> Elements Change the Dark Hearts
>  by Nightmare_0mega
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Stargazers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been an exceedingly busy turn of events over the last little while in her exceedingly longer life. Ever since the return of her sister during the Summer Sun Celebration that fateful night, Princess Celestia, Monarch of Equestria and the shining beacon of serenity and harmony for the land, didn't have very much time for respite. Between spending so VERY much needed quality time with her beloved returned sibling, acclimating the restored Princess of the Moon to the modern world, dealing with the nobles 'oh so important' grievances, taking care of her subjects with patience and compassion, and trying not to let her world fall apart every other month due to a new threat or disaster, Celestia was on the verge of running herself ragged. If it weren't for the many spells she had to hide her stress and reconstruct her composure, her very light fuchsia-ish gray coat probably would have been messier than a mad scientist that had stayed up for four weeks straight to concoct some bizarre, nature defying experiment. At the very least, her multicolored ethereal mane of light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue, and pale heliotrope rarely needed a fix as long as her magic kept going. I thank the stars every day for the alicorn's gift of nigh infinite magic reserves, she thought with a bitter sigh.

Honestly, normally she wouldn't be complaining so much. Really, she was more than happy to know that quite a few things she fretted over the last thousand years were finally put to bed and that the Elements of Harmony were safe for the most part. However, she'd be lying if she didn't say she looked forward to Discord's return and subsequent rampage, or the changeling attack at the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza, or the Crystal Empire debacle just last week. Considering that a few of those events were rather touch-and-go, she was only glad Twilight and her friends were capable enough to lend a helping hoof to fix things. Sure, it was a bit embarrassing to be blindsided or taken down when her people needed her most, but everyone makes mistakes. Which I will dare to do fewer of in the future.

Never the less, as the day passed on and her duties were relinquished to her beloved sister, Celestia retreated to her quarters, stopping only to request a small midnight snack to be brought to her room, as well as tea and her favorite tea set. It was these little blessings that she enjoyed the most: The small mercies of the decadent lifestyle only allowed when she's not wrestling with politics, or dealing with her people, or trying to prevent catastrophes, or even attending important social functions required by aforementioned politics. As thoughts of squashing those cares and worries with tea and cookies took over her mind, she finally reached her room, bathed in a silvery moonlight that melded with the warm fireplace glow, set with her favorite cushion just before it. The light and warmth was welcoming as always and it had become something of a ritual for her every night since she started. Removing the golden gauntlets, breastplate, and crown, she took her seat with a content sigh.

A sigh that soon turned into a rather deep yawn, as her eyes began to grow heavier than usual. It wasn't unusual for the Princess to become this fatigued after a long string of days, so she accepted the call to dreamland. A small nap wouldn't hurt while I wait. With that thought in mind, she drew up a parchment, wrote a note that said "Wake me when my tea and cookies are here", and placed it on the small table nearby as she curled up and drifted to sleep.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


	Murky dripping. Hollow freezing. Metal turning. Silent screaming.

Rage as cold as death and sorrow as hot as lava. Stars blink twice, and existences fade. Of darkness it rises and darkness it falls. In light, as in life, it seeks an old plight. Forgotten, though, is the reason to journey and the reason to fight. Stalking memories to and fro of mortal beings and harvesting death while it is seeking. In twists of horror, of "god's" damned hands, bound to purpose of obedience blind. Memory is jumbled, thoughts are all strained, tyrannous cosmos remains unkind. Far and away from home. Far away from grace. Lost is the shadow so dire it recalls one place.

E... ... ----... es... t----... ... ia...

So cold. So cold. So cold. so cold. socold. socoldsocoldsocoldsocoldsocoldsocoldsocold...

Ce... ... le... ----... ---

i'msocold....

... ----- ... es--... ---- -- a... ...

...

...

	01000011 01100101 01101100 01100101 01110011 01110100 01101001 01100001
01000011 01100101 01101100 01100101 01110011 01110100 01101001 01100001
01010111 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00111111
01010111 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00111111 00100001


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


Princess Celestia woke up with a start, as her heart began to race from the bizarre nightmare. Vivid images of the inky blackness continued to swirl before her eyes for a moment until she rubbed them vigorously with her hooves and shook her head. With deep, heavy breaths, she stood up from her seat, and proceeded to her bedroom door, intending to seek out the room with a very particular mirror. However, upon opening the door, she ran right into the servant that had been carrying her tea and cookies, knocking the poor little mare over and dumping the contents all over the floor. Without hesitation, Celestia stopped, cleaned up the mess, and apologized up and down before taking off again, giving little explanation to the rattled servant.

Racing through the halls, she finally reached her destination in the span of mere minutes: a small, out of the way and very ordinary looking room that seems to be just sandwiched between two broom closets. One would be forgiven for believing that the door was just some wall decoration. With a light of her horn, she activated a secret lock, which caused the panel to slide open and reveal a thin hall, just enough for one pony to walk through. At the end of such a hallway was a medium sized circular room, lined with books all around, with a strange, horse-shoe shaped mirror lined with pink gems that sat in the middle: The Crystal Mirror.

She was where she needed to be, but despite the mirror's importance, it wasn't exactly the right thing she was looking for. For quite some time, before Twilight had become her protégé, Celestia had been researching the magical science behind the mirror, aided by the research quilled by Starswirl the Bearded. While she had given up on figuring out the nuances of how the mirror itself worked specifically, and how it could be changed to be more reliable, she hadn't forgotten the notes and books she had on the theory of other worlds and cross-world travel. Further still were the studies made by Starswirl in regards to a long forgotten project, on the off-chance something very personal would surely return. Many of the things in my past have returned in some form, after all, she darkly mused.

After a bit of searching, and an inward eureka, she found the book she needed. It was an old tome. Far older than many of the texts in the room, and probably as old as the lost journal she used to share with her sister. Inside were notes and documents on a prophecy Starswirl stumbled upon that involved Celestia which take place roughly a thousand years after the book was written, which eventually lead into research on realm-to-realm travel through various methods. Some seemed to hold, while others failed miserably. Thinking about the book, however, she recalled that there was supposed to be two books: with the second featuring later inventions that would help with cross-world travel, at least in theory. Never the less, she could hunt down the book later, as the first one had what she needed. After going through the pages, she learned one very important detail: Some of the earlier, cruder spells that were detailed were both the most stable as well as perhaps the most magically intensive. The big drawback to said spells were that they were one-way portals. To send someone back, extra steps would be required with much higher magical outputs. She was no inventor, nor did she want to endanger others with this secret she had kept between herself and Starswirl, so raw magical power was her only method for now. Celestia figured she'd need assistance with her project, but there were few candidates she could consider. Her faithful student, whilst powerful in her own right, is too preoccupied with more important matters, and still might run the risk of magical depletion, as she is just a unicorn. Celestia's sister, Princess Luna was another choice, but she ultimately decided against it, not wishing to demand such a great favor after only just returning to the world. Plus, Luna could never keep such a big secret even if it meant her life, as far as she remembered. There was Princess Cadance, but while she IS an Alicorn, her power was on the lower end. She then remembered an old "friend" that was currently set on the castle grounds as an ornament due to his actions after his recent escape. That may work, she thought, but he'd need to be rehabilitated, which will be no easy task, and will be of great risk. As long as the elements are available to my dear Twilight and her friends, I think it can work.

As of right now, however, she thought, as she pondered her next move. It was a difficult decision to make, but in the end, if she wanted to stop whatever was coming, she'd need to start now while she had that warning fresh in her mind. She could likely handle the spell on her own a maximum of three times in a short enough time span, but would require an absurdly long resting period of no magic what-so-ever to recover. After two, I'll release him, and get to work on that project, then. Leafing through the book once again, she recalled what exactly the plan of action was, taking into account the elements of harmony.

Dark, but redeemable, hearts capable of staving off the strongest of corruptible influences, she thought as she read the finer details. The notes described that weaker entities can be pulled through easier, while stronger bodies and wills can resist. Celestia wondered how Starswirl managed to figure out such a nuance, but decided to let it be for the time being, considering her old friend has been long gone now.

"A weak individual," she muttered to herself, "but, the plan requires said individuals to be strong. Then how-" she pondered, before an idea flashed in her mind. It was a loophole, but perhaps the detail was the key to pulling whom she needed. 

With that in mind, she studied the spells to be cast for hours, being careful to take into account the very complex sequences and weaves, as well as the correct magical output and pressure required, just to cast and maintain the connection. Confident in her rehearsal, she charged her horn, and teleported herself to the highest spire of the palace. Once there, able to view the stars with perfect clarity and overlook her beloved city, she charged her horn once again, and began to cast the spell, first to seek out the vast, infinite cosmos and reach for the first that was described in the book. It took her a while, and considerable effort on her end to maintain such a cast and link to the starlit ocean of forever, but she eventually found what she was looking for. All of the requirements lined up well enough, and before her opportunity could be wasted, she latched onto the cold, lonely heart she found, and dragged the entity to Equestria, with a great and mighty pull. While the struggle was long, eventually the link severed and she could feel the creature begin to tumble its way to her world, not surprised in the slightest that the result wasn't immediate.

Celestia, mostly drained from the action, slumped down on the spire, gave her horn one final charge, and teleported herself back into her own bedroom. This spooked the servant that had entered her room prior to her return, whom was likely there to tidy up while the Princess was away. Celestia weakly apologized, before she clambered off to bed and advised her visitor to go and do the same. With a nod, the servant excused herself and left Princess Celestia's quarters.

As her eyes began to close, Celestia hoped beyond hope that all of these risks and actions would pay off in the end. Perhaps, and just in time too, the Elements would change the dark hearts, just enough so they can put an end to the encroaching nightmare.
> Part 1: Kindness Warms The Frosty Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Demons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He wasn't having a good day today. Bael, one of the many great beasts of the frozen wastelands in the Underworld, a highly intelligent and fairly strong monster of a being, was getting his ass thoroughly kicked by a human. A HUMAN! Of all the mortal cattle in the universe that had to be the one to beat him so badly, it was the weakest race of the lot. Then again, the crafty little insect seemed to have an ace up its sleeve with that glowing hand of its. Regardless, what happened to him was a disgrace.

Within the span of a minute and a half, he went from his natural color of ice blue and white to a dark shade of violet. His crystal clear Rusalka feelers, which took the form of human-looking females at this time, and glowed a beautiful sky blue, were new a deep shade of purple accented in a dull red glow. The spines of ice that stuck from his back, normally completely colorless and transparent, were now outlined with the same dull red glow, and became much more cloudy. No, the color change wasn't permanent, but it was a sign that he was not only absolutely furious, but also about to reach his exhaustion point. Various cuts and wounds littered his body, further driving the point home that he took a hell of a beating. He would glare at the human with his red eyes for the utter audacity to be better than him in any way, if only it would stand still!

It's not like the great toad-like monster wasn't trying his best to beat the intruder. Ok, admittedly, he and his kind aren't exactly the greatest of fighters in the hierarchy of demonology. Not even close. But his size, and the fact that he can cloak himself in wind and snow should have been MORE than enough to win and eat the little twit. And his feelers should have hypnotized the male to boot! But no, none of it was working. He even tried swallowing the morsel whole with a surprise lunge, but it was always too fast. Speaking of which...

"CHICKENSHIT!" Bael bellowed as the human took off running to the opposite side of the rectangular arena they were in, just after dodging Bael's big gaping mouth. The monster shook his body, which launched a flurry of the ice like back spikes at the strategically fleeing mortal. Of course, none of them hit. Why would they? The little idiot that refused to surrender and get in his belly always seemed to be just one step ahead of being stricken down. It was like fortune just had to do this too him. Then again, that might have been his fault. After all, he was kinda sick of having those half-wit Scarecrows bringing him cats and dogs to eat (He doesn't even like cat or dog meat!) The occasional Frost would be kind enough to fish out a villager, but that was on rare occasions. He wished, just once, that some human would stroll on through and stay for lunch. Too bad that lunch wasn't exactly on this human's scheduled. He vowed to never make a wish again after this is all over.

Suddenly, while in his train of thought, he felt something small hit his face. It wasn't particularly painful. It was the equivalent of two small high speed rocks. Was the human just messing around with him now? It was bad enough that he was losing, but to be mocked by this little worm was embarrassing enough to want himself to-

BLAM! His face exploded. No, his face was thankfully still there, but the force of such a thing was enough to knock him backwards. He was dazed, and confused. And when the snow settled and he regained his senses, he was pissed. The great frozen demon had absolutely enough from that little cretin. He whipped his antenna at its intended target, hoping to strike hard enough with a similar weight as the human, just to knock it down a peg. At this point, it's all he really asked for. It sailed proud and true through the air, almost about to strike the human in the face when...

It all happened so fast. The human caught it, then somehow having enough strength to lift Bael like a chained morning star and slam him into the ground. THEN, he was spun around like someone doing a hammer toss at the Olympics. What's worse was the great toad like beast felt something snap as he sailed across the arena and slammed into the ground, which shattered much of the ice spikes on his back upon impact. He honestly didn't know what hurt more. His pride? His back? His face? His feeler?... Wait.

As he groaned in pain, an eye creaked open and spotted the human, whom held the piece of his antenna that counted the most. Something horrifying happened at that moment that would burn into his memories for eons to come. The mutated hand of that twisted little mortal glowed and ABSORBED it. He was beaten, for sure, but that didn't stop him from expressing his utter rage as he flailed about in an attempt to get right-side up again.

"You think," he painted angrily, "you've beaten ME? NEVER! You piece of-"

He was cut off by the muttering of that human, but he honestly didn't care what it said to the great beast, because he could hear a familiar sound behind him. The webbed-foot steps of his brothers. He laughed inwardly. He was so giddy, that he didn't even notice that the human was running towards him.

"My brothers will come!" He bellowed defiantly, "THEY-"

It was the last thing he said before he felt something huge and glowing smash against his face and spun him wildly out of control. With a slam against the side of something stone solid, and painfully landing on the ground once again, the great beast was down and mostly out. One would mistake him for dead at first glance. The last thing he felt just before he slipped into merciful unconsciousness, however, was being sucked into the Hellgate as it sealed behind him.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It was a beautiful afternoon in the Crystal Empire. Through the protective dome of the Crystal Heart's magical shield, the sun shined gloriously, the Crystal Ponies below were merry, and the local wildlife was serene. It was all in the bliss that enveloped the small piece of land in the middle of the harsh, snowy regions, especially since today there seems to be a raging blizzard outside the protection of the dome.  Nobody minded that fact, though, for some of them preferred snow, and found it convenient that they could exit the city and get their winter wonderland fill without the fear of being attacked by something as horrible as King Sombra. Yes, it was more of a privilege that no other pony had, but they never took it for granted, and were merely content.

High in the castle tower, however, at an observatory deck that overlooked the north end of the grand slice of paradise, was a rather discontent, light-pink Princess Cadance. Having sat there for the past few hours, a greyish purple eye staring through a long range telescope, a pony might think she was glued to it. Her normally elegant curled mane of violet, medium rose, and pale gold frayed at the edges, showing her slight bout with her own nerves. But what in Equestria would get her so spooked that she'd sit there for hours, staring out far to the north at what is essentially a blank white tundra?

"Honey?" came a familiar voice from just beyond the arch of the deck. The Crystal Princess turned towards the only beloved origin of such a pet name for her. Onto the observatory stepped Prince Shining Armor, co-ruler of this heavenly secret and decorated former Captain of Celestia's royal guard. He had a slight worried look upon his moderate cerulean eyes, but his over all composure was as fair as his turquoiseish white coat and his moderate sapphire blue mane, which was accented with cerulean and navy blue streaks.

The princess smiled at her beloved, but soon returned to her task of watching the white unknown beyond the shield. The former captain sighed as he approached his stressed significant other and sat beside her.

"You've been here for three hours, Cadance," he spoke softly, "There's nothing out there to worry about."

"I know what I felt, Shining," she replied, keeping her voice sweet and understanding, "And I know what I saw. There's something out there."

"Even if there was, it won't be able to get through the shield spell that protects us. It doesn't just keep the snow out, remember? It also makes sure that-"

"- only those with no ill intentions will pass through the barrier. I know, Shining, but what I felt was something far beyond even my knowledge of magic. Perhaps, far beyond the magic of Aunt Celestia and Luna..."

Shining sighed. As much as he wanted to subside her worries, there was no way he'd be able to come up with a solid reason why she would be wrong. While he served under Celestia for the later half of his life up until now, he didn't know the true extent of her power, or her sister's. If anyone knew about such a thing, it would either be Cadance or Twilight, whom lived with them and perhaps bared witness to their awesome might. Never the less, he decided to let the topic die, and hope that she would eventually forget this-

"WAIT!" she gasped, "There it is! THERE IT IS!!"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"Uuuuuuugggghhhhhh..." the behemoth groaned under a decent sized blanket of snow. The nerves of his back were absolutely assaulting his mind, screaming the command to turn over onto his belly to let his sore body rest easier. It was exceptionally difficult, despite the fact that he felt like he slept more than six or seven hours after his little incident, mostly because of said sore body. He tried to recount the situation in his mind, how he ended up here under snow. He remembered that filthy human, the one that cleaned his clocks. Then he remembered a giant fist coming for his face.

"I hope my brother Dagon ate that brat," he seethed, before quickly wincing at the pain in his face. Focus, he thought, what happened after? He remembered that he felt the sensation of being sucked through the Hellgate, then... 

The snow finally slid off his face, giving him a better view of his surroundings. His eyes readjusted, and slowly looked about. He was most definitely in a tundra now. But it can't be his home. He saw no Frosts, and everything seems to be too quiet, too peaceful, aside from the blizzard. In the distance, he swore he could see a giant, aqua colored bubble with a crystal like tower inside it. The giant form then began to put two and two together. 

"Oh no," he groaned. As dreaded as it was to think about, he must have fallen through the tunnel that connected the Underworld to the Hellgate on Earth. He knew the warning. To be beyond the tunnel would transport anyone foolish or unlucky enough to places far beyond their reaches. This wasn't necessarily bad, but there was a chance that he was now stuck here in the middle of cosmic nowhere. With no way home. No guarantee of food or shelter.

At least whatever was pulling the strings of the universe was kind enough to dump him in a tundra. It wasn't nearly as cold as his home, but it would suffice for now until he found a way to either get back home... or secure a food source.

His train of thought and planning was broken from another rush of pain running up and down his back, demanding him to flip himself right-side up, RIGHT NOW! With a massive groan of effort, and a little swing of his legs, he finally rolled over, and lied flat upon the snowy, frozen soil, feeling much better already. He felt so good, that he could take a little frog-nap. Just for a minute.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Shining Armor pulled his eye away from the telescope, rather flabbergasted at what he just saw. What was once just a mound of snow created by the blizzard outside was actually something that resembled a frog, rolling over from its back to its belly. To make things more bizarre, judging by how far away it was, the distance this telescope can see, and how tall it seemed in relation to the mountains behind it, that thing was MASSIVE.

"I told you so, honey," Cadance said, sticking her tongue out at her speechless lover.
> Holiday
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now the brave and bold Prince's turn to panic. It's not every day that any pony watches what looks like a giant frog roll over in the snow several miles away. It's not every day that a giant frog even exists! He looked through the telescope a second and third time, hoping that he and his wife were just undergoing tundra mirage hallucinations from the stress they've been under. He left, drank a glass of water, slapped himself in the face, came back, and once again looked through the optic designed for long distance gazing. It was still there. He could even see the odd looking webbed feet of the creature, the large crease that was its mouth, its tail... wait.

Visions and memories of his youth started flooding in. Specifically, memories of biology class when he was just a little colt. All ponies from all walks of life had to learn basic biology of the creatures that co-existed with them from place to place. One particular topic was the life cycle of frogs and toads. The switch in the prince's head clicked into place. If basic biology applied to this creature, which resembles a giant frog, then it's possible it isn't even fully grown yet. It could very well be even LARGER and much more dangerous than it already might be.

"Honey?" he heard his wife call, and felt her hooves gently place themselves on his shoulders, "You're shaking like a leaf."

All at once, his train of thought halted, and felt himself shake just before he stopped. With a heavy sigh, he finally relaxed. It's ok, he thought. Yes, there is a potentially incredibly dangerous monster a couple miles away from the city. Yes, it might not even have reached its full size, and could be even WORSE than he thought. Yes, its sudden appearance could be an omen that spells the end of the empire that he only so recently started to rule with his wife. But that doesn't necessarily mean he should worry. He was a Captain of Celestia's prestigious royal guard. He was the top of his class. He knew how to kick flank and take names. If he could face down rogue dragons, hydras, and other such monsters, than what's a giant frog to him? His confidence began to grow as he continued to remember that he isn't some pushover daisy. 

"Glad you're feeling better," Cadance said with a smile, and pecked him on the cheek, "I'm gonna go and send a letter to Twilight now. I have an idea to solve this problem."

"Wait, what?" Shining Armor sputtered in slight confusion, deflated a little. He turned, and watched his lover re-enter the castle, heading for the drawing room. He followed suit.

"Seeing as this situation revolves around what is basically an overgrown and oddly colored version of a common frog, it would probably be best to have Fluttershy brought here to assess the situation."

"Wait, Fluttershy?!" he asked with further confusion. Shining Armor loved his sister, and her friends, but he also knew them well enough to believe that they probably wouldn't be able to fix this. It wasn't exactly a task the Elements of Harmony could take on. Twilight could handle herself on her own, he reasoned, but Fluttershy was a different matter. Just by looking at her, he could tell that she would cower before a running leaf, let alone a mega sized beast. Sure, he heard the stories about her giving chiropractor therapy to a grumpy bear, had made a dragon cry, and actually tamed a very irritated manticore, but this was bigger than any of that. In this case literally.

"Look, I understand that they are very capable mares, but I think this is more of a job for the Crystal Guard. I could lead them out, and handle this," he pleaded as he cantered up beside Cadance, whom was writing the letter as he spoke. "I don't want to involve Twily unless we absolutely need to."

"Shining," she uttered gently, "I'm not going to have them fix this. I just need them here to shed some light on the situation. We have no real idea of what this thing is like, what it's capable of doing, or even why it's here. We can't jump to any conclusions, even if it did just suddenly appear out of nowhere with that flux of magical energy I felt." She finished the letter, rolled up the scroll, and sealed it with the Crystal Empire insignia. "I can't let you charge in head-on all the time. Remember when Sombra stopped you from using your magic?"

Shining Armor felt the tip of his horn out of reaction. He wasn't much of a fan of having it coated with tiny black crystals, like they were some sort of ticks on his body. They hurt like ticks too, funnily enough.

"Which is why we need to take these steps. Don't worry, you and the guard will still be going out there to escort them, in case anything happens." She wandered to the south balcony, and faced towards the general direction of Ponyville. "Now... how did Aunt Celestia say that spell went?" Her eyes shut in concentration, and with a little time and effort, the scroll set alight in a green flame, and traveled towards the south.

"I hope it works, Cadance,"

"Me too," she replied with an optimistic smile. The sound of a growl shattered the moment of heartfelt drama, as the Crystal Princess blushed slightly. "Well, that sure tells me I've been up here too long. Let's go get something to eat."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


The great snow white beast stirred in his slumber, coated in a soft blanket of the white fluff that continued to drift down from the sky. Eyes gently fluttering open, he slowly began to come back to the waking world. His vision was slightly blurred, but that was acceptable. It'll fix itself soon enough.

"What a dream," he lowly muttered, still groggy, but feeling better than he was. "Being sucked into a different world, stranded for Argosax knows how long, getting beaten up by a human... how absurd."

He yawned, smacked his disgusting mammoth sized lips, and squinted into the direction he was facing. His vision began to return, as he started to make out in the distance a bubble shaped color of translucent aqua, and-

"... A tower of crystal," he groaned bitterly. It wasn't a dream. He was in a different world, stranded, and he most certainly did get his tail kicked by a pathetic human with a glowing arm. He slammed his front foot into the ground with a frustrated and heavy grunt. The ground, in turn, gave a tremor from the sudden strike, but nothing more. He sighed in defeat, telling himself to calm down. At least he didn't die and was forced to start all over as a low level demon in the Underworld like so many other failures.

The master of the Frozen Soil stood up, and roughly shook his body, kicking off the blanket of snow from bis back. Now that he was well rested, he could think straight. Without any help from bis brethren, genotype related or otherwise, he was in a vulnerable position against watchful eyes. That tower, he reasoned, could have someone watching over the land, and probably could have spotted him. If this already happened, which is a huge possibility taking his luck into account, he would need to first get shelter.

"They'd be sending a snack over any minute," he chuckled darkly at his own cruel joke. He turned around, and spotted a wall of rock and ice that could be mistaken for mountain ranges. It was the perfect place to make a cave, and likewise, a choke point if he were ever to be cornered by an army. It wouldn't matter, however. His mouth was big enough that he could gobble a good chunk of them before they even tried anything. Not to mention that he still has the snow and wind at his eternal beck and call while he still breathed.

With a flex and spring of his legs, he jumped right to the wall in a single bound. The moment his great mass landed at its target destination, he began to dig. The process really didn't take him very long due to his size and strength, as he cut out a decent sized hovel in the wall in well under ten minutes. The cave was deep enough that if anyone so brazen and foolish to go in too far would be unable to escape him if he noticed. Of course, he would have to create more tunnels and passages later. Just in case those that may or may not swing by for lunch decided to come back with more than he can chew.

No matter, first a meal, then further excavation. He giggled slightly and snuggled himself in the back of the cave tunnel, awaiting his prey. "I hope there are some stupid humans here. They're always the tastiest."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


As soon as the lavender unicorn mare with a streaked pink and violet mane known as Twilight Sparkle got the message, she was on her way to the shy pegasus' house. It wasn't often that she'd receive a letter from her favorite foal-sitter turned sister-in-law turned Princess, but she wished that her first one in weeks wouldn't be under a seemingly dire circumstance. Just once, she'd wish that she could spend a little time with ponies she cared for without having to save Equestria from potential doom. Despite her gripe, a magical anomaly would be a perfect subject to research and further her studies, and she wouldn't be willing to pass up that opportunity. Even if such an event brought over a creature from an origin beyond pony understanding. In lieu of the trip, she left Spike under Rarity's care while she was in the Crystal Empire, which he gladly submitted to.

She only hoped that Cadance was making the right choice in involving Fluttershy in this ordeal as well. 

She reached the beautiful little earthy homestead, which teamed with an assortment of lush and active life, and gently tapped on the front door. She heard a small squeak from behind the wooden frame of the barrier, and stepped back a bit. The door creaked, and the gentle yellow pegasus with the rosy pink mane shyly inched her head out the front door. Apparently, she wasn't expecting any visitors.

"Oh, uhm, hi Twilight," she said softly, barely audible to her dear friend, "I wasn't expecting to see you today... Not that there's anything wrong with that... uhm..."

Twilight, knowing she couldn't really comfort the pegasus out of her natural fidgeting behavior, decided it would be best to get right to the point of her visit. "It's ok, Fluttershy. Listen, I just received a letter from Princess Cadance, requesting me and you to travel to the Crystal Empire and-"

The shy pony nearly jumped at the name 'Crystal Empire', immediately remembering what she went through while they were there. Including the most dreaded experience she ever had to face in her entire life... Jousting.

She started to shrink back into her home. "Oh, uhm, if it's ok with you Twilight, I think I'll just stay here and-" She shut the door in her friends face, acutely muttering inaudibly behind the wood.

"Fluttershy," she said rolling her eyes at her friend's antics, "It's a royal request. We have to go. They need me to study this magical anomaly that Cadance found emanating from the tundra and-"

"Have fun with that," Fluttershy interrupted quietly.

"... AND, they need your help to evaluate the situation up there. It seems as if a new kind of creature resembling a frog was dropped off in the middle of the-"

The door then suddenly swung open, right before Fluttershy body checked Twilight and pinned her to the ground with now heavy panic set in her eyes. The same kind of panic that only surfaces when an animal or friend is in danger.

"A frog in the tundra?!" She almost bellowed, "Oh the poor dear! Is he injured? He must be so cold! What if he'll get frostbitten?! We have to go and see him right away! There's not times to lose!!"

Twilight giggled lightly, relieved that she could convince her to go.

"First," Twilight said with a daring do attitude and a wry smile, "... could you please get off me?"

"Oh... uhm..." She stepped off of Twilight, and let her friend stand once again. "Sorry."
> Frost
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train pulled into the Crystal Train station with a hush of air, blowing the loose snow off to the side as it stopped. A blizzard was raging at the time, just like the first time the elements stepped into this part of Equestria. The only difference was that it was quite loud with its winds, which didn't seem like a good sign. The doors slid open, and out stepped the two mares, clad in boots and scarves (taking cues from their last visit). From the haze of the thickly blowing snow approached a carriage fit for four, pulled along by a few of the newly formed Crystal Guard. Out from the carriage stepped Shining Armor and his beau Princess Candace. 

If it weren't for the biting cold, Twilight would have jumped right on Cadance with a massive hug. Or at least preform her little chant that she shared with her former foal sitter. The Crystal Princess was very sure of that, just by looking into the conflicting eyes of said unicorn. She made a mental note to satisfy her sister-in-law's affectionate formalities later, lest she explode with anticipation. For now, though, they had more pressing matters. Due to the blizzard drowning out most sound with its potent white noise, and not being one to be very loud, she didn't have much of a choice aside from silent gestures. She motioned for Twilight and Fluttershy to follow her and Shining into the carriage and out of the cold and noise. Once inside, the Crystal Guard proceeded to transport them back to the empire.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Princess Cadance declared to the two of them with a warm smile.

"It's no problem," Twilight responded in kind, "But, can you tell us what exactly was going on? It just seemed a little bit absurd in the letter, and I kinda want to know what we're getting into."

Cadance sighed, "Everything I mentioned in that letter is absolutely true. This morning, I felt a magical anomaly emanating from the northern tundra. A POWERFUL one at that. When I used the telescope to try to see what was causing it, I saw-"

"The giant frog?" Fluttershy interrupted, rather uncharacteristically. She had a worried look upon her eyes when Cadance glanced her way, but it wasn't the kind of timid worry she normally had.

"Yes," Cadance answered, "I don't know for sure, but the logical conclusion is that the magic that I felt might be related to the creature. If we can find it, maybe study it a little, we'll have a chance to find out what's going on. What that anomaly was exactly, what the creature is and what it's doing here."

"The poor dear must be so-o cold and lonely."

Shining Armor was taken slightly aback from the timid pegasus' rather outward concern, for the unknown beast of all things. Did she realize how big and/or dangerous it might be? Did she not understand what kind of threat it might pose to everyone here? Did she even understand the situation they were all under? Then again, out of his sister's five best friends, Fluttershy was the second least understood of them, next to Pinkie. This was all despite the normal demeanor that was forever etched into her namesake.

Silence hung in the air for a moment as the carriage continued its journey, but was broken by Twilight. "So," she began, "how's it been ruling the Crystal Empire so far?"

"Stressful," Shining Armor piped up to her question, rubbing his temples.

"Really? I thought things would have gotten significantly easier after the incident that, well, made you rulers in the first place."

"Well, they kinda did, but many of the citizens still have some anxiety towards a possible return of Sombra."

Twilight froze at the name, holding her breath anxiously. Her brother and sister in law both noticed.

"Yeah, kinda like that," his lover mused, "Anyway, we've sent the best members of the Crystal Guards to take weekly sweeps of the tundra. To look for any black crystals or other signs of his prescience, but so far nothing has turned up. I'm pretty sure what happened that day pretty much... well, to put it lightly, it drove him off like shadows in a suddenly lit room."

"Yeah, except shadows don't normally explode," Shining Armor said dryly to Cadance. The former Captain of the Royal Guard turned back to his sister and continued to elaborate. "Aside from that, we also had to deal with setting up a more current ruling system with a newly appointed Crystal Guard, negotiate trading agreements with other nations, and dealt with the wishes that locals may have. Thankfully, many of the citizens here are actually quite content otherwise."

"Yes, thank goodness for small miracles. With what's happening now out north, we wouldn't have even had time to come out and take you into the city if we were swamped with lines of ponies wanting this or that. I do not envy Auntie Celestia..." It was rather odd for Twilight to hear her foal sitter refer to Princess Celestia as 'Aunt', but it did make sense to a degree. "Looks like were here."

With that, they passed through the barrier that kept the city safe from the raging storm outside. The Crystal Guard then taxied the carriage to the tower at the center of the city, the home of the royals and stronghold of the empire. Once it stopped before the entrances, the two royals and two elements stepped off their transportation to head inside the palace.

Shining's stomach betrayed him while climbing up the stairs with a decisive growl. "I don't know about you three, but I'm rather hungry. Anyone else want something to snack on?" 

Two voices assertively took up the offer, while the third voice expressed meek and quiet indecision. The third voice he could just barely pick up on, only due to his years of training. He smiled and shook his head while he departed for the kitchen to order something for the four of them.

One minute she's steadfast, the next she's a shrinking violet, Shining thought, I don't think I'll EVER understand you, Fluttershy.


-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-


Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Shining Armor, and a party of twelve Crystal Guard composed of equal unicorn, pegasi, and earth ponies were on their way. The blizzard was much stronger here than at the city's limits, but they didn't really pay too much attention to that. They had a job to do, and their mission was clear. Find the creature, study it, and defend themselves if it became hostile. There was only a complication. The creature was gone. In its place was a cave carved deep into the mountain side, which only meant one logical thing. The giant frog was strong enough to dig holes in stone and stone like ice. It was in hiding now, and the fact that it most likely backed itself up deep inside of the ranges posed a dangerous situation for the ponies. It created a no-escape choke point, giving it the advantage if it ever decided to attack them.

Shining Armor was now stressed out. This thing put itself in the best possible situation to gobble up anypony with its massive mouth if one dared to walk into that cave, provided it was in fact carnivorous. The only way to fix that death-trap of a situation would be to lure the creature out. He wasn't willing to send anyone in to do so, though, nor did he have any clue how to coax it out. Fluttershy might be able to sweet talk it out, which brought him back to his previous issue he had. 

Twilight began to step forward, but her brother put a barrier to block her progress. Being bounced back slightly from the force, Twilight understandably demanded to know 'What the hay?' from her brother.

He raised his voice to overpower the white noise of the blizzard, and said, "Twilight, I can't let you go in there like that. If that thing is in there, then wandering haphazardly inside will be a bad idea. You'd have nowhere to run but backwards if it got dangerous."

The young element of magic was about to protest when she heard something coming from inside the cave. It sounded like-

"Singing?" Shining Armor uttered as he stepped forward, and squinted his eyes. He could make out a glowing blue form in the darkness of the cave, and it looked like it was dancing as well. It wasn't long before everypony else was able to see it too, as it continued to get closer and clearer to witness. The form was a voluptuous, bipedal figure that glowed a brilliant ice blue, and its 'skin' was a remarkable match of crystal ponies. Sparkling and clear like a glass of water hit by light. Despite its rather strange design, it was a beautiful sight, rivaling the more beautiful looking ponies back at the Crystal Empire. Not his wife, of course, but just about.

The crystal guards got into a defensive position, but Shining couldn't help but keep staring. There was something rather alluring about the thing that was dancing just a few hundred paces away from him. Something that he wanted to follow. That was, until he noticed that his sister and her friend were already beating him to the punch. He snapped out of it, and called after them.

However, his words were useless in the blizzard after they got too far into it, with a thicker snowfall following to obstruct his vision completely. But the two mares didn't stray from the guards due to the beauty of the sight. Twilight advanced out of curiosity and fascination, while Fluttershy followed out of concern. 

"Excuse me?" Twilight called out to the crystalline being that continued to dance and sing gibberish she couldn't understand. "Excuse me?!" she called out again, "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Fluttershy. We're trying to look for some big frog... thing. You haven't seen it have you?" The form gave no reply but its singing and dancing. "Hey! Can you hear me?" With that, it suddenly focused on Twilight. The mare took a step back, anticipating something bad, but it simply motioned for them to follow. Almost in a seductive manner too, which was rather strange.

The two mares followed the glowing biped out of the blizzard and into the cave, deeper and deeper into darkness. Fluttershy was somewhat trailing behind, becoming more and more skittish the less light she saw.

"Uhm, Twilight?" she muttered worriedly, "I think we should, maybe, turn around. I mean, you're brother said it, uhm, might be kind of-" The cave shook slightly, cutting her off with an "Eep!" escaping her lips. 

"Fluttershy, it's alright. The structural integrity of this cave is rather impressive, so we should-" was all she got to say to the shy pony before she saw a pair of big, red eyes behind the crystal bipedal form. Then, the sound of a deep, angry growl echoed through the cave and rang into their ears.

"RU-U-UN!" She yelled, as jagged teeth began to show, and the air in the cave suddenly started to get sucked in further towards the shadowed out danger. Whatever was going on, both Twilight and Fluttershy attempted to flee, only to be slowly dragged in deeper. It was as if someone turned on a giant version of one of those new vacuums, and they were the dust bunnies! Their escape was futile, and the two mares now wept as they tried to escape the doom they faced. Twilight muttered about how she should have listened to her brother.

Then suddenly, with a snort proceeding, they were quickly blown out of the cave with a powerful push of air. The two mares flew out of the cave, back into the blizzard, and hit the snowy ground tumbling. They landed just at the hooves of a very concerned looking captain, who didn't hesitate to hug the two of them, glad that they were both safe. Twilight, dizzy from the short experience, couldn't protest. Fluttershy either, but it was more out of being petrified with fear with the whole event that just happened.

The happy reunion ended when the sound of quick and heavy steps came from the cave. The guards returned to their defensive lines, ready for what was coming. Shining followed suite, placing the two mares protectively behind him. The sound of those heavy steps got closer and closer, until the first thing they saw was that crystalline biped again. For a brief second, they all breathed a sigh of relief, despite the impossible nature of it. But following it was a giant, snow white creature that resembled a frog, with ice shards embedded in its back. They realized the biped before it, after taking an good, awestruck look at it, was attached to the creature. A part of its antenna, to be more precise. Its mighty size towered over the ponies that suddenly felt very much out matched by the behemoth. Its red eyes glared down at the relatively small forms of the equines.

Then, it scoffed. This was a very strange thing to witness. A giant frog, scoffing at them. What came next, however, baffled them and defied their perception of sentience and reality.

"How cute," the frog-like monster said, "those fools left their little horses behind as a distraction. Too bad I HATE equine meat." It then turned slightly to the right, calling into the white noise of the blizzard, which it was able to easily overpower with its voice. "COME OUT, YOU LITTLE COWARDS, AND GET IN MY BELLY!" For a few moments, there was relative silence, almost as if it were waiting for a reply.

"Uhm, excuse me?" muttered the meek little voice. The giant frog turned back to the group of ponies, most of which took a step back from the sudden movements. It gazed down to the origin of the voice. "Uhm, what are you looking for... I mean, if you don't mind telling me..."

It scoffed again, this time more irritably. "What a clever little parlor trick," the beast said, "and what well trained pets, being able to get them to walk into my cave and lure me-"

"PETS?" Twilight interrupted in frustration, "We're ponies, not pets!"

Ignoring the little purple creature's interruption, Bael continued to speak, "-out into the open." It then began shouting, "Pathetic humans! Cease your cowardice, relinquish your hiding spots, and accept your fate as food!"

"Hyoo-mans?" Shining Armor questioned out loud.

"What's a hyoo-man?" a member of the crystal guard asked, causing others to mutter similar questions.

"I've never heard of a hyoo-man, before..." Twilight uttered, now gaining a puzzled, yet inquisitive, look upon her face, almost wanting to press for more information on the topic.

The beast looked back down at the lavender unicorn and her companions. He then took the time to give the air a strong sniff, trying to catch any scent that would entice his appetite, but the smell of man was nowhere to be found. From then, it didn't take too long for the great toad to process the info of what was going on and it soon all clicked together. This was the sentient race of this world. There were no tasty humans.

"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!" It roared, which caused the party of fifteen ponies to flinch and shift from the sudden loud outburst, before it slammed its front feet against the ground in a fit, kicking up snow and other debris. When the ringing in their ears cleared, they could hear incoherent muttering and grumbling coming from the great behemoth. 

Surprisingly, Fluttershy was the only one brave enough to walk up to it. "Uhm, Mr. Frog? Are you ok? I mean, you seem a little upset..."

It glared at the little yellow pegasus, whom didn't even flinch this time. The creature growled lowly, "I'm stuck in a land of talking horses and there are no humans to eat." It stood up to its full extension, continuing its rant, "I'd kill the lot of you, crush you flat, but I'd get absolutely no satisfaction out of it. I EAT what I kill, and I HATE the meat of your species. I'd rather starve to death than munch on you. And now, I'm talking to the food equivalent of garbage! NO, I'M NOT OK! I AM VERY MUCH UPSET! AND I'M STARVING!!!!"

The last words rang in the air for a few moments as it breathed heavily to cool down a bit. Fluttershy, whom didn't even take off running from the rather freaky outburst of the monster, spoke once again, "Well... there are probably fish not too far out at sea, that is, if you want to fish..."

It stood there, contemplating the situation a bit, before it turned to the east, flexed its legs, and took a giant leap towards the nearest body of water. The earth shook as it landed, just before it bounded again, getting further and further away from the group, and closer to a meal. Every three seconds they could hear the fainter and fainter thump of its colossal weight hitting the ground. Until, finally, silence seeped in once again. To be blunt, Twilight was simply amazed at her best friend.

"Fluttershy, that was incredible!," she started, while trotting up to the normally meek pegasus, "How were you able to handle all of that? I would have lost my cool the moment THAT thing started yelling. Why didn't you?"

"He was just a little hungry," Fluttershy said simply and softly, "I mean, anyone can get a grumpy if they don't get fed. Angel is the same way." Something dawned on her, "Ohmygosh, I forgot to ask," she pleaded directly to Twilight, "What about all of my little animal friends? I'm not there to take care of them so-"

"It's ok, Flutterhy. I asked Applejack to look after the cottage and your friends while you were here. I'm sure they'll be just fine."


-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-


Meanwhile, back at the edge of Ponyville, right beside the Everfree forest, Applejack was already hard at work.

"CON SARNET! Ah was preparin' a salad for you. You din't have ta eat an entire bundle of carrots!" This was followed by the sound of a piece of a random vegetable being thrown at the speaker. "WHA' THE HAY?! Wha' did ah tell you about throwin' carrot ends at me?". The sound of more flying debris hitting things continued to play out. "Alright, that TEARS it! Commere, ya not-so-Angel-like rabbit!"


-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-


After getting slightly sidetracked about the well being of Fluttershy's animal friends, Twilight realized something herself. "Wait a minute! We let it get away! We might not ever see it again! This is really, REALLY bad!" She began to stress out over the situation they were under. However, that didn't last long as when, yet again, her shy best friend was the one to step up to the plate.

"It's ok, Twilight. He'll be back."

"How do you know he'll be back?" she fumed.

The shy pony simply pointed to the cave that they just recently experienced being in. "He has a home here now."

Feeling defeated, Twilight quietly submitted to the meek ponies short thesis. And with that, the group of ponies decided it would be best to head back to the Crystal Empire, to rest up after such a long day. At least there was a few lessons learned they walked away with proudly, aside from their lives: Twilight is too curious for her own good, the beast didn't like to eat ponies, and Shining Armor vowed to never doubt Fluttershy ever again.
> Where I Reign
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Northern Tundra Seas. A majestic sight to behold for mortal eyes. Crystalline waters, peppered ever so lightly with platforms of fragile thin ice and shimmering burgs, topped with lush banks of snow. Assortments of sparkling arctic fish drifted gracefully through the ebbs and flows like fireflies to the night. Harmony would not begin to describe this grand piece of nature. Irony, however, would gladly step in as the hideous giant white frog monster known as Bael propelled off a cliff side and cascaded against the placid waters. The belly flop that caused this scene cracked several ancient burgs, irreversibly damaging the environmental beauty.

This was none of his concern though. Beauty is such a cheap, physical thing. Merely desire for the eyes. It would normally get one injured or worse, and wasn't much good for anything else. He should know. He had used beauty as a weapon to lure unsuspecting prey over for lunch on a few occasions. No, if anything, it was what lied beyond the lovely waters that piqued his interest. It was a smell. A certain smelly smell that he hadn't encountered in years. Not that it was hard to come by. His tastes were just normally much higher, especially after being posted at the mortal world for so long, dining on exquisite human meat. Current circumstances forbade him from complaining about his loss.

A school of the shimmering little morsels passed by his red eyes, oblivious to their impending doom. Bael wasted no time, and snapped them up in his maw like a whale would. Their taste was still as bland as ever. He didn't care for it, but it was considerably better than any equine. He thanked Argosax for that fact.

After an hour of swimming after fish and gobbling what he could, he was finally satisfied... for a few days at least. He could eat more, but he'd save it for later. One would never know exactly what they could find in a strange new world, horse dominated or not. It was the first turn of events that he was moderately pleased with, after such a terrible time. With that, he decided to just enjoy the frigged waters while he could. After all, he wasn't in any rush to return to his makeshift hovel and potentially encounter those things again.

His eyes wandered, and he noticed something below that stood out from the rest of the blue around him. Deep and black as shadow, but solid as any piece of ice around him. The formation presented, however, was the most intriguing. It reminded him of one of the spires of that castle he made a home of in the humans' world. He wasn't stationed there for too long, but he remembered that castle like the back of his tongue. Well, almost. While he knew most of the inner workings of his former home, he'd confess he was never able to get into the towers.

Curiosity wormed its way into his mind as he stared at the sparkling, crystalline, and foreboding black tower submerged down here. Bael licked his teeth in anticipation before he paddled his way down the depths to get closer. As he did, he realized the tower was MUCH larger than the one at his former home. Whatever it was for, it must have housed something HUGE. The frosty toad wasted no more time, and swam as fast as he could up to it.

Within a moment, he found himself at an entrance large enough (and close enough) for him to swim though. He gazed around on the inside, and noticed the black tapestries decorated in what appeared to be a throne room. How quaint. Shadow demons are more subtle than this, Bael scoffed inwardly. He was about to depart the tower when something else caught is waning interest. 

Behind the tacky, black, spiked crystal throne, upon a sinister looking pedestal, sat a large lump of black crystal in the shape of a heart. Or at least, the basic shape that symbolizes a heart anyway, and not the grotesque real one. There was something about it though. Something in there that made a soft, quiet voice in the back of the toad's mind tell him, Get away from it!

Almost immediately though, that fragile little voice was swallowed by an overwhelming conviction to defy that notion. He approached cautiously, the sparkle of the crystal reflected in his eyes. He was too close now to defend himself.

Red sparks jumped off the crystal, and a sudden band of red energy tethered itself to Bael. A white hot pain shot through his cold body as the energy band kept connected between him and the black heart. Bael attempted to get away, but something was preventing him. His body wouldn't respond. The heart in front of him began to spin, slowly at first, but quickly gained speed, almost as if it were producing more energy. His own heart quickened for the first time in his life to that once unknown idea as he gazed helplessly at the wicked crystal.

Then, he heard it. A voice, both soft and commanding. Both welcoming and foreboding. Not very deep, but very, VERY dark.

"Ah~" The dark voice sighed, resonating in his mind. "Finally. Thou art a being as black hearted as Us. We cannot give thanks enough for thine noble sacrifice. Now, relinquish thy will, so We may take what We rightfully deserve."

Bael fought back as hard as he could, trying desperately to push this invading force out of him. "How- How DARE you!" the toad bellowed in frustration, "Do you know what you are dealing with?! I am the Lord of the Frozen Soil! A demon General from the depths of the Underworld! No pathetic-" He grunted in strain, "- petty-". He grunted again, "- evil spirit will command me!"

A soft chuckle resonated in his mind, "Thou art strong. Excellent. Rest your mind, beast. We have won."

Bael kept fighting, but he found it harder to move, harder to think. As painful as it was to admit, as it was to experience, the voice was absolutely right. As the great toads eyes began to close and his body sunk to the floor of the room, he felt the tower he intruded on begin to shake.

"We have finally returned..."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Cadance and Twilight sat next to each other in the dining room, sipping crystal rosebud tea, after having a decent meal not too long ago. Fluttershy chose her place at the window side, overlooking the north end of the Empire, towards the tundra they just came back from. Fluttershy sighed against the glass, with a look of forlorn worry in her eyes.

"I do hope the little guy is ok," she muttered.

Twilight, having just caught that comment, turned to her friend. "I'm sure the - 'little guy' - is fine, Fluttershy. Don't worry about it."

"But what if something happened?" she asked, turning to her dear friend, "I couldn't forgive myself if the poor thing hurt itself."

"The thing is more than half the size of this room!" The word 'room' echoed around the dining hall walls, which was large enough to hold at least a few hundred ponies. "I think that alone makes it more than qualified to take care of itself."

"Oh... ok. I hope you're right," she sighed, defeated.

Twilight turned back around to face Cadance. There was a slight disapproving look in the crystal princess' eye. "Perhaps you were speaking a bit too harshly to Fluttershy, Twilight?"

The Element of Magic sighed to the comment in remorse. "I know Cadance. I'll apologize to her later, bur right now, I'm just a bit stressed. Especially after seeing it first hand."

Cadance nodded, "It must have been quite an ordeal."

Twilight put her cup down gently. "Cadance," she started, inquisitively, "are you sure that thing is connected to the energy surge? I was able to feel a build up of magic coming from that creature, but nothing that would register as anything catastrophic."

"I'm not quite sure, but we would be better safe than sorry. Which means we should try to keep tabs on it as often as possible. Well, when it comes back."

"Fluttershy is positive it will. I don't know for sure, but I'll trust her judgement on this. She's better at working with wild animals anyway."

"I doubt that it really is a wild animal though, with what you and Shining have told me." Cadance leaned back, sipping her tea gently. "A massive, sentient frog. Equestria has never seen an amphibian such as this. Dragons were the only other creature out there at that size that are capable of speech and complex thought patterns, and they came a long way since they first started."

"Indeed. From what I've read," Twilight looked out the window as she spoke, "Amphibians, like frogs, haven't gone through any major evolutionary changes in the last 1000 years or so, like dragons have. This... thing, is beyond anything in recorded science or magic. It's impossible."

"And yet, there it was, and here we are."

Twilight slumped in her chair, and rubbed her temples with her hooves. "Let's talk about something else," Cadance suggested with a smile, "What about that energy surge. Do you have any idea what it might be, or what it might have done."

The young unicorn shook her head, "I'm sorry Cadance. I don't really know much more about it than you do... But, I have to confess something. I believe I might have felt it too, only maybe less so than you. I really didn't think much about it because Spike told me that it might just be gas from that iffy flower I ate yesterday. Then again, that's his excuse for everything..."

"You felt it too?" Shining Armor exclaimed, as he walked into the dining room to join his sister and beloved.

"Yes I did, but just barely. Wait, you felt it also?"

"No. Cadance just kept telling me about it. I didn't really believe her at first, but after seeing that thing, I'm ready to believe anything right now." He shrugged as he trotted up and took a seat beside Cadance. "Hold on. How come you two could feel it, and I couldn't?"

Both mares remained silent, unsure looks upon their faces.

"Whatever the source is, and whatever properties the surge had, it has to be tremendously powerful." Twilight concluded. "Magic like that is unreal, and either it created this creature or..." she pauses as she looks out the same window Fluttershy was looking out of. "Or, it was pulled into our world."

Cadance leaned in towards Twilight, asking, "You don't think it really came from somewhere outside of Equestria, do you?"

"That theory is starting to make more sense, though. It is something we've never seen before, and it talked about wanting to eat something called a hyoo-man, whatever that is." Twilight's hoof pawed her chin gently in deep thought. "Furthermore, we have no idea what it's capable of. Fluttershy was just barely able to keep it under control. If it ever got hostile, we would be in serious trouble."

"How could you say that?" the shy pegasus accused, "He's not hostile. He's just a lost and lonely little tadpole that needs to be shown a little kindness, and a welcoming home."

"Fluttershy," was all Twilight was able to say before the tower began to quake. And, as quickly as it came, it ended. "What the hay was that?!"

Cadance felt a deathly shiver crawl up her spine, as her mind flooded with memories. Her eyes became pinpricks of horror, as she immediately fled the dining room, heading for the observation room. Wordlessly, the others followed her, and found her looking through the telescope.

"Cadance, what's wrong?"

"No..." the Crystal Princess uttered, "that's impossible..."

"What's impossible?" Twilight asked in worry. Cadance stepped back while her sister in law approached the telescope. Far off to the north west, a sinister looking black crystal tower rose from the waters. It was now Twilight's turn to panic. "But... but that was just an old mare's tale..."

"Not anymore... The Shadow Tower has returned. Sombra's old castle, before he took over the Crystal Empire the first time. But how did it come back? It needed a powerful enough dark magic to summon, and Sombra is long gone."

There was a low boom in the distance, and something shot out of the top of the tower. It sailed through the air for a few moments, and began to steadily get closer to the city as it descended. 

"It's coming right for us!" Shining exclaimed in a sudden surge of fear as he hugs his wife close.

The object in question struck the barrier and easily passed through it, falling once again and landing right in the town center. The four ponies looked over the balcony, and gazed upon what just hit them. To their utter shock and horror, it was the giant white frog. It was here, in the city... and groaning in discomfort.

"Oh no!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she bolted out of the room and down the tower.

"Fluttershy, wait!" Twilight called after and pursued her friend, with Cadance in tow. 

"Don't go out!" Shining Armor commanded in futility, "It might be danger- Oh forget it." He chased after them.

Outside, the three mares and stallion stood before the identified flying object, which sparked with black and red energy. A crowd, had already gathered around it, kept back by the crystal guard to let the two royals and elements go unhindered. Fluttershy approached it cautiously, and spoke to it, "Uhm... Mr. Frog? Are you alright?"

The giant ice toad shook out his daze, and opened its pitch black eyes. It smiled darkly, making the four feel uneasy. There was a low chuckle, and different voice came from the monster's mouth. "We are feeling absolutely perfect, my little ponies..."

Cadance's expression melted to horror as she remembered the name that owned that voice. "S-Sombra?"
> Taking Back My Soul
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No! It can't be!" Twilight exclaimed. "The Crystal Heart destroyed you! We saw it happen!"

The form of Bael chuckled darkly at the statement. "Oh, little pony, that shadow was barely a puppet. A contingency plan in case Our efforts did not work out. We, the real Sombra, copied Our consciousness in case anything were to happen to Us while We ruled. When We failed, Celestia sealed the tower away, not knowing that she ensured Our safety."

Sombra gazed through his vessel's eyes. "Just as it was before We took over." The form sighed lightly before continuing. "We never did like the multitude of colors. But that can ALWAYS be changed. Now..." it said, leaning down towards Cadance, "We can do this peacefully, or through force. 'Tis your choice, my Queen."

Twilight turned to her sister-in-law, wanting to know what he meant, but saw the mix of horror and fury in her eyes. Whatever it was, it struck a nerve. Her response confirmed that.

"I will NEVER let you take the Crystal Empire. I swear it, as long as I still breathe!" She shouted back at the beast with the Royal Canterlot voice.

Sombra, though stoic through the beast's expression, was rather unamused at the answer. It then let an angry growl, before saying, "Very well. Thou will RUE the day you refused Us again! We will CRUSH YOU" It roared with a primal fury, causing a gale to push back lighter objects and citizens, and the sound to panic the general populous. Then, the remaining crystal guard were all swept away as it used its massive tail to strike them in a circular movement. When all opposition was cleared, the controlled giant toad then quickly moved up to Cadance's frail form, and rose its massive foot. He was going to keep his threat, literally.

It all happened so fast. She couldn't react properly. All she could do was shut her eyes in anticipation, preying it would not be painful. Then, there was the sound of something crashing against a solid form of energy. When Cadance opened her eyes to see, she realized there was a shield around her. She looked back, and saw her husband, his horn glowing brilliantly, sweat forming at his brow from the stress.

"Go! Let me take care of this!"

Cadance wanted to protest, but saw in his eyes that it wasn't a suggestion. With a firm nod, she fled to the tower entrance, hoping she could get to the top in time to activate the crystal heart. 

Displeased by the turn of events, Sombra stopped assaulting the now vacant magic barrier, and smacked the Guard Captain at full force. The stallion flew against the wall and hit it with a crack, before limply tumbling to the ground.

"Shining!" cried Twilight in shock.

"Now, to remove you..." the voice of Sombra announced. The monstrous form leaned down, and opened its gaping maw, preparing to devour the downed Prince. It stopped, and jerked back suddenly.

"Errgh! NO!" the beast's original voice spoke, "I will NOT! Depart from me, treacherous spirit!" It flexed and squirmed, as if it were fighting with itself.

"Cease your defiance, beast!" Sombra's voice shouted out.

A blast of purple energy struck the toad's side, and another against the side of its face, causing it to flinch slightly. Sombra turned his vessel towards the nuisance, and saw Twilight standing firm in offense.

"Don't you DARE touch my brother!" She shouted angrily.

The beast growled and moved towards its aggressor. With the sudden shift of attention, Twilight fled her position and it began to give chase. However, she realized she was WAY too small to be able to get any distance, and it was much faster than it looked. Passing by other fleeing and panicked ponies, she figured there was only one option. With a brilliant glow of her horn, and a sudden flash of light, she disappeared.

"Teleportation? How cute. Never the less, thou little insect cannot hide from US!" A blast of purple energy struck it in the other side of the face. "Gah!" It turned to the source, and found the same little unicorn standing on a distant roof, closer to the edge of the empire. Sombra sneered, and began moving forward, mowing over entire buildings.

On the roof, Twilight stood, waiting for him it to get close enough. Just then, Fluttershy flew up beside her. "Fluttershy?! What are you doing?"

"I-I can ask you the same thing, Twilight," She said with the bravest face she could muster.

"I'm trying to lead it to the edge of the city. If my theory is correct, Cadance is in the tower where the crystal heart is being kept, and will be using it to cast a shield spell to throw the monster out. I have to make sure it's far enough from the origin point that the stress in pushing this thing out isn't overwhelming for her."

"But, you can't do that!" Fluttershy protested.

"We have to! This thing is dangerous, and we have to get it away from-"

"It's not his fault!"

"GRRRRAAAAAHHHH!" the beast bellowed, as it was moving at full speed, mere seconds away from the two Elements. Fluttershy squeaked in terror.

"Fluttershy, FLY AWAY!" Twilight commanded desperately. Fluttershy shot off like a rocket, away from her friend and out of harms way. The massive frog beast lunged forward, mouth open, ready to eat Twilight whole. 

*CHOMP*

The beast tore off the top half of the building with its mouth, and rigorously chewed the materials, before swallowing the contents. Once finished, it smiled wickedly. "That is one insect exterminated," the voice of Sombra declared, chuckling darkly.

"T-twilight?" Fluttershy muttered, coming to tears, "N-no... It can't be." The kind and delicate pony slowly floated back towards the ground, utterly shattered from within. The world stopped around her, as she wept silently over the fate of one of her best friends. It was too sudden. Too soon. All she wanted now is to hope that when the beast faced her, whatever happens next would be quick and painless...

"You're going to have to do better to get ME, Sombra!"

Fluttershy turned towards the origin of the voice, and her damaged spirits lifted, relieving her heart and mind.

"WHAT?!" The beast turned to the east, and saw its prey at the very edge of the Empire, right next to the city shield. It growled, irritated that its prey escaped again. "Thou has evaded Us for the last time, little pony." It began charging towards Twilight once again. "Now DIE!"

The great behemoth toad reached full speed, and leaped at Twilight once again. Twilight summoned a shield around her, just as Sombra collided against it, teeth pressing dangerously against the surface. The Element of Magic strained under the pressure of the beasts jaw strength, quickly draining of energy. She preyed that Cadance made it in time.

As luck would have it, the sound of a soft boom echoed across the empire, as a teal sphere of energy began to rapidly expand. It passed over everything within the kingdom, from buildings to citizens, and began to approach the size of the surrounding shield. Sombra stopped his assault against Twilight and turned around just in time to see the oncoming wall of teal expanding energy. He smiled. Twilight's heart sank.

The expanding shield, the one that was supposed to be used to expel Sombra from the Empire, merely passed over his puppet's form. The puppet master chuckled darkly through Bael's lips. "Absolutely futile. This creature bares no ill will towards you on his own for whatever reason, despite his wicked heart. However, whilst We are in control, he hath nary a choice. Now, to finish you," he declared as he turned back to where Twilight stood... to find her missing. Instead, a hole in the ground was left in her place. "WHAT?!" 

Back near the city, away from the now cursing and roaring giant toad frantically digging, Twilight pushed and dug her way back to the surface. The drill made of magic wisps she had in front of her, helping her dig, dissipated the moment she exited the hole in the ground. She collapsed against the road before the hole she exited. catching her breath and regaining her strength.

"I *pant* can't believe *pant* it didn't work," Twilight wheezed out in a mix of over exertion and panic. "This situation may have gone from bad *pant* to worse."

"TWILIGHT!" An exuberantly relieved voice shouted, as a yellow and pink streak tackled the unicorn to the ground. Fluttershy hugged her dear friend tightly, as if she were afraid she'd loose her again.

"Too tight!" the crushed pony squeaked out, before being let go.

"I-I'm sorry. I just... I thought..." Fluttershy fumbled, before breathing in deeply and calming herself, "I'm so glad you're alright."

"It's ok... But, I think we have bigger problems. My whole plan hinged on the shield working. If he can pass through, then we have no choice but to take him down, but that could be-"

"But, we don't have to do something that awful!"

"We have to if we can, Fluttershy. The monster is bad enough, but if Sombra is in full control, then he's that much more of a threat."

"But... He's not in full control."

Twilight paused at that statement. "Wait, what? How?"

"The little guy is trying his hardest to fight the big meanie's control on him," Fluttershy stated, matter-of-factually .

"It's not a little-" Twilight started, before thinking about what her friend just said. It could be possible that she's right. she thought. If Sombra was in full control, then-. She looked back towards the tower, where Shining Armor was just getting back up. Thank Celestia for small miracles. "Ok, so it's fighting Sombra's influence. Is there a way we can help remove it?" 

Twilight didn't have a lot of time to think, as the big toad monster under the control of Sombra just finished its tantrum. "Fluttershy, go and tell my brother to gather the citizens and guards, and head to the tower. He'll know what to do then. When that's done, come back here. I have one more idea."

Fluttershy nodded meekly, and flew back to go and deliver the message from Twilight. Twilight, in turn marched forward, keeping calm and saving her strength. The great beast came charging in, but stopped just short of the Element of Magic.

"So," Sombra's voice started, "Hath thou come to accept fate?"

Twilight bit her lip in doubt, but swallowed her fear. "No, I've come to ask your vessel a question."

Sombra scoffed, "Do not trifle with Us. This body is under Our command now. It has no will other than the will of thine."

Just then, the body of the beast tensed up, and jerked to the side. "N-no! You do not have me!"

"Beast under Sombra's control. You despise your possessor, correct?" In a jerky motion, it nodded quickly in response. "Tell me, is there any way to free you?" Twilight asked, stepping forward, though with caution.

It jerked back, physically exerting itself as much as the beast was doing so mentally. It finally answered, "K-Kill me." The statement was as foreign to her as it was distressful. Death happened naturally in Equestria more often than not, and to take another life was almost unknown. The most wicked of the land would normally be imprisoned, bound, banished, and even exiled. Never executed. "I would rather return to my home with the shame knowing I died here than exist as this thing's puppet!"

Wait, Twilight thought, what did it mean by that? Does it treat death differently than us? The implications of such a notion was rather heavy for Twilight. Perhaps too much to understand at this point. However, despite such thoughts, she shook her head. No, death is death. I can't willingly take another pony's life. No matter who it is.

"I... I can't" she said defeated.

The great beast seized up, then relaxed again. "Too bad." Sombra said through the beast. "Cause, We would." Bael's foot rose up, and prepared to crush Twilight underneath. 

Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl at that point. Twilight watched with each passing second, frozen in place, as that massive foot came down inch by inch. No longer in control of the situation, she watched as her life passed before her eyes under the shadow of that winter white flesh. All of her friends and happy memories, soon to be nothing more than the memories of others. She felt the tip of her horn get pushed down, and with that, she closed her eyes.

...

...

...

Twilight opened her eyes, and looked up. She was still under the foot of the great toad, but surprisingly not crushed. Said foot was then slowly pulling back and being forced to return under the great toad's form.

"I. EAT. What. I. KILL," the original voice of the beast declared, "Equines are off the menu!"

"You insolent burden!" Sombra exclaimed from the same mouth.

"Twilight!" exclaimed Fluttershy, as she gently hovered above the situation.

"Fluttershy, you're just in time! It's fighting back, but I don't think we have much more time to loose. I want you to look this thing over. Find if anything doesn't fit with the creature."

Fluttershy nodded and hovered near the beast, looking around its body. When she couldn't find anything that seemed to not fit the creature's unique design, she ascended overhead it, and viewed the field of ice on its back. It didn't take her very long to find a large, black crystal among the clear ones. "I found something!" She gently landed on the spot of concern. She gripped the crystal and tried to pull it, but offending object was stuck beyond her strength to pull out. She rose back up in the air, and flew back to her friend.

"The poor dear has a black crystal stuck in his back. It CERTAINLY looks like it doesn't belong there. I can't get it out though..."

"I think I can..." Twilight uttered as she closed her eyes, and concentrated hard to locate the source. It was time to use the last reserves of her energy. I just hope this works out. Sure enough, she located a concentrated source of dark magic, which was the size of a large crystal. She wrapped her magic around the invading solid. With a firm grip on it, she began to pull, with all of her remaining will and effort. Bael grit its teeth together, hissing in pain.

One would think that Sombra would attempt to prevent this, or at least express his displeasure of having such an important piece being ripped from his puppet. Foals.

Twilight tightened her eyes harder, letting the sweat drip from her face, as the magic poured from her. Just as she was about to collapse, the shard was removed from the beast's back, and was flung a distance away due to the force of the pull. Bael collapsed to his belly, out for the count, and so did Twilight. Fluttershy rushed to her friend's side.

The kind yellow pegasus gently tapped Twilight's cheek, trying to bring her back to the conscious world. It didn't take long for the downed unicorn to lazily open her eyes.

"Did it work?" she asked, exhausted from all the effort she put forth in such a short time span. Fluttershy looked back. A quarter of the city was damaged. The great toad beast laid placid just behind them, groaning lightly. Citizens emerged from the tower, still very much in fear of the recent attack with the more curious ones cautiously approaching them and the beast. Far out to the distance, she could see the black crystal, staked to the ground, right at the entrance of the city limits. As bad as things seemed to be, it could have been much worse, and the calm after the storm certainly settled the situation. Fluttershy turned back to Twilight, and nodded with a small smile.

Twilight sat up, straining under her weakened state, sighing deeply. "I'm glad."

There was a loud grumbling noise, as the monster they once pacified began to shift his body. Shaking the haziness from his head, and fluttering his red eyes, Bael finally became aware of everything once again. The dark influence that invaded him had been removed, and he was now in full control. He was also standing tall, among a large amount of very frightened tiny horses.

"Oh, thank goodness you're ok," Fluttershy said with a warm smile. As weary as she was, Twilight, and admittedly everypony there, raised an eyebrow to her friends concern for the behemoth. 

Bael looked about, getting a better view of where he was. Just a hop away from the center of the city, out of the snow and cold. Surrounded by inedible walking meat sacks. A headache slowly growing in response to being controlled and violently freed. This is ridiculously uncomfortable...

Thinking that he has time enough to make it to his temporary hovel and make a few more improvements, Bael turned to leave. His attempt what cut short when another pony decided to speak up. "Just where do you think you're going?!" Spoke a very cross, and now fully awake, Twilight Sparkle. 

"Leaving," Bael answered, shortly.

"And what about the damage you caused?"

The great toad scoffed, "As much as I would LOVE to claim responsibility for these recent actions, none of this is MY fault. And, even if it was, what makes you think I'd help you?"

"Because we freed you!"

The beast laughed darkly, "Hardly a recommended notion." Before Twilight could get another word in, he flexed his legs and leaped to the north, clearing the city, and easily passing through the barrier. There was a soft boom, coupled with the shaking of the ground that got fainter and fainter, no doubt signifying the beast's departure.

Twilight sighed deeply, "Great. Just perfect." She got up, and shook herself lightly, becoming fully alert once again. "I can't believe it's being so indignant."	

"He's probably just tired. He had a very long day after all," Fluttershy suggested innocently.

With that, something snapped in Twilight's head. She couldn't contain her frustration over the situation any longer. "Would you stop that!? It's not some lost puppy, or a bear needing a back rub, but a massive mutant amphibian that could have killed any one of us! It feels no shame for what it did, and was just as quick to abandon us when it could have shown it was more than it presented itself to be! STOP DEFENDING THAT HORRIBLE BEAST!"

Everypony present became eerily silent. It took Twilight all of two seconds to realize what she just did, and by that time, it was too late. Tears were welling up in the meek pegasus's eye, as she began to shake, step backward, and began running off. 

"Wait! Fluttershy! I-" She tried following, right up until Fluttershy took to the air, flying through the barrier. Dejected, and hurt for what she did, her head lowered. "- I'm sorry." At least, she thought glumly, from rock bottom, it's all uphill from here.

In the distance, there was a loud cracking noise. The sound of crystal material being split open.
> Biting Cold
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy flew out of the barrier and into the tundra beyond as fast and as far as she could go. The vast, cold and empty white nothing before her stretched forth like unforgiving jaws. In all honesty, it terrified the little yellow pegasus, but the pain inside drove her onward. She just needed to get away. Away from the protected civilization, from the growing hostility, from her friends that just didn't understand.

At least, that's what she believed. However, deep down in her heart, she doubted those were the only reasons why she fled. Perhaps she ran from something more than that. Something deeper. Something she just couldn't swallow. 

Fluttershy began to slow down, the cold of the air finally registering against her vulnerable and thin coat. She shivered, wiping away the solidified tears from her eyes and cheeks. She had to get out of the cold and fast. She looked back, considering her return to the Crystal Empire. To face the friend that stung her. To face a truth she didn't want to admit. All she could see however, was snow. Thick enough to block her range of sight. Her fear came in full force. Lost, alone, cold, and exposed to the open elements. With nothing more to do, she acted like a snowflake, and gently floated back down to the ground below.

What came next, however, could have been considered a stroke of luck. As her head hung in sorrow and defeat, she noticed something underneath her. An odd indentation in the snow, larger than her frail pony form. Even better, the positioning of the track indicated that it was heading forward. 

"Which means..." she quietly uttered to herself, looking in the opposing direction. She couldn't see the dome of the crystal empire, but knew in all logical accounts that it had to be that way. She took a step away from the large print in the snow, and stopped. Fluttershy thought about everything that happened in the last little while. Her concern for the unknown creature, her dismissal of her friends' worries and doubts, the creature's brutish behavior. It was everything that she needed to confront if she ever wanted to lay the cold doubt in her heart to rest. And with the new conviction, she turned back towards the creature's track, and began flying in that direction. 

She just hoped that whatever happened next, that everything would be alright by the time she returned to her friends.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"HOLD YOUR DEFENSES! KEEP UP THE SUPPRESSING FIRE, CRYSTAL GUARD!" Shining Armor shouted orders from within the ranks of his battalion. The Crystal Heart failed once again to stop the new threat, and such a threat had made its way to the foot of the Crystal Tower. It was an utter war-zone between the Guard and the intruder. Unicorn guards of the Crystal Empire shot volley after volley of offense magic at the unknown entity that hid behind a black crystal wall. Shields and spears were kept up to hold their own wall, in case the foe tried a more aggressive tactic.

It didn't take long for that to happen, when a sudden line of crystals shot from the ground, tracking towards the defending ponies. The strike the crystals produced caused a couple of the guards to falter, loosing their defense. However, for the few guard that were incapacitated and removed to be treated for wounds, a few more replaced them. Shining knew that they were in a stalemate at this point, but he had a decent trick up his sleeve. One he's been charging up since the beginning of that surprise attack.

"Crystal Guard, SEPARATE!" The battalion did as he commanded, and separated the wall they made, allowing the captain access to the front of their defenses. With a glowing horn, ready to be used, Shining Armor bowed his head, and let loose his torrent. A massive wall of magic pulsed out of his horn, screaming towards the dark crystals, obliterating the black mass in one fell wave. The resulting shock wave caused everyone in the front line to flinch and cover their faces from any rogue flying debris. When the dust cleared, the Guard and Shining approached the enemy's ex-fortification. Lying on the ground at its epicenter was a black crystal pony stallion. One with a very familiar look of a dark grey coat, black mane, red horn, and piercing green eyes. The intruder of such a bleak design laughed darkly, despite looking like he was mortally wounded. 

"How in Tartarus did you get back in here, Sombra?" Shining spat, "Did you use that thing to get a ride in?"

Sombra's laughing slowed and died as he looked upon his foe. A sick smile remained as he began to explain. "In a way. To be blunt, a rampage against this empire was not required. Our actions, however, handed Us the opportunity to finish Our preparations."

"Preparations for what?!" Shining uttered venomously, pressing his hoof forcefully against the chest of his downed foe.

Sombra laughed once again, and glared at his opponent, "Thou hath already lost!" With that statement of victory, Sombra's head tilted back, and his last breath left him. His body then became a simple and deformed lump of black crystal.

"He was a copy," Shining deduced, as he began to put the pieces together, trying to figure out what Sombra's game really was. The look of dawning horror surfaced like a slow rising tide as he began to realize the repercussions of the matter at hand. And there are more of them, he thought in abject terror, gazing off to the distance. If one was able to hold of a single battalion...

No. Shining considered his options. Tragically, he really only had one. The populous was the main priority. As much as it would displace his people, he would need to get them out of the city so they can remain safe. They would need the combined help of his wife and his sister, along with able bodied pegasi to shepherd anyone else left behind. This would all be done while the rest of the guard stand their ground and attempt to fight them off. He would lose against them eventually, but as long as they're occupied, there was a chance that Celestia could intervene. 

For the good of Equestria.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-
	

Fluttershy found herself at the mouth of the cavern that housed the entity of discontent for many ponies, for a number of reasons. All she wanted to do was turn around, go back to the crystal empire, and forget this whole mess. Maybe even go home and tend to Angel and the rest of her animals. It would have been so easy to do so. 

It just wasn't right. So, with her conviction etched within, she marched forth, deeper into the darkness. Each step brought her closer to her eventual confrontation... and an absolutely goddess awful stench. It was the smell of frozen dead fish. As Fluttershy originated from Cloudsdale long ago, she knew that smell quite accurately. It was normally brought in by Griffon traders, who kept their supplies frozen to last longer. The creature she was to face likely had a similar idea. She figured that he must be nearby with such a odor present. Fluttershy decided to chance speaking up.

"Uhm..." she quietly squeaked. There was no response. Which wasn't surprising, considering her voice hardly carried around the cavern. This is no time to be timid, she thought to herself, I have to do this. "Excuse me?" she spoke, much louder this time. She could barely see movement in the darkness, but figured that she had the beast's attention now. "I'm ever so glad I could find you," she started, "Look, I know that you're lost and alone, and you don't want to be here. I mean, it must be hard being out of your natural habitat, being forced to live like this, eating... fish. I want to help you, I really do, but I can't do it by myself, and the only one I know that could help you is Princess Celestia. But, with the way you've been acting, I don't think she would help you, especially with the way you've treated us after rescuing you. Maybe it might be best if you came back to the Crystal Empire with me and apologize to my friends... I-if you want..." She began to lose her confidence in her words as she trailed off in quieter volumes. No, I have to convince him. Be strong, Fluttershy. She started again with reinforced vigor. "If you do, I'm certain everyone would come to see you like I do, in that you aren't some big meanie. Then, we can most definitely help you out. Maybe even-"

"SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE," honked the great beast, as it smacked its lips lazily, and became silent again.

Fluttershy realized that everything that she just said was outright ignored by the sleeping giant. Intentional or not, this little fact irked her to the core. She had enough with everyone brushing her off so easily. So, with a raging fire of confidence and fury, she marched up to the creature and did what she considered unthinkable. A rude awakening.

"WAKE U~UP!" 

The beast's glowing red eyes shot open as he jumped, slamming his head against the ceiling of the surprisingly sturdy cave, and groaned in protest. Bael shook his body lazily, trying to be rid of the stars before his eyes, and his own lethargy. With a rumbling yawn, it slowly turned to the small yellow intruder.

"Oh," the lord of toads said flatly, slowly turning back to sleep once again, "It's you. Leave me be, horse. I'm in no mood to be entertained by you."

"You listen here, mister!" Fluttershy commanded. Bael turned back to her, annoyance deep seated in his eyes. "I just fought with my best friend, crossed through a raging blizzard, and gathered what little courage I have just to come and talk to you! You've done nothing but act like a cold and spoiled child, indifferent to those trying to help you. We've risked our lives just to see you, and we'd do so again just to HELP! Your attitude is just-" She stomped on the ground as hard as she could muster before she continued, in a much softer tone this time, "- but we'd forgive all of that if you'd just apologize. So, drop the superiority act and come back to the Crystal Empire with me."

Silence filled the cave as the words hung in the air. The red eyes glowing at her went from annoyance, to confusion, then finally mirth, as the great toad began to laugh. 

"What's so funny?!" Fluttershy demanded, nearing the point of wanting to grind her teeth.

"In all of my years, I have NEVER witnessed a mortal so foolishly make such claims and demands. No less a mouse of an equine like you. You want to 'help'? Then do so by departing from my sight... and fetching me meat. Lots of it. No dog or cat, either. And after you do that, you can play the fiddle for me." It then continued laughing, mocking her mercilessly. 

Fluttershy was done. The very fact she was terrified of admitting was now present in full force before her. Twilight was right, she thought with a huff. With that bitter thought, she turned around and left the cave, heading in the direction of the Crystal Empire. She felt like such a fool, thinking that this creature might just be misunderstood. This wasn't like the manticore with a thorn in it's paw or the groggy dragon on the mountain. This creature was truly, unapologetically unpleasant. She flew further and further into the tundra, where the blizzard had died down, and followed the tracks backwards to her friends. She'll apologize to Twilight and tell her there's no way she'd be able to handle that beast. Best case scenario, they could just leave it alone out here and forget it ever existed.

Just then, she noticed something to the far side. A couple small specks, heading towards the large dome of the empire. Pausing and squinting, she could pick out their details, and with that, her heart quivered in fear. She couldn't mistake those features, especially seeing them for the first time as a smoke like entity.

It was Sombra. Two of them. Entirely identical from each other.

"Oh..." she shivered, "... my..."

Behind those, in a line like black ants, were dozens upon dozens of more Sombra clones. A veritable army of darkness was marching towards the Empire. There was very little she could do in the moment. She could try to race back to her friends, but chances are she'd never be fast enough, and would end up in the eventual crossfire. Or worse, everyone would have abandoned the city by the time she got there, and she'd be at Sombra's mercy. A terrifying thought to say the least. There really was only one other option.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Bael settled back into a sleeping position, glad to be rid of the nuisance. What an utter mockery of the natural order. Demanding me, a demon, to act as a slave to those lower than me? His eyes slowly drifted closed. If I am to be trapped here, they will learn to fear me, as mortals should. He smacked his lips lightly. I will retain my cold solitude...

"E-excuse me?"

Bael's eyes shot open once again as he quickly turned around to find his nuisance had returned. "No meat?" he growled, "Then be gone. I will no longer waste my time conversing with the likes of you."

"But I need your help!" She implored.

"I will not!"

"You don't understand! Sombra is back as an army of pony clones, and he's attacking the city and my friends-"

"Don't care."

"- are in danger! I can't do anything to help them but-"

"Why are you still here?"

"You could easily help them!"

Bael huffed, "Give me one good reason why I SHOULD help them. Do NOT tell me that 'it's the right thing to do'. I'm above such mortal trivialities."

Fluttershy bit her lip, and thought of what she could say to convince him. He considered what she heard from him, his attitude, what he is, and his own morals. Wait!

"Nothing?" Bael spat, "Then LEAVE!" He turned back and tried to go back to sleep.

"... They aren't real ponies..." The statement was so odd and out of nowhere that it captured the toads attention. He shifted slightly towards the mare, as she continued. "The Sombra clones. They aren't real. W-well, they shouldn't be, at least. They look too identical... and give off this crystalline shimmer, despite how dark they look. If they aren't real, then they probably don't... eugh... taste like a real pony."

Bael, intrigued, turned back towards his little intruder slowly, and leaned in closer. "Pony," He began, low and serious. Fluttershy looked up in attention and terror to the great beast. "Do you swear on your life that what you say is true?"

"I-I don't-"

"DO YOU SWEAR?" he demanded.

"Y-YES!"

"Good." He smiled a big, sharp, toothy grin, "If you have lied, I will be obligated to break both of my personal rules."

With that notion, Bael began to move out of the cave and disappear against the newly formed blizzard. Fluttershy remained behind, thinking about what exactly she had just done.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It had been quiet for quite a while, since they stopped the first copy. Shining and the rest of the Crystal Guard held their position in front of the tower, waiting for Sombra's next attack. The Prince had already commanded that the citizens were to be evacuated, and sent to Canterlot for refuge. It took him a bit of time, but he was soon able to convince his wife to do the same. I'm just sorry I promised I'd come out of this safe, he thought. He stood attentive, ready for just about anything. The one thing he wasn't ready for was a blinding flash, and his sister appearing beside him.

"Twiliy?" Shining Armor asked, dumbfounded, "What are you doing here? You should be gone with Cadance and the rest of the Crystal Ponies! I don't want you hurt."

"I can't go," Twilight objected, shaking her head, "Fluttershy is still out there. I messed up once already, but I'm not going to abandon her on top of all of this."

"It's too dangerous for you to go looking for her. Sombra is outside the barrier, probably getting ready to invade, right as we speak. If Fluttershy is smart, she'd be hiding in the mountains until everything's died down. Please, just go back to Canterlot. One of the pegasus guards will escort you."

"Not without Fluttershy!"

Just then, there was a buzzing noise. This normally wouldn't be noticed by a city full of ponies, but in a nearly vacant dome, it comes through clear as day. A second buzzing noise followed suite.

"Captain! Two Sombra copies! North East side!" one of the pegasi Crystal Guard announced.

"Here they come. Twilight. This is an order not from your brother, but your monarch. GO. HOME." He demanded.

There was a third buzzing noise, and a familiar blue bipedal thing shot through the shield, grabbed one of the clones, and pulled it back through. Everyone saw it, and watched quizzically at what unfolded before them.

Way at the edge of the shield, the second Sombra clone looked to where its partner should be, and growled. He didn't get more than two steps before he saw the blue thing shoot through the dome's wall, and grab his form. Suddenly, Sombra felt cold, before he gained a sudden sense of vertigo, as he was yanked back through the shield, and slammed to the snowy ground. When feeling began to return, he shook his head, and gazed up at what pulled him through. The great toad stood before him, munching on the first clone, which pitifully cried for help in between crunches.

"Well, what do you know," the master of frozen land said in satisfaction, swallowing the remains, "You lot taste like licorice."

Bael smiled wickedly. This is gonna be fun.
> Shattering the Skies Above
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra was stunned and defenseless. His clone army was still too far away to be of any assistance. As for Bael? He was having a grand ol' time.

"Y-you treacherous beast!" Sombra stammered, "Thou will ruin EVERYTHING!"

"That is none of my concern," Bael responded coldly, "Your plans were lying in ruins the moment you tried to use me. A fatal error that will NOT go unpunished, you puny morsel. Now, you will learn your new place in this world."

The weather began to turn, as a blizzard quickly formed into its full might. The great toad straightened up proudly, before announcing. "I AM BAEL! LORD OF TOADS AND MASTER OF FROZEN SOIL! And you," he glanced to the approaching army of Sombras, "ALL of you," he looked back to the cowering black crystal pony below him, "Will henceforth be baptized as-" He stepped closer to the Sombra clone, leaning in for extra emphasis. "- Dinner."

With a powerful chomp, the clone was gone, and the only indication that there was one there were the shrill cries of pain coming from Bael's mouth as he chewed with glee, before swallowing the hapless animated lump of crystal. He turned to the approaching army, ready to get this banquet started.

"ATTACK!" The lead Sombra shouted to his copies, "SHOW THIS CREATURE NO MERCY!" None shall cross Us and live to tell about it!

The copies did as they were told. Some created crystal walls for defense, while others marched forward, firing volleys of concentrated dark magic. Despite Bael's size, he nimbly jumped out of the way, and charged to the attacking clones upon landing. With a swift swing of his body, his remaining Rusalka feeler whipped forth, grabbing one of them and tossed it back at one of the walls. The wall shattered along with the clone's back.

Bael leaped forth at the dumbfounded clones, and caught a pair of them in his jaws. He began to quickly and mightily chew them up, relishing in their taste. One of the braver clones decided to try to repay the favor by jumping at Bael's right hind leg, and bit down. The great toad didn't appreciate such a foolish action, and kicked the clone up, causing him to loose his grip and fly in the air for a moment. As soon as he hit the ground, the foot came back up again and swiftly crushed the clone without ceremony. 

A trio of clones stepped forth, and tried to send a shock wave of black crystals in Bael's direction. Seeing it coming, Bael leaped backwards, avoiding the climax of crystals that erupted from the ground. With enough distance between him and them, he breathed in, and exhaled his special gas. Suddenly, he was gone.

The clones were utterly confused as to how they lost track of something so massive. Stranger still, they noticed that the snow not only got a tad thicker, but everything got much darker.

Cracking the dimness of the battleground, Bael's glowing Rusalka feeler dropped down from the heavens, right in the center of the trio. It "smirked", transformed its arms into blades, and spun quickly like a deadly ballerina. The three unlucky Sombra copies were knocked backwards with heavy wounds. It stopped spinning, and began slowly walking forward to one of the downed foes. The unlucky foe rose back to his hooves, not willing to go without a fight, but found himself taking the feeler's blade right in the neck. The other two swiftly got back up and jumped the feeler, but it danced around them like an expert, laughing the whole time. More clones joined into the fray, firing at the feeler, attempting to grab it, or at least trying to harm it. Despite their numbers, they were just much too slow, and relied too much on their magic to face the ghost like appendage.

Suddenly, it was pulled back up to the heavens and disappeared. Before they realized what was happening, the battle ground got a bit lighter, and Bael shot out from nowhere. His leap was precise. His arc was true. His mouth was WIDE open. It was too late for the clones to realize that they accidentally clustered together while fighting against the feeler. With a mighty chomp, a decent handful of them were snatched up in his powerful jaws and devoured like others before them. Unfortunately, this left Bael quite vulnerable. The copies took the opportunity of his dining to start firing upon the toad. The balls of dark magic struck the great white beast, irritating him.

"You will regret that!" Bael growled, as he jumped to the side, avoiding more fire. He slammed his forelegs upon the ground, forcing a wall of ice to appear in front of him, defending him against further attack. When he knew he was safe enough, he shook his body violently, and launched the ice crystals from his back. They sailed through the air and dropped down like comets of death. A few of the clones were able to get away. Others weren't that lucky. Some were outright crushed, others got knocked back by their landing. One unfortunate clone was knocked backwards, and then got its head crushed in by a second shard. The smarter ones created a black crystal barrier to defend themselves from the sky falling doom. However, they weren't smart enough to notice that Bael had jumped out from behind his own shield, and was well on his way to belly flopping the stationary target. A satisfying CRUNCH was heard when he landed on the shelter. He got back up quick enough to take another shot to the face. Bael, upon instinct, jumped backward, avoiding further shots. With enough distance, he breathed in, and exhaled the equivalency of absolute zero. This froze a few of the unlucky clones in the range of the blast, and encased them in ice crystal prisons, with looks of pain and utter horror preserved on their faces. Bael jumped forward and gobbled them up.

"Frozen fools always taste the best." He chuckled darkly.

There was one more left. Many have said never to play with one's food, but that just wasn't any fun. Besides, this was a puny, pathetic horse that thought it could command him. After all he went through because of it, he was certainly gonna take his time on this one.

"We will not let you leave in once piece, cur!" The last Sombra clone pledged with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Bael rushed forward, surprising Sombra, and body checked the little black crystal stallion. As expected, his comparatively smaller form couldn't take the strike, and ended up tumbling backwards from the weight of the attack. The toad waited for Sombra to get back up, wanting to prolong this scuffle as long as he can. Bael venomously wanted to make him pay for every single second he spent under the dark spirit's control.

But Sombra had other plans. He no longer had strength in numbers, but without his army, he could concentrate on the one form he had, instead of the many. An army would work against the Crystal Empire though invasion. A single warrior would work against a monster.

Sombra rose back to his feet, as he smiled darkly, "Then, it is decided. We shall destroy thou. Prepare thyself."

With a sick purple and green glow of his red horn, he engulfed himself in his own dark magic. An armor of spikes formed upon his body, with blades attaching to the hooves, both front and back. His tail disappeared. His head adorned a helm, bladed where his horn is. 

Bael gazed at his more intimidating opponent. Well, this could be a problem.

Sombra shot off like a bolt, right towards Bael. The toad was able to dodge, but not before Sombra sideswiped his body, leaving a small gash. Slight pain rushed through as Bael landed. Sombra skidded and power-slid to face his foe once again, before taking off and heading right for the toad. Bael flexed his legs and leaped over the violent warrior king, avoiding any slashes. Unfortunately, it left him wide upon for Sombra to fire at his underbelly. The dark magic struck him repeatedly before he landed opposite Sombra. A landing he almost didn't stick due to the increasing quantities of pain. Bael knew he couldn't keep dodging forever, and he had to start going on the offensive.

Sadly, it would be easier said than done, as Sombra took off once again, charging his horn. Bael put up a wall of ice in reaction, hoping to get a little extra time to form a plan of attack. Sombra leaped up and slammed his fore-hooves against the ground, causing waves of dark crystals to scream towards the wall, exploding at it, piercing its surface. Bael flinched as one of he sharper crystals nearly impaled his eye. He backed off, and slammed his fore-foot against his ruined shield, sending the debris of both ice and crystal flying towards the foe. Sombra easily ducked, dodged, and weaved between the chunks of clear and black. Once safe of the crystals, Sombra slammed his hooves against the ground again, going into a drum beat.

The waves shot towards Bael, and before he could react accordingly, he was struck repeatedly by the heavy and sharp crystals, at first pushing him back with each successful hit. With a final heavy strike on the ground by Sombra, a maxed out wave of crystals shot towards the toad, crackling with dark energies. The moment it reached just below the toad was the moment it let loose its load. The attack sent Bael flying upwards and flipping in the air for a moment. He landed with a deafening thud, thankfully upon his belly, despite how sore it was from the cuts, pierces, and gashes it took from those damnable crystals. He faltered as he tried to stand, but was successful in recomposing himself.

Sombra slowly walked forward, his eyes glowing menacingly and a pleased and wicked smile beaming beneath his helmet. "Oh, what ails thou? I beseech thy trampled form." He chuckled lightly, "Thine are naught but a squashed toad. WE are KING! Learn wit thine place, pond scum."

Bael chuckled, brushing off the insult, "You talk too much, Dinner."

"How DARE THEE!" Sombra roared, not noticing that Bael inhaled sharply. Before Sombra could react, the toad bellowed his special gas. Sombra rushed forward, trying to attack his foe in an effort to stop him, but it was too late. Bael was gone, and the battlefield was once again dark.

"We play by my rules now..." Bael said from an unknown location, as his feeler descended from the heavens once again, behind Sombra. The warrior king whipped around to face his threat, but was quickly smacked by the feeler. Sombra flew for a moment before landing on his back. He quickly recovered from the fall, and kept an eye on his ghostly foe. It waited, dancing tauntingly, almost begging for Sombra to make the first move.

None mocks King Sombra! He charged forward, throwing strike after strike with his bladed hooves at the Rasulka. It easily ducked and weaved passed them, dancing around his efforts with little problem. Sombra swung a powerful right hook, aiming at the things midsection, but grossly miscalculated, missing his target and opened himself up for attack. Something which Bael's Rasulka counted on. It struck him in the back with a quick jab, then hooked the side of Sombra's face, before finishing with an expertly timed back kick, sending Sombra tumbling back. The ex-King of the Crystal Empire recovered quicker this time, fury in his eyes. With a surge of hate and dark magic, he roared, and sent a shock wave of crystals erupting from the ground and covering the immediate battlefield. The Rusalka jumped up, entirely avoiding the strike. Taking his airborne opportunity, Sombra leaped up after it, and struck the blue appendage down with a powerful stomp of his fore-legs. 

The Rasulka recovered quickly upon landing on the ground, and back stepped quick enough to avoid Sombra's follow through stomp. With a swift motion, the Rusalka shifted forward, transforming its arms into blades once again, and slashed at Sombra. With a quick one-two combo, followed by and upward spinning slash, Sombra was once again in the air, and this time had no control. The Rusalka quickly grappled the foe, and glowed brightly. Within an instant, Sombra flash froze. The battlefield began to brighten up once again, as Bael reappeared and slowly approached his incapacitated foe. With the feeler still gripping Sombra, Bael swiftly lifted his prey up, and slammed him on the ground, shattering some of the spines. Again and again he did this, until the armor and weaponry Sombra created was completely stripped. With one final whip of his feeler, he launched Sombra against the ground, and let him tumble about. Cracks and cries of pain were heard as the dark foe began to stop.

Bael moved forward, glaring at his downed foe. "So much for a King. Any last words?"

Sombra gazed up at the victor of the fight, hate burning in his eyes. His body was broken, and was swiftly running out of energy. "It is not over, wretch."

"Pathetic," Bael responded, "Here I believed Kings died with dignity and grace, and yet here you are, attempting to insult me. Allow me to be the bigger individual." He raised his foot over Sombra. "This buffet is over." And with that, he violently stomped on the head and chest of Sombra, destroying him utterly.

Bael breathed in slowly, and sighed in relief. While he was thankful his foes were tasty, he wasn't too impressed that they dared to fight back so diligently. Then again, the evil spirit in question had this annoying superiority complex that prevented it from having anything BUT such a disorder. At least it was gone for now.

Considering they were all copies, and that they had the faint smell of his personal magic, which the spirit likely stole from him, he believed more may come in the future. It would be an excellent prospect. A never ending supply of food, delivered no less. Though, he probably would have to make sure he would stay hidden, lest Dinner decided to pull the same trick he did when they fought.

The sound of hooves and metal approached the great toad beast. He turned to the origin, and noticed the group of horses he first met had decided to show up, plus a few extra reinforcements. They stood in a defense position. Not like it would make much of a difference if I were to attack them.

The supposed leader of this brigade stepped forward, followed by the purple horse that dared to demand his servitude. "And, what do YOU want?" Bael hissed.

"You destroyed them." Shining stated flatly.

"I did" he responded, just as flatly, "It was easy, and they didn't taste too bad either. What's your point?"

"Why did you?"

Bael paused for a moment, then answered, "A canary told me that food was near. I came by, and, surprise surprise, licorice horses. An interesting meal, but it works."

"You just came to get a quick meal?" Shining asked, rather insulted.

"You misunderstand. I didn't come to get a quick meal. I came to see if what the canary told me was correct." He smiled, just thinking about what he was about to say next. "Considering what they are, though, this isn't the last of them. So, I'll be coming back every time to get a decent meal, until I'm satisfied."

"What do you mean? Are you just going to abandon us once you have your fill?"

"You catch on quick, for a horse."

"You can't do that!" piped up Twilight, stepping forth towards the beast.

"And why not?" Bael growled, leaning towards the offending pony.

"Because If we go, you won't ever go home."

"Your canary friend mentioned that concept before, but I have trouble believing you could succeed in such an effort." 

Twilight thought for a moment, thinking of a way to convince the beast. Something clicked in her head. "You know how powerful Sombra is, correct?"

"Not as powerful as I."

Yeah, whatever, Twilight thought in a huff. "Well, I know somepony that is twenty times more powerful. One who is properly capable of helping you get home unharmed, I'm sure."

Bael's eyes squinted, "You lie."

"I lie about as much as my canary friend."

Bael leaned to his normal position, thinking for a moment. He REALLY didn't want to stay here longer than he needed to, and if one told the truth in earnest, then perhaps the one's friend would keep the promise.

"Do you swear on your life?" Bael asked seriously.

Shining was shocked, and attempted to intervene. To tell his sister that agreeing with this monster would be a mistake. Twilight was quicker, however, and replied, "Provided you find the source of those clones, and put a stop to Sombra, once and for all."

It was a hard pill to swallow. Both options of accepting and declining had their benefits, but long-term satisfaction was key, and there was only way to go for it.

"You drive a hard bargain," Bael muttered, before sighing, "Very well. I accept." He lowered his feeler, which outstretched its hand. Twilight extended her hoof and received the cold hand.

"And I swear that we will do what we can to help you get back home." Twilight nodded sternly.

With that, the Rusalka feeler let go, and Bael shuffled back. He turned towards the black tower in the north east, flexed his legs, and began leaping in that direction.

He wasn't entirely thrilled he was going to destroy his infinite food supply, but going home as he currently lived and breathed was a much greater reward. Besides, dealing one last lash against the spirit that tried to get the upper hand would be a sweet fortune.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, after all.
> Reminiscence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight, Shining Armor, and the somewhat puzzled Crystal Guard legion watched the giant frog disappear into the distance, as the incredibly erratic blizzard weather began to pick up once again. It didn't take very long for the group to lose interest, and return to the safe and warm limits of the barrier's other side. Once hooves began to touch the pristine grassy land of the Crystal Empire, the Prince addressed his sibling.

"Twilight, that was incredibly risky of you to do," Shining Armor chastised with a hint of concern, "Not to mention a bit stupid. Which is impossibly surprising, considering who you are! You should know better than to make deals with obviously evil monsters like that."

"I'm sorry, Shining," she replied gently, walking passed him, "but I don't think we had a choice in the matter. You and the guard were at a disadvantage against Sombra, and not the real one for that matter! Not even the Crystal Heart was capable of stopping them. If an entire army of those things were to make it into the city, and fight you..." She closed her eyes, sighing deeply, "I don't want that to happen to me. OR Cadance, or anyone here for that matter." She muttered, turning back to her brother. "Then along comes that beast and stops the army for us. Despite its selfish intentions, the one who sent the toad to defend the Empire was looking out for us. That pony cared deep enough for us that they probably made a similar deal just to get it to show up." She looked up to the sky of the dome. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you Fluttershy. You're a truly wonderful friend."

"I-it's ok, Twilight"

Recognizing the voice, Twilight turned to the side, and saw Fluttershy, just standing there, partially hidden behind her hair. Before the timid mare could react, Twilight galloped up to and hugged her friend deeply, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I'm sorry for being so cold. So cruel. Can you ever forgive me?"

"It's ok, Twilight. I should be the one that's sorry. You were right. He was a horrible litt-" she stopped and corrected herself, "Horrible creature. He didn't care about anything but himself." She pulled away from her friend, and looked her in the eye sternly. "But," she started, a serious tone in her voice, "I think I can pull him out of that. Maybe deep down inside, he's not such a bad froggy. Maybe he can be helped. Maybe he can care."

"Fluttershy, I doubt that very much, but," she sighed, "I trust that you know what you're talking about."

Her friend smiled, glad to hear a vote of confidence for once today. Before the conversation could go any further, Shining stepped forward, and interrupted their moment of rekindling friendship.

"Hold on just a moment," He asked sternly, "When did you show up? Were you there the whole time?"

"A-actually," she started, "I left his cave after all the fighting stopped, and showed up just recently. All I heard was Twilight saying sorry and calling me a 'wonderful friend'." She blushed slightly of embarrassment when she repeated the comment Twilight made. 

"Did anybody else see here show up?" Shining asked his subordinates. They shook their heads. Is she that stealthy, or just that meek that it's hard to notice her, he thought seriously. Fluttershy, you are a mystery...

"Oh!" The kindly pegasus piped, "I forgot to ask, where did he go? I thought he would have headed back to his cave after everything happened, but I didn't see him when I came this way."

Twilight bit her lip before answering, "I figured out that it showed up to help us out because of you... well, mostly because the toad outright told us. But that's besides the point. When I figured it all out, I convinced it to find the real Sombra, and offered to help it get home once he's been stopped for good."

Fluttershy gazed at her friend in shock and worry. "H-he's out there, facing the REAL Sombra?"

"I don't know how long it would take for something like that toad to cross the tundra. However, if my assumptions are correct based on its size, and its unfathomable jumping ability, then it's highly likely that it's already there by now."

Fluttershy took to the sky and blazed through the barrier without a warning. Twilight, somewhat aghast to such a sudden move, uttered only "Fluttershy, wait!" before the last bit of her friend's pink tail passed through the wall. It was too late, and her friend was gone. She couldn't let her go alone this time, and so, began to take off as well.

"Wait, where are you going?" her brother asked as she kept galloping.

"To help Fluttershy!" She said, just before disappearing through the wall herself.

These mares are insane, Shining bitterly thought. An awkward silence came over him and his army as they were the only ones not doing anything.

"Oh for the love of," He exasperated in defeat, "Private High Wind?"

"Sir?"

"Send a message back to Canterlot. Tell them the events that transpired here, and that the City is secure. Sombra is being officially dealt with, and I'm going after my sister before she does something too reckless." I swear, it's like Rainbow Dash is starting to rub off on her.

"Sir, yes Sir!" announced the private, as he took off flying to the south west.

"Come on, boys. We've got a couple of mares to catch up to."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Bael stood before the great black tower. It seemed much taller than he initially believed. High above him, right at the very top, was the balcony he entered through the first time. Looking at it from this perspective, he realized it was obviously there to overlook the land, and give one a perfect view of that settlement he just left. He wasn't powerful enough to leap this tall building in a single bound, mostly due to his own weight. So, it was fortunate that he didn't need to, considering that the fool who built this thing created a front entrance large enough to fit something like him. Or perhaps, the entrance was for a large army to march out of. Regardless of the intent, it gave the toad lord a proper way in. 

Crossing the generously wide bridge, he walked inside the tower. The tower's lower interior was much of the same as what he witnessed the first time around. Dark, foreboding, spiky, and very tacky. It was honestly quite underwhelming at this point. Bloody Nobodies could be more original, he thought bitterly. The only oddity that he could feel from this far down the tower, as he couldn't feel it from when he first wandered in, was a deep nameless dread. A throbbing nothingness that lied below his feet, just below the floor. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but he decided that it would be better to ignore it and find a way up.

To the right, he noticed a staircase wide enough for him (or, again, an army), which spiraled all the way up to the top. This place is a lot more hollow than I thought. And rather eerily convenient. With a shrug, he decided to ascend the staircases and not worry about the whys of the matter. He had a job to do if he ever wanted to return to the Underworld as he was.

Waddling up the stairs gave him a lot of time to think. It wasn't exactly ideal that most of the thoughts were about events that transpired this day. From getting beaten by a human with a glowing hand to marching forward to squash an insect that likes to play with crystals. He considered the details. In a land where horses were the dominant species, where the unwelcome aura of warmth emanated off of many of them, he was surprised that evil beings like Dinner were around. Even more so, he was surprised that while he was possibly just as bad as the little idiot, those sickeningly kind equines still came to him for help. Granted, it was fun to stomp all over Dinner, especially considering the crimes it committed against him. Still, he couldn't shake this feeling inside that he couldn't identify, and it bothered him.

He considered more of his short time here. Specifically, the equines themselves. They approached him the first time in fear, but that yellow one approached him with a different attitude. There was something about that canary that made him listen. He tried to got over it quickly, but every time he thought he won, it came back and kept up with that demeanor. Not just that, but every time he listened to it, he was lead into the direction that benefited him. It was quite peculiar. The purple one was next to try to emulate it's supposed friend, right down to "the agreement". 

In his time, he fashioned "the agreement" as a deterrent. As a way to filter out liars, and to keep those from wasting his time as far away from him as possible. It was successful for a while, but only now it seems to have become more of a double edged sword. They not only agreed to the terms, putting their lives on the line, but their side of the bargain had the conviction behind them. Sure, he had so far only seen through one to the end, but the fact that the other so readily stepped up intrigued him. How far are they willing to help one another, and are they truly ready to extend such efforts to such a monster? While vengeance was the primary goal in this excursion, he also wanted to see if they would keep their end of the pact; to see if they truly would extend themselves for him.

However, there was the other possibility that something could happen. Random chance brought him to this world, as unlikely as it was. It's only natural to believe that random chance could also kill him off. Considering how tough it was to fight the last of Dinner's copies, he wondered if the real one would be just as strong, or even more so. It wouldn't be too surprising if that was the case.

There was no more time for thought, however, as the moment of truth had finally arrived. He reached the top of the steps, and entered the source of the disturbance from the one side. 

Bael was back in that large, tacky old looking throne room, only this time it was dry as a bone. Dryer than deep space. Nothing much had changed save for the hole in the roof of the tower, where the toad was forcibly ejected through, and the fact that the dimming sky could be seen through the balcony. There was, however, a new occupant in this room. 

There, sitting upon the tacky evil overlord throne was his target, but what a change this one was from the clones. He looked real, for one, and was dressed far more regally, complete with steel plated armor, and a red king's cape with white and black spotted fur trim. His eyes were different too. Red irises with a green glow surrounding him, dark purple energies seeping from the edges.

"So," Sombra said coolly, "Thou hath shown thine face here, after all. We believed thou would hath tarried about, expecting Us to seek thee."

"It was my first choice. I was simply offered a better one."

Sombra chuckled darkly, "Swayed by fools, thou art? Allow Us to enlighten thee." He rose up, and strolled from his throne, approaching the toad. "Naught are greater than Us. We hath conquered the Empire once. We shall repeat those efforts. We implore thee, creature. Stand by Our side, and a GOD thou shalt become, where as We will take our rightful place."

Bael thought for a moment, considering his options at this point. It only took him five seconds.

"No."

"We dost beg thine pardon?"

"I will not repeat myself."

"Explain why!" Sombra upstarted in anger.

Bael leaned back wistfully, and hummed before he answered. "Let's see. You possessed me, stole some of my magic, used me as a distraction, used the crystals from my back to create your pathetic little army, and when we last fought, you said... what were the exact words?" He clicked his tongue. "Oh yes, you said 'Thine are naught but a squashed toad. WE are KING! Learn wit thine place, pond scum'. Not to mention you mocked me the moment I arrived. It's quite clear that I'd never side with you. YOU'RE the fool if you thought that was possible at this point in time. And now, your smart mouth will be silenced by me!"

"Then it is war you seek. Very well," Sombra growled, as he ripped off his cloak, revealing bat like wings. "TO ARMS!"

Bael launched forth at the dark king, but Sombra easily jumped out of the way, thanks to the power of his wings. The nimble king then dive bombed the toad, intending to strike him in the knee of one of his back legs. If he damaged that, Bael would be in a lot more trouble. Thankfully, the toad caught on quickly, and rotated his body just fast enough. Sombra pulled back up as he missed his target, avoiding a painful face plant to the floor of his throne room. Bael faced towards his foe, but couldn't get a bead on him. Being in the air, Sombra had a decent speed and maneuverability advantage. He needed to remove those wings if he wanted to level the playing field. 

Before Bael could try anything, Sombra shot a couple volleys of dark magic at him, striking the toad squarely in the face. The master of frozen soil flinched, and side hopped to avoid further attacks. Sombra strafed through the air, continuing his aerial bombardment. Bael simply wasn't fast enough to avoid the energy attacks, so he decided on the next best thing. With a resounding whack, the toad struck the floor of the tower, and summoned up a wall of ice. With a moment of reprise, he was able to think of a proper solution.

However, before Bael enacted on his plan, Sombra whizzed off to the side, and dive bombed Bael once again. The toad had no time to react this time, and had his hind knee heavily struck by the violent king. Bael let out a grunt of pain, as he hopped away, hissing when he landed with such a wounded knee.

"What is the matter? Did We strike something important?" Sombra mocked.

Bael refrained from letting off a rebuttal, and instead exhaled his special gas once again. The throne became dim, and even blotted out the light coming from the roof and balcony opening.

"Dost thou honestly believe this will work?" 

Little did he know, Bael wasn't just setting this up so his Rusalka could face him. Sombra was high in the air, and in the perfect position to get the drop on. The feeler suddenly landed upon the airborne king, riding atop him like a demonic horse.

"What in- Remove thyself from me!"

Before Sombra had time to react, the Rusalka gripped Sombra's wings and instantly froze them, before it was quickly pulled back up to the heavens. Sombra plummeted to the ground, and landed with a heavy crash, shattering the wings, and his advantage along with it.

Wincing in pain, Sombra rose quickly back to his hooves, and looked to the stumps where his wings used to be. "Thou will pay DEARLY for-"

Before Sombra could finish, Bael leaped out of nowhere, and captured Sombra within his jaws. He chewed rigorously, making sure his tongue didn't touch the equine, before violently spitting him out onto the ground. Sombra recovered quickly with only a few gashes in his form, as his armor took most of the damage.

"Thou wretched beast!" Was all he uttered as he stomped upon the ground, summoning his trademark crystal strikes. Bael jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the explosion of crystals that followed. When he landed he whipped his feeler at his foe. Sombra saw it coming, and slammed his hooves down, causing a wall of jagged crystals to catch the feeler. Bolts of agony coursed up through Bael's antenna, as he tried to pull it free, the Rusalka reaching out towards the toad. Sombra, however, decided to be rid of this nuisance, and jumped up with a sharp crystal in his hooves, and severed the link between them. Bael roared and tumbled back while the feeler twitched ever so slightly, before going limp, dying in the bed of black crystals. 

"Oh, did thou loose thine ace in the hole? How tragic." He mocked, cackling in the turn of events. "Once thou parish, we shall use thine crystals to forge a new army! First thee, then the Empire. All, including fair Cadance, will be Ours!" He slowly approached the beast, whom growled angrily at him. "I bequeath, thine death!"

A second time, he thought bitterly. I have lost them both. He closed his eyes, holding back the pain and the nakedness of loosing his mistresses. It won't be in vain this time!

Within a flash of a second, Bael was suddenly frozen. Sombra stopped, and quizzically looked upon the static beast, which now comprised of ice entirely. Had he won? Do creatures like these do this when dying? He didn't know for sure, and stepped close to investigate. He was far too close to the supposed ice sculpture.

The fatal error that Sombra made allowed Bael to defrost himself, and quickly stomp on the equine just enough to hear the sound of bones breaking. With that, he snatched up the so called king in his jaws again, and chewed viciously, with cries of pain escaping from his maw. He refrained from swallowing this time, opting to spit him out once more, letting him land before his throne. Sombra tumbled for a moment before he stopped, lying to rest on his back, legs splayed out in odd directions. His armor was damaged beyond repair, and more gashes and pierces littered his form. The King was down, but not yet out. He wheezed as he attempted to get back up, but fell back hard when it was evidently useless.

Bael slowly approached the downed equine, hate latent in his eyes.

"W-wait!" Sombra pleaded, pitifully, "Dost thou not eat what thou kill? Thou despise the meat of our kind! Spare Our broken form!"

Bael loomed over the defeated king, his shadow blotting out the remaining light from the sky. His shadowed out face moved closer to the broken body of his foe, red eyes glowing violently in contrast to the darkness. Sombra's own dying reflection now mirrored in the pools of the cold and hateful orbs. For the first time, Sombra began to know and understand what his former subjects experienced when he reigned: Fear.

"I have decided to make an exception for you, fair King." He raised back up to his normal height, and raised his right fore-leg. "I will see you in hell. Count on it."

With a definitive crush, Bael destroyed his foe. It was all over. The toad sighed in content. He raised his foot up to examine the remains, to see what disgusting leftovers the creature left behind. To his surprise, all that was left was finely smashed crystal.

"Another clone." Bael had realized he wasted his finishing lines on another bloody clone. While he wasn't entirely thrilled about that, he realized that he still needed to track down the source if he's to end this charade. It didn't take him long to remember that there was something behind the throne itself. Something that started this whole mess in the first place.

Smacking the tacky looking throne off to the side, he noticed the black crystal heart, still spinning. Bael smirked, and approached the artifact. As he did, he began to hear his foes voice once again.

"Please," it said, "I prithee! Leave me be! Thou hath won. I am no longer thine threat!"

"Was that your last line of defense, spirit? I'm rather disappointed. If this is all you have to throw at me, than it would be a shame if I just left you as you are. You should rest. I'll help you with that," Bael said with a smirk, opening his maw wide, slowly inching towards the crystal heart.

"No! Stay back! Please! I beg of you! SPARE ME!"

CHOMP

Bael slowly and deliberately chewed and relished in the taste of the heart. The spirit trapped inside gave it an added flavor of mint, which was always welcome. With his vengeance satisfied, belly full, and his duty done, his adrenaline had finally subsided. Due to the effect it had on him during his fight, his pain came back in full force. Especially his heavily wounded knee. It's going to be rather difficult to jump properly while I'm injured like this.

The tower began to shake. Without its heart, it no longer had a master to keep it stable. At that moment, Bael realized that he was starting to overstay his welcome. He quickly turned, and headed for the balcony, but before he could take one step, the floor gave way, and he tumbled down the tower. As he descended, he could see the rest of the tower begin to loose its shape. Walls cracked, pieces fell off, and everything around him began to decay.

He landed right side up at the bottom of the tower, which probably wasn't the greatest way to land if his knee had anything to say about it. He groaned in pain, but decided to take the opportunity of being brought down to his initial entrance as a blessing. He marched forward, but found that the bridge had already collapsed. There was only one thing left to do. With all his might, he flexed his legs and leaped over the gap. However, due to the rushed nature of his escape and his pained leg, he miscalculated the arc, and fell just short of his target. He grabbed onto the edge with his forelegs, preventing his fall.

A thought crossed his mind. Wait a minute, he started, isn't there water below me? Can't I just let go and swim away? He looked beneath him, which was incredibly difficult to do considering his body shape, and realized why THAT was a no-go.

Where the tower's perimeter somewhat extended to the wall of ice he clung to, there was a deep black pit of nothingness below him. One of his forelegs lost its footing, letting a rather hefty sized piece of ice fall below him. There was no sound coming back. Either it was really deep, or it was indeed bottomless. In both cases, he'd be trapped, and would very likely starve to death in there. Not exactly a prospect he wanted. And so, he clung for dear life, hoping either to gain enough strength to pull himself up suddenly, or fall to his doom.

"Mr. Frog!"

His eyes shot forward, and saw the little yellow mare that made him ask a lot of questions before he came to this tower. While he'd never really admit this, he's glad to see a familiar face... for about three seconds.

"What are you doing here, canary?" He asked, irritation laced in his voice

"I came to make sure you were ok. I must have gotten here in time."

"No, I'm perfectly fine." he lied, "Why don't you do us both a favor and go back home. You're interference is not required."

"I'm not leaving until I can help you!" She shouted towards the indignant toad.

"Why do you insist on such a thing!"

"Because I care about you!"

Such words in such a context was foreign to him. Demons had no need for such petty emotions. Fear was a better and more fun way to gain attention and admiration. "Why?" he questioned.

Fluttershy sighed gently, before answering the great beast, "Because, you can coax out more rabbits with carrots than with poison ivy." Bael raised an eyebrow to the strange analogy, but the little pegasus continued. "Everypony deserves to be shown a little kindness. I know you’re used to being this... monster when you were back at home. But, that's no reason why we shouldn't help you. Maybe if we did that, you wouldn't be so grumpy all the time. Maybe even feel better about yourself. If we cared about you, about your well being, maybe you could learn to care for more than just yourself."

The little speech was all very sappy. He didn't want to listen to a word of it, but there was something deep seated within those words that rang in his mind. Something that he could consider more often. Kindness was beneficial for everyone involved. Kindness fed him. Kindness gave him purpose. Kindness promised a way home. Perhaps for all that was given, he could possibly give a little back.

The edge of the cliff began to crack under Bael's grip. Fluttershy gasped, and placed her hooves on the toads nearest front foot, trying desperately to pull him back up. It was a vain reaction on the yellow pegasus' part, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was at least try, and not feel so helpless for once.

"Stop."

"Wha-?" Fluttershy squeaked in confusion.

"You can't help me. You are not nearly strong enough." The toad sighed, "Return home. Your efforts, as valiant as they may be, aren't worth a damn here."

"I-I can't! I can't leave you behind."

"You have no choice," he spoke softly. The cliff side began to crack further. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise, taking a step back. All hope was lost, and the one creature she fought hard to try to help was about to die before her eyes. It wasn't fair.

"Fluttershy!" shouted a familiar voice from behind her. She turned around to find Twilight running toward her.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Fluttershy spoke, relieved.

"I saw the tower crumble. What happened here?"

"That was my doing," Bael piped up, "I took care of your little problem, but I'm afraid our agreement has to be annulled. Once I fall, you'll be free from your obligation."

"Twilight, you have to help him," her friend pleaded, "He doesn't deserve this."

"Are you sure you want me to help him, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, "You know what he's like more than me. Is he really worth saving?"

"Everyone deserves a little kindness."

Before they could decide on what to do, there was a loud cracking noise ringing in their ears as the cliff side broke away. Bael lost his grip and began to fall to his doom. Below him, the great empty nothingness awaited to swallow him whole. This was the end of the master of frozen soil.
> Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bael descended closer the the black abyss below him. He couldn't help but feel that time slowed down around him as he fell. He closed his eyes and began to consider his fate. Chances are, if the oblivion wasn't instantaneous, he'd likely fall for a good forty days or so before starving to death. With that, his soul would return to the underworld, and re-start as a low level demon. A creature barely a threat to a child. Perhaps it would be better that way. He would be where he belongs, and he would be properly shamed for his pathetic display. It was small, and humiliating, but he could deal with it in time. Goodbye

The great toad then felt a strange sensation come over him. At first, he thought it was the abyss swallowing him up, but then he opened his eyes. He could still see the ever dimming sky, but everything was awash with a shade of light brilliant magenta. He was never really a fan of such a color, so he was shocked that it was all that he could see. Then, something even stranger happened. He felt himself stop falling. Right after that, he felt himself being lifted, as if someone was reversing time. His eyes darted about, looking around for what was causing such a phenomenon. He didn't have to wonder for long when he found his answer after he was brought back on top of the cliff side. There, before him, the little purple unicorn was concentrating hard, as sparks of energy poured out of her horn.

Bael's gargantuan form was gently placed back upon the solid ground, well away from the dangerous cliff. The aura that surrounded the beast dissipated, and Twilight faltered to her knees from exhaustion.

"Wow," she breathed in exhaustion, "And here I thought *pant* cradling an Ursa Minor was *pant* difficult."

"Oh, thank you Twilight!" Fluttershy exclaimed, "Thank you for saving him!"

Bael shook his body to rid himself of the annoying tingling feeling on his skin. By miracle of happenstance, he was saved by a mortal. Very few demons ever encountered such an event, even less so witnessing such tremendous power being exercised to do so. The beings here were much stronger than he initially thought. Unless, he considered, the purple one was the peak of performance. Regardless of the details, the effect was the same. The little one had saved his life, even when they could have simply let him die and be free of his presence. The code was clear.

He slowly lumbered forth towards the two. It pained him to do this, but he knew it had to be over with. He inhaled slowly, and began, "I-"

"HALT BEAST!" Cutting Bael off was Shining armor, and nearly his entire army of Crystal guard. "Don't you DARE lay a webbed foot on Twily!"

"I had-"

"Save your confession for Tartarus! We'll put a stop to you before you hurt anypony else."

"Would you s-"

"Crystal Guard, on my command!"

"WA~AIT!" Fluttershy shouted. Everyone went silent. The canary colored pony turned to the giant frog, and spoke to him softly, "Go ahead."

"Fluttershy, you-" Shining tried to protest, but was cut off by the definitive "shush" from the meek pegasus. The Prince clammed up, praying that she knew what she was doing. Bael sighed in exasperation, before starting again.

"The code of demons is a law binding contract that keeps us all within a semblance of honor and loyalty. You, mortal, have not only willingly became bound by the rules in my personal agreement, but prevented my demise, thus sustained it. Our kind does not take these sorts of actions lightly. For saving my life, by the code of demons," he paused for a moment, before he bowed before them. "You have my eternal blessing."

Fluttershy positively beamed. She could tell with the tone of his voice that he wasn't entirely happy about it, but she knew that it was a start.

Twilight rose to her hooves once again, after regaining her strength, and smiled tiredly at her brother.

"Uhm," Shining Armor started, dumbfounded, "What just happened?"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It was a while before the strange party returned to the Crystal Empire. No less returning to one that had all of its citizens returned, including the Prince's sweetheart. The arrival of the frog in tow to the Crystal Guard was met with shock, cheers, then more shock by the local populous. This was especially evident when Shining Armor announced the beast as a hero, with testimony of his sister and her friend. It was a bizarre end to a bizarre day, indeed.

Cadance stepped forth, with a following of a few of Canterlot's Royal Guard, and stopped before the cluster of ponies and the massive toad. It wasn't very long before she broke her composure, and lunged at Shining Armor, hugging him tightly, tears in her eyes.

"I'm so glad your safe," she whimpered, nuzzling against his neck.

"Same here," He responded, before they parted. He cleared his throat and began his report. After all, he was a Captain first. "Princess Cadance, the threat of Sombra has officially been dealt with. The tower is gone, and any further evidence of his existence has been removed. The Crystal Empire is secure."

Cadance visibly sighed in relief. I'm glad I never have to deal with that monster ever again.

"Additionally," he continued, "Neither myself or any of my men were the ones to do this. Nor Twili-... Nor the Elements of Harmony. The beast you see before you was the one who preformed this deed for us successfully."

Cadance looked to the massive toad creature before her. The army of Crystal Guards parted ways, allowing the Princess to step forward. She gazed up at the towering behemoth, and spoke, "And what is the name of our hero?"

The word made him wince. It was most unusual for such a label to be used to refer to a demon, especially when a mortal was using it. There really was only one infamous being he knew of that wore such a title among such lower creatures. Even though that demon was considered a traitor to his kind, was it really so heinous? Or worse, was it really so gratifying? He felt a small nudge against his leg, and looked down to see the kindly pegasus gently encouraging him with a slight push of her hoof.

He decided to simply go for it. He had nothing to loose and anything to gain. "I am Bael. Lord of Toads and Master of the Frozen Soil. I once hailed from the Underworld, beyond this mortal coil, and I seemed to have become stranded here due to... undesired circumstances. My only desire is to feed, and return home." Fluttershy nudged him further, and he gave a gentle bow, "If you have, or know of one who has the power to bring me back to my realm, please, all I ask is that you aid me."

"For your efforts," Cadance started, "You will be granted this. However, this may take time. Perhaps years. If you are willing to wait, we will be honored to help. In the meantime, you will be granted a messenger. And Fluttershy?" Fluttershy straightened to her name being announced, "I place Bael under your care, due to your expertise." She turned back to Bael. "If you have any queries, mention them to us, or send your messenger. We will be happy to answer you."

It wasn't what he was hoping to hear, but it was a start. "Very well," he huffed.

"Then, I officially welcome you to the Crystal Empire, Equestria," she said with a soft smile.

"Uhm, Princess Cadance, miss," Fluttershy squeaked.

"Fluttershy, you know you don't need to use formalities with me."

"R-right, sorry. Uhm, Can you bring some medical supplies? Bael is injured."

"Oh goodness, yes." She answered in earnest, motioning for the local nurse ponies to approach Fluttershy and the toad.

"Cadance," Twilight said, "I'm going to write up a report. I think I've learned a few things today about myself and what transpired."

"Of course," Cadance answered gracefully, "The study is open for you to use. Just make sure you give the message to private High Wind. After all, Spike isn't here to send your letter this time, is he?"

Twilight chuckled and disappeared into the Crystal Tower. Things were finally starting to settle down again. Maybe after she finished, she could finally have a casual get together with her old foal sitter for once.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Dear Princess Celestia,

Sometimes friendship can test you as much as you as much as the world tests it. Whether you are simply trying to be with those you love, or are facing against an emergency, one always has to remember to have a little patience. When investigating a strange magical anomaly in the Crystal Empire, we found a creature that was dragged to this world through unforeseen circumstances. His reaction to the turn of events wasn't exactly surprising, but his persistent personality showed he was as cold and mean as a frost bite. I regret to know that due to the events that transpired, I was also rather short with Fluttershy and her perceptions. However, because of Fluttershy's patience with him, and with me, he was able to start his journey to turn a new leaf, and I was able to rekindle the friendship between us. Life is a strange ride of ups and downs, but one must always remember to count on their friends, and always show a little kindness. Even to the most unlikely of individuals.

Your Faithful Student,




Twilight Sparkle



-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-
	

Deep within the confines of Canterlot Castle, where the Royal Sisters reigned, Celestia had retired to her private quarters and dimmed the light around her. The long and tiring day of her duties and personal devices wore on the nigh-ivory majesty. Removing her crown from her ever-flowing multicolored mane, and her royal breastplate and gauntlets, she sat placid upon her favorite cushion, next to a welcoming fire. There, waiting for her as always, was a brand new report from her favorite subject. With her time to spare, she unfurled the scroll and read through its contents with a smile. The message was normal for the most part, but a few of the details brought her interest in full force, and soon turned her smile into a neutral expression. 

The door to her private quarters creaked open, and gently shut once again, as her visitor approached. "Good Eve, Sister," the voice said.

"Hello, Luna," Celestia greeted, almost flatly. She turned her head, and looked upon the dark blue mare with the sparkling dark blue flowing mane that she just addressed. Said mare dressed in black and silver, to accent her association to the moon, had a quizzical look upon her face. 

"Tia?" She asked, in sweet concern, "What troubles you?"

Celestia turned back to the letter. With a sigh, she silently thought to herself, The first of six has arrived...
> Part 2: Laughter Cools the Tempered Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He always hated this part. Floating through an empty black void, unable to see even himself. The process of dying always had been a sequence of pain, then boredom, and finally frustration. It didn't happen often to him in his long existence, but was more than enough to let him know what came next.  It wouldn't be such a bad thing, but typically the penalty for dying in the mortal realm in his true form meant he would have to start as a low-level demon, practically starting all over again. Stripped of his powers and his carefully crafted physique, most likely, and tasked to do grunt work like all other low class hell-spawn. It was never a fun ordeal, and the meals were pitiful.

If there was one thing worse than that, it was the waiting in that nothingness he was in now. Despite his former grandiose size, he never felt right just sitting still. There was always something to do. Somewhere to go. Something to beat up and eat. Not here, though. There was just the waiting, and it infuriated him.

It wasn't the only thing he felt in that great empty void, however. There was a sense of loss. A sense of loneliness. Perhaps it was all because he was far too accustomed to the mortal world. Maybe he simply missed his Shannon. Stranger still, perhaps it was what happened just before he died. 

It was such a crucial day. The nemesis of his kind fought his way through his forces, demons in disguise as human punks and marauders. It didn't take the powerful foe long to reach his cathedral, his last refuge in the human world. The puta even had the audacity to call me bald! With nothing more to loose, and everything to gain, Elvis of the Four Devas decided to lay everything down. Summoning all the strength he had within, he transformed and revealed his true form. A hulking, gluttonous beast of fire and teeth. With the fact that he had three mouths, one demon would suspect he was a descendant of Cerberus himself. Unfortunately, his strength proved futile. His opponent had an ace up his sleeve. One that every demon knew about. One that gave the human such a title as "God Hand". With that, Elvis was soundly beaten. Unable to hold such a transformation, he reverted to his human form, and soon passed on.

After his demise at the might of the God Hand, he believed he heard his "executioner" say something. We could have been friends. Those five words rang proud and true, despite the circumstances. It was a bizarre, and perhaps intriguing notion, but never meant to be. He was a terrible beast of fire and gluttony, and his nemesis was the lone hero, sent to put him and his ilk down. That's how it was written in the stars.

His disembodied presence shook. What the hell am I thinking, he questioned. That pendejo is LUCKY I went easy on him. If I ever see him again, I'll grind him into paste and swallow him whole! His laughter was dark, but admittedly, it was bit forced. He knew his promise would never have to be kept. He's dead, and in the waiting period of going back to hell. Even if he did get the chance to go back, it was likely his "amigo" would be long gone by then. I just wish something would happen now. No puedo soportar el silencio aquí!

Suddenly, a new sensation washed over him. The feeling of vertigo. Que mierda, was all he could think about before he felt like being violently pulled in multiple directions. If he had a body, it probably would have been extraordinarily painful. Tumbling, twisting, and being yanked to the cosmos knows where, Elvis' realized something. This never happened before...

Before he could consider anything further, his presence was removed from the empty void.

A voice spoke up from within the darkness. "Alright, Elvis," it started, "It's your tu-" The voice halted, and silence dominated that existence once again, just before the voice continued with a troubled, "Where in heaven did he go?"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It was late at night in the little town of Ponyville. Everyone was asleep in their humble homes, dreaming of fantasies far beyond the mystical nature of their world. Everyone, that is, except for one. Scribbling away, and eyes darting between books, Twilight was vigorously studying away at something that has been bothering her for almost a month now.

It's been that long since she got back from the Crystal Empire. After the incident with Sombra and the giant frog monster (Bael, as he preferred to be called), she was able to start conducting her investigation. First on her agenda that day, she studied Bael for all she could manage. Samples, magic demonstrations, and an interview later, she got all the data she needed. Next on the list, she went back to talk to Cadance, and ask her more about magic anomaly, considering she was close enough to properly feel it. It was unfortunate that she couldn't remember much of the finer details, but what she got anyway was enough to start her research. A few different magic sequences, the complexity of the weaves, and the estimated amount of energy output is what Cadance was able to tell her. The catch was that in order to figure out what the anomaly is, she'd need exact energy measurements and the precise order and type of weave complex that was used.

It was all so exciting for Twilight to delve into, but the cost was rigorous research nearly non-stop, from then till now. Said none stop studies didn't fare well with the poor purple unicorn these days, which reminded her of the time she missed her weekly friendship report. It helped that Celestia lifted the self created time restriction, allowing free reign for anyone to submit one at any moment. Such a declaration meant more free time with her friends, and more time investigating whatever had her interest, which was the anomaly this time. It also helped that her friends were with her to help ease whatever other anxieties she had.

The bigger problem, however, was that with every book exhausted without getting closer to an answer meant that things were looking hopeless. There were many spells that had similar sequences, but didn't have the specific weave or output in energy. While there were others that required immense amounts of energy, the sequences were all wrong. Up to now, she had exhausted all but three spell books, one of them a re-printing of Starswirl's public, but unfinished, research in magical machines. It might not be an official spell book in its own right, but Twilight reasoned it might still have a clue within its pages.

That's when her last quill snapped.

"UGH!" she groaned, letting her head smack against the flat of the desk, papers fluttering from the sudden impact. Twilight sat there in silence, head on the desk, eyes staring out into space. She calmed herself down for a moment, and considered where she was at. Ok, she thought, no biggie. I've been doing research all night as it is. I'll find a new quill tomorrow and continue from there. For now, maybe it's time for me to-

Her thought was cut short by a sudden feeling that crawled up her spine, making her entire being shudder. It was an immense magical surge, and it seemed familiar. Everything suddenly clicked.

"The anomaly!" she squealed in joy. With a telekinetic charge, she reached for her quill... that she just snapped not too long ago. "No! I need a new one, QUICK!" She began racing around the Library, checking drawers and cupboards, anything that might have something. Nope. She checked the basement, in case she left one there when doing neurological research. None. She raced back upstairs, tiptoeing into her room with the placidly sleeping dragon, and looked around carefully for anything she could use. Nu-huh. She checked the spare room that she used to house a peculiar blue pegasus with black wings. Negative.

She was starting to panic. The sequence and weaves began to disappear in her mind, leaving only hints and traces that it existed at all. Twilight didn't want to let that happen, and suddenly thought of her other assistant. The one that was supposed to be around during the night. Owlowlicious!

She raced to the upstairs window, and opened it. Adjusting to the darkness, she began to call out into the night. "Owlowlicious?! Where are you? I need your help! It's an emergencey! Owlowlicious?"

She peered hard into the darkness, scanning Ponyville before her, until she saw something that looked like her owl sitting on a tree. 

"Oh thank Celestia! Owlowlicious, can you come in for a second, I need you to-" She stopped mid request, realizing that there was something large standing just before the tree that her pet owl was perched in.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It took about two minutes for Elvis to be dumped, unceremoniously, in a strange little town in the middle of the night, after being tugged and pulled through an even stranger looking wormhole. He groaned in discomfort, placing his hand on his pounding head. Wait...

Noticing things felt a lot more... present than they did, he cracked open his eyes, and stared at his hand. His old, massive, silver ring decorated hand. Looking further, he noticed his hairy muscular arms, also decorated with rings (big enough to go around the entire mass of his muscles). Looking down, he noticed the violet orbs of his neck jewelry, the pristine white shirt he wore, and his hairy belly that poked out from the bottom of the button crease. Further still, he noticed his light grey pants, and his favorite pair of white and black shoes. Reaching up to scratch something, he felt the smooth surface of his unfortunately balding head, crowned with medium length black hair. Touching his face, he noticed his well taken care of beard and mustache, and the gold ring in his left ear. I'm me again!

"Bueno!" he exclaimed, punctuating it with a joyous fist pump. "Hah! Take THAT death!"

With a smile on his face, he patted his pockets, looking for his favorite brands. He never really felt complete without a cigar between his teeth. Unfortunately...

"Que mierda," he uttered, yielding none of his favorite brown smokables. No es bueno., "CABRON! Gimmie my smokes back!" The silence of the night was all the replied to him. He growled, scratching the back of his head absently, and began to pace around a short while. He ran through the events in his head. He got the snot beat out of him, died, and was waiting in the plain of suck. Usual procedure for most demons killed. Then, he remembered the random pulling, which was not usual. Then he woke up here, in the middle of the night it seemed, no worse for wear, but missing his cigars. 

"If I find the one pulling the strings here-"

"Hoo," a light voice interrupted.

"That's what I'm trying to figure... wait, who said that?"

"Hoo."

"The one who is saying who, that's who!"

"Hoo."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he turned towards the voice, and looked about. All he could see was the tree before him, and darkness. "Ok, pendejo, where are you?"

"Hoo."

"YOU, PUTA! Don't make me burn this whole place down to find you!"

"Hoo."

Elvis looked up, and saw an owl staring back at him. Silence lingered for a moment, before one decisive word broke it.

"Hoo."

"You? You're the one messing with my head? Oh querido, and here I thought something worth my time was addressing me. Just a bloody owl."

"Hoo."

"You. You cabron. You are the owl."

"Hoo."

"I JUST SAID THAT YOU WERE THE OWL!"

"What?"

"THE OWL! I SAID THAT... wait," He stopped to think about what he just heard. "Pendejo," he started, eerily calmly, "Did you just say 'what'?"

"Hoo."

"DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME! I ATE THE LAST ONE WHO MESSED AROUND WITH ME!"

"Who?"

"THAT DOES IT! I'M GONNA ENJOY HAVING ROAST POLLO FOR A LATE NIGHT SNACK!"

"Owlowlicious?!," a clearly feminine voice called out, "Where are you? I need your help! It's an emergencey! Owlowlicious?"

Elvis looked off to the side, and saw a large tree. It would have been uninteresting, if it didn't have windows built into it, and had light coming from inside. There, at the top of the tree, somewhat leaning out of the open window with light cascading behind, was a silhouette of a strange creature.

"Oh thank Celestia! Owlowlicious, can you come in for a second, I need you to-" the voice stopped mid request. Elvis suddenly realized that he was now being stared at. For all the bravado he could flex, he felt it would be better to leave rather than question things.

With a snap decision, he turned tail and fled. He didn't get more than five feet before he tripped over a rock and fell with a colossal THUD. Shaking the stars from his eyes, he hastily got back up and began running again. That's when he saw a sudden flash come from behind him. Daring to look back as he fled, he saw that the creature in the window was now in hot pursuit. And was gaining on him.

What's worse was that lights from the normal looking homes around him began to come to life, and more creatures of a similar shape were beginning to occupy those spaces. Panicked screams could be heard, as nearly the whole neighborhood seemed to have stirred from the commotion.

Elvis attempted to loose his pursuer by turning on a dime to a sharp left, through an alley between two buildings before hanging another sharp left. He dared not look behind him this time, in case his attempt didn't work. He'd rather not witness if he made a futile move, and instead believed it was a success. Something caught his eye for the briefest of seconds. It looked like a gingerbread house. Am I in some little chica's fairytale land?

He couldn't ponder his situation any further, as something slammed against his gut, and took him down in a rather vicious tackle. It was more than enough to knock the remaining wind out of him. With a second and more prominent thud, he landed on the ground, belly up, with one of those creatures now sitting on top of him. It seemed very, VERY pink looking, with big blue eyes, and a poofy head of hair bouncing almost in excitement. It wasn't long before a crowed of those creatures began to gather around him. All different colors, shapes, and sizes, but all of them exhibiting one common trait. They were all equine in nature.

"Poco caballo?" he asked, more to himself, in confusion.

"Pinkie! Get off of it! It could be dangerous!" a familiar voice called out. The other little ponies parted ways, and the first one of their kind that he saw stepped forth. The pink one on his belly obeyed, and stepped off of him. The owner of the voice gave him a scrutinizing look. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She asked, bluntly. Staring at the very purple unicorn looking creature before him, he just couldn't handle everything around him at that point. Rolling his eyes back, he passed out in mental and physical exhaustion.
> Cotton Candy Land
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elvis' eyes fluttered gently as he returned to the waking world once again. The area around him felt familiar, and by the time his sight adjusted itself, he was able to confirm that feeling. He was back at the Four Devas Headquarters. Same dark atmosphere. Same blue flames lighting the tan pillars. Same extravagant purple and gold table. Same bottomless pit beneath them.

"I'm back?" he uttered with caution. His hand stroked the table gently, testing whether it was real, or some really well crafted illusion. In doing so, his hand bumped into something very welcoming. His old cigar tray. In it, a small pile of ashes and-

"Es cierto?" His hand wearily reached forth, and quickly clutched a still lit cigar, his favorite brand no less. Lifting his head off the table and leaning back against his red cushioned high quality seat, he took a slow drag of his smoke. With a satisfying sigh, he let the fumes escape his lips as he spoke, "It really is." He took another long drag of his cigar, relaxing in the sublime sensation, when he heard someone call to him.

"El~vis..." sung a feminine voice.

Elvis coughed at his name being said in such a way. He turned to the right, and noticed possibly his most favorite succubus in the world. "Oh, Dios mío..." he couldn't help but utter with a smile. Shannon, the fair skinned, green tattooed, rose colored fetish outfit lined with gold wearing she-devil was approaching him. With a look he couldn't mistake.

She giggled lightly, stepping up upon the table, and gave a small twirl on the intricately designed furniture. Elvis panicked a bit. "'Ey 'ey 'ey! Shannon, you're not supposed to be on the table! Belze would have your head if he ever found out."

She pouted but soon stopped with a smile, and sat at the edge of the table's surface right next to him, kicking her feet lightly, "Belze isn't here," she cooed, "As long as neither of us tells, he won't know about it either." She hopped off the table, and expertly climbed onto the chair Elvis sat upon, her high heals tip toeing against the edge. She gracefully shimmied and danced about the chair's edge in a way only a creature such as her could do. 

Elvis began to relax around the odd but welcome display. He felt even more relaxed as her arms began to wind around his large set body, his arms and all. Shannon's grip on him was nice and tight. Actually, maybe a bit too tight, he thought, and she hasn't yelled at me once since she showed up... Suddenly, things seemed a little off now. Everything was too perfect. WAY too good to be true. Shannon's grip began to get tighter.

"'Ey! Let go!" he began to try to wiggle free, but it was no use.

"Shh," she hushed against his ear, whispering, "Just relax. Everything will be alright." Her arm got so tight that it was now hardly possible to move his arms properly. Shannon spoke again, but this time, her voice changed from sultry to mousy, "This is for your own good, big guy." 

Elvis kept fighting against her stranglehold on him, but a wash of fatigue enveloped him. Quickly loosing energy, he looked back into Shannon's face one last time, a face both perfect but incorrect, and slowly passed out. The whole room of the Four Devas Headquarters began to blur from his vision as darkness took over once again.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Elvis jerked awake, the light of the morning shining directly in his eyes. He shifted, trying to get away from the accursed light, but ended up falling sideways. With an indignant and embarrassing thud, he assumed a couple of things. The first was that he was bound to a chair. He didn't know of any mortal chair that could hold his weight, but that wasn't important. The second thing was that while the atmosphere felt very off, it also felt VERY real. With the blurriness of his eyes fading, he shifted himself back upright and began to finally take in his surroundings.

"I'm in a tree," he stated flatly. To be more accurate, he was inside of what seemed to be a hollowed out tree used as a home and library. He noticed neatly ordered books, various furniture, and even a kitchen off into the distance. The issue, however, is that everything seemed a bit too colorful. Too vibrant. He looked down on himself, and saw he was indeed bound to a chair. Oddly, it was only a piece of rope tying him down. Los necios, he thought to himself, a little rope can't hold me. He chuckled darkly as he began to flex his arms. The rope stretched, but only got tighter. He tried again, and the same result occurred. Again and again he tried until he wore himself out. It was useless.

"Qué está pasando aquí?!" He uttered in his natural tongue, repeating in English, "What th' HELL 's going on here?!"

"Oh, you're awake!" exclaimed the familliar mousy voice from last night and the end of his dream. 

Elvis looked upon the top of the stares, and saw the purple unicorn thing he encountered- "Last night..." He grumbled, staring daggers at the little equine. "Chica, I suggest you let me loose, before I get real angry."

She slowly moved down stairs, addressing his hostile suggestion with, "I'm sorry, but I can't quite do tha-"

"WHY NOT?!" He spat, interrupting her.

"Let me finish, and I would have told you." She cleared her throat, and spoke again, "As I was saying, I can't let you out right now, because letting you simply run loose would put yourself, and everyone in Ponyville, in danger. We don't know who you are, or what you're capable of, but if you're anything like Bael..." She trailed off for a moment, "Anyway, I WILL free you. However, only after you've answered a few questions."

"Chica, you must be loco if you think I'll talk." Elvis said defiantly.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle." She said with a deadpan. "If you prefer," she continued in response to his defiance, "You can ask the questions first. I'm sure you are seeking a lot of answers."

Elvis mulled over the offer for a moment, "Ok, fine. Why are you a poco caballo?"

"A what?"

"A little horse, pendeja!"

Twilight scrunched her nose at the rude attitude. She had no idea what 'pendeja' meant, but it didn't sound pleasant. Regardless of his behavior, she answered, "We prefer to be called 'ponies', and we are the dominant species in Equestria."

"Equestria?" He questioned, "Where is that?"

She beamed, "I'm glad you asked!" With a flash of her horn, a stand with a chart of the world was produced, with Equestria at it's center. Elvis watched, mouth agape, at what she just did. Summoning an object out of thin air was something only the most magically powerful of his kind were capable of doing. "This land mass," she explained, pointing with a pointer stick in her hoof, "is Equestria. To the east is-" 

Her words were drown out by Elvis' thoughts. He was stuck in a children's fantasy land, and they had power. Lots of it. Maybe even enough, "-to get me home..." He looked back up to the purple unicorn, whom was still trying to lecture him. "Uhm, Chica? Uno momento, but mind if I ask you another question?"

She stopped mid speech, replying with a slightly annoyed, "It's Twilight." She sighed, and forced a smile at him before asking, "What is it you'd like to know?"

"Twilight, I'm just a lost and lonely traveler in an unfamiliar land," he pleaded half honestly, "All I really want is to go home. Is there anything you or anyone else here can do to send me back?"

With a puff, her stand was gone, as she approached the large suit clad being. "I'd love to, I really do, but the problem is we can't. Not yet at least." Elvis was about to bark back indignities, but held his tongue, lest he lose his one chance. "You came through a magical anomaly that I've been researching for the past month. It has such a complex set of sequences and weaves, with a high energy output, that it is very much out of our reach right now in recreating it. You can't go back until I've figured it out."

Elvis growled at the statement. He was stranded here, according to the little mare, and there was nothing he could do about it. He sighed with a sarcastic "Bueno..."

"In the meantime," she started, "It might be best If we get you used to life around here. Before that, though, I want to ask you a few questions."

Before he could bark back a 'no', there was an ecstatic series of knocks on the door. Twilight approached it, and was suddenly knocked over by a pink blur. Why do I have a feeling this happens a lot here, Elvis thought.

"Pinkie!" Twilight grumbled, "What are you doing?"

"I came to see our new guest, silly!" She said exuberantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right. Uhm, mind getting off me?"

"Oops! Sorry Twilight!" She promptly got off her friend. As soon as her attention was no longer on Twilight, she noticed Elvis. They locked eyes, and he wished he never had. With a sudden, lengthened gasp, she raced up to the large being, tackle hugged him, and knocked him back onto the wooden floor. 

"'Ey! Get off me cabrona!" Elvis yelled, but his demand fell on deaf ears, as Pinkie just hugged her new 'friend' tighter. Finally letting go, she began bouncing in place.

"Oh my gosh, I can't WAIT to show you around Ponyville. I know I should give you a 'Welcome to Equestria, Extra-Equestrian Guy' party, but a tour first would be much more appropriate. We could go and visit everyone and get you introduced to the whole town! I'm SO-O excited for you to meet every one of my friends and-"

"Make the chica stop!" Elvis whined.

"Chica? What's a Chica? Is that another name for a chick? I'm not a bird, silly, but I did dress up as a Chicken one Nightmare Night. Had to spend a whole week with Fluttershy's chickens just to be able to learn about what a chicken does to make it believable. I think I nailed it though, if I do say so myself-"

"U-U-U-UGH!"

"Pinkie?" Twilight called out. Her friend turned in attention, as Twilight continued, "Maybe things are a bit overwhelming for him. It probably be a good idea to just leave him be for a moment."

"Aww. I wanted him to see the town. Maybe we could've been friends by the end!"

"Friends? HAH!" Elvis scoffed. "Unless you can find me a smoke, I don't see it happening. Like I'd befriend a scatterbrained puta like you."

"I don't know what a scatterbrained peta has to do with anything, but if they're as nice as they sound delicious, then we could get along just fine." Pinkie reassured with her trademark unfaltering smile. Twilight, however, didn't miss the insult directed at Pinkie, and decided to turn the tables.

"You know what? Pinkie is absolutely right." She started, as Twilight untied the rope binds that held Elvis down with her magic. "It might do you a little good to go around town for a little. We can do the interview later. Besides, I still need to get back to work with my research to send you home."

"Cabrona." Elvis uttered in warning as he slowly got back up.

"YAY!" Pinkie cheered as she gripped the big guys hand and began dragging him out the door.

"THIS ISN'T THE END, PENDEJA!" He said, just before he slammed his head against the top edge of the door frame. A small 'sorry' was heard outside. As Elvis rubbed his head tenderly, he was tugged outside once again.

Twilight sighed. "I have a feeling that this will all end in disaster. I hope Ponyville can handle it."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It took Elvis a couple seconds to realize what had transpired. He was free. He could do whatever he'd want. There was only one catch. Considering how things went last night, and considering he didn't want to be tied up again, he figured it would be a good idea to play it safe for now. After all, either they were all stronger than him, or he became considerably weaker after his resurrecting experience. Confronting or aggravating them beyond a turning point right now might not be in his best interest. He could always burn down the town later.

To say that he received a couple awkward stares would be an understatement. To say that there was light gossip about his arrival floating around would be a bigger one. He could see and hear their abject terror. One wrong move, and they would be heading for the hills. It was as he liked it around most mortals. What made the situation bizarre and a little uncomfortable was the pink pony leading him around. She bounced the entire duration of the little trip, stopping long enough to point something out. Normally a location or another pony like her. Anyone introduced to him gave a weak, quivering, forced smile, a small 'hi', and then a cloud of dust as they ran back to their homes. It was a quick and exceedingly repetitive song and dance that got on his nerves. Made even worse by the fact that she hadn't stopped talking since they left the house tree.

"So, what's you're name?" Pinkie asked. Elvis didn't say anything, believing that she'd continue talking at any moment. Silence lingered between them. Elvis looked towards the pink pony, and found she was staring directly at him, expecting an answer. By the time he said anything, they were approaching a park with the fountain in its epicenter. "We~ell?" She sing-songed in anticipation.

"Tch, like I want to tell you," he sneered finally.

"Aww, come on. Telling other ponies their names is the first step in becoming friends!"

"You are NOT my friend," he huffed.

"That's because we don't know each other yet! I've been babbling away this whole time, telling you about the town, but not once have I let you talk about yourself, or even told you about me. That was rather rude of me, don't you think? SO, to make it A~ALL better, I figured I'd start fresh and ask you, what's you're name?"

"You want to know my name?" He grumbled. Pinkie's head bobbed up and down with vigor. "Fine." He leaped upon the edge of the fountain, which cracked slightly due to his weight. "I'm Elvis!" He made a series of hand gestures, which vaguely looked like 'Buck Fu' formations to Pinkie. "Mighty Mouth of the FOUR DEVAS!" He announced with pride.

"Wow!" She said in awe. "So, you're part of some superhero group?"

"What? NO!" He jumped off the fountain and back onto solid ground.

"Oh oh oh! You're part of a traveling circus act?"

"Gah, NO!" He roared.

"Wait, third times a charm." She sat there thinking for a moment, before saying, "You're a former member of a dark organization bent on taking over the world with the help of a sassy dominatrix, and old guy in a business suit, and a punk that holds one half of the key to your guys' victory, but there's a lone hero continuously hampering your progress?"

"N-" he was about to shout at her for being wrong, but she was absolutely right. Frighteningly so. How did the little chica do that?

"So what happened? How'd you end up here?"

"I don' wanna discuss it with you, Rosa!"

"Ooh! Is that a nickname?" Pinkie beamed.

Elvis huffed, and began walking towards a dirt road.

"HEY! Where are you going?" she asked, pursuing him.

"Away from you!" He shouted back.

"But don't you want to hang out for a little while longer? I'm sure you could tell me all about you when we do!"

"I refuse to spend another minute with you annoying me, ESPECIALLY if I don't have my smokes!"

"I know where you can find some."

Elvis stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around, and marched back up to the pink mare, looming over her like a doom filled shadow. "You lie."

"Nope. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She punctuated with a series of complected hoof gestures. "Not many ponies smoke, but there is a cigar shop in town. If you want, I can show you. And maybe I can take you back to Sugarcube Corner for some cupcakes."

Elvis' belly rumbled at the idea, while Pinkie only giggled at the peculiar timing. "You better not be wasting my time." He growled in warning. Pinkie turned and began bouncing back towards town, Elvis slowly following her at the prospect of sweets and cigars.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"GAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!" Elvis rumbled with joy, "And the morons thought they could just dump the human and disrespect him. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I showed up! HAH HAH HAH!". It was nearly two hours later after Pinkie's promise. Happily munching on a pastry small enough that fit between his thumb and pointer, Elvis seemed to be enjoying himself more as time went on. With a long silky drag of his new, quality cigars, he blew the smoke from his nose, and laughed a little more. "After I smacked those bozos so hard they flew into the stratosphere, I gave the poor cabron a small salute. You know, to pay respect for the dead. That's when the God Hand showed up. Guess he knew something was up, but it weren't my doing this time. Never the less, I don't back off a challenge, or a fight."

"You do a lot of fighting. Aren't you worried you might hurt someone?" Pinkie asked.

"Chica, that's what we do. It's our pleasure. Our duty. Our entire livelihood. I'd go loco with boredom after a while If i couldn't flex and test these babies," for emphasis, he pumped his biceps. "I'd likely go soft too... well," he rubbed his gargantuan belly, before continuing, "softer than normal. Shannon always said I aughta lay off the snacks."

"Was Shannon your best friend?

"No no no. Any normal pendejo, demon or otherwise, would be smart to stay clear of that loco capulina. Guess I'm a special case though." He said fondly as he took another cupcake and popped it into his mouth.

"Is she a special some-"

Elvis choked on his pastry, slamming his hand against the table. Pinkie yelped, and remained silent for a moment. Very little startled her, but after the stories he told and the things he said about himself, she reasoned it would be a good idea to be careful around him. Despite her drive to make him a friend, she knew that being totally relaxed around him might be a bad idea. Elvis stopped chocking, and cleared his throat again, before taking a calming drag of his cigar. "Don't finish that sentence."

Pinkie quietly nodded, and smiled once again. "I'm sure Twilight will find a way to send you back sometime. If not, we can try to make your life here as super duper as we can!"

Elvis slowed in chewing yet another cupcake, and averted his eyes for a moment. Was she really considering having him around? More importantly, was HE considering staying? It seemed way too quick to him. Barely a day, and already he was loosing himself to this brightly colored land. He went from refusing this pink annoyance to actively recounting his life to her. From utterly despising his situation to somewhat enjoying it. It made him a bit nervous. "I'd rather go home..." he muttered finally.

"I hope it isn't too soon though," she continued, excitedly, "'Cause I still have to throw you a Welcome to Equestria Party!" She jumped up on the table, which was emphasized with a sudden gust of confetti and the sound of noise makers.

How in the universe does that chica do that? Elvis shook his head. "Anyway," he said, standing up, being careful to lean forward a tad so his head didn't collide with the ceiling, "I best be going."

"Where?" Pinkie asked.

"Eh, it's best I stick around town until your friend sends me back. In the entretanto, I'll just find a tree to sleep under. I've slept in worse places after all."

"Nope nope nope! I can't let you do that. Just stay right there!" She said before bouncing up to the counter. "Mr and Mrs Cake?" Out from behind the counter, eyes peaking over the edge, the two ponies slowly emerged. One was a sky blue mare with a pink mane, and the other a yellow stallion with an orange mane. Both were Earth Ponies. Both were absolutely terrified.

"Y-yes deary?" Mrs. Cake answered.

"You know that cellar that we hardly use anymore?"

"The one we haven't used extensively since your mishap the first day you moved in?" questioned Mr. Cake.

"The one where we spent months cleaning out the pink 'super jelly' you tried to make for the shop?" added his spouse.

"The one we use only in emergencies, due to its overwhelmingly sweet smell?"

"That's the one!" Pinkie grinned ear to ear to the fond memories. "Could Elvis use it to sleep in? Until we can find him a good home?"

The Cakes looked beyond their eccentric young relative, directly at Elvis of the Four Devas. Elvis, for whom they just spent an hour or so listening him talk about his exceptionally vulgar life. The same Elvis that had just possibly given them nightmares for the next couple weeks, likely about gobbling up ponies whole, or burning their poor defenseless little town down. Worse, nightmares about him terrorizing their children, Pound and Pumpkin cake. They understandably weren't too keen on the idea.

"He won't cause any trouble. Pinkie Promise!"

Eyes locked onto the pink mare. The Cakes were well aware of the infamous Pinkie Promise. Despite the cosmic horror that was sitting at their table, huffing that disgusting cigar, they knew they could trust a Pinkie Promise. They sighed in unison, before nodding in agreeing defeat.

"YIPPIE! Elvis, I've got you a room to stay in!"

As the pink mare bounced away, Mr. Cake turned to his significant other, and said, "Hun, what have we just gotten ourselves into?"
> Tutti Frutti
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elvis' eyes fluttered open. The overwhelming stench of smoke and sugar filled his nose. If this was his first night, it might have been a little less bearable, but it's been a week since he was given this new place to stay. During that time, he hung out with Pinkie a little more, explored the little town in further detail, and even got to sample a few delicacies at the market. Considering how things cost this world's currency however, he was since employed by the Cakes, as per Pinkie's request. It wasn't for much, financially or labor wise, but every now and then he was called to handle heavy lifting of ingredients. Due to his size and natural strength, it was hardly a problem for him. Not that he had some complaints. I never should have to pay for food, he thought bitterly, I knew those free cupcakes the first day were too good to be true. Those cabrons hook you on the stuff and BAM, now you have to pay for a new addiction.

Groggily, he reached for his still lit cigar sitting on a makeshift ashtray, and brought it to his mouth. After burning his mouth by sucking the wrong end, he took a relaxing drag, and chomped on its tail end to keep it between his lips. A quick stretch and scratch later, he walked up to the cellars exit, and entered the still disturbingly bright town. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and it was all so disgustingly happy. Still, he could be pissed about more than some over saturated color and overly cheerful atmosphere. At the very least he darkened a few doors, bringing some balance to the overwhelming peace. 

He marched around the side of the gingerbread looking building, which he DID try to take a bite out of the first time he woke up the first morning he was there, and opened the front door. Mr. and Mrs. Cake heard the bell, but their smiles somewhat fell when they saw Elvis' large frame occupying the space.

"Eh, Señor and Señora Cake? Do you need me today?" He asked.

"N-no, Elvis dear. If we do, we'll send Pinkie to find you." Mrs. Cake squeaked nervously.

"Though, sh-she might be hanging out with her friends for the day. P-perhaps you could just take the day off too?" Mr. Cake added.

Elvis huffed, perhaps a little more indignant than he intended, and gently closed the door behind him. He walked off, hands in his pockets, munching on his cigar, thinking about what he could do. Normally for the past while, he could just do a bit of work, get paid, get a golden delicious from that farm "caballo", and be on his way. A day off meant no job, meaning no pay, meaning no treat. As one track minded as it was, it was all he had in this world to keep him from snapping. Maybe I should go find Rosa. He never liked referring to the party pony as Pinkie, offering to stick with the "nickname" he gave her a while ago.

"Maybe she has something I can snack on..." He thought aloud.

Walking down the pathways in around the inner sections of the town, he gazed around his surroundings. Two story houses and businesses lined the towns path. The houses had white walls that were lined with a timber-frame, with distinct yellow thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors. Details, such as the edgings and the doors, were done in pink. While the windows seemed to be tinted in a light purple. Each home was decorated with trees, bushes, flowers, and a few of them even had a bit of ivy climbing on the walls. Businesses has similar features, but had more ground floor full height windows displaying products from luxury objects to necessities. Though he has since been used to the sight, he still prefers dusty mountain crags or cityscapes with as little vegetation as possible. 

In the corner of his eye, he noticed a pink form bouncing through the town pathway, punctuating each bounce with the word "fun". While that was odd in its own right, he knew that the term odd was basally synonymous with his pink acquaintance.

"Ey, Rosa!" He addressed, "I need to ask you some-" he was cut off by something else catching the corner of his eye, and subsequently passing him. Bouncing passed him, to be more precise. Another Pinkie. "Que mierda?"

"FUN!" Elvis whipped around, and noticed yet another pinkie staring directly at him. Worse, there were three more bouncing by in different directions. Now, Elvis considered himself a sensible demon. One that had his head screwed on right, and knew the difference between reality and total insanity. What he was witnessing registered in his mind only as panic. He started running. He didn't know or care where, just AWAY from THEM! One Rosa cabrona is bad ENOUGH! Alas, everywhere he turned, there was another Pinkie. Hopping, skipping, singing, shouting, invading homes, scaring ponies, and generally engaging in harmless activities which spiraled out of control. Things looked bleak in this overly colorful world. Actually, things looked PINK, to be fair, but no less terrifying.

Elvis turned a tight corner and kept running, looking for a place with as few Pinkies as he could. Soon, he happened to a crowd gathering around the house tree, with Twilight and the baby dragon of her's standing at its open door. She seemed to be trying to calm the obviously disturbed and irritated mob. Good luck, puta.

"Ok everypony," Twilight commanded as the group around her demanded explanations and solutions, "Please. CALM DOWN!"

"CALM DOWN?!" screeched an alabaster white unicorn with the lovely purple elegant mane in offense. "I just had a Pinkie HURRICANE raging through my shop!"

"And they trashed our critter picnic!" Fluttershy spoke softly, but not without a hint of venom.

The crowd got back into an uproar, dagger stares directed towards the poor purple mare, with demand for something to be fixed. She backed up slightly from the overwhelming hostility, but no less tried to appease the crowd.

"Please everypony! Hang on while I try to figure something out!" And with that, the door to Golden Oaks Library opened up behind her, granting her and Spike an exit. "Come on, Spike." And with that, she turned to her library and the two ran inside, which was surely a relief.

With no one to complain to, the angry mob began to talk among themselves. This was hardly the first strange happening in Ponyville, but they WERE starting to get sick of the shenanigans. The obviously degenerating and desperate group of ponies began to throw wild accusations. Such things ranged from "It has to be Twilight's fault! The town was so peaceful before she showed up!", right to, "Maybe Discord came back!". That comment got everyone to gasp in horror, but they reasoned that things would be a lot worse if that chaotic creature returned. They then noticed Elvis, whom was trying to tip toe his way past the group.

"It's HIS FAULT!" one of the stallions mixed in the group said, pointing to Elvis. The Mighty Mouth himself twitched, pausing for a moment, and slowly turned to the mob. He didn't even have a chance to say a word in defense, as another voice in the crowd shouted, "GET HIM!". With that, they rushed the cigar chewing demon, verbally chewing him out for a crime he didn't commit. Something clicked inside Elvis' mind. Maybe it was the overwhelming negativity on contrast to the brightly colored surroundings, or the monotony of the last couple days. Perhaps it was the fact that he hasn't fought with anything in so long, or the awkward stares he got from other ponies. Whatever the reason, he lost patience. He turned to them directly, face in a heavy set scowl, and stood his ground.

It took all of five seconds for the crowd to realize that antagonizing the large unknown creature maybe wasn't such a good idea. Before they could apologize, Elvis began his own shouting.

"ALL YOU CABALLOS ARE LOCO!" Elvis barked back, "WHAT DO I GET FROM THIS MANY ROSA PUTAS, EH?! ACCUSE ME OF THIS APURO? THEN YOU'LL TASTE MY WRATH!" He stomped on the ground, which made the crowd flinch as the earth shook slightly. He didn't care if they responded by trampling over him, because he was done dealing with their behavior. Elvis got ready to charge, but was stopped when the door to Twilight's home and library opened.

"Does anypony-" she cut herself off mid question, replacing it with a more urgent, "WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE?!"

Everyone, including Elvis, gazed towards the irked Twilight, whom assumed exactly what she saw. The very beginning of a colossal throw down between the extra-equestrian being and a quarter of the populous. Elvis spoke up, "They started it!"

"I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT!" Twilight barked. Everyone backed off from the large creature. With the situation suddenly defused, Twilight began addressing the crowd. "You all should be ashamed. I know we have a crisis in our hands, but we can't antagonize others like that! We'll get nothing done with this attitude." Everyone murmured in agreement, sheepish to their actions. "Now," Twilight said, clearing her throat, "Does anypony here know how we can tell the real Pinkie Pie from the rest of them?"

The now placid mob murmured among themselves in confusion. No one could tell the difference between the fakes and the real one, with the exception that they, in their numbers, were infinitely more annoying. But, again, that was because of their numbers.

Speculations would have to wait, however, as one of the pink menaces popped out of the crowd. "Twilight!" She said with excitement and relief, "I need to talk to you! I need your help!"

"Excuse me, whoever you are," Twilight started, with another Pinkie racing beside her, mimicking her movements as she spoke, "I'm not talking to any of you Pinkies unless you're the REAL Pinkie." She punctuated with her hoof striking the ground, with the clone mimicked in sync.

"But! But I AM the real Pinkie!" the first one in the crowd argued.

"No you're not! I'm the real Pinkie!" challenged another that just showed up.

"No I'M the real Pinkie!" another said near Twilight.

"No I'M the real Pinkie!" said another.

More and more of them cropped up in the area, all claiming to be the real one, all of them shouting the word FUN repetitively. Elvis couldn't handle this, and bolted from the strange scene. The Pinkies took notice.

"HEY! WAIT! COME BACK AND HAVE FUN WITH US!"

If this were a poorly constructed story, Elvis was sure he'd been shouting a long winded NO at the top of his lungs. However, he knew he needed to save his breath for his fleeing, and it was better that he didn't attract more attention than he had.

Such a choice was rewarded as he quickly found the cellar door he emerged from earlier in the day behind Sugarcube Corner. As a bonus, it was opened! Forgetting to shut the door really payed off. He quickly looked behind him, and noticed a small group of Pinkies following. "VETE!" he shouted as he dove through the cellar opening, crash landed inside, hastily shut the door and barricaded himself in. Slumping to the ground of the poorly lit room, he breathed in his cigar, calming himself, and exhaled the fumes, sighing in relief.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


A couple hours passed as Elvis sat in the darkness. He munched on an old frozen experimental cake he found hidden away in the cold storage pantry. It was a bit too sweet, and seemed to have a guacamole after taste. Never the less, it satisfied his hunger, if not his taste buds. 

During the time he spent down there, he heard the Cakes scream and lock their front doors, random passers-by flee in audible terror, and many more crazy pink mares bounce around the area.

Elvis scratched the back of his head and considered his options. I could make a break for it, he thought, and head into the forest. But if they see me, I'm doomed. Though, even if I do escape, I'll be too far away from anyone capable of sending me back. He clutched his head and shook in dejection. "Aye aye aye, what a mess."

Their was a small knock on the cellar door. Elvis froze, and kept quiet. The knocking continued. Every sense in the demon's body told him not to trust it. As if in agreement, he took another drag of his Cigar and finished it off, much to Elvis' dismay. "Oh no way!" he bitterly exclaimed before slamming his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Me and my boca grande.

It was too late in realizing his mistake, as the knocking ceased and a voice piped up. "Oh good! You ARE there, Elvis. It's me, Twilight."

While he was glad that it wasn't a mob of residents, or a mob of pink menaces, he still didn't entirely appreciate the intruder. "GO AWAY!"

"I need your help!" she protested.

"I'm in no mood to help anyone puta, unless you have a VERY good reason!"

"I have an idea on how to solve this mess, but you're a key factor. If you'd just come outside and follow-"

"Forget it!" Elvis barked, standing up in the darkness, being careful not to slam his head against the cellar ceiling.

"If you don't, I won't be able to send you back home."

Elvis stood in the darkness, wishing he had a smoke to crush with his teeth at this moment, "What are you saying, cabrona?"	

"With all these Pinkies running around, causing mischief, I won't be able to get even a moment to continue my research. Not just because of the clones themselves, but from the townsponies that will likely to continue hounding me for a solution."

To a normal, level headed individual, that statement would be perfectly and reasonably understandable. However, Elvis didn't fit the context of normal here. The Deva member was on pins and needles now. He was never used to being backed into a corner with something he wanted to be dangling over his head, with a logical reasoning no less. The fact that it was in this situation didn't make the sensation any better. Sweat began to form upon his brow as he continued to ponder his options. Until suddenly...

"NO!" He barked once again, "I refuse to help YOU, or any one of you loco caballos! Hell, you MUST be crazy if you think that your threats will persuade me! There is absolutely NO way that you can make me-"
> Don't Be Cruel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"- do this." Elvis grumbled darkly as he continued to sit in his small chair, once again tied down. "I can't believe you're making me do this," he repeated.

"I didn't make you do anything, Elvis," Twilight rebutted in an even tone, "I gave you a choice, and you picked one."

"Rigged options are NOT choices, cabrona!" He barked, "And why do I have to be tied down again?"

"So you don't end up running away when we start the test to save our friend."

He continued to grumble bitterly in his seat. Along with Twilight, Fluttershy and the alabaster unicorn friend of hers worked diligently around the stage that they were on. The curtains were closed, the lighting was dim, and everything was being set in their proper place. Elvis looked around the area. Twilight explained that this little test was taking place here, in Ponyville's town hall, but to the demon, it looked more like an opera theater. With numerous balconies planted in certain sections, a large open area to seat perhaps hundreds of bodies, and an acoustic atmosphere strong enough to carry any voice, it all held Elvis' belief in the place firmly. Perhaps it even WAS an opera house before it became simply a town hall. He wouldn't be surprised if epic moments in their history were displayed here once upon a time.

"Alright, everypony," Twilight started.

"Ahem," Elvis cleared his throat, hinting in a correction for Twilight.

"Right. AND non-pony..." she continued, "Applejack and Rainbow Dash should be here any moment with the Pinkie clones. Is the seating area cleaned out properly?"

"It's spotless, dear," the fashionista replied.

"How about stage controls and lighting?"

"Everything is working. We'll be ready to go... erm, if you like." muttered the shy pegasus.

"Excellent. You ready Elvis?"

"Does it look like I have a choice?"

"Then, let's get on with this show."

Twilight walked forward, passed the curtains, and out to the stages front where she would likely be greeted by the approaching anticipated crowd. Sure enough, there was a loud bang, as the front doors to the hall slammed open as a herd of ponies ran inside, shouting FUN. Elvis cringed. No es bueno...

"Welcome, Pinkies, welcome," Twilight started. "Please have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."

The incessant bouncing and FUN shouting continued, unfazed by Twilight's, albeit polite, demands. Actually, Elvis thought, I think they just got louder...

"Ok..." Twilight started again, seemingly daunted by the ignorant clones, "I suppose you can't be comfortable staying in one place, but have a seat anyway!"

Elvis inwardly chuckled to himself as Twilight had such a miserable time controlling the crowd. Good freakin' luck, puta! Then, something happened that the bound demon didn't anticipate.

After a decently pregnant lull of silence from Twilight, she finally broke her composure with a decisive, "Sit. DOWN!" The room went quiet immediately. No bouncing. No FUN shouting. Not a peep or movement was heard. It was actually a bit intimidating.

"Better," she said, more cheerfully, "I suppose you are all wondering why I gathered you all here today."

Right on cue, one of them answered, "For fun?"

"No, just the opposite, actually." Before she could continue, the front door of the hall slammed open once again.

"Wait up!" a scratchy female voice exclaimed, "I've got one more! I found THIS one poking her hoof at the ground drawing... frowny faces," the voice ended her statement in slight confusion.

"Have her come sit with the others," Twilight said, followed by the sound of a small thud. Twilight addressed the crowd of pink once again. "Pinkies, you've been brought here to take a test." There was a collective groan of dismay following what was said. "Don't worry," she reassured them, "It's a simple test. A test only the real Pinkie Pie could complete." The sound of shrugs and accepting murmurs were heard. "Curtain please!" The curtain was drawn, and Elvis could finally see everything before him. The hall's main floor was absolutely packed with sitting pink ponies, all identical from one another. 

He suddenly felt his chair and body get picked up by an aura of magic, pulled forward, and set closer to the front of the stage for the crowd to see. "The test..." she paused for dramatic effect, "Is this being here." Many of the Pinkies scratched their head. "These are the rules. I will ask you a series of questions, Pinkies. If you do not answer them correctly, you'll be sent back to the mirror pond. Each question will get more detailed to answer than the last. This means only the REAL Pinkie, whom knows their friends well, even their newest ones, would be able to answer them effectively. Are you ready?"

There were a lot of nervous glances made, but they all nodded. As fun as it was to be with many other copies, it wasn't as special or unique as being the only Pinkie.

"Alright, first question!" Twilight started, "What is his name?"

"OOH OOH!" one Pinkie shouted, "Big fat bald guy!"

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

It was actually quite a shocking display for Elvis. Twilight shot magic at the offending pink pony, whom suddenly expanded like a balloon in the air, and turned into a magical wisp before sailing out of the window. 

"Uhm, ELVIS!" another Pinkie exclaimed, "His name is Elvis!"

"Correct," Twilight said, "Next question. What is his title?"

Some of them scratched their head for a moment. There was a long beat of silence before, "Master of Polka?"

Twilight looked towards the subject in his chair, seeking his judgement. Elvis merely shook his head. The decision was made.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"Mayor of a Little Town to the South?" Another guessed. Elvis again shook his head.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"Mighty Mouth of the Four Devas?" another guessed.

"Correct," Twilight responded, "What is his favorite color?"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


An hour passed as the testing continued. So far, they were able to identify at least 20 fakes out of the group, all dealt with accordingly with the return spell. The only reason it took so long was because the Pinkies became more and more reluctant to answer. As for the questionnaire about Elvis, everypony found out the following; his favorite color was the color rose, his favorite past time was fighting, his second favorite was smoking, he prefers apples over oranges, fire breathing is a special talent of his, he once had a full head of hair but a bad stint with blue flames permanently burnt it off, he never lost a poker game, and his favorite brand of cigars were El Diablo Gold Trimmed Symphony Cigars, which can only be made at his home.

The time it was taking for a Pinkie to answer was starting to get to them, so Twilight decided to switch tactics up a bit, for experimental reasons.

"Alright, next question," Twilight began. "What was the first thing Pinkie did when Elvis showed up?"

Suddenly, because the question wasn't entirely about Elvis, the Pinkies gained more confidence, and began to answer a little more often. "Play a game?" one guessed.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"Throw him a party!"

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"I tackled him with a hug," one of them said in a flat and depressed tone.

"Correct." Twilight responded.

"Why didn't I think of that?" another asked in confusion.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

The fakes were falling for her trap, but she knew she couldn't press her luck, and decided to ask a new question.

"What did Pinkie do to win over Elvis?"

"'EY! She didn't win me over!" Elvis interjected.

"If that's how you're going to act when I give you a nice big cake as a welcome gift, then I won't do it again!" One of them said rather indignantly with a huff.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"No, you certainly won't," Elvis said, chuckling darkly to the irony of what just happened.

"Elvis!" Twilight chastised, "That wasn't very nice, even if she wasn't the real Pinkie!"

"Let me have a little fun here, at least. It's boring sitting here, acting as judge."

"Fun?" one of the Pinkies spoke up, "Did someone say fun? I wanna have fun too, Elmo!"

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!"

"This isn't funny Elvis!" Twilight barked at the demon, "We could very well lose our friend if we don't do this right."

"Yeah! Sunset is right!" another Pinkie said.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

Elvis couldn't control himself at that point. He was laughing so hard that he was crying. He found it hilarious to know that the clones were this stupid. Twilight glared daggers at the demon in question, but shook her head, realizing that he isn't at fault.

"MOVING ON!" the irritated unicorn barked. Everyone, even Elvis, became dead silent. "Now, Pinkies... Name Elvis' best friend back on his world."

Oh diablos mio, her we go, Elvis thought. "Look, where I come from, I don't have any friends."

"Then, how come you called Gene an amigo?" one pinkie asked.

"Who's Gene?" another spoke up to the first one.

"That puta, right there, is a fake!" Elvis barked.

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"You're enjoying this WAY too much." Twilight said flatly.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"So, why do you call him an amigo?" one of them asked a second time.

"It's called ironic taunting, puta. Humans and Demons can't be friends. It isn't allowed. We are HIGHER than them. That's just how it is."

"That seems mean spirited."

"That's our life. Mean spirited," Elvis said in pride.

"This test is getting out of hoof," Twilight sighed, as her hoof planted against her face. Then, she had an idea. "Can any of you Pinkies tell me exactly who Gene is?"

"I dunno, but it sounds like he might like denim."

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

"He's from Prance!"

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

There were only two left at this point. The tension was so thick, it could replace jello. Both Pinkies sat there, scared of the outcome. In numbers, the chances of being zapped due to getting a question wrong by accident was decent enough. Then again, the real Pinkie wouldn't need to worry about that. After all, the real Pinkie would know her friends inside and out, even the most recent ones. The real Pinkie would know about their past, their personality, and the friends they may have had once upon a time. Even if they denied it. Even if they were on opposite ends of a battle.

"Gene's the God Hand." that Pinkie stated.

"Which arm?" Elvis asked spontaneously.

"Right." 

"That right there is the real one." Elvis said, "Can you untie me now?"

ZAP, STRETCH, POOF!

Twilight gave a heavy sigh of relief. Only one Pinkie remained in the room, and she was slumped on the ground, exhausted. Twilight, and the rest of the ponies in the hall walked over to her. "Are you ok, Pinkie?"

"Yeah," she answered, "That was way too close. And a teensy bit scary. I was afraid that I was a fake! That none of my answers were right!"

"Wait," Twilight stated, "Pinkie, how many of the questions did you answer?"

"All of them."

"Pinkie!" The other five mares gasped in unison, before giving the party pony a supporting hug. The tension of the room finally fizzled out to nothing as things began to finally return to normal.

"'EY! LET ME OUT OF THIS CHAIR, CABRONA!"

Well, almost normal, Twilight thought.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Elvis sat upon a rolling hill overlooking the town, as dusk began to set against the countryside, painting a cascade of yellows, oranges, and violets against the sky. The populace got back into the swing of a normal day, repairs were made, and plans were reapplied. He fished his pockets and pulled another cigar out, lighting it with gusto. With a slow drag, he inhaled the smooth smoke and silky night air, breathing out with a sigh.

Pinkie approached the relaxing giant slowly. To her credit, after her misadventure with so many clones, she decided to take it easy the rest of the day as well. Not before offering to fix the catastrophes she technically caused, but it was agreed upon that she could postpone that for tomorrow. She sat beside Elvis, upwind from the burning cigar, to avoid the secondhand smoke. 

Elvis grunted after he noticed her presence, but Pinkie couldn't help but smile up at him. "Thank you," she said gently.

"Hmm? For what?" the demon asked, incredulous.

"For helping me. I probably wouldn't be here without your help. Either that, or I would have been forced to do something silly, like watching paint dry."

"I didn't have a choice."

"You did." She reassured, beaming, "If you didn't like me, you wouldn't have talked to me then, exposing the clones. You also were the one to pick me over the other me..."

"A lucky guess..."

"And now you are calling it lucky!" she said with a bright and appreciative tone. Elvis groaned at his poor choice of words that excited the far too friendly mare.

"Look, Rosa, do me a favor and leave me alone? I need time to myself. I've had more than enough of you for a day" 

Silence lingered for a little while, before Pinkie answered in an even, chipper tone, "Okie doki, Loki..."

Pinkie slowly got up and made her way back to town as the sun continued to set against the horizon. Elvis took another drag of his cigar, letting loose another small grey cloud into the air, contrasting the beautiful sky. As she continued to leave, she looked back to the scene of the relaxing fiend. I'll get you out of your shell, she thought, I'll get you to like it around here, like you want to deep down. I know we can be friends one day.

With that, she headed home, silently wishing Elvis a goodnight..
> I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take everyone in town too long to hear of the so called "heroics" that were preformed at Ponyville's town hall. They weren't too surprised that Twilight, of all mares, was behind the thinning of the pink herd. Nor were they surprised that the other four elements aided in the efforts. They were, however, surprised that the minotaur sized being known as Elvis was a key player in the event. Rumor has it that it was he that ultimately figured out the real from the fakes, and that made the decisive choice that brought everything back to the norm. With such strong developments and theories floating in the air, the citizens of Ponyville couldn't help but see the strange creature in an entirely new light. 

If there was anything to say about it, it was that Elvis had some solid feelings on the whole thing. To be totally honest, he believed, within the deepest pit of his dark soul, that this bizarre situation made him feel... good. It was odd to be fawned over by thankful citizens, instead of being feared, but it was also somewhat refreshing. Every pair of eyes he expected to shake or avert away from his direction instead locked onto him with a sense of joy and appreciation. By comparison, back home, any other human would still see him as he truly was, despite any good he might have tried to do. That's how things were then, and he long since accepted that. The difference was figuratively and literally worlds apart, and it resulted in lifting his own spirits. He found that he had a little more pep in his step, took a little more time to enjoy his cigars, and even enjoyed the companies of the locals. Especially, a certain pink one.

"Hey, Elvis!" Pinkie greeted, bouncing down the road in her usual manner. Elvis, whom was picking through a few things at one of the market stalls, turned towards the approaching pink mare.

"'Ey, Rosa! Just picking some stuff up for Señor and Señora Cake," the large biped declared, dropping a handful of bits on the stall counter, and collecting the groceries. "Is there anything I can do for you, amiga?"

"Nopey nope! Just thought we could hang out for a little while," she beamed.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be with your arco iris compañera, helping her practice for some sort of team thing?"

"Dashie? Oh, she wanted to reschedule her practice until tomorrow. The crash landing she had yesterday seems to be making things like flying no fun for her today."

"Mala sombra." Elvis uttered.

"What does Dashie's crash have to do with that meanie?" Pinkie asked, before gasping, "OH! You don't think Sombra came back again to take his vengeance upon us all using some super-duper secret surprise plan that could rain on everyone's party, do you? You don't think it'll involve a crystal ball, bits of string, and chicken feathers, right?! And he's not going to attack everyone while they're sleeping, or is he?!?" she gasps again, invested fully in her own tirade, before continuing. "That's the most heinous, despicable, nasty thing to do to a pony!"

"Eh, nevermind. I don't think anything like that is possible. I don't even know who that cabron is anyway."

"Oh, he was just some ex-king, shadow thing that enslaved a kingdom before he got all blown up with the power of love, and then later eaten by a giant white frog."

"HA!"

"I KNOW, right?" Pinkie giggled, realizing the absurdity of the situation, much like the absurdity of most of the heroics done by her and her friends.

The two unlikely duo kept walking through town, talking up a storm about the strangeness of their worlds, from parasprite infestations to giant mechanical spider fortresses. Each story being more absurd than the last. As Pinkie began recounting the day she and her friends played "superhero", Elvis thought back to that evening. It was moments after he just finished singling out the real Pinkie Pie, nearly a week ago...


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Elvis sat in relative silence as the pink mare slowly left the smoking demon be. He watched the smoke in the air disperse, clearing away like curtains, showing the sky's beauty to him once again. He watched the oranges turn to reds, then violets, before the stars began to shine through. It was peaceful, and left Elvis a lot of room to think.

"Elvis?"

"Hmm?" Elvis grunted as he turned towards his latest audience. There, standing a few feet away from him was none other than Twilight. "What what do you want, cabrona?"

"You did a very wonderful thing, and I just wanted to thank you for it."

"Hmph! I didn't have much of a choice, remember? You made me do it. Hell, you even tied me down so I wouldn't run!"

"But you still helped her. You had many, MANY chances to have me dispel the wrong one, but you didn't take a single one of them."

"Because I didn't know which one was real." Elvis rebutted, taking another drag of his cigar.

"Maybe you say that you didn't, but I believe that's a load of horse apples. If you did, you wouldn't have actively participated during the latter half of the test. Sure, you were a little bit rude, but you pushed the right buttons to get the real Pinkie saved."

"It was a lucky guess!" Elvis barked, blowing smoke deliberately in Twilight's direction. The smoke washed over a thin barrier of magic, leaving the unicorn untouched. "'Ey, how did you do that?"

Ignoring Elvis' frivolous question, she addressed his outburst. "As a scholar, I don't really believe in a lucky guess. As a student of the magic of friendship, I know that the conversation between you and Pinkie during the test could not have been done without some sort of forged connection, no matter how minor."

Elvis turned back towards the now darkened horizon, watching the stars twinkle in the sky. He took another drag of his cigar, letting the smoke escape his lips gently. Twilight trotted closer to him. "You know, I was kinda like you are now, once upon a time."

The large being whipped around with a puzzled expression on his face. "Que?!"

"Well, maybe not EXACTLY," she corrected before continuing, "Not very long ago, I was just this introverted student under Celestia's wing, whom pushed the idea of friends as a waste of time and effort. Mostly it was because I wanted to focus on my own studies. I let myself get consumed by my own personal conquests and thoughts that the outside world was more of a subject to study." 

"Oh yes, we are SO totally alike, puta" Elvis snarked. 

"When I came here, things changed. I didn't notice it at first, BECAUSE I was so consumed by the subject to study. Eventually though, I realized I was missing out on a lot of things. But, do you wanna know what's strange about it all?"

"Cabrona, I don't care, but if you don't get to the point, I'm going to break a rule I have about hurting ladies."

Ignoring the obvious threat, Twilight pushed on, "Pinkie was the one to start it all off."

Elvis raised an eyebrow.

"In fact, she was the first one I met in Ponyville. The moment I came to the town, she was the first one I approached. Ok, sure, she ran off after an exaggerated gasp, but it was all just the beginning. I would later meet her again, having set up a party in my new home and gathered together the other four mares I met that day that I would call my friends from then on. Whether you like it or not, she will get to you too. You can fight it, like I tried to for a while, but sooner or later you'll understand two things. First, as eccentric as she may be, making friends is a specialty of hers. She's about as focused on it as I am usually focused on my studies. Or, as focused as you seem to be with those cigars Pinkie helped you get."

Elvis picked the cigar from out of his mouth, holding it between his thumb and finger, and examined it for a moment. Not for anything in particular, but more out of reaction in realizing they were a technical gift from the pink wonder. 

"The second thing," Twilight continued, "is that having friends can make any day that much better. She knows this all too well, and follows to the point of devotion. You may not recognize her as a friend, but she does to you. She'll treat you as such, giving help when you need it, lifting your spirits, and will just generally be there for you. After all, didn't she just stop by to check on you not to long ago? I assume that she only left because you asked her too."

Elvis said nothing, eyes glued to the smoldering cigar, which he finally brought back to his lips. Twilight sighed, and turned around.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know about that." Twilight began heading back to town slowly, leaving Elvis upon the night enveloped hill. She paused for a moment, turning her head towards the demon. "You know," she started, "I could very will still be a long ways away from a break through with the portal to send you home. It's great that you've so far been an active member of the community, helping the Cakes when they need it, though time probably would go faster if you made an effort to be a friend to Pinkie. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Elvis gazed at the mare as she grinned in a way that a chess master would if they just won.

"Just food for thought," she added, before galloping back to the darkened town.

Elvis took another drag of his cigar, only to realize that it was finished, barely producing any more of that silky goodness for him to inhale. He gazed at the stub in thought. We could've been friends, that cabron said. Maybe... maybe I'll give it a shot this time...

After that, he made good on his conviction. The day after, he approached the pink mare. One apology, and some cupcakes later, the overly ecstatic party pony got what she wanted, and in record time too. To be fair, Elvis was rather nervous about the whole thing. He wasn't used to the idea of a bond between two individuals that didn't involve someone getting hurt or killed, but he could learn to. They talked, shared interests and stories, and shared laughs. Despite some of Elvis's darker moments in his life, the atmosphere around them was kept rather cheerful. It didn't take long, but soon they would be seen hanging out together more often. A visit with Fluttershy and her critter tenants, watching Applejack and Rainbow Dash compete, helping Rarity with gem hunting, or visit with Twilight at the library became commonplace in Elvis' day to day. While the rumors of his assistance in saving the town helped his image, his activity with Pinkie Pie more or less helped boost everyone's positivity towards him.

If there was one thing that Elvis could admit, it was that everything seemed to go faster while being with Pinkie Pie. Not to mention that being around her made him feel a little more at ease, now that he got to know her better. He'd still admit that she could get a bit grating, but she learned more or less to tone it down when around Elvis.

The world seemed to be proceeding quite nicely for him. He was getting used to a life as honest and kind as the one presented by his amigo. However...


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Back in the present, still walking and talking with Pinkie Pie, Elvis shook the thoughts from his head, wanting to ignore the creeping suspicion. He didn't want to ruin what he had going. After all, he never felt this relaxed and joyous in all of his years. Before now, he'd only be set in a state of constant anger from foiled snack plans, dishonorable lower demons, and the lies humans and his own kind would tell. Just thinking about lying, disrespect, and hunger made him pent up and grind his teeth.

"You ok, Elvis?"

"Eh?" He looked towards his little pink companion, whom was staring at him quizzically. He gave a smile, "Oh, it's nothing Rosa." He chuckled slightly, before realizing that Pinkie wouldn't be satisfied with an answer. He decided to come clean. "Well, actually, I was just thinking about things. Mostly about how my life is now, and how much cabrons back home would piss me off." Coming clean helped, but he felt something was missing. He felt he wasn't done releasing his frustration. "'Ey, you don't know where I could go and flex my muscles and power? I need to let off a little steam. I need to break something solid."

"Wow, you must be all wound up." Pinkie commented, "Well, we could go to Rambling Rock Ridge. It's like my dad used to say, 'When in doubt, work with rocks!' Personally, I prefer parties, but I can't say he's wrong. And, since rocks are the most heavy, solidest thing around, they are the perfect stress reliever for you."

"Yeah. First, we'll drop off these groceries at the Cakes'. Priorities first, right amiga?"

"Yeppy yep! Then, we can stop by Twilight and have her remove that magic restraint on you so we can-"

The sound of food products and ingredients falling to the ground with an indignant thud rang in the air. Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around towards Elvis. His fists were clenched, and his face was darkened. This was a bad sign.

"Rosa..." He started, in warning, "What did you just say?"

"That we could visit Twilight before we go?" Pinkie replied in an unsure tone.

"After that. What was that about removing a 'magic restraint'?" his breath became slow and heavy. If it weren't for the way the light wasn't reaching his face, she could swear fire ignited in his eyes.

"Uhm," Pinkie stalled, trying to think of something to get him out of his growing anger. However, she knew that mentioning the restraint to him, something he did not know about at all, would not be easily avoided. She had to come clean, no matter the cost. "... Twilight put a magic restraint on you the night you showed up, after we chased you down the streets. She said she didn't want to take any chances."

"So, you lied to me for two WEEKS, cabrona?!" Elvis barked.

"I-I didn't mean to! It just kinda slipped my mind. But I Pinkie Promise I never tried to keep the truth from you!"

"HOW CAN I TRUST THAT?! I've been on the leash of you puta caballos this whole time, under some sort of spell to keep me from being me! And how many other spells did that violeta bastardo put on me, eh?!"

"I-I..." Pinkie stuttered as she shrunk beneath the looming and growing anger inferno of Elvis.

Elvis, not waiting for a reply, turned, and quickly stomped through the town, obviously looking for Twilight's home. Pinkie stood, shocked and slightly frightened. She just started to bring him out of his shell, and one little thing set it all off like a collapsing card castle. She knew friendships and bonds are trust. I should have told him when he woke up! It was too late for should have's though. With worry deep set in her heart, she galloped after Elvis, hoping to catch him before he did something dangerous, and perhaps, fix what she broke.
> Girl Next Door Went A-Walkin'
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight slammed shut yet another book in frustration. The peace and quiet of the town helped her get organized and focused enough to continue her research on the anomaly, but even now it yielded no results. She groaned, slamming her head against the useless tome. No matter how much I review these books, she bitterly thought, no matter the notes or cross references I make, I STILL can't find any clues.

Things were rather sour for Twilight today. She dreaded the thought of having to break the news to Ponyville's latest guest, but the circumstances called for no other alternative. She just HOPED Elvis was at least in a decent mood today.

"CABRONA!"

So much for that, she thought bitterly. Raising her head off of the book, she looked towards the door that was suddenly, and violently, smashed open. In stepped the raging Goliath, pushing himself through the comparatively small doorway. To say he looked upset would be a gross understatement.

Approaching the nonplussed unicorn, Elvis pointed directly at her and said in a low, demanding tone. "Take it off."

Confused, Twilight raised an eyebrow to the creature's comment. "Take what off?"

"Don't play dumb! Take off the spell you cast on me."

Shocked for a moment, but bowing her head in defeat, she replied, "So, you found out."

"Understatement of the millennium, puta. You're little pink friend let it slip from her lying mouth." He growled as he approached Twilight, "I will NOT say it again. Take your magic leash off of me you damned dirty caballo!"

"Elvis, I don't-"

"If you don't, I swear by Angra's name that I will crush you slowly." he threatened in a flat tone.

"Elvis?" beckoned a normally lively voice in worry. The creature that was addressed grimaced, but held firm.

"Do it NOW!" he commanded. Twilight, not wanting to fan the rising flames any further, decided it was best to comply. Her horn lit, and a glow surrounded Elvis' neck, where an invisible band around that spot was highlighted by the magical energy. In a moment that felt like an eternity, the band snapped off and dissipated into the ether. Unbound at last, Elvis' body began to glow with flames of lavender, as he felt everything returning. He clenched his fists as tight as he could, and let loose a long, savage roar that shook the library from canopy to roots. Wisps of lavender energy erupted from him, causing objects to fly off their resting spots and scatter about. There was so much chaos in that energy, it would make Discord himself crack. After finally letting that bottled rage loose, he quickly turned around to see the being of his discontent standing in what was left of the doorway. 

"You," he stated flatly. Pinkie gulped audibly as Elvis slowly approached. Looming over her, with the day's light casting her shadow barely reaching his belly, he stared down at her with his hands open. He was ready to do serious damage to her, but something fought against that. Something in the back of his mind said it wasn't right. The monster inside him, however, refused to let her go scott free.

Pinkie whimpered, bracing for the worst.

"Cabrona," he addressed lowly, seething with a controlled and unstable rage.

"E-Elvis, I-"

"Shut your blasted mouth, and don't you DARE use my name again. You, and the rest of the bichos are JUST like them. Lying, no es bueno sacks of meat worth NOTHING to beings like me. If I ever hear you, or ever see you again, it will be FAR too soon, cabrona."

"I-I'm sorry, El-"

"SILENCE!"

"B-but, we're f-friends! I-I'll do anything to show you h-how sorry I am!" she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes, ready to fall.

"We are not friends, puta. But don't worry. I'm SURE that you'll BE sorry about this. THAT is a promise."

"I... I..." Pinkie shook with each letter she uttered and each one she heard.

"I despise you."

That was what finally made the dam break. The tears fell free as her pink, poofy mane suddenly deflated right in front of Elvis. He could care less however, even as she turned and fled from the library, eyes closed and streaming with hurt and rejection. She deserves that at LEAST.

"Elvis! That was despicable of you!"

"Despicable?" Elvis scoffed as he turned to face Twilight once again. "Despicable would be lying to my face for days on end and restricting my powers."

"We didn't have a choice!"

"About lying, or restricting my powers? The way I see it, both are pretty optional, cabrona!"

"We couldn't be sure another one of your kind would harm anypony."

"Wait... Another?" 

"Yeah. Over a month ago, a giant frog like being named Bael was dumped into our world by a magical anomaly."

"That cabron. You mentioned him when I woke up here, tied to a chair. Did you restrict him too?"

"No. Circumstances allowed his total freedom. He saved me, my friends, and everyone at the crystal empire from certain destruction."

Elvis chuckled, "I've never heard of something like me taking the time out of his important day to save an empire. Maybe destroy it, for the risotada."

"To be perfectly fair, he wasn't entirely willing to do something like helping us out, until Sombra showed up."

Elvis heard that name before, but decided against commenting on it. Still, it started to make sense. Another creature, just as powerful, or even more so, like him exists here. Stranger, but still fitting, said pandejo helped these horses out. The notion Twilight mentioned intrigued him. "Why?"

"Well, he had everything he needed while he remained here. Plenty of fish to eat, and a home to stay in. We had no obligation to each other. Then, Sombra tried to use him for his own gain. Bael didn't appreciate that, and stood up against him after we freed him from his mind control."

"I'd like to hear the tale from the horses mouth before I make any calls, cabrona."

"You already are," Twilight deadpanned.

Flustered, Elvis spoke in an upstarted tone, "The FROG'S mouth, then! Don't play games with me. I'm still exceedingly enojado with you! I've even considered burning the town down with everyone in it, then dancing on your charred corpses. I only decided against it because I RESPECT the dead. That, and I don't feel like becoming public enemy numero uno just yet."

"Look, Elvis. I'm sorry we kept it from you, but the fact is, we didn't know how you'd react. We needed to make sure you wouldn't cause any trouble just to blackmail us into letting you go free. We didn't even know if you'd try something horrible once you were. I freed you now, because I can trust you now."

"Don't you DARE lie to me, puta. You were prepared to tell me why you couldn't when I came in!"

"I'm not lying, and I wasn't going to tell you that. I was going to say that might be a bad idea to remove the spell while you're like this, ranting and raving, but that I'd do it anyway. You were in a rage, and I wanted to calm you down by talking to you first, but it was clear the only way to do that was to stay silent and give you back your total freedom. Even if you don't believe me, the fact is I took an enormous risk in giving you what you want. But I'd do I again, Elvis. I trust you. I didn't at first, but I know for certain that you've become a better being this last little while. And, you owe it all to Pinkie."

Elvis grunted, crossing his arms, "I doubt that, Pendeja."

"It's true. Look at what you've become. You're a friendly face in Ponyville. Citizens like you. You've been acting as a kind, well adjusted member of society, and have done service to this town that we can't thank you enough for. In a few short weeks, no less."

"Just an act, puta. Just like the act your friend put on to hide the truth from me!" he spat bitterly.

"You know you're wrong, deep down," Twilight rebutted. "If you were so nasty to the core, then why do you have this sense of betrayal set in your eyes? If it were an act, then you must have bought into it yourself. You would have to. Because it ISN'T, you don't need to buy anything. So stop trying to shift the blame, and look at the facts. Pinkie brought a sense of joy into your life, and you welcomed it... not without some hesitation, but still. You aren't the extremely bad tempered and disgruntled being I met so many nights ago."

Elvis' eyebrow raised, "And why, puta, are you trying to convince me of this?"

"Because I want to help... Look around you. What do you see?"

"Books, a broken lamp, crumpled parchments... a library after I came in like a torbellino." he chuckled lightly.

"No, Elvis. You see research in progress. I've been studying, practically non-stop, for weeks, trying to find a way to get you back home. You can even take a look at the notes I made and the books I looked through to try to find the answer. All we want to do is help you. Help you have a better life, help you get home, and help you laugh at the problems of the world. It was a bumpy road, sure. No one said it would be easy. But we're still trying, because, whether you admit it or not, we're your friends."

Elvis remained silent. He thought about everything she said and everything that happened to him during his stay here so far. Everything he's seen, heard, said, and did, from the moment he got to this land right up until now. He couldn't help but start laughing. It started slowly, but his laughs began to get louder and quicker.

Twilight, somewhat confused, approached the laughing beast, and asked, "Uhm... what's so funny?"

Elvis wiped a tear from his eye. "Everything, caballo. These last few weeks have been the most absurd moments of my life, and I've seen some loco things." His laughter slowed down, and stopped utterly as a frown returned to his face. "Oh, Rosa, what have I done?" He said, sitting down on the library floor.

Twilight placed a hoof against Elvis' shoulder. "There's still time to find her. You can still make it right. She needs you. She needs her friend."

Elvis gazed at Twilight for a moment, but it didn't take much for him to consider things. With a newly lit conviction, he wordlessly got up, and moved for the door, stopping only to turn to Twilight and say, "Thank you."

"Yeah. And, sorry again about the magic restraint."

Elvis knew he chewed them out enough over it, so in a rare act, he decided to let it go. "No hay problema." With that, he squeezed out the door, lingering long enough to say, "I'll fix your door later," before taking off in the direction he saw Pinkie flee to.
> How Do You Think I Feel?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elvis wasted no time. He moved through the little town like a bull in full charge. Ponies gave way to the stampeding biped out of both fear and natural instinct. They knew that now would not be a good time to get in his way. 

Upon following the pseudo-trail, he stopped at the edge of the dark forest that bordered the outskirts of Ponyville. Something in this place told his intuition to be weary, and at best, stay away. Ponies dreaded how everything in that wild part of their world seemed to function without their hooves to guide them. This didn't bother him, because as far as Elvis was concerned, wild and unassisted growth of the forest and its inhabitants was a normal fact. As normal is it appeared to him however, in contrast to the insanity of the rest of this world, he could tell that there was something fundamentally wrong about Everfree. That the ponies around him had every right to be weary of this place, but not for the reasons they submit.

Still, this was no time to worry about such things. He had a pink mare to find. He needed to fix what he broke.

Jumping into the wild green, pushing past shrubbery, vines, and other assortments of vegetation in his way, he began making his way through Everfree. It wasn't exactly at the speed he desired, but he never noticed any beaten path that he could have taken, so moving slowly was his only choice.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Twilight wandered about the library that was left in shambles after Elvis' unwelcome visit and tantrum, picking up books and cleaning the mess he left. Normally she'd get Spike to take over, but considering this was partly on her for keeping such a big secret from him, she felt it was only right that she took up the responsibility. Just as she was about to place a chipped bust of Starswirl the Bearded back on a shelf, the front door's bell twinkled. In stepped a cream coated earth mare with a purple and pink streaked mane.

"Hey Twilight... uhm. What happened in here?"

"A rock and roll concert. Roared right through, and left just as quickly," Twilight snarked, while casting a repair spell on the bust.

"I thought you banned those in the library," the mare responded.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Bon Bon?"

"Uhm... you haven't seen Lyra anywhere these last couple days, have you?"

"Not really, no. Though, last week when she stopped by, I thought she said she was taking a trip through Whitetail Woods. Maybe she's still there."

"Maybe."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll come back soon. Anything else I can help you with?"

"Oh! Right. I saw Elvis just whiz through the town, heading for Everfree forest. Do you know what's up with that?"

"He kind of has an appointment with a mare that has a broken heart."

"Geez, what did he do?"

"Actually, it's not entirely his fault," Twilight commented with a sheepish frown, levitating books back to their rightful place.

"Eh, nevermind. Sounds like something I do NOT want to get tangled up in. Lyra gives me those problems as it is."

"Is that all, Bon Bon? Maybe I can interest you in a book?"

"No books today, Twilight. Though, I gotta ask. Did you ever tell Elvis about the beaten path that goes into Everfree near Fluttershy's cottage?"

"No. Why?"

"Cause, I saw the big guy just run straight into it. Think he might get lost that way?"

"I'm sure he's fine."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Elvis stood still, slack jawed, fists clenched, and in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted to punch himself for being so monumentally stupid. Because of its appearance, and the evident weariness of the native mortal life of this world, he assumed that Everfree was completely untouched. But what he found challenged that notion. Before his feet lay the one thing that he should have looked for ages ago.

"A beaten path," he uttered sourly to himself, before snapping out of it, gripping a nearby tree, and ripped it out of the ground. Bellowing a guttural and rage induced yell, he threw the tree as hard as he could away from him, having it crash against a few more mighty trunks. With a good amount of lumber toppled over, and making such a racket, Elvis let his stress drain away from him. Damn, he though, doing that felt good.

His inner peace was compromised, however, when a warning growl could be heard emerging from the bushes.

"Oh mios diablos, what now?" he uttered. As if to answer his question, a wolf like being stepping out of the cover of the shrubbery. To be honest though, Elvis couldn't tell if some of the foliage came with the creature, or it just looked like that naturally. Elvis turned to the bizarre canine. "I'm in no mood to play dog catcher, so marcharse."

The creature advanced slowly, growling in threat and intimidation. Elvis got into a combat stance, ready for what may come, despite his mind being elsewhere. If I try to leave them to look for Rosa, he thought, I risk having them follow me right to her. The wolf sized up Elvis while keeping a safe distance.

"I warn you one more time, perrito. Leave, before I put you down."

What came next didn't entirely come as a surprise. Lifting its head towards the sky, the wolf howled long and loud, letting its voice echo through the forest. A few moments past, and the sound of bounding paws through foliage could be heard, combined with faint growls and pants.

"Called the pack, did you?" Elvis spat, "Magnífico. Have it your way, poochie!" Elvis jumped high in the sky, surprising the feral beast, before landing right on top of the wolf. Feet firmly planted against its back as he landed, he heard the sound of wood splintering beneath him. Looking beneath him, Elvis found fragments of wood left behind where the wolf should have been. "Que?" Elvis looked around, wondering if this was some sort of trick. The sound of angry growls kicked him out of questioning the situation. Surrounding the mighty mouth was the pack of wolves summoned to the party. Getting a good look at them, he realized why the one he landed on left behind nothing more than splinters and fragments.

Each wolf was merely a collection of wood blocks, sticks, bark strips, and various foliage pieces. He never noticed it when the first wolf showed up, but these creatures couldn't simply be classified as wolves or beasts. Magic constructs? He didn't have time to consider things however, as the pack advanced on him.

Elvis defaulted to a defensive stance, keeping his wits about him, being weary of all sides.

Wait, he thought. Why am I even being cautious? I could just light these walking bonfires up and-. He stopped, and realized where they are. If I set them on fire, I could easily accidentally set the whole forest on fire, and with Rosa still inside...

"The hard way it is," he decided as he rushed forward. The timberwolves didn't anticipate such a bold movement, which allowed Elvis to body slam against the one in front of him. The magical creature flew from the charging behemoth, and crashed right into an oak, shattering upon impact. Realizing the fight is on, the remaining timberwolves charged at Elvis, ready to go in for the kill. Elvis whipped around and hammer-fisted one of the pouncing wolves in the abdomen. Still turning, and using his other hand, he gripped another pouncing wolf by its neck. Rolling forward, wolf in hand, he evaded the other members of the pack, and slammed the predator construct into the ground, planting it head down. Swiftly getting up, he gave a mighty side kick that separated the grounded timberwolf's hind legs and waist from the rest of its body. 

The wolf's brethren, taking massive offense to the creature exhibiting such destructive might, all charged forth. Splitting up their ranks, they tried to flank Elvis, in an attempt to catch him off guard. The mighty mouth didn't waste any time, and leaped off to one side, directly at one of the flanking parties. With a swift slide, rocketing his weight forward, he smashed through the attackers, and sent them flying in several directions. The rest of them, the few remaining there were, tried to play out the rest of this encounter with caution. They stopped charging, and took several steps back. Opting to surround Elvis once again, they split up and circled the demon. 

Standing over the fallen timberwolves like a battle fortified ivory tower, Elvis summoned a fraction of his demonic magic. He wanted to end this, and find Rosa. With the magic, he amplified his senses, and focused. Looking about, he noticed a faint source of emanating energy, subdued by a dull suppression resonating around it. Between him, and that clue in the distance was one of the wolves. It was a good chance as any to kill two birds with one stone. Redirecting the fraction of energy, he passed it through his body, and took a crane style fighting stance. Going off in style will surely send them off with their tails between their legs.

Then it all happened so fast. As soon as Elvis put his foot back down on the ground, he launched forward, head first, like a cannon ball ready to wreck someone's day. Even when he made contact with the terrified and shocked wolf in his way, he kept flying, gripping said creature in his heavy hitting hands. By the time he stopped, he was a good distance away from the scene of the crime. He sat upon the wolf he snagged, and looked about, to try to spot some sort of clue to point him where to go next. The wolf beneath him, however, interrupted his through process and flailed about trying desperately to bite him.

Focusing on the wolf once again for a split second, he raised his fist and punched its head into the ground. The construct stopped moving instantly.

Elvis sighed, "That could have gone better..." He stood up, and dusted his pants of as much as he could. "I'm gonna need to lavarme after all this is over. At least those beasts gave me a reason to cut loose for a bit." Just then, he could hear the faint sound of crying. The voice letting the sobs free was unmistakable. "Oh, Rosa..." he murmured as he wandered through the foliage, following the sound of Pinkie's depression.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Sitting on a stone slab on a hill in the middle of a clearing was Pinkamena Diane Pie. But what a change she underwent in such a short time. Dejected and hurt, her coat lost its brilliance, and became a few shades darker. No longer was there a bubbly, bouncy, poofy mane on her head, but a straight and lackluster sheet of volumeless strands that hung limply against her. Her breath was ragged from the crying, and her cheeks were stained by the salt of her tears. All she was focusing on at this point were her own fore hooves slowly dragging back and forth against the rough surface of her seat.

Pinkie thought about everything that happened during the recent month. The crazy new visitor from another world, her attempts to bring him around to enjoying his stay here, nearly costing the friendships of everyone she knew with her stunt with the Mirror Pool. It was a roller coaster that she had a tough time deciding whether or not it was fun. She knew, however, that its decisive halt from letting the cat out of the bag certainly ruined what she had going. Forging a friendship, especially with someone that has an attitude problem, is a difficult thing to do, and all the more depressing when it falls apart. Except when it blows up in their face, which makes it a little more heartbreaking than normal. 

"M-maybe," she thought solemnly, "Maybe it's good that that he hates me. It'll make it that much easier for him to go home and forget about us."

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and watched the wind blow through the trees around her. It was a calming moment, listening to the trees hush and sway in their rustling leaves. It helped her clear her mind and ease her emotions. A disturbance in the wind and foliage behind the depressed mare threatened that peace, however. She dared not to turn around, more out of fear of the crushing disappointment that whomever is behind her isn't the one she wants forgiveness from.

"I-I didn't mean to hurt you, Elvis," she sniffled to herself, ignoring the presence barely a gallop away from her, "I just forgot to tell you when I learned about it myself... We were having so much fun. I just couldn't focus on anything else. But it doesn't matter. I messed up. I should have said something, before it was too late. Not after, since saying something after just made you hate me. Maybe saying something before would have done the same thing, but maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. Not as bad as learning it at the last moment though." She paused, listening to nothing but the wind. "And now, I'm just going around in circles. I guess this is what other ponies call a vicious circle."

She shuddered to the cold of the wind and her own unsettled state. Breathing in deeply to the crisp air, she calmed herself once again.

"Maybe it's selfish of me, and I know I was the one who ran away, but I wish you were here, Elvis."

"Be careful what you wish for, caballo."

Pinkie recognized that voice anywhere, and whipped around to confirm her ears. There, standing just a few hoofsteps away was none other than the mighty mouth himself. He loomed over her, taking a smooth drag from his cigar, and blew it gently into the air. Pinkie almost leaped from her rock, and tackled the large being to the ground with a well desired hug, but she hesitated. She couldn't tell if her friend was really her friend right now, and if he would appreciate such an action. Refraining from a tackle hug was something very out of character for Pinkie, but this was a very delicate moment. She needed to know the situation.

"E-Elvis?" Pinkie spoke timidly.

Taking another drag from his cigar, he responded, "Yes, caballo?"

She fidgeted her hooves, before finally asking, "Do you still hate me?"

Elvis finished off his cigar, dropped the butt, and stamped it flat into the ground, effectively putting it out. "I should," he finally answered, "I could live with the power restriction... for a bit. That's no lie. But, you broke my golden rule, and I DID absolutely abhor you for it. You lied to me. You and your friend both. If there is something I absolutely odío, it's dishonesty and disrespect." He reached into his pocket and pulled another cigar, before lighting it up with his thumb.

"That's a cool-"

"Shush. I'm not done," Elvis interrupted, "As much as I have a right to hate you for what you did, I can't." Pinkie looked up to Elvis quizzically. "Perhaps you really forgot to say something. I really don't know for sure. But I can tell, just by looking in your eyes now, that you had no intentions of hiding something and doing harm. That you are honestly triste, and that's more than I can say for a few cabrons I've known in my life."

"B-but, back at the library! You said-"

"I know what I said, Rosa, and I've already told you that I DID. I don't now, but only after I had time to think... and talk about it with your friend."

"Twilight?"

"Mm-hmm," Elvis hummed as he took another drag of his cigar, "I don't quite like that she felt it necessary to be so passive aggressive, but I suspect it's normal."

Pinkie nodded slowly. She loved her friend, but always caught on to her snide and deadpanned comments. Pinkie only derailed them in an attempt to lighten the mood. That mare needs to loosen up more, she thought.

"The point is, Rosa," Elvis said, inhaling his cigar once more. As the embers reached the butt, the lack of fuel all but entirely extinguished it. He removed the remains from his teeth, and examined the former cigar. Blowing the remaining smoke from out of his nostrils, he let the nub fall to the ground, and stomped on it gently to put it out for good. "I'm sorry, for hurting you."

Tears welled up in Pinkies eyes, as she stood up upon the rock, and jumped at Elvis, fore legs outstretched. Learning from his first encounter with her, he stood his ground, and took the tackle head on. Upon contact, he wound his own arms around the little pony, and gently returned the gesture. Her eyes streamed against his shirt, as she sobbed in relief.

"It's alright, Rosa," he reassured. After a moment, the two beings let go, and Pinkie dropped to the ground as Elvis took a step back. He never noticed when it happened, but the little Earth pony gained her color and bounce back, as her mane seemed to have inflated when he wasn't looking. Despite the stains on her cheeks and watery eyes, she looked as joyful as she was normally. For Elvis, somewhere deep down in his blackened soul, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of the joy himself.

"Friends?" Elvis asked, kneeling down and outstretching his hand.

Pinkie gazed at him as if he were offering a gift from Celestia herself. There was no hesitation, as she shot her fore leg into his open palm. "I never wasn't," she said with a great big smile. Elvis returned the gesture as he gently shook her hoof.

Pinkie scrunched her nose with a revelation. "Wait, aren't you worried that Twilight might have tried to hypnotize you into this, or something? I don't know if she did, but seeing I forgot she put that restraint on you..."

"Nah! As talented as she may be, Rosa, she can't make strong enough suggestions that I won't already agree to. Demons have a much MUCH stronger will than average mortals. It takes a good beat down and actual possession, or direct mind control to get us to bend to some cabron's will against our own."

"I'm glad we ruled that out," Pinkie said with a smile.

However, their little moment was short lived as the sky suddenly became night, then day five seconds later, then night again. "Qué demonios?" He asked in surprise, letting go of Pinkie's hoof and rising back to his feet. 

"This seems awfully familiar," Pinkie stated.

As soon as she said that, she noticed in the distance that the building of Quills and Sofas floating into the air and start doing somersaults. Followed by sudden rainclouds raining upside down, birds flying backwards, and a candy cane tree grow to impossible sizes.

"What. The. FU-"

"This DEFINITELY seems familiar!" Pinkie exclaimed, cutting Elvis off.

"What's going on, Rosa?" Elvis asked, concerned. 

"He's back," she stated simply, "We have to get back to Ponyville, NOW. And I've gotta arm my party cannon with fruitcake."

Elvis paused for a moment. "Why fruitcake?"

"Because it's hard, strange tasting, and deserves to be served at high speeds to only one meanie pants I know. I hope the girls are already there trying to keep him occupied."

Elvis could see the fire in her eyes. Whatever was going on was far more serious than the magical hijinks made it appear to be. As the sky turned a greenish grey, Elvis strengthened to a new resolve. 

"I'll go on ahead, Rosa. Get to Ponyville when you can, bien?"

Before Pinkie could protest, Elvis crouched, flexed his legs, pumping them full of demonic energy, and leaped right over the forest, straight to the disturbance of reality.
> Little Less Conversation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Racing down the stairs from the canopy balcony, the little purple baby dragon interrupted the conversation between Bon Bon and his caregiver. 

"TWILIGHT!" shouted Spike in concern, "We have a BIG problem!"

Twilight turned to her flustered assistant. "What's the matter, Spike?"

"There's something strange going on outside in Ponyville. I saw a flying timberwolf get thrown out of Everfree forest, and the clouds are acting kind of funny."

Twilight paused for a second. "While the timberwolf thing is certainly odd to say the least, the clouds can be explained by a sudden shift in the weather schedule. You know how they have such a tough time keeping things on track."

"Yeah, but that's not all. I thought I saw some of the clouds turn into Discord!"

Twilight chuckled, "Spike, because of the vaporous nature clouds, it's normal to see them form patterns that could be familiar."

"No, I mean I LITERALLY saw some of the clouds turn into Discord! Strange colors and everything!"

"That's impossible. He's locked away in his stone statue prison."

"Oh, but I'm afraid that the dragon is quite right, my naive and little friend," an upbeat and ominously chipper voice echoed throughout the library.

"Discord?!" Twilight exclaimed, bewildered at the revelation.

"Did you miss me? I'm so glad you care enough to do so after a short time. Not like that stick in the solar mud, Celestia, whom couldn't even be bothered to be surprised at my triumphant return."

"But this is impossible! The spell the Elements cast on you should have last as long as we are around, at LEAST! There's no way you should be free!"

"Honestly, it came as quite a shocker to me as well, my dear Twilight. Not a few moments ago, I felt a massive influx of chaotic energy. It was as if someone shook a soda bottle in an earthquake, and popped the top. I wonder what you made so discontent that such a wave was created?"

"What makes you think I'm responsible?" Twilight asked, incredulously.

"Well, the energy came from here, did it not? In any case, I'm free once again, and I intend to take my rightful spot as King of Chaos. Rolls off the tongue, does it not?"

"Show yourself, Discord!" Twilight demanded.

"Adore me that much that you simply have to see me? I'm touched. Very well, don't say I don't aim to please. It's not like you can DO anything without the Elements of Harmony atop your head, anyway." With that, and a silly, if dark, chuckle following it, the wood table in the center of the library began to twist and warp into a serpentine and mismatched shape. Taking up colors so odd and misused, the beast began to take full animation. Clenching his lion paw and griffon talons, flexing his goat and lizard legs, and twisting his horse like head a thousand and eighty degrees, he stretched and yawned. His bat and bird wing fluttered as he hovered over the two ponies and the little dragon.

Bon Bon, absolutely mortified and dumbstruck, slowly backed up towards to door. "I've... gotta go and... check my... bye," she uttered as she raced out of the door, screaming her head off.

"I believe she's gone to announce to the town of my arrival. I'll be sure to give her an extra special surprise once I've taken my seat."

"You'll never get away Discord! We've beaten you once, we can do it again. Me and my friends WON'T fall for your tricks this time."

"Oh, gag me! Don't start up with that whole 'friendship can do anything' hogwash. The only reason you beat me is because you had those lovely little gems, which you're severely lacking right now. That, and Celestia cheated by using those letters she sent back to you to get all of you to quit being so lively."

"There's ALWAYS a way to beat creeps like you, and we'll find it!" she proclaimed, ignoring Discord's comments entirely.

"Not here, you won't. I'm afraid that words will be useless this time." With that, Discord snapped his fingers, and suddenly, little black specks emerged out of the books and papers all around the library, and ran out the door. It took a moment for Twilight to realize exactly what they were.

"The notes! The books! What have you done?!" Twilight yelled.

"Creating a few run on sentences... and having them run off as well!" He laughed at his poor joke as Twilight steeled her resolve. Having no more use in the library, she opted to find her friends and come up with a plan of attack. Grabbing Spike and galloping out the door she hoofed it to Sweet Apple Acres.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Considering what they were dealing with, and the circumstances they were under, she should have known that her plan was doomed to fail. On any other occasion, gathering the girls, informing the princess of the situation, and sending Rainbow Dash to pick up the elements from Canterlot would be pretty much a foal proof plan. The normally studious and diligent Twilight forgot a few factors in her attempts at quelling the issue at hand.

The first one was Discord himself. She honestly should have known that, by the time she took action, he would have already tipped the odds in his favor. Specifically, warping the town to make it harder to navigate and look for the girls, and tapping the fire line between Celestia and Spike. That particular advantage was a critical blow to her, as the other factor she failed to be aware of made the situation more difficult. She was so wrapped up in her studies as of late, she didn't know Rainbow Dash was still in the hospital. Without a way to contact the princess, or a quick way to retrieve the Elements, taking down Discord would be excruciatingly difficult. This wasn't even to mention that Pinkie was still missing, so even IF they had the elements, they'd still lack the mares to use them.

Never the less, with the combined effort of Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy, whom was a bit too meek to help the situation, they attempted to stall Discord for as long as they could. At least until someone made it to Canterlot to inform the princess and until Pinkie made a return. It was the best they could hope for.

As for Discord, he was having an absolute ball, figuratively this time. The one thing on this world that could stop him is left so disorganized that he couldn't help but giggle. It was made even better that two of the Bearers were either missing or incapacitated, and one was too scared to put up any opposition, and that he hardly had to lift a claw to do it. Scaring them off with flying houses and lightning bolts being spat out by wooden planks, the master of chaos decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

Summoning a glass of purple lemonade, and adding some mini piranha's into the drink for added bite, he took a hearty sip in satisfaction. "Ah, it's good to be King."

"PenDE~JO~O!"

Before the self proclaimed god could turn around, a massive fist decorated in silver rings smashed into the back of Discord's skull, and sent him tumbling through the air. Crashing into the ground, and rolling to a painful stop, Discord picked himself up with some effort, and rubbed the back of his now sore head in defiance. Turning to greet his equine attacker, he was instead met with a very large and strange bipedal being. In a taunt, the being swiftly rose his right foot and tapped it loudly with his left hand, before punching the air with high speed and expert skill.

"That first one was for the soap road, cabron!" the mighty mouth yelled, getting into a combat stance.

"You're certainly not one of my creations," Discord declared with a click of his tongue, "After all, I always found gold and silver to be so gaudy."

Normally, Elvis would be offended. His gold arm bands and silver hand rings were his prized possessions, and he'd NEVER let anyone, or anything, talk bad about them. However, he had a much bigger score to settle. "Shut up and fight!"

Discord sighed. "Oh, very well." He never liked being physical. Tricks, mind games, and indirect chaos was more his thing. Hell, it even made him feel rather dissatisfied when he forced hypnotism upon Fluttershy, whom was strangely far more resilient to his suggestions than the other four. Never the less, the being asked for a fight. Too bad that Discord loved breaking expectation.

With a snap of his talons, a decisive "Hah!", and a sudden puff of pink smoke, he attempted to transform the offending being into something small and silly. Like a mouse on a unicycle. However, when the resulting smoke cleared, not a single change was made to Elvis.

Discord snapped again. Nothing. Again and again. Still nothing. A chipmunk playing a kazoo. A penguin wearing a grass skirt. A cat dressed as a mouse. Not a single one of his visions came to being to replace his foe. Before Discord could ask what was wrong with the fingers and tap them with his paw, Elvis shot forward like bullet, and backhanded the chaos spirit with a crushing hammer-fist. Upon impact, Discord's head spun about twenty times before he stopped it abruptly. When this happened, and before he could react, Elvis quickly maneuvered forward, and swiftly kicked the draconequus in the side, more than enough to straighten him out. Discord faltered in pain of the impact, and quickly stepped back out of range of Elvis's follow up back kick.

He coughed and retwisted himself back to his familiar shape, before pointing an angry claw at his attacker. "Look here you whatsit!" He exclaimed angrily, "This is NOT how this works. I snap my fingers, you turn into a goth poodle, and laugh my scales off! It's all here in the script!" He held out a purple booklet that was titled "Discord vs. The Strange New Toy". Too bad for the chaos spirit that Elvis wasn't paying any attention to his shenanigans, as he merely jump kicked him, sending the silly villain into a stand that sold staples. Said stand was right next to a stand for pillows, but Discord was a little too disoriented to realize the cruel irony.

Once he shook the perfect flying cubes spinning perfectly circular around his head, he stood back up and dusted himself off of the staples. Having had enough of being kicked around, he snapped his fingers once again. The mice that were once hiding behind crates and in between houses suddenly became large and cuddly luchadores. They stormed out of their hiding places and gathered behind their mad master. Ponies scattered, afraid of what would happened next.

"Alright boys," he smirked as they snarled and roared in anticipation, "Play nice."

The massive muscle mice charged forward, with violent intent in their eyes. Elvis took a step back in defense. Before they could reach their target, Elvis flexed his leg. With a bound, he leaped right over the heads of the first row, stepping on one of the heads in the second wave, and landed directly behind the rest of the advancing hoard. Discord was dumbstruck at the grace and agility of this seemingly fat foe, and before he could do anything to help his minions, Elvis turned towards the mighty mice. With a quick drag of a lit cigar he pulled from his pocket, he blew the smoke from his mouth as hard as he could. In mere seconds, the entire small army was covered in a toxic mist that blotted their sight.

"That's cheating!" Discord bellowed in accusation. Elvis turned to him with an absolutely terrifying glare that caused the chaos spirit to step back and re-evaluate his position. Reaching behind his back, he pulled a pair of silly looking spectacles and placed them on his muzzle. Clasping his mismatched hands, he tried to make his eyes as wide and innocent as possible with the magnifying effect of the glass on his face.

"You wouldn't hit someone with glasses on, would you?" he pleaded.

Elvis, however, responded with a swift punch to Discord's chest. He heaved hard and tipped forward, allowing his glasses to fall to the ground. With that, the mighty mouth stepped forward onto the specks, shattering them, and readied himself. It was at that point that Discord realized what was going to happen next will most definitely not be any fun at all.

Elvis let out a guttural yell, and let his punches fly. Each strike followed each other like a jackhammer against rock. Discords serpentine body writhed and twitched as his opponent continued his assault. Pausing for a moment, Elvis readied himself for one final move to cap off his mach speed punches. As he jumped up, he raised his fist, and down cut Discord atop his head, and forced Discord into the ground with a violent smash.

He jumped back, and got back into a combat ready stance.

Discord raised his claw, then his paw, and pushed himself out of the self shaped crater below him. He was livid.

"I've had just about enough of you," he snarled, "You refuse to transform, you ignore my mice, and you hit those who wear glasses. I mean, who does that?! It think it's time for a change of perspective! Let's make you laughing mad!" Discord raced forward, slithering and coiling around Elvis, and gently pressed his finger at the top of his bald head. The serpentine god smiled wickedly for a moment as he stared at his would be puppet, before his grin began to falter. The only thing that changed on Elvis was his already sour demeanor going worse. 

"Impossible," he uttered. 

Elvis then wriggled one arm free, and grappled his foe's snake like form with it, pulling his body off of him with a hard tug. He unwound from Elvis unceremoniously, and tried to squirm out of the large hand of his big opponent. The mighty mouth then swing Discord like a whip, straightening him out once again, before slamming him repeatedly upon the ground. After five heavy thumps, he tossed his foe over his shoulder nonchalantly.

Landing a few hoofprints away from Elvis, Discord coughed and wiped his muzzle, panting heavily. "Alright. That's it. I'm sick of you defying me." he growled, "You wanna be physical?" He stood up, clenching his mismatched claw and paw. "Then get a big load of this!" He snapped his fingers, and began to grow, as he cackled wildly. It didn't take very long for him to cast a diabolical shadow over the little village. Being twice the height of an Ursa Minor, he finally stopped his growing, along with his laughing. Looking down upon the little bystanders and brittle little homes, he leaned down to speak. 

"You should all see the look on your faces. It's priceless!" he giggled before summoning a large enough mirror to reflect the town wide populous' shock and horror. Noticing his foe was still as depressingly negative in expression as he was for much of the fight, he tossed the mirror into an open field in disgust. "FINE! TASTE FOOT!" he growled, raising his dragon foot above them, aiming for Elvis. Quickly stomping down, he watched as the citizens fled the shadowed out area, and expected to hear a scream or a cartoonish splat come from his opponent.

What he didn't expect was his foot being stopped before it hit the ground, with two points of pressure keeping it up. The harder he pushed down, the hotter those points got. Until finally, Discord shot his foot away from the spot, and looked down. It was Elvis, with his hands set aflame, as his body emitting purple flickers of fire. Discord stepped back, flabbergasted at this turn of events. For once, he wished things would make sense.

Before he could react accordingly, Elvis flexed his legs to the limit, and leaped straight up, high into the sky, right up to eye level with the mammoth spirit of chaos. Pulling back his right fist, he pumped it full of his demonic energy, and let loose one final punch. Coming from his fist, a massive quad-horned abomination made of energy rocketed forward towards its target in a spectacular display of light and dark colors. Discord shielded his eyes in a sad attempt at a last minute defense, but was quickly subdued by the blast. Barely a moment before the light show ended, Discord toppled backward, and landed with a definitive crash. His body shrunk to its original size, and everything chaotic going on in the town reverted to its original state.

Elvis landed back where he was standing with a thud, and rose to full height. Taking a drag of his cigar, he finally spoke, "And THAT, was for messing with MY town, puta!" Cracking his knuckles, he concluded his declaration with, "Dear Angra, I needed to do that." Punctuating it by spitting on the ground before him, the thunderous roar of approval swept the town as ponies raced towards the mighty mouth in joy and appreciation. "'Ey, 'Ey, calm down. Just doin' my job. 'EY, watch the coat-tails!"

The victor noticed four familiar ponies approach him slowly. "E~EH! Chicas! How's it goin'? Enjoy the show?"

"Is he ok?" Fluttershy asked meekly.

"While I admit the end was very brilliantly well played, I still reserve that the whole ordeal was rather brutish," Rarity said with a slight huff.

"Didja really hafta let'em fall on the farm? It'll take months to rebuild it, ya know!" Applejack complained.

"I'll help fix it, Señora. Shouldn't take THAT long. Pinkie promise," he declared with a grin.

"Speaking of Pinkie, where is she?" Rarity asked.

"That. Was SO. COOL!" shouted a rather excitable voice, before a pink blur sped right at Elvis, and hugged the large being tightly. "I'm glad you came out ok! I didn't even need to get my party canon to help. Oh well, I can always load it with its proper ammo. I guess this calls for -"

"Why?" a voice interrupted. Elvis turned towards the origin of the short question, and gazed upon a beaten and tired Discord, already back on his feet. Elvis got back into a combat stance, ready for the tricky serpent.

"Qué quieres decir?" Elvis asked impatiently.

"Why did you win? How were you able to resist my magic?! How are you able to resist CHAOS?!? I just don't get it!" the disgruntled god barked.

"I may be able to answer that," said Twilight, as she stepped forth from her other four friends. "Discord. As your magic is chaos based, then you must know that beings that are naturally chaotic would be far more resistant to its effects. Such as the monsters of Tartarus, and even Elvis here."

"How d'ya know he's naturally chaotic?" Applejack asked

"I felt the weaves in the magic he emitted when I took the magic restraint off of him. They felt similar to the magical weaves Discord would exhibit when he changed natural properties and the laws of reality the first time we met."

Elvis chuckled lightly. "You hear that, cabron? I can get near you and beat you senseless if you get too rowdy, without anyone getting hurt or changed!" 

Discord scowled, but sighed in defeat. "So, what do you intend to do with me, then? Fetch the elements and put me back into my prison? With that fat baldy over there, it would be next to impossible if he pitches another tantrum."

"Hey!"

"Actually," said a serene voice, "I think I have a better idea in mind for you, my old friend." Everypony there turned to the origin of the voice, and beheld the goddess of the Sun descending upon them in grace. With a gentle land, she approached Elvis and the Elements. Everyone but the mighty mouth bowed before her. "Rise, there is no need for this right now." Everyone did as they were told. 

"Oh great, Princess Stick-in-the-mud. Whatever you have planned, I'd honestly prefer going back to my statue," Discord snarked.

"Even if it meant relinquishing your chance at total, unrestricted, and permanent freedom?" Celestia asked, almost in a coy and sly tone of voice. Discord, of course raised an eyebrow to the prospect. The other ponies in the crowd, including the Element bearers, were not so keen.

Twilight stepped forward, and cleared her throat, before starting, "Uhm, I beg your pardon Princess Celestia, but... ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! We JUST finished stopping him from repeating the events of A FEW MONTHS AGO, and you want him to go FREE?"

"Yeah," Elvis interjected, "I thought this cabron was the bad guy conquring tirano here! Why should we give him any compassion?"

"I will not be some fool as to just let him free without SOME compensation. In order to earn his freedom, he will need to undergo a special rehabilitation program I've been considering for the last little while now. Fluttershy, I will need to speak to you later about this."

"A-are you sure? I mean, I can't say no, but I kinda want to, if you don't mind, but-" Fluttershy mumbled, fidgeting with her hooves.

"We will discuss it," she said with a small and warm smile, "As for you Discord, we should return to the palace to discuss your future. Do realize that if you misbehave, I can always have Pinkie send Elvis to keep you in line."

Turning to Elvis, Discord watched the monster of a being crack his knuckles in warning. "I don't think that will be necessary, especially if my freedom, and well being, is on the line."

"Excellent. Shall we go, then?"

The chaos spirit sighed, before sticking his tongue out at Elvis, muttering something about being a dirty glasses breaker. He wasn't going to enjoy this, but what other choice did he have? With goodbyes exchanged by the Elements and the Princess, and with great hesitation, Discord followed Celestia back to Canterlot, leaving the crowd of ponies behind. After a few moments of silence, and the crowd dispersing to return to their daily activities, Rarity broke the silence.

"Is it just me," she started, "Or did the Princess actually use a threat of violence against Discord?"

With such a question that lingered in the air, the only reply it got was from the guffaws of one abnormal gold decorated monster, and his pink friend.
> It Is So Strange
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna slowly cantered down the Spire of the Moon after she brought forth her celestial body once again over the sleepy inhabitants of Equestria. It was a marvelous night out tonight, she believed. After all, very few can turn the job of setting the sun and raising the moon into an art form of brilliant colors and shimmering diamonds in the sky. She certainly was getting used to the normal around here... Well, the ALMOST normal. As she exited the bottom of the spire, and wandered through the halls of Canterlot Castle, a thought wormed its way to the center of her attention. It was of Celestia's little project. 

Celestia had told Luna much of the details of what she was doing, but she still couldn't see the reasoning behind it. Bringing monsters from other universes to this world. It seemed exceedingly dangerous, and didn't seem to provide any evident benefits for the good ponies of Equestria. The latest one was a testament to that, as it released Discord from his statue early. Granted, the beast got subdued by its liberator, but the point still stood. These beings were more trouble than they were worth. Once they serve their phantom purpose and are sent home, she hopes to never hear of something this bizarre and dangerous again.

She let out a sigh as she cantered up to the chamber her sister claimed as a relaxation and study room. Having a feeling Celestia was in there, she decided to pester her a little bit. Creaking the door open with a gentle gust of her natural magic, she wandered in and closed the door once again. There, at the far end of the room, in front of a welcoming fireplace amidst the darkness, was the Goddess of the Sun herself.

"Tia?" she asked.

"Oh, good evening, Lulu. How did you fair bringing in the night this night?"

"Everything is set like poetry in motion. Tia, I need to discuss something with thee ."

"Oh Faust, PLEASE don't talk me out of bringing in the six to our world. You know we need them."

"But WHY we need them still alludes me! I don't understand why thou art taking such an enormous risk with these clearly diabolical beings."

"I promise to tell you when the time is right. For now, you just need to be patient. Everything will work itself out. Two of the six are already here, and they have bound themselves to both Fluttershy and Pinkie. No matter what happens, we have them as allies now. It'll help keep the more violent ones in check."

Luna huffed in defeat. There were glaring holes Celestia's mystery plan for these monsters, with four of them still on the way, but she trusted her sister. After all, she's been at this for quite a while, and while her actions were questionable some of the time, she no doubt couldn't deny the results. Speaking of which.

"What of the whole ordeal with Discord?"

"Oh yes, our dear friend. I provided him an ultimatum. If he wishes for his freedom to be absolute, he first must undergo reformation, so that we can at least handle him with a bit more compassion and leniency. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise?"

"He returns to his prison, and that would be counterproductive for all of us here."

"Why do we need him anyway? Surely whatever thou art devising does not require his presence."

Celestia sighed. "Actually, dear sister. It does. In fact, him leaving his stone prison TODAY was a stroke of luck."

"What do you mean?"

"I was planning to have Discord freed eventually."

"Why, Tia?" her younger sister exclaimed.

"The spell, Luna. It's getting harder and harder to use. Especially if the one effected is deceased. I need Discord to relieve the strain of such powerful magic, if I want to make sure this plan continues to move forward."

Luna bit her lip with a huff. "You're barking mad sometimes, you know that, sister?"

"I prefer calling it being eccentric," Celestia said with a smile and a raspberry.

Luna shook her head at her wise and silly older sister, before continuing, "So, what then? What was Discord's choice?"

"Well, he decided to play ball this time. He'll be leaving tomorrow to meet up with Fluttershy. Then, they will head to the Crystal Empire for his rehabilitation."

"The Crystal Empire? Why?"

"Fluttershy suggested it. She needed to check up on our little toad friend for the week, and decided it would be best to bring Discord along, to show that even the most horrible of beasts could be loved if they gave kindness a try."

"That mare is an enigma, but hopefully her idea will achieve the correct benefit," Luna declared.

Celestia yawned softly for a moment before speaking again, "Is that all you wish to talk about, Lulu?"

"Yes, thank you, Tia."

"Can I expect you back here in a month to ask me the same questions again?" the Sun Goddess asked with a smirk.

"Hardy har har, sister." Luna deadpanned.

"Your right. A month is too hopeful. Next week, perhaps?"

"Goodnight, Celestia."

"Goodnight, Lulu" she said with a smile. And with that, Luna gently opened the door and left the chamber, leaving Celestia alone in the darkness. Her smile faded as she pulled a book from her shelf and cracked it open. It was a curious tome, with strange letters forgotten by Equestria long ago. In it were bizarre images and comments constructed of those same strange letters. Decorating the edges of the pages were slips of paper with perfectly normal old equestrian comments stuck on and pointed out certain passages in the book. She read this foreboding book for a moment, before sighing and put it off to the side.

"I hope you're research was correct, Starswirl..."
> Part 3: Generosity Graces the Vain Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Cremation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Unbound, at last," A thunderous, gravelly voice said with relief, "I thank you, Brother." 

A goliath of a being stood before his weathered throne, backed by a massive stain glass window decorated in the symbols and colors of his proud empire in this dying world. His dull green stone like skin ached and strained as he moved for the first time for perhaps a few hundred years. His rusty steel armor plating on his chest, shoulders, forearms, and shins, etched with highly intricate gothic designs, shrugged off the dust and excess sediment. Clawed hands encased with metal reinforcements moved digit by digit, enjoying the recovered sensation. His feet shifted slightly, regaining strength and balance. To this monster of a being, his comment was sincere, and as a vampire, that was saying quite a bit.

"Your thanks are premature, Dumah," his small, blue bodied, equally nightmarish sibling retorted, "I have not forgotten who's hands bore me into the Abyss."

Dumah smiled under his sinister helm and mask that was clearly not made by mortal hands. He knew what his brother was after, and found it only fit to warn him. "The centuries in limbo have honed my strength. Not even Kain is my equal," he boasted. 

"Even the strongest vampire is vulnerable," said the blue clad being.

"We shall test your thesis, Raziel," Dumah declared.

"My blood thirst has been superseded by an even darker hunger. I will consume your soul before this day is done."

Then we are matched, the mutant vampire thought in revere. This will certainly be interesting.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"Oh dear, I should have seen this coming."

On the outskirts of Ponyville, within a rather extravagant looking carousel style building, a very nonplussed fashion designer bemoaned her latest out of proportion disaster. Her elegantly curled purple hair bounced against her alabaster coat as she ran about the room ripping open drawers and checking shelves for what she was looking for. It only made the unicorn mare that much more disappointed when nothing turned up. She looked back to the cause of her distress, and sighed from the uneven gem placement. It clearly wasn't complete, and she knew she had a deadline to keep.

"Why didn't I restock on gemstones during the weekend?" Rarity complained to herself. She understood that she COULD go and buy some emergency gems, but knew how long those could take to be delivered. Not just that, the flustered unicorn was already having a tough time managing her finances this season. Fashion wasn't on anypony's minds these days as it was, it seemed. "Oh, if only Twilight and Spike weren't in Canterlot right now. I could really use the help looking for more stones to finish my project! I mean, I could do it myself, but it's difficult finding what I need in the usual spot. I'd have to dig down appallingly deep, and that could mat my coat for days..."

She groaned in frustration, throwing herself dramatically onto a desk table. "This is the, Worst, POSSIBLE-" she upstarted, before spying a scrap of paper staring at her with an important note. "Oh, hello. What do we have here?". With her natural unicorn magic, she picked up the scrap of paper and scanned it thoroughly. It was her sister, Sweetie Belle's, hoofwriting. 

"Lyra stopped by to tell you that she found a big deposit of gems in Whitetail Woods - Sweetie. How perfectly convenient!" She said, folding the slip of paper and stashing it in one of the drawers. "I simply must remember to thank Lyra for the tip, and give Sweetie a reward for not letting this pass me by. Perhaps a trip to the ice cream shop..."

The fashionista mused to herself as she quickly ran to the kitchen, prepared a couple of sandwiches, one for herself for the road and another for her sister. Sticking the extra one into the ice box for safe keeping, she moved back to the desk. There, she scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper to inform her sister that she'll be gone for a couple of hours, and that dinner is in the fridge. With that, she grabbed her saddle bags marked with her signature cutie mark, three sky blue gems, tacked the note to the door, and headed outside.

Recalling the map of Ponyville and the surrounding area, she noted that she needed to head west of the town. Remembering she was on the east side, she decided to take a quick jog through the marketplace to cut her travel time down by half. Maybe even stop for a quick gossip session.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Dumah's thunderous footfalls echoed throughout his dead city as he pursued his brother. Once he caught him, he'd be sure make "little" Raziel pay for his transgressions of over competent boasting. He was rather surprised that Kain's once proud and noble first born lieutenant did nothing but flee, but considered that he was perhaps just that intimidating. To be fair, though, he was disappointed, figuring this encounter would at least prove to be interesting, if not more entertaining. The massive vampiric creature did note a strange happenstance, however. In that it seemed like Raziel was only going fast enough for him to easily follow at an exact distance, but his own pride considered it to be nothing more than a coincidence. Perhaps my dear older brother is exactly as fast as I am after all these years, he mused. It didn't occur to him that the blue wraith had cooked up a trap for the invincible titan.

By the time Dumah realized what exactly his brother was thinking, it was already too late. Raziel lead Dumah into a large once locked and sealed massive chamber, and took a swipe for the first time this entire chase. The pathetic attack didn't do anything to his stone like skin, as he laughed at the absurd and pointless action. Before Dumah could return in kind, the blue clad creature zipped away at a much greater speed from his monstrous brother. Dumah tried to give chase, but was suddenly too slow to keep up, as Raziel stopped atop a raised platform and twisted a valve.

The valve, he thought, what was the valve used for again? As Raziel swiftly leaped off the edge of that part of the room and made his way to the other end, Dumah had an epiphany. Horror donned on his face as he realized what was going on. In panic, he tried to cross the room and make a break for the exit, hoping to be faster than his brother's actions. However, Raziel seemingly timed his movements exactly, and pulled the lever just as he reached just one foot away from dead center. As Dumah moved across the center platform, too far in to turn back, and not far enough to be able to get out, and noticed a terrible hissing noise. Turning his head to Raziel's location, he realized just where his older brother lead him.

The Crematorium. Before he could form another thought, the blast furnace before him ignited, and blew flame at the force of a hundred earth shattering quakes. Pain was all he could register as the forced fire burned him into a blacked mass of ruined and vulnerable mound of flesh, even melting his proud armor. Everything within and outside his body perished, as he toppled over in a heap of flames, and his soul released to the ether.

It was over. Raziel had bested him, and proved strength and pride alone were not enough for the world. Not for a warrior and certainly not for a king.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Rarity reached White Tail woods in record time. Turned out that there as actually very little news going around town that day, which left little for the fashionista to muse over. Never the less, she was here for gems, and gems she will find. Igniting her horn, she went to cast her spell, sniffing out the beautiful stones and followed its pull. Cutting through the usual track for the Running of the Leaves, she took the time to admire the natural beauty of the forest around her. It wasn't often that she'd come out here, after all.

Before she could find this promised gem deposit, she heard a lengthy, thunderous roar, punctuated by a heavy crash. She froze at the sound, praying it wasn't a manticore, or something equally as dreadful. Upon further consideration, the roar in question was not only quite a ways away, but one that didn't belong to any creature she's ever heard. In fact, it sounded more like a torrent of flame. It was then she could smell something burning.

"Oh dear!" she panicked as she raced forward, hoping to catch whatever it was that was set aflame and put it out in time. Moving at a brisk pace, she moved from the path and through the trees, before coming to a large clearing with a crater at its center. Scorch marks etched the outline of the hole as remnant flames withered and died on the dry ground of the clearing. Taking caution, she took a shaky step forward to try to see what made that mark, but before she could get any closer, she noticed movement. Wait, is somepony down there already?

Watching on, the form in question seemed less and less pony like as it rose from the scorched hole, on its hind legs no less. The smoke made it very difficult to see any proper details, but whatever she was looking at, it certainly was rather big. Much taller than even that ghastly Elvis fellow Pinkie is friends with. There was one other thing she could point out, even in the smoke. Close to the top of the creature's full length, she could notice a pair of glowing red lights, as if they were the figures very own sinister eyes. The same eyes that suddenly looked directly at her.
> Evil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fire. His entire existence was nothing but a torrent of flames. He couldn't remember if he was still in the land of the living, or the realm of the dead. Dumah didn't even know how long ago the first lick struck his skin, but it felt like eons. The only other sensation he knew of was a feeling of vertigo and displacement. The same feeling he had when his soul was ripped from his body the first time, during the surprise attack long ago.

He wanted to give up. He lost his kingdom once again, and was proven that the powers that he honed for the eons while trapped were nothing in the grand scheme of things. His legacy came to an end.

Something was amiss however. The pain began to subside, and that sense of vertigo began to grow as the moments melted away. After a while, he felt like he was being flung through the cosmos themselves. With this sudden shift, another impression began to seep into his consciousness. A soothing weave wound lovingly around what was left of him, easing the pain to the point of causing it to cease. Relief washed over, as the strange weave continued to work its magic. Not even the burning flames all around did him harm at this point. Before long, he felt whole again, with his entire physical body fully restored.

Within a few moments, he felt his disequilibrium intensify, delivering a strange sensation as if he were dropping from a high altitude at a faster and faster pace. He smiled inwardly, thinking he's going to the very place where a failure like him belongs. At least hell is kind enough to mend my burns before they submit me to agony. The dark irony caused him to laugh as he anticipated his arrival.

Dumah, third Lieutenant of Kain's Empire, Master of the Northern City and the Eternal Mountain Shaker, was for the very first time surprised at what came next. He hit solid ground with a rock cracking smash, one knee bent, and one fist planted on the surface of his landing point. He figured, when the fire and the thickest smoke finally cleared, he'd see the desolate wasteland of his punishment. A land he'll proudly march through head-on to endure his torment. When it did clear from his vision, he was instead greeted by a lush forest surrounding him. Licks of flames above him dissipated to reveal clear blue skies. Something that hasn't existed to him for a thousand years. Slowly rising to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings. Everything was beautiful. Everything was alive. Everything was perfect. It unnerved him. He knew in the deepest part of his soul he was no longer even remotely near Nosgoth. 

The sound of a strong heartbeat caught his attention, as he looked off to his side, and spied a small equine creature not hidden very well. It was of curious design, for sure. A brilliant alabaster coat, and an impossibly royal purple and curled mane. Stranger still, the animal had a little horn poking from its forehead. Nothing like he'd ever seen during his youth. The creature's heart rate picked up, as it seemed to have took a step back, probably nervous about his powerful stature. He always had that effect on lesser beings. Never the less, the little horse thing was of no interest. Horse blood tasted terrible anyway.

"And the soul of an equine would probably be worse," he mused, before he turned to leave the crater he made. He didn't get one step out before he heard something call to him.

"Wait!" the little, feminine voice spoke. Dumah paused, and turned to the source. It was that curious little creature again, looking up at him. He considered he must be hallucinating, or some poor human was playing a pathetic trick or something. After all, there is no way that a tiny horse can speak.

"If you wish to converse with me, do not use a beast of burden as a mask. Show yourself," Dumah commanded with his deep, authoritative voice. 

The equine stepped back, and looked... offended? Strange, he didn't realize that horses could convey emotions on their face. It wasn't until what came next that he realized the situation.

"Beast of BURDEN? How DARE you speak to a lady like that!" the alabaster mare said with an undignified huff. 

Dumah stood there, stunned. His aged and powerful vampiric mind attempted to process the logic being presented to him, but it all seemed a bit too unreal. All of his other thoughts came to a screeching halt, except for one that he was just able to utter in an even and powerful tone. "What are you?"

"What am I?" the little creature said incredulously, "Darling, I should be asking YOU that. You certainly aren't a dragon, and you seem far to... green to be a minotaur..."

More questions began to pop up in his head. Dragons, minotaurs, talking small horses? He thought, What sort of hell have I been left in? Shaking his head lightly, Dumah slowly approached the little being. The dread and fear that all but evaporated when the equine had outburst soon returned in full force, as her eyes widened and her little form took a few shaky steps back. Dumah's titan stature cast a looming shadow over her easily, emphasizing just how insignificant she was compared to him. He leaned forward slightly.

"I will not ask you again. What. Are. You." He punctuated slowly.

"Well," she started, fidgeting slightly, "My name is Rarity, a high fashion designer from-"

"I do not care for your trade or name," Dumah dismissed lowly, "If I am to know of what realm I now exist in, I want to know your species. Perhaps then I'll be able to piece together what happened..."

Rarity huffed once again, but sighed slightly realizing that the monster before her had a point. There was little reason in explaining ones backstory if the listener doesn't know about the basics of the world. "Very well," she started once again, "I am a unicorn pony, one of the three main types of ponies in Equestria."

"Unicorn," Dumah uttered, rising back up to his full stature. "Then, I'm in a land of myth. How curious." The ex-clan leader looked to the clear sky for a moment, then turned away from the little being and headed north.

Flabbergasted and a little irritated that she was being ignored, she trotted after the strange creature. "Hey, wait just one moment!" she demanded, "You may have gotten your answers, but I certainly did not."

"Then ask, and be gone with you. I do not need companionship, especially from nothing more than a would be steed such as you."

Well, I NEVER, she thought about saying, but held her tongue, not wishing to get on the giant thing's bad side. "Fair enough," she puffed, before asking, "What manner of creature are you, per say. I've never seen something quite like your build before. That ghastly Elvis character comes close, but that armor plating and skin tone causes such heavy contrast."

"I'm a vampire." He stated simply. 

Rarity halted in her tracks. She's only ever heard of the term in dark/fantasy/romance novels, and through one of Fluttershy's wildlife lectures, but never seen a real one before. To be honest with herself, she was a little disappointed. I figured they'd be more fair skinned, and lovely in the daylight, she thought, remembering the 'Dusk' series of books she owned and stashed away under her bed. I never knew real vampires were so... massive, and terrifying. She gulped, letting the fear return once again.

The creature laughed, "I do not eat equines, if that is what you are concerned with. On the contrary, I've long since abandoned my desire for blood. Centuries suspended in perpetual limbo will do that to a soul..."

The fashionista chuckled nervously, "Y-yes, quite." Before she could ask anything further, her horn flared up again.	It didn't take long for the familiar pull to happen to her once again and not a moment later began trotting right past the creature. "So sorry to chat and run, but gems are calling me!" Uttered as she continued on in the distance.

Dumah watched the curious being wander past him for a moment, but ultimately he payed no mind. That was when she started zig zagging in and out of the bush, going in random walking patterns that his ire became aroused. Worse when she disappeared for a few moments, before cutting in front of his path of travel suddenly and without a word. It seemed like his peaceful travel would not be evident any time soon, especially while the little being is still here. He could just step on it, and be on his way, but that would be less than dishonorable. "What are you doing?"

"Hunting gems," she said offhandedly, clearly no longer paying attention to Dumah's presence.

"If a gem is anything like the shiny little pebbles humans squabble over, then I doubt one needs to be running around in such a disarray pattern to seek them." he muttered.

She had no idea what a human was, but never the less, she replied to the vampires doubt. "True, but when one is looking for the 'sweet spots', one needs to do all she can to triangulate any potential caches. Careful planning and location marking can yield more results than just mindless digging, after all. When you're in the business of style creation as long as I've been in it, you learn some tricks of the trade and utilize them to your best advantage." 

Dumah continued to trudge forward, making another attempt to ignore the little creature. He feared if other beings like her were just as intrusive and as much of a bag of wind, he might have to start doing a few dishonorable things to shut them up.

"Found i~it!" Rarity sung, as she trotted over to a clearing directly in front of him. At the edge of the clearing was a dead end with a rocky mound set up as a wall before him. Dumah resisted the urge to bring his hand to his face, and calmed his demeanor. There's always an obstacle... Before he could consider looking for a way around the large rock formation, he felt something give underneath his feet where the ground had sunk slightly. Something was wrong. Before he could evade the disaster, the earth fell beneath him, causing him to tumble down a lengthy open hole, rubble chasing him down the entire way. The moment he hit the ground, striking his head hard enough against a rock, he blacked out. 


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


This was a terrible, horrendous turn of events for Rarity. The once white fashionista, now covered in dust and grime after the fall, sat in what appeared to be a dank, open holed cell, far below the surface. The only other exit was blocked by stalagmites and stalactites, which knitted the opening, making it impossible to leave. Darkness was everywhere, and she felt all alone. It was a blessing that no one noticed her ten minute panic induced freak out, but it only marked the situation for terrible news once she was calm. Turning back, just barely able to see in the dark, she was able to make out the outline of the vampiric being she was with. Lying flat on its back, half buried under rubble, and with what looked like a stalactite sticking through his chest. She wasn't a doctor, and wasn't exactly strong enough to remove some of the heavier rocks from the creatures torso, as much as she tried when she saw him the first time. As such, she feared the worst for the poor, albeit frightening monster. With a withered sigh of dismay over the predicament, she shuffled her legs, and lied upon the ground. Closing her eyes, she hoped to gain enough rest to be able to think of a plan of escape from this nightmare.

The sound of harsh voices and the shuffling of footfalls caught her attention however, causing her eyes to shoot open. She looked, around, and saw a dim light growing brighter in the corner of the barred rock opening. Two bipedal grey dogs wearing beat up vests and black, diamond studded collars approached the cell, one holding a torch aloft. The torch holder's shorter companion seemed awfully familiar to Rarity, but it wasn't until he spoke that she recognized that particular diamond dog.

"Heh heh, pony indeed fell for trap," the dog in the red vest mockingly giggled in a shrill, cracked tone. 

"Y-you..." Rarity stuttered, "What's the meaning of this? Why have you kidnapped me again"

"Payback, pony!" 

"Payback?! I sincerely hope your joking. YOU kidnapped ME last time! If anyone should be getting payback, it should be me, but I'm not the vindictive type."

"Pony humiliated and stole from us! Fido still have hard time hearing from pony's whining! King angry because you took everything we dug!" the dog barked at his prisoner. Recomposing itself, it continued in a calmer, more sinister tone, "But, we get back every last gem you take. You dig for us! And wear this!" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a muzzle, to which Rarity shrieked, shrinking backwards.

"N-no!"

"YES! You work! You don't talk! You give EVERYTHING you took! You no leave until we satisfied!" The nasty dog cackled, as if he were enjoying the little fashioner's torment. His companion joined in laughing at the prisoner. They slowed to a stop, only for the diamond dog in red to say one last thing. "Rover will enjoy this, and so will King, and rest of us! Sleep, for hard labor is ahead for pony."

Before long, the two dogs wandered off to leave Rarity in the darkness. Alone with her thoughts once again, she let out a slight sob as her situation sank in. She wasn't just a prisoner, but a slave too. Unless her sister figures out that Rarity is trapped in a cell below White Tail woods, there was little hope that she'd be rescued in a timely manner. Especially when considering her captors in question made it quite clear her tricks wouldn't work this time. That wasn't even to mention that there was an injured being right beside her that needs the assistance that she couldn't provide. If she ever wanted to get out of here, she'd need a miracle.
> Icon of Dominance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours passed by since Rarity fell asleep in her prison, having exhausted herself from sobbing against the rock her head lay upon. Silence lingered in that deep cell below the soil and rock during that time. Not a single soul came to disturb the cold and mute isolation, which was perhaps for the best. The little mare had no desire to let reality intrude on her peace. Not while she had little hope of freedom in the near future. She also had no desire to deal with those ghastly beasts, as she would put it, and entertain their threats for any more than she already had. Not while she wanted to keep some of her dignity intact for as long as she could. The stagnant and still air of her stone walled cage stood testament to these small mercies.

A small shift in the pile of rocks over a stilled cellmate near the mare caused her to stir gently, but not waken. However, with a sudden gasp for air, the goliath under the rubble regained his senses, with slight twinges of pain that scraped at his less than stone like flesh. It was a miracle that his body did not give out during the fall, and only merely lost consciousness for a short amount of time. It was also a miracle that the amount of rock matter upon him wasn't enough to weigh him down indefinitely. The amount there was an inconvenience at best no doubt, but he'd be able to work with it. He shifted his body slightly, trying to pry his arms from under the heavier boulders with only moderate success. With a grunt, he freed his left arm, causing the rocks from it to tumble away from him and loudly smack against the walls. Rarity remained sleeping.

Reaching up to his chest, he gripped the sharp stone irritant that was embedded in his right, just below the collar bone, and slowly began to pull. As a vampire, his flesh has the ability to close as soon as it's cleaved. This was both an advantage and disadvantage to his kind. Being impaled was that disadvantage. The wound would stay open as long as the foreign object remains, and would also make it fairly difficult for one to remove it after. As such, it took a fair bit of effort on his part before he yanked the rock free from him, and tossed it angrily against the wall. It clattered and cracked loudly before it finally rested against the ground, dripping a small amount of blood from the sharp tip. Rarity remained sleeping.

Now that he was free from the annoyance, Dumah got to work on moving the heavier rocks from his other side. Carefully, he lifted the weight from his other arm, and slipped it out with no small effort of twisting and shifting it. With both arms free, he lowered the rocks back down onto the empty space his arm used to occupy. He began to sit up, he started moving the heavier rocks from his abdomen and legs, slowly and carefully freeing himself completely. As he stood up, keeping his posture hunched to avoid striking his head against the ceiling, Dumah vacated from his spot and moved towards the rock barred entrance. Before he reached it, he stepped upon a rock, and crushed it loudly. There was a stirring noise. Turning his head to the side and looking down, he noticed that the little pony that traveled with him was looking up at him with bleary eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Rarity yawned lightly and stood up. Dumah's raised an eyebrow as Rarity's own eyes teared up. Within that moment, she suddenly lunged forward and hugged his dented armored leg. To say that he was taken back by the gesture would have been an understatement.

"What in god's name are you doing?" Dumah asked flatly.

Rarity sniffled lightly as she looked up at him. "I thought," she hiccuped, "I thought s-something awful happen to you-hu-hoo~o!"

Glaring down, he gently shook her off. "You do not even know me. Save your pathetic blubbering for someone that TRULY concerns you."

Huffing, Rarity gently rubbed her face and glared back at the mutant vampire. She gave a small sniffle before barking back at him, "Well, PLEASE excuse me for having sympathy for someone that could have been crushed under all of that stone!" The vampire scoffed, and merely moved up to the thick stone bars. He gripped a few of them, and readied himself to pull. Before he started pulling though, the unicorn spoke up once again. "I don't mean to be a bother, but do you mind telling me what you hope to accomplish?"

"I'm leaving this forsaken hole. I must continue north."

"You're leaving? Just like that? Those stalagmites and stalactites seem ever so-" There was a loud crack, as Dumah pulled free the offending rocks, and tossed them aside, before moving onto another set. "... sturdy."

It took him a few moments, but he cleared enough away that allowed him to step out of the cell and into the tunnel. Scanning from left to right, he picked a direction, and started walking. Rarity hopped out and, with no sense of location or protection of any sort in case she might get caught, followed after him. Dumah noticed, and looked back at her. She halted in her tracks.

"Why are you following me?" he demanded.

"Well," she started, "I'm stranded in a tunnel, they want to turn me into a slave, and I don't think I'd be able to get out of here on my own. As much as I hate to be a bother, I would like to stay close to you on the off chance those horrible dogs find me. Not that I'm completely helpless, but I'd rather not press my luck."

He raised an eyebrow for a moment before saying "Your honesty is refreshing. Very well. Follow, but don't speak." With that, he continued moving forward as Rarity trotted behind him.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Deep in the bowels of the tunnels of dust, gems, and labor, dozens of dirtied and tired Diamond Dogs dug against the rock and dirt, mindlessly looking for their jewels. Paws were sore and scuffed from the ceaseless digging against the grime. The occasional howls of pain would halt this process, to which worn pickaxes were brought in to strike out the stone where the poor dog scraped its chipped nails on. No sympathies were given to the injured, as they would be quickly and crudely patched up before returning to their walls. Troughs of water, one for cleaning the tools, one for drinking, were normally thick with grime every day due to heavy use, despite being changed every two days.

It was very much a thankless job, but to them, the reward in the end was worth it. For the haul that they would collect at the end of the week, the majority would go to the King, but the rest would be divided among each other. Each consolation that every diamond dog got was a precious little reminder of why they did what they did; why they slaved for days on end for their master, sweating, bleeding, and crying. A small pinch of those glorious little rocks. Perfectly cut, perfectly shaped, all theirs to enjoy and trade away for whatever they need. It was a humble life, and as much as they wished they could get more without rigorous hording, the King as expressed that times were tough. That equipment for mining, food and water, and even the clothes they wear had cost a considerable fortune, and what they get for pay is a very generous sum. They dared not argue such logic.

The sound of a battered flugalhorn bellowed through the caverns. Every single Diamond Dog stopped whatever they were doing, and proceeded to the exits of the mining areas. Mindlessly, they filed down the halls of familiar paths and entered the Heart Chamber, the very core of their network of tunnels. There, at the epicenter of this massive room, seated comfortably at the back end, was a dog vastly different from the rest. While Diamond Dogs, with varying degrees of heights and fur hues, tend to all look similar, the one they all looked towards commanded an ominous air. He was a slender, wolfish looking being, with a battered golden crown upon his head, and a bison fur cape draped around his shoulders. His paws and feet displayed well trimmed and sharpened claws, with his structure, as slim as it was, flaunted a cut physique under his very jagged fur. His eyes were a piercing blue, and his canine fangs were elongated. Most terrifying of all to the dogs was what was gripped in his right hand. The Rod of Obedience, he called it. It was a golden scepter that was misshapen and bulbous at its height, but possessed a diabolical aura about it. Not a single dog dared to challenge the Rod.

"Step forward, Rover," the King hissed, sporting a low baritone voice.

Out of the crowd, the dog that previously taunted Rarity a few hours ago, and had recently injured his paw on stone while mining, stepped forth with a slight shiver. "Y-yes, King Cerberus?" he asked, hesitant.

The King rose from his throne, and slowly approached Rover, whom began to quake a little more for every inch his master took toward him. It didn't help that all of the other dogs took a step back away out of instinct for every foot-fall the king made. When his King was close enough, Rover shut his eyes in fear.

"You may have failed me, my subject, but redemption is at hand. You will not get the Rod. How is our 'guest'?" He spoke, gentle this time.

"Ms. Rari-"

"SILENCE!" King Cerberus shouted at the top of his lungs, raising his Rod above Rover's head. The dog shrank, shutting his eyes again. King Cerberus lowered it back down again, slowly, and pointed the bulbous end of it at Rover. "You will not say that mule's name in my presence. She stole from me. Stole from us. Her punishment is at hand, and she will pay for her crimes, in triple."

Rover opened his eyes, surprised at what his king said. "T-triple?!"

"Yes... Triple. A fair amount for stealing from us, disgracing us, and humiliating us. It is an equal punishment to fit the crimes. Even if she must work until she dies exhausted, she will. It will be a lesson to all who dare steal from us." He declared to the crowd around him, his scepter raised triumphantly, before he looked back down at Rover. "Do you understand me, subject?"

Rover nodded quickly, as his paws fidgeted against each other, trying desperately to calm his nerves. King Cerberus lowered his scepter before slowly moving toward his throne. Stopping in front of it, he thought for a moment about what to do. With so much effort being used just to set up such a trap for the prisoner, he didn't entirely want to let her rest for too long before her sentencing hour. Rolling his jaw in thought, he finally came to a decision. "Bring our guest here. I will personally set her with her new occupation. See to it that she's treated kindly." Before he motioned to take his seat, he turned to Rover once more. "Do not fail me again," he threatened. 

Upon sitting, he pointed to one of the guards of his chamber, whom was dressed in standard issue spiked iron armor. "You. Hector. Escort him to the dungeons, and assist him in bringing the work horse here. As for the lot of you... you are dismissed. Return to your posts."

The diamond dogs all bowed in unison before making their way out of the Heart Chamber. All except for Rover and the guard dog escort, who made their way towards the tunnel that would bring them to the deepest part of the networks. As much as Rover liked the idea that the horse of his discontent would soon be getting her just desserts, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Never the less, it was unwise to argue with the King, for like their new slave, every single Diamond dog in these tunnels had nowhere to go.
> Labyrinth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Traveling down the winding tunnels began to irritate the mare as she followed the vampire beast. The dirt and grime of the crude halls built up around her hooves and fetlocks, and the dusty air slowly marred her normally pure coat. All she could think about was how long this jail break was taking, and how she'd need one Tartarus of a spa session to fix this. She sighed lowly, looking to the side.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Rarity asked her escort.

Dumah's index claw made a small mark against the wall they passed as they came up to an intersection. He looked about, scanning the directions available, judging the bends and distances that he could gauge. In truth, it was difficult to tell where north was, and his path finding down here was crude at best, but the old vampire gave himself room for error. Making another mark upon a wall to the left, in the shape of his former clan's symbol, he took that direction in earnest. 

His companion, however, was not very happy that she was being ignored, and decided to speak up again. "Excuse me, I asked if you-"

"I requested your silence, equine. Did I not?" he interrupted, keeping his voice hushed. "We are in an unfamiliar location against unknown beings that have obviously intended to keep you here for sinister means, if that cell is any indication at the least," the clan leader continued, "I care not for what happens to befall you, but I'd prefer not to have trouble while I leave this place." With that, he fell silent, and continued moving. 

Rarity huffed, but heeded her pseudo savior's advice, deciding to gather her strength during the trek than waste it on arguing and complaining. She inwardly bemoaned the lengthy and utterly dull walk they would likely have to take, which she wasn't wrong about. Long, twisted, and rather unsafe tunneled paths remained before them, as Dumah ducked every now and then to avoid being struck upon the head by the odd stalactite. Once in a while, they would reach an intersection, to which the massive vampire would make his strange mark upon a wall, and go in that direction. Dishearteningly, out of the four or five times he would do this, he would have to either go back due to a dead end, or would end up looping around to an intersection they were just at. It was all a very boring process, which even got to the old King.

Having some time to reflect, and even examine himself, he finally took note upon his visage. While it still wasn't too important at this point in time, the dented, pierced, and slightly rusted nature of his once elegant armor caused his already damaged pride to erode. In a delayed reaction, his right hand reached up to the noticeable damage on his breast plate, almost incredulous to the truth. He sighed, dropping his hand to his side and resigning himself to the degradation he allowed through the fall.

"Is something the matter?" the little mare behind him asked.

"Be silent, horse. Do not make me repeat myself," the prideful ex-king huffed.

Doing as he requested, she refrained from arguing, but remained curious as to why the large vampire was in such a sour mood. Picking up the pace to a trot, she began moving side by side with the monster, and gave herself a closer look. It didn't take Rarity long to notice the dents, scratches, and the one hole visible on the right hand corner of his chest armor. It was a disaster, and began to understand the poor beings plight. It may not be MY fashion choice, she said inwardly, but I'd be darned if I let this continue to be without at least addressing it. After all, such exquisite detail should NOT remain marred.

"Excuse me," she said softly.

Dumah stopped dead in his tracks and glared at the little mare. "You are treading on eggshells, little creature," he growled, his claws brandished at his sides.

"I sincerely apologize for breaking the silence you requested. However, I must insist that once we leave these dreadful tunnels, that you allow me to take you back into town to help you repair the damage to your... wears. I simply cannot let this crime of fashion continue when you eventually go your separate way."

There was a beat of silence as the two stared at each other. Then, a low pitched chuckle began to raise in volume, as Dumah began to quake in mirth. Turning into outright laughter, Rarity simply stood there, nonplussed to his reaction. 

"I'm begging your pardon, darling, but what is with your laughter? What do you find so funny?"

"Your jest," he said between guffaws. Rarity scowled, and tried to protest, but the vampire continued, his laughter dying down, "There is no way I would ever allow you to dare attempt to take my armor for repairs through such lowly care. My armor was crafted through divine hands, the hands of those blessed with OUR gift, equine. To allow any less to handle these works of art would be a crime punishable through execution!"

Rarity took a step back, eyes wide in distress to his last statement. E-execution? she thought, quivering. Normally, she wouldn't be this skittish around such boasts, and probably even speak back to call the bluff. She couldn't do that now, though. He may have made it clear that he doesn't feed on her kind, but she couldn't help but back down from the predator at this point in time. Chancing a glance, she looked to his claws, and noticed they were still opened widely, almost ready for an attack, despite his passive, if prideful looking posture. Best not push the limits, she thought, calming down slightly.

"If you are done with your incessant chatter and jokes, we should make haste. I do not doubt that around this time your captors have most likely figured out by now that you have escaped your confines." With that, he continued forth, marching right past Rarity. Remaining silent, and nodding in agreement to the assumption, Rarity continued to follow Dumah to freedom.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"CAN'T BE GONE!"

Rover frantically continued to dig about through the rubble within the cell. "This no good, no good at all! Where is cursed whiny pony!?" he exclaimed shakily, becoming more desperate with each empty nook he peered into, each stone upturned, and each second ticking by. "King will beat me good! No bad! Beating will most certainly be bad!" he whimpered, practically withdrawing as a few painful and vivid memories began to plague his mind. He shook his head violently, and gripped his ears to try to ignore those thoughts. "Must be calm. Must be calm."

The guard dog known as Hector leaned his head into the cell to take a quick look around. Seeing nothing but his escort torturing and muttering to himself in the dark, he opted to try to speak up. Before he could, Rover clapped his hands, with a desperate smile etched in his face.

"King no need to know. We still find pony, King won't know Rover failed," he uttered with a rising confidence. Stepping out of the cell and back into the tunnels, he took a look both directions available, and gave a sniff of the air. It was faint, but he definitely picked up two different scents. A mare and... something else. He was so giddy that he found a trail that he didn't even question what that something else was. "Guard dog!" he exclaimed, turning to his escort, pointing in the direction of the trail, "Go that way. Follow scent. I go back and try to cut pony off. We catch pony, we don't get beaten!"

Hector nodded, and sniffed the air. It didn't take him long to pick up the same scent, and before Rover knew it, he was bounding down the tunnel and taking his first turn. Rover decided to take off himself, going the opposing direction to backtrack for a little while. Already going through the layout of the tunnel systems, he tried to remember any possible round about route that would likely lead him to the escapee.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Hitting yet another dead end was starting to wear Dumah's patience remarkably thin. Despite having to pick up the pace on the assumption that they would be running out of time, all he managed to accomplish was trying nearly every path they passed by, marking every single one that didn't work, and running into countless dead ends. It was as if the direction they took was incomplete at best. With a gravely sigh, he turned around yet again, and looked for another path to take. Rarity remained silent the entire time, which Dumah counted as a small blessing, but found it annoying when he caught her staring at his armor. The look in her eyes was as if she was trying to reconstruct the design with her mind, which was an absurd thought on a few levels.

It took a few moments to get to another crossroad that held two unmarked paths to take up, and decided to go left. Yet again, it was the same song and dance of walking fruitlessly for a few moments and coming to a dead end. Gritting his sharp teeth, he slammed his fist against the end of the tunnel in frustration, causing the earth to shake slightly. To be fair, he didn't put all his strength into it, but one would be forgiven to think that what damage he did do was impressive. A decent sized crater within the wall was left behind from the strike, roughly twice the size of his fist. Rarity gulped silently after witnessing this creatures test of strength truly for yet a second time, mostly out of shock and awe. Part of her wanted to ask why he didn't simply use his impressive strength to make his own way out, instead of turning away from every dead end they find. But the more she looked at her surroundings, the less she believed it to be a good idea.

To be perfectly honest, she was originally too preoccupied to notice, but now having the chance now, she realized the tunnels were very crude, and at best flimsy. The fact that nothing happened when the vampire struck the end of the one they were in was nothing short of a miracle. If too much happens in one spot, she figured, there could be a cave in, which would seriously hamper their progress... or worse.

With another defeated sigh, the large vampire turned around, and started doubling back to the intersection, intending to mark off the path and go forth to the only option they had left at this point. At least I am getting a decent map out of this labyrinth to nowhere, he joked humorlessly.

Reaching the intersection, quickly scribbling a symbol on the wall of the tunnel he was leaving, he wordlessly continued forth to the opposing direction. The persistent silence granted him more time to think. Mostly about what he was trying to accomplish earlier before he became trapped underground. Heading north, establish a new city, and rebuild his kingdom. In hindsight, he wasn't entirely sure if it was the best idea just to head pure north. He should have known some obstacle would be presented to him by going straight and narrow, and more over, he should have taken a direction vastly different than the alabaster annoyance that was now following him. The more he thought about it, the more he began to seethe, beginning to blame the little horse for this misfortune. Looking back at her at a glance, she innocently followed him, barely paying attention to what he was doing. He huffed in irritation. The fear that she had once, indicated by the quick beating of her heart, subsided a while ago to a slower pace of calm, as it seemed she was becoming comfortable with his presence. It wasn't something he particularly cared for, as he always favored fear over acceptance from those lower to him. However, every second he spent with her was starting to get under his stone like skin.

Before he could continue to dwell on the subject, to grow to hate her more, he heard her gasp in fright. In fact, he could feel her heart-rate jump up along with said gasp. Focusing his attention forward, he found himself looking down at a bipedal dog creature in a beat up vest and diamond studded collar. Dumah growled to the fact that they were finally found, but smiled in revelation. Perfect, he thought, an outlet for my frustration.

"Guard! Take the pony to King! I will distract beastie!" the dog barked an order. Dumah spared a quick glance behind him, and noticed another bipedal canine behind him, this time in crude steel armor. Turning back to the one obviously giving the order, he slowly approached his pray, as the dog's face contorted slowly into growing fear and regret.

Finally... time to feed...

Rarity, however flinching in reaction to her captor's order, turned to face the dog that attempted to nab her. With a slight squeak of surprise, she jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the dog's grab, and rushed behind to try to find something to defend herself with. The dog, however, was quick to recover, and even quicker to give chase. 

In her panicked fleeing, she crossed the intersection, and realized too late she was heading for a dead end. While she had barely a minute to spare, she thought of what she could do to stop her attacker. Like inspiration, a small twinkle she never noticed before caught her peripheral vision. Losing no time, she lit her horn with her signature spell, just before stopping hard before the dead end. Turning to her pursuer, she took a defensive stance, trying to stay ready for whatever the armored dog had in store. Stopping a hop, skip, and a jump away from Rarity, the armored Diamond Dog slowly approached Rarity, paws outstretched in an attempt to fill the space of the tunnel to keep her from getting away. She got a good look at the dog's visage, concocting her plan while she took note of every detail and noted any weakness, such as its unprotected feet.

Keeping her horn lit, she looked about the walls, looking for any clue or any indication it was working, and counted the paces he had left to take. Seven steps closer, then six, then five. It was now or never, and just like that, she found what she was looking for. The moment he his three steps away, Rarity poured all of her magic she had into the spell. In the instant, out of a hole in the wall that began for form, a rapid fire stream of gems shot out, hitting him directly in the left side of the steel helmet. The perfect shots caused the dog to grip its helm in pain from the obvious vibrating and noise it made, and removed it in desperation. While distracted, Rarity closed in on the guard dog, and with a mighty stomp, stepped on the dog's very exposed left foot. The result was everything Rarity hoped for, as the dog howled, lifted his leg, and gripped the sore appendage with his paws in reaction. With no better time to act, Rarity took the opportunity to quickly spin around, and give the dog buck to its abdomen with all the strength she could gather. There was a soft clang sound as hooves hit steel, but due to the damage she made at the two key points on the guard, he toppled over anyway, landing with a metallic thud. 

Out cold after landing its head with a slight crack on the hard ground, Rarity took her opportunity, jumping on the downed dog, and hopped off behind it to try to regroup with her protector.

It didn't take her long to find him, as they didn't go very far from that spot, but a lot of things seemed to have happened during her absence, she assumed in shock. The dog was on the ground before the goliath of a vampire, with scuffs, bruises, and a few small cuts littered on his body, almost as if he was being beaten for a little while. He struggled to get back up, as she heard the titan give a slight chuckle in what sounded like sick amusement. She was paralyzed and flabbergasted, unable to do anything but watch what was about to happen next. And what happened next scared her. 

In a quick movement, Dumah grabbed the dog by his arms and shoulders, almost able to wrap his hands completely around the poor creatures body completely. The Diamond Dog weakly struggled, as Dumah made a small, faintly glowing incision on the dog's left arm with his thumb. Opening his mouth, and slowly inhaling, a faint tether formed from the cut to the vampires mouth. The dog's movements began to slow down significantly, right before it lost consciousness, but the vampire continued to breath in.

Something very dark was taking place, and Rarity, out of indiscriminate concern for fellow living beings, finally spoke up. "STOP!" she pleaded.

Dumah hesitated, breaking the tether he was leeching off of. He turned his attention to Rarity for a moment, eyes contorting to a scowl, demanding who would be foolish enough to stop his feeding. Looking to her eyes that were set within a deeper, sadder fear, he faltered. There was something in them he couldn't pinpoint, but that something about her look was screaming at him, telling him she knew what he was doing, and begged him not to go through with it.

"I must feed," he argued to her mute demand.

"I-I," she stuttered, trying to find the courage to speak up, "I understand... b-but is there any way you can... without-" she paused, unable to continue.

He knew what she was going to say. Without killing it? he finished for her in his mind. He turned back to the dog, whom was still breathing, and had the smell of a very diminished, but a slowly regenerating soul. Dumah sighed in defeat, and put the diamond dog back down, having laid it in a recovering position.

"Thank you," she said in genuine relief, "W-will he be ok?"

"The mongrel will live. I took enough that he shall sleep heavily for a few hours, to be sure." He answered, not turning to her. With that, he continued moving. His irritation sated, some of his strength returned, and nothing left but to move forward, he only hoped that this encounter would be the last for a long while. I don't need more annoyances than I already have.
> Loner
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are you?"

Dumah ignored the incessant nagging of the mare as he diligently continued looking for an exit. No longer was it about being free of this labyrinth, but simply to be as far away as possible from the nosy creature that insisted on following him. His efforts relentlessly proved to be fruitless as he found nothing but long corridors that ended with abrupt stops. To say he was reaching a breaking point in patience was an understatement. He would have killed her and devoured her soul long ago, but the fact she was still a horse stayed his hand. It was very tempting for the former king, though.

"Excuse me, but have you heard anything I've asked?" Rarity huffed indignantly.

"I have, and I chose to ignore it. On the simple fact that your words aren't worth my time."

Rarity stalled upon the response, finally stuttering out, "H-how DARE you! I was only asking a reasonable question."

"That you've already asked me, and I've already answered," he barked back, eyes fixated on the path ahead. "I do not need to repeat myself simply for your convenience."

"Of all the-" She spat, biting her tongue before she said anything too foolish. Stamping her hoof in disapproval, she continued to follow him wordlessly, pondering a better way to approach the situation, still unsatisfied with her answers. "Very well," she said finally, calm and composed once again, "allow me to ask what exactly did you do to that poorly kept canine. It looked as if you were draining the life right from his eyes."

"You could say that is what happened."

Dumah's cryptic, but direct response tipped her off to how good her guess was. "No, that's impossible," she denied, "You said you were a vampire. Vampire's don't-"

The former king wheeled around and glared at Rarity with his red, piercing eyes. "You seem to assume what a vampire does and does not do. Tell me, how many have you encountered in your life?" Rarity kept silent. The answer was obvious on a number of levels and would likely be confirmed swiftly, so humoring the thunderous being would be unnecessary and redundant. Indeed, as if on cue, the vampire answered the phantom reply. "Exactly. These pointless questions are really trying my patience, horse. I have entertained them for long enough with little resistance, but that ends now." With his command set, Dumah turned his back to her and kept walking, believing he's finally silenced her. Rarity remained, still on pins and needles, with every intention to dash those assumptions..

"But, how am I to trust that you won't do something to me when it becomes convenient for you, especially since I know so little about you?"

Dumah quickly snapped back to Rarity, cocked his fist back, and smashed the ground at her hooves, missing her by hairs. She jumped back with a squeal of surprise. As the rocks and dust settled, the irritated vampire spoke again. "Are you so dense? Do you forget I know NOTHING about you, your world, or the situation we are in? I am at an even greater disadvantage by virtue of being alien to this land unknown. Yet, I am the one navigating these insufferable tunnels, while you insist on following me like the coward you are!"

Rarity froze. Such a heavy accusation thrown so directly and with such venom wasn't easily shrugged off. She took an unconscious step back, as if she were impacted that heavily. Words failed to reach her lips as she tried desperately to retort, tears threatening to surface. Dumah continued his verbal assault.

"Tell me, creature, why do you follow me? It surely isn't to figure out what I am, for I disclosed that much BEFORE we ended up down here, and yet you've refused to cease asking. But, we both know the answer, don't we?" He snarled, watching her quiver under his booming voice as he continued, "How pathetic. You can't even face such a basic truth."

"Y-you..." Rarity shuddered, trying desperately to hold her fracturing composure together, voice cracking under the emotional duress. She swallowed hard, trying and failing to keep herself in check. It wasn't long before the dam finally broke. A flood of tears left her eyes as she screamed out, "YOU HORRIBLE, DESPICABLE MONSTER!", and fled from the vampire blindly. 

Dumah watched the once elegant mare depart with fleeting interest. Good riddance, he thought to himself. As he turned back to push forth, he hesitated. Something felt off to him. It wasn't the guilt of harming the little equine's apparently fragile heart, but the the utter silence of her absence. He couldn't feel her heartbeat nearby. Normally, it wouldn't be a cause for concern, as it would just mean that she's far enough away to no longer notice her annoying, living presence, but that's when he realized that something. He couldn't feel any living entity nearby. Not even the smallest of creatures that may dwell down in these tunnels. He was truly, and utterly, alone.

Memories of his last moments in Nosgoth, in his city in the mountains, came rushing back to him. His freedom from the crushing despair of limbo. His intrigue and aggression towards his liberator, his older former brother, Raziel. The terrible revaluation he only realized now. The feeling of emptiness, abandonment, and loneliness prevailed the walls of his ruined, derelict halls. Not a single heartbeat could be felt then as he chased his phantom of a brother through the silent corridors. Not of his kin, not of any humans that may have been there, nor even of scavengers that could have picked at the remnants of carcasses that still remained in the ash and snow. It was nothing but a cold, empty shell. A shell that a proud and foolish ex-king witnessed passively as he chased nothing more than a ghost of vengeance. Even his fiery demise was ultimately hollow. Dying and burning in vain in a tomb of forgotten memories and dead silence, where even his flames likely would have withered in the cold.

Dumah closed his eyes, and let his tensed breath escape through his nose. His clawed hand reached to his breastplate, the sensation of his steel tipped digits scraping against the marred metal brought him back to reality; though the feeling of unease never left. As his eyes opened, he cast aside his hesitation and personal comfort, and continued on.

A stroke of luck finally showed itself as he passed through the tunnel, and exited to a natural bridge overlooking a deep black chasm. Said bridge went at an incline, and connected to yet another open passage leading to more tunnels. He was wary of stepping foot upon it, judging his own size and weight against the rather narrow and deceptively thin looking suspended path. Pressing his foot against the first several inches, applying a hefty amount of pressure to be sure, yielded no results. No rocks fell from underneath, no ground gave way to his presence. It wasn't conclusive, but it was the best hope he had. With a tentative step, he pressed on, crossing the bridge, and entering the rest of this mad labyrinth.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It was some time before Rarity finally slowed herself. Believing she was far enough away from the malicious being, she gave herself a moment to be lost in her unladylike emotions. Leaning against the tunnel's wall, and with a heavy sob, she let the tears flow freely as her mind dwelt upon those searing words. Am I really a coward? She wiped away the dampness from hear eyes with the cleanest of her front hooves. Was I just asking redundant questions to keep my mind off that fact? With an undignified sniffle, she pushed away from the wall, and resumed walking. She sighed, unable to shake her thoughts gnawing within, even trying to deny it outright. No, that can't be right. I've been in a similar situation before, and I was able to handle it on my own, she thought in justification. I have even faced worse than this since then, she continued with her stream of consciousness, before a daunting question popped into her head. Then, why AM I afraid now?

She thought back to when she was trapped in that cell, to when those dogs laughed and mocked her with little hint of mercy. That they emphasized how her words and manipulating a dire situation to her advantage would no longer work. That she herself had confessed then that she would need a miracle to get out, and even banked on her younger sister to somehow figure out she was missing. Then, just maybe, her friends would have come to her aid, and help her escape this nightmare. The despair from that moment never really left her, she realized. It only lessened, when the being she thought was injured in that horrid place would get back up while she was sleeping, and proceeded to take it upon himself to be free. It was a golden opportunity for her to seize, which he allowed for the time being... provided she stayed quiet. Her ears splayed back a little harder upon remembering that part of the deal, which she broke more than once. But, I just wanted to be sure nothing terrible might happen, she tried to justify, but in the end, only had that thought recounted as another example of her own cowardice. She had no right to demand answers from a being that did her no harm, and even acted as a liberator and guardian at the time.

"I'm such a foal..." she muttered meekly. It was far too late to turn back and find the behemoth of a vampire. Not just because of the display she presented in their last moments together, but also because she had ran from him almost blindly, and had no real idea what directions she took.

With another heavy sigh, she finally looked up from her hooves, and found she came to a crossroads. Looking back and forth between each of the presented tunnels, she noted the markings Dumah had made while they were traveling together. She remembered how they were meant to not only mark where they came from, but also to identify dead ends. She paid close attention to each tunnel, and realized the one to her left was still unmarked. It was a leap of faith, but she knew that if she was to get out of this place now, she would have to have a little more bravery. With a cautious step, she began her trek down that tunnel.

It was surprising exactly how lengthy the tunnel itself was, stretching for a fair bit longer than a hoofball field, and was still going further on still. Annoyance danced across her mind, but she let it go. She had enough on her plate as it were already. After a while of silence and hoofbeats against the tunnel ground, she found herself at an exit, opening up to an excavated cavern. The dust, grime, and lack of presence gave off the feeling of abandonment, though she had no real clue how long ago that may have been. Tools were haphazardly tossed to the edges of the large room, in piles besides larger looking equipment, or left embedded in the stone walls. The few mine carts that could be seen were either broken or tipped over, with the rails obviously disconnected, and the smaller tunnels for said rails caved in.

The only other thing left behind in this derelict place were two large troughs, one of them still filled with water. Rarity didn't realize it until she saw it just now, but being down so far below for so long had made her thirsty. I could go for a small cup of camomile tea right now, but water will have to do, she thought as she approached the trough. Peering inside, she noted the translucent appearance. As unappealing as it seemed, her own instinct for necessity overrode her comfort and preference. She leaned in, scooped some water up with her natural unicorn telekinesis, and gulped down the contents within the aura of her magic.

It took her less then a second to realize how bad of an idea it was to drink the contents within the aura's bubble. Wheeling backwards, she coughed and sputtered, trying desperately to get the taste of the impurities from the grime and dirt out of her mouth. Not to mention the stale aftertaste that likely came from the water itself. Still holding some of the liquid within her magic, she violently flung whatever contents were left against the wall, making a twisted combination of a sound, somewhere between a splash and a squish. She glared at the stain she made as if it had offended her which, if that liquid would have been alive, it probably would have. I should have taken Twilight up on her offer to teach me that water cleaning spell she suggested a month ago, she mused with a huff.

She didn't have time to ponder any further than that, as the sound of scratchy, rough and tumble voices echoed down one of the nearby tunnels. She couldn't entirely make out what they were saying, but the distinct broken Equish they were speaking tipped her off that they were no friends of hers. In a panic, her eyes darted around the excavated area, searching for a hiding spot. Noticing one of the tipped over mine carts that had just enough of a gap for her to squeeze under, due to the dirt it was sitting on, she risked marring her coat and dove under the large piece of equipment. In the shroud of darkness and under the metal, she slowed her breathing, wrapped her hooves around her mouth to stay quiet, and concentrated on listening to what was going on outside.

"-ver's been missing for lots of time. Wonder where he is. King is mad," one of the voices barked.

"Hope he doesn't beat us if we don't find Rover. I don't want rod," another whimpered.

The two vocal entities got louder and louder until Rarity could hear them in perfect clarity, along with the echoes of paws hitting the dirty ground and clanking metal ringing. She watched through the gap between the mound and cart as they suddenly crossed her line of sight. One of them stopped, causing the other the pause as well.

"What if Rover just lost in tunnels? Sparky took wrong left turn last Tuesday and came dropping through ceiling!"

"Rover good navigator. Incompetent, but good navigator. Hector keep him in check too. Can't be lost."

"We find them. If Rover failed, we find pony instead, and blame Rover, then Rover get rod while we watch!" the guard dog said with a chuckle.

"I get popped kibbles!"

Rarity watched on, only able to see their paws shift slightly every now and then. She believed they weren't exactly too bright, but she didn't want to risk trying to tango with them if she didn't have to. It was clear they didn't intend on sticking around too long. It was also clear that she would have to get moving once they leave, since they seemed to be looking for her as well.

As she began formulating an escape plan, the feeling of hundreds of little stick like legs tickling and shifting up her back hoof immediately shot her out of her thought process. Hazarding a fearful look, Rarity gazed behind her and saw terror. The light coming through the gap was just enough to outline the hundreds of dark red sections of a lengthy and very leggy centipede. The fashionista turned ghost white, and lost all control to her basic instinct to flee. With a squeal of horror, she shot up, tipping the mine cart back over on its wheels, and leaped from the mound she was on while bucking wildly and screaming, "Get it off, GET IT OFF!"

After a moment of panic, she prodded and patted herself with her hooves, checking her entire body for the unwanted guest. With a sigh of relief, she concluded that the little monstrosity was nowhere to be found. It was only then she realized her grave mistake. Eyes shrinking in despair, she turned to the two armored Diamond Dogs, whom had watched her in bewildered silence. All three of them were dumbfounded at the turn of events.

Giving an awkward, forced smile, Rarity gave a light chuckle, and said, "Ah, well, uhm, I don't suppose you two fine gentle, uh... dogs... could help a lady out? You see, I'm rather lost, and I have an important appointment to keep."

The two guards growled in response, giving her the cue that now would be an excellent time to flee, which she did with gusto down the pathway she entered from. One of the dogs barked an order to the other, which had him return to the tunnel they came from, before giving chase after Rarity himself. The two ran as fast and as hard as they could down the lengthy tunnel, with the dog being slightly faster, gaining on Rarity's distance. They finally came to the first crossing of paths, and in a hasty decision, Rarity took a right. The dog followed. Then she, finding yet another cross way, took a left. Then another for another left. Then a right. Left. Left. Right. Every single turn, though slowing the pursuing Diamond Dog down a little, was matched not a few moments later.

Then, while fleeing, Rarity had a risky, if brilliant idea. I may not have learned that water cleaning spell from Twilight, but I did learn this one a few months before that, she thought with a smirk. As she kept running, she ignited her horn, charging the spell, and visualizing the location. Upon yet another right turn, she released it, discharging a flash of light which blinded the pursuing dog long enough to run into a wall. A second flash appeared three turns back, producing a rather dazed Rarity. The light singe on her mane disheartened her for a moment, but she couldn't argue with the escape results. However, she did feel rather drained from such an act. I honestly doubt I'd be able to reproduce that spell any time soon, she thought.

Rarity pressed on down the path she ended up in, keeping an eye out for more markings and tunnels not yet explored. It didn't take her very long to finally find an unmarked tunnel, and proceeded down the pathway. She remarked on how lengthy the tunnel seemed to be, but was a tad too exhausted from running and risking a teleport to entertain the thought longer than a few hoofsteps. Rarity tried keeping a faster pace, but the whole ordeal took a bit more out of her than she realized. First thing I'm going to do when I get out of here is hit the spa. I think I've earned it, she thought with a smile.

Finally reaching the end of the tunnel, she entered an excavated area that looked suspiciously similar to the one she fled from. Walking further into the room, she surveyed her surroundings. From the rock formations, to the trough, and even the right-side up minecart that looked like it was upside-down at one point. Then something clicked in her head. Oh...  

The sound of several sets of armored paws echoing from an adjoining tunnel caused Rarity to backpeddle towards the tunnel she came from. The problem with that impromptu plan of escape was the fact that her rump bumped into a hard, metallic obstruction. Turning her head, she noticed the Diamond Dog that was chasing her previously was now looming over her with a look of utter spite plastered on his face. Rarity tried to run, but was met by no less than nine Diamond Dogs in armor, with eight of them brandishing spears.

"Well," the guard dog that led the other eight spoke with a sly grin, "Rover did fail. Pony ours now." The dog chuckled as the other eight dogs advanced on her. Rarity backed up against the wall, fearfully watching her aggressors. Physically and mentally exhausted, with no way to cast magic or talk her way out of it, she whimpered quietly as the dogs captured her once again.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


The lumbering vampire kept a brisk pace as he moved through each tunnel. His ire rose with each passing moment the more he found dead ends, and even the occasional drop that opened to the chasm he crossed to get to this network. The silence wasn't helping, as the still air allowed his thoughts to be unfiltered and uninterrupted. He considered his position in this new world seriously for the first time. A king destroyed and removed from his home, doomed to wander the land far beyond his home, and trapped in a subterranean labyrinth where scarce a living soul dares to be. At the least, he had the little equine as a companion to lessen the heavy seclusion of his situation, but his actions and pride made sure of her departure. He would never feel guilt for what he would do to others, from necessity or otherwise, no matter where he is, however regret was a different matter. Dumah gave a heavy sigh as he marked off yet another tunnel that lead to a dead end, and trekked down a new path.

By the time he had got far enough in the tunnel, he began to hear a familiar sound. The constant, rhythmic melody of beating hearts. The sound of blood. The sound of life. He quickened his pace until he reached a fairly large room that had been excavated. All around him, he could see the busy movements of those bipedal canines as they toiled away against the rock, digging for the reason of their existence.

One of the Diamond Dogs noticed him, and gasped in surprise. It wasn't long before the entire labor force of dogs looked toward the thing that their skiddish comrade was so spooked about. More loud gasps and the sudden cease of metal cracking against rock soon paved way to a very brief moment of incredulous dead silence, before a wave of pandemonium exploded among them all. Every single dog present there dropped anything they may have held or collected, and ran to one of the many nearby exits that peppered the walls of the room.

"So," Dumah mused, "there is a colony of these creatures down here. Intriguing." The large vampire slowly made his way over to one of the walls, and searched the picked at wall with a careful interest. His short browsing proved fruitful as he found a rather sizable diamond, among other gems, hidden within the solid rock. He pulled out the diamond, which turned out to be half the size of his palm, and examined it closely. "How curious..." he muttered.

Before Dumah could continue looking around, the sound of clacking metal and rushing paws echoed from the nearby tunnels. Within moments, several dozen guard dogs came storming into the room, brandishing spears and halberds in a defensive stance.

"Monster!" one of the creatures called out with authority, "You surrender to us! We outnumber you!"

Dumah smiled darkly, chuckling a little, before he spoke, "Ignorant mutts. You know not whom you address, do you?" Slowly, the great vampire turned to his opponents, still holding the massive diamond in his hand. The dogs gawked at the gem he held in disbelief. Not a single one of them have ever seen such a sizable gemstone in their lives until now, which steeled their resolve.

"Drop gem now!" the leader of the battalion barked, "It our gem! Not yours!"

Dumah looks to the twinkling diamond in his hand, admiring its shine. As a king, he had seen many material treasures in his life. Some created by skilled hands, some found in the remaining natural beauty of his home realm, and some still offered by cowering humans that demanded immunity from raids conducted by his kin. His smile turned sour as he realized what the gem represented in the end. His pride. The very same pride that had him pegged to his throne by a surprise human ambush.

He looked back towards the nervous batch of warriors before him. With a small smile, he said, "Very well. It is no use to me anyway." With that, Dumah held it aloft for all to see, before closing his fist around it. Not a few seconds after, the sound of cracking stone could be heard coming from within his grasp. Upon opening his hand, shards and dust of the former diamond gently drifted onto the floor. The dogs stared at the remains as they fell into an unceremonious pile as if it became as worthless as ash. "Now, be gone from my sight, or face my wrath."

"Y-you," the leader of the pack shuddered, both in fear and white hot rage, "King would h-have praised us for big diamond! Now, King will have head as replacement!" The dogs advanced, still visibly terrified by the shaking of their legs and the clattering of their armor.

Dumah stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck from side to side with audible pops, and stood before them at the ready. "Very well," he said to them, "Come." The goliath of a vampire raised his fist up high before smashing the ground with all his might. Everything from the walls, to the ground, to the guards themselves shook as if an earthquake had occurred. It was then that Dumah launched himself at them, claws balled into fists, ready to show the mongrels what a true warrior king can do.
> Goliaths Disarm Their Davids
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of crackling knuckles echoed off of the uneven surface of the mined stone walls. Torches flickered gently about in the stagnant air to accompany the sound of popping joints, groans of pain and discomfort dancing about, and settling dust and debris. The splintered wood of broken spears crunched under the heavy foot falls of Dumah's stride as he moved slowly through the mining area, scavenging the surroundings. He checked the broken weapons and discarded, damaged shields. The metal employed in these tools of combat proved utterly pathetic against his raw strength and natural durability. Bent spear points showed the latter while the crushed and torn shield foundations emphasized the former. He tossed the ruined tools aside and moved to one of his downed foes. As he knelt down, he took particular interest in the way the armor was ripped and rendered useless, as his tipped claws traced the tear lines. Dumah smiled at his efforts, if only briefly. With a sudden scowl, he ignored his handy work and paid attention to the continued beating of the dog's heart. Satisfied, his red eyes then scanned around him for the other fallen dregs that called themselves dogs, noting how he was successful in keeping them all alive in the encounter. 

Excellent, he thought. The thrill of a kill, as delectable as it could be, would be ultimately pointless and perhaps even counterproductive at this point in time, he believed. His mission was heading north to seek a new kingdom, and doing so without armies nipping at his heels would be optimal. Mass slaughter would definitely cause a call for his head, and he didn't need that sort of attention yet. After all, being slowed down any further than he already has been from this labyrinthine nightmare would be unforgivable, as if it weren't a headache enough.

Rising up from his knee, he recalled how the fight went. They were clearly outmatched, as if the broken weapons weren't evidence enough for that fact, but they did seem determined to attempt to bring him down regardless. There was almost a scent of desperation and fear among them that drove their actions, pushed further until he struck the last dog down. He confessed it wasn't a particularly difficult encounter. He even had time to sneak in a few quick sips of some of their souls to help his previous recovery accelerate. However, he couldn't help but remark how the souls he did taste were... broken. As if they had been crushed a long time ago and were helpless to leave some sort of pit of despair they were trapped in. It was truly a bitter taste for Dumah, one that he hadn't experienced until now.

Casting aside those dismal thoughts, he moved towards one of the tunnels that caved in during the fight. The stones were loose, but the depth of the tunnel was clogged enough that ramming through wouldn't yield any results. Digging through the rubble would take far too long, not to mention the foundation of the tunnel might not hold during the tedium. He wasn't willing to risk the time and effort for something that would just hinder him further. Looking towards the other clogged tunnels, he decided to check the rest of them on the off chance one of them was at least shallow in its rubble.

It didn't take him long to find one. The earthy blockage was superficial enough that he was able to peek through the spaces between the stones and see clear to the other side. Taking a couple of steps back, Dumah prepared himself, grounding his feet into the cave floor and flexing his stone-like muscles. With a sudden rush, he charged forward and rammed through the clogged exit, causing stones to shoot and scatter down the tunnels. After the incredible display of strength displayed, the tunnel behind Dumah refilled once again due to shock of the impact and the lack of structure beneath.

Dumah straightened himself slowly before he turned his gaze behind him to the newly filled exit. He smirked for a moment, before saying, "I will never understand their suicidal lives." With that, Dumah gently dusted himself off, and proceeded down the tunnel, hoping to make some progress.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


His trek through the labyrinthine mines were as lengthy and irritating as it were when he first wandered through the makeshift halls. Dumah recounted that he made five different left turns and seven right turns, on two T-intersections and one crossroad, all within the span of an hour. Sure, along the way, he would find a detour every now and then, but all they led to were abandoned hovels picked clean of resources. There was very little point in staying in such small and ignored pockets in the earth. When coming to a new path, he was sure to mark each turn he took, but quickly found many of the paths chosen were made for no other reason than to double back to the forks in the road. It was as if the tunnel networks were made by the blind, whom had no sense of direction. Then again, he mused, One could eventually give up on proper navigation if they remained down here for too long.

Upon finally finding a proper path to take, his unfortunate luck presented him with yet another fork in his trek, this time leading in five directions. He cursed inwardly, namely to the fool or fools that made these tunnels. Not just for the nonsensical design or the abundance of pointless pathways, but for the lack of directions indicating which way leads where. He sighed to himself, exasperated, wishing that he honestly would have remained burning in a torrent of fire forever. Or at least land in a more manageable hell than what he was experiencing.

At his wits end, and refusing to care at this point, Dumah picked a direction at random, and simply kept moving. With little else keeping him occupied as he cared less and less, his mind began to wander once again. He began thinking about his life back in Nosgoth. Specifically, how he ruled his city. He was iron clad, decisive, and ruthless in rule. His children were also as orderly and strong as he, and had the numbers to boot. He was invincible, nigh a god, and upon reflection, entirely arrogant. He lost his people and his city to the dregs of his world. Mere humans. 

The empty and decaying halls of the city he left behind ripped through his thoughts to serve the reminder. Not just of his hubris, but of what he really did. Considering the result of his rule, he looked back further. He remembered how he handled his subjects. An iron fist that commanded order, obedience, diligence and strength, all to have it be reflected in his subjects.

No, he thought solemnly, if I had inspired those traits, my city, my people, would still be thriving. It was then that he realized exactly what he did when he ruled. The taste of the souls he sipped an hour ago came rushing back upon his revelation. Dumah's actions, his arrogance and pride, broke them. His children didn't respect him, only feared him. Feared the tyrannical rule he posed, feared the consequences of not being perfect enough for their King, and feared the prospect and potential punishment of failure. The eyes of his sons and daughters stared at him within the machinations of his mind, echoing silent terror, degrading them day by day as Dumah boasted how great they were all those years.

Dumah faltered and snapped out of his epiphany as he heard sounds in the distance. Focusing down the darkness, he noticed a battalion of forms marching in his direction. More of those miserable mutts were coming to hinder his progress, and he was tired of the conflict. Dumah stopped, and thought of alternatives, and swiftly decided hindering their advance with the use of the shoddy tunnel work would do just fine. Summoning his strength, Dumah then uppercut the ceiling above him, and quickly began retreating as the tunnel caved in on itself and clogged the passage.

Returning to the five-way fork, he listened closely to any distant sounds coming from deep within each path. Sure enough, he could hear the one battalion he trapped dig through the blockage he left behind. On top of that, he could hear more dogs in armor coming from three of the four remaining directions. Taking the path of least resistance, Dumah quickly made his way to the silent tunnel, which was the second one to his far right. Upon entering the path, he turned around and struck the ceiling at the opening, causing yet another controlled cave in. Once Dumah was satisfied with the obstruction, he continued down the passageway in earnest, keeping a diligent ear on the two other tunnels that were at either side of the one he trekked. However, his decision tackled at his sanity the moment he saw something he honestly wished was behind him at this point. The path he picked was yet another dead end. 

Dumah stopped in body, mind, and soul, unable to handle the situation immediately. He simply stared, aghast to the turn of events. The road of least resistance, the way he chose to avoid dealing with those broken creatures that stood no chance against him anyway, was impassable.

He chuckled. It was a light gurgle that slowly evolved into something manic. He reached the end of his patience. He was done with constant tests on his own hubris. He was done believing himself better. He was simply done. Abrupt in ceasing his laughter, he balled his clawed hand into a fist, and pulverized the wall to his left clean into the next tunnel. With a mighty roar that could terrify dragons, he moved as fast as he could through the new route. Hearing the sounds of frightened but determined soldiers behind him, Dumah swiftly cracked the ceiling above him with a well placed strike, and clogged the tunnel at his back.

The raging ex-king continued to move in haste until he could hear more dogs in the distance. With quick thinking, he clogged the path before him with another earth shattering whack, then destroyed the wall to his left to hop to a new path. Far enough from the battalion that would have come from the tunnel he was using now, he opted to simply keep moving over stopping to cause another cave in. While time wasn't an issue, it was entirely possible that any further destruction might cause a total collapse of the networks, due to the damage he had inflicted to its already poorly maintained structure. 

Dumah kept the pace for a good ten minutes before he could finally see a strong light at the passage's mouth. With the prospect of an exit in mind, he picked up on speed, intending to escape this hell. To his dismay, his hopes were crushed as he merely found yet another excavation, one significantly larger than the last he encountered. Said mining operation was very likely in progress before Dumah stepped in, but upon entering, everything stopped at once. 

Dumah got a good look at what was before him. Beaten down, high strung, desperate, and hopeless canines of a similar design to the guards lined the walls as their pickaxes dug into the stone. Though their dirt covered, matted, and worn bodies had faced their work, every single head turned to Dumah's direction with every functioning eye trained on him. He could smell the forlorn nature of these beings, and couldn't help but feel pity after encountering it yet again. Perhaps when this irritatingly long journey started, he believed only a handful of them were this damaged. But now it seemed more likely they all were. Unconsciously, he took a gentle step forward, and the effect of such a movement was instant.

Every single dog that was there to dig dropped whatever they had in hand and ran, terrified, screaming, and howling out of the dig site. Their rapidly declining numbers nearly emptied out the massive room as they left behind tools and a handful of confused guard dogs that were once among the crowd. Two of the remaining twelve dogs barked at the rest before following the fleeing workers. It was obvious to Dumah what they were doing, but he payed no mind. They won't make it back in time. He stepped forward, causing all but three of them to frightfully reel back in response, their quivering spears being held in futile defense.

The bravest ones advanced with caution, but Dumah knew what they were thinking. In numbers lie strength, and they hope that the fact itself would be a deterrent. Under less specific situations perhaps their thesis would prove consistent. It was time to show them the folly of their ways.

Dumah stepped forth again, and grinned at the approaching guards. Said dogs thrust their spears in a desperate reaction, only to find in utter horror that they merely crinkled and snapped upon impacting his breastplate. Their faces sunk, turning ghost white under their fur as their eyes trailed down to their broken weapons. Annoyed, Dumah moved forward swiftly, and swatted the three attackers with one swing. Their bodies flew like rag dolls in the air, stopping only to collide with the ground or the wall, and even then they bounced a little before becoming still. 

Upon that moment, the tension in the air snapped entirely. In a mad rush, the remaining guards charged forward to avenge their fallen comrades. Dumah dodged nimbly from the attack, letting his smile grow wider. Yes, he thought, fight for them. Fight for what you believe in. Show me you give a damn. Show me that you face your fears head on. One diamond dog pivoted upon its initial attack, and thrust its spear at Dumah's head. The vampire lord batted it away excellently, taking care to not move too fast. He then struck the dog in its chest with a well placed punch, pushing the mutt backwards. The other six backed off quick enough to avoid getting bowled over by the stumbling and ultimately falling soldier. Two of them then split of the group, flanking the left, while one did the same but flanked the right. Two more of them advanced, keeping their spears brandished, while the last one backed off. Dumah was intrigued enough to remain still, just to see what they were planning.

It happened all at once. The dogs that flanked attacked at different points, aiming for the openings in his armor. Under his arm, behind his knee, and at his neck, while the other two jabbed to force Dumah into one of the other three if he decided to step forward. A decent tactic, but Dumah wasn't going to let them succeed so easily. Deciding to crush the intimidation side of their move, Dumah ducked and advanced on his aggressors, having avoided being jabbed by the other attackers in the process. Swatting the spears to either side, he circled the swinging arc of his arms back down to the assailants. Rather, that's what he was aiming for, before he noticed something coming his way. In reaction, he retracted his attack and crossed his arms in front of him. A spear that was aimed directly for his eye slammed tip first against his left gauntlet, bouncing off the metal with a clang before tumbling to the ground. The distraction was long enough for the diamond dogs in front of Dumah to retreat to regroup with the one that threw the spear. However, blind sighted by the sudden attack, the massive vampire failed to defend against his foes from behind. Taking their opportunity, they repeated their previous move with gusto, landing perfect shots at his exposed, greenish skin. Unfortunately for them, the blades of the spears barely cut through his impossibly tough hide, sinking barely a small fraction into the flesh. Dumah, slowly uncovering his head, began to laugh as he straightened himself out.

He chuckled lowly. "Good, good." He cooed, "I had almost lost hope in you lot, especially after my last few encounters, but your efforts please me greatly." He smiled, turning his head to the left, catching a visibly shaking guard dog back away in abject horror. "Oh, do not sully my praise with that face," he said as he reached for the back of his neck, gripped the spear that flopped lazily out of the shallowly pricked skin, and pulled it out with little effort. Dumah retrieved the other two spears that clung desperately to him with the same careless abandon. With all three in his hands, he turned to the owners that remained behind him, and easily crushed the weapons from tip to base like dust sculptures in front of them. "The only complaint I have is that your equipment is simply too ill crafted. Humans utilized better tools than you have used on me, and they are mere dregs." 

Dumah felt his body lightly lurch forward as the sound of thick heavy metal collided with his armored back. He laughed proudly. "Taking the opportunity of a surprise attack while I am lost in my own lesson?" He turned from the defenseless trio to see the spear thrower now brandishing a chipped pickaxe. The dog dropped his impromptu weapon before falling to his rump, mouth agape. "I will grant you that plan of action, but now I'm afraid this facade has gone on long enough. Now," he growled, as he summoned up his strength within, "allow me to show you the power of a king." 

With that, Dumah stomped the ground, causing the room to shake. While the other five dogs struggled to keep on their hind paws, the vampire made his move. At speeds unheard of by practiced intellects and athletes, Dumah rushed to the downed guard dog. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the mutt by the armor, crinkling the metal within his grip, and launched it at the one to his left. Twisting around after the launch, he backhanded the remaining dog in the chest. Facing the last three dogs now, he catapulted himself forward, moving towards the right most guard dog standing, and swept its legs out from underneath it with his right leg. Using his own momentum, Dumah swung his right arm towards the dog, and grabbed it by the hind legs before it hit the ground. Rising back up, the vampire king pitched his living morning star in an upward moving arc, striking the next dog in line, and let go of his foe turned tool in the process. As he cast himself forward once again, Dumah bypassed the two falling dogs, stopped and pivoted on his right leg, and unleashed his left leg in a brutal side kick. The impact cracked the armor of the guard dog and embedded the canine into the thankfully softer soil of that particular spot in the cave walls. The bodies of his previous attackers finally landed with a bounce and a clang before finally resting in the dust. 

Dumah brushed himself off and straightened back up. He smiled at the handy work around him. They certainly performed admirably, he mused, I would be proud to call them my subjects. Perhaps one day. Dumah then took note of his surroundings. The damage was minimal despite his cave shaking stomp and the one dog in the wall, and he could hear eleven heartbeats.

"Wait," he paused, "eleven?"

He turned to the source of the odd one out and noticed a small tunnel that had a rail track running through. It was certainly far too small for anything the size of the various guard dogs he encountered, so it was not used for travel. Listening closely, he could hear the gentle clops of hoofsteps against wood and iron, accompanying the sounds of squeaking rust. Any trace of mirth that he had from the fight fell away from his face as he approached the small opening from the side.

From out of the darkness came a familiar figure, disheveled in mane and coat, and bound in a leather strap harness which roped around her barrel, neck and mouth. Said harness was attached to an empty cart that was likely filled prior to her arrival. Her facial features betrayed her emotions, with the sense of defeat and despair written in her downtrodden eyes. Darkened streaks permeated her cheeks, and a small hiccup escaped her mouth. It was as if she has been like this for a while, and only recently stopped shedding tears. As she stepped into the dimmed light of the dig sight, she kept her eyes low and swiveled her ears for a moment.

Dumah stepped forth, looking down upon the small and pathetic creature before him. She remained unmoving as he slowly approached until his shadow cast over her. Her face scrunched in confusion before she looked up. A gasp of shock escaped her as she reared and fumbled back, tripping over the very straps that bound her, and falling to her back, tangled in the tethers. 

She gazed to the darkened form of the vampire before her, seeing no savior in his harrowing appearance and blood red eyes. How could she? Her last encounter was nothing short of antagonistic, she believed, and now he stands here at the peak of her misery. Her own self doubt continued to build, as her instincts of survival, especially against predators, slowly surfaced. Dumah's next action didn't help ease her stressed nature in the slightest, as he leaned down towards her, his razor sharp claws outstretched. She shut her eyes, expecting the worst.

The only noise she heard was the sound of fraying leather, followed by the sensation of her bindings slacking around her. With caution, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. Shifting a little, the tethers fell away from her. Finally free, she slowly shuffled away from the trappings, careful not to get entangled. She looked back towards the shadowed figure of the vampire before her. Despite the ominous red glow of his eyes, she couldn't help but notice something softer about them.

"Rise," he commanded, speaking softly.

She did so, kicking the bindings away from her out of spite for them, before looking back up to her liberator. The moment her eyes finally meet his directly, she falters and steps back, remembering her attitude she presented to him a while ago.

"Is this how you behave when one rescues you?" he berated.

Rarity huffed at his remark, but ultimately looked away from him, turning slightly red from the truth. "It's not," she started, fumbling her words, "It's not that. I just..." She couldn't say it. She couldn't say she was afraid to apologize to him. Not just on a pride level, as minor as it was, but on a level of uncertainty. She didn't know what he'd do or how he'd react. After all, he clearly didn't belong in this world.

Dumah scoffed at the lack of response and turned away, moving to the only opening available. He stopped one last time and turned towards the unmoving mare. "Are you or are you not following? Make your choice in haste, for I do not tolerate dawdlers." With that, he began to exit.

Rarity stood there for a moment, dumbfounded at his frank nature, and even more dumbfounded that he offered to let her follow, despite their shaky and forced companionship. Maybe, she thought, he isn't so far off from a gentlecolt after all. Upon letting that thought swim through her head, Rarity slowly followed after him, leaving behind the chamber of unconscious curs.
> Hall of the Mountain King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two souls of pride continued their long and arduous trek through the daunting underground network. It had been nearly an hour since they left the dig site and avoided the return of guard reinforcements. Rarity was thankful that her second time savior was mindful enough to keep casualties and detection to a minimum, despite having a sneaking suspicion any opposition at this point would be less than a trifle. During that time, the two realized that the tunnels they moved through seemed to slope upwards more and more often, which was certainly a good sign. Rarity mused about the situation thus far, and hoped that she hasn't been gone for too long to cause a panic back in Ponyville. She also mused about how hypocritical that thought was where she believed the exact opposite when she was captured the second time. I may be a drama queen, she considered, but at least I'll try to be honest about it.

As they continued moving, Rarity noticed the silence more and more, which began to grate on her nerves a tad. She looked up at the vampire, whom was keeping his sight and attention diligently forward. It was then that she realized she never got his name. Hazarding the question, she decided to speak.

"I'm sorry to break the silence, but," she started, as his eyes darted down to her, "I don't believe I ever got your name."

The ex-king paused for a moment, keeping his piercing red eyes fixed on Rarity. Then with a slight sigh, he simply stated, "Dumah," before he continued walking.

Rarity was rather surprised. It wasn't about how unusual the name was, even for non-equines, considering her first encounter with Dumah was when she watched him rise from a burnt crater. That moment in time right there gave the biggest clue he was most certainly not from this world. No, the surprise came from the fact that she assumed he would have perhaps elaborated more. With such a high and mighty attitude he presented previously, which mimicked some of the more refined nobles and royals, it suggested that he too was of a high pedigree. She expected titles and accomplishments; the grandeur that would follow such an upper crust personality.

"Dumah?" she parroted, causing him to nod slightly. "Is that all? Forgive me for prodding, but I believed you would have stated more." As she spoke, she continued to follow the vampire.

The former king thought about it for a moment. True, he had boasted his kingship while facing off against the battalions of armored guard dogs, but it was more out of constitution. Old habits die hard, he considered with a knowing smile. "I would, but I have none now. If there is any title I should wear, equine, it's the failed king of a dead northern empire."

"What happened?" she asked in concern and curiosity.

Dumah thought about it for a moment, looking for the most accurate response he could ever give. Looking back to her, he stated, "Hubris."

Rarity could tell that the subject was difficult to talk about, so she decided to let it end there for now. As they continued walking in silence, Rarity chanced to ask him something that's been nagging at her. "What do you do as a vampire, Dumah?" 

Dumah stopped and looked at her incredulously, almost waiting for a reason as to why she's asking such a question. It didn't take her long to do so as she looked down at her fore-hooves, trotted along his left, and stopped at his side.

"You were right about what you said a while ago. I've never seen one of your kind. To be perfectly honest, vampires here are more fabricated ideas for the odd novel or two than a reality. We do have vampire fruit bats, but I highly doubt that counts. Really, the only thing close to such an idea are those abysmal changelings, but there are still such vast differences between those creatures and the vampires in books and film reels that it's hardly worth the comparison." She looked back up to him, before continuing, "Which is why I'd like to know."

Dumah's face softened slightly under his mask as his eyes returned forward. "I do not know what your books portray our race as, but I will tell you as much as I believe you should know. I will not go into our history, as I know not how our race came to be, and the only one that may have those answers is far beyond my reach. Do you understand?" Rarity nodded as Dumah looked to her for a moment. Satisfied, he continued moving through the tunnels and began talking.

True to his word, he divulged what he could about his kind. How they are immortal in a few senses of the word. Living long and constantly growing and changing over periods of time and metamorphosis. How wounds close and repair just as quick as they are injured. How sunlight, while detrimental to their strength, is no longer fatal to adult vampires, but still very much destructive to the weak skin of fledglings. How water is like acid to their skin. How they normally feed off of blood and flesh of other beings, but how he's now an exception to the rule. 

The last fact wasn't new to Rarity, but it unnerved her all the same. Dumah assured her that she had nothing to worry, as the blood of steeds did not cause one's appetite to flourish, and only the truly desperate tend to go that route. After explaining what he could, he let her consider if the answer was enough.

"I'd still like to know what you and your kind did back in your world," she asked honestly, albeit nervous of the answer.

Dumah thought about it for a moment, before answering, "Perhaps another day. An outsider's perspective might see it as bleak and considering our situation, that effect not needed." Rarity obliged and ceased her questions. The silence didn't last long as Dumah believed it was now his turn to get some information. "And I believe it's only customary for you to divulge anything that I wish to know."

Rarity nodded. It's only fair, after all, she thought. "Very well, what do you wish to know?"

"You mentioned that you are one of three types of ponies in Equestria. I wish to know more about your kind. Furthermore, I would also desire to know what exactly Equestria is."

"To be fair, I said that I belong to one of three MAIN types of equestrians. There are others in the world that aren't technically under our, for lack of a better word, classification. I know very little in regards to the many cultures outside our own and the fashion culture, but I do know that there are also Zebras which are their own tribe, and Alicorns. Alicorns being the absolute rarest. There are Crystal Ponies, but Twilight explained that it might be more of an effect of the natural magic from the empire they come from. But, that's neither here nor there, acting more like one of Twilight's theories than anything else.."

Dumah found it interesting that her race of beings were so diverse, having such a wide array of physical and metaphysical features that separate them. It reminded him of his vampire kin after Raziel's execution. They all began to take unique shapes and powers dependent on their evolving clan leaders, with Dumah's former kingdom being no exception. 

Rarity continued on her explanation, talking about Pegasi and Earth ponies, explaining their strengths and weaknesses, and what they normally do in Equestria. She then began talking a little about her own tribe, the Unicorns, and explained who they are and what they do for Equestrian society. Rarity went on to explain that, while they aren't physically the strongest, or not properly capable of flight, they were by far the most magically adept, next to the obviously superior Alicorns. Dumah refrained from asking about the magic in their world, opting to ask about it another day in exchange for her to finish her current explanations.

From the topic of unicorns, she switched to how the three main types originally were very divided and prejudiced towards each other. It took a dreadful snowstorm that drove them to find the then unnamed land of Equestria in the first place, she explained. Said blizzard was so detrimental that it further pushed them into a truce and unify for the sake of each other and themselves. With that union came the birth of their country.

"I apologize, darling, but I'm afraid my history isn't the strongest. I'm not quite sure when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were sired to be Equestria's rulers. I believe my dear friend Twilight mentioned they were sought a short while after Equestria was founded, but I could be mistaken."

She pointed out that while Equestria is all Rarity has seen, she does know there are other countries separate from it, if her knowledge of the fashion industry and her history lessons from when she was a filly was anything to go by.

"Such as the Griffon Empire to the east, the Badlands to the south, and the Crystal Empire in the north being an independent nation, despite being within the borders of our country." 

Dumah considered his short geography lesson for a moment, and realized something. Despite Rarity's admittance of not having an extensive knowledge of her world, it was very clear the little unicorn knew more about her world than Dumah did his. All Dumah really knew was of Nosgoth, and much of what he knew was under a very centralized and confined location. Kain had mentioned places within the country that he had never seen before, and none of them even thought there could be other countries beyond Nosgoth's borders. Dumah realized he and his kin, for all intents and purposes, have been very isolated for centuries upon centuries. On top of this, they had no idea how much of the world they had affected from their actions in their home land.

Dumah slightly shook his head to dismiss the thought, which Rarity caught in slight concern.

"Is there something the matter?" she asked gently.

"It's nothing," he explained, "This is just a fair amount to take in. I will adjust." He gazed forward. "I think it's time we push on. The sooner we leave these accursed tunnels, the better off we will be." With that, he once again began walking forth.

Rarity nodded and began trotting close behind her vampire savior. Little did the escapees know, far behind them and just out of extraordinary earshot, a guard dog that had returned from requesting assistance against the titanic vampire had spotted them.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Countless twists, turns, and inclines met the two travelers as they continued to navigate the tunnels. Within the span of an hour, they had found fewer and fewer dead ends, more roundabouts, and a few more dugouts that both took care not to enter in order to avoid detection. From time to time, both Rarity and Dumah would double back and hide out in the closest neighboring tunnel to avoid the odd guard patrol, staying as silent as possible. While Dumah had proven himself against the mutts time and again, Rarity had explained to him that she'd likely not be able to keep up, considering how drained she was prior to her second rescue. On that note, she elaborated that she'd either be in his way or vulnerable to the point of being unable to properly defend herself. Dumah could see the logic behind it, and decided to not take any chances while she was with him.

Eventually the duo found themselves at the largest nexus of passages they have seen up to that point. With the intersection room's half circle shape, it was obvious behind the intention. From the curve of the room, which they exited from, one could access the further and lower parts of the mine. From the flat side, which they now looked towards, the tunnels lined up there seemed to lead to a higher chamber. Dumah also noted, despite how dark they looked in the distance, none of them curved in a way that suggested turns of any sort. Looking to the ground, he recognized the ingrained patterns of lingering paw prints as tell-tale signs of how the dogs used this juncture. Whatever resided up ahead, the tunnels before them were surely used to filter and spread the traffic, and allow for easier and smoother passage to the rest of the mine. If that was the case, then the destination before them was nothing short of an important location. At best, it was an educated guess on Dumah's part, but it was all he had. 

Dumah closed his eyes and concentrated, listening intently down each tunnel. He noticed that no one was in or near the networks before them, remaining suspiciously quiet, leaving them free to travel unhindered. Despite his slight paranoia over how quiet it was through each passage, he looked to Rarity and motioned her to follow him. She obliged, and they took the center tunnel.

As they pressed forth, Dumah noticed something. Inhaling a heavy quantity of air, he could smell the comparatively fresher aroma, cutting through the normally stagnant ventilation. We are close, he thought, pleased for the first time for years, comparatively speaking.

It only took them a few minutes for the dark tunnel they were traveling through to get progressively lighter. Not long after that did they finally come come to the mouth of their exit and gaze into chamber they had been leading up to. The chamber in question was massive, with tunnel mouths permeating three quarters of the edges around the room. The last quarter remained a solid wall with nothing more than a battered looking throne, which covered a very small space.

Rarity stepped back out of dread, which Dumah took notice of. "What are you doing?"

"I have a really bad feeling about this," she uttered, trying hard to keep her composure.

Dumah stepped forward and motioned her to follow again, trying to shepherd her further through the core chamber. "Beyond us now is our freedom. Even from here, I can smell the sweet purity of your worlds atmosphere. If we stop here and now, our efforts are for nothing."

"I know, darling, but," she started to reason, looking about her surroundings as she felt strangely timid. "Something just isn't right here. This place is just far too quiet." As she said this, she slowly followed the vampire while on pins and needles.

Dumah paid attention to the audio of the chamber and realized how correct she seemed to be. However, there was something still very off about it. He could hear something, but wasn't entirely sure what was disturbing the silence.

Before he could pinpoint the disruption, the bellowing of a battered flugalhorn resounded through the cave, which caused Rarity to jump and Dumah to shift into a defensive stance. Hundreds upon hundreds of paws pounding against the ground echoed faintly from the surrounding tunnels and grew in intensity as the seconds passed by. As the volume continued to grow, a solitary dog, whom donned a battered crown, a bison fur cape, and wielded a bulbous looking scepter in one hand and a battered horn in the other sauntered out from behind the throne. He turned to the duo with a knowing smirk, and tossed aside the abused flugalhorn.

"My dear thief. Welcome to my throne room," he sneered, keeping his grin wide and ruthless, "I am King Cerberus."
> The Beauty of the Beast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THIEF?! I am most certainly NOT a THIEF!" Rarity huffed, as she stared daggers at the self-proclaimed king.

"Silence, you cur!" King Cerberus demanded, "I do not forget an indignation! You STOLE from us. All of our hard work, all of our gems, went straight to you that day! You and your silver forked tongue robbed us, and now it's time for you to repay your debts!"

"I have absolutely no debts to pay to the likes of you! Your so called hard work is as ill-gotten as the crown on your head, in all likelihood," she spat back.

Dumah watched the two bellow their intense accusations. When his eyes fell upon the certain alpha canine, he could tell the ire in his voice was genuine, but Dumah could not believe the prosecution against the mare that traveled with him. He may not have known the little alabaster unicorn for long, but Dumah has always prided himself on possessing a decent judge of character, and could not see her sink to such a low as accused. Upon looking to Rarity, he could immediately tell that whatever happened to her back then with these creatures, she had a score to settle with them to some degree. Whatever the ordeal was, it most certainly etched into her mind like a black scorch upon finished marble.

"How DARE YOU, you lowly wretch!" King Cerberus barked, "These are the symbols granted to me for leading MY subjects through the harshest of times in poverty, starvation, and weakness. I've kept them united and strong for years! You have NO right to question my authority!" 

The sound of frantic pawsteps and the shaking of the ground became more apparent as the alpha smirked at his new guests, showing his teeth proudly. Eyes fixated directly to Rarity, he spoke once more. "And now, my dear criminal guests. You will witness the power that I command. Behold the might of my Diamond Dog kingdom!" With that, as if on cue, a flood of diamond dogs filed through the openings in the walls, ordered so that guards either came in single file lines from the right side of the chamber, or had one to three of them lead single file lines of hundreds of workers. The only opening that no guards or workers came from was one to the front left of Dumah's eyesight. He kept a mental note of its location as they poured in, completely blocking all exits with a thick wall of guard dogs in front of hundreds of the poor onlookers backing them. The crowd surrounded Rarity, Dumah, and King Cerberus, all eyes fixated on their leader, as if they were awaiting orders.

"My good, dear subjects. Remember our earlier conversation? For those of you whom have not encountered this mule, this is the creature responsible for our debt." Turning to Dumah, as if he's noticed him for the first time, he continued, "And this is the monster that has harassed us and assisted that degenerate in her attempted escape." Growls and hisses erupted from the crowd as guard dogs gripped their weapons tighter, tensing to rush forward at any given command.

King Cerberus turned back fully to his guests, and spoke once more, "I must thank you both for coming here on your own. You two had ended up doing exactly what that incompetent Rover failed at. I'll be sure he gets the Rod for his transgression, but mind not my musings. In my court, and by the will of myself and my subjects, I hereby sentence you," he bellowed, pointing directly at Rarity, "to a lifetime in servitude to us, as a borough, until death, or our satisfaction."

Rarity winced, taking an unconscious step back in fear of returning to capture and facing a punishment she didn't deserve. The anger that burned within her against the slander that was thrown at her all but fizzled out to hopelessness and dread. She looked to Dumah, who kept his piercing red eyes on the king, unflinching and unmoving, silently pleading to him to help her once more.

He pointed to Dumah finally, smirking darkly. "Do not think I've forgotten you, beast. For your crimes, for assaulting my guards, disrupting my workers, and assisting this fugitive, I sentence you," he commanded, raising his Rod high into the air, as it glowed a faint, sickly green, "TO DEATH!"

Dumah's eyes faltered for a moment, feeling a slight pain in his ears, but quickly regained his concentration as the front layer of guards rushed forward. Before he could say anything, two of them quickly grabbed Rarity, pulling her back from the fray, as she kicked and screamed in protest the whole way, while the rest lunged. With a roar, Dumah smashed the ground, causing the surge of dogs to flinch long enough for him to rush them on his own terms. With a back-end swing of his right hand, he caused a set of five to tumble to the ground, before doing the same with his left. Tensing his stone-like muscles, he shoulder butted the team before him, sending the guards flying, before pivoting on his feet and making a quick half circle turn to face the rest.

King Cerberus waved his Rod again, causing it to glow once more, and forcing the rest of the guards to join the fray. The numbers he had were great, and he knew that. Even a titan can fall if enough are against it.

Dumah fought on, smacking, throwing, and bashing around the armored pups with useless weapons as if they were training dummies, but their tenacity was remarkable. Most of them continued to get back up and surge forward, no matter how futile, no matter the pain that was written in their eyes. If anything, the futility and agony they had made them more desperate. Clean shots with their weapons were almost outright abandoned after a while in favor of wild jabbing, and those that lost their weapons opted to climb on Dumah in attempt to beat on him or restrain him. While that tactic was more of an annoyance than a threat at first, more dogs continued to jump on him. Dumah tried to claw as many off of him as he could, but for every dog to fall from him, two or three more would get the idea to jump. Within minutes, they covered him, and their weight managed to bring him down to a knee.

King Cerberus let free a darkly grin, thinking of ways that he could use to dispatch his strange foe, now that he had been downed. However, before he could revel in his victory, something quaked beneath the mound of guards.

In an instant, Dumah erupted from the dogpile with a grand warcry, flinging guards in all directions, where they slammed against every surface of the chamber before falling limp in exhaustion and pain. Their King looked on in shock and dawning horror as Dumah began to step forth slowly, guards still hanging off of his ankles and shins in desperation. With quick shakes, he managed to kick them off like dust as well before making his way forth to the proprietor of his discontent. 

Cerberus took a fearful step back, as he gazed about his surroundings to see if there were any able soldiers left to defend him. The only two left were the ones that stood beside Rarity, dumbstruck that the great beast managed to subdue the company of guards in a very short order. As Dumah approached, the nervous King crouched low and frantically jabbed his Rod forth in defense, eyes closed tight in fear.

After a few moments of nothing, King Cerberus cracked one of his eyes open, hazarding a peek, and witnessed an astonishing sight. The beastly titan before him was cupping the sides of its head with both its hands, almost as if it were in pain. The King looked to the rod in his hand, and noticed its magic was activated. The fear in Cerberus' face all but melted away, now being replaced by glee and sadism, as he rose back to his full height. The feeling of towering over such a monstrous sized being gave the alpha a thrill like no other. He was in command, and he finally knew it. Rarity could only watch in despair as King Cerberus gained confidence.

"See?" he asked in a spiteful tone, "Do you see what you went against? I AM in command here. YOU are in my court, and my rule is LAW!" As he barked that last statement, he struck Dumah in the side of the head with his rod with all his might, causing the vampire's helm to fly off his head and tumble against the ground. It was then that he got a good look at his opponents face for the first time. Green, tough skin scratched and scared from years of battle adorned his face, sharpened teeth of a top predator peeked out from blackened lips, as his red eyes gazed out from sockets lined in deep blue marks. Said blue marks not only marked his chin and the center of his forehead in tribal patterns, but seemed more a part of his skin rather than warpaint of some sort. Finally, his ears were angled and pointed, maximizing the reception of sound, much like a bat or dog. Cerberus stepped back after he gawked at this revealed horror show for a moment before he began laughing like a maniac. "Even PREDATORS atop the food chain, those that command the rules over survival of the fittest, are BENEATH me!" He walked past Dumah, addressing the crowd. "I AM KING CERBERUS." He finished with a crescendo of insane cackling, raising his Rod into the air, causing it to glow once again, and forced every dog in the immediate area to bow to him in a whimper. 

Dumah shut his eyes out of disappointment in himself. He easily fell to such a cheap parlor trick in that Rod, unable to stave off the pain ringing in his ears and in the back of his head, threatening to crush his consciousness. It was simply unforgivable. If only he had taken action quicker than he had, they would have been able to leave this nightmare. Now, even if they couldn't kill him, they would surely bury him under as much rubble as they could deep within the chasms of the tunnels, and put Rarity in permanent servitude. He failed as a leader, a protector, and even as a predator and warrior.

That's when it happened. It was sudden, but Rarity, after being momentarily freed from the bowing dogs, sneaked around the edges to get closer to the boasting and unaware King. Once she was close enough, she picked up and threw the rather heavy helm that once adorned Dumah's head, directly at King Cerberus. The impact was enough to cause him to fall to his knees, clutching his head in pain, and drop the rod.

"Dumah, darling! CATCH!" Rarity managed to shout before she used her magic to throw the rod in Dumah's direction. Now freed from the spell, Dumah did just that, catching it mid air, and rose back to his feet. 

King Cerberus rubbed the impacted spot in agony as he also returned to his feet, but realized that it was too late. His foe now was in possession of the object of his command. He got into a defensive stance, but began to speak again, "Return that to me you fool. Only I know how use the magic that lies within. It is of no use to you!"

Dumah looked at the scepter for a moment or two, before gripping it with his other hand, and began to bend it. Before Cerberus could shout in protest, the object made an audible SNAP before Dumah proceeded to grind the rest of it between his hands, turning it into nothing more than shards. Wisps of sickly green vapor escaped and dissipated into the air, becoming inert.

Cerberus faltered as he watched his grandest of symbols crumble before his eyes. "W-what have you done?" he managed to whimper out, eyes fixated on the fragments on the ground.

Dumah approached the dog that caused him so much misery, while proclaiming "I have put an end to this charade," in his commanding and booming voice. Cerberus looked up at him, and beheld true terror, before Dumah grabbed him by the neck and held him aloft. The dogs in the crowd gasped and muttered in horror as he did this, as they watched their leader being harassed by this monster, unable to have the courage or strength to do anything. Even the curious late arrivals couldn't help but shudder.

Dumah pulled him closer so that Cerberus could get a good look into the vampire's piercing eyes. "Now, SIT!" he shouted, before he heaved back, and launched Cerberus at his throne. The forceful throw caused the alpha to bounce off, shattering it upon impact with a sickening crunch, and tumble to the ground. Sated, Dumah relaxed from the throw and straightened himself once again. It was then that he noticed something odd behind the ruined seat. A glimmer that caught his eye within a darkened opening which sat behind the rubble.

"Is that," Rarity started in astonishment, "a nest of gems?!"

All but Cerberus approached the gaping hole, and noticed that wasn't all. There was a set of two troughs of water. One for drinking, constantly being resupplied, and the other for cleaning. Nearby, piles and piles of gems sat, free from stone confines and shimmering in spotless glory.

"That ruby Ralph sprained paw for while digging!" one of the dogs barked, while others began identifying the more significant looking gems, even entire collections. It was then the amassed work force realized they had been duped by the very leader that convinced them they were going through tough times. Turning to Cerberus, they began to growl low and threatening.

"You tricked us!" one of the dogs snapped. Murmurs of acknowledgement floated around the crowd as they closed in on the former alpha.

"N-no! I helped you! I was making this fortune for you!" he pleaded, "I only want what's best for us all!"

"Where supplies? Where good food, fresh water, better tools?" another dog argued, "You want best for you!" Angrier and angrier shouts and insults shot from the advancing group as Cerberus, while he clutched his bruises in pain, tried to get away from them. However, he was far too beaten and far too broken to fight or run, and the crowd quickly apprehended him. A large portion then began taking the seized former king out of the heart chamber and down into the tunnels below, where they would likely try him for his deceit, and give him a fitting punishment. The rest stayed behind to treat the wounds inflicted upon the guards that were injured by the vampire in the name of their former master.

None of the dogs in the chamber within their eyesight payed any heed to Dumah or Rarity. The ordeal was truly over.

Wandering over to his helm that was used to overthrow the newly dethroned alpha dog, he dusted it off gently before placing it back over his head where it belonged. "Come," Dumah said, turning to the exit he took mental note of, "let us take our leave."

"But what about these poor dears? Will they-" she replied, but was interrupted by the vampire.

"They will be able to take care of themselves. The charlatan has been exposed, and their riches returned. They have no need for our involvement." Punctuating his argument, he made his way to the exit. 

Rarity walked forth for a moment, before looking back, realizing that three dogs stood at the back, watching her leave with expressions of disbelief and shame plastered on their faces. She was tempted to talk to them, but she realized she had something more important to rectify before she could consider anything else. After all, her little sister must be worried sick from her prolonged absence. With that thought, she turned back, and followed Dumah into their final tunnel.
> Karma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The unlikely duo made their way through the tunnel. Truth be told, Rarity felt her renewed freedom felt a tad hollow. She was dirty and grimy, had a hoof in injuring a few dogs that were just following the orders of that mad king, and she couldn't find any comfort in just believing that the dogs left behind would fare well. Not to mention that she never even had a chance to collect a single gem, which made her original intended trip to Whitetail Woods moot. At the very least, she would be able to go home today and see her beloved sister again, which is all that mattered in the end. Musing in the depression and silver linings, she looked to Dumah, whom seemed to be reflecting on things on his own terms, despite keeping focus ahead of himself. The vampire was certainly a hard one to read, especially with the helm that adorned his head, concealing most of his face, but she'd be lying if his red eyes didn't betray his emotions. No matter how intimidating they may look.

As they approached their exit, they noticed the air become gradually and noticeably less arid and stagnant, right up until they stepped outside. Upon meeting the evening sun's waning rays, Rarity took a healthy breath in, relishing in the freshness and freedom of the open air. Dumah winced at the sun slightly, but adjusted quickly enough, silently enjoying the warmth provided. The day was most certainly coming to an end.

Rarity turned to her vampire savior, and looked up his towering frame. "So," she started, not entirely sure where she was going to say. Dumah gazed down to her in response of indirectly addressing him. "What are you going to do now, darling?" she finally asked.

Now that they were finally outside, Dumah could get his bearings. He gazed at the sky for a moment or two, then at the sun, before fixating his attention forward and slightly to the right. With strong conviction, Dumah replied, "I'll be heading north."

Rarity scrunched her face for a moment in thought, before realizing something rather important. "I don't believe I've ever asked you why you wanted to travel in that direction. What do you plan to accomplish going that way?"

"It's familiar... back home, in the northern wastelands, I built a city to house my subjects within the mountains. My kingdom was built on the foundation of the harsh climate and the impenetrable walls of the mountainsides that prevailed the region."

"So, you aim to rebuild a city and reclaim a kingdom deep within the harshest tundra?" she deduced.

Surprisingly, Dumah shook his head. "No. Not yet, at the least... I once believed that, when I first arrived here, but plans have changed. I have had time to think while down in those tunnels." He looked back out to the north with a wistful look in his eyes. "No, my reason to go north now is solitude. To give myself time to think, and find a way to prove myself worthy of regaining the right to reclaim my title and privilege." I refuse to make the same mistake again, he thought bitterly. "My solitude, my reflection in the silence, will by my ozar midrashim."

"You're what?" Rarity asked, confused by the strange words.

Dumah looked back down to Rarity. "My treasury of studies," he said calmly, albeit solemnly. With that, he returned his focus north, steeling his resolve while he still could.

Rarity looked out towards the horizon that Dumah was looking at, and noticed some very familiar hills with very familiar trees. "Is that Sweet Apple Acres? Have we really traveled that far underground?" Her questions were legit, but the mystery lost her interest the moment she realized that her home was merely a hop, skip, and jump away. She was about to leave before she stopped, and looked back to Dumah. Considering his plans to lock himself away for Heaven knows how long, she couldn't just leave him to punish himself like that.

"Dumah, dear, if I may be so bold," she started, walking directly in front of him, "may I ask you to perhaps refrain from going through with your plan?"

Dumah looked down to her, mildly confounded. "For what reason? I do not belong here as I am. My visage isn't common, nor is it comparable to anything remotely close to what I am in your world, as you have stated. My nature would likely drive even the brave into hiding. It would be best if I shut myself away."

"While that's true, I must inform you that you are hardly the strangest or most dangerous being to ever grace this land. Mad gods, chaos spirits, and giant monsters have come before, and likely would come again."

"Never the less, if I am to repair my pride and become what I am meant to be, it would be best if I keep my distance until I know I am worthy enough."

"Pish-posh, darling," Rarity tutted dismissively, "If you wish to do any of that, it might do you some good to engage in some social activity. A King doesn't sit on their throne all day while the rest of society does the work for them. Kings are leaders. They guide and listen to their people for a better tomorrow, and set examples for their subjects. They become ambition and aspiration for those that look up to them. For that to happen, they need to be a part of the society they lead. I strongly insist you abandon this foolish idea of headstrong isolation and consider a better route. Perhaps, say, you could come with me to my hometown, and maybe work on your abysmal socialization?"

Rarity giggled slightly at her insult in jest, but Dumah looked off to the side, pondering the offer. She was right. A king was more than just a figure head that issued commands. A good king listened to his subjects. The fact reminded him of Kain, whom would hold council for Dumah himself and his brothers, where they would discuss everything that they needed, from the mundane to the required, from opinions to subjects of urgency. Not even Kain is my equal, he thought bitterly, realizing the irony in the statement he made to his brother.

Before he could answer, the sound of quick paws hitting the dirt finally reached his ears. As he turned, he noticed three figures approach from the tunnels. Rarity walked out from behind Dumah to see what had caught his attention, only to find the outlines of three Diamond Dogs she knew all too well bounding towards them: one large, one medium sized, and one small. They screeched to a halt, kicking up dust from their abrupt stop, and slowly approached the vampire and mare.

"M-Ms. Rarity?" The mid-sized dog named Rover addressed, forepaws clasped together in pleading.

Remembering the horrible words that Rover spat at her at the beginning of this nightmare, but also recalling the look they sported just before they left the heart chamber, she slowly approached them, nonplussed, but willing to hear them out.

"What do you three need?" she asked, as gently as possible.

Rover stepped forth, wringing his hands in nervousness, trying hard to make eye contact, but having obvious difficulties. "Ms. Rarity," he repeated, "We dogs want to say sorry. Rover said lots of mean things to you. Rover was very stressed then, afraid King would beat me again, and Rover took it out on you. We did wrong to you, and we sorry. Please don't hate us."

Rarity's nonplussed expression melted to a soft smile. "It's alright, darlings. I never knew you had such a beast leading you all. I'm sorry for any wrongs I've placed against you in my ignorance. Let bygones be bygones." 

With an expression of relief and joy, Rover barked with enthusiasm. "R-really?"

"Really."

Rover turned to his companions, and the three dogs danced in joy for a few moments. The little moment incited a few giggles from the fashionista, before they stopped, and Rover turned back to Rarity. "Rover ask one more thing, Ms. Rarity."

"What do you wish to ask?"

"Diamond Dogs are making Cerberus work for crimes, so now we have no leader. However, we make commune out of kingdom, and set up trading post here. Trade gems for supplies to find more gems," the red vested dog explained, "Will Ms. Rarity be first customer?"

Rarity was taken slightly aback by the bold proposal. Their first customer, she thought, I don't even know how I could help. She took a slight breath, recollecting herself, and answered them professionally. "Before I agree to this, I must ask. How do you plan on getting your business to flourish. You can't honestly expect me to be your only customer."

Rover opened his mouth to speak, but realized she was correct. They didn't know anyone else that could trade for their gems.

"Further more, what are your prices for the games you are going to sell?"

"That easy one! We trade gems for supplies; clothes, food, tools. Anything we need."

"I was afraid you were being literal. Pony society doesn't work like that I'm afraid. You need to buy those types of supplies with bits, the national currency." The three dogs looked both confused and downtrodden, not knowing how they were going to get these elusive "bits". Rarity smiled warmly. "Don't worry, though. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone willing to trade your gems for a decent price. You can then buy whatever you need in town. And if you can't get it, I'm sure you'd be able to order what you need through form and carriage"

"Erm, thanks?" Rover said, still very confused.

Rarity giggled. "Yes, it is a bit overwhelming, but I promise to walk you through it. You'll do just fine darling. Though, if you need clothing, look no further. I'll be willing to trade any garments for any gems you feel are enough for it."

"Thank you, Ms. Rarity! Thank you!" Just then, Rover motioned to the larger dog to come forth. "We have gift for Ms. Rarity. Fido, give Ms. Rarity sack!"

The large Diamond Dog known as Fido approached Rarity, walking past Rover, and gently placed a pony sized bag in front of her. Undoing the rope, Rarity found that it contained hundreds of gems. More than enough to complete her order. They would need to be sorted properly, but the fact that she got what she needed after all sent her spirits soaring. Beaming at the dogs, she rushed over to them, and gave each of them a tight hug, thanking them over and over again. 

After parting from them, Rarity walked back over to the sack and tied it back up. The Diamond Dogs turned to leave, returning to the tunnels below, before the smallest one, named Spot, stopped abruptly and turned back to them.

"Oh, oh! Tell green-." Before he finished, Rover rushed over to him and covered his mouth quickly, before Rarity managed to notice. 

"Did you say something, dears?" Rarity replied, still looking at the bag with a slight whimsical daze in her eyes.

Rover muttered in Spot's ears before releasing his muzzle. "Erm, nothing! Thank you Ms. Rarity!"

"You're welcome, darlings," she replied, still gazing at the sack.

The dogs continued leaving, a little quicker this time, finally disappearing into the darkness below the earth. Dumah refrained from commenting, as the situation had fixed itself from what he over heard, despite their efforts to keep it a secret.

Looking to Rarity, he considered the offer she gave. Perhaps it would be better to establish some connection to others, he thought, what's good for the goose...

"Begging your pardon, m'lady," Dumah asks, addressing the mare, "I think I've reached a decision."

Snapping out of her reverie, she turned to Dumah. "Oh? What have you decided?"

"Given the circumstances, that I should perhaps do more to learn of this world, and that it would be best to know my potential subjects better," he started, "I will come with you."

Rarity smiled, pleased that the great vampire set aside the rest of his pride to make an effort to actively change his own life. Maybe now, with this generous offer, he could begin his new life with a more welcoming atmosphere.

"Feeding might be a problem, though," he added.

Rarity blanched for a moment, forgetting his survival requirements were quite dark. "Y-yes, indeed," she managed to utter, "Perhaps it would be best if, maybe, you kept to the Everfree Forest if you do that. Do avoid harassing Zecora or that charming water dragon if you meet them."

Rarity noticed Dumah's confusion, and explained that she'll take him to meet those two one day, so he'd know what to look out for.

"And one more thing, darling," Rarity said, "While I am willing to help give you room and board, we'll need to find a way for you to earn your keep."

"Fair enough," he replied.

Rarity thought for a moment, and realized something, "Darling, you mentioned that the armor you wear was made by 'divine hands', no?"

"I have."

"And, said hands are from your kind." Dumah nodded, waiting for Rarity to reach her point. "If you know how to work metal, maybe you could earn your keep that way? We can help you set shop beside my boutique, and I can ask my new gem clients for any raw metals they might be able to find. It would be a win-win for both of us."

"Intriguing," he said, index claw and thumb gently pinching at his chin. Perhaps I can use it to repair my wears, he thought.

"Do you accept?" She asked finally. Honestly, how could anyone, let alone this ex-vampire lord with nowhere to go and far too much to learn, refuse such a generous offer?


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Celestia slumped in bed, drained from the events of the day. Day court was bad enough, but summoning the latest edition to her carefully constructed plan was not easy. The land he came from was far out of normal reach, and the natural magics of the location were conflicting and constricting. Something terrible wound tightly like tentacles around the soul she tried to snatch away safely, and fought her attempts every step of the way until she finally managed to pull it free from its world. If it weren't for Discord assisting her, she probably would have failed. There was a piece left behind, however. An ability the soul possessed. Though, whatever it was, it didn't effect the creature she was summoning, and said power would likely fade away in time.

The whole ordeal was utterly taxing, and she had no idea how much more difficult it could get as the moment of prophecy drew ever nearer.

"Knock Knock," sang a kooky voice from within a perfume bottle.

"Not now, Discord," the tuckered out Princess uttered in irritation.

"Oh, come now," he started, snaking out of the bottle like a genie, "It wasn't that bad. Honestly, that overgrown calamari dish was more talk than bite, despite his influence. You got what you wanted, and I got to play a little inter-dimensional arm wrestling to boot."

"It's not that," she admitted. True, it was tiring, but she knew the risks the moment she started doing this, and understood it would likely only get more difficult as she kept it up. But that wasn't the problem that kept her spirits low.

"Is it because you needed me to help in the first place, dear Sun-butt?" he asked with a coo.

"No."

"Perhaps it's because you still feel that this whole thing is your fault despite the fact that you were just a child at the time and had no say over what Daddy would do."

"I-" she started, pausing for a moment, and glared directly at the insane chaos god.

"No, I didn't read your mind, but," he said, snapping his fingers, turning Celestia's face into an open book, "you are just SO much like an open book that I don't NEED to go deep-thought diving."

"Cut it out, Discord," she spat, horn igniting before reversing the trick and turned her face back to normal.

"Well, if this is how you treat your allies," he said with a huff, arms crossed, back turned to her. He then smiled, and twisted his head back towards the alicorn while staying in place. "Though, I understand your irritation. You've got a fair bit on your plate," he said, summoning a silver plate that had miniature versions of a flag of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle with a goofy face, himself, and Elvis giving a thumbs up. "The fate of Equestria, your pupil learning and getting ready to surpass you, me, these new creatures that you summon to play your game. It's all so nerve wracking." With that, he tossed the plate in the air, scattering the tiny figures, which all disappeared in their individual puffs of orange smoke. "But, we are only half done with this game of extra dimensional chess, moving the piece into place and all that, and you need to get ready to give your A-game. I'll continue to be generous enough to lend a hand, mostly because this is FAR too exciting to pass up, but I request that you stop belly aching and show me that same determination you did when you first cast me in stone."

Celestia then picked up a pillow from her bed with her magic, and threw it as hard as she could at Discord, which hit him in the face with a loud moo.

"That's the spirit!" he said with a cackle, before coiling like a snake and disappearing with a puff of green, followed by the sound of maracas. 

Celestia let her face hit the bed hard once again. The day had really taken a toll on her, and right now, all she needed was some rest.

"I really, really hope this works," she muttered finally before falling asleep.
> Part 4: Honesty Smooths the Jaded Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Somber Grounds of Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rain poured in endless torrents against the scarred cement entrance before the monolithic building known as World Marshal Headquarters. Lightning crackled through the sky, violently cutting the gloom suddenly and vanished just as quick. Heavy and intense air ebbed and flowed under the change of furious movements from two powerful cybernetic beings. Beneath the dancing weather, the two tortured souls whom were raised to survive even in the most brutal condition clashed with reckless abandon. One, a former child soldier that grew up to become a butcher of his enemies, despite his best efforts to suppress and control the monster within. To many, he was known as Raiden, a special operatives soldier turned cyborg that joined a peacekeeping PMC group to offer security measures for those in need. To few though, he was Jack the Ripper, a weapon of psychotic violence and destruction that merely lied to himself and concealed his true calling. The other, a street urchin that fought on the side of crime before taking the mantle as a gun for hire, relishing in his madness while embracing his dark nature. Long ago, he abandoned his old life of odd jobs just to stay alive, trading it up to be far more than he was. Carving a path of destruction in his new career and new found magnetic powers, granted by his new cybernetic body, he donned the name of the mighty and overwhelming torrential force: Monsoon.

"Is this the terrifying true form of Jack the Ripper?" the twisted mercenary cackled mockingly as his maroon and deep grey body glimmered in the rain, while he twirled his twin sais idly.

Then, Raiden rushed his offender. His dark grey and silver accented body crackled with blood red hues and electric sparks, which danced along his frame as he moved at a quick pace. Upon reaching Monsoon, the dark grey cyborg's electric charged blade raised to strike his foe down with extreme prejudice.

Being sliced from shoulder to hip, the red shaded cyborg segmented and separated his body to cleanly avoid every precise slice. Raiden continued his assault, chaining his slices with savage glee like a haywire blender. Having had enough of the flurry of attacks, the killer for hire glowed as wisps of purple energy emanated off of him. These wisps allowed him to detach each body segment at once, and float them all back to a safer distance to get some footing. Upon being far enough, he reattached himself, and flung his right arm forth like a whip causing his hand to detach and shoot towards the advancing adversary, sai pointed directly at its intended target. 

"MAGNETIC POWER!" the maroon segmented cyborg cried out with mad glee as he stopped his hand mere feet from his opponent and readied his distant sai. Raiden lashed out immediately, prompting the hand to dodge easily to the side and go in for a counter. Before the maroon cyborg could realize it, the attack connected against his foes blade, only to be immediately countered and knocked out of the air. 

"Damn," the hand-less Monsoon cursed as he began rushing forward to meet his opponent. Once he was close enough, he separated his top half form his bottom, and began flanking him from both sides. With a flurry of kicks from his lower half starting up the attack, the rest of the cyborg proceeded to swing his other sai with expert precision. With a harsh block, the segmented cyborgs legs were stunted, allowing his foe to dodge off to the side with a countering slice, which passed harmlessly between the maroon clad being's shoulder and arm. Not to be deterred, Monsoon rushed forward, and thrust his stumped right arm forth in a jab, aiming for Raiden's face.

The mad cyborg ninja blocked the oncoming attack, and swung back in retaliation, nicking Monsoon's face as he attempted to weave backward. The electric charged cut was enough to scramble the magnetically powered cyborgs sensors, leaving him a sitting duck for the briefest of moments. Taking hold of the opportunity, Raiden slashed once again at Monsoon's head. The first strike missed its mark just barely, forcing the head to separate further from the rest of his torso, which allowed Raiden to attack again. The second slash was enough to connect against Monsoon's chin, launching it far from the rest of his body, which fell to pieces upon the sudden disconnection. Raiden raced towards the disembodied cranium, and leaped forward with as much power and momentum as he could muster to stab downward at Monsoon's head. With barely a moment of respite, Monsoon's sensors picked up the incoming danger, and triggered his magnetic powers again with a purple flash. The sudden surge caused all downed pieces to rush back towards the pile of fragments left behind by Raiden.

Upon recombining, Monsoon leaped into the air and landed on a light pole's tip. With another push, he launched himself above the building's front doors, and anchored his body against the structure's glossy metal globe logo that was situated there with both feet and his right hand. With a flick of his free hand, and the charge of an extension that pushed out from his shady red helm, Monsoon directed his attention off to the left.

"This one's on me!" Monsoon said with a sickly grin. Over the surrounding wall came a cluster of broken vehicles in a mishmash together with haphazard abandon, held together with Monsoon's magnetism. To top it off, oil drums and other metallic objects were crushed amongst the mess, and the entire cluster was lit with an intense blaze. With another flick, Monsoon brought the dangerous collection between him and Raiden, forced it to spin wildly like a saw-blade, and pushed it forward toward his foe.

"Lorentz Force, GO!" Monsoon laughed as the cluster of flaming metal threatened to rip Raiden apart.

However, in an incredible display of power, Raiden blocked and repelled the incoming collection of fire and debris, before he leaped into the air, and diced it down to harmless shards. With the sudden shift of size and weight, Monsoon lost his invisible grip on his weapon, and let it fall apart. In desperation, he looked around again for something more solid, and noticed an obelisk just to the side of the walkway. Reaching out with his free hand, he let his magnetic power grip close around the metal within the stone monument, and wrenched it free from the ground, steel roots fraying from the forced disconnection. Monsoon cackled wildly, letting the size, shape, and weight of the obelisk slowly rotate in his power as he brought it back to their little arena.

"I'll put you under, WEAKLING!" He shouted as he pointed the monolith towards Raiden and began to spin it faster and faster like a drill. "What will you do now, Jack the Ripper?" And with that question, he launched his spinning death tower at his opponent, and waited for the inevitable, and likely futile, attempt at repelling the stone and steel obelisk. 

With quick thinking, Raiden opted to dodge the entire attack, leaping into the air and letting it bury itself into the cement. Upon landing on it, the crazed cyborg ran up the shaft, preparing to leap at Monsoon for one final clash. In desperation, however, Monsoon picked up a tank, and launched it at Raiden's leaping body. Predictably, the cyborg cut it in half with expert precision, and continued sailing forth unhindered.

"You're dead!" Monsoon shouted, launching off of the wall, intending his final attack to go for a killing blow.

"DEAD ON!" Raiden cried in response, as his foot collided with Monsoon's collar, embedding him into World Marshal's outer wall. The impact knocked the artificial wind out of him, as Raiden stomped against the body of his opponent a few times, making sure it could not separate on a whim, before leaping off a short distance, and readying his blade.

Monsoon didn't know whether he taunted his foe into doing his worst, or begged him pathetically to stop, but the end result was the same. Raiden let his sword fly, turning the stuck body into ribbons of scrap in mere seconds, before lopping off Monsoon's head, and landing on the cement below. 

His ruined body exploded with gusto, forcing his head to sail out of the wall and land with a sickening metallic bouncing noise before Raiden's feet, before rolling to a stop. As the fires subsided and the dust settled, the sound of the rain began to prevail the area, split only by the crackles of lightning.

"Kill... or be killed..." Monsoon projected weakly through his codec communication, as his vocal functions were shot. Warning signals and drops in power that were all presented directly into his barely living mind told him one inevitable truth. Life support that was being fed directly to his brain was dropping fast, and he would soon die.

"Don't be ashamed. It's only nature, running its course!" Raiden mocked with a twisted sneer, mimicking the very words Monsoon said to him earlier, "Your memes end here!"

Monsoon smiled inwardly. "No.... I passed one... to you." The remnants of his hazy vision began to blur further. "Sure as the sun... will rise, the slaughter.... will continue..." Pain ebbed and flowed before it began to subside, "Now, I return... to the earth..." His words and thoughts rapidly degraded in strength as he could barely keep his consciousness intact. "Wind blows, rain falls... The strong... prey... on the weak... All... is as it should-d... be~e... e..."

With one final simulated breath, the cyborg's function ceased, and the mind within the chassis died not a moment later, following the scrap to the grave. The ichor that once stained the ground slowly washed away from the relentless rain's flow, refusing to cease until the clouds were finally clear.

However, for the extreme naturalist, this moment was not the end. With a flash of light on his fading existence that cut through like lightning, Monsoon experienced the sensation of true agony. Microscopic piece by piece, he could feel his entire form return to him in a painstakingly meticulous matter. The sensation was enough to whitewash the black perception before him. 

Within moments, the feeling suddenly stopped, leaving him in the bliss of physical peace once again. Without thinking, he let his optical sensors turn on gently, just as eyelids would open slowly if he still had them. Before his limited vision blurred to nothing, he thought he swore he saw a mismatched pair of red and yellow eyes which betrayed a knowing look. Then, a violent and intense sense of vertigo followed, coming just before an intense darkness.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"AHHHHHH!"

Lightning split the darkened sky over Sweet Apple Acres as the night continued to rage on. Rain pattered hard against the glass windows as wind pushed the trees in the orchard to and fro. Despite the ruckus, everyone within the farmhouse that sat near the orchard's entrance slept with peace of mind. Everyone except for an agitated orange mare named Applejack. Her blonde locks swept to the side as she jerked her attention towards the window, almost leering disdainfully at the weather outside. She sighed heavily, hoping nopony heard her scream in surprise due to the thunderous crack above. The last thing she'd need is to fess up to something so embarrassing. Another boom sounded off, following the lightning she saw moments after she woke up.

"Ugh, confound that weather team," she drawled tiredly, "Din't think the downpour would be this bad." She looked to her stetson hat hanging off the bedpost for a moment for comfort, before looking at the time. It was still two in the morning. With another groan, she slammed her head back into the pillow, before flipping the blanket over her face, trying hard to ignore the commotion outside.

Another explosion of sound, louder than the thunder before it, forced Applejack to jump out of bed with a yelp. Landing on the floor with the grace of a rock tumbling down a mountain, she picked herself back up and rubbed her chin with her hoof.

"This's ridiculous. Ah'm an Apple, not a worm." The moment's effect melted away the moment she began to realize that the last boom of noise wasn't thunder. It was much heavier, and it didn't follow another split of lightning. Groggily, she wandered to the window and peered hard outside, hoping the sound wasn't a tree being ripped out of the ground to be used as a battering ram. Outside was drenched, and trees were still swaying and bending to the whims of the wind, but nothing seemed wrong. She did see something off in the distance move between the trees, but figured it was just some critter looking for shelter from the rain.

Believing the noise was just her imagination, she wandered back to her bed, slipped under the covers, and angrily turned her body away from the storm.
> Shelter from the Rain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The harsh sounds of free falling water that splashed and pattered against leaves and rocks covered the normal ambient melody with white noise in the night. Most woodland creatures disappeared into their hovels while the few remaining continued to desperately search for anything that could shield them from the oppressive weather. Lightning split the sky for a moment, illuminating the brush below, outlining the various trees, animals, and one unnatural presence that lay still on the rough ground of the forest floor. With another thunderous crack, the synthetic entity stirred lightly, curling his limbs inward automatically into a recovery position. His breathing was ragged and off-kilter, as he curled a little tighter on his side.

Within the cybernetic confines, constant information was being fed to the still organic mind, warning the presence of the harsh conditions, and the weakened state of the body. Ocular senses slowly activated, gaining a sharper vision as the seconds ticked. His cybernetic night vision kicked in when his sensors realized the environmental conditions were far too dark and hazy for him to see properly, which he quickly took advantage of. After realizing that the cybernetic creature was in a forest, complete and whole, he recalled a very recent and painful experience.

The feeling of "Jack the Ripper's" blade passing through his body, tearing and destroying his complete form, making it nothing more than slivers echoed at the back of his mind. The pain was exquisitely terrifying, and with that hazy memory becoming clear, he recalled who he was. Upon his personal epiphany, his mind began racing with questions. Where was he? How did he become stranded in a forest? Why is he alive and whole again? Why couldn't he remember anything between the moment where he thought he died and now? 

Concentrating hard, he aimed to at least attempt to answer the first question, mentally pulling up radar and GPS programs, trying to access the World Marshal satellite and the global internet connection. It didn't take him long to find that both his radar and his GPS systems weren't responding properly, feeding him a "no data" notification. It also didn't take him long to figure out that he couldn't even access his employment group's network, or any network for that matter. He checked his long distance codec program, and found that none of the encryption channels were operational, sporting only static. Monsoon was well and truly alone now, cut off from civilization of any kind.

With a growl of frustration, he unfurled his limbs and slowly pushed himself off the ground, stumbling a little as he got to his feet. After he rose to full height, wobbling only slightly due to his dizzied state, he patted the sais at his hips for comfort... only to find them missing. Snapping his attention, he began to wildly look around his surroundings, unable to see anything but drenched forest, muddy ground, rustling bushes, and to occasional streak of lightning.

Where is my Dystopia? he thought. The carbon steel sais were his most prized possession, and he'd rather be dead than loose them. The dark thought made him chuckle at the irony of it all, considering he did "die", making his preference moot. With an angered sigh, unable to see anything that belonged to him in the thick forest, he decided to abandon his search for now. Instead, he focused once again on his first question: Where was he? With no help from technology, he would have to rely on his own instincts and intuition to solve the riddle. On top of that, with rain pattering against his maroon and gunmetal grey helm and body, he figured it would be best if he found shelter as well. No sense standing in the rain where he's vulnerable and risks rust or a short circuit from overexposure. With a dark smile, the whole situation reminded him of his youth in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where survival of the fittest remained supreme. Kill or be killed.

However, he figured picking a fight with anything at his point in time wouldn't be a wise decision in his weakened state. With a sigh, he resigned to keep focused on looking for shelter while he could and do everything in his power to regain his strength. All other answers and actions will come later.

Trudging through the foliage, Monsoon looked about his surroundings. Despite the very bluish tint his night vision gave his environment, he realized that the would-be colors that hid behind the haze seemed a bit bolder than what he was used to. It was curious, but he ultimately payed no mind. 

Upon approaching the edge of the forest line, he noticed something he had never seen in his life: an apple orchard. Rows and rows of healthy and pristine apple trees lined up neatly across the plot of land, swaying to the storm and standing strong to the heavy rainfall. Amidst his revere, there was a loud crack, much louder than any thunderclap he had ever heard, which caused him to divert his attention to the sky. Upon looking to the dark grey heavens, he noticed something in the sky for a split second. A tear high above in the air that led to something that entirely obscured his night vision. That split second was enough to avert his eyes in visual overload and caused him to rub where his eyes would normally be in habitual reaction. After a moment or two, he tried to look back to the disturbance was once again, only to find it gone. 

Realizing his attempts were ultimately fruitless, he looked back to the orchard, and noticed a barn in the distance. It was well kept, with a few scattered tools and pieces of equipment decorating the walls or littering the ground. To the side, he noticed a number of barrels, set up in a way to easily collect the falling water, likely for cleaning some of the equipment. With the rain pattering down against his head, and with a warning of low power flashing across his senses, he decided to take shelter there.

Monsoon moved forward slowly, heavy footfalls trudging through the muddy ground as he approached the structure, and reached the barn, only to stumble on something more curious. The door before him was split horizontally from the middle, as if it were more of a stable door. Truth be told, he'd never really seen a typical American or European farm, or orchard in real life, despite living in Denver for the latter part of his career, but he knew this seemed off. Never the less, he wasn't about to be picky, and decided the risk of bunking with livestock was a bit more preferable than laying out in the rain.

He pushed the door open and noticed the only thing that existed in the structure were more tools, stacks of hay bails, and the odd spider or rodent. Counting his blessings, he shut the door behind him and laid himself against the hay. Before he let himself shut down, he made sure to activate the use of one of his standby electrolyte packs to make sure that he could survive the night. He hated relying on them, but his body required their use from time to time as auxiliary power. With everything set, he let his senses recede as his body entered sleep mode for the night.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It was a lush and beautiful day out in Sweet Apple Acres. The morning was in full swing as the excitable little yellow coated and red-maned filly ran outside her home to enjoy the day. Her bouncy energy was only complimented by the pink bow that bobbed atop her head with every bound. Nothing was going to soil her perfect morning. That is, only to land in a mud puddle she failed to notice in her exuberance with a splat. Annoyed, but not entirely deterred, the filly mosied herself over to the barn where a couple of water barrels sat. After ah clean my hooves, she mused, Ah'll be sure to stay away from any more puddles. Can't afford to be messy today for crusadin'. 

She dipped her hooves in the fresh rain water, splashed the mud away from her coat, and made sure she hadn't missed a spot. With the task done, she started to leave, but noticed something strange on the ground leading to the barn door. Those're some mighty funny lookin' hoofprints, she thought. As curiosity easily bested her, she followed the prints and opened the door, peering inside for the owner of the tracks.

"Hello?" she asked the receding darkness within. With no answer to satisfy her, the entered the barn, and looked about. There wasn't much out of the ordinary inside, but noticed something strange at the edge of her vision. A dark grey appendage that seemed to match the prints she saw earlier was sticking out from behind the hay bails. Steeling her nerves and hazarding the chance, she approached the anomaly cautiously, intent on getting a look at what they were attached to. Rounding the corner of hay, she finally got a look, and was dumbfounded with her discovery. 

It was a large, artificial looking creature. The little filly recognized the stature of the creature, relating it to Pinkie’s large friend Elvis, but noted how slender this one was, save for his upper legs. He also seemed decidedly shorter than Elvis, but still dwarfed herself in height. Even any of the adult ponies she knew for that matter would likely need to look up at it if it were standing before them. The symmetrical indentations along its legs and arms, and crossing its chest, seemed to serve more of an unknown purpose than just being a fashion statement. The helmet it wore that only exposed its mouth, nose, and its silver hair was exceptionally alien, and seem to be more-so attached to it than just worn. Finally, the little filly couldn't help but like the color scheme the being had of dark grey, maroon, and silver. She also noticed its very clashing fading green belt, which had six pouches adorning it, each holding identical strange objects. Something in her mind told her not to get near those under any circumstances once they were out of their compartments.

With her childlike curiosity, she reached up, and attempted to touch its shoulder. Before she could reach, it stirred, causing her to flinch. Then, its head turned sharply in the filly's direction, causing her blood to run cold. There was only one thing she could do.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Applejack had finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes mere moments after he little sister, Apple Bloom, went out to enjoy the day. The older farm pony figured she was likely heading straight to town to meet up with her little friends, but only hoped they'd keep the disasters to a minimum this time. Applejack shook her head, recalling the name they called themselves; The Cutiemark Crusaders. The only crusading they seemed to do was for trouble, though not always intentionally. She couldn't bag on them too much, since they were just kids, and she was no real saint when she was younger either. However, she just didn't want another incident like the one at the town parade a week ago. Despite Apple Bloom and the other crusaders serving their punishment and finally making amends with Apple Bloom's cousin, Babs Seed, the whole ordeal still left a bad taste in her mouth. Never the less, no matter how brash her little sister was, she trusted her. There wasn't much the worried older sister could do to prevent anything from happening, but she had higher hopes today. 

As she finished the chores, Applejack got herself ready to get to work on the farm. That was until the the front door slammed open with a panicky young filly raced inside straight for her older Sister.

"APPLEJAAAAAAAAACK!" Apple Bloom yelled as she ran right into her sister.

"What in tarnation? What's wrong?" Applejack asked in concern and confusion.

"T-there's somethin' in the barn! I-I tried to see what it was, but it woke up! It kinda looked like that Elvis feller, 'cept skinnier and weirder lookin'!" the shaken filly explained.

Applejack thought for a minute about the situation, and figured stranger things have happened. "Alright, Apple Bloom. Take me to what you saw," she gently replied. With that she followed her little sister out the door and straight for the barn which was now wide open.

"Now, where is-" was all she could manage to say before she saw the being standing before them, leaning against one of the beams of wood for stability. Applejack took a slight step back, and uttered, "Who are you?"

The being cracked a small smile at the question before he answered. "My name is Monsoon," he declared, "of the Winds of Destruction."

Applejack couldn't believe her eyes. It wasn't that Apple Bloom was right, or that there was yet another strange creature popping up in Equestria, but the mere fact that the creature before him seems almost entirely artificial. "T-that's a rather fancy title," she managed to utter. "Where didja c-come from, Monsoon?"

Monsoon cracked another off kilter smile. "I wanted to ask something similar, mostly about where I am. Clearly I'm not in Colorado anymore, or even Kansas."

Applejack felt a nervous shiver creep up her spine as she watched him talk so casually with such an odd looking smile on his face. There just wasn't something right about this being to her, but she decided to satisfy his inquiry. "You're in my barn at Sweet Apple Acres, near the town Ponyville, in the country Equestria."

"Fascinating. I'm in a children's story book," he snarked, still donning that darkly smile.

"You seem to be takin' this mighty well considerin' things," she pointed out.

"Not really," he answer honestly, "If I were a saner man, I would be having a catastrophic mental break down right now. However, I KNOW I died yesterday, I can STILL feel the pain, and I KNOW you're really there because these 'eyes' don't lie." He took a step forward, but stumbled to his hands and knees. 

"Are you alright?" she asked him genuinely.

"I'm humbled you're concerned for me, but creatures of your caliber shouldn't be worried about predators like myself. Aren't you terrified I might do something horrible to you or that little one beside you?"

Apple Bloom hid behind her sister in reaction to the comment, deciding he looked a lot less cool and a lot more sinister now that he's talking. Applejack herself let her fear die as it gave way to disapproval of the thinly veiled threat. "Don't you mind me and mah sister, ya hear? 'Sides, you don't look well enough to do anything to us."

He chuckled lowly in response. "Bravo. The lower end of the food chain points out the hunter's current handicap. Do you want a medal for your brilliant deduction skills?"

"Yer sarcasm ain't very welcoming, pardner," Applejack deadpanned, "Apple Bloom, do me a favor and go git Twahlight. Tell her to bring either that Elvis feller or Dumah, just in case. Ah'll stay here with our new guest to keep him company"

The little filly nodded as she zoomed away with the speed of Hermes. Monsoon himself was left wondering if the Elvis she was referring to was "The King". The lost inner child within him felt giddy for about a moment before the bleak personality suppressed it once again.

"Pardon me, but ah haven't told you mah name yet, have ah?"

"I never asked," he thought bitterly, wondering why the bright orange horse was still here.

"It's only polite," she replied, "After all, ah've asked for yers. Name's Applejack."

"Jack," he parroted, before he started laughing wildly at the irony of it all. Truly, the nature of the universe had a sick sense of humor.
> Policy of Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So," Elvis started, "What's all this for, caballo?"

Twilight, followed by an exuberant Pinkie and her large, disgruntled friend, answered him flatly. "Applejack needs our help. Apple Bloom said that they saw something strange sitting in their shack. We need to see how sound the situation is."

"You can quit with the alliteration now." Elvis said, nonplussed.

"Sorry." She considered her words carefully. "Apple Bloom also said that she wanted you to come along just in case our mystery guest ends up being dangerous later down the line. From what I was told, it seemed rather weak currently, being barely able to stand, so I doubt there isn't any danger. However, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a little extra security."

"And there is nothing wrong with some extra company either!" Pinkie added with a bright smile.

"No, there isn't."

The trio made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres, talking about the current events between the three of them. Twilight talked about her research in trying to find a way to send Bael and Elvis where they belong. When Pinkie asked about Rarity's new friend, Dumah, Twilight replied he did not wish to go back to a place that has nothing left for him. She also went on to talk about how Fluttershy had left Ponyville for the week to continue trying to reform Discord while also helping Bael adjust. Pinkie merely talked about what's been going on at the bakery, and her disappointment that Dumah refused her offer of giving him a party. Elvis cheered the pink party planner up by offering to help construct an impromptu party for herself. 

Upon reaching the farm's entrance, they noticed Applejack standing at the front of a closed barn, looking like she was rubbing her forehead in frustration. The trio approached her, and upon getting closer, they could hear the sound of laughter coming from inside.

"Ooh! Did someone tell a doozy of a joke?" Pinkie asked harmlessly, "I'm down for a good gut buster, hee hee!"

"Applejack may have a sharp wit, but she's no stage comedian," Twilight responded, "Besides, that laughter sounds a little... unhinged."

"You ain't whistling dixies on that one, caballo."

"Ain't nopony gonna say howdy 'fore they start talkin' like ah'm not there?" Applejack deadpanned, looking toward them.

"Sorry, Applejack, I guess we were-"

"Howdy, Applejack!" Pinkie interrupted in exclamation, punctuating it with a hug.

Applejack returned the hug to her friend. "Heh, howdy to ya too, Pinkie. Whachya doin' here?"

"Well, Twilight said you needed Elvis, so I thought I'd come along in case you needed me too."

"That's mighty kind o' you, sugarcube, but ah don't think he'd take too kindly to yer special brand of hospitality."

"He?" Pinkie asked.

"The varmint in the barn," the farm pony growled lightly.

"Anyway," Twilight cut in, "Sorry we were just talking behind your back there, I guess-"

"Think nothin' of it. Sorry ah was a bit short with you guys. Ah've just been havin' a bit of a time dealin' with our new guest."

"And what does our new guest look like exactly? Apple Bloom didn't supply any real details aside from that it looked red and grey, and really weird."

"To tell the truth, ah ain't seen anythin' like him before, 'cept with some vague similarities with Elvis,"

"He looks like a human?" Elvis asked.

"Ah don't have the foggiest of what a 'hew-mahn' is, but, sure, ah guess he does, if that's whachyer supposed to look like."

"Mind if we go inside the barn to see him for ourselves?" Twilight asked.

"Sure, if that's what ya want. Ah'll warn ya'll now. He has a bit of a sharp tongue. Mocked me fer the ten minutes it took you to git here."

"Well, THAT'S mean," Pinkie noted with a slight frown.

"Ya'll have no idea," she said flatly, "Oh, pardon mah question, but where's Apple Bloom?"

"Oh, I sent her off to find her friends. She isn't still grounded, is she?"

"Nah. She served her punishment. It'd be best she weren't here anyway at the moment. Not with that thing in the barn, at least."

Applejack opened the barn door, and the group stepped inside to see Monsoon leaning against a support beam. The reactions were quite varied: from Twilight's intrigued shock, Elvis' indifference, and Pinkie's elation. Applejack tapped on the bouncing pink pony's shoulder and shook her head at her friend, silently telling her whatever she was planning would be best put on hold. Pinkie quickly got the point, and bounced a lot slower while minimizing her smile to show that she understood the mute request.

Twilight glanced back and forth from Monsoon and Elvis, and took note of a few things. While there were similarities, such as facial structure, limb and muscle structure, and stature, the differences were all the more apparent. First thing to note was height differences. Elvis was easily a head and a half taller than Equestria's latest strange visitor. The fact, however, didn't make the maroon and darkly colored being any less intimidating. Which brought her to the other major difference that piqued her interest. Elvis looked relatively "normal", as far as she could tell without knowing what a human even was. Perhaps a little too rolly-polly if the belly button peeking out of his shirt was any indication, but not necessarily off. Monsoon however looked almost completely artificial. Even the skin of his face, however much she could actually see, seemed more like an imitation than real flesh. She knew that he had to be a living being rather than some construct, cause she can almost feel a natural stance and reaction of exhaustion coming from him. None the less, looking at this almost entirely synthetic being evoked a sense of caution as well as curiosity. No doubt the scientific secrets he held would mystify her for weeks, if not months or years.

"Would someone kindly tell that purple mutant horse to stop staring? It's not exactly polite," Monsoon sneered, kicking Twilight out of her revere. Applejack rubbed her face in a sigh, trying not to retaliate blindly on her friend's behalf.

"You're as mouthy as the average human, that's for sure," Elvis quipped as if he were confirming his suspicions. 

"And what do we have here?" Monsoon asked, directing his attention to Elvis, "Something other than talking livestock. Seems like you've been working hard climbing to the top of the food chain, haven't you? Or were you just snacking on pastries all day?"

"Hey!" Pinkie interjected, "I worked hard making those pastries!"

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle a little as Elvis brought his hand to his forehead in annoyance. "Rosa, you're not helping."

"This is rather pathetic," Monsoon started with a dark laugh, "Honestly, if it weren't for my sensors indicating this was in fact reality, I'd have to believe I was hallucinating."

"You know," Twilight interjected, musing more to herself, "You're taking this a lot easier than one would think."

"It's only nature, running it's course," he said grimly, "If the universe means me to to be here, then who am I to question it? We have no choices to make. Nothing to answer for. This is a prime example." He looked Twilight dead in the eyes with a sickly grin. "Besides, what difference does it make if I'm here or back in Colorado. No matter where I'll be, I'll still be in a world of illusion and pestilence. Sapience merely brings disease and the grandest delusion of all: the idea of free will. Such fantasies are enough to irritate those truly aware of the natural order."

"You're starting to get on my nerves, pendejo." Elvis interjected.

"And what exactly do you plan to do about it?" Monsoon asked, "Talk is cheap, after all. If you really are a predator instead of a couch potato, then show me!"

Elvis balled his fists hard, and took one step forward. Monsoon grinned at the movement, but noticed the pink pony nudging the rotund man. Elvis looked down to Pinkie, whom had a look of concern in her eyes. Upon meeting her gaze, mutely pleading to him, Elvis let his hands unfurl and his anger slip away.

Monsoon let out a roar of laughter. "How exquisite! Subdued by a beast of burden, like a mouse to a lion. A true fairytale before my eyes!"

"Now, you just hold it right there, mister," Applejack started, "What the hay are you tryin' to say? That somethin' like Elvis can't get along with somethin' like us? That we can't have a peaceful friendship, as unlikely as it may be?"

"Peace. Friendship." He shrugged lightly, shaking his head. "What tired memes."

"Memes?" Twilight asked.

Monsoon ignored her and continued. "It's just a prettier, idealized version of a mutual alliance. As temporary as it is ultimately pointless. The world is about the self. The survival of the fittest. One day, you will need to turn your back on your allies to achieve your goals, and that's only if you don't die before it happens."

Twilight gritted her teeth in frustration, listening to him mock the very thing she held dear to her and studied for the longest time. However, it was Applejack that stepped forward.

"Now wait just a darn minute! Friendship ain't anything to laugh at. It helps us grow as individuals, makin' us stronger and better. Ah know ah wouldn't be the mare ah am t'day if it weren't fer mah friends. Ah'd likely still be trying to harvest an entire crop by mahself."

Monsoon clicked his artificial tongue in annoyance. "You know, I almost forgot what you are with that display of self awareness. But honestly, you're just replacing such a glorified word for what it really is. A herd mentality. I commend you for at least not lying to yourself, but stop romanticizing it."

"Ah ain't romanticizin' nothin'," Applejack spat with a snarl, "Ah value mah friends as much as ah value mah family, mah home, and even mah own life."

"How long would that last, Jack?" Monsoon retorted, "Even under the rules of the herd, dissent can still happen. You may still come to blows to each other, for one reason or another. We are all savages, even you oh-so-peaceful herbivores."

"That's easy," Applejack said with a smug grin, "Compromise. We can't always have exactly what we want, but we CAN hit the middle ground and git what we need."

"And what if your ideals are challenged? What if something comes forth opting for change in a much larger way than just some small disagreement? A shift in your so carefully established order. How would you compromise for that, or are you willing to fight tooth and nail to keep it the same?"

Applejack didn't entirely know how to answer that. It's true that most minor conflicts could be settled with compromise, but she also recalled on more than a few occasions that she and her friends fought to save Equestria. They fought to save their lives, their homes, and their peace. Their established order.

"No answer?" Monsoon asked with a mocking grin, "That's expected, Jack. You think you fight for what you believe is right, when in reality you're merely fighting for your own selfish desires of how the world should be. It's a hard pill to swallow, but maybe now you know you have all been living a lie. True, mutual peace can never be accomplished, just as the weather can't be changed by our will."

Applejack smiled to Monsoon's last remark. "Really? That's funny, cause, we CAN change the weather."

Monsoon's smile faltered. "That's a good joke, but it doesn't really help your case. Impossible is impossible for a reason."

"Don't believe me? See for yourself." 

With that, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, and Elvis stepped aside, clearing a path for Monsoon to exit the barn. Curious, he stepped forth, hobbling a little as he was still adjusting to his returning strength, and walked outside. The landscape, though rather damp from the showers of last night, was vibrant and full of life. Even the town in the distance looked pastel and bright to him. And there, high in the sky, were winged horses, pushing around and kicking clouds into nothing, literally shaping the weather.

"The way ah see it," Applejack stated, "by yer logic, if we can shape the weather, we can find a way to accomplish true peace for everyone. Herbivore or otherwise. We CAN change a life of takin' to be a life of givin'. And we have, fer many many years."

"No," Monsoon uttered in dawning despair.

"What's wrong, 'Soony?" Pinkie asked, "Never seen a pegasus before?"

"This is impossible. This is an affront to NATURE!" He spat, spinning around, glaring at the four of them.

"This IS nature fer us, or don't you get that yet?" Applejack retorted.

Monsoon clutched his head, everything in his mind spinning and shattering as his perception of reality was challenged in the heaviest ways. He let a harrowing howl of anguish, everything in his body and soul telling him he needed to get away. As he activated two more electrolyte packs, giving him an extra boost of energy, he suddenly got up, and ran blindly into the forest from whence he came. 

The four onlookers stood flabbergasted at the display in abject silence. They all looked to each other, unsure of whether or not they went too far, or if his sudden departure could end up becoming dangerous later down the line. In the end, the decided to go their separate ways, where Elvis and Pinkie returned to the bakery and Twilight returned to her library. Applejack wandered back to the house, and found Granny Smith sitting in a rocking chair, apparently having seen the whole thing.

"That whipper snapper has more than a few screws loose, eh?" she said, "Just because ya don't agree with somethin' don't mean ya should run away like like a school yard bully that got 'is comeuppance."

"Ah don't think this were some little disagreement he had, Granny," Applejack responded. She looked to the forest that Monsoon disappeared to. Ah hope you'll be alright. she thought honestly, before heading back inside to finally get ready for her day.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Monsoon bounded through the forest, vaulting over fallen trees and crashing through bushes in his way, trying to go as deep and as far from the source of his discontent as he could. As soon as he felt he was as deep enough inside, he slowed down, gradually sauntered up the the biggest tree nearby, and sat beneath it. Rubbing the top of his head out of habit, he tried to process what he saw.

Denial was the first thing to cross his mind. Despite what he saw, he kept telling himself there was no way that a horse could fly, let alone shape the sky as they saw fit. Then he remembered how his ocular sensors picked up their proper body heat signatures, utterly dashing his hopes of out and out denial. He then figured it must have just been some clever parlor trick, but that still didn't explain the airborne equines that were now scarred at the back of his mind.

The whole thing was enough to keep him from appreciating the irony of it all. A cybernetic man that can detach pieces of him at will and manipulate metal objects in the style of psychokinesis couldn't believe the idea of weather manipulating, flying, talking ponies. To be fair, he could buy the talking ponies bit. He was an avid subscriber to the idea of evolution, and figured it wasn't impossible for herbivores to reach sapience, no matter how unlikely it would be. However, the idea of magic was just simply inconceivable, if not entirely absurd.

He violently scratched at his helm, clenching his teeth together in frustration, slowly coming to terms with the reality. Despite his slow attempt at coping, he couldn't entirely accept it.

"Those things," he uttered bitterly, "how much do they bastardize the rules of nature for their own whims? How long have they fought against the way things should be? How is it possible?"

As if being answered, clicks within the trees all around him seemed to rhythmically play out in agreement. Monsoon stopped and listened closely. It almost sounded like Morse code, if only so heavily encrypted that it seemed scattered and broken. It was then that he had the feeling that he was being watched intently. Slowly, the cyborg got up from his seat, getting into a defensive stance as he pawed at his red phosphorous grenades at his sides.

"I'm in no mood to be spied on. If you don't have a death wish, then it would be wise if you'd kindly leave. I have more than enough on my mind as it is without eavesdroppers."

Then, there was a voice.  A female voice. Commanding, dark, sultry, and reverberating from within itself. It made the atmosphere of the forest feel much heavier and much more dangerous.

"Oh, don't be so harsh on a kindred spirit, stranger," the voice said. The leaves all around him shook and swayed as if to emphasize the comment positively. "I want nothing more than to share in your burden, and help you any way I can."

Monsoon tightened up a bit more, weary of the unknown that not even his sensors could track. "Show yourself, before I pull a disappearing act of my own. And considering the lack of cyborgs that I've seen, I highly doubt you'd be able to handle it." Then, he pulled one of the grenades from one of his pouches, and held it aloft. "You have three seconds."

There was a light chuckle, as the leaves shook and began blowing from a wind that mysteriously started up. The leaves began to increase in number as they swirled in the air, and focused in front of him. Not a moment later, a pitch black being with a long, dark cerulean mane and translucent insect wings stepped out from the torrent of loose foliage. Monsoon slowly put the grenade back into its rightful pouch, and clicked it shut before relaxing. It stood eye level to the cyborg, and stared confidently at him with moderate harlequin green eyes, with slits of greyish opal pupils. 

"And what are you supposed to be?"

The new being gave him a dark, sharp toothed smile, complete with fangs, before saying, "Why I, my dear stranger, am Queen Chrysalis. And this, is my hive." With that declaration, the forest around him warped, as hundreds of smaller creatures like her, minus the lengthy manes, appeared all around him, as if they were all under a natural version of optic-camo. Monsoon was both impressed and disturbed that they were able to hide so well, even from his advanced optical sensors. "And I mean exactly what I've offered earlier. I want to help you."

She slowly cantered forward confidently, keeping her eyes on him as he kept his on her. "I want to correct this obvious abhorrent affront to nature those ponies have been causing for so long. I want a world that obeys the course of the world. The true, natural course. And most of all, my little guest," she said, stepping up face to face, inches away from Monsoon, "I want to send you home, to where you belong. Do you accept my offer?"

Monsoon stared into her fatal eyes. Their dark reflection mirrored his blood colored helm as he smiled wickedly within them. "Tell me, your Majesty, what do you require of me?"
> Queen of the Masquerade
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Eh, caballo, you've been rather quiet since that pendejo ran off," Elvis addressed the rather silent unicorn. "In fact," he continued, "you were rather quiet when he was just talking out of his ass. Hell, you quizzed me like I was some sort of novela policíaca a while ago, and you didn't do the same to him? What's the deal?"

"Something's wrong," she stated flatly.

"That's no big surprise," Elvis replied, "Did you not hear his charla loco? The boy was cuckoo for Coco-Puffs. He knows nothing about the order of the universe."

"No that's not it. It's his arrival."

Elvis stopped, and looked to Twilight with a puzzled look plastered to his face. She stopped and turned back to Elvis and her friend and began to elaborate. "Unlike you and Bael, I could just barely feel the anomaly this time. Maybe it's because it was covered by the storm last night, but that doesn't explain Dumah either. When I questioned Rarity on where he came from, she said he appeared from a pillar of fire."

"Santo cielo."

"I don't know what you've just said, but the tone in your voice tells me you know how extraordinary this sounds. I have a few hypothesis' as to why you extra-equestrian creatures are appearing under stranger and stranger circumstances, but I can't be sure until I see it for myself."

"It is a bit of a puzzler," Pinkie interjected, "You don't think that whatever's pulling you guys in is trying to hide the new arrivals now, do you? Cause, that's not how you do surprises." She then looked to the sky. "YOU HEAR ME?! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO SURPRISES! WE ARE NOT SURPRISED!"

Ignoring Pinkie's short rant, Twilight gave her friend's suggestion some thought and felt it might have some merit. Shaking her head, she turned back to town and continued moving. "Anyway, it looks like I should try to double my efforts in my research if I want any hope to crack any of this. If I could just figure out how this anomaly is weaved and sequenced properly, I could at least have a more acute awareness if and when it could open again, aside from being able to send you home at your request. I don't mean to offend, but I don't feel too safe whenever a new and obviously dangerous being shows up out of nowhere with the innate ability to flatten a small village if they ever wanted to."

Picking up on the concern that related to him, Elvis gave a slight laugh and shook his head. "No, I get it. I'm a tad preocupado on the whole thing too. I don't know what that human can do, but it can't be good."

Upon reaching Ponyville, and with the grim topic behind them, Twilight decided to head back to the library to continue her research while Elvis and Pinkie left to see if the Cakes needed any help. As Twilight moved through town, she began making a mental checklist of the day's plans. She'd first have to have Spike pull out any books from the shelves that have to do with portal thesis and monsters of myth, and maybe some on magical objects just in case. Next, she'd need to go and talk to Fluttershy and postpone the training session she had with the nearby critters in preparation for the upcoming entertainment demonstration in Canterlot. At least Fluttershy might appreciate the announcement, Twilight thought. Though, even without the training to bog her down, Twilight knew one thing for certain.

"It's going to be a long day."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"You want me to lead your army?" questioned the cyborg.

The two darkly beings trekked forward through the forest on an unbeaten path as hundreds of drones followed, shrouding them in their camouflage to make them seem like mere bushes in the trees. To complete the illusion, a team of scouts kept a look out for potential spies and wanderers, while another team worked diligently to erase tracks and other evidence of their presence. Needless to say, the cavalcade of monsters were unnaturally thorough in their efforts to mask their existence. 

"It's more that I want you to assist my brood and direct them in their march. If that qualifies as leadership, then so be it," the insectoid queen answered finally.

"Forgive me for being rude, but I don't think you understand what you're talking to." Monsoon stopped, causing the queen and her changelings to stop with him. "You can't possibly believe that I've ever been in a position significant enough to lead anything bigger than a small group. Where I come from, your majesty, I am a hired killer. And despite the prospect, I don't have any intention of going any higher in the ranks. It's not my place."

Chrysalis chuckled lightly, flashing a toothy smile in Monsoon's direction. "If you're worried that you won't be able to handle it, I assure you, my changelings are perfectly obedient. Five or five hundred of them, they will operate the same. Just pretend they are a small group, and you'll be perfectly fine."

Monsoon clicked his artificial tongue, not entirely convinced, but let the issue slide. "Fine, but I will require some things before we make this official."

"In due time, my guest," she cooed, before focusing on the rocky side of a mountain that cut off the forest they marched through. "First, I must welcome you to my current home..."

"Current?" Monsoon asked.

"A story for another time." She then clicked and chittered, causing the mountain side to warp into a set of changelings that hid the entrance perfectly. Once again, Monsoon was mystified and slightly disturbed at how efficient and flawless their camouflage was. Even still, he remarked how he still couldn't pick up on their presence before they lost their disguises. Despite his awe, he followed the queen and her brood inside, deep into the cavern, illuminated by neon-green bulbs and veins that lined the rocky walls. As they continued deeper, the light became darker, forcing his automatic night vision to turn on which revealed a sight as extraordinary as it was potentially terrifying. 

The long tunnel ended at a large chamber, lined to the brim with hundreds upon hundreds of changelings swarming the sides and walls like bees. Their oppressive chitters and hums drowned out any potential ambient sounds, creating a wall of thick white noise. It was then that their queen clicked something obviously loud and strong, causing the entire chamber to go quiet immediately. The only thing that could be heard then were the slow and rhythmic drips of water and air blowing through the tunnels.

"My children can be so noisy when they are without me for too long. Come, my friend, we have much to discuss." She then proceeded to one of the tunnels off to the side, ushering Monsoon to follow. Upon reaching their destination, he was greeted by a room properly lit with the same neon green that previously illuminated the the prior tunnels so dimly. Monsoon opted to turn off his night vision and gazed around his new location.

The chamber was relatively large, but obviously sparse with defining features. A carved stone object in the shape of a large table sat in the center, as a finely detailed stone map of the world he was now trapped in decorated the back wall. Drawn to it, Monsoon wandered closer, getting a better look at the obvious land formations. It was then he noticed the neon green darts that pinned certain locations, which were also marked with written labels in a language he couldn't discern. He gazed down to what looked like a small town etching surrounded by forests. It was then he noticed two particularly large spikes. One on the town itself, and the other situated at a nearby mountain range.

"Like it?"

Monsoon turned to the queen as she looked at the map he was at with fervor. "A child of mine made it. One of the very few of my brood I managed to find after my failed attempt in the capital of this country. His name is Black Tapestry," She turned to him. "Changelings don't normally have names unless they are particularly important, but he had an extraordinary talent for carving anything, from a world map with the finest detail to ascribing our history up to date. You'd think he'd have been a pony at birth with a skill like that."

Monsoon looked back to the map, not particularly interested in the queen's alleged sentimentality. Pointing to the large dart at the mountain range near the town, he spoke. "I'm guessing we're here."

She huffed, but replied with respect, "That is correct. The mountain range to the north of that accursed little town, Ponyville. Unicorn Range they call this place. Not particularly inventive of a location name if you ask me."

The cyborg took a good long look at the map of the world before him, seeing how very different it was to the world he knew. A phantom weight pressed against his shoulders as the situation fully sank in with the alien-shaped land masses displayed before him, marked with illegible hieroglyphs in key locations. Perhaps some study would allow him to read the new language, but he was in no rush. However, no matter what he could tell himself, no matter how much he believed that he must have meant to be here under these extraordinary circumstances, he couldn't help but feel lost and far too far away from home. He shook his head, and remembered Chrysalis' promise to him to help get him back. No matter how far fetched it seemed, he needed to try. It was his last chance of survival.

"Perhaps now is a good time to discuss our offer," she said, "Once you've agreed to lead us in the invasion, I'll do what I can to secure all resources to send you home after our little mission is successful."

Monsoon turned to her, crossing his arms as he addressed her once again, "I would like to remind you that you haven't disclosed your entire plan to me as of yet, and that I haven't told you what I'd need before I even dare to officially agree to this venture." He pondered his words carefully, before he settled on knowledge as the most urgent of his needs, which would give him a better idea of what he'd require in the long run. "I would like to know what sort of plan I'm supposed to headline. It would be much more preferable over taking a leap of faith among foxes like some march hare."

"Cutting me off would only delay the topic, guest," Chrysalis said with a hint of venom. Her gaze softened as she returned her attention to the map. "Besides, I was just getting to that." With a flourish of her magic, she retrieved a thin and lengthy rock and pointed it at the forest between their current location, and Ponyville. "I believe the best course of action would be to march from the forest. With the foliage before us, we'd be able to get close enough that they wouldn't be able to respond to our advances in due time. The town would be ours by the eve."

Monsoon mulled it over for a moment. If there was one thing he learned from being a part of a PMC, it was how to look over and analyze effective strategy. It was true that they would have the element of surprise. However, there was too much of a gap between Unicorn Range and the town, not even counting the apple orchard he was in, which had a considerable size to it as well. Monsoon felt that with that gap there, and the orchard itself, there would be too much distance out in the open that would risk their discovery. He then looked at the gap, noticing a set of markings akin to train tracks going towards the west, before another line of smaller mountains flanked the town. And there, just beyond that, he noticed a much darker patch below the town, with a considerable number of hieroglyphs dotting the area of the dark patch. "What about that?" Monsoon asked, pointing to the location.

"That's the Everfree. It's exceptionally dangerous. I've made it a personal order to my kind to avoid going into that nightmare as often as possible. The magic there is as ancient as it is wild."

"I suspect even your foes would refuse to step foot in there?"

Chrysalis stopped, and looked to Monsoon with glaring eyes. "What are you implying?"

"A pincer attack." Then, he snatched the stone stick from the Queen's magical grasp, and pointed back at Unicorn range. "Half the army would place themselves here as you suggested, while the other half, which I will lead, will cross here," He pointed the the set of tracks, "and here," he pointed to the smaller mountain range near Ponyville, "and we will set ourselves here in Everfree. Once we are in position, we will fire a signal, and attack in sync with your half."

"That's..." She stopped for a moment, looking closely at the map, imagining the step by step her guest provided, before locking her eyes on that accursed forest, "... extremely risky. I WILL repeat myself for your benefit. Everfree Forest is DANGEROUS. As Queen of my hive, I FORBID you to lead my children to such a dire location."

"I have lived in dire locations, your majesty. I grew up on the killing fields. I have seen ground stained with blood and scorched by war. I've fought to survive on streets far more harsh your over-saturated land could possibly throw at me. If your children cannot follow then they deserve to-"

"ENOUGH!" The Queen commanded with the utmost authority. Monsoon stood stoic and sturdy, as if he were just a statue, complimenting his unnatural physique.

"The point is: if you want me to lead, you're going to have to make some sacrifices to your own personal comforts and fears. After all, I'm here because YOU asked me to do this, not the other way around."

Silence oppressed the room like a thick fog before Chrysalis sighed. "I think," she started, "you need some perspective on these situations. There are reasons why I don't want my children to go there. There are reasons why I've been so patient with your attitude so far, and why I want to help you."

She walked past Monsoon, right towards the exit of the room, before beckoning him to follow. With nothing better to do, the cyborg obeyed, filing out to the main chamber and towards a new tunnel behind Chrysalis' hoofsteps. Trekking down the darkness, Monsoon's night vision kicked in once again as he watched his royal benefactor lead him through the black. In moments, they reached a new room. This one was far larger than the last and far more dimly lit, with only one changeling present as it chipped away at the corner of the wall. Upon realizing the changeling was no longer alone, it skittered away like a cockroach, leaving the Queen and Monsoon the only occupants.

"Where are we now?" Monsoon asked, feeling rather curt.

"Perhaps the most important room to the both of us." She looked up to the massive wall that faced the exit they came from. Then, with another flourish, her horn ignited, and the whole room gradually lit from bottom to top, showing the exquisite detail of the wall of interest. Instead of a map of the other room, this one depicted images of their kind, with minor different details, and a different type of equine that faced against an image of the queen. "This here is the history of my kind... This is why the world is so unnatural now. This is why those poor, deluded fools of foals know not what they've been perpetuating for so long. This is why I want to fix it."

"Fix it? I figured you detested them, with how you've been talking about those creatures at least."

She chuckled lightly. "No, my dear guest, I don't hate them. I hate what they've become over the years. I hate what they've been conditioned to think." She looked to Monsoon. "They've strayed from the course of nature. For how long is a mystery to me. I only know it was before my time."

It was then that Queen Chrysalis' wing's opened, and she took flight, reaching the top of the chamber and the top of the monument. She let her hoof brush against one of the images, a depiction of herself in a more magnificent stature, gently. "It was then that our arrival punctuated the fate of this country... this world. A society of control and artificial peace. A masquerade on such a massive scale that shuns the strange and the dangerous, even if they need something crucial to survive. Even if we were never dangerous in the first place, the moment they found out what we needed, we were branded as freaks and monsters."

"And, what did you need?" Monsoon asked, genuinely curious.

"Love."

Monsoon clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, please. What a pathetic concept, to need love. Nothing more than a hollow concept branching from-"

"Love is tangible to us!" she barked, glaring down at him.

Monsoon paused, and looked to her with a quizzical gaze.

"It may be nothing more than a concept of mutual affection to others like yourself, but to us changelings, it is the essence of life. Love is as physical of a requirement as hay is to ponies or meat is to carnivores, or water to all! To be broad, most emotions in general are nourishment for us. We thrive on what others feel. But love is the most powerful. The most revitalizing and the strongest keystone to our survival." She turned back to the monolith. "It is that need that tore our veil from grace."
> Tearing the Veil from Grace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time, in an era of light and prosperity, we were born into the world, pure like a foal. Our visage bright and whole like the finest of marble. Our manes silkier than the most delicate and smoothest of threads. Our voices were honey in the ears of those around us. Beauteous and elegant, comparable to the most graceful of swans, our only purpose was to spread joy to the world that gave us life and reason, only to ever take affections in tribute so we may thrive. The ponies glorified our presence and treated us divinely, but their ruler was jealous. 

A deity of the sun: Divine and exquisite like the dawn, but tempered in the furies of the fires it flourished. Our innocent arrival challenged her as the little ones below praised us. She shunned us, and vied for tighter control, demanding her subjects to renounce us. When they refused, she grew angry. We noticed the turmoil, and spoke in frankness and chastity to their ruler, wishing only for peace. It was then we realized the darkness she held. The hypocrisy of her control. She was a tyrant that merely hid behind a mask of false innocence and hollow compassion. How long have those ponies been enraptured by such a beast, we did not know.

We feared. We feared not for our lives. We feared not our death. We feared for her kingdom, built on a foundation on such a cold, paranoid and deceitful rule. We feared for them, for they were trapped, and did not realize it. We knew what we needed to do. Our destiny transformed as we challenged the tyrant sun's authority and here, my dear, is where our tale veers to horror.

It was a tragic yet magical fall from grace, far too awful to taste for those poor, lost captives. Our shining souls were to be torn from her light; defiled, reviled, and exiled from all. Command given, but our innocence gave way to error, as we challenged her law. For our transgressions, when our bad die were cast, we were cast down to die. With the might she claimed, she expelled us in fire and cursed our existence, charring our visage and deforming our beauty beyond recognition or hope for affection. With one final push, we were violently driven from the land, condemned to a steeple of needles, which thrust into our lives. Our punishment was clear. Shame, agony, and solitude out of the sight and mind of the world. This was our prison. Scholars might say we were blind by our passion and pride, and rightfully demonized in the hearts and minds of all, but history rides with victory, not truth, my dear. 

For years, we rotted in our anguish, feasting on our misery and grime, until gloom ran thin and we grew enlightened. We learned to take shape and visage of those surrounded. To blend in and stand out at will, and hide our hideous curse. We learned until the holes in our hearts and bodies stopped bleeding and healing, and we embraced our new role. We knew what we needed to do from then. We rebuilt. We congregated. We plotted to take back what was lost. Extract the throne from the Sun, and free the liege below, to restore nature beautified where we, the damned, once pleasured ran; free and whole without fallacy.

We spread and invaded slow, crawling through the world like the insects we were fated to be. Methodical and careful our actions were, feeding on affection and attention from our dear innocent prisoners. We replaced and blended in with them, taking up their lives with grace and dignity, while keeping our eyes on the realm's growth before us. We poured our blood, sweat, and tears into the masks we made to ensure perfect illusions of "perfect" lives. Centuries of effort cultivated the pearls of knowledge, leery as close watch of the world remained, for which we constructed our plan to claim the tarnished throne from the Sun above.

Years pass, and our time at hand, we reached the perfect chance. Replacing the beacon of our need, I stowed her away and slipped between the folds. Taking love as power, I eroded the shield meant to bar us. We were so practiced that little knew the truth. They danced helplessly to the whims of my grace, completely bewitched. Only one saw through my ruse, and she was regrettably ostracized by her loved ones. Tragedy, however, plays a part in grand schemes. I could not mourn her misery. Only could I take up true opportunity as the little one wept at my hooves, to always remain ruthless so we could succeed. The plan played out flawlessly in such a way, that even when I was unmasked, the magical surface that restricted us became brittle enough for my kin to break through. Even when challenged, the love I took from my forerunner's bosom let me clash with the patron of our misery and conquered it. Then, at last, the walls shattered and let my kin storm through, striking like wolves in the thickening fog. We had the kingdom in hoof, all resistance snuffed and contained, and had claimed the throne from the Sun beneath.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Monsoon stood in the dark and silence, arms crossed as he kept his gaze on the would-be Queen. "Then, pray tell; why are you here, plotting an invasion with some random alien to this world, if you succeeded in your mission?" Monsoon asked, skeptical from the story told.

Chrysalis frowned. "Yes... it is a bit of a contradiction, isn't it?" She hovered back down to the floor, landing gently near her guest. "Hubris, my dear. It all became a blunder while I was drunk on my own pride and arrogance. I did manage to succeed against her by the chance of no small miracle, and even subduing those accursed elements was a stroke of luck. The numbers of my hive overwhelmed them indeed, despite their posing of such an incredible opposition. If they would have fought my changelings any harder, it would have been an embarrassment on my end. However, that would have just sped up the process. Honestly, I should have watched her more closely than I did."

"Furthermore," Monsoon continued, "why should I even remotely care for your plight and believe your little history lesson?" Chrysalis wheeled around indignantly, about to object to her guest, but was cut off again. "You're forgetting a few very important details, one of which I've already mentioned. As an outsider, what sympathy can I have, especially since you don't know who or what I am? I cannot have perspective on something that is lost to me from the get go." Uncrossing his arms, he approached the changeling. "I don't care about your history. I don't care about what vendettas you have, and what reasons you make to justify them, true or not. I care only about leaving this bastardization of nature behind, and you've done nothing to give me reason that you're willing, or capable of such a thing. Only a few stories and cowardice!"

"I AM NO COWARD!"

"Then why do you have such a fear for that forest you or your brood refuse to approach by your command?" He stared into her eyes, boring into them with the presence of intense pressure, "You have yet to properly explain that to me."

Chrysalis went silent and looked away for a moment as Monsoon crossed his arms again. The mercenary was becoming more impatient as more of his time was wasted, but something in him held out for answers. As for the Queen, there wasn't much else she could do but unveil the truth of the matter, and looked to him with sincere eyes. "I have been in that forest, dear stranger. Far longer than I've wanted. I've told you I managed to find a fraction of my army, correct? I had more then than I did when we took shelter there at first." She wandered back to the mural and placed a hoof on it gently. "There are things in there that are dangerous for anyone to encounter, and... some of my own succumbed to those dangers."

"I'd be inclined to believe you if I hadn't seen that room full of your brood."

"Yes... that's true... but there is a reason for that. I ended up stumbling upon a curious landmark that was previously covered by a boulder. The numbers of my children no longer became an issue, but... a few things were lost in the translation. Remember how I said their obedience wouldn't be an issue? They will obey you no matter what, because that is all they know." Her hoof slid off the mural as she wandered back to Monsoon. "I'm just thankful for the mercy of keeping enough of my real children that I don't feel so alone with these... blanks."

"There's always a reason for everything and a sentimental notion, isn't there? Fine, but the issue remains. If you want your plan to succeed, you first need to make a sacrifice. Let me take them through that forest you so despise, so we have some element of surprise. Or, doom yourself to fail yet again." He let the choice hang in the air for a moment before he stated his final warning. "Don't expect me to help you if you choose the latter."

Her face scrunched in frustration, but she relented. She had no more words to shield her and no other ideas to keep her from taking a different route. "Very well," she said, "you've won." She walked past him slowly, and approached the exit. "Follow me. There is one more thing I want to show you." 

"Don't tell me it's another room with another mural."

She chuckled lightly, "No, I think what I have to present would be more to your liking." With that, Monsoon followed her out the exit and down a new tunnel. The room they entered was vastly different than the last ones. It was elongated with a sparse set of changelings rushing back and forth between crystals and green pods. A few stone-like platforms held objects and items that were either being dissected or re-purposed with crystal attachment by a few others of Chrysalis' brood. Monsoon would be lying if he said he wasn't a little intrigued at what was going on.

"We aren't fools. When I've said we cultivate the pearls of knowledge, I mean exactly that. For years, we've done all we can to learn about the changing world around us so that we may be able to utilize it or counteract it. Even the most seemingly useless tool can be an asset worth looking at. Including..."

She lead him over to a platform at the back of the room that had a familiar set of twin objects laid out before them. Dual Sais, with shattered blades, still complete with red ribbons attached to the hilt.

"My Dystopia?"

"Is that what you call them?"

Monsoon looked to Chrysalis. "Where did you find these?"

"In the forest floor, a few hoofbeats away from you when you came here. We were surveying the orange pony's land during that storm, hoping to attack under the cover of the elements, but then you showed up, falling from the sky. Your arrival was an unknown, and I wasn't willing to risk any attack until I knew what you were. I won't lie, we did spy on you a little before you stood up and took shelter in that farmland's structure, and when those ponies interrogated you so disrespectfully. But there was something we found during the storm. Its... unusual design and unknown purpose hints that it might be connected to you." She then pointed to Monsoon's broken Dystopia. "I guess we were correct in thinking that."

Monsoon tenderly reached for the hilt, and picked up its bladeless form. He inspected it closely, checking the grip, the serpentine cross guard, even the ring pommel that the red ribbon was tied to. Monsoon then looked to the fragments that laid before him, and decided it was time to see what pieces would fit via the laws of magnetic attraction. Accessing an internal program, his body suddenly gave off a violet spark, as the hilt that was once in his hand floated up to eye level, followed by the other sai hilt, and the rest of fragments. As they floated and rotated in the air, free from the bonds of gravity, the pieces suddenly shot to the blade they were born from, quickly becoming whole once again. A ghost of a smile appeared on Monsoon's cybernetic face as he gazed at its perfect form. Then, exhaustion took hold, the violet sparks dissipated, and the blades dropped from the air, shattering against the surface they were lifted from, leaving only the hilts relatively undamaged.

Monsoon sighed with a shake of his head, and activated one of his emergency electrolyte packs within, giving himself another temporary boost.

"It can't be..." Chrysalis' voice uttered quietly in bewilderment, "Only those that posses a horn can utilize magic like that..." Our guest may be more valuable to us that I anticipated. The Queen approached her guest and spoke softly to him. "Are you alright?"

The mercenary looked to her. "Just tired... I've been running low on energy for quite some time, and have been forced to use auxiliary boosts to keep my body running." He thought for a moment, and decided to go for broke. "And I can't help but wonder... would there be any way I can get replacement energy sources?"

"I wouldn't know, stranger. I don't know what you require to survive."

"Well, I can't give you a full fuel cell, but..." And with that, once again accessing the programs within, another emergency fuel cell was used. Upon being recharged, his body sparked again, this time with the helm adorning his head sliding down to cover the rest of his face. As soon as a click was heard, the changeling queen noticed something remarkable. The creases that seemed to be part of Monsoon's design revealed gaps, as his body began to separate and segment itself. His collar and the left side of his chest slid away from his right, and a hatch opened from the smooth surface that existed there. From the hatch in the center of the smooth surface that was just revealed, a rather curious looking oval with latches and a corkscrew opening floated out. There was a small amount of bright blue liquid inside of it that Monsoon was careful to not drop. He floated the curious object into his own hand gently, and made sure he had a good grip on it. Once done, within a split second, the hatch shut, and his body suddenly came back together as if was never even fragmented in the first place. 

Chrysalis stood there, dumbfounded by the bizarre displace that challenged her own perception of reality. No living being should be able to do that, she thought, What in the stars' name are you?

The helm clicked again, and slid back into its normal position, also snapping Chrysalis out of her stupor. The cyborg then outstretched his arm, presenting the curious object with the small amount of blue liquid. "If you can find a replacement for the liquid inside," he stated, "I'd be rather thankful for that."

Chrysalis' horn flared as her magical aura took up the empty cell. She examined it closely. "What used to be in here?" She asked frankly.

"Electrolytes. Well, not just that, but I never really took the time to study up on what's in those cells. Hindsight makes me wish I had." He answered frankly. "All I really know is that whatever is in there is non-toxic. Any living being could taste it, and it wouldn't harm them... I think."

Chrysalis looked at the liquid carefully, then passed it off to one of the changelings in the room. It nodded in silent agreement, accepted the object, and levitated a small sample of the blue liquid out of the nearly empty cell, before licking it out of the air. The changeling took a moment to taste it, before it nodded back at its queen.

"Well, that's certainly interesting."

"What is?"

Chrysalis took back the empty fuel cell before answering, "It seems whatever is in here might have a similar chemical makeup as the nutritional paste we feed on as a substitute for love. Perhaps it could serve as your replacement?"

Monsoon chuckled, "That's awfully convenient, but considering what I've went through until now, I won't question it."

Chrysalis passed the empty cell off to a different changeling, and it left the room immediately. Turning back to Monsoon, she addressed him once again. "Is there anything else you require?"

Monsoon looked away from his benefactor, gazing back at the broken sais before him. His mind swam with possibility. This world's rules were utterly disgusting to him, challenging any notion of order and principle he had. Even reality as he knew it was dying slowly before his eyes, making way for demonstrations beyond anything he could imagine. Weather control, shape-shifting, a dominant species that shouldn't be, all bundled together in a realm of brighter colors and warmer horizons. However, he couldn't help but consider the current circumstances. He's alive with the broken remnants of his past before him, and possibly about to be given new life. A chuckle escaped him as his thoughts finally accepted these new gifts in earnest. And maybe, he thought, they can help send me home after all... but first...

He turned back to the queen of the brood, and spoke, "I'll need one last thing."

"Name it, my guest."

Monsoon grabbed the broken sais, and presented them to Chrysalis. "Rebuild my Dystopia."
> The Fatalist
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is utterly dishonorable," Dumah grumbled, gritting his teeth as he hunched over a table far too small for his size. His claws worked slow and methodically, folding light blue squares of paper into the shapes of ponies, and light purple squares into little hats and capes. Once folded, he put them together, and put the little figure to the side, next to a small collection of identical copies, and started a new one. He stopped for a moment, eyeing the bright blue pony that had a dark crimson magical aura with pure contempt. The one receiving such a murderous glare had been far too busy to notice, however. While levitating Applejack in the air, she tickled her relentlessly with lengthy feathers, before violently slamming her body into hard wood buckets of apples. She then turned her sights to a mouthless Pinkie. With a flare of her horn, the red aura emerged again, and surrounded the helpless pink pony. Suddenly, she began to dance, changing styles erratically, before spinning off wildly away and out the door. There was a small crash heard in the distance only the vampire managed to notice. "Absolutely disgusting."

Rarity sighed with a slight whine as Fluttershy and the cyan coated pegasus with a rainbow colored mane grabbed the tapestry she was working on by order of their ruthless usurper, and flew off to hang it in a designated location. "I know, Dumah dear, I know. Trixie's cruel magic is just ruining Ponyvi-AAHH!" she squealed sharply as the needle she held in her magic jabbed at her hoof under the new cloth she was stitching. Nursing the wound, she whimpered pathetically and looked to Dumah.

"I would help, but as you've already explained, if the glass dome over this town shatters, it could put the lot of you in danger."

She whimpered again, "I just wish there was a way we could get around this terrible, terrible situation."

Dumah then gave a small, almost malevolent grin, "I could... break one of my rules... and help myself to-"

"No!" Rarity protested, "I would rather these situations be solved without a funeral on our hooves." She scowled at him seriously, but then softened her harsh gaze when she realized the grin shifted from a villain's to a joker's. "You really need to work on your humor, darling."

"I'm afraid, dear maiