dove in for another bite, and before long, had eaten the apple down to its core.

"Ah take it ya like 'um?", Applejack asked.

Anton nodded, "By the Golden Throne; they're delicious!"

"Golden Throne?", Big Mac asked.

Anton nodded. "Yeah. The seat of the God-Emperor as he watches over us."

The two looked at one another, before Applejack nodded. "Eh, right. Anyway-"

"You two don't believe me", Anton said, his smile wiped away almost instantly. "About the Emperor."

"Ah mean, we've never heard 'a him...?", Applejack said. "An, from what ya said, well..."

Anton took a deep breath, attempting to calm his mind, which screamed for vengeance against the damnable Xeno. His mind reeled, even as a part of it reasoned that they were ignorant of the Emperor, and as such would be unknowing of His glory. He sighed, before muttering to himself, "Very well. I care not. My faith is firm, and-"

"Hey, hey", Big Mac said. "Nothing wrong wit' it. Just something we ain't heard of."

"Yeah", Applejack said.

"Very well", Anton said, moving on even as part of him grumbled at the faithlessness of the two. "Is there something you needed besides dropping them off?"

"Well", Big Mac said, looking at Applejack. She was sort of wilting. "Not really. But, Pa and Granny figured that you were a great help to us, and... they kinda want ta invite you ta Ma's wake in a few days."

Anton nodded, shrugging. "Alright."

"Ya don't have ta if ya don't wanna, bu-Wait, really?", Big Mac asked.

"I am... Well, to be frank, I feel that I have need to do something", Anton said. "Do not mistake that for meaning that I'm only doing this because it wastes time. Honoring the dead is a task that all should be grateful to fulfill."

"Oh. Uh, ok...?", Applejack asked. "H-hey, we never really got yer name."

Anton froze at that comment. None of their names were normal names, and they appeared to have no inclination of his origin. If they were named after some of these fruit, then he assumed that they used some symbols as a basis of their names. If symbols or something of the like were a form of symbolism for them, and to fit in... "_{Emperor forgive my profanity of thy most holy of symbols}"

"Whah?", Big Mac asked.

"Aquila", Anton said, biting back bile. "Y-you can call me Aquila."

12~Honored are the Dead

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A few days later, Anton once again stepped out of the forest and shielded his eyes from the somehow brighter sun. This time, he was wearing his full uniform, save for the armor. He shifted slightly, the Jump Suit chafing against the fur that covered his twisted body.

As he continued to walk, the bare fur not covered by his jumpsuit and the brim of his field cap was suddenly no longer coated by the sun. As opposed to the heat beating on him like a drum, he was now greeted by a faint coolness mostly blocked by the fabric of the jumpsuit. Looking up, he saw clouds shifting rapidly to cover the sun and the area over Sweet Apple Acres. He squinted slightly, picking out small, multi-colored shapes moving among them like bees on a field of flowers.

He approached the farmhouse, noting a larger amount of ponies standing outside in the yard. They were all clad in dark dresses or dark suits, making his tan jumpsuit and field cap stand out. He stopped by the entrance, looking down at the uniform before stealing a glance at the jumpsuit, debating whether or not he should just leave. This gathering was to honor the dead, and while that was always important, it was for a Xeno...

"Um, are you here for the funeral?", a voice said, drawing his attention up. He was greeted for a sight he hadn't expected: another creature like him.

Well, not exactly. Like nearly every other "Pony" he had come into contact with, this one had a wildly inconsistent coloration. As opposed to his tan and brown, she was colored white and purple, her hair styled in a weird sort of wavy way. With these factors, along with the rather fancy dress and simple way she held herself, he was somewhat reminded of one of the daughters from the various noble houses of Elysia.

"Y-yes", Anton said, before straightening up and clearing his throat. She only reminded him of one of the members of those noble houses; she was a Xeno, and could no way be affiliated with one of the rulers of his homeworld. "Yes, I am."

"Well, um... What are you wearing?", she asked.

Anton once again looked at his jumpsuit, before shrugging. "I felt I had to wear something."

"Well, couldn't you find something more... fitting?", she asked. "I mean, it has a certain utilitarian charm to it, but it hardly seems appropriate to this kind of event."

Anton snorted. "I don't have anything else. Or, would you rather I show up in my undershirt and trousers?"

She opened up her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by someone else calling out, "Rarity!" Both of them turned towards the house, watching as Applejack made their way over to them. Like the one like him, Rarity, she was wearing a black dress, albeit simpler and with her looking a bit less comfortable in it. Her hair had been done in a braid, and though she wore a smile, he could tell she was still disheartened.

Rarity said, "Hello, darling. I'm sorry that my parents couldn't attend, but they are attending to my younger sister."

"O-oh, it's fine. I'm just glad you could come", Applejack said, pulling Rarity into a hug.

Rarity returned it, holding her close. Anton stood off to the side, shuffling uncomfortably. Applejack seemed to notice, pulling away from the hug after about a minute. "Uh, Rarity. This is Aquila. He's the one who helped us when... Well, ya know. Aquila, this is one 'a my best friends, Rarity."

Rarity turned back to him, sizing him up like the Drill Sergeants back on Elysia. "Charmed."

"Likewise", Anton said.

"W-well", Applejack said. "Come on. T-the whole..." She didn't need to finish; they both knew what she was referring to. Rarity gave some last look at Anton, before the both of them followed them into the farm.

+++++~+++++

Anton sat awkwardly in one of the prepared seats. Applejack had somewhat insisted that he sit in one of the front rows with her immediate family and a few other relatives. He could practically feel the eyes of a decent number of attendees on him. Still, he sat up and kept his eyes straight ahead as if he were in the briefing room of the Lex Talionis.

Still, that didn't stop him from taking in a few of the others who had come to attend the funeral. He knew all of the ones he had come into contact with before. The older green 'mare', who he had been introduced to as Granny Smith, was sitting a few chairs down, held lowered so that it was almost touching her chest. Big Mac was next to her, one hoof wrapped around her shoulder. He had his other hoof wrapped around what he assumed was a child held in his lap. Said child, colored a dark yellow with red hair, was looking around in minor confusion, likely not knowing anything about what was going on.

The vast majority of them, however, he had no idea of who they were. A pair of ponies, one blue and pink while the other was two shades of yellow, sat in the row behind him, the former of the pair bawling her eyes out. Another pony, light beige with a greying pink mane sat across a gap in the lines of chairs, sniffling. Most of the crowd was made up of what he assumed to be relatives. From what he could see, they had similar tattoos which were based on Apples, implying some form of familial connection. Some cultural aspect of these Xenos, perhaps?

As he looked ahead, he squinted. If he wasn't mistaken, he thought he saw one of the Xenos standing among a few of the trees in the orchard beyond where they were. He blinked, but seemed to have lost sight of them, if they were even there. He shrugged, thinking it was merely nothing as he heard a series of whispers starting to quiet down the muted conversations around him.

Silence reigned over the crowd, while many turned back to behind them. Anton stayed looking ahead, despite spotting Rarity giving him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye. After a few seconds, six males walked into view, carrying a wooden casket above them. Only one of them recognized: Bright Mac, who carried the casket easily despite his obvious limp.

The four of them set the casket down in front of a large hole, before stepping off to the side. Bright Mac limped over to a wreath next to the grave, stopping next to it. "Thank y'all for comin'. Ah, ah honestly don't really know what ah'm supposed ta say that y'all don't already know. I-it's just..." He stopped, tears running down his face like a river. "Ah'm sorry. Ah, ah just... All of ya can come say goodbye. Ah, ah need a bit."

Bright Mac limped off to the side of the coffin, with Granny Smith following him. Meanwhile, the ponies around him all stood, forming a line into the aisle next to him. He waited, sitting stock still and taking breaths. They were her family, as well as originally her kind; if they deserved anything besides destruction, then they deserved that.

Finally, the line stopped growing, and Anton stood. He slipped in behind a mare with green hair, soon walking to the front of the line. The others had returned to their seats, leaving Anton alone standing next to the coffin. He pressed a hoof to the top of the closed coffin, reciting a prayer: "The flesh of your body is a reminder of your own mortality. Transcend the flesh and know immortality. May the Emperor watch over you." He returned to his seat and sat down, even as eyes watched him sit down.

13~Recompense

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Anton stood alone by the barn, merely watching the guests of the Apple family. Judging by the tattoos they bore, as well as the few names he could discern from the well of conversations, he assumed that most of them bore some form of relation to the deceased. He supposed it was fair that would be the case, but he had never seen so many related to another family, especially in one place.

He munched silently on one of the fritters that had been laid out on the table across the yard. Well, that wasn't accurate, given the plate piled high with at least half a dozen of them. He had eaten some of the ones gifted to him by Applejack and Big Macintosh a few days ago, and been hooked. It was one of the best things he'd tasted, especially since he had enlisted in the Drop Troopers.

Still, he ate alone. Most of the guests didn't really seem to notice him, as if he weren't there. Those that did flashed one of two vastly different looks in his direction. One of them silent was gratitude, as if thanking him for his deed in saving Bright Mac and trying to save Buttercup. The other one, while not as common, was a mild fear.

Good, he idly thought, taking another bite. They recognize, at least somewhat, that I am their doom. At least, SHOULD be their doom. He winced, subconsciously flicking an ear. They had been kind to him, and even if it was just out of gratitude, it was still kindness. It was far more than he had ever expected from a Xenos; from any enemy of the Emperor. Maybe... maybe they weren't so bad?

As soon as the thought came to him, he jerked up straight. To his surprise, the older mare he remembered as Granny Smith was standing in front of him, a look between startled and confused on her face. "Oh, ah'm sorry. Didn't mean ta startle ya."

"Uh... No, no. You didn't", Anton said. "I just... came to a realization."

"'Bout what?", she asked.

Anton stumbled on his words, before saying, "Nothing you need concern yourself with."

"Ya sure? Ah wouldn't want ya ta be worried 'bout nothin', considerin'...", she said, pausing and drawing in a deep breath. "Well, considerin' what ya did fer us."

"I assure you, it's nothing relevant to you", Anton said.

"Well, alright then", she said, before looking at the ground. "Ah just... Well, ah never got the chance ta really thank ya mahself. 'Bout what ya did fer my son and granddaughter. What ya tried to do wit' mah daughter-in-law as well."

"T-thank you", Anton said wearily, the recent thought still leaving him unnerved. He noticed her cock her head, probably confused about his tone of voice. "My apologies, it's just... it's been a while since I've had any proper interaction with another h-With another being."

"Really?", she asked. "Ya've been one yer own?"

"A few months now, yes", Anton said.

She asked, "Wah? Don't ya have parents?"

Anton sucked in a breath, thinking his words through. She was doubtless simply trying to be polite, but he couldn't really shake the feeling this was some form of interrogation. He supposed that was here he would've normally only been talking with a Xeno, but that was beside the point. "I-I haven't seen my parents in at least a year now. By now, I've accepted I probably never will."

"Oh", Granny Smith said. "Ah'm sorry."

"It's fine. I've made my peace with it", Anton said. He stood, flicking his head down at the plate of fritters. "Thank you for the food and the hospitality. But, I feel I should be going."

"Ya sure", Granny Smith asked. "Day's still young, and you ain't finished with yer fritters yet."

Anton nodded. "I am sure. I have... things I need to do."

"Alrighty then", Granny said. "Ah hope this ain't the last we'll see 'a ya."

Anton didn't say anything. He nodded, stepping around her and the other guests on his way to the path off of the property. He stepped out onto the road, idly adjusting his field cap as he walked ahead. After about five minutes of walking, he looked back and judged that he was far enough away to not attract any major attention from Sweet Apple Acres, if they could see him at all. Then, he broke into a dead sprint, racing back to the forest as fast as his cursed legs could carry him.

+++++~+++++

He sat on the banks of the river near his entrenchments, staring at the water. He had removed everything save his trousers, letting the fur on most of his body breathe in the cool air around him. He sighed, looking up from the rushing water and to the item next to him: a long rod of thick stem, covered in chipped-off thorns.

He had found it on his way back to the entrenchments, growing near the river. He didn't know what kind of plant it was, but he frankly didn't care. He had cut off the top of the plant and ripped it out of the base, taking it with him back to the river. After a few hours, he had brought it with him back to the river, shaving off the tips of the thorns and soaking it in the river for at least ten minutes, hoping to let any potential poison inside of it leak out.

He examined the thick length of the stem, still dripping with water. He turned it over in his aura, examining the blunted tips. He rested it against the rock he was sitting on, before resting it against his back. The hairs on his back stood up from the cold, before he lifted it up.

He slammed it down with as much force as he could. He hissed, nearly biting his tongue as the blunted spikes partially tore through the skin. A small amount of thick, hot blood leaked from the wound, coursing in and around the fur. He panted and groaned in pain, but rose it up again and slammed it down. More blood poured out, while he did bite his tongue with this strike. He grabbed a few clumps of grass, stuffing them in his mouth and biting down as hard as he could. He then lifted up the rod, striking his back again.

He struck his back with the thorny rod another three times, leaving his back torn and bloody. He tossed the rod next to the rock next to him, before removing his trousers. He slipped into the river, letting the cool water wash over his self-inflicted wounds. Water ran red downriver of him, his wounds screaming due to the cold. After at least thirty minutes, he stepped out of the water, laying on the rock.

He panted, his hooves slightly twitching. He stood up, his legs slightly shaking as he grabbed his trousers. He dropped them over his back, picking up the rod as well. He looked over his back, noting the small tears in the flesh. "H-holy pain. Recompense for my sins against you, my Emperor." He stumbled up the hill, taking one more look down at the river, while idly noting the mark on his back:

He stumbled into the bunker, pulling a roll of bandages out. He wrapped them around the worst parts of his wounds as tight as he could, tying them off in a knot. He slipped on his jumpsuit, sliding into the hole he had dug out for a bed. He muttered to himself, "N-no more interacting w-with the Xenos. T-they're a disease..." He couldn't say anymore, however, as exhaustion, the cold, and lingering, sore pain lulled him into a deep sleep within minutes.

14~All alone

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Applejack adjusted the scarf around her neck, huffing, "Granny, ah'll be fine. It ain't that cold."

"Maybe not 'ere", her granny said, tugging the scarf back into place. "But that's cause we got the Pegasi makin' sure it ain't too bad. Who knows how bad the Everfree is compared ta here."

Granny Smith backed up, looking over her granddaughter. Applejack was wearing a padded vest, at least three scarfs, a beanie, and thick wool socks over each of her legs. Between that, and the insulated backpack holding her cargo of apple dumplings and cider, she felt like she could barely move.

"Well, how come Big Mac doesn't haveta wear all this?!", she said, pointing to her big brother. In comparison to her, he was only wearing a scarf and a knitted jacket.

"Because ah've got thicker fur", Big Mac said, rubbing his foreleg for emphasis.

Applejack grumbled, but didn't say anything out loud. "Fine. Come on, let's go."

"Go where?", a voice said. All three turned to see Bright Mac coming towards them out of the living room. He was moving much better than he was at the funeral, which was almost a month ago at this point. However, his limp was still quite noticeable, and the doctor said it was likely he would have it for the rest of his life.

"Ah wanted ta bring somethin' ta Aquila", Applejack said. "Granny help me make dumplings fer him."

"And y'all are goin' into the Everfree in the dead 'a winter ta do it?", Bright Mac questioned. "Do ya know how dangerous that is?"

"Ah'm not goin' alone", Applejack said. "Big Mac is comin' wit' me."

"Don't worry, Pa", Big Mac said. "It won't take long. Plus, don't Timberwolves hibernate?"

"Ah, ah don't know", Bright Mac admitted. "But you two best be careful. And be back before the sun even starts to set, ya hear!"

"Don't worry, Pa", Applejack said. "We'll be back in a jiffy!"

+++++~+++++

"Remind me wah ah'm bein' dragged inta this", Big Mac asked.

Applejack pushed a branch out of her way as the two made their way through snow that reached past their hooves, following the slash marks still visible on the trees. "Because Granny wouldn't let me go alone, and ah wanna give this ta Aquila."

"Yeah, but wah?", Big Mac asked, causing Applejack to stop almost dead in her tracks.

Applejack almost yelled, "Because he saved me an' Pa, that's wah! He deserves somethin' nice, bein' all alone out here and all."

"No, no. Ah get that. But, well... Beside what Pa said 'bout it bein' winter an' all, ya gotta admit he's a bit..."

"A bit what?", Applejack asked.

Big Mac said, "Well, ah mean... Ya've seen what he wears, and that he does it constantly. He lives in the Everfree too, which is pretty weird bah itself. Plus, there's that whole Emperor thing."

"And? So we shouldn't just stop bein' nice ta him because he has a few... weird things he believes. It ain't no different than Berry's whole deal wit' those drinks helpin' her study."

"That's because... Well, ah got nothin' fer that one. But it's at least a lot less bizarre er out there than belief about some Emperor that exists everywhere. Or, whatever it was he said", Big Mac said. "All ah'm sayin' is he ain't-"

"Ah get what yer sayin', Big Mac. Ah do", Applejack said. "But, can ya just act polite ta him when we get there."

"Ah'm not sayin' he's a bad pony or anything. He just... ain't normal."

The two entered the clearing by Aquila's house, the cliff towering over it hard to miss. The river that stretched across the clearing side closest to them had completely frozen over, leaving a solid chunk of ice to facilitate an easy traversal. They made their way up the hill, slowed by the thick snow on the ground as well as the fall coming out of the sky, before making their way in between the snow-encrusted barricade at the entrance to the ravine.

They continued uphill towards the weird stone house Aquila had made. As they did, Big Mac pointed to the cave behind it, which was covered by a massive flap of what appeared to be fur. "He ever tell ya what's back there?"

"What do ya mean?", Applejack asked.

Big Mac said, "Well, ya've interacted wit' him more than ah have. And, well, from what you said, he told ya not ta go back there. Ah'm just wonderin' if he explained why."

"No, he didn't", Applejack said.

"Well, what do ya think it is?", he asked.

Applejack snorted. "Ah figured it ain't none 'a mah business, or that it's somethin' private. Like what ya said 'bout that box ya've got under yer bed."

Big Mac nodded, slowing his speed so as to even better hide the slightly redder shade of his face. The two of them reached the trench in front of the structure, which appeared to have been half-filled in with snow. Big Mac noticed something sticking out of the snow, grabbing it and bringing it up to examine.

He said, "Well, ain't this strange."

"What?", Applejack asked, to which Big Mac showed her what it was: a small metal shovel, which appeared to have a few hinges on it.

"Odd thing ta have out here", he said. "Frankly, ah ain't never seen anything like it."

"Ah told ya, cut it out", Applejack said. "Now, where is-Oh Celestia! Big Mac! Get over here!"

Big Mac walked around the trench, stopping dead in his tracks as he looked over Applejack's head. A section of the house entrance had caved in, likely due to the snow that was still piled on top of the bunker. From what he could see, patches of it had been cleared off of the roof, though some of the fresh snow falling down appeared to have undone a lot of the work. Laying belly-down in the snow in front of the collapsed snow, partially buried and with a small trail of blood oozing off of his forehead by his horn, was Aquila.

Applejack shucked off the backpack, racing up to him. "Aquila!", she cried, jostling him and pulling him out of the snow. He grumbled lightly, with Applejack only able to make out the word 'Protect'. "He's alive."

Big Mac looked over at the crumbled section of the wall, frowning. "He musta been tryin' ta clean off the roof when that gave out on him. Who know's how long its been since that happened."

"W-we gotta get him some help!", Applejack said. "H-he's so... cold."

Big Mac looked down at Aquila, and even though he wasn't touching him, he could tell she was right. His fur was a duller shade of tan than when he last saw him, while the shirt and pants he was wearing looked like he had taken a dip in the river. He was shivering, while his eyes were barely open. Big Mac knew nothing about medicine or illnesses beyond personal experience, but that little bit was enough to convince him Aquila wasn't well. "Alright. Help him onto mah back. We'll get him back ta Sweet Apple Acres."

15~At their mercy

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Anton groaned, his body alternately burning up and freezing. He tried to hoist himself up, yet felt a massive pressure on his chest. Unable to really move, he instead focused on trying to squeeze his eyes open. After several attempts, the light blinding him as he tried, he finally managed to get them. As the brightness cleared, he came to a rather important realization.

He was not in his bunker.

As opposed to the dark, partially cracked stone was replaced by a bright light brown wood. Shifting his eyes around slightly, he managed to pick out a few other features of where he was now. He could make out the tops of what he assumed to be a shelf, along with a strange-looking clock.

His legs regained a little bit of his strength, pushing against the bindings atop him. He stopped his escape attempt as he rubbed his hooves against the bindings, finding them being rather soft. It had been a long time since he had touched something that had actually been properly soft. Lifting his head up, he looked over the several blankets that had been wrapped around him.

"Wh-where...?", he muttered to himself, still trying to raise himself up from the bed. From a partially sitting up position, he saw more of the room. The room was rather bare, though it had a few decorations and photos on the walls and a few small tables. A bookshelf was on one wall, while on the opposite wall was a roaring fire. He himself was in a bed, while his webbing and amulet sat on the chair by a desk in the far corner.

Before he could really get himself together, the door opened. Applejack peaked her head in, before opening the door fully. "Granny! Pa! Aquila is awake!"

After a few seconds, Granny Smith and Bright Macintosh enter the room. Granny Smith was carrying a bowl on her back, while Bright Mac removed the webbing and move the seat up to right next to the bed. Granny Smith grabbed the bowl and placed it in her lap, taking a spoon out of it and offering it to him. "Here, have some."

"Wh-what is it?", Anton asked.

Granny Smith said, "It's noodle soup. Nice an' hot. It'll do ya some good."

Anton looked at the spoon, noting the few strands of noodles and other bits of vegetables on it. A second later, as if to motivate him, he became aware of his stomach, which felt like he has swallowed a lamp pack. He lit his horn, trying to take the spoon, only for Granny Smith to click her tongue. "Ya ain't in any condition ta do that. Just let me help ya."

Anton snorted at the statement. "I am capable of-"

"All due respect, ya ain't", Bright Mac said. "Ah don't know how long ya were in the snow, but ya were purdy bad when mah kids brought ya here. Besides... Ain't no point in arguing wit' her. Mah ma's stubborn as they come."

Anton snorted, but opened his mouth. She slipped the spoon into his mouth, letting him close it before pulling the spoon free. The hot broth and various bits of food in his mouth seeped out, before Anton swallowed. Granny Smith offered another spoonful, and though he despised her condescension, he swallowed his pride and opened his mouth again.

Bright Mac shifted slightly, muttering something. At least, that's what he thought. Looking over after another spoonful of soup, he saw him lift something off of his back and bring it close to his face. After a few seconds, he realized it was a smaller Xeno; one with a similar yellow coat to him, along with a patch of red hair.

Bright Mac looked up, seeing Anton looking at him and the smaller one. "Oh. This is mah other daughter. 'Er name is Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom, this is Aquila; he's a friend."

Apple Bloom babbled excitedly as he held her out, brilliant golden eyes sparkling at him with untainted joy. Anton stared back with sheer confusion, blinking twice as she waved her stubby little limbs in his direction. "Uh... Hello, little one. The Emperor protect you."

Applejack and her father looked at one another, while Apple Bloom continued babbling. "Uh, right", Applejack said. "You, uh... Need anything?"

Anton considered for a second, before a thought occurred to him. He shifted the position of his neck, looking down at himself. His shirt was missing, and if the feeling of the blankets on his lower body was right, then so was his trousers. "W-where are my clothes?"

"They were all wet from the snow", Granny said. "They're dryin' off in the washroom."

"R-right", Anton said.

"What were ya doin' anyway?", Applejack asked. "Ah mean, we found ya in the snow, just lyin' there."

"I was clearing the snow off of the roof", Anton said. "It wasn't that cold when I was doing it, so I figured the jumpsuit wasn't needed. I think... part of the roof broke off, and I hit my head on something."

"Sounds 'bout", Applejack said. "Considerin' how Big Mac and I found ya and all."

Anton noticed the lack of the red male. "Where is-" He interrupted himself by a violent series of coughs, sending a spoonful of soup spilling onto the floor. "S-sorry", he said, shivering slightly.

"Oh, no worries", Granny said. "Macky went ta go get the doctor. Should be back soon."

As if answering a prompt, Anton heard the door shut and a new pair of hooves heading towards them. Applejack stepped out of the way, allowing Big Mac and a yellow-ish horned male in a coat to come closer to him. The yellow male said, "You must be Aquila, correct?"

"Y-yes", Anton said, starting to regret giving that as his name.

The male said, "Alright then. My name's Doctor Horse. I just wanna take a quick look at you."

Anton nodded. He was already practically bound up, being fed soup like a child, and being quartered in what he assumed to be their house. Letting the Doctor examine him would hardly be his most grievous heresy.

Doctor Horse lit up his horn, and he felt a tingling sensation run up his body. After it went up his whole body to the tip of his own horn, it went back down, stopping about his mid-back. "Yep. Just as I thought. You've got a minor case of Hypothermia."

He remembered the condition from his brief medical training. The overexposure to cold conditions, which could start to shut down and kill the human body. "So... What now then?"

"Well, normally, I'd recommend taking you back to the hospital", he said, pulling out a small notepad. "However, the Apples have already done almost everything they were supposed to in helping you. You're in excellent condition. Still, I'd recommend not doing anything strenuous for about a week or so."

Anton grumbled, but still said, "Very well."

"Perfect", Doctor Horse said, ripping off and handing the note to Bright Mac. "Make sure he gets plenty of warm fluids, though no caffeine or alcohol. Keep his body temperature up, and make sure you wrap any heating packets in cloth before giving them to him. Also, if those cuts on his back start to ooze or act up, be sure to let me know."

"Cuts?", Applejack asked.

"Mind rolling over a bit for me?", Doctor Horse asked. Anton did so, and the Doctor pointed to the mostly healed remains of Anton's self-flagellation. "If I'd have to guess, I'd say some of the stones chipped off and hit him on his way down. It's not too bad, but again, let me know if it oozes. We don't want those to get infected."

"Thanks, Doc", Bright Mac says. "T-this means a lot ta me."

"No worries", Doctor Horse said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "She was a friend. We all miss her." He turned back to Anton, the same smile on his face. "Thank you. For, uh, trying to save Buttercup, that is."

"No... Worries", Anton said.

Doctor Horse said, "Right, well, thanks anyway. Get some sleep. It'll do you some good." With that, he left, giving a polite wave as he left the small room.

"Ya heard the doctor", Granny Smith said. "Let's give Aquila some room. Ya get some shut-eye now, ya hear?"

Anton nodded, watching as they all left the room one by one. Applejack was the last to leave, giving Anton a small wave. He returned it with a curt nod, his head falling back against the pillow as she shut the door. In a Xeno den..., he thought glumly. Being fed soup like a child and being given orders by a crone and one of their medics. The Emperor Preserve me, I'm a disgrace.

16~Recovery

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By Anton's best estimate, ten days had passed since he had woken up in the Apple's domicile. He had, in muted defiance of his burning hatred, accepted their hospitality, including the variety of hot food he had been provided. That being said, he had been forced to remain in the bed for almost all of those ten days, only being let up to use the lavatory. Even then, he had been watched and had several blankets tied around him.

After another visit from the Apothecary, he had been deemed well enough to stand on his own. However, he had been forbidden from returning to his bunker. He was told that another incident could prove fatal, and he was still pretty weak. Despite his grumblings, he had agreed to stay with the Apples for a few weeks, despite his disdain.

Anton had been left the same room he was held in, and free from the cotton prison, he had gotten a better look at it. The guest bedroom, as he had been told it was called, held the bed, a cabinet, desk, and a few shelves. It was sparsely decorated, with only the picture of fields of trees on one of the walls. Besides it being made of wood instead of Rockcrete, it reminded him of one of the Officer's quarters at his training camp.

His clothes and webbing had been returned to him, which he was grateful for. Despite his cursed form, he would maintain at least some decorum compared to them. He had, however, removed his laspistol and the power sword, generally leaving them in his temporary quarters. Both to avoid any unnecessary complications with them, and to provide a token degree of comfort to the Xenos.

On the eleventh day, he was awoken by a knock on the door. "Hey, uh... You awake?", a voice asked. Big Mac, the younger male.

"Yes", Anton said, easily sitting up in bed. He had been lying there for some time, contemplating his new circumstances. A distraction was welcome, lest his mind turn against him and turn to darkness. "What is it?"

"Ah know this ain't really the most appropriate thing ta ask, but me and Pa are takin' some stuff inta town. Ya mind helpin' AJ wit some of 'er chores?", he asked.

"Of what sort?", Anton asked, climbing off the bed.

Big Mac shrugged. "Typical stuff. Dustin', sweepin', cleanin' out the cobwebs in the attic. That sorta stuff."

Anton nodded. He had been tasked with similar tasks when he was younger to help clean up around his hab-block. "Alright. Where is she?"

"She's doin' that last one right now", Big Mac said, adjusting a beanie on his head. "Ladder is down, up on the second floor. Can't miss it." With that he walked off, leaving Anton alone with the door half-open.

He slipped off the bed, grabbing his webbing. Though the holsters and ammunition pouches were all empty, he still felt comforted somewhat in putting it on, even if it was just over his undershirt and trousers. He opened the door and headed for the main staircase of the house, going up it with loud, rapid stomps. As he reached the top, he did indeed spot the ladder hanging down from a hatch in the roof, sticking out to the floor like the misshapen tongue from the dark maw of a Daemon.

As he approached the ladder, he heard a noise coming from the attic. He stopped, looking up into the dark interior. He grabbed ahold of the ladder, attempting to hoist himself up. However, as he tried to climb up, he lost his grip on one of the rungs, falling back to the floor.

His hiss of pain caused the noise to stop, followed by steps heading towards the ladder. "Y'all alright down there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine", Anton said. "Not used to ladders li-. Ladders."

"Just make sure yer hindlegs are firmly on it, and you'll be fine", Applejack said. "C-come on up."

Anton got back to his hooves, trying again to get ahold of the ladder. This time, he focused more on the rear legs of his twisted body, using them to force himself up. This time, he was able to get up better, pulling himself into the attic.

The interior was dark, only lit by a pair of exposed bulbs. Boxes and items wrapped in papers lined nearly every surface, as well as most of the floors. The few exceptions were a few old pieces of furniture, such as a pair of cabinets and an old-looking couch. Applejack was also in the attic, putting the lid back onto one of the boxes.

"Big Mac sent ya up ta help me?", she asked.

Anton nodded, "Correct. I had nothing better to do, and I don't like being cooped up in that bed all day."

Applejack chuckled. "Yeah, I can get that. Ah was just... Uh... Lookin' at some old pictures. Th-the brooms 're over there. We gotta knock the cobwebs off tha' roof and frames an' whatnot."

Anton grabbed one of the brooms, examining the simple wooden pole and thatch or straw head. He transferred it from his hoof to the aura of his horn, and began to scrape it along the frame of the roof. Applejack stood up, putting the box back onto a stack of others and grabbing her own.

"So, uh... How long have you been living in the Everfree?", Applejack asked.

Anton considered what she had asked. He hadn't really taken into account the amount of time he had been on his own, cursed with his new form. He gave a rough estimate however, given the progression of trees and other natural aspects around him. "About six months."

"And... Why?", Applejack said. "Ah mean, it's dangerous and... Well, it ain't natural."

"After a certain point, all of the dangerous stuff tends to avoid me", Anton said, knocking one of the bigger webs down. "As for why I'm still there... I'm not supposed to leave."

That made Applejack stop in her tracks. "What do you mean? Yer not supposed to leave?"

"Yes, I...", Anton began, but stopped himself. He shouldn't tell her about the Valkerie. The Xenos had been nice to him so far, but if they found out about the piece of Imperial technology just behind his bunker, they might turn on him. "I... I was told not to leave." It was technically the truth; though it was a part of his training to dig in, he was still supposed to hold his position when on his own."

"Oh... B-by yer parents?", Applejack said.

Anton froze, a lump of adamantine forming in his throat. "N-no. Not them. A..."

"Ah'm sorry", Applejack said, before he could continue. "Ah... Ah didn't mean ta prod. Just tryin' ta make small talk, ah guess."

"It's fine", Anton said. "But, perhaps we should find a better topic?"

"Right", Applejack said. "Good idea."

17~The Witch

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From what he had been told, the winter months had started to wind down in the past few days. He had been helping more around their house, though they still wouldn't let him go outside. In the meantime, he had started to be more involved in the familial habits of the Apple family.

He actually woke up at around the same time as them, internal clocks wired along the same lines. Somewhat somberly, they had given him the seat that had once been Buttercups. Fortunately, none of them had said anything, though he knew they were all working through what had happened; he had heard the crying and soft talks through the doors or around corners. The food had made up for the awkwardness, being general mixtures of apple products in forms that he had never heard of before. He was never even aware of what Apple French-Toast Casserole was, but it was now one of his new favorite foods.

Afterward, they all had spread out to perform various tasks. Many of them were outside, while he was restricted to the inside. That didn't mean he wasn't given a few tasks to do, after he had requested something to do. Mostly this involved cleaning things and sorting objects inside the house, though that wasn't always the case. These other tasks ranged from rather tolerable, such as helping Bright Mac in patching a hole by one of the windows. On the other hand, though, were some tasks that had been downright miserable, like when he had basically acted as a living resource stand for Granny Smith as she was making a blanket.

That mix of boredom and pain aside, it wasn't that bad. And that is what made it miserable.

He was completely surrounded by Xenos, and the urge to kill them all had faded. Not that he had done anything, but he had simply grown used to it by this point. Whenever one of them would give him a "Good Morning" or a "Hello", he gave them a nod. Nothing else! His mind, no doubt corrupted by the Xenos in some way, was twisting his actions and preventing him from doing anything against them.

These thoughts were the ones that ran through his mind as he was swept by the front door. He could feel a small amount of chill coming in through the door, though not enough for him to be discomforted. That said, he couldn't help but shiver and mutter to himself, especially as the thoughts of what kind of sins he had committed against the Emperor. He had earned the death sentence for numerous counts of both Imperial Law and Astra Militarum regulations.

He finished sweeping a decent-sized collection of dust and debris, he heard several knocks on the door. He looked over, an eyebrow raised. None of the Apple family ever knocked; it was their dwelling, so they just entered. That meant it was someone who wasn't affiliated with them; that white one, Rarity, perhaps?

He leaned the broom against the wall and set the dustbin onto a small table, before walking over to the door. He adjusted his undershirt so as to cover as much of his accursed fur as possible, before opening the door.

His eyes widened as he was greeted with perhaps the most garishly colored thing he had ever seen. Well, not a thing; it was another pony, lacking either the horn he had or the wings he had seen. This example of its damnable subspecies was vastly different from the numerous samples he had seen. She (as he had determined it to be) had a tangle curl of hair that reminded him of tangled wires, which was only a few shades of pink darker than the rest of her. She also had the biggest smile he had ever seen, with teeth so white they would've been blinding if not for several brackets of metal lacing her teeth.

"Hi!", she said, her voice sickly sweet and disturbingly chipper. "You must be Aquila! I'm Pinkie Pie! It's nice to meet you!"

Anton blinked, not really knowing what to say. "Um, Can I... help you?"

In the space of his blink, she appeared next to him. She wrapped a hoof around his shoulder, saying, "Not really! But, I've just got here, and I'm in the process of making friends with everyone I can. I heard about you, but never met you! So I'm here to make friends!"

Anton scrambled away, panic welling up in his throat. "H-how did you do that!?"

"Do what?", she asked.

"That! Popping up right next to me!", he said, his aura lighting up around the hilt of his sword.

Pinkie made a noise somewhere between a giggle and a snort. "Oh, that. It's nothing. Just something I can do from time to time. My dads tried to figure it out himself; called some really interesting ponies to talk to me and look at me creepily about it. Now, enough about me!" She bounced in place, before taking a big spring forward, landing right in front of him. "Wanna cupcake?"

He had a small item with a colorful top held up in front of him, seemingly pulled from nowhere. Anton only backed away as much as he could. He had grown more and more suspicious of her over the past few minutes, and her grabbing something out of thin air only heightened it. "W-what is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?", Pinkie asked, seemingly deflating somewhat. Disturbingly, that was literal; her color dulled to a darker shade while some of her unnatural curls straightened. "I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Pinkie?", a voice said from behind her. Looking past Pinkie, he saw Applejack coming in through the still-open door, shutting it behind her. "What are you doing here?"

She perked up at the sight of Applejack, saying, "Oh, hi Applejack! I was just saying hi to Aquila here. You know, since I've arrived, I've been trying to make friends with as many ponies as I could, and you mentioned him during one of your trips into town. I mean, Rarity also mentioned him, and didn't have all that nice things to say about him, so there's that. But, if one pony is saying he's a good pony, then he can't be all that bad, right? So, I came over to make a new friend. But, he's been a bit mean and not all that friendly, so-"

"Alright, alright", Applejack said, cutting Pinkie off with a hoof waved in her face. "Ah get it. Let me talk ta him."

Applejack came up to him, grabbing him by the arm and leading him into the next room. As they came to a stop, she asked, "Did ya threaten 'er or somethin'?"

"What, no", Anton said.

Applejack said, "Ya got yer magic wrapped 'round yer sword. Ah just wanna cover mah bases."

"No, I did not threaten her", Anton said. "I just... she's off. How do you know her?"

"She's the apprentice of the Cakes, the owners 'a Sugarcube Corner. She's stayin' wit' the Mayors secretary; apparently, she's a relative of 'er Pa. Ah met her when ah went ta the Corner, when she was workin' the counter. Now, what do ya mean she's 'Off'", Applejack asked.

Anton bit his tongue, trying to word this. He had his suspicions, but nothing that he could convince her about. Besides, these Xenos were social creatures, and they wouldn't be willing to throw their own under a Taurox. Even if she was a servant of the Great Enemy, then he couldn't... He didn't know. And it terrified him to no end.

"She's just creepy", Anton said, sucking in a breath. "Ok?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry; ya ain't alone. She's gotten quite a few weird looks when she started comin' here. Just... give 'er a chance."

Anton looked over at Pinkie, eyes narrowed slightly. She was idly staring off into space, tapping her hooves against the floor. He nodded slightly, saying, "Alright." That didn't mean he had to like her, or even not hate her. If she was indeed Servant of the Enemy, then he needed to keep an eye on this one so as to prevent harm from coming to oth-To cleanse this stain upon the Emperor's name.

18~Situation Analysis

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"Y-yer goin' back?", Applejack asked.

Anton nodded, rolling a bit of the "Apple Sauce" over in his spoon as he did so. He and the members of the apple family had gathered around the table for yet another breakfast. Since the Xenos had been rather polite to him, using this mealtime as a means of giving him any instructions or noteworthy data points, he figured that... he at least owed them that small bit of kindness to make his intention to leave at the same time. He was sick to his stomach when he talked about it to himself last night, but he figured that it'd avoid any issues later on.

"Yes", Anton said. "I'm fine; your doctor said that himself a few days ago. With the winter cycle winding down, I shouldn't be at any risk of freezing again. It's not like I'm going to stay in that room."

"Ya could", Big Mac said.

Applejack said, "Yeah! Ya could help us wit' the harvest and around the farm! Ah mean, ya helped us, and we'd be returnin' the favor."

Anton blinked, not really knowing what to say. This... Xenos was being legitimate. That she wanted him to stay. ...What was her angle?

Before he could open his mouth to respond, Bright Mac did so for him. "Applejack. Ah know you like him, and he has been a help to us. However, he can make his own decisions. Ah don't rightly agree wit' what Aquila wants ta do, but... As an older colt, he can make that choice."

"Besides, you've returned my... K-kindn-ness", Anton said, biting back bile as he said it. "My life for that of your fathers. No, it's fine. Even if I were to remain here, I would need to recover my equipment first."

"Oh", Applejack said.

Granny Smith looked up from feeding rations to Apple Bloom to say, "She is right 'bout you comin' ta help us, though. Yer welcome ta any time. We could always use another pair 'a legs come Apple Buckin' season, and ya could always make yerself useful in tha' meantime."

Bright Mac nodded. "If yer fine wit' it a'course. We could even pay ya, if ya want."

Anton finished polishing off his apple sauce, before standing. "I'll consider it. I should be going; I wouldn't want to interrupt anything with you. T-th-th... Tha-nk you."

+++++~+++++

Anton trudged through the snow, the cold embrace of it doing little to slow the steady tread of an Imperial Guardsman. The trees were covered with snow just as much as the ground, and he did occasionally have to brush some fallen snow off of him, though this only temporarily slowed his stride. Fortunately, he was covered with a cloak that Granny Smith had made for him, and kept warm by the covered plate of Apple Fritters held under him by one of his mutated legs and his belt.

He slowed his stride somewhat, thinking about what that meant. Thankful for the gifts of Xenos; the Commissar would've shot him on the spot. He'd deserve nothing less, too. Almost as soon as he was out of sight of the Apple family farm he ran headlong into a tree. This time, he was thankful for the weather on this Xenos world, as the snow clinging to parts of the truck prevented his damnable horn from penetrating too deep into the wood.

With that thought in his head, he wondered where exactly he was. Veyland Sinstre, where he knew he was last, was located near Elysia, in the Segmentum Solar. Whatever foul magics that the Heretics within House Lysimicus must've cast clearly sent him somewhere else. Where though? It couldn't have been too far, as he couldn't've entered the warp without being consumed by the horrors of the Dark Gods. So, if that was the case, how did these Xenos still live, having not been found by an Imperial fleet?

His mind was drawn away by one of his marks on the tree drew his attention. He stepped off the path, following the slashes in the bark of the trees, slipping around deeper sections in the snow and the occasional rocks poking out of the snow. Finally, he made his way to the bank of the river. Or, rather, the length of ice that ran over the river.

He grumbled, staring at the ice as if it were a servant of the Dark Gods. He hadn't ever interacted with proper ice on Elysia, but in his brief time with the substance before his bout with Hypothermia, he had come to despise it. However, he had his own secret weapon against it.

He made his way along the bank until he could no longer see the clearing his bunker was connected to. He finally found his destination; a cluster of small boulders that formed a waterfall when the river wasn't frozen. He drew his sword, using the back of the blade to scrape the layer of frost off of the rocks. He put it back in its scabbard, climbing up onto the nearest one and hopping from one rock to another. He reached the other side, before following it back to the clearing and making his way up to the half-buried barricade.

He yanked it out of the deep snow, resting it partially on the snow to prevent it from sinking back into the bank. He trudged up the hill, the same collection of rocks and small bumps in the hill throwing him off balance. Finally, he reached the mostly filled-in trench, which was only identifiable by the few inches of wooden slots sticking up out of the snow. His scowl only deepened when he saw the state of his bunker.

At first glance, it appeared to be more-or-less intact. Sure, snow coated every surface of the exterior and a decent amount was built up on the roof, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been. That worst-case scenario was realized when he came around to the entrance, where it was revealed that a part of the roof had caved in. While it wasn't as thickly packed as the snow outside, everything inside was still coated in a fine layer of the white substance.

He rubbed his head, before smiling. "Thank you, my Emperor. I accept your tribulations and your testing of my faith. Though I have strayed from your light, I will strive to return to it. May you watch over all faithful servants, and may your enemies die so that humanity may accept its rightful place among the Stars." He continued to smile as he entered the bunker, tearing the sleeping bag and packs of supplies from the snow. He was certain that other items remained buried, but he would have to return to them when he cleared it out.

He walked over to the cave, stepping over the half-buried fur tarp. He re-hung the section that had fallen off, before stepping inside with an activated Lamp Pack. The snow cut off quickly as he went deeper inside, it not even reaching the scattered, rust-eaten bits of metal that had broken off the Valkerie.

He rolled out the sleeping bag and pulled a few of the supplies out of the pack, also laying them out to dry. He went back to the cave mouth, grabbing several logs from the pile he had put just inside the mouth of the cave. He carried them back to a small dip in the cave floor, laying them out and putting some tinder on them. Soon, he had a roaring fire, and lay down on the sleeping bag. He didn't sleep; he simply laid there, staring up at the lights flickering off of the ceiling of the cave, contemplating his next move.

19~A helping han-Er, Hoof

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Anton tossed another shovelful of snow down the hill, scowling as he did so. This accursed substance was still up to nearly his neck in the trench, and he had barely made a dent in it. Still, he had to get this all cleared out, lest it melt in the sun, as his limited knowledge of snow told him it did. He shoved the shovel back into the white mass, sliding the end of the handle back towards him and grabbing another shovelful.

As he tossed it down the hill, he was something beyond the white of the snow and the grey of the rocks. It was a dark brown, with hints of orange and a light yellow. He realize what, or rather, who it was within seconds, and scowled beneath the cloth covering over his face. He lowered it, yelling down, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah just want'ed ta check on ya!", she yelled up, wading through the snow as if it were a rushing stream of water. "See how ya were doin'!"

"Well, I'm fine, and-No no, wait!", he called down.

His warning fell too late, and she stumbled, falling face-first into the snow. She laid there for a few seconds, before pulling herself back up. Snow caked in her fur and clothes, while her previously unseen expression was now obviously a scowl. Anton, meanwhile, while he kept his face as calm as he could, was internally chuckling at even the minor plight that the Xeno endured.

"Small dip there", he said. "They're all around the hill. Just can't really see them because of all the snow."

"Yeah", she said, her voice strained. "Ah noticed."

Anton nodded, turning back to the trench and grabbing another shovelful of snow. "As I was saying, I'm fine. Just clearing this all out."

"This sure is a lotta snow", Applejack said, tromping up the snow, coming to a stop next to him.

Anton tossed the snow down the hill, exploding like an impact grenade on the surface. "Well I was at your quarters all winter. The lack of upkeep is to be expected."

"Need any help?", she asked.

He turned, looking at her. "Really?"

"Sure", she said. "Ah ain't got nothin' ta do fer today, and Pa said it's always nice to help out a friend."

Anton swallowed, a small amount of sweat pooling under his field cap despite the cold. "Uh... Sure. Here", he said, sticking the shovel in the snow in front of her. "I'll go get another one."

He hopped over the trench, stepping down into the mostly cleaned-out smaller trench around the bunker entrance. He headed inside, pushing aside a few other bits of equipment and the spare lasguns, grabbing the extra entrenching tool. He unfolded the spade, before taking off his hat and clearing the sweat off with an extra undershirt.

A friend... That's what she'd called him. A friend. What was worse, he could almost see it. She'd been willing and able to help him, and his most consistent form of "Entertainment" while he was restricted to the Apple family's property was talking. That was with all of them save the infant at one point or another, but the one he generally talked to was Applejack. The thought made him sick to his stomach, but he hid his concerns and headed back out.

Applejack had scooped a few shovelfuls out of the side of the trench, tossing them off to the side rather than down the hill. "Dang... How deep is this?"

"As tall as I am. I don't know how tall that is, but it needs to prevent me from being hit while inside. There's a small step so I can attack over it, but I think the step might've broken under all the snow", Anton said, getting back in front of the bunker and resuming his clearing of the snow.

Applejack ceased her own work, looking up at him. "D-dang." She looked around the small hill, from the covered cave to the bunker to the barricade and the ravine entrance. "Well, ah mean, ya had help, right?"

"No", Anton said, sending another barrage of snow down the hill.

Applejack sputtered, "What!?"

"I did all of this myself", Anton said, scooping up more snow.

Applejack looked at him, eyes wide and... What was that? Her face was slightly red, just barely visible among her fur. Maybe she was cold? Finally, she scooped up more snow, though kept her eyes on him. "How? Ah mean, where'd ya get the rocks an' all that?"

"There's a ruin, a few miles from here", Anton said. "I salvaged the rock from there. The wood I got from the trees, obviously. They're not the best, especially given the structure, but it works. The fur comes from the animals, obviously. And the rest is just a shovel and a long day."

Applejack gave a low whistle. "Well ah'll be an Icecube in summer. Y'all are a real workhorse."

Anton grunted, more focused on his shovel. It got stuck in something, forcing him to yank a few times. "Almost", he muttered to himself, before the force keeping whatever it was in place gave way.

Anton tumbled back, falling into the snow. He groaned, climbing back to his damned hooves and examining his entrenching tool. True to his suspicions, a soggy chunk of wood was stuck in the tip of the shovel, which after several tugs with his aura, came free. He tossed it into the snow as well, before saying, "Don't worry about damaging the step. Probably need to replace most of the damn thing anyway."

"Right", Applejack said, clearing out another section and starting to find the wooden planks that lined the floor. "So, uh... What do you do out here? Ah mean, 'sides keepin' this place in check an' gettin' food."

"Not much, honestly", Anton said. "Most of my day is spent on upkeep. Not just on the structure, though that's a time spender too. Cleaning my clothes, equipment upkeep, prayer-"

"Prayin'?", Applejack asked. "How's that upkeep?"

Anton snorted, though kept some of his more scathing comments to himself. "The body, mind, and soul need prayer like... Like a knife needs sharpening."

"Ah... Guess?", Applejack said. "Ah'm sorry, it's just... Ah've done a little bit of lookin' at the town library, an' ah couldn't find anythin' about this 'Emperor' ya kept speakin' of."

Anton shrugged. "I suppose that The Emperor wouldn't be that well known here."

"What? This 'Emperor' from another country?", Applejack asked.

Anton raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what that word meant, but he shrugged it off. "I guess you could say that, yeah."

The two of them continued to talk for several hours, going back and forth relating to various topics. From Applejacks family members, to the town just beyond the Apple Families property, apparently called Ponyville. From a few tales of life in the so-called Everfree Forest to some of the stories of the Emperor that he felt comfortable sharing. Finally, as the sun began to shift down the sky, and the trench was almost half-cleared, Applejack had to leave. She said goodbye, waving as she trotted down the hill. Anton did the same, before walking back to his bunker. That night, he gave a tribute of blood to the Emperor for his sins...

20~Considerations

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Anton brought the heavy board over his head, laying it over the ground next to the others. It hit the ground with a heavy squelch, sending spurts of mud flying up on either side. He pressed a hoof against the boards, pressing down on them to ensure they would hold.

He let himself smile a little, before sliding the wooden barricade into place and heading down the hill. He grabbed shuddered slightly as the cool grass and soft ground rubbed against all four of his exposed... hooves. He finally reached the river, following it for a bit to reach a cluster of rocks. One on the shore had his lasgun leaning against it, while a small cluster just inside the river held his boots and jumpsuit.

"Well, at least this happened now, and not when I get home with rocks or meat or something", Anton muttered, lifting the small rocks off of the jumpsuit and examining the jumpsuit. Obviously, it was soaking wet, water dripping off of the stiff cloth like drops of rain. Or, more fittingly, like snow. However, the mud that caked the back of it had been more or less washed off, and he so he laid it out across a relatively dry section of grass. He picked up his boots, running them through a small section of faster-moving current. Soon, they too were free of mud and, unlike the jumpsuit, dry on the inside.

As he slid them back on, he heard a faint splash. Looking up, he scanned the water, looking for something that could've made the noise. The almost mirror-like finish of the flowing river made looking beneath the surface somewhat difficult, though he swear he could see something moving. He grabbed his lasgun, bringing the sight up to his eye and scanning the river.

As he watched, he heard, "Hey, Aquila! Ah'm back!"

Looking up from the lasgun, he saw Applejack come out of the trees. Unlike her last visit about ten days ago, she had eschewed her coat and scarf, wearing nothing save for a few hair ties. She had a long wooden pole balanced on her back, with two buckets slung over a part of it that appeared to have logs sticking out of them.

Anton lowered the lasgun, resting it on his lap. "Eh... Hello? What is that?"

Before Applejack could reply, he saw another form rustling in the branches and bushes behind her. Emerging from the woods was Applejack's brother; Big Macintosh, if he recalled correctly. "Extra firewood. Turns out Granny ordered too much, and AJ here said ya needed some wood fer a new... Firing step? That what ya call it?"

Anton thought back to that interaction, before shaking his head. "I already got it fixed. The wood around here isn't the best shape, but it's plenty sturdy."

"Oh, uh... Right", Applejack said.

Anton looked at the logs, before shrugging. "Not to say I won't be able to use it for something. Hell, I might just use them as firewood anyway."

Applejack nodded, entering into the river. She waded through the water, which reached up to her chest, causing the buckets balanced on her back to partially float upwards in the current. She suddenly stumbled forward, water filling one of the buckets and making the logs start to float out of them.

Anton threw his lasgun down, running over and grabbing the buckets in his aura. He floated them out of the water, setting them down next to him, before sitting down himself with a slight groan.

Applejack came out of the water, shaking herself and sending water spraying everywhere. "Sorry. Think ah tripped on somethin'."

"What are you sorry for?", Anton asked.

Applejack shrugged. "Sorry. Guess ah'm just... outta it, ah guess."

"Remind me wah ya needed me fer this? This ain't that much.", Big Mac asked, stepping out of the river with an easy stride. Judging from the stains on his own fur, the water barely reached up to the spot his legs met his torso.

"Because ah wanted ta do somethin' nice fer Aquila here, and Pa said ah can't go out here since everythin's wakin' back up", Applejack said. "'Sides, what else were ya gonna do today?"

Anton cocked his head, a lump forming in his throat. A sudden line of thought came to him, the spark coming from stories that one of his neighbors told him. The neighbor, Zariel, was an old veteran of the Drop Troopers, and he talked about a campaign he had taken part in on a world occupied by some Xenos species called the Tau. Apparently, they twisted humans to their will, using trinkets, gifts, and shows of strange power to sway the pure away from the light of the Emperor. Zariel had described them as being blue-skinned and with a slit running down their faces, and made no mention of subspecies. They probably weren't these Tau, but perhaps they were employing similar tactics.

"Why are you being so... kind?", Anton asked, barely able to choke out that last word as both of them diverted their attention to him. "This is, by my count at least, the sixth time you've come out here to give me gifts, not to mention the allowing me to rest at your domicile. So, why?"

"Ya saved Me an' Pa", Applejack said, lowering her head slightly. "An ya tried ta help Ma. It... It's the least we ah could do?"

"So it's about gratitude?", Anton questioned.

Mac said, "Eeyup." When they both looked at him, he shrugged. "Wha? Ya talk 'bout him sometimes, sis. Whenever ya do this, or try ta convince Pa ta let ya do this, yer always bringin' up payin' him back."

"Yeah", Applejack agreed. "Ah mean, ya saved me, not to mention Pa. Ah... ah just can't really think 'a how ah can pay ya pack fer it."

"Awww....", a voice said, causing all three of them to freeze.

Turning around, they saw something sticking out of the water. It was long and thin, covered in scales in two shades of purple. Weirdly enough, its wrinkled, dog-like snout bore a large, twisting mustache, while a weird style of hair he imagined some of the Parliat Representatives wore was on his head. Two small hands were clasped together, and it was looking at them with what Anton assumed to be some sort of grimace.

In an instant, his lasgun was in his magic, the sight realigned with his eye. As Applejack and Big Mac jumped back and scrambled away in surprise, Anton raised the lasgun and took a shot. However, in his haste, the shot went high, tearing a hole in the beast's hair.

It froze in turn, reaching up and bringing a hand to the hole. It began to shudder, and somehow turned pale. It looked back down at Anton, who lowered the lasgun, aiming for its head. In an instant, it ducked under the water, a stream of bubbles flying down the water.

Anton's lasgun followed it, bolts of red light firing after it. It dipped below the surface before the first one hit him, while the barrage pursuing him generally seemed to miss. He walked along the bank, firing more shots until the dark shape of its body seemed to disappear upstream.

"Great, now I have something else to worry about", Anton muttered, slinging the weapon over his back. He turned around, looking at the other two. "Uh... Sorry. Just, uh... Just help me get the wood up. I still have some of that cider you gave me. We'll share a drink."

21~Farmwork

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Anton emerged from the perimeter of the woods, sliding the field cap onto his head. The brim was pushed up with by his horn, offering little protection from the rays of the sun. He growled, shifting it around slightly, before finally managing to get it in a position where it wouldn't be forced up by the horn. Sighing, he trudged down the road towards the farm.

He felt the sun beating down on him, even as early in the morning as it was. He shifted his back, the webbing tugging down hard in certain areas of his jumpsuit. He had removed most of the ammunition packages and other things, only keeping the canteen and entrenching tool straps, as well as his laspistol and power sword holsters.

He entered the gate and walked down the path to the small compound. As he did so, he saw Bright Macintosh and his children, standing outside of the melta-bomb red storage facility. Perhaps he simply hadn't noticed it before, but he could now see a brace mounted on Bright Mac's leg. It was mostly made out of what appeared to be a kind of thick canvas, with a few metal plates and bars strapped around the joint. Above the leg, the fur had mostly grown back from that time, with a few strands of red contrasting against the yellow fur.

"Ah, Aquila!", Bright Mac said. "Glad ya could make it."

"Morning", Anton said, coming to a stop next to Applejack. He clicked his rear hooves together, drawing all eyes to him. He looked at Big Mac and Applejack, keeping his head aligned with Bright Mac.

"Uh... Right. Good morning to you too", Bright Mac said, his children echoing his greeting.

"So, what exactly are we doing?", Anton said, biting back the urge to add 'sir' to the question. A frie-Someone who wasn't hostile though he may have been, no Xenos was to receive such an honorific.

"Well, ah'm still a bit lame", Bright Mac said, lifting up and shaking his damaged leg. "But I'm in good enough condition to take care of some of the simpler stuff. Big Mac's gonna be workin' the plow in the lettuce and cucumber patches. You and Applejack can clear out dead branches from the trees in the west field."

"Alright!", Applejack said. "Come on, Aquila. Let's get started."

Applejack ran off, while the two males chuckled. "Heh heh heh. Ah remember when ah was that eager ta help out", Bright Mac said, he grabbed a bundle of large buckets, passing it to Anton by the handle. "Take this. The smaller branches will either be blown away, break down on their own, or be used by critters for nests or somethin' like that. Take the biggest ones; we'll sell 'um ta Burnt Oak or burn 'um ta make fertilizer."

Anton took them from the taller male, nodding. He looked past the trees, where the orange shape of Applejack quickly disappeared through the cluster of brown and emerging green. He sighed, then took off in a dead sprint after her.

+++++~+++++

He caught up with her as she slowed down at a small section of fence, which Anton couldn't help but take a look at. It was short, only just up to his accursed neck, and wasn't even solid. There were massive gaps in it, made up of only a lattice of painted material as opposed to the solid mass of a proper barricade. He gave it a push, and found that it wasn't even rockcrete or something like it; it was made of wood!

"Somethin' wrong?", Applejack asked.

Anton turned to her, saying, "No. I mean, maybe? Do you mind telling me why this barricade is so... flimsily constructed. I think I could push this over myself."

"It's not a barricade", Applejack said. "It's just a dividin' fence. Helps us keep track 'a the various fields and keep some of the animals out of the crops."

"This isn't going to offer any protection in that regard", Anton said, pushing it back and forth in its place in the ground. "Again, it offers no secure firing position. It's almost pitifully constructed. It doesn't even have any kind of camouflage."

"That's... kinda the point. Ah think?", Applejack said. "Look, we ain't workin' on the fence taday. We're clearin' out branches. Ah see pa gave ya those buckets."

"Right", Anton said, placing the buckets down. Applejack grabbed one of them, setting it down next to the base of a tree. Anton did the same, taking it over to another one of the trees. He looked up, spotting a few withered and bare branches among the others that were packed to the brim with green leaves. He looked at them, ready to ask Applejack how they were supposed to get the branches down, before a loud thud and crashing noise flared up behind him.

He whipped around, his laspistol yanking free of its holster. He leveled it at the noise, the magic closing around the trigger and depressing the trigger. A loud shriek came out as the bolt slammed into the tree, sending splinters flying out and the wood blackening. He looked up, raising the barrel up as he looked.

Applejack had jumped out of the way, laying as close to the ground as she could. She had her hooves clasped over her ears, trembling with her eyes clamped shut. Looking up, he looked at the smoking hole bored into the tree. The wood was blackened around it, with the hole bored through it almost completely. Anton flicked the safety back on, putting it back and walking over to her.

He held out a hoof to her, sighing. "Sorry. I was... startled, I guess." She opened her eyes, looking up at the outstretched hoof. She took it, somehow gripping it and helping herself back up. The two looked at one another for a few seconds, the silence settling as if it were after a firefight, putting Anton on edge. "I... Uh, I-"

"D-don't worry about it", Applejack said. "It... uh..."

"I panicked", Anton said, unconsciously pawing the ground. "I guess... I didn't expect you to... What did you do, exactly?"

"Ah bucked the tree", Applejack said, gesturing to the branches scattered around the base of the tree. "It's how we do things here. Wh-what did ya expect?"

"I don't know", Anton said, pulling his sword partway out of the scabbard. "Something like this? Trim them down?"

"Well, uh...", Applejack said. "Look, let's just move on. Ya can use that, ah'll buck. Try not ta blow mah head off again, ya hear?"

"Right", Anton said.

The two slowly moved to other trees, moving on. The same silence reigned over them as they continued to work, wood splintering and being cut down as they filled the buckets. Several times, they filled them up completely, before taking them back to the barn and dumping them in a bigger bin. By the time the sun was at its apex, the two had done at least two hundred and fifty trees, before limping back with full buckets.

"Y'all did pretty good", Bright Mac said, smiling as they dumped the buckets into the bin. "Come on. Yer granny made Grilled Cheese."

"Grilled... cheese?", Anton asked, drawing a laugh.

Big Mac said, "Ya'll like it. Come on."

The two native males walked ahead, leaving him and Applejack to finish emptying the buckets of branches. "Look, about the shot", Anton said, trying to find the right words.

"Ah won't say 'water under the bridge'. But it's fine", Applejack said. "Now, come on. Ah'll educate you on the art of the grilled cheese."

"How do you grill cheese? Doesn't it melt?", Anton asked, following after her towards the house.

22~Other Acquaintances

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Anton sighed, studying the small patch of flowers, just outside of the Everfree Forest. Most of them were a dark blue and yellow, but a few were also red, white, and various shades of purple. He yawned and stretched an arm, before tearing a few up from the ground and stuffing them in a bag he had "borrowed" from the Apples. Tieing off the end and slinging it over his back through the webbing, he slumped home, lowering his helmet visor as he entered the growing darkness of the wood.

He had been growing a bit more tired and sore the past few weeks, after he started working closer with the Apples on their farm. Granted, he was used to the feelings; blood saves sweat, after all, and any discomfort he felt was part of a small tribute to the Emperor towards his recompense. He choked it up to being in the sun more, as well as the more movement generally. So, with him feeling sore again, and a general desire for something familiar, he had been working to try and come up with something he had enjoyed before: Recaf.

Returning to the barricade, he pulled out a few hollowed-out logs from behind a bush and checked inside. He smiled slightly as he saw that a few of the plants were gone. They were likely eaten, meaning that they were more than likely safe to eat. He pulled out a few flowers from the bag, putting in a few of the new plants he had gotten. He put them back behind the bush, and headed up to the canyon.

As he entered the bunker, he went over to the small rack that he had also "borrowed" from the Apples. He took out some of the ones that he judged to be at least somewhat safe. He put the new ones on the rack, before taking some of the leaves out from the older ones he had collected.

He tossed the leaves into one of the mess kits he had, grabbing a rounded river stone he had grabbed. He began to grind the leaves with the rock, the leaves tearing and ripping as they were crushed under the stone. At the same time, he used his horn to light a small fire on a makeshift stove, a "borrowed" pot full of water on top of it.

Finally, he poured some of the hot water into the mess kit. The water began to turn a weird, almost sickly brown, steaming up in the cooling air of the early evening. He used a spoon to pull the leaves out; a process that took about ten, somewhat painful minutes. Finally, as the steaming mess kit was free of leaves, he picked it up with his magic, taking a tentative sip...

... Before instantly spitting it out. It tasted horrible, reminding Anton of a mix of tread grease and burnt grox fat. He shuddered at the memory of why he knew what that tasted like, before heading outside and tossing the liquid onto the grass. He tossed the mess kit into the still partially boiling water, before heading over to the recessed sleeping hole. He was tired and sore, and simply wasn't hungry enough to do anything but pull out a corpse starch bar and chew on it as he began to drift into sleep.

+++++~+++++

He awoke feeling just as sore and tired as he had when he went to bed. He threw the top part of the sleep bag off and climbed out of the hole, stumbling over to the pot of water. He pulled the mess kit out, tossing it aside in order to dry, slumping down and looking at the now flat surface of the water.

His eyes widened and jaw dropped as he looked at his face. Or, rather, what was growing out of his face: A good half-dozen small bony spikes, growing out from around his cheeks and jaw, sticking out at random angles. He brought one of his hooves up, tapping the spike. It was real.

In that instant, he ran for one of the lasguns. Not only was he twisted and removed from his original, pure form, but now he was a Mutant! Even if he was already one, he was only further shoved down the path of damnation. He grabbed the laspistol from his holster, fumbling with it in his hooves. His head finally cleared enough from his righteous panic, allowing him to grip it in his magic. He flicked off the safety, bringing it to his head and muttering an apology to the Emperor.

"Wait! You don't need to go that far", a voice said, drawing his attention. Standing in the door of the bunker stood a strange-looking "Pony". It appeared to be female, with a strange striped pattern of her fur in black and white. Golden jewelry hung around her neck and legs, while a stitched leather pack hung on her back as opposed to the canvas or fabric ones that he or the Apples had. "I have a way of getting them off without leaving a scar."

"What?", Anton said, keeping the pistol leveled at his head. "The frak are you babbling about? I'm a mutant freak, and death is the only way to-"

"Stop!", the female said, pulling a small wooden bottle out of her bag. "A mutation? Nay! This can revert you back to your old way." She offered it to him, eyes wide in panic.

Anton stared at the bottle, shifting his eyes up to the strange mare. He slowly brought the pistol down, having it fall to the ground with a clatter. He grabbed it in his magic, looking up at her. "Do I... drink it?", he asked, wary of poisoning.

She shook her head. "No, it is not something you imbibe. I know a spot, where you can pour it in and soak inside."

He nodded, grabbing the pistol again. He followed her, the pistol kept leveled at her. She noticed, but seemed to brush it off. "I apologize, my new neighbor. I should have warned you about those blue arbors."

"What are you...?", Anton said, stumbling after her.

"Those blue flowers, they are called Poison Joke", the female said. "As you can tell, their effect is no joke."

Anton nodded, making a note to return to that patch of blue flowers later. With his respirator and full gear. And the meltagun.

Finally, the two of them arrived at the place she was leading them to; a small pool in the river. She grabbed a log, laying it over the entrance of the pool, before gesturing to him. He nodded, taking off his undershirt and pants while keeping the pistol leveled at her. When he had stripped, he opened the bottle and poured the dark green liquid in. He stepped in, keeping the laspistol pointed at her.

The female asked, "Must you keep pointing that at me? I am trying to help you; there is no need to be mean."

"Trust is earned, not given", Anton quoted, shivering in the cool, flowing water.

The two kept themselves in that awkward position, though Zecora would sit down and appear to enter into a prayer of sorts. She didn't make any facsimile of the Aquila, not grasp any icon, but it was the closest he could compare it to. In time, he felt something odd; and by the same token, normal. He stood, looking at a flat section of the pool, seeing that his mutation... had vanished.

"A miracle", Anton muttered, looking at the female. She was still praying, and he realized that she wasn't merely an Apothecary. She was some form of healer; an Eclisarch, or at least something able to counteract the encroachment of the Ruinous Powers. She was obviously no sorcerer; he had kept his eyes on her the whole time, and seen no sign of warp manipulation. Did... she have some connection to the Emperor?

As soon as the thought occurred, he brushed it aside with a snarl. He was in need of guidance, certainly, but she was a Xeno, same as all the others. She couldn't have a connection to the Emperor; none of them could. Brushing the reminder aside, he reasoned that she had some other form of spiritual power. He wasn't one to question it, finally lowering his pistol as he stood. "I... Thank you. I-I'm sorry if we didn't start out right. Who are you?"

The female looked up from her prayer, eyes opening and giving him a warm smile. "Zecora is my name. The brewing of potions, tonics, and brews is my game."

23~Ponyville

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Anton grunted, using his aura to shove the final crate full of various apple products up onto the cart. He leaned against the wooden vehicle, taking deep breaths. "Remind me why you need me to come with you? Wouldn't it be more efficient if I stayed here and worked through whatever backlog there is?", he asked Big Mac, who was hitching himself up to the harness at the front.

The two of them stood outside the barn, the hot sun blazing down on them as they had spent the past half hour putting the mix of Apple Butter, Apple Preservatives, Apple Chips, Apple Juice, and various other items into big crates and loading them onto to cart. Anton stepped back from the cart, looking over the wooden box on wheels. It didn't even have metal wheels and tires; the whole thing, save for some strengthening bars and nails, was entirely made of wood. He shouldn't have been surprised that so primitive a species relied on it, and by proxy, their own strength, to move something.

"Because Granny's lookin' after Apple Bloom, AJ's handlin' the small chores we still got at the moment, and pa's gettin' some rest", Big Mac said. "Pa always said if it wasn't him or... or Ma, then there had ta be at least two of us at the stall in town. AJ can handle the small stuff; we're actually in good shape, all thing's considered."

"Why?"

"Why what?", Big Mac asked, finishing with the straps.

"Why do there have to be two of us?", Anton asked, adjusting his field cap to better block out the sun. "From what Applejack described, Ponyville doesn't exactly sound dangerous. Two of us seems a bit-"

"It's more ah just wanna lean on the safe side", Bright Mac said, leaning on one of the pillars on the porch. "Ah know Ponyville is plenty safe but sometimes Timberwolves or other critters stray out around the outskirts, especially around here, and... Well, color me paranoid."

"'A suspicious mind is a healthy mind'. Understandable", Anton said. "Rest assured, we'll be fine."

"Ah know, ah know", Bright Mac said, watching the two of them walking down the hard dirt path out of the property and towards the town in the distance.

++++~+++++

The first thing that struck Anton when the two of them entered the town was how... small it was.

He didn't really know what to expect, really. It appeared to be rather small, even from the fields, but walking down the primitive cobbled streets, it really hit home.

The buildings that lined either side of the road the two were following were all both small and flimsy looking. His best guess is that they were only two stories and made of what appeared to be wood and straw. A far cry from the rockcrete apartment where he had grown up. It struck him as being a poor decision; not only was it an inefficient use of space, it also didn't look that durable.

More oddities struck him as the two continued their march to the market area. From wide and strange-looking Glow-globes to large the strange buildings they occasionally passed. That is what really drew his eye; from what looked like a hollowed-out tree to something that reminded him of the contents of a dumpster at his training camp piled on top of a building.

Finally, after a while, they arrived at the "market". Though he was expecting a large building with rockcrete cut-outs for the vendors, he shouldn't have been surprised by the simple wooden and canvas stalls. They were arranged in a loose square around a big square, with what he assumed to be an administration building on the far side. Big Mac stopped at a stall with a red-and-green canvas roof, which had a small wooden sign on the front, apparently indicating ownership.

"Start unloading the product", Big Mac said, working with the straps to free himself. "Ah'll get mahself unhitched and go check us in."

Anton nodded, grabbing one of the crates and dragging it off the back of the cart. It banged against the lip of the cart with a slight thud, though nothing appeared to have broken. Lifting it up and moving it with a mix of his aura and his shoulder, he brought the first one into a pre-made slot for the baskets.

"Excuse me?", a voice behind him said.

Anton turned and was greeted by two of the locals; well, likely locals, anyway. Both were females, though of different heights and completely different appearances. One was a "unicorn" like himself, with green and white coloration and some sort of instrument for a "cutie mark". The other was an "earth pony", with cream fur and a strange two-toned mane. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah", the earth pony said. "I mean, not really. We've just never seen you in town before, and were wondering who you were."

"Yeah", the other one said. "I'm surprised we've never met you. Pinkie's only been here for a few months, but she usually throws everyone new a "Hi, welcome to Ponyville" party."

"I've been here longer", Anton said, heading back to the cart and grabbing another crate. "Just haven't gone into town much. Name's Aquila."

"I'm Lyra", the unicorn said. "This is Bon Bon, my uh... Landlord? Roommate? What was the term we settled on again?."

"Roommate", Bon Bon said, her eyes trailing over him to the sword and pistol on his belt. "What's with the... uh, the weapons?"

Anton took off another crate, carrying it over to the slot. "I live in that forest on the edge of town. Everfree or something? It's not-"

"You live in the Everfree!?", Lyra yelled, drawing all eyes to the small group. Or, more specifically, to him.

+++++~+++++

"Ah've been gone fer five minutes", Big Mac stated, looking between Anton and the now empty square. "What happened?"

"Lyra overreacted", Bon Bon, the only one left, said. "Then everypony else overreacted."

"Is that normal?", Anton asked.

Bon Bon shrugged. "I guess? Town panics kinda easily. Heh, you should've been around for the Duct Tape fiasco."

"The what?", Anton asked, plopping the last basket of apples down by the stall.

"Let's just say there's a reason we have a flight limit fer Pegasi in town", Big Mac said. "Well, uh..."

"I get it", Anton said. "I'll, uh... I wait on the edge of town. I doubt you'd get much business done with me around, considering the reaction. About how long should this take?"

"Round-abouts five hours", Big Mac replied.

Anton muttered to himself, but nodded. "Alright. That big tree with the bent trunk; you know what I mean?"

"Eeyup", Big Mac said.

Anton said, "I'll see you later."

As Anton walked off, Bon Bon followed him with her eyes. "Hey, uh, I was just coming with Lyra. I don't need Apples. I'll see you later, yeah?" Big Mac nodded, getting behind the stall, while Bon Bon walked off in the same direction as Anton.

24~Home Guard

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"Hey, Aquila? Ya got a minute", Granny Smith called to him.

Anton turned around, adjusting the small sack of supplies on his shoulder. "I-Sure. Is there something you need?"

The older mare came to a stop in front of him, developing a sudden interest in his hooves. The setting sun washed against her back, making her white hair almost glow. "Uh, yeah. Ah need ta ask ya a favor."

Anton set the sack on the ground, the cans and small utilities within rattling as it hit the hardened dirt. "Of course. After what you've done for me, It seems fair", he said, silently cursing himself for his weakness.

"Well, it's been almost a year since... Well, ya know..." Anton winced. He did remember; how could he forget? "Yeah. Anyhow, mah son-Eh, Bright Mac-he's been feelin' a bit down lately. Frankly, a bit's a bit of a stretch. What ah'm sayin' is-"

"Do you need me to talk to him?", Anton asked. He had already given more comfort to them than he was wanting to; frankly, any more of that kind of action to the Xenos might push him over an edge.

"Oh, heavens no", Granny Smith answered. "It's a sore subject, and... Well, not to be rude, but ya don't seem the sentimental type."

"Right", Anton replied. "So, what then...?"

"Ah've arranged fer us ta take a little trip", Granny Smith said, holding up a small photo. She handed it to Anton, who took it in his magic and examined the brightly colored picture. "Not long; just a few days to relax. Ah just want ya to look after the place in that time."

"Anything I should be aware of while doing so?", Anton asked, offering the photo back to her.

Granny Smith took it with a chuckle. "Just don't be throwin' any parties and don't drink all the alcohol, and we'll be fine. It's mostly just checkin' in every now and again; make sure nothin' serious happens like a break-in or anything. Yer welcome ta have any of the stuff still inside the icebox; plannin' on goin' shoppin' when we get back."

"Alright", Anton said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, after AJ gets outta school. Be back round 'bouts Tuesday", she said. "Ah appreciate it."

+++++~+++++

Anton walked onto the property, lazily shifting his lasgun around in his telekinetic grip. Since he wasn't really working with the Apples not being there, he hadn't bothered to eschew his full kit. He had finally grown a bit tired from the shifting of the lasgun, slinging it over his shoulder where it hit his backplate with a slight thunk. He yanked out his canteen, looking over the central lot of the main compound.

It couldn't have been less defensible if Orks had designed it. The white fence that surrounded it, the only apparent means of bordering between it and the open fields, was made of wood and, worse, was open, meaning it offered no real cover. The buildings, while tall, weren't that sturdily constructed, again being made from wood. They had few firing positions, only a few windows on the house and a small hole in the wall on the barn. He had been through this place a hundred times, but it had never really struck him how poorly designed it was.

Still, he had assured them he'd try and look after the property while they were away. And he had a feeling that, while they might be better off for it, they wouldn't appreciate him digging trenches around the perimeter or building a palisade. They were concerned enough to enlist his assistance as a guard, but not enough to install such basic security measures for a residence.

"'A broad mind lacks focus'", Anton said, lowering his helmets Photovisor. "Let's just do a sweep; it's still early. I can come back later."

The lens on the interior of the visor flickered, giving him an unobstructed view of the compound the fields beyond it. A few seconds passed, and the visor lightened up the still somewhat dark environment, allowing him to see unobstructed by the darkness all the way to the woods. He unslung his lasgun, wrapped the strap around his neck, and began his patrol.

His first stop was the barn, removing the wooden block that acted to keep the door shut, and opened it up. The interior was dark, but the photovisor allowed him to clearly make out... nothing. Well, nothing that wasn't expected to be in there. After shutting and relocking the door, he walked around the interior circle of the property, checking smaller structures like the animal pens and the silo. Again, nothing came up, and so he moved onto the main house.

Removing a spare key from it's hiding place under some kind of potted plant, he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. After locking it behind him, he walked through the dark house, not hearing anything but checking everything just to be safe. Finally, after a thorough search once again turned up nothing, he headed out onto the rear porch.

He got a good look at the fields of trees, which seemed to run from horizon to horizon in any direction. Only the darker and taller trees of the woods in the distance betrayed that image, running up past the low-hanging clouds like a bastion towering over a hab-block. Anton scanned lower on the fields-

-And finally spotted something. Two figures were on the property, relatively close to one another. One was an off-white color, standing by one of the trees. The other, meanwhile, was a dull brownish color, standing on a small plot of land jutting off of the main property.

Anton lept over the railing, hitting the ground with a thud and began to run for the fence. He slammed into it, the wooden frame stretching and slightly deforming against the impact. He skirted along the edge of the fence, finally reaching the small area where it broke off from the main compound slightly. He followed it down, coming to a stop behind the brown figure.

He stood, aiming the lasgun at him and flicking off the safety. The brown pony stood and turned around, his copper eyes widening. "What the-Who are you!?"

"I could ask the same question", Anton said, lasgun not moving from his chest. "You and your friend are trespassing."

"Friend?", the stallion asked. "It's just me."

Anton snorted, shifting his gaze slightly to the treeline. He froze, having lost sight of the white figure. Levitating the lasgun up to keep it pointed at the stallion, he scanned the treeline more thoroughly, but again, saw nothing. Had he imagined it? A trick of the light, maybe? Didn't matter; it was probably nothing.

He turned his gaze back to the older stallion, taking in some more details about him. He had a graying brown mane and an even duller coat than he first thought; he looked pretty similar to him, save for the difference in hair color. He had another of the weird local fruits as a flank mark, green and bulbous as opposed to the spherical red shapes of the Apples. "Alright then; who are you?"

"I-I asked first", the stallion said, quivering.

Anton replied, "And I'm the one with the lasgun."

"F-fine", the stallion replied. "My name's Grand Pear."

"You can call me Aquila", Anton said, silently biting his tongue for his continued blaspheming. "Now, what are you doing here."

"I-I", Grand Pear stammered.

"I'm going to need an answer, or for you to leave", Anton said.

"I'm... visiting my daughter", Grand Pear said, his head hung low.

Anton cocked his head. "There's no one here but me. Besides, I wasn't told of any relation by your name-"

"No, not any of the Apples", he said, spitting that last word out as if it were tainted. "My daughter... Y-you probably would've known her as Buttercup."

Anton looked past the old stallion, realizing what section of the property they were on. The small jutting spot was a burial site, hosting several small gravestones. Among them, one of the larger headstones had fresh flowers laid in front of them, glistening through his visor like the glitter of spire lights at night.

Anton turned back to Grand Pear, looking him dead in the eyes. "You have twenty minutes. Then I have to ask that you leave."

Grand Pear nodded. "That'll be enough. I-Thank y-"

"Don't thank me", Anton said. "Honoring the dead is a just deed. But I have been asked by the Apples to keep out intruders, and you are trespassing."

"I understand. I was under the impression no one would be here, so-"

"Twenty minutes", Anton reminded him, before hopping over the fence and entering the orchard. He began to look, in vain, for that white form...

25~Praise the Machine

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Anton watched as Big Mac rolled the massive wheel out of the barn, his eyes following the stone construct. As Big Mac and Applejack lowered it onto its side, he turned to Bright Mac and asked, "Remind me again what this thing is?"

"Cider Press", the stallion replied. "With harvest season startin' up, now's the best time ta start pressin' some of the apples. The stuff we plan ta sell quickly will sell like wildfire, and we can let some of it ferment until early winter."

Anton nodded, pretending to get it. "Should we at least not administer Rites before we assemble the machine?"

That drew all eyes onto him. "What does that even mean?", Applejack.

Big Mac looked at the wheel, then walked around it to examine the other parts. "It all looks alright. That what you meant?"

"What? No", Anton said. "Rites. To appease the Machine Spirit."

"Machine... Spirit?", Bright Mac asked, shifting his weight between each of his front hooves. Anton slumped slightly, sighing and bringing his hoof to his forehead. Of course these Xenos fools wouldn't have any knowledge of holy Machine Spirits. It was probably why they hadn't advanced that far technologically; their rejection of the Emperor's Light and other blasphemes meant that the Machine Spirits would reject them.

"All pieces of technology have Machine Spirits", Anton said. "From the simplest mechanism to the most complicated piece of machinery. Granted, this... What did you call it?"

"Cider Press", Bright Mac said.

"Right. Even this Cider Press should have a basic spirit", Anton said. "In order to make sure that it functions properly and smoothly, Rites and Benedictions should be offered to appease the Machine Spirit."

The three of them looked at him, interspersed with looks at one another. Anton shuffled in place, not exactly knowing what to say. His previous mentions of the Emperor had been met with minor interest or polite shifting of topic. Applejack and the Zebra were the only ones that had any real interest in Him, and he had been somewhat hesitant to go in-depth out of fear of letting something slip.

"Ah mean", Applejack said. "It couldn't hurt none."

"'Spose so. Alright, Aquila", Bright Mac said, turning to him. "What's involved?"

Anton undid his webbing, laying it down next to a stack of hay bales and walking up to the disassembled parts of the press. Most of the base was made out of wood, with a small metal slide running out of the bottom, with a small spigot which is where the cider likely came out of. An extension ran out of one side of the wheel, with a small recess in the side of it. Another part of the press was a long piece of hinged metal on a squat metal platform that vaguely reminded Anton of a Cyclops demolition vehicle, save for having one massive track as opposed to two smaller ones. A few wooden supports for both the main platform and this smaller one laid piled off to the side, while a metal trough had some connector points for the rear of the platform; likely to feed Apples into the device.

"Simple", Anton said, examining the machines moving parts. "Primitively so. But even something like this should have a spark of divinity."

"What was that?", Big Mac asked.

"Nothing", Anton said, figuring that insulting their press might wear his welcome thin. "What kind of maintenance is needed before it can be assembled?"

"We mostly settle for a quick wipe down", Bright Mac said. "We clean it off after cider season ends, so rest of tha year it's just sittin' in the back 'a the barn. If any of the wood rots or metal gets rusty we fix it up or replace it."

Anton nodded, standing back up and heading for his webbing. He began to rummage around in the pockets, telling them, "Get started with your check. I just need to find something."

After checking a few more of the thick canvas pouches, he finally removed his cleaning kit. Opening the smooth plastic case, he removed a small, clear bottle. As he closed and put the kit back in its place, he saw Big Mac look over his shoulder. "Uh, we checked. Nothin's wrong", he said. "What's that?"

"Sacred Unguent of Cleansing. I don't have any proper Sacred Oils or incense to placate the Machine Spirit. Pray he accepts this offering", Anton said, standing up and heading for the machine.

Big Mac stepped aside, a somewhat incredulous look on his face. Anton snorted, trying to ignore the stallion's blasphemy, putting his focus into the ritual. He knelt down in front of the track, removing the cap of the bottle and placing some on a nearby rag. He set the bottle down, closing the lid and examining the basic gears. It appeared that there was no automatic mechanism, which lined up with how Applejack had described making Cider to him.

He began to gingerly pad the cloth into the gears, letting the strong-smelling substance soak into the holy mechanism. As he moved along the length of the track, giving each gear careful attention as he applied the Unguent, he offered his Prayer to the machine spirit: "Let my ha-Hoof wipe the grime from your perfect form. May you perform your function without fault."

He repeated this procedure with the other moving parts of the device, applying a small amount of the holy liquid and whispering supplications to the Machine Spirits. As he did so, he looked up a few times to look at the three Apples assembled in silent audience. The stallion's expressions hadn't changed from before; Big Mac looked incredulous at his actions, while Bright Mac simply looked on with confused fascination. Applejack, meanwhile, wasn't even looking at him, her gaze focused solely on her hooves.

Finally, he stepped back and put the rag down. "There. The Spirit has been placated. Now, how do we assemble it?"

+++++~+++++

The next day, Anton had returned to find a small crowd gathered outside of Sweet Apple Acres. He had to hop over a fence to get by them, racing through the trees to reach the compound. He arrived to find Granny Smith sitting behind a small table, a transparent green visor on her head and a series of items scattered across the table. "Good mornin', Aquila! Yer just in time ta get started!"

"Right", Anton said, nodding to the crowd coming down the street. "These are the ones you sell to?"

"Wha' can ah say?", Granny said, shifting a few writing utensils and a primitive numbers cogitator around. "It's one of our most popular products! Now, go on back there; Big Mac and AJ are waitin' fer ya!"

Anton walked around the table just as various ponies made their way up to the table. Anton went over to the assembled machine, seeing Big Mac and Applejack standing next to it, a pair of goggles adorning each of their heads. "Yer just in time, Aquila!", Applejack called. "We'll run the machine. You need to make sure that Apples go in the chute and that there's always a barrel underneath the nozzle. If ya think ya can't get one under there, then tell us and close the valve."

Anton nodded. The two of them lowered their goggles and got onto the small tracked platform, now connected by another length of segmented metal plates to the grinding wheel. Before they could begin to run, however, Anton said, "May I do one last thing?"

The two siblings looked at one another, before looking back at Anton. Applejack tentatively nodded, while Big Mac just sighed and stepped over a bit.

Anton walked over to the machine, standing in between them where the two separate pieces met. He touched a hoof to each one of them, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "The soul of the Machine God surrounds you. The power of the Machine God invests you. The hate of the Machine God drives you. The Machine God endows you with life. Live!"

He took a step back, letting the siblings take up their position upon the platform. He went over to the massive crate of apples that stood next to the chute, grabbing several with his aura and putting them down the chute. As soon as they saw him do that, the two of them began to run, their speed turning the wheel and crushing the apples. Anton kept apples flowing in, looking over to make sure the first barrel hadn't filled.

Soon, that first barrel had filled, and he signaled for them to stop. "Already?", Applejack questioned, looking at the barrel filled with the frothy amber liquid. "Dang, we didn't put in that much effort. This thing is running faster than last year, huh?"

"Eeyup", Big Mac said, disbelief echoing in his voice.

Anton merely laughed. "The Machine Spirit sings. Now, let's continue. You've got... a lot of barrels."

26~Watcher

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Anton cocked his head, asking, "You want me to do what?"

Granny Smith replied, "Ya hard 'a hearin'? Ah just want ya and AJ ta look after Apple Bloom for a few hours."

The two of them stood in front of the older mare, looking at her. "Ah thought-"

"No 'buts', Applejack", Granny Smith said, firmly shaking her head. "Yer Pa is gettin' his leg checked out at the hospital, so ah need ta help Big Mac man the Cider stand."

"Wouldn't we be better suited for that task?", Anton asked. "You are... well-"

"Don't wanna hear another word, 'less it's a question 'bout feedin' her or somethin'. It ain't that difficult", Granny Smith said. As she finished, the firm look on her face softened, her head lowering and a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Sorry."

That caught Anton, and apparently Applejack as well, off guard. Since first meeting the old mare, he had never heard her say sorry. It appeared to be a somewhat rare occurrence with the family, given Applejack's look of surprise. Before either of them could speak up, Granny continued, "Ah wanna help out. Keep thing's movin'. Keep mah hooves busy, so ta speak. Just... just watch Apple Bloom."

As the old mare trotted out the front door, both of them looked at each other. Finally, Anton shrugged and began to fiddle with the straps on his webbing. "What'cha doin'?", Applejack asked.

"Do you want me going into your little sisters' room with a sword, pistol, and several explosives?", he asked.

Applejack raised a hoof, her mouth opening to ask a question that never emerged. She brought it to her chin, tapping it a few times, before lowering it and shrugging. "'Spose not."

+++++~+++++

"You've, uh... Handled this duty before, I take it?", Anton said, looking over the shoulder of Applejack. From a few feet back.

The two of them had entered the room about two hours ago, and had since spent most of the time keeping the tiny Xeno entertained; well, Applejack did. However, at a certain point, she had begun crying. That was accompanied by a foul stench that reminded Anton of industrial runoff mixed with promethium. It wasn't too hard for the two factors to be put together, resulting in the "diaper", as Applejack called it, to be changed.

"Yeah", Applejack said. "Almost... there!" She lifted her little sister up, a fresh white cloth wrapped around her rear end. "Thanks for this... thing, again. Couldn't smell a thing!"

She handed the small respirator unit back to Anton, who nodded. "Right, right... Of course", he said, wiping the interior of it with a loose section of his dropsuit and slinging it back around his neck. "So... is that it?"

"Well, she ain't cryin' no more, so ah'd say that's a good thing", Applejack said.

The small yellow female giggled, waving pudgy little hooves around as she was held up. She intermittently made semi-coherent babbling, which Anton was only able to barely make out as basic words: things like "Yay", "Wheee", and "Up". He had to admit, the fledgling was kinda... cute.

He had to resist biting himself, or stamping on his hoof. What was wrong with him? He should have left, or even done... something! But, no. Here he was, playing Arbites to a tiny Xenos. He was damned.

"Wanna hold her?", Applejack asked.

Anton gulped, before waving a hoof. "N-no. I'm not really... comfortable around younger things." Technically true; he had found that Applejack was particularly good at picking up on lies.

"Right then", Applejack said, putting Apple Bloom back in her crib. "Well, it's almost her nap time. That'll give us a chance ta relax fer a few hours." She looked over at a cabinet next to the crib, opening up a small compartment in it. She frowned, checking another one, before saying, "Huh."

"What?", Anton asked.

Applejack replied, "Ah can't find her pacifier. Keep an eye on her, ah'll go look for it."

With that, Applejack left the room, leaving Anton alone with the tiny Xeno. He stood up and walked over to the crib, looking over the wooden bars of the brim to study the fattened form within. She looked up at him in turn, a mouth full of tiny, blunt teeth looking up at him as she waved her hooves wildly. He lifted his head up a little bit; she had already grabbed his horn earlier, and it had taken coaxing from a stuffed "Princess" to get her to let go.

"You are an energetic one", Anton said quietly. "Persistent too." She only replied with more half-formed words and babbling. "No. I suppose you wouldn't reply, would you? Even humans take time to mature. Well, 'cept maybe Kriegers. They're already born wearing gas masks and lasguns." He laughed, which drew another fit of giggles from Apple Bloom.

He lowered his head slightly, giving her a proper look this time. "Hmm...", he mused to himself. Finally, he sat up a bit, sitting on his flank, and shut his eyes.

"🎵Ave Imperator... Ave Imperator, upon his Golden Throne🎵", he sang, barely above a whisper. Apple Bloom stopped her giggling and squirming, looking at him with deep amber eyes. He swallowed, then continued.

"🎵Though far from here, he watches. Though unmoving, he keeps on his watch. For the shield of Mankind never rests.🎵"

The words seemed to flow out of him, though he hadn't heard them for a long time. He could still remember when his mother had sung this same hymn to him when he was young.

"🎵So worry not, young child... of Sol. You are not without guide, master nor watcher. For the Emperor watches all, from tall to small. For the Emperor drives off all who threaten... You may sleep unburdened, for He is vigilant. You may sleep at peace, for He is ever kind. Ave Imperator. Ave Imperator, upon his Golden Throne...🎵"

He sat there for what felt like an hour, eyes locked on his twisted lower form. Surely the Emperor wouldn't even bother to look upon this planet, wherever it was. He was truly forsaken, and any hope of recompense in the eyes of the Emperor were slim to none. His soul was forfeit; all he could do was hope that the Emperor would take a sacrifice so that his soul might not suffer eternally.

"Woah", Applejack said, drawing him from his stupor. She walked past him, setting a small plastic object on a small table. He stood up and trotted next to her, seeing that Apple Bloom had fallen asleep, little breaths echoing up through her weak chest. "How'd ya get her ta sleep?"

"Guidance", Anton said, looking sullenly at the sleeping filly. "Guidance and Faith."

27~Falling into Routine

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Eight years. Anton had been here for eight years.

He sat up in his bed, throwing off the thick quilt. He stepped down from the wooden frame, walking over to a small mirror hung on the interior wooden wall. The bunker had been built up over these years, with there no longer being any gaps in between the stones or around the entrances. He now had doors; wooden ones he had reinforced with spare metal from the Valkyrie. A kind of rockcrete had been provided, allowing him to give the bunker a uniform appearance. The interior had a wooden floor, as well as a few storage boxes, enough utilities for a basic mess station, a bed, and even a mount for one of the Heavy Bolters, which gave it a position that oversaw the whole canyon.

All of the materials, and even some assistance in producing it, was provided by the Apple Family.

He examined himself in the mirror, the bags under his eyes as he groggily reached for a small metal mug and a bowl full of leaves. Through a bit of experimenting with Zecora, he had finally managed to discover a mixture of leaves that created something similar to Recaf. He wrapped the mixture of leaves in a piece of cloth and hit the switch on a small stove. As the water heated up, he used his "magic" to dip the mug into the water and placed the cloth inside it.

As he did, he caught sight of his back in the mirror. All and up the length of his back was covered in scars; some faded and white, while many more were fresh, red and speckled with barely dried skin and scabbed over plates. He gingerly touched the most recent scar, which still oozed puss and semi-liquid blood. He hissed at the sudden spike of pain, but grit his teeth and swallowed.

He removed the cloth from the tin, untieing it and tossing the leaves out a small window behind the bunker. He placed the steaming mug on an open section of the mess station and turned off the stove, before heading back to his bed. He stooped down and removed a loose floorboard beneath it. Having done this hundreds of times, his magic instantly wrapped around what was stored within.

He pulled out his means of recompense, examining the bloodied root. It had long since dried out, which caused it to shrivel and blacken into something more resembling black wood than root. The thorns had blunted from repeated use, though still stuck out enough to create a painful spark upon impact. Dried blood and puss clung to almost every millimeter of it, staining it a mix of reds, blacks, and sickly yellows.

He examined it, before sighing. He had no reason to add further pain to his burden, especially with the-

The final, nagging voice of his former zeal reared itself from his worn-down subconscious. He was concerning himself with the habits and arrangements of Xenos! A true servant of the Emperor would have grabbed all of the ammunition he could and burned them for their crimes! Purged all of them! Either die in battle, putting the unclean to the sword or end it simply and pray for the Emperor's forgiveness; not simply marching on and hoping for his wounds to finally become infected and kill him.

"But I'm not a servant of the Emperor, am I?", he asked himself, throwing the shriveled reed back under the bed. "I'm one of them; a blight upon the galaxy." The voice did not answer. He replaced the board, before reaching into the chest by his bed for a fresh set of clothes.

+++++~+++++

The walk out of the Everfree was uneventful, with only a few creatures getting in his way. Soon, he found himself on the main road through the forest. Even less bothered him as he went along the packed dirt path as the thick, malformed trees of the Everfree gave way to the ordered rows and exposed sky of the outer limits of Sweet Apple Acres.

The sun beat down on him, seeping through his undershirt and pants. It was a bit brighter than usual, especially since it hadn't been that hot the previous few days. He then recalled why; Applejack told him about something called the Summer Sun Celebration; some sort of heretical ritual where the "Princess" of these Xenos would "Raise the Sun". He hadn't been particularly enthused when Applejack explained it to him, mainly because he had no interest in involving himself in the process.

He kowtowed to the Xenos and their demands on numerous occasions, that faithful voice said. Why should engaging in some sort of ritual be any different for him? He told himself it was different; he just didn't know how.

He was drawn from his stupor by the sound of something growling. He drew his sword, his aura pressing down the activation button to send a crackling blue aura around it. He scanned the trees, looking for a timberwolf or a bear, the most likely culprit. When that search turned up empty, he looked up into the trees, before deactivating the sword and throwing a scowl at the source of the snoring.

The multicolored female named Rainbow Dash was, once again, napping in one of the trees. He remembered the first time he had met her. The two had met about two years ago, when she was helping one of her friends, Fluttershy, move into the town. He found her to be arrogant and bratty, but she did portray a few, more human traits: pride, drive for excellence, and dedication, among others. So, she was one of the more tolerable of Applejack's friends.

Still, she had been told to keep her out of the trees. He hopped the fence, sword still held in his aura as he walked around the base of the tree. She was laying on her back, wings curled over her eyes to shield herself from the sun, forelegs propping up her head. He studied the branch, noting that it had no fruit while the others were festooned with it, and that a few of its leaves were already turning yellow. Lifting up his sword, he gave a massive swing, nearly cleaving the branch off with that single blow.

Rainbow Dash awoke to the sound of snapping wood, before tumbling off her mount as it slackened. She yelped as she fell face-first into the dirt, her wings spread out around her. As she attempted to sit up, she felt a sharp feeling of warm metal press against her back, right between her wings. "Again, dude?", she asked.

"You know how Applejack feels about you being in the trees", Anton said, stepping back and sheathing his sword. "Besides, didn't she say you had something to do today?"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Jeez, you sound like my Uncle", she said, giving him her signature smile and a sweeping hoof as she got to her hooves. "It's just clearing the clouds. I can get that done in ten seconds flat."

He would've raised an eyebrow if he hadn't seen her speed in action before. Instead, he just sighed. "My first point stands."

"I was in the area, I was tired, and there aren't any clouds around this part of Ponyville", she said.

Anton said, "Just don't in the future."

"You got it", she said, bunching up like a spring and launching herself forward. As the dust cleared, she was nowhere in sight, save for a blue and spectral colored blur disappearing into the distance.

Anton sighed, knowing she'd be back on another one within the week. If there was one thing she wasn't it was honest. And maybe consistent, if what Fluttershy said about some of her exploits were accurate. Well, second-hand accounts, as she never really said anything around him.

He wrapped the branch in his aura, giving a sudden twist to dislodge what was still connected to the tree. It broke off with a snap, hitting the dirt behind him and kicking up some of it. He growled and began to drag the large branch along the ground towards the central compound.

He approached the path that ran into the compound from the road, the branch barely slowing down his gait. He got free of the trees, propping the branch against the fence, using it to help get over the fence. As he did so, he heard an unfamiliar voice talking to someone else: "Summer Sun Celebration official overseer's checklist. Number one, banquet preparations: Sweet Apple Acres."

28~The Student

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Anton looked over the fence, spotting two figures coming up the road towards the entrance. One was a purple unicorn, her mane combed back and perfectly straight. She walked somewhat slumped over, eyes half open and face limp.

What drew his attention was the small creature that walked next to her, holding a clipboard and a stylus in its clawed hands. It was short and somewhat fat, with purple and green scales and a line of spines running across its head and back. Unlike the unicorn, it had a somewhat pleasant smile, and walked with a bit of energy.

Anton shrugged, and began to hoist the log over the fence. The log sailed over the fence, falling in front of the unicorn and the lizard thing. The unicorn gave a yelp, stepping back with widened eyes. "Sorry", Anton said. "Thought you were paying attention."

"She's a bit distracted", the lizard replied. "Do you know where we can find... uh... Applejack?"

"Probably in the compound", Anton said, flicking his head that way. "It's the Apple Family Reunion, so she's probably finishing some things up."

The unicorn had recovered, clearing her throat and giving him a neutral smile. "Thank you, uh...?"

"Aquila", Anton said, hopping over the fence. "I work for the Apples."

"Twilight Sparkle", the unicorn said. "This is Spike, my assistant."

"Woah?", Spike said, looking at Antons belt. "Is that a sword?"

Anton nodded. "I mostly use it as a machete, clearing brush and stuff. But, yes; it is a fully functional sword."

"Focus, Spike", Twilight said. "Thank you again, Aquila."

"I'm going the same way", Anton said, grabbing the branch in his aura. "It's not like I'm dragging this thing into town."

He lead the three into the central courtyard of the property, which was strangely empty. The reunion had been staged at Sweet Apple Acres one time when he had been here, and it had been packed. As they reached the middle, the front door of the main house slammed shut. As their eyes turned to look in that direction, they saw Bright Macintosh coming down the stairs. "Howdy, Aquila!", Bright Mac said, heading towards them with a limp. "And who're yer friends here?"

"Oh, uh, hehe", Twilight stuttered. "We're not friends, we-I'm sorry. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm overseeing the arrangements for the Summer Sun Celebration. I'm looking for Applejack; she's in charge of the food preparations?"

"Of course", Bright Mac said, offering a hoof. "Name's Bright Mac. Ah'm Applejack's father. She's just knockin' down a few of the ripe ones. Should be right over there."

As Twilight thanked Bright Mac, Anton went around the house towards the big pile of firewood. He unsheathed his knife and began to shave the bark off the branch, tossing it over the fence. When the bark was stripped away, he put the knife back and removed his sword. After a few heavy blows and the branch was cut up, before being tossed onto the pile.

As he finished up, he heard a soft metallic clanging, followed by a cry of "Soup's on, everypony!" He sighed, putting his blade back and heading back out.

As if by sorcery, all of the visiting Apple Family members had appeared, arranged around the tables that had some of the food laid out on them. Specifically, they were focused around a circular table, with Twilight Sparkle and Spike sitting at it. Even from here, he could hear the enthusiastic introductions Applejack was giving her family members, running through the names as fast as that witch Pinkie Pie.

"Apple Cinnamon Crisp", she said, pausing to catch her breath. "Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. Up'n'attem, Granny Smith. We got guests."

The old mare stood up from a rocking chair propped beneath a tree, muttering and shaking the sleep from her eyes. Applejack kept her smile, saying, "Why, ah'd say yer already part of the family."

Twilight spit out an apple that had, at some point, been shoved into her mouth, and let out a nervous laugh. "Ok, well. I can see that the food situation is handled, so we'll be on our way."

"Aren't you gonna stay fer brunch?", Apple Bloom asked. Even from where he stood, he could tell she was giving Twilight the "Puppy Eyes", as Big Mac had called them.

"Sorry, but we have an awful lot to do", Twilight said, and was met with a loud sigh from the Apple Family. She looked around, before slumping over even more. "Fine."

This time, her reaction was met with a loud cheer and the stomping of hooves. The apple family began to move aside the foods specifically made for the celebration, giving way to stews, salads, and simply apples. Anton walked over to the table the newcomers were at, sitting down next to them and the Apple Siblings.

As he did so, Apple Bloom said, "Hey, Cousin!"

Twilight asked, "Cousin? I thought you worked for them?"

Applejack sighed, looking at Anton with a disapproving look. "Really, Aquila? Come on; yer more than just a worker!"

"Keeping things simple", Anton said. "No point in spilling the whole relationship to a complete stranger."

"He's got a point, AJ", Big Mac said.

"Whatever", Applejack said, spooning stew out to all of them. "So, what're some things ya like ta do?"

"Reading", Twilight answered simply. "I'm... Well, I like books."

"Almost too much", Spike said. "I can barely get her out of the tower unless I get a request or orders from the Princess."

"Your menial is a sharp one", Anton said, eating a spoonful of stew.

Both of them looked at him, confusion plastered on both of their faces. "What's that supposed to mean?", Twilight asked.

"Menial?", Spike asked.

"'It is not in my mind to ask questions that cannot be answered'", he began, eating another spoonful of stew as he paused. "'That is the soul standing upon the vacillation. You search for wisdom-'"

"'But achieve only a stasis of will!'", Apple Bloom finished, her beaming smile turning to confusion. "Wait, wah does that mean again?"

"It means that spending all your time with your no-muzzle in a book will achieve nothing. You can only achieve through a clear mind and heart filled with conviction", Anton said, to which Apple Bloom nodded thoughtfully.

"That is the single most wrong statement I've ever heard!", Twilight said. "There's nothing wrong with knowing everything there is on a subject. You never know when that information could be useful!"

"'A small mind is a tidy mind'", Anton quoted.

Twilight glared at him. "What are you talking about!? Are you-"

"Offering you some Pie!", Applejack cut in, a forced smile on her face. "Sure am! Nothing like a good pie to take yer mind off yer troubles and change the course of the conversation."

The two of them shut up, Anton shrugging and taking a piece of the pie. Twilight took one as well, giving him a quick glare before starting to eat her slice. Big Mac grabbed Aquila by the shoulder, flashing him a look that said 'Stop, please'. Anton nodded, returning to his slice of pie, only occasionally exchanging glares with Twilight.

29~Not All's Well

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Anton watched as the blasphemer and her menial left the farmstead, following her with an eye as he gathered up the dishes from the impromptu brunch. He placed the last of the plates on a wooden rack before passing it off to Applejack. "Thank's fer tha help, Aquila."

"No issue", Anton said, casting one final look in the direction of Twilight Sparkle before she disappeared over the hill leading towards town. As he turned to head back towards the house, he saw Big Mac was also looking in the same direction. "Something wrong?", he asked the large stallion.

Big Mac seemed to shake himself out of a daydream, looking at Anton with a nervous smile. "Uh, nope. No."

Anton looked back to the hill, then cast his gaze back at the stallion. Big Mac bore a surprisingly nervous expression, while the fur around his face was a bit of a darker shade of red compared to usual. Anton brushed it off.

"Well, that's all the stuff from brunch", Anton said, as if giving a report. "Most of the rest of the day is gonna be finishing up baking some of the stuff and moving the food into town for the brunch. With your relatives in town, that shouldn't take too long."

"Eeyup", Big Mac said.

Anton nodded, turning to head off and find Bright Macintosh, when he came face-to-face with the Heretic. An unnaturally large smile and blindingly pink features merely appeared as if from nothing, mere millimeters from his face. In an instant, his horn flared and his sword was drawn free from its scabbard. And, as always, she had bounced away to just out of sword distance by the time the blade had fully gotten out of its arc, leaving him slashing empty air.

"Hi Big Mac! Hi Aquila", she said, as if she hadn't just been attacked with a sword.

Applejack walked over, seemingly drawn by the sudden appearance of the Pink One. "Both of y'all. Haven't ah had ta explain this ta y'all enough? Aquila, don't attack Pinkie. Pinkie, don't sneak up on Aquila. It's basic as a bar of soap."

"Apologies, Applejack", Anton said, putting away his sword while continuing to shoot an evil eye at the new arrival.

Pinkie Pie said, "Sorry, AJ. But I'm just in a super duper hurry, and I had to get here as quickly as possible."

"What's in a hurry for?", Big Mac asked.

"There's a new pony in town!", Pinkie said. "And you know that means I have to throw her and her friend a patented "Welcome-to-Ponyville" surprise party!"

"I don't think that's how patents work", Anton said, taking a few steps away from her on pure instinct.

Ignoring his comment, Pinkie Pie said, "Unfortunately, Gummy is getting a scrub over at Fluttershy's, so I can't have him pass out invitations. I'm having to do it myself, so I really have to hurry." She spun around, sending a trio of light pink envelopes flying into his hoof, along with Applejacks and Big Macs. And, just as she had appeared by sorcery, she disappeared the same way.

Anton looked down at the envelope, which as usual had a few smears of glitter and sugar on the exterior. He turned it over, finding a few small bits of print on the exterior, though he didn't bother to read what it said. "And I think that's my cue to leave."

"Ya ain't comin' ta the party? Or the Summer Sun Celebration?", Applejack asked.

"Let's just say that being in close quarters with the Intellectual, the Witch, and, more than likely, your vain friend isn't on my list of priorities", Anton said. "We're... friends, Applejack. But I have my fracking limits."

+++++~+++++

Over ten hours had passed since he had finished bringing the food into Ponyville, and almost all of the ponies in town had either gathered in the town hall or the weird "Library" for the Pink One's party. Anton, however, had held true to his promise, and hadn't gone anywhere near the latter. With no reason to go to the former yet, he had wandered the mostly deserted streets of Ponyville.

He ran into only a few ponies, most of them ones he had no name for. They, however, had evidently heard of him, as they gave him a wide berth as he crossed paths with them. He tried to pay it no mind, but something about how they cast fearful looks at him made him feel... odd. Sad, maybe?

He ground to a halt, making a conscious effort to bite his tongue. He winced at the spike of pain, bringing his head down and swallowing the small amount of blood that oozed from his tongue. Why did he continue to feel any form of sympathy for these Xenos? What was wrong with him?

As he continued to stand there, head lowered as he sucked up the last of the blood, he heard a soft voice say, "Aquila?" Looking up, he saw Fluttershy and Rarity standing in front of him. The former fixed him with a look of concern, matched by the birds on her back and shoulders; the latter one of mere contempt that he returned.

"I am fine", Anton said. "Merely scourging myself of a passing thought."

"Indeed", Rarity said.

Fluttershy backed away, hiding behind her mane. "_{Oh... ok.}"

"Well, we're off to set up for the Celebration", Rarity said. "You might as well come. Ponies are starting to come into the Town Hall, so I suppose you should too."

The two trotted off, leaving Anton once again alone. He watched as they disappeared around a corner, before deftly spitting on the paved stone street. His saliva was mixed with dark blood, which he thought a somewhat apt metaphor. The pure blood of humanity, tainted and contaminated with impure elements. And yet, it flowed all the same, coalescing together as opposed to separating. He walked away, even as the mixture soaked between the cracks, still collected together.

The town hall was, indeed, already packed full of ponies. Earth Ponies and Unicorns gathered around on the floor, while some of the Pegasi either sat among the rafters or hovered in place. He could easily pick out those he was familiar with, including Applejack, whom he gravitated towards. "Hey sugarcube", Applejack said as he pushed through the crowd to reach her. "Glad you could make it."

"I suppose I feel the same", Anton said, turning his attention to the covered stage where this "Princess Celestia" was supposed to appear. "How soon until she shows?"

Before she could reply, a strange, reverberating chorus sounded out, drawing everyone out of their own conversations. Fluttershy had arranged her birds along a wooden post, which now gave out a sweet, high-pitched noise. As it died down, the local official stepped onto a small stage and cleared her throat. "Fillies and Gentlecolts", she said. "As Mayor of Ponyville, it is my pleasure to announce the beginning of the summer sun celebration.

The crowd cheered, quieting down as the Mayor waved her hoof. Up on a higher position, Rarity came out onto the stage, a rope next to her. "In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!", the Mayor continued, as excitement among the crowd grew. "And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"

As she finished, Rarity yanked on the cord, pulling back the curtains. A spotlight shifted to the gap between them, revealing... Nothing.

In an instant, panicked whispering and chatting erupted among the crowd, replacing the excitement from moments earlier. "Stay calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation", the Mayor said in a vain attempt to calm the citizenry.

"Wha' in tarnation", Applejack muttered.

Anton opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it as he heard a loud gasp erupt from Pinkie Pie. Almost in unison, the rest of the crowd did the same, drawing Anton's attention upward.

At the highest section of the balcony, a swirling black mist began to emerge. It glistened like stars upon a puddle, shifting and lashing out in all directions. It began to bubble up into a large form, before dissipating in a single burst.

In its place stood a tall, almost completely black figure. Blue "armor" clung to its chest, while a form-fitting helmet covered most of its head. There was a purple, splotchy spot on her back, which bore a mark of a simple crescent moon. Piercing blue eyes gazed on the crowd with an imperious air, narrow black slits patrolling with practiced ease. Most striking of all, however, was the presence of both wings and a horn, something Anton had never seen, even among the highly variable Xenos.

"Oh, my beloved subjects", the creature said in a cruel, feminine voice. "It's been so long since I've seen your precious, sun-loving faces."

"What did you do with our Princess!?", Rainbow Dash bellowed, trying to fly towards the creature. Only Applejack held her back, gripping her tail in her mouth.

The beast chuckled, another cruel sound. "Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"

The Pink One chose this moment to speak up, calling out, "Ooh, ooh, more guessing games! Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty-" She likely wouldn't continued to prattle on, had Applejack not had the sense to slam a cupcake into her mouth, silencing her at least temporarily.

"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?", the Creature said, impatience growing in its voice. "Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?"

"I did", a new voice said. All eyes, including Anton's, turned to Twilight, with a nervous-looking Spike sitting on her back. "And I know who you are. You're the mare in the moon-Nightmare Moon!"

Anton looked back at the creature, now dubbed Nightmare Moon. He had heard stories about it; mostly a few "Spooky" stories from Big Mac or Applejack when they came to his compound. An evil being, imprisoned on their moon and who hunted the souls of the innocent. It didn't strike him as a beast of Chaos; it didn't look like anything within the Imperial Primer, at the least. Though, given the lack of this species within it, perhaps this was merely their way of showing corruption. "I swear to remain steadfast and true in my loyalty", Anton said, slowly extracting his laspistol from its holser. "And may the darkness claim my soul if I prove unworthy."

30~Night Eternal (PT. 1)

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"Well well well. Somepony who remembers me", Nightmare Moon said, a fang-filled grin gracing her lips. Her previous sweeping gaze now focused on Twilight, making the mare back up and shrink away from it. "Then you also know why I'm here?"

"You're here to... to", Twilight said, shrinking back even further.

Nightmare Moon chuckled, drawing even more gasps and bursts of fear from the crowd. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" More laughter echoed through the building, with dramatic lightning crashed behind her with a thunderous boom.

Anton chose that moment to raise his laspistol. Those around him backed away, getting even further away as the first red burst of light from the weapon. The blast slammed into her shoulder, cutting off her laughter and making her glare at him. "Insolent foal!", she barked, sending a blast of blue light towards him.

"Aquila!", Applejack yelled, finally letting Rainbow Dash free.

Anton jumped forward, the blast exploding behind him. He climbed back to his hooves, the pistol coming back up and more shots ringing out. This time, however, she raised a shield, the bolts dissipating against the pale blue shield. She shot one harsh look at him, before dissipating into that same smoke she appeared from.

Even as she shot past the startled Xenos, Anton continued to shoot at her. The shots went clean through her, making those behind her duck for cover. The smoke beat down the door, flying outside and into the air.

Anton ran out after her, continuing to fire shots as Nightmare Moon faded into the distance. "Come back here!", a voice called, drawing his attention skyward.

Rainbow Dash hovered in the air, glaring at the burst of smoke as it finally disappeared from sight. "Nighttime? Forever?", she asked as her angry gaze shifted to one of mild fear.

"The Great Enemy has many sorceries at its disposal", Anton said, drawing Rainbow's attention. "One can never really know."

Anton had no idea if what he had seen was truly a Slave to the Dark Gods. But, if the imagery that the Ecclesiarchy Deacon his family paid homage to was right, then it wouldn't be too far-fetched. The dark form, wreathed in shadows; jagged armor and malformed body; malicious aims that would only result in death. All of it added up to an image of one corrupted by the Great Enemy.

"Great Enemy?", Rainbow Dash asked. "What are you-Wait." Both eyes were drawn to another street, as they saw Twilight Sparkle running away from the Town Hall at full tilt. "Where's she going?"

Anton looked after her, eyes narrowed. "She knew who that... Nightmare Moon was."

"You think she's a spy or something?", Rainbow asked, suspicion in her own eyes.

Anton said, "An enemy can take many forms. Even if she isn't she knows something. Come." Anton holstered his laspistol, and the two gave chase.

+++++~+++++

The two of them opened the library door, Anton giving the room a quick scan. The main floor of the library was a bit of a mess, with books of all shapes and sizes being tossed around and piled along the floor. Even as they watched, Twilight grabbed one in her magic and flipped it open, scanning through the pages with a frantic look in her eyes. She tossed it behind her, saying, "Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?"

Rainbow used that moment to race forward, grinding to a halt mere millimeters from the unicorn's face. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony?"

"Some kind of weapon? A Relic?", Anton asked, stepping around Rainbow Dash, keeping his laspistol in his aura.

"And just how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh?", Rainbow cut in, once again drawing the unicorn's attention. "Are you a spy?"

Before Twilight could reply, Rainbow was suddenly yanked back and tumbled to the floor. At the same time, a light blue barrier formed in front of Anton, making him turn towards the entrance. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the Pink One stood in a loose circle in front of Twilight, with Applejack stepping around Rainbow. "Simmer down, you two. She ain't no spy."

"And you know this how? 'The Traitor and Heretic can take many forms, not all unpleasing to the eye'", Anton said, earning an eye roll from Rarity and weird looks from most of the others.

"Ah think mahself a good judge 'a character. She ain't a spy; she just ain't", Applejack said, before turning back to Twilight. "But ya do know more 'bout what's goin' on, don't'cha?"

Twilight looked between the group of ponies, before frowning and bowing her head. "I read all about the Prediction of Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them. I don't even know what they do."

"The Elements of Harmony", the Pink One cut in, drawing all eyes away from Twilight to her. "A reference guide."

"What?", Twilight said, pushing the Pink One aside and removing a book that had a strange, five-pointed symbol on it. "How did you find this!?"

"It was under E!", she said, bouncing up and down in a wide circle.

"Oh", Twilight said, before opening up the book. Anton slid his laspistol back into his holster before gathering around Twilight along with the others. "There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now... The Everfree Forest."

"Wait", Applejack said, turning to Anton. "Aquila, didn't you say that you found this old ruin in the forest?"

"Yes. I used a few of the intact blocks as a frame for the bunker", Anton said.

"Bunker?", Twilight asked.

"Long story", Applejack said. "So, you know where it is."

"I should be able to find it again", Anton said.

"Wait", Twilight said, cutting in. "Look, I appreciate you offering to help, but I'd rather do this alone."

Anton snorted, before replying, "You've never been in it, have you?"

"No. Why?", Twilight asked.

Rarity said, "Twilight; Aquila here lives in the Everfree. Even if your book provides a map, it might not be reliable. Much as he and I have our differences, I will admit he is the most capable of helping us reach the Castle."

"Plus, the Everfree isn't exactly a public park", Anton said. "Timberwolves, Bears, Hydras; hell, some of the plants can harm you in both flesh and spirit."

"But-", Twilight began, only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash.

"Sorry, but we ain't letting you go alone", she said, grinning. "We're comin' with you!"

The others nodded in affirmation, while Anton merely readjusted his field cap. Twilight lowered her head, once again letting out a deep sigh. "Alright. Lead the way, Aquila."

31~Night Eternal (PT. 2)

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Anton moved ahead of the group, at least two meters between him and the rest of the group. He kept his head moving side to side, searching for shadows in the darkness. Without his helmets Photovisor, he was unable to pick out specific shapes in the darkness that surrounded the path. Still, he had moved through this area enough to figure that there wouldn't be any immediate threats; too close to the edge of the forest to have any of the bigger creatures nearby.

"So, Aquila's the only one who comes in here regularly?", Twilight asked, her voice on edge.

Applejack replied, "Well, ah come in and help 'im with stuff sometimes. But, no; not often. Ah'll be the first ta say it; place just ain't natural."

"What does that mean?", Twilight said.

"Well, it's dreadful, for one", Rarity said, giving a nervous chuckle. "Plus, nopony has any control over it. Everything just runs rampant; the weather, the animals, the plants."

Anton came to halt, turning his head to look at them. "I suggest you keep quiet."

"What?", Twilight asked. "Why?"

"Because, even if we aren't going that deep in, this area is still dangerous", he said. "The excess noise might alert something we don't want to alert. It would be a different story if we were going to the bunker-"

"I already told you", Twilight said. "The Elements are the only thing that could stop Nightmare Moon. Besides, the longer we take to reach the Palace of the Two Sisters, the more powerful Nightmare Moon could become."

"And I already said, I understand your assessment. I'm merely pointing out that, without the additional munitions, we can't take any major risks. So, we'll have to be careful about what we do, and that includes keeping unnecessary chatter to a minimum."

As if on cue, the ground suddenly began to crack and fragment away from the edge of the path. A large chunk, perfectly covering almost all of them, gave way and began to slide down the side of the cliff edge. Only Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were able to prevent going with the earth, before giving chase to help them.

Anton ripped his sword free, taking ahold of the handle with his hoof and jamming it into the slope. The loose earth didn't give the blade enough bite, and he continued to slide down the incline, albeit at a slower pace. As he did, he saw the two pegasi helping the others, while Applejack slide down to a smaller ledge to assist Twilight.

Rainbow Dash flew over to him, asking, "You good?"

"Fine", Anton hissed back, finally managing to get some purchase in the slope, coming to a complete stop. He looked down, spotting Applejack barely preventing Twilight from slipping off the slope. "Better help them."

"Right-o!", she said, taking off and joining Fluttershy above the cliff, ready to catch the Intellectual.

Anton, meanwhile, got to his hooves, one still gripping the handle of his sword. After he righted himself and assured his balance, he wiggled his blade slightly, sliding the rest of the way down the slope. As he reached the bottom of the slope and the small outcropping, he heard Applejack say, "What ah'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you'll be safe."

Twilight let go, plummeting a few meters down before the pegasi grabbed ahold of her. Applejack smiled, before looking at him. "Aw, don't look so dour, Aquila. Yer always one advocatin' fer faith an' all that."

Anton shrugged. That was far from the faith that he had in mind, let alone one he would have advocated for personally, but he supposed that it was something. Any form of Embracing the Emperor was something he could appreciate, though he doubted that Twilight saw it like that.

"Come on", Applejack said, heading towards the edge of the cliff. "Ah saw a few ledges we could hop down."

+++++~+++++

The group continued on, the same loose formation they had assumed before entering the forest. Anton continued his sweep of the area in front of them, laspistol now at the ready.

"And once Pinkie and Rarity were saved, whoosh!", Rainbow Dash said, flying over the group. "Me and Fluttershy loop-de-loop around and WHAM! Caught you right in the nick of time." As she finished her story, she landed next to the annoyed-looking unicorn, a smug smile on her face.

"We all saw it, Rainbow", Anton said, eyeing the small cluster of boulders in front of them. "Now, again, I suggest we keep unnecessary chatter to a minimum, as-"

He was cut off by a loud slam echoing from ahead of him. He dropped into a low stance, laspistol held in the direction of the large creature that had just lept in front of them. Twilight yelled, "A manticore!", just as the beast reared up on its hind legs and roared.

"This is why I wanted to get additional firepower!", Anton yelled, drawing his sword.

It lept into the air, swinging its paws in a wide arc at Rarity. It landed, though Rarity jumped backward before it could hit her. She then whirled around, slamming her hooves into its face. "Take that, you ruffian!", she yelled. In response, the beast roared in her face, sending her hair shooting backwards almost horizontally. Once the roar stopped, it rebounded together, forming a lumpy, messy ball. "My hair!" Rarity suddenly realized that she was staring a massive, flesh-eating monster right in the face, and wisely decided to run.

The Manticore chased after her, Anton raised his pistol and fired at it. Red bolts of light shot at it, though most missed. Whenever he got a bead on it, it just moved; he had never seen one quite as fast as this one was. It suddenly ground to a halt, drawing both it and Anton's eyes up. Applejack now sat on its back, just between its mane and neck. "Yee-Haw!", she called, wrapping a hoof into its mane. "Git along, little Doggie!"

The Manticore gave a vicious snarl, jumping and shaking in an attempt to shake Applejack off. Applejack just kept ahold of it, flying around and rolling along its back while attempting to keep itself on it. Finally, it managed to send Applejack flying, skidding to a halt and landing next to him. Anton raised his pistol again, lining up a shot with its head.

Before he could pull the trigger, however, Rainbow Dash lept in front of it, flying rapidly around it. Anton growled, yelling, "Rainbow! Get out of the way! I don't have a clear shot!"

Rainbow pulled out of her loop, skidding to a halt along the ground. Anton made a final adjustment to his pistol, the groove of the pistol's sights lining up perfectly between the beasts eyes. The others fanned out around him, assuming defensive postures (Save for the Pink One). The manticore locked eyes with him, pawing the ground. Anton squeezed the trigger-

-And had to jerk it skyward to avoid hitting Fluttershy, who had jumped in front of them and bellowed, "Wait!"

Both the group of Ponies and the Manticore looked just as confused, eyes shifting between them. Fluttershy turned, the faint outline of a small smile on her face. She approached the creature, who raised a paw to attack. The others winced, while Anton raised his laspistol again. To his surprise, she began to nuzzle the free paw of the creature, whispering, "Shh... It's ok."

Anton looked on in amazement, laspistol and sword drooping towards the ground. "What... What sorcery is this?"

Twilight looked at him incredulously, before her attention was diverted back to the sight before them. The manticore lowered one of its paws, showcasing a large spike driven into it. "Oh, you poor, poor little baby."

Off to his left, he heard Rainbow say, "Little?"

"Now, this might hurt for just a second", Fluttershy said, ignoring the looks and stunned comments from her comrades. She took the thorn in her teeth, and in one fluid motion, ripped it free. The beast picked her up, roaring in her face.

"Fluttershy!", the others bellowed, while Anton once again began to raise his weapons. Before they were even ready, he froze as he realized what it was doing.

It was licking her, a happy expression somehow embossed on its face. And... W-was it purring!? "Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are." As Fluttershy muttered soothing words to the thankful beast, the others moved past it. Anton sheathed his sword, watching in stunned silence. This had to have been some sort of magic; no creature he had seen, not even Zecora, had this kind of ability to charm the beasts of the Everfree.

"How did you know about the thorn?", Twilight asked Fluttershy after the Manticore finally let her go.

Fluttershy said, "I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Anton snorted at the sentiment, pushing back to the front of the group, ignoring the looks that he was being given.

+++++~+++++

The hardened dirt slowly gave way to a quagmire, the grass becoming patchy and revealing patches of slick mud and wet dirt. "Uh, my eyes need a rest from all this icky muck", Rarity moaned, causing Anton to sigh again.

Soon, they passed under a section of canopy, obscuring the forest around them to a greater degree. "Uh. Aquila? Do you know how far away the ruin is?"

"About a mile and a half", Anton said, shaking a loose clump of mud from his boots. "The mud is a good sign. Means we're near the river. We cross over that, it should be a clean shot straight there."

"Ah", Applejack said, shaking her hoof. "Ah think ah stepped in somethin'." Before anyone else could say anything, or before Applejack could even shake the mud free, Fluttershy let out an ear-piercing scream.

Anton turned to her, barking, "Calm yourself! By the Throne, do you want to draw anything to us!?"

"It's just a bit a mud, Fluttershy", Applejack said, taking a few more steps. Suddenly, she ground to a halt, letting out her own startled yell.

Anton finally brought his gaze away from the terrified pegasus, gliding over the tangle of forest around them. Leering, misshapen faces stared out from the darkness, crooked teeth jutting out at unnatural angles. The more he looked, the more they seemed to emerge from the shadows, while others blinked out, as if they never existed.

Antons laspistol whipped up, a red beam of light shooting into the darkness. The face it slammed into seemingly disappeared before the bolt impacted, before repeating, none-the-worst-for-wear. He whirled around, firing another couple of shots, only for the same things to happen. "Daemons...", Anton muttered to himself, drawing his sword and backing up with the others. "Get close! Don't let them out of your sight for a second!"

His cry went unheeded however, as while they began to back up and gather together, they were more concerned about shapes themselves, and not the threat they might pose. Their eyes darted around, panic smothering their common sense and features. Anton raised his sword, a prayer gracing his lips, when the panicked cries of the others were cut through by the last noise he expected:

Laughter.

Pinkie Pie stood in front of one of the daemonic faces, giggling as if she was (even more) mad. She was... making faces at them!? This was a level of madness that even he hadn't been expecting.

"Pinkie!", Twilight called out. "What are you doing!? Run!"

"Ha ha. Don't you see!", the Pink One said, before backing away and beginning to shake her legs. "🎵When I was a little filly and the sun was going down!🎵"

"Tell me she's not", Twilight said.

As if on cue, Pinkie appeared in front of her, singing, "🎵The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown.🎵"

"Unfortunately", Anton muttered, still eyeing the faces.

"🎵I'd hide under my pillow, From what I thought I saw", she continued to sing, hopping in a circle around them, forcing Anton to break his aim with one of the larger forms. "But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way, To deal with fears at all!🎵"

"Then what is?", Rainbow asked.

Pinkie hopped away from Rainbow, heading for one of the closer faces. "🎵She said, "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you; Just laugh to make them disappear.🎵" She turned to it, before giving three distinct chuckles. As soon as the last one faded into an echo, the face... disappeared.

The others let out a collective gasp, and even Anton couldn't avoid a stunned look. "What-", he began, only to be cut off by Pinkie resuming her singing.

"🎵So, giggle at the ghostly; Guffaw at the grossly; Crack up at the creepy; Whoop it up with the weepy; Chortle at the kooky; Snortle at the spooky!🎵", she sang, pushing the others to do the same. She did a somersault into one of their mouths, drawing Anton's aim towards it, only to stick out of the mouth with no apparent concern. "And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...! Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!"

Anton studied one of the trees. Even as he watched, the face gave way, and several charred black holes appeared along its surface. The sheer absurdity of the situation revealed itself to him: He had been scared... by trees. He could only barely cut back a chuckle.

As he did, however, he saw a shape move through the underbrush. No, it wasn't a shape; not totally at least. It was almost like ink had taken on a shape, broke through a window to escape, and was now running loose. With a start, he realized what was it was.

He turned to the others, who lay in a small circle, laughing like crazy. He looked back to where he saw the shape, only to see it was now gone without a trace. He looked back at his charges, before firing a shot into the air. When all of their attention was on him, he said, "We need to move. Now."

"What do you mean?", Fluttershy asked.

"I think I just saw Nightmare Moon, and if you're right about her regaining power", he said, eyes locking with Twilight. "Then this is a delaying tactic. If we don't double-time it, then she might be more than a match for your 'Elements of Harmony'."

32~Night Eternal (PT. 3)

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They all scrambled to their hooves, a sudden urgency back in their faces and postures. Anton began to move through the trees, heading towards the sounds of rushing water. As he did, he creased his eyebrows, his ears flicking of their own accord.

"What is it?", Twilight asked.

Anton replied, "This is a calm section of the river. It shouldn't be that loud."

Anton motioned for the others to stay put, before walking around a small cluster of trees. Ahead of him, the river was a rolling mass. The banks had been almost completely flooded, while the mass of water hissed and rolled like a Warp Storm. Anton walked over to the new shore of the river, the others following after him.

"Great", Rainbow Dash said. "Now what?"

"Is there another place we can ford the river?", Applejack asked.

Anton gestured to the near-impassable mass of bubbling water. "This was the place we were supposed to ford. Anything downriver of hear is in a similar position, most likely." Anton looked over the bank, studying a few trees that stood in a small clump, close to the bank. "AJ. Rainbow. With me. I think we can collapse a few of the trees to form a-"

He was cut off by Rarity, who held up a hoof and shushed him. "Do you hear that?"

Anton stopped, turning his head upward. Sure enough, a loud noise pierced the bubbling of the river; was that wailing? Pinkie zipped over to a bush, the others following after her.

In a wider section of the river, a large, thin purple form rolled and twisted around, kicking up waves and causing the water to swirl together. It raised its hands in the air, slamming them down in a large splash as it bellowed, "What a world! What a world!", before devolving into unintelligible sobs. With a start, Anton realized that he recognized this creature.

"Wait", he said, grabbing ahold of Rarities tail as she was emerging from the bush. "Me and Applejack have met this thing before. We don't know if it's hostile."

"Darling", Rarity said. "I get this place warrants a healthy amount of paranoia, but this creature is obviously in distress. As it is also making it impossible to cross the river with its thrashing, helping it gets us across." With that, she gave a mighty tug, emerging from the bush and onto the bank.

Anton blinked, almost stunned at the surprisingly tactical assessment that Rarity gave. Watching as the others emerged from the bushes, Anton sighed and followed them, keeping in the back to avoid any potential incident with this creature.

"Excuse me", Twilight said. "Why are you upset?"

"Well, I don't know!", it bellowed, rolling about, before looking at them. More specifically, at Anton. "You!"

All of them turned to Anton, while Anton just looked up. "Evidently."

"And just what are you doing here!?", he yelled, lowering down to the riverbed. "Following after that tacky cloud of smoke that sheered off my beloved Mustache off, and plan on blowing another hole in my hair!? Do you know how much work and how much time it took for it to look even somewhat presentable again!?"

"No", Anton said.

"Well, I never!", Rarity cut in. "Shame on you, Aquila. How could you be so insensitive?"

"Ta be fair, he did startle us", Applejack cut in.

The Serpent replied, "And I am sorry for that. But that doesn't mean that I can't be upset!"

"Indeed", Rarity said, now smiling. "Why, you certainly do look magnificent. Why, I could hardly tell that your magnificent coiffed hair was ever marred at all!"

"Oh, thank you", the Serpent said, puffing out its chest and splaying its fingers.

"And with those shiny, smooth scales and that wonderful manicure! Why, you're simply magnificent!", Rarity said, before tapping a hoof against her chin. "Though, it is all ruined without your mustache."

The creature did a complete one-eighty in terms of mood, once again sobbing and crying, "It's true! I'm hideous!". It slammed into the bank, tears welling up in its eyes.

Rarity's eyes, meanwhile, narrowed. "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected. Aquila! Knife!"

Anton rolled his eyes, pulling the simple blade from its scabbard. He held the handle towards Rarity, who took the blade in her teeth. "What are you-"

Anton stopped, his eyes going wide at what Rarity had just done; the shocked gasps around him indicated that the others were doing the same. In one swift motion, Rarity had swung the knife in an upward arc, slicing off a massive portion of her tail. She jerked her head to the side, chucking the knife hilt-deep in the mud, before grabbing the clump of hair in her magic. The hair met with the shaved-off stub of the mustache, before twisting together in some sort of power Anton didn't want to think about. When the light faded, the purple hair had merged onto the creature's face, forming an even, if unsymmetrical, mustache.

"Oh-ho-ho!", it bellowed, giddy excitement in its voice, like a child on Feast of the Emperor's Ascension. "My mustache! How marvelous!"

"You certainly look smashing!", Rarity replied, giving the Serpent a playful wink.

Anton just sighed, rubbing his temples. This night was trying his patience and his resolve more than he thought. What was going on? "What about your beautiful tail?", Twilight asked, throwing him from his thoughts.

"Oh, it's fine darling", Rarity said. "Short tails are in this season. Besides... it'll grow back."

"So would the mustache", Rainbow groused, with Anton nodding in agreement.

Twilight ignored them, before perking up at the sight of the now calm river. "We can cross now! Come one!"

She began to wade through the water, reaching a short distance in, before the water around her once again began to churn. As opposed to the chaotic lashing of before, this time it was more localized and smaller. She rose from the water, standing upon a coil of muscle and scales. The Serpent emerged from the water, giving a wide flourish and declaring, "Allow me!"

He dove into the water, allowing them to pass over. The others cleared it, with Anton bringing up the rear. As he was reaching the final coil, it suddenly jerked away. Though he tried to right himself and land on his hooves, he still got a face full of mud as he landed on the bank, his cap flying free of his head. "Consider us even, sir", the Serpent said, before ducking under the surface and disappearing. Anton could only groan.

+++++~+++++

Anton pushed aside a cluster of low-hanging vines, stepping to the side to allow the others to pass. "There it is", he said.

The group passed through his opened-up corridor, stepping onto a clearing just before the bridge. Just on the other side, the ruin stuck up from the surrounding forest, like rotten teeth sticking out of a diseased mouth. The others were brimming with excitement, beginning to rush forward just as he joined them.

"We're almost there!", Twilight said, before suddenly grinding to a halt. Anton took a few steps forward, eyes widening at Twilight's predicament.

The rope bridge had collapsed, one end spilling into a mist-filled void. Twilight flailed madly, trying to prevent herself from spilling over the edge. Anton grabbed ahold of her tail, yanking her back. She landed firmly on her back, groaning slightly.

"How're we gonna get across this?", Pinkie asked.

Rainbow Dash stepped up, shaking her wings and saying, "Duh."

"Oh yeah", Pinkie said as Rainbow took off, flying down into the mist. She looped up, clutching the rope of the bridge in her mouth, before vanishing into the mist on the other side.

Anton fell back on his haunches, reaching into his shirt. He removed his Aquila necklace, swinging it to wrap the chain around one of his hooves. It fell just above the part where his clasped together limbs met, the twin-headed eagle facing the others. He closed his eyes, though he could still feel their eyes upon him.

"What's he doing?", he heard Twilight ask. He tried to tune them out, focus merely on his recitement of the few proper litanies he remembered.

"Prayin'", Applejack said.

Twilight replied, "Praying? Is that what all the weird dogma is about?"

"I guess", Applejack said. "Ah'll admit, he's a mite unusual sometimes, but he's a good pony. Just..."

"Intense?", Fluttershy suggested.

"Over the top and flippant", Rarity said.

"Shoots at me a lot!", Pinkie said.

"Just because I supplicant myself before the Emperor, does not mean I can't hear you", Anton said. He opened his eyes, looking at each of them in turn. He stood, sliding the necklace back on, giving the Aquila a kiss before sliding it back into his shirt. "Where's Rainbow?"

The others took their attention off of him, turning towards the bridge. One side of it had been tied up to the post opposite the gorge, allowing the bridge to hang limply in front of them. The other side, however, was still dangling into the mist, preventing them from crossing it safely. The mist that covered the other side was slowly dissipating, revealing Rainbow Dash, facing away from them and, at least apparently, talking to something.

"Rainbow! What's taking so long?!", Twilight yelled, before giving a small gasp. Anton saw them a split second later as the mist cleared more: Three figures, two males and a female if Anton was right. They wore dark-colored jumpsuits, as well as slant-framed goggles and face masks. All that could be visible of their bodies were some slicked-back blue manes and small amounts of grey fur around their mouths and ears.

The lead one of the strangers, the female, looked at them, eyes flashing. Anton raised his laspistol, but it was too late. More clouds swept over the clearing, completely obscuring them from sight. "Don't listen to them!", Twilight yelled just as the mist closed over them completely.

"I don't have a shot", Anton said, lowering the pistol.

"Now what?", Rarity said.

"Come on, everypony!", Pinkie said. "This is Dashie we're talking about. She won't let us down! She can't..."

"Give her five minutes", Anton said. "If she doesn't get the bridge up, then I can get and get some rope for us to-"

He hadn't even had the chance to finish when the bridge righted itself, once again upright and secured. Rainbow sailed out of the mist, landing on the bridge, her front hooves wheeling in the air. The rest of the mist above the chasm cleared, with no sign of the dark figures visible. The others cheered, and began to cross the bridge.

"Where'd they go?", Anton asked, still scanning for any sign of the trio.

"They said I could be their Captain if I abandoned you", Rainbow said. "When I said no, I guess they left. I'd never leave a friend hanging!"

Anton nodded, though kept his eyes peeled. The feeling that he was being watched was only growing.

As the last of them passed the bridge, there was now nothing blocking them from entering the ruin. Anton pushed his way to the front, examining the several half-crumbled sections of the main building. "What do these Elements of Harmony look like, exactly?", Anton asked, trying to recall what he saw of this place previously.

"They look like Gemstones", Twilight said. "I don't know if this is right, but one rumor about them is that they turned to stone after Celestia used them on Nightmare Moon."

It clicked, and Anton turned towards one of the smaller sub-structures jutting out of the main fortress. "If I'm right, they should be in here."

"You knew about them?", Rarity asked.

Anton said, "No, but the description matches... That." He pointed to the strange monument that dominated the center of the room. Sure enough, the five stone spheres he had first seen when examining it were still there, the symmetrical shapes etched on their surface now having new meaning.

"The Elements!", Twilight said. "We found them!"

Rainbow and Fluttershy both took to the air, removing the stones from their cups one by one. Soon, they were all piled in a loose semi-circle around them. Up close, they didn't seem to be anything special. Simple stone spheres, only marred by those gemstone-shaped indents on their surfaces.

"One, two, three, four", Pinkie counted, frowning as her count came up short. "There's only five."

"Where's the sixth?", Rainbow added, giving another loop around the monument in case she missed something.

Twilight said, "The book said: When the five are present, a spark will cause the Sixth Element to be revealed."

"And that means?", Anton asked.

"I'm not sure", Twilight said, lowering herself down and igniting her horn. "But I have an idea. Stand back; I don't know what will happen."

Anton turned to the others. "Watch the exits. Applejack, Rarity; the way we came in. Pinkie; the door over on the right side. Rainbow, Fluttershy; windows. We don't want any more surprises catching us off guard."

No sooner had he finished saying it than the blue smog shot out of a crumbled section of wall. It lashed out, sending Twilight scrambling backward, before enveloping the Elements in a swirling vortex. Anton pulled his laspistol, firing blindly into the vortex, hoping to hit the beast to no avail. Soon, the form of the elements disappeared in the swirl, before it began to narrow and raise off the ground. Even as more lasbolts sailed through the mist, it shrank and shrank.

"The Elements!", Twilight yelled. She attempted to rush forward and grab them, but she was too slow. Before disappearing entirely, a tendril of the vortex lashed out, wrapping around Antons throat and yanking him in. He tried to continue firing, but with the pressure on his windpipe, he was barely able to keep ahold of the laspistol, let alone aim it properly. Soon, he was sucked forward, and felt... Nothing.

He was temporarily weightless. All around him was a series of swirling, dark red and purple blobs. They overlapped, swirling and mixing together in waves and at the same time, not like waves. Lightning, no; it was cracks, or maybe paths? And just as soon as it had begun, it was gone, and he was within a new section of the ruin, sprawled on his back, laspistol skidding along the stones away from him.

He righted himself, only to be slammed back to the ground by a sudden force. Looking up, he saw a black hoof, shod in a dark blue metal gauntlet, pressing against his chest, pinning him. Further up, the rest of Nightmare Moon revealed herself to him, face contorted in a sneer.

"You've been quite the nuisance, Pathfinder", she said, voice harsh and lacking that earlier haughtiness. "Time I crush you like the bug you are."

33~Night Eternal (PT. 4)

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Anton shot a sneer back up at her, hissing as she continued to press him down. The old wounds on his back roared in agony against the cold, rough stones. She leaned her head down, eyes flashing dangerously. "I shall make this quick, which is more than you deserve for-"

Anton spat, a glob of saliva flying up and slamming into her muzzle, just above her nostrils. While it did nothing in terms of damage, the sheer shock was enough for Anton to wiggle around, getting enough leverage in order to land a kick against her back knee. She stumbled forward, the pressure letting off of his back and allowing him to rise to his hooves.

He yanked his lasgun from its holster, turning around to aim it at Nightmare. Bolts of red light shot out, deflecting off of a swirling blue shield of sorcery the beast conjured up. She retaliated with her own blast, which sailed over him. As another one shot at him, he dove out of the way, keeping up his fire against the beast.

It growled, before sending the shield flying at him. He scrambled to try and get back up, only to stumble and fail, righting himself up into the perfect position to get hit with full force. The immaterial wall slammed into his chest, sending arcs of both pain and numbness at the same time across his face, neck, and chest. He flew back, laspistol falling from his grip and skittering away across the floor. The force pushing back dissipated, just in time for him to smash into the opposing wall of the ruin. He cried out in pain, slumping to the ground with a groan.

"Aquila!", Applejack yelled, drawing both his and Nightmare Moons attention.

She and various mares stood in the door leading into the room, stunned looks on their faces. Anton growled, getting to his hooves again. He could feel the fresh pain and oozing mix of blood and puss staining the fur on his back, but still drew his sword. "Get the Elements!", he cried, flicking on the emitter and casting his Stoney face in a dark blue glow.

"Insolent foal", Nightmare Moon spat, turning back to him. "You think you stand a chance against me?"

"I fear no evil", he said, drawing his knife in another tendril of his aura. "I fear no death." He lowered down, before bursting off his hind legs, charging forward with both weapons outstretched. "THE EMPEROR COMES FOR ME!!"

Nightmare Moon turned to face him, crouching low like a predator about to pounce. Anton closed the distance, thrusting forward with both of his blades towards her chest. At the last second, she disappeared into a shower of mist and sparks. Anton ran through it, skidding to a halt just beyond the cloud, whirling around just in time for Nightmare Moon to rematerialize and deliver a strong kick to his chest.

He stumbled back, and Nightmare Moon seized on the opportunity to rush him. Magic coalesced around her hooves, which came down with frightening speed. Anton was only able to deflect the blows away from himself, barely avoiding being hit by them directly. Instead, they forced his sword to the floor, which fragmented under the impact. The sword was wrenched from his grip, and threw Anton off his hooves once again.

"I suggest you stay down", she threatened, before turning to the others. They stood huddled around the dais the Elements had ended up on, most facing down Nightmare Moon while Twilight faced the elements, horn glowing as she tried to figure out how they worked. Even from his angle, he could see her smirking as her mist began to once again swirl around her.

He forced himself up slightly, grabbing his knife once again. He arced it back, sending it flying forward. The blade sank most of the way into her side, the magical mist dissipating with a cry of pain. Anton used the momentary lapse in the beasts attention to lunge forward, tackling it to the ground.

The combination of being caught off guard and his own momentum allowed him to bring it down, legs kicking widely in alarm. One kick caught him in one of his own legs, though this time he bore the pain and kept his grip. He yanked the knife free from her side, attempting to bring it down on her throat. She surrounded his arm with magic, which kept it in place. Even as he brought the other hoof up, pressing it against the joint to try and bring the blade down towards her, the blade didn't budge even a millimeter. He then heard it; laughter, as cold and cruel as the void of space itself.

Her hoof, freed from any entanglement or panic, came up and struck him in the throat. Air shot out of his throat, the grip on his knife loosening. She stood, the same hoof forcing him down and slamming him to the ground, pinning him. "You little worms. You have no Elements; no spark will work. Surrender now, and I shall let you live to bask in the eternal night!"

The mares stood across from him, eyes either on him or on the towering form of Nightmare Moon. He croaked out, "Duty prevails", trying in vain to grab ahold of his knife. Twilight locked eyes with him, fear shrouding them. However, as they stayed locked, something changed. Twilights eyes twinkled, and her fearful expression suddenly turned hopeful.

"No", Twilight said, stepping forward. "The Elements may be dormant, but the spark to ignite them isn't a literal spark. It's us; we're the spark." As she spoke, the stone spheres began to shudder and shake, before splitting down the middle. Shards emerged from their cores, filing up to float beside one of the other five mares. "Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... Honesty! Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... Kindness! Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... Laughter! Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... Generosity! And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... Loyalty! The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." One by one, each of the mares began to float up, the gems forming colored symbols embossed in golden collars.

"B-but there was no spark! The Elements cannot work!", Nightmare Moon said, something akin to terror in her voice. It brought Anton no shortness of satisfaction, even as he struggled to get air past the hoof pressed to his throat.

"Not quite", Twilight said. "Aquila also showed me how you can never give up, even if the odds are against you. His actions showed me the power that comes from fighting for and standing by your friends. And... you are all my friends. The spark is within us all, which would call forth the last element: The Element... of Magic!"

With a shower of sparkling light, a sixth stone appeared above Twilight's head. It shuddered and shook, before splitting apart and depositing another stone. This one glowed as well, forming into a crown, with another colored symbol embossed in the center. She began to float up as well, joining her friends in a circle of light and visible power. From the ground, twin beams of multi-colored light formed. They reached the ceiling, before swirling together and coming down in a beam of light.

"No", Nightmare Moon said simply, her face stunned. The force on his neck slackened, and Anton was finally able to grab the knife. He tried to force himself up, knife poised to strike her throat, when the light hit.

+++++~+++++

Swirling masses of colors, both every color at once and nothing he had ever seen.

The familiar shape of a Valkyrie interior, though... everything was wrong. The benches roiled and buckled like skin, the doors cackled madly, the guns spat green and blue flames, while those within screamed.

Laughing, both lyrical and clear and nasal and bloodthirsty at the same time.

Then, light. Golden light, as bright as a sun.

The voice stopped. The valkyrie returned to normal. The light grew brighter, and brighter, and then-

Nothing.

And then, he was falling. Through blue skies and thick clouds, a tall mountain with the silhouette of a city in the distance.

34~The Teacher

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As Anton awoke, he was aware of a slowly dimming light. He pulled himself up, shaking his head and with it, the blurred vision that was afflicting him. His legs felt like he had Rockcrete blocks chained to them, his chest was heavy and breathing labored, and all in all, he felt... strange.

What took up most of his attention, though, was his head; what he had seen, more specifically. Him waking up falling from the sky above the Everfree wasn't too out of the ordinary. However, what he had seen before was new. Those visions, the voices... That light. What did it mean?

He was finally torn from his own thoughts by a small groan. Looking over, he saw... Nightmare Moon? It looked nothing like the towering, fanged monstrosity he had been fighting. It was smaller, with a lighter color coat and hair devoid of any shimmering shapes. Shards of metal sat around her, likely the shattered remains of her armor. However, it had to be her; the same cuts and marks peppered her fur, while the mark on her flank remained the same.

Was this a trick? Some sort of clever deception, trying to make them lower their guard? He looked over to the others, who were talking amongst themselves, examining the new adornments on their necks or upon their head, in Twilight's case. They were speaking, but his hearing was distorted and water; he couldn't make out much of what they were saying. He turned back to Nightmare Moon, snorting at her. It didn't matter if it was a trick; he could tell that she was still breathing. The only fate for an enemy was defeat, and for one such as this, that meant death.

He looked around, his eyes finally resting on his laspistol. He levitated it over to him, his aura responding unusually easily to his command. Once the weapon was near him, he raised the weapon up to check the power pack. Thirty percent power left. More than enough.

He turned to the prone form of Nightmare Moon. He raised the pistol, leveling it at the unconscious beast's head. It didn't even stir, giving Anton some pause. However, he steadied his aim, uttering, "God-Emperor. Guide the flight. Watch the Target; take the unworthies life."

As his aura slowly depressed the trigger, Applejack's voice cut through his haze and watery hearing: "Aquila?" As he turned to face her, a bright light suddenly swamped his vision. It was a brilliant, golden light, similar but distinctly different than what he had seen in his vision. It danced in his squinted eyes, taunting him with its brilliance. He felt wind in his hair and across his fur, a faint feeling of something cold against his back-

-And then once again, he was surrounded by darkness.

+++++~+++++

Anton groaned, blinking away the weight in his eyes. "By the Throne, what did I do to deserve this?", he muttered, beginning to hoist himself up.

He was on a couch, with a pillow tucked under his neck. He sat up, rolling his shoulders and hearing a satisfying crack. Arcing his back, the same sound echoed up to his ears, and a sense of relief came over his body. However, it was his mind that was still on alert.

What happened? This obviously wasn't anywhere in the Everfree; the only place close to this he knew of was Zecora's hut, and she didn't have a couch. He looked around, trying to determine where he-

"You are in my Student's new home, Aquila", a calm, melodic voice answered his unsaid question.

Anton whipped his head around, climbing out of bed and instinctively reaching for one of his weapons. He turned when he couldn't find one, finding his webbing had been removed. "Don't worry. Applejack has your things", the voice said. The speaker was a tall figure, similar in form to Nightmare Moon. However, that was where the similarities ended. Her coat was white as snow, while the flowing mane was a multi-colored wave of greens, pinks, and blues. She had golden jewelry and shoes, while intelligent and kind purple eyes gazed back at him.

Anton gazed at her with distrust. "Who are you?"

"I'm surprised", she said. "I would have expected my name to have been mentioned at least once. No matter; My name is Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria."

Anton nodded slowly, suspicion still in his eyes. He had heard of her, naturally; a Monarch wasn't just something you wouldn't hear about when in their jurisdiction. The answer he received, however, did bring another question to mind: "What happened? How did I get here?"

"Applejack and the others brought you here when we returned to Ponyville", Celestia explained. "As for what happened... I merely prevented you from harming my sister. I underestimated how much you had been weakened by the Elements and your fight with Nightmare Moon."

Anton snorted, before cocking his head in confusion. "Wait. Your sister?"

"Indeed", Celestia said. "She was corrupted, and taken over by Nightmare Moon. The Elements of-"

"So you stopped me from killing this 'Nightmare Moon?'", he questioned.

Celestia said, "She had been cleansed by the Elements of Harmony. She had returned to her old self."

"'Even though you once called him friend, the Traitor has forsaken you'", Anton said. "'Show no mercy even if he begs it, for his soul is tainted and given the chance he will betray your trust.'"

"I hold a much more broad view of forgiveness, though from what Applejack told me, I suppose a more limited worldview is to be expected", Celestia said, her expression... strangely sad. "I was merely checking on you before I left for Canterlot. Your friends are in Town Square, at a Party. I would encourage you to reconsider your opinion on my sister." Anton merely looked at her, expression neutral. She sighed, giving him a small nod, before turning to leave.

+++++~+++++

Princess Celestia tried to smile, she really did. Her sister was back after a thousand years, after all. Now, she could try and make up for what happened, and how Luna had felt so neglected all those years ago. However, that stallion, Aquila, ate at her thoughts.

"Art thou alright, dear sister?", Luna asked, watching her.

Celestia looked over at her younger sister, finally managing to break through a smile. "I am fine, Luna. I am happy you are back. However..."

"The stallion?", Lun asked. "The one whom I-Nightmare fought?"

"Indeed", Celestia said. She looked up at the guards pulling their carriage, before leaning down to whisper to her sister.

Luna gasped, whispering back, "Truly?"

"I have an old... associate who lives in Ponyville. She doesn't give too many specifics regarding that subject, but enough lines up", Celestia said. "Plus, my own observations have pushed me towards that conclusion. I am not certain, but it is likely."

"B-but our agreement", Luna said. "Unless something happened in the thousand years of our exile-"

"No no no", Celestia replied. "I don't know what, but we have to be prepared for that possibility."

Luna looked down, gazing over the windswept mountains and valleys below them. Celestia sighed, turning her gaze up towards the city of Canterlot. "Enough of that for now. We can discuss this more later. For now... Let's get you home, sister."

35~The Ticket Castellan

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"No", Spike said, tossing another apple behind him. "Nope. Nope."

Anton sighed, rolling his shoulders. It had been almost a week since the return of Nightmare Moon, and all in all, a lot had returned to normal. The ability of this town to just keep pressing on after harsh circumstances was certainly a positive characteristic. The main difference was that Twilight Sparkle and her assistant remained in the town.

She was walking behind him, a pair of baskets filled with apples along her own back. Spike sat in between them, picking through the apples and tossing out the ones of poor quality. "You don't have to toss out the ones that just have bruises or blemishes", Anton said. "If nothing else, I'll use them."

"Oh, gotcha", Spike said, setting one of the Apples back down in the basket.

Applejack looked over her shoulder, saying to Twilight, "Thank ya kindly, Twilight, fer helpin' me out. Ah bet Big Macintosh I could I could get all these golden delicious in the barn by lunchtime. If ah win, he's gonna walk down Stirrup Street in one 'a Grannies girdles!"

Anton sighed, recalling the last time they had one of their bets. He still found burnt hair in his bunker sometimes.

Twilight spoke past him, "No problem at all, Applejack. I'm glad the goal is lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry."

"I know, right?", Spike said.

"You've done nothing productive that couldn't be done at a later date, likely more efficiently", Anton said.

"I'm still helping, aren't I?", Spike asked.

Anton could almost feel the dirty look Twilight was giving him. The two of them hadn't interacted much since that fateful day. Seeing one another in passing, sharing looks when he was helping Bright Mac bring the early harvest into town. Even still, those interactions hadn't been the most positive.

"Oh, lay off it, Aquila", Applejack said. "He is just a kid. 'Sides, he's helpin' in his own way. Like Apple Bloom when she peels Apples 'er Potatoes fer dinner."

"If you say so", Aquila said.

Before Twilight could bit off a retort, a loud growl emanated from her direction. Aquila turned, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, before turning to Twilight herself. She looked back at him, a hoof to her stomach. "I guess we'd better get some food."

"Worm", Spike said, tossing out another apple. "Oh, this one is great!"

Spike held a great apple above his head, easily as large as a small plate, perfectly smooth and bright red. "Oh Spike, that looks delicious", Twilight said, smiling.

Seeming to ignore her, Spike brought the Apple up to his mouth. Before he could bite down on it, however, Anton grabbed it with his aura and yanked it away, ripping it from the small reptilian. Spike nearly slipped off of Twilight's back, holding on by grabbing ahold of her neck, causing Twilight to stumble forward. Anton placed the apple in one of his own baskets, telling him, "You were tasked with clearing out the bad ones, not eating the good ones."

"That was hardly appropri-", Twilight began, only to be cut off by a loud burp from Spike.

A jet of green fire shot out, sending Aquila jerking forward in alarm. However, the flame flowed up into the air, growing smaller and smaller before almost completely winking out. As it did, however, a scroll appeared, wrapped in a red ribbon with a golden clasp on the exterior. It fell towards the ground, Spike getting off of Twilight and grabbing it.

"It's a letter from Princess Celestia", Twilight said, her anger at Anton forgotten.

Spike removed the clasp and opened it up, clearing his throat before he began to read: "Hear ye, hear ye. Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of. Eh, yadda yadda yadda. Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest."

Both Applejack and Twilight looked at one another, eyes wide and wearing ear-to-ear smiles. "The Grand Galloping Gala!", they said in unison, bouncing up and down and cheering.

Anton turned to Spike, who born an expression of either disgust or boredom. "The what?", he asked.

"The Grand Galloping Gala", Spike said, his disgust now evident. "It's a big party Princess Celestia holds in the early spring. Next year, obviously. Big frou-frou Girly thing."

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss, Spike", Twilight said. "A dance would be nice."

"Nice?", Applejack asked. "It'd be more than nice! I'd love to go. Ah mean, land sakes, the opportunity! If ah could get a stand, ah could sell our treats 'til the Cows come home. Wah, wit' all the money ah could bring in, we could do some serious fixin' up 'round here. We could fix up the saggin' roof! Big Mac could replace that saggin' plow! Heck, we might even get enough ta pay fer Pa ta get surgery!"

"Well, in that case", Twilight began, turning to Applejack. "Would you like to-"

Anton looked up, seeing a shadow appear above the two of them. "Incoming!", he yelled, jumping forward and tackling the two mares to the ground. No sooner had the three of them landed in a heap, apples spilling everywhere, had Rainbow Dash slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Ow", Rainbow Dash said, groaning as she rolled onto her back. "Ow."

"Are you ok, Rainbow?", Twilight asked, getting up and lowering down to her friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Rainbow said, getting up and sharing the dirt from her wings. "Nothing's broken, and... I'm not bleeding or anything, am I?"

"It's apple juice", Anton said, pulling a few chunks of crushed apple off of her back.

Rainbow Dash nodded sheepishly, before turning back to Twilight. "So, we're talkin' about the Grand Galloping Gala, right?"

"Uh... Yes?", Twilight said.

Anton turned to Applejack, nodding to the baskets of Apples. "I'll get these in. After that, I need to go take care of some business in town. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Gotcha, sugarcube", Applejack said, turning back to Twilight and Rainbow.

Anton grabbed the baskets of the ground, including his own. Gathering all of the scattered Apples in his aura, he placed them back into the baskets and marched towards the barn, leaving the three mares and the reptilian behind him.

+++++~+++++

"Thanks, Oak", Anton said, passing several bits to the older stallion.

Burnt Oak nodded, smiling slightly. "No problem, Aquila. Though, I gotta ask. You live in a forest, so why are you comin' to me?"

"It's less the wood itself and more the tinder", Aquila said, shaking the small metal tin. "The wood in the Everfree burns good, but getting it to start is a pain."

"Every little convenience helps, I suppose", Burnt Oak said. "Alright, you have a good one."

"Same", Anton said, heading away from his stall.

A convenience. That is what it was; Burnt Oak didn't even need to say it for him to know what it was. He could easily make a suitable tinder from the things in the Forest. But, because it was more convenient to buy things from the Xenos, he did so. Just another sin added to his list of sources leading to his damnation.

As he contemplated this, he suddenly ground to a halt. Twilight and Spike raced past him, running at full tilt. Anton turned, looking at them run away as fast as they could. As he did so, he heard a massive clamber of voices and slamming hooves behind him. He turned around just in time to be caught up in a stampede of townsfolk.

Anton tried to wrestle free of the horde, moving left and right against the crowd in an attempt to break free. However, the shifting position of the ponies in relation to both him and the others in the crowd. Just as it seemed the physical barricade around him was starting to slow, it suddenly shifted direction, pulling him along. He tried to break away, yet he had to keep his legs moving with the crowd to avoid being crushed underneath the scores of other ponies.

Finally, the crowd came to a halt. Those in the front were yapping about something, while those towards the back were trying to push their way to the front. Growling, Anton hastily opened up his holster. He yanked his laspistol free, pushing the barrel past the other ponies around him, and fired into the air.

All around him, ponies scattered and ran. As they cleared, he was left standing alone, lowering his laspistol and sighing. He slid his laspistol back into its holster, looking up.

Twilight and Spike sat, huddled against the wall of a building. Both of them showed faces slowly coming back from panic, breathing heavily. "Thank you, Aquila", Twilight said, letting out a relieved sigh.

"For what?", he asked. "What was going on?"

"The tickets", Spike said. "All of the girls want them."

"For pretty good reasons, too", Twilight said. "And, since I only have the one extra, I can't invite all of them. If I give one of them the ticket, then the others will be upset!"

Anton nodded slowly, looking at the two of them. They looked worn ragged, as if they had just completed the Rib-Breaker and a ten-kilometer run back to back. Anton closed the flap of his holster, before looking down at Spike. "Wait. Does your menial count?"

"Spike is not a servant!", Twilight snapped. "He's my assistant, and-"

"Wait", Spike interrupted. "What do you mean?"

"You got two tickets. One is for yourself, obviously", Anton said. "But, would Spike need the other ticket, or could he come with you on your ticket?"

"No. He would need the ticket too, same as anypony else", Twilight said.

Anton replied, "Then just take him."

"Then all of them would be upset!", Twilight said.

"'The justice of your action is measured by the strength of your conviction'", Anton said. "If you can't bring all of them, then you have to commit to something. They might be less envious if you brought Spike instead of one of them, if nothing else."

"Twilight?", Applejack said, drawing their gaze. She stood behind them, where the crowd stood not five minutes ago, along with Rainbow Dash and the rest of their friends. "We- Were we really doin' that much harm?"

"I just... can't decide", Twilight said. "You're all my friends; even you, Aquila. If I brought one of you, the others would surely be disappointed, even if they didn't say so. And... I couldn't stand that."

"It's alright, Sugarcube", Applejack said, offering a hoof to Twilight. "We didn't mean ta put so much pressure on ya. Ah'll be ok wit' whoever ya choose."

"Same here, darling", Rarity said. "I didn't intend to force you to choose."

"Yeah. Making your friends feel upset is the worst", Pinkie added.

"I... Uh...", Rainbow began, before taking a deep breath. "I haven't perfected my moves yet anyway. It's cool."

Twilight nodded, taking her own breath. "Spike, take a note."Dear Princess Celestia. I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"What!?", the others cried, making Anton cringe from the sudden noise.

"If all my friends can't come, then I don't want to either", Twilight said. As Twilight finished, she handed Spike the tickets. He blew a gout of green flame of the note and the tickets, with them all of them disappearing just as the tickets had appeared this morning.

"But now you won't be able to go", Fluttershy said.

"It's fine", Twilight said. "I probably wouldn't be able to have too much fun without my friends, anyway."

"Awww", the others said, closing in around Twilight in a group hug. Even Anton couldn't help but smile, legitimately smile. Even his disgust and hatred at the feeling of... affection? For these Xenos... Even it was pushed down, at least temporarily.

"Hurk", Spike groaned, clutching his stomach. Anton turned to the reptilian, made a few more retching noises.

"Are you alright?", Anton asked.

Applejack giggled, asking, "Can't handle even a little sappy scene, eh Spike?"

Before anyone else could say anything, even himself, Spike let out a loud belch. The green fire once again shot out, as well as another scroll bound in the golden clasp. "That was quick", Anton said. "Efficient."

Spike unwrapped the scroll, reading it quickly before saying it out loud. "My most faithful student. Why didn't you just say so?" As he did, he pulled something from the base of the scroll; six small golden sheets of paper. "Six tickets!"

"Now we can all go!", Twilight said. The girls all cheered, smiling and laughing. The cacophony of noise was broken through by a loud rumbling. All eyes fell on Twilight and her wriggling stomach.

"Allow us to get you something to eat", Rarity said. "Our way of making it up to you."

They headed out, chatting and discussing places to go. Soon, only Spike and Anton stood by themselves. "What about us?", Spike asked.

"What?", Anton asked.

Spike replied, "Don't we get tickets?" After he said that, he belched again, two more tickets popping out of the thin air and landing in Spikes claws. "And one for you. Please give the other to Aquila."

"I guess we're expected to go now, huh?", Anton said.

Spike blinked, before clearing his throat and saying, "I guess so, yeah."

36~Inventory

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Anton followed Applejack's gaze over the rows upon rows of trees. Though a section of the trees had already been cleared over the past week, the main orchard was now ready for picking. Hundreds, if not thousands of the fruit-laden trees stood in rows as if on parade, perfectly regimented and unmoving in the early morning chill. "Boy howdy", she said. "We really got our work cut out fer us this year, eh?"

"Sure do", Bright Mac said. The older stallion stood in between him and Big Mac. The latter shifted his weight between his front hooves, trying not to put pressure on his wounded chest and hind legs.

"We go left to right?", Anton suggested. "Mr. Bright Macintosh takes back the baskets, and we meet in the middle?"

"Pa, ya really don't need ta worry yerself", Applejack said. "Get some rest. Ya know the cold don't do the wound any good. Me an Aquila can do this."

"Just the two'a ya?", Big Mac asked, looking at the two of them.

Applejack said, "Wah not? What? Ya insinuatin' mah mouth is makin' promises mah legs can't keep?"

"I believe that is what he's saying", Anton provided.

Bright Mac said, "Ah'll be frank, Applejack. This is a lotta trees. Ya can't be serious in tryin' ta clear them all."

"Pa, ah can handle it", Applejack said. "Plus, Aquila'll be helpin' me. It ain't like ah'd clear this whole thing by mahself. We'll get it done. Both of ya should rest."

The two other stallions looked at one another. Big Mac sighed, before saying, "Ah'm already in no condition ta be buckin'. And a bit more rest might do ya some good, Pa."

"Ah suppose so", Bright Mac said, his voice a low grumble. "Alright then. But if ya two need any help, come an' get me. Heck, bring in some of yer friends; that Twilight filly was quite helpful last week."

"Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Pa", Applejack said with a smile. "We'll take care of it."

As the two stallions began to head back towards the house, Anton turned to Applejack, "Exactly why did you want your father not to help? He's done it for as long as I've worked for you."

"Is it a crime ta want Pa ta not work too hard?", Applejack said. "He's been... Well, ya know. Sides, wit'... the anniversary comin' up, ah think it'd be best if he don't work so hard now."

"Isn't that a bit dismissive?", he asked. "'The m-The one who has nothing can still have faith.' Just because he isn't the happiest or most stable places in this region, that doesn't mean he can't help. By the Throne, it might do him some good."

"Ah guess", Applejack said. "Still, it ain't like we can't take care of it. Come on, let's get started."

Anton passed several baskets to the Applejack, who began setting them around the base of the nearby trees. As she did so, the ground suddenly started to shake. "What the-", Anton began, turning towards Ponyville.

Applejack followed his gaze to the massive cloud of dust and the dark, moving shape within it, heading straight for Ponyville. "Oh no", she said. The two of them watched as the dust cloud grew higher over the rear of the mass, allowing for them to see the front of the forms kicking up the dust cloud. "The Cows! They're stampeding! Come on!"

Anton broke into a spring behind Applejack, quickly adjusting his field cap tighter around his head. As she ran, Applejack gave a loud whistle, repeating it several times. Out of seemingly nowhere, the brown and white dog lept out of the orchard, joining the two of them in the dead spring down the hill along the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, racing on an intercept coarse towards the stampede.

"I'll go left, you two right", Anton yelled, earning a nod from Applejack. The two of them split off, each picking up speed around the side of the stampeding hoard. Stealing a look at the cows, they were wide-eyed and panicked, racing ahead out of instinct. Anton drew his sword, igniting the blade and swinging it back and forth. The whirring, crackling blade caused those directly next to him to jerk away, pressing against those next to them.

He looked up, watching as the bridge leading into town quickly grew closer and closer. He put on a burst of speed, trying to reach the front of the pack. As he did, he watched Applejack beat him to the punch, leaping up on the back of one of the lead cows. A lasso held in her mouth (Where did she get that?), she whipped it around and flung the loop over the neck of the head cow. She disappeared out of sight as she leaped off the side of the cow.

He tried to race to the front, continuing to swing his sword to try and force the cows away from the bridge. As he got towards the front, the Cows began to shift towards the right, heading away from the bridge. As the formation moved to the right, he saw Applejack and Winona, yanking the lead cow in that direction. Like the Degenerate and the Mutant around a nexus of Chaos, the Cows followed along with that lead cow, turning into a field outside of the Ponyville and away from the bridge.

Anton began to slow, panting. His heart pounded, while his lungs and limbs seemed to burn. He saw Applejack grind the Cows to a halt, tossing her lasso aside. He worked his way around the clump of the larger creatures, trading his Power Sword in his aura for his canteen. Opening the lid with a quick twist, he took a massive swig of the cool liquid, approaching Applejack as she turned to one of the cows. "Now, what was that all about?", she asked.

One of the cows gave a loud 'Moo', before coughing and clearing its throat. "Oh, Sorry, Applejack. But Mooriella here saw one of those nasty snakes." The cows around her shifted and grunted nervously, with the speaker waiting for them to quiet down before continuing. "It just gave us all the willies, don'tcha know."

"Just keep away from the town", Anton said, taking another swig of water before passing the canteen to Applejack.

"We'll certainly try to, Aquila. So long, Applejack! Winona!", she said, giving them a quick wave as the Cows all cleared out. Winona gave them a playful bark as they made their way towards the town, Applejack handing the nearly empty canteen back to Aquila.

"Ya did good, Aquila", Applejack said. "Fer yer first time."

"It's not really something you can be trained for", Anton said. "Or plan for." Applejack ranged ahead of him, giving the assembled ponies below a wide flourish. "Or expect to be involved in", he muttered, putting away his canteen.

+++++~+++++

A week had passed since the stampede, and the start of Applebuck season. Anton had spent all day out in the Orchards, harvesting the apples. The only times that Anton hadn't been working was when he was walking to and from his bunker.

Anton had expected to bring in some help at some point; even if it was just her father to bring the apples back to the cellar. However, she had maintained her position that the two of them could take care of it. He wasn't one to complain; the Imperium was built by those who labored long and hard in the Emperor's name. Though, this was far from the Emperor's service...

He trudged along, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Despite his relatively isolated position meaning he had to move a ways in order to get to the Orchard, he had still been worn to the bone. While he had the advantage of his horn as opposed to Applejack, who had to bring down the apples using her legs, that didn't mean he wasn't tired and in pain. His legs and back ached from constant walking and carrying of baskets full of apples. His horn especially throbbed and pulsed with phantom pain, worked relentlessly removing apple after apple from tree after tree. "Only the Machine and the Emperor are tireless", he muttered, giving himself a humorless chuckle.

As he moved through the Orchard, he listlessly took in the trees immediately around the main compound. They had been scoured clean of apples, all tucked away carefully in the cellar of the barn or on their way to market. As one moved further away from buildings, the more apples one could see; either fully within the trees or ones that had not been shaken loose. Anton sighed, grabbing a basket nearby and yanking a few of them free and pulling them into the basket.

Each tug of his aura gave a sharp stab of pain into the base of his skull. It had first started after the second day, starting as a numb itch and slowly overwhelming his senses with a continuous pounding, supplemented by harsh injections of agony whenever he was actively using his aura. Of course, pain was nothing new to him; in fact, this new agony was just another way to show how much he wished to atone to his Emperor. "Grant me the opportunity, O Glorious One", he muttered, bringing one hoof up to the Aquila hanging around his neck. "And I shall show you my devotion fully and without hesitation. I need only a sign, and the chance to smite your enemies."

As he moved through the rows of trees, picking any stragglers off of their branches, he heard talking. The voices sent small needles dancing across the back of his skull, but he drew closer to them. As he moved through a slightly disorderly cluster of trees, he saw Applejack and Twilight, standing at the base of a long-dead husk of a tree.

Applejack looked even worse than she had yesterday. The bags around her eyes were larger, almost growing to the size of ogryn nostrils. What parts of her eyes that weren't shielded by bags were almost completely obscured by her eyelids, which fluttered and twitched with effort in an attempt to remain open. Her posture was slackened, and she shifted and half-buckled on her hoofs. "You know, ah'm a little busy ta get lectured right now, Twilight!", she said, heading down the line to retrieve more baskets.

"But if you just let me help-", Twilight began, following closely behind her.

Applejack replied, "No. No. NO! Me an' Aquila can do this! Ah don't need no help!"

As Applejack continued to walk off, Twilight stamped a hoof and groaned. Aquila came up behind her, asking, "What is it?"

She jumped, before taking a breath. "Oh, it's you, Aquila." As she turned to fully face him, her somewhat startled face finally gave way to concern. "Are you ok?", she asked.

"Just a bit of a sore horn", he said, waving a hoof.

She frowned, before lighting up her own horn and bring it in closer. Aquila tried to take a step back, but only preceded to slip and fall forward. As he stood, she had apparently gotten what she wanted and dissipated her aura. "Your horn is more than a bit sore; you've got magic exhaustion. It's not debilitating, but you shouldn't be using magic."

Anton breathed a deep sigh. "Applejack is insistent we keep at it."

"She's wearing both of you ragged!", Twilight said.

Anton nodded. "'If a job's worth doing, it's worth dying for'", he said, before biting his tongue.

"Over apples!?", Twilight half-shrieked, before giving her own sigh. "I get you and Applejack are committed to this, but she needs help."

"You won't convince her", Anton said. "But I know who can."

"Who?", she asked. "I just want to help her."

Anton offered her the half-filled basket of apples. "Carry these, and I'll take you to him."

She took them in her aura without a second glance, following him as he trudged along. He kept moving, head low to the ground and horn leveled forward as if it were a bayonet. As they walked, Twilight glanced at him, studying his form and his gait as if he were one of her books.

The two of them reached the main house, and he climbed the stairs up front, Twilight right behind him. He gave a quick knock on the door, which was swiftly answered with a call of "Coming!" A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Bright Mac, who smiled as he stepped out onto the porch. "Hello Aquila. Miss Twilight. What can I do for you?"

"It's about Applejack", Twilight said, giving Anton a sidelong glance. When he said nothing, she continued. "She's... Well, to be frank, she needs some help."

"Ah've been tryin' ta tell her, but she took on her mother's stubbornness", he said, giving a sad exhale.

Twilight said, "This isn't just about her. She sent Rainbow Dash flying halfway across town on a catapult, and hospitalized almost a dozen ponies!"

"Ya serious?", Bright Mac said.

Anton chimed in, "She's pretty coordinated. How-"

"Normally yes", Twilight said. "But she's been doing those favors for others while also working in the fields. She just can't keep up with everything. Again, she needs help."

"Yer right", Bright Mac said. "Ah was a fool fer lettin' it go this far." He shut the door behind him, heading down the stairs in one fluid motion afterward. "Aquila, ya can go home. Yer worn as thin as she is."

"Yes sir", he said, giving a weak salute and practically dragging himself back towards the Everfree. As he went, he heard Bright Mac tell Twilight, "Come on. Mah daughter may be stubborn as a rock, this is goin' too far."

37~Boast Breakers

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Anton heard Applejack ask, "Hey, where's everypony goin'?"

Anton looked up, putting down the empty baskets. The ponies in the square were all heading away from the stalls, moving towards a cart on the far end of the square. "That", Anton said, pointing to the cart. "A merchant, maybe?"

"Don't look like it", Applejack said. "The cart's too small."

"It's apparently a new unicorn", Rarity said, stopping in front of the two of them. "She's supposed to be magically powerful."

"Hmm", Applejack mused, watching as the crowd around it began to solidify. "Ah say we check it out. Might be interestin'."

"Give me a minute to finish up here", Anton said. "I'll join you in a minute."

Applejack nodded, joining Rarity as they moved with the crowd towards the cart. Anton picked back up the baskets, stacking the empty ones and placing them into the back of the cart. The small number of apples within a few of the other baskets were taken out, shoved into one of the baskets that was more full.

As he was finishing up, he was drawn back to the cart by a loud voice, filled with pride and confidence like a Preacher, that rang out across the square: "Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" As the voice spoke, the cart unfolded, a platform expanding and areas in the back opening up, showing off brass horns and a variety of cheap decorations made of painted plywood.

He quickly tied down the baskets of apples, before heading toward the crowd. While slightly obstructed by the gathered crowd and the various pegasi flying above it, his view of the stage was still enough to see the light blue unicorn appear on the stage in a puff of dark smoke. She wore a purple cloak and floppy hat, decorated with blue and yellow stars, as well as a massive, smug grin. "Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!", she bellowed, rearing up on her hind legs. As she did, a burst of fireworks, flames, and other pulsating lights filled the square, practically blinding those in the front of the mass of Xenos.

As it died down, 'Trixie' began to manipulate her aura, creating blots of pink energy in the air and other tricks. Anton managed to get to a decent position to witness her abilities, watching with idle amusement.

After a while, however, she stopped, composing herself before facing the crowd. "Well well well", she said, her expression darkening and a scowl gracing her features. "It appears that we have some naysayers in the crowd. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical abilities of the Great and Powerful Trixie!? Do they not know that they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?"

"Just who does she think she is?", Rarity asked, glaring at her.

"A sorceress, evidently", Anton replied, earning a scowl.

Rarity snorted, saying, "You know what I meant."

"Yeah", Spike said, gesturing to Twilight. "Since we all know that-"

"Spike! Shhh!", Twilight hissed, grabbing ahold of him and leading him off to the side. The two of them exchanged whispers, eyes twisting back when another burst of flares went off, casting ever more bright and chaotic light across the square.

As the sparks and flames died down, Rainbow Dash took to the air, flying less than an inch from Trixie's face. "So, 'Great and Powerful Trixie'. What makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?"

"Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!", she exclaimed with a flourish and another shower of sparklers.

The audience murmured amongst themselves, a few excited or awed bursts of conversation echoing above the din of the crowd. Trixie remained silent while they stewed amongst themselves, eating up the awed tone of the onlookers. She really did have the air or sense of a Preacher, allowing the masses to digest her claims before she continued.

However, her claim sparked a pang of curiosity in him. Walking up behind Twilight, he asked the nervous-looking mare, "What's an Ursa Major?"

"It's a kind of magical creature", she said. "It looks like a bear, though it's skin looks like the night sky."

Anton nodded, realization sparking in his eyes. "Wait, that's what it's..."

"When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to. But, the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it deep back to its cave into the Everfree Forest!", she exclaimed, giving another flourish.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha", Anton burst out laughing, clutching his side. All eyes fell on him, including the now wrathful eyes of Trixie. "You? Beat an Ursa Major? Ha ha ha ha!"

"Do you doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie?", Trixie said.

Anton said, "Yes. Yes, I very much do. An Ursa Fraking Major?"

"What are you doing?", Twilight asked.

"Refuting a claim", Anton said, before turning back to Trixie.

"Well, if you have doubts about me", she said, before sweeping her hoof over the entire crowd. "Any Ponyvillians who wish to try and best me, I shall outmatch you. Come one, come all."

"Alright then", Anton said, climbing up onto the stage. He removed his laspistol, letting it hang at his side. "Applejack, could you..."

"On it", Applejack said, pulling out her lasso. With a quick motion, she shot it out, wrapping the red fruit from a nearby tree in the rope and pulling it in. As it flew in, he grabbed it in his aura, before tossing it up into the air. It sailed up, nipping the bottom of the clouds, before stalling and finally beginning to fall. As it fell, he shot up his pistol, firing a bolt of energy that vaporized the whole thing in a single motion.

"Impressive", Trixie said, giving him a withering sidelong glare. "For an amateur."

He snarled, raising the laspistol. "You dare-", he began, stopping as he felt the platform beneath him deform. Looking down, the boards of the platform pressed down as if he was as heavy as a Baneblade. The pink glow around it stopped, and he only had time to mutter, "Oh frak", before flying off into the air. He sailed up, brushing against the cloud before falling back down. He flailed his limbs, his laspistol falling to the crowd below, when a massive impact hit him in the chest. He flew off, coming to a sudden halt as he slammed into the apple cart, slumping against the scattered and broken fruits and baskets.

+++++~+++++

Anton kept his scowl, even several hours later and miles from the site of his humiliation. When he had come to, he learned that Trixie had also committed similar humiliations on Applejack and her friends. Of course, he couldn't exactly exact any sort of retribution against her, leaving him to head back home with a sour mood and a scowl.

As soon as he was free from the company of the townsponies, however, his mind once again began to race. Why did he care beyond his own humiliation, and the humiliation of a servant of the Emperor? His own wound was obvious, but why care about Rarity having her hair turned green, or Rainbow Dash being sent spun around like a top? Why should he care? He had no answer for it, and that frustrated him to no end.

"O Emperor", he muttered. "Why do you surround me with temptation and force me into sin? Was I not faithful to you? Have I not given my body and soul to you when I was pure? If this is merely a test, give me a sign." Maybe this was a test. That his arrival in this place and body was truly the poor luck of the universe, and that his contact with those around him were some sort of test of his faith?

As he mused, he heard twigs snapping off to his left. Normally, he would ignore it; most of the creatures of the Everfree had long ago learned to steer clear of him and the holy light of his lasgun. However, this time, it was accompanied by a nasal voice saying, "Ow!"

Turning off the path, he pushed through some of the brush and plant matter that formed a practical wall along the edge of the path. After he was through the brush, he found himself in a somewhat open section of wood, the source of the voice now apparent. It was one of those two brats that were kissing the hooves of Trixie. They stood outside a massive cave, taking a few tentative steps into that dark maw.

"Hey!", he called, stepping over the small plants and tall grass that formed the ground between the two. They instantly froze, turning to face him. "What the frak are you two doing out here?"

"We're looking for an Ursa Major", the fat one said.

Anton froze, his ears twitching. "Repeat that."

The skinny one said, "We're looking for an Ursa Major."

"Ok, you are serious", Anton said, bringing a hoof to his temple. "Yeah, what are you two thinking?"

"We're trying to prove that Trixie really is as powerful as she is!", the fat one said, genuinely... proud?

"No", Anton said. "You two are trying to be idiots by actively going into a restricted area looking for a nearly impervious monster that can rip apart a Chimera with ease." Well, he assumed they could; he didn't have one on hand to test, and frankly, the Administratum would probably have him shot for wasting such a warmachine on a test.

"You live here, don't you?", the skinny one said.

Anton sighed again. "Yes, I do", he said, his irritation growing. "But unlike you two, I have enough common sense not to go near the cave of a giant beast that is incredibly hard to bring down. Now, I am taking you back to town, and you will not be coming out here unless I am with you. Is that clear?"

As he finished, a shadow fell over the three of them. The two colts looked up, screaming. Anton whipped around himself, eyes going wide. Standing over the three of them was, just as it had been described earlier, a massive bear, with skin like the night sky above them.

+++++~+++++

Anton yelled, "Keep moving, you fraking brats!" He turned slight, continuing to backpeddle, firing a few shots at the pursuing beast. It roared and kept charging, the shots only forming dark spots on its spectral skin that quickly faded.

The three of them ran over the hill, with Spike being seen on the flat part of the field. The colts ran past him, to which he asked, "What's going on?"

Anton ground to a halt, firing another two shots, before grabbing Spike and taking off back into a solid run. "That!"

Spike looked back as Anton once again began running. Even though he couldn't see the little thing, he could practically hear his eyes bulging in his skull. "Is that what I think it-"

"Yes, yes it fraking is!", Anton yelled, firing another shot. "Look, I'll keep it out of town. Get the Guard. Get a Militia. By the Throne, get one of your Princesses down here. Just get someone!"

Spike nodded, hopping off of Antons back and running towards town. Anton, meanwhile, continued to pepper the beast with fire, trying to draw it away from the town. While it was angry at the screaming colts, it was more angry at the curse-ridden stallion shooting it with a lasgun. It gave chase, claws slashing the ground and roaring.

Anton kept running, his legs sparking with pain and his chest pounding. He finally slipped his laspistol back into its holster, no longer able to keep it up in the air with his constant movement. He looked over his shoulder, seeing it was still on his tail. Literally; one of the claw swipes came much too close for comfort, shaving off a decent bit of the back of his tail. He couldn't keep this up. He had to do something.

He grit his teeth, before jumping away from another swipe. He dug in his hooves, lighting up his horn, and reached out with his aura. He had long grown used to the unique ability that this Xenos species had, about being able to grab things with the aura. Though it disturbed him, he had grown accustomed to this kind of phantom manipulation. It was just like reaching out and grabbing something with your arm, albeit with different properties: being able to grab bigger things, things out of your reach, or even things in motion with ease.

Like the downward swipe of an Ursa Majors claw, for instance.

The flickering golden aura surrounded the front of its body, locking it in place in a shimmering golden shield. He grit his teeth, desperate to keep the grip upon the creature even as it jerked and twisted beneath the aura. The most minute movements that it made were like he was trying to keep ahold of a cloud. It kept trying to slip his aura, and if it wasn't it was merely trying to brute force the aura.

He held firm, albeit not without struggling. Sweat poured down his face, concentration forcing his eyes to clamp shut. "_{Fear is naught, for my faith is strong}", he murmured, trying to keep his focus. One slip up, one second lost, would mean the beast would come crashing down upon him. "Fear is naught, for my faith is strong." Parts of his aura felt strained, the strain forcing its way down to his horn, which in turn shot spikes of pain through his body. He sank to one knee, moving his aura away from some parts of the beast and to others, reinforcing the vital areas and letting the weak ones fall to the relentless pressure of the beast. "Fear is naught, for my faith is strong!" Soon, he was only holding onto the arms, allowing the beast to thrash and roll its massive form, roaring in anger and triumph. "FEAR IS NAUGHT, FOR MY FAITH IS STRONG!"

"Aquila!". Twilights voice, filled with fear and concern. His concentration broke, eyes snapping open and head snapping to the side. Twilight stood on the edge of the field, Spike on her back. Trixie and the two colts stood off to the side, Trixie wearing a nervous expression in contrast to the confident assurance of the colts. Around them, almost the whole town watched as his aura failed, and the beasts claws plunged down.

As he closed his eyes again, bracing for the end, he was swallowed by a cold chill. It faded as soon as it came, and he found himself on warm, somewhat wet grass, flat on his side and wheezing. His eyes refused to open, while the voices around him were a faint murmur and whisper, barely audible. As the noise, both of voices and of the whir of unicorn auras, only one thought came to him; one from earlier.

If he was being tested by the Emperor, had him protecting the town of Xenos... caused him to fail?

38~Out of his Hooves

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Instead of darkness, Anton found himself surrounded by... Light.

As bright as a sun, shrouding him with golden light. It was warm and comforting and... it just... felt right.

Slowly, he raised his eyes up, looking closer to the epicenter of the light. As his gaze shifted up, two smaller lights shot out from beneath it, one silver and one a darker gold, almost brass. The lights twisted and rolled like Fighters, before vanishing back into the greater mass of the light.

With a final effort, he forced his head up, gazing at the light.

+++++~+++++

His eyes barely flicked open, granting him a blurry view of some kind of white room. They then flicked shut again, and darkness swallowed his view. Groaning lightly, he tried to force his eyes to open up again, once again granting him a vision of that blurry white room. That vision was accompanied by a faint beeping noise, as well as a general sense of numbness that ran up his body, especially focused on his horn.

Finally, he managed to open his eyes enough to grant him a clear look at the room around him. It was white as a bone, broken only by a red stripe along the baseboards and a teal curtain that obscured part of his vision. He tried to force himself up, but could only succeed in shifting his weight. With another groan of discomfort, he tried to push against whatever he was laying on, trying to at least force himself upright.

That effort might have met with success, if it weren't for a firm weight pressing against his chest. While it could hardly have been more than a simple grip, his seeming density made it so that he was incapacitated by that light pressure. "Don't move", a voice said, somewhat murky and hard to properly place. "Go get the doctor; tell him the patient is awake."

Loud, rapid clicks of movement, like a man running in officer's boots, exited the room. As the fog over his vision finally abated, he finally was able to take in his surroundings. He was in a sanitorium.

He had seen the simple, functional structure near the center of Ponyville before, but had never had any need to head inside. Most basic injuries, if he wanted them healed, he could take care of himself. Still, the comparison to a sanitorium was quite accurate. The sterile, almost choking scent of cleansing agents permeated the air, while the constant beeping of machines and pounding of movement outside of the room was nearly constant.

His now restored vision also allowed him a clear look at who was holding him down. It was a pure white mare, her pink hair tied back in a bun and topped with a white and red cap. Curiously, it bore the image of a simple cross, as opposed to a caduceus. She said, "Easy, easy. You shouldn't be moving too much."

"Wh-what?", he asked, suddenly aware of his incredibly dry throat.

"You're in the Ponyville Hospital", she said, confirming his suspicions. "You're not in good shape. You shouldn't be moving."

Anton didn't object, sucking in a deep, raspy breath and trying to at least straighten himself out. "What... h-happened?"

"You've suffered from incredibly severe Magical Expenditure", a new voice said. This one belonged to a unicorn, colored two shades of brown and wearing a white coat. "Hence the magic suppressor ring."

"The what?", he asked, looking up. Sure enough, a small metal ring was secured snuggly around his horn, held in place by a few small wires.

"That", the Medicae said, lifting up a clipboard in his aura. "From what I've been told, it's a mixture of your attempting to hold back the Ursa Minor and your previous actions helping out the Apple Family. Simply put, you've exhausted your reserves of internal magic, and you continuing to use it is starting to draw on you your... well, life force, for lack of a better term, in order to power your spells."

Anton slumped even more into the pillows and sheets on his bed. His use of mag-Of his aura, was literally killing him. He was giving himself, quite literally, in order to try and save or help the Xenos. A servant of the Emperor, truly.

"Fortunately", the Medicae continued, ignorant of Anton's internal grumbling. "You were brought here before it could become too serious. We've given you some supplements that should help regenerate the damage to your internal systems. Applejack even brought in your zebra friend-Zecora, right?" Anton nodded, idly rubbing his throat. "Right. Anyway, she gave you something that's supposed to help speed up the recovery of your internal magic. I don't know about all that, but it has seemed to do you some good."

"Right", Anton said, giving a raspy cough.

The Medicae cocked his head, asking with genuine concern, "Would you like some water?" Anton nodded again, which the Medicae returned before turning to the nurse. "Get a glass of water. Preferably cold."

"Yes, Doctor Stable", the nurse said, heading out of the room.

As she left, the Medicae turned back to him, a look of concern on his face. "Now, uh... In regards to the wounds on your back..."

Anton sighed. His returning senses revealed that he had been stripped of his uniform. Of course they would see the physical scars of his penitence. "What about them?", he rasped.

"I... I would just like to know where they came from, Mr. Aquila", 'Doctor' Stable said. "A few of them were reopened, likely during the strain of holding back the Ursa Minor."

"Thorns", he said, half-truthfully.

The 'Doctor' looked up, giving him another quizzical look. "Thorns? All of them."

"Most of them", he said.

Before the doctor could continue his line of questioning, the nurse returned, a glass of water held in one hoof. "Here you go", she said, handing it to Anton.

Anton tried to reach out with his aura, only for nothing to reach out and grab it. It was as if the spectral hands that was made from this aura were bound behind his back, unable to reach out. Tentatively, he reached out with his physical hoof and took the glass, tilting it back and downing half of it in three, heavy gulps. The cool water flowed down his throat, quenching the dry fields of his throat.

He removed it from his lips, placing it on the bed next to him. The doctor took it from his hoof, placing it on the nightstand that Anton had only now realized was next to him. "Like I said previously", the Doctor said. "You're in stable condition. However, you're going to need rest. The medicine and... Well, Miss Zecora's potion, can only do so much. Just... rest. If you need something, just hit the button on the bedframe."

The two of them left, leaving Anton alone with his thoughts; both the pure, and the damning.

39~Held up

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"You have visitors, Mr. Aquila", the nurse said, pulling his attention away from his thoughts.

Anton nodded, both relieved and dismayed to be broken away from the chain of thought he had tried to forge. Ever since he had been told of his predicament, he had spent all the time that had been granted to him to think. Within the Imperium, such idleness would be seen as a waste; why merely sit and think when one could offer some benediction unto the Emperor, or serve Him and his Imperium in some other way? Of course, as much as he despised it, he was not in the Imperium, and he had little else to do.

Applejack was the first to enter the room, followed quickly by the others. Applejack came up next to him, a soft smile on her face. "Howdy, Aquila. Ya doin' alright?"

"Save for my inaction, yes", he said, forcing himself to sit up. He gave a brief wince, waving a hoof to calm the startled looks that temporarily graced their faces. "I'm fine. Sore, if nothing else. Besides, 'Pain is an Illusion of the-'" He stopped himself, wrinkling his nose and looking at each in turn. "Why do you smell like charcoal?"

"Long story", Twilight said, before cocking her head. "What was that you were saying?"

"Right", he said. "'Pain is an Illusion of the Senses, Fear an Illusion of the Mind.'"

"Pray tell, what does that mean?", Rarity asked.

"A statement of fact", he said. "If one knows something to be true, it... Lessens its effects in the long-run."

"Huh", Rainbow said. "That's... kinda cool, I guess?"

"It's pretty poetic", Fluttershy said.

Anton said, "It is Faith."

Before any of them could get an answer out of him as to what that meant, Doctor Stable entered the room. "Well, I got the results of that test back. Seems that Ms. Zecora's potion did the trick. You're internal magic reservoir is replenishing relatively quickly. I would, of course, recommend that you avoid any stunts like you did with the Ursa Minor."

"I don't intend to run into it aga-", Anton once again cut himself off, before turning to the others. "Wait. What happened with the Ursa?"

"Twilight here managed to lull it to sleep", Rainbow said.

The Pink One popped up next to him, grinning her massive, unnerving grin. "Yeah! She made a bunch of reeds sing, then used a water tower like a bottle, filled it with milk from the Cows Inn, and made it go to bed! She then levitated it all the way back to its cave! It was super impressive."

"Almost as impressive as what you did, Aquila", Twilight said, brushing off her friend's compliments. "Levitation magic of that magnitude, and after already being exhausted by helping Applejack with the harvest? It was nothing short of amazing."

"The Emperor Provides", Anton said, sitting up. "Does that mean I'm free to go, Medicae?"

After the quick blinks that came from those in the room at his use of the term, 'Doctor' Stable said, "Yes, though I would recommend not using magic for at least three more days." He lit his own aura, removing the ring on his horn. As soon as it cleared the length of bone, he felt a bit better, as if a weight had been pulled from his back. "Also, please come in in a week or two; I'd like to get a better look at those scars."

"What scars?", Applejack asked, looking around his back.

Anton sighed, sliding out of bed and shrugging off the teal shroud that had been placed over him while he was in bed. As if he had flipped a switch, all of the eyes that were watching him bulged, while stunned looks and exclamations graced their faces. "A-aquila? What's all dis?"

"Thorn Scars", he said simply, before turning to the doctor. "Do you have my things?"

"Your clothes are in the bottom drawer of the stand", he said. "We have your... Weapons, down by the front desk; the Receptionist can get them for you. Have a nice day."

Anton reached for that drawer, opening it up and pulling out his clothes. They had been freshly cleaned, likely because of some of the recent marks of Flagellation that had reopened. As he began to slide on his pants and undershirt, Rarity asked, "Darling, what do you mean by thorn scars? Did you fall into a bush or something?"

Anton opened his mouth to reply, before closing it. He had planned on simply saying yes, hoping to push on from the conversation. They simply wouldn't understand the need for repentance that spurred him to inflict Holy Pain upon himself. However, Applejack was quite keen on picking up when someone was lying. Instead, he said, "It is... Complicated. I would rather not say."

"Ah'm just worried", Applejack said. "Ah'm... We're, yer friends. If somethin' is wrong, we could help."

"I'm fine", he said, beginning to slide his Jumpsuit and webbing back on. "At least, as well as I could be."

Twilight added, "Applejack is right, Aquila. I know you and I have had our... differences, but I... I would at least like to consider you a friend."

He almost felt that he could scoff out loud. His old train of thought sparked back to life; one of his place in all of this. The Emperor had designs for everyone, and it was the Corruption of those who opposed his and humanity's Divine Right that men were led astray. And yet, here he was. He was no heretic, no traitor to the Imperium, no... Xeno lover.

That is what sparked his thoughts. By any and all metric, he was one. He had given aid, both directly and indirectly, to Xenos hundreds, if not thousands of times. Every little polite action, every apple he helped to pick, almost any interaction where he had not simply gunned them down, was him ignoring their sin. The ignoring of these sins condemned him further, placing him further and further closer to damnation. No chance for him to prove himself to the Emperor had presented itself. At this point, there was practically no chance for him to progress, and obtain redemption.

"Are you alright?", the Pink One said, her voice unusually somber. "You look... Sad."

"I'm fine", he said, adjusting his cap. "I'm fine."

40~Unwanted Encampment

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Anton finished ripping the last of the loose branches off of the small tree when the first bout of lightning sounded.

He looked up, the dark grey clouds spraying forth a torrent of rain in response. The few ponies still outside in the town sprang back into their homes, doors and windows slamming shut to keep out the downpour. Anton muttered to himself, slinging his lasgun back over his shoulder, and began to walk down the street.

Even as he walked, the downpour began to soak into his fur and field cap. The relatively water-resistant jumpsuit kept his body and legs dry, though the exposed sections of his body made up for that protection. The gaps in his jumpsuit, around his neck and back by his tail allowed the water in, soaking into the dry parts of his fur. A fitting metaphor for corruption and his own compliance with it, if he had ever known one.

He slogged on, the street turning to mud beneath him. Only the surface liquified, but that was enough to get him to slip and stumble a bit as he kept moving, heading for the edge of town. He straightened up as much as possible, trying to lower the surface area that could get soaked by the incoming barrage of rain. It did little to help from keeping his fur from soaking through, but he kept moving regardless.

With another crash of thunder, the rain increased the intensity of its attack. Anton had to come to a halt, holding up a hoof to shield his eyes from the downpour. As he stood there, trying to keep up his position, he was suddenly grabbed from the side, jerked off of the road and under an awning.

"Are you alright?", a familiar yet dreaded voice asked. Looking up revealed that it was the Pink One who had dragged him off of the street and into the rain. "The storm really is a doozy. And not even the kind I get from my Pinkie Sense."

Anton sighed, climbing to his hooves. "I'm fine. Now, I should get going-"

"Not in this weather you're not", the Pink One said. "Personally, I think that the pegasi overdid the storm by a teensy bit. It's not safe."

"I live in the Everfree Forest", he said plainly. "I think I can handle a rainstorm."

Before the Pink One could reply, the door opened. A portly blue and purple mare stood in the doorway, her eyes shifting between the two of them. "Pinkie. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I was helping Bon Bon bring the plants outside her storm were brought inside so that the storm wouldn't mess them up", she said, speaking as fast as an Avenger Bolt Cannon fires. "I was on my way back here when the storm started. Of course, I kept moving. Then I saw Aquila, and that he was getting soaked, and I-"

"I'm fine", he snapped, before turning to the mare. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Miss... Uh..."

"Cupcake", she said, smiling warmly. "If anything, I should be apologizing. Pinkie has some rather... loose ideas of Personal Space."

"I am well aware", Anton said. "Anyway, I should be goi-" He stopped, an incessant itching running up the length of his muzzle. As it built to a crescendo, the sensation only grew, before it finally burst forward in a loud sneeze.

"Gesundheit", Pinkie said.

Cupcake said, "Oh dear. Perhaps you should come inside. To warm up and get a bit of rest, if nothing else."

Anton once again opened his mouth to protest, before shutting it with a grimace. He stole a look back to the street, where the rain continued its effort to flood the town. It showed no sign of abating, or even slowing. Perhaps shelter for a few hours would be admissible, if only to facilitate faster travel to either his bunker or to Sweet Apple Acres. Plus, turning his gaze to the building, it was quite sizable; he could avoid contact with the Witch as much as possible.

"Alright", he said, sniffling as he headed up the short stairs. The Pink One shot past him, disappearing in a flash into the building. As he reached the top of the stairs, he turned to Cupcake. "You would be doing me a considerable favor if my contact with... her, would be as limited as possible."

"She rents a spare room we have", Cupcake replied. "I'm not sure how much that can be done, I'm afraid."

Better then nothing, he supposed. "Very well."

His first impression of the building's interior was how brightly colored it was. Almost everything was a different color, from the walls to the floor to the countertops to the various candy-shaped decor scattered throughout the room. A collection of tables filled the room, wooden chairs stacked on them with their legs pointing straight up.

As he made his way through the room, a lanky yellow stallion came out of a door behind the counter. "Oh. You must be Aquila, right?"

"Correct", Anton said.

The stallion smiled nervously. "I'm Carrot Cake. Pinkie said we'd be having a guest."

"Did she?", he asked.

"Indeed", he said. "There's a rack over by the door you can hang your wet clothes. I'll go get you a futon and some sheets."

He went up some stairs by the back, disappearing up to the second floor of the building. Anton, not really having much else to do with the Pink One out of his sight, unslung his lasgun and placed it on one of the tables. His webbing soon followed, allowing him to take off the jumpsuit.

As he hung it and his cap on the stand, he heard a bit of a rustling noise behind him. Turning, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of Pinkie Pie fiddling with the lasgun. Anger on his face, he marched forward, grabbing ahold of it and yanking it from her hooves. "Don't touch that."

"That's cool", she said. "Where'd you get it?"

"I've always had it", he said, sitting back and examining the weapon. "But since everything and everyone in this town has decided to go mad since the Nightmare Moon Incident, I figured it would be best to take it with me."

"Neato!", she said. "So, what do you want to do? You play any games? Poker? Chess?"

"No", Anton replied, satisfied that she hadn't done anything to his weapon. "Frankly, I was going to pray and get a bit of rest."

"Pray? What's that?", Pinkie asked.

Anton growled deep in his throat. "An offering to the Emperor. A prayer is a means of reassuring my loyalty and commitment to Him."

Pinkie just stared at him. "Huh", she said.

"What?", he asked, shooting her a glare. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No", Pinkie said. "Of course not. Just... interesting."

Anton muttered to himself. She was a Xenos; of course she couldn't understand what it meant to be a true follower of the Emperor. Her being... whatever she was on top of that only further distanced herself from the Emperor's light. He sighed, removing one of the chairs from a table, setting it down and climbing onto it. He reached to his neck, grabbing ahold of and removing his Aquila. Clasping the cord in both hooves, he bent forward.

Before he could think of a litany to offer the Emperor, he heard another chair move. Looking over, he was surprised to see Pinkie sitting in it. She was sitting surprisingly still, watching him. "Go on", she whispered. "I take an interest in what my friends like as much as they take an interest in mine. I get you don't like me as much as the others, but I still consider you a friend. Just... pretend I'm not here."

He stared at her, this time in disbelief as opposed to anger or distrust. He had long ago written her off as one who could never see the Light of the Emperor. And yet, here she was, having an admitted interest in his supplication to the Emperor. Was this some kind of trick? A means to throw him off of her connection to dark forces?

He tore his gaze away from her, focusing instead upon the Aquila emblem in his hooves. It might not be such a long night after all, if she was this much restrained. With a sigh, he bowed his head, and began to speak the Holy words.

+++++~+++++

"Thank's for this, Princess", Spike said, shoving another mouthful down his maw. "I've got no problem making my own food, but your pancakes are still to die for! And emeralds? Can't find those in Ponyville easily."

Princess Celestia chuckled, holding a hoof to her mouth. "It's a guilty pleasure, nothing more. I'm glad you enjoy it, though."

"I'm just glad I got the time for this", Spike said. "I know it was Princess Cadence who asked me to come here, but between her duties and... Well, Shining... I expected to be pretty busy."

"I'm quite happy we got to talk too", Celestia said. "The last time it was just the two of us was-"

"-After Twilight went to the hospital after being convinced she had 'Frogitus' by Blueblood", Spike said. Once more, the two of them burst into laughter, reminiscing on years past.

"Indeed. Oh, he was so playful when he was younger", Celestia said, finally calming herself. Her smile, previously warm and motherly, slowly shrank away into a firm line. "Though, I would be lying if catching up and just, hanging out, as you say nowadays, is not my sole purpose in asking you to brunch."

"Hmm? Then what is it?", Spike asked, crunching and chewing around the gems and pancakes.

Celestia leaned forward, looking at the small charm held under the table. She sighed, before lifting her gaze back to the young dragon. "Tell me. What do you think of Aquila?"

41~Plague

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Anton grumbled to himself, heading stiffly along the path towards Ponyville. He tried to force himself to stand upright, only for his sore back and legs to whine at the shifting weight. Instead, all he could really succeed in doing to ease his burden was adjust the shotgun that rested on his back so as to prevent it from clattering as he marched into town.

As he moved past the border of Sweet Apple Acres, he came to a stop. Over a gust of wind, he heard... humming? Looking up the hill next to the path, he saw Fluttershy standing on the hill, picking flowers and placing them into a basket perched on her back. As she placed a dull yellow flower in her basket, she looked down and spotted him. "Oh. Hello Aquila!", she called, before stopping. "Oh my. Are you alright?"

Anton looked down, studying his mud-smeared uniform. It was torn in a few places, and a section near his tail was a bit burnt. However, he wasn't bleeding, not suffered any other kinds of injuries. "I'm fine. Just... tired. Of course, I need to get food and supplies, so that takes priority."

"What happened?", Fluttershy asked, causing Anton to let out a sigh and reflect back on the chaotic morning.

+++++~+++++

Anton sighed, placing the thorn rod back underneath his bed. Fresh arcs of pain ran across his back, while blood soaked into his fur. He slowed his breathing, before grabbing a few bandages on a nearby table.

After wrapping them up tightly, he tied them off beneath his chest and slid on his undershirt. He went about the rest of his morning routine without a second thought, hindered only slightly by the resonating throb coming from his back. Soon, he had a cup filled with a rough approximation of Recaf, and sat down on the firing step of one of his exterior trenches.

Early mornings in the Everfree varied heavily, even within the same season. Most mornings were foggy and cold, with this one being no exception. However, in this case, it wasn't particularly thick, with him even being able to see all the way to the river, a good ways outside of the canyon his position was in. Even as he sat and drank, the fog was beginning to clear, with it being almost entirely clear save a few lingering spots by the time he was finished.

He went back inside, grabbing an apple as he made his way to the wash basin near the far wall. He held it in his mouth as he washed the cup out, placing it back on his table to dry.

As Anton went back outside to take care of a few upkeep tasks, he saw something land on the trench wall. It was tiny, no bigger than hand grenade, and colored a dark blue. The only thing that broke that shape was four spindly black legs, a pair of transparent wings, and massive, dark green eyes. It made a weird buzzing noise, and almost seemed to be smiling at him.

"The frak are you?", he murmured, studying it. It continued to chirp and buzz, and still seemed to be smiling.

The fact that it was this... friendly with him raised immediate alarm klaxons. Most things in the Everfree either avoided him out of instinct or because of his propensity to shoot anything that approached. If this thing had approached him completely unprompted, and seemingly without fear, then it was either something new to the forest or something else was up with it.

The things gaze shifted to the apple hovering in his aura, taking flight and fluttering over to it. It gave a few tentative sniffs, smiling at him. Before Anton could react, its mouth opened impossibly wide, swallowing the apple whole in one clean motion.

Anton jerked back, eyes widened in shock. It twittered and smiled up at him, as if nothing had happened. Anton took a step back, edging towards the door of the bunker. The creature continued to hover in the air, still smiling. As he felt his hind leg impact the rear wall of the trench, he whipped around and lept over the wall. He bounded into the bunker, heading for the nearest weapon.

That just so happened to be his Model 34 shotgun, which he figured was for the best. He grabbed the sack he had filled with the various loose shells he had access to, opening up the action and sliding in several shells. When it was filled, he closed the action and pulled the charging handle.

As he got out of his bunker, his eyes widened again. Now, there was a second creature, this one a dark, muddy purple as opposed to the dark blue one. The two of them made overlapping chirping noises, turning to him when he emerged. "Throne be praised", he muttered, before raising the shotgun.

The blast sent a wall of pellets shooting toward the two of them. The two of them, however, avoided the pellets, flittering off with alarmed chirps. A second blast quickly followed, followed by a third and a fourth. Finally, one of the creatures was hit, exploding in a shower of pale pink blood and smearing the wood and dirt around the trench.

Anton scowled, heading back into the bunker. He opened the sack back up, replacing the spent shells with fresh ones. He then slung the sack over his back, turning to head back outside.

As he did, he froze as that twittering clicking was now within the bunker. Turning around, he saw the creature sit on the rim of the bunker firing slit, frowning at him. He jerked the shotgun around, firing another blast at it. Stone and wood splinters broke as the pellets hit around the creature, sending it ducking down into another box. Into his larder.

Soon, the sounds of loud chewing came out of the wooden crate. The box shook and shuddered, before finally falling over, sending the cloth cover that was over it spilling off. As the sound of clicking and strange murmuring arose, Anton could only say one thing:

"Oh frak."

+++++~+++++

"Let's just say that some of the creatures in the Everfree are far from pleasant", he said, giving Fluttershy a side-long look. He decided that he didn't need to mention the fact he had nearly burned down a part of the forest, having had to resort to his meltagun to get rid of the things. Considering what he knew of her, she probably wouldn't appreciate that.

Fluttershy said, "What kind of creature?"

"Don't know, don't care", Anton said. "I just plan to get some food and wood, then head back home and pass out." With a final wave to the yellow mare, he continued his trudge into town.

42~Light on Details

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"Look, ah don't need too much", Applejack said as the two of them walked through the streets of Ponyville. Applejack shifted slightly, adjusting the harness attaching her to the cart filled with Apple Cider.

"Couldn't you do it yourself? Or your brother?", Anton asked, speaking above the crunch of freshly fallen snow his boots gave. "Why involve me?"

"Ya know", Applejack said. "Plantin' season an' all that. It's not somethin' that needs to be get done immediately or urgently, hence why we ain't takin' time outta the usual schedule ta take care of it. But ah'd like ta get it done soon as winter's over, so we can weatherproof it an' all as quickly as possible."

Anton tapped a hoof against his chest, considering her offer. He understood her reasoning; if something needed doing but wasn't urgent, bringing in additional aid would be useful. "Do want the wood intact?", he asked.

"What'cha mean?", she asked.

Anton said, "I have... Well, here." He reached into his webbing, pulling out a frag grenade. "I don't have a lot of these, but one or two should be able to bring it down if detonated in the right place."

"Dang", Applejack said, studying the small device. "Twi'd have a field day with one of these."

"Which is exactly why I keep them in the pockets", Anton said. He hoped to keep as much of his equipment merely considered "magic" by the Xenos as possible. Twilight had already taken a too-keen interest in his weapons, and he wanted to avoid her getting ahold of his gear. She was too inquisitive for her own good.

"Oh, speakin' a which", Applejack said, stopping. "Mind takin' one 'a these jugs ta her? She asked that ah save one fer her, but if ya could take it ta her that'd be perfect."

"Alright", he said, levitating one of the thick glass jugs out of the back of the cart. "How much do these cost?"

"Ten bits", Applejack said. "Just drop the money wit' Pa when yer headin' back ta yer place. See ya later!"

"Same", Anton said, and with that, the two parted ways.

He moved through the streets of the town as quickly as he could, his march to the Library accompanied by the loud cadence of his boots. Even though winter had only officially started a few days ago, much of Ponyville was already covered with several layers of snow. Of course, the Everfree had been snowing for a while now, and so he had grown used to the cold and the thick crunching of compacted snow.

He set the jug down as he reached the door, giving it several steady knocks. He was answered promptly by Twilight's menial, who looked up at him with surprisingly alert eyes. "Oh. Morning Aquila", he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Applejack asked me to deliver this", he said, tapping the jug.

Spike looked over, nodding. "Oh, yeah. Come on in."

"I'd really better be going", Anton said. "I've got things to do."

"No, I mean, could you please bring it in?", Spike asked. "It's almost as big as me, and Twi's still kinda sleepy."

"Oh", Anton said. "Uh, sure."

"Thanks", Spike said, walking inside with Anton on his heels. "You want some coffee?"

"What's coffee?", Anton asked. "Some kind of pastry?"

"Nah", Spike said. "It's... Well, it's technically a kind of bean. But, if you grind it up and mix in liquid, it makes a drink ponies drink in order to wake up better."

"So it's like Recaf?", Anton asked, feeling a strange sense of connection to the name.

Spike gave him a look. "What's Recaf?"

"It's a drink", Anton replied. "You boil water, and put it in with crushed leaves and berries. Zecora helped me find a good mixture for it."

"Kinda, I guess", Spike said. "Sounds more like Tea, to be honest?"

The two of them headed up the set of stairs on the far side of the main floor, heading up onto the residence of the building. A few bits of furniture were arranged around the main floor, with several rooms jutting off to the side. Spike headed into the kitchen, calling behind him, "Just put it on the coffee table."

Anton placed down the jug, sighing in relief as his aura faded. Much as the pain was just another part of his penance, he had to admit that the lack of pain from his horn felt nice. As he stood there, Twilight came out of another room, a sleepy look on her face. "Oh", she said, waking up slightly at his unexpected presence. "Good morning, Aquila. What're you doing here?"

"Applejack wanted me to drop off this Cider", he said. "That's ten bits, by the way."

Twilight groaned, before saying, "Coffee first. I'll get you the bits in a minute."

Anton rolled his eyes, but kept silent. A few seconds later, Spike returned, two mugs held in his claws. "Twilight likes hers black. You want milk or sugar?"

"No", Anton said. The Xenos put milk in their version of Recaf?

He took the mug in his aura, lifting up the steaming mug to his lips. Placing the ceramic cup to his lips, he tilted it back slightly, sipping on the dark liquid. The "coffee" was hot, almost scaldingly so, and the taste was strange. "Can't say I'm a fan."

"No problem", Spike said. "Twilight, want me to go get the list?"

"Sure", Twilight said, taking a massive gulp from her mug. "Get some bits for the Cider, while you're back there."

Spike headed back into the room Twilight emerged from, leaving the two of them alone in awkward silence. Anton watched Twilight with a sense of confused curiosity as she seemed to grow more and more alert by the second. She had polished off her mug faster than he would've thought possible, before putting it down with a contented sigh. "Sorry", she said. "I stay up late studying most nights, and kinda need at least one cup to stay up. Especially this week."

"Why? What's this week?", Anton asked.

Twilight looked down, giving a nervous giggle. "Well... I don't have anything to tell the Princess. The week has been pretty uneventful, and I just... haven't run into anything approaching a friendship lesson."

"Friendship... lesson?", Anton asked. He knew the definition of both words of course; he had especially had common instruction on the former. However, the concept of them being connected just didn't make any sense to him.

"Yeah", Spike said, coming back out with a list and a small burlap bag. He tossed the pouch at Anton, which jangled with the noise of bits as he caught it. "Twilight is still technically a student, and has to make these reports about Friendship issues. Like who your friends are and your own behavior after what happened with Gilda, or overcoming your differences when Applejack and Rarity stayed over during that thunderstorm a month ago."

Anton blinked. "And... you don't have anything?"

"Not really", Twilight said. "We've got two days until I have to send in my report, so something should come up by then. By the by, do you have anything that I could help you with. As a friend?"

This time she blinked at him, though the wide smile betrayed its nature. He said, "No. Do you really have to give her something about this? It seems pretty nebulous."

"I gave my word to Princess Celestia that I would provide a report on my Friendship lessons every week", Twilight said, a more disturbed tone working its way into her voice. "If I don't get something to her, then I'll be tardy on an assignment. And I could fail because of that. And she'll send me back-"

"Twilight, I already told you", Spike cut in. "That's not gonna happen."

"Can't you just say nothing happened?", Anton asked.

Both of them turned to him. "What?", Twilight asked, her eyes wider than usual.

"If nothing happened, just tell her nothing happened", he said, shrugging. "It's not like you can just... make a problem appear."

"I-I can't turn in a blank assignment! That's almost as bad as not turning one in", Twilight said.

"I'm not saying turn in a blank piece of paper", Anton said. "Just say 'Nothing happened this week'. She can't fault you for nothing going on unless something does happen that you don't document."

Twilight seemed to consider it, rubbing a hoof under her chin. Spike cut in, "We still have two days. If nothing does happen, it's worth a shot."

"Alright", Twilight said. "We'll look for something, but that can be a fall-back." She looked at him, and perhaps for the first time since the two had met, gave him, and him alone, a sincere smile. "Thanks, Aquila."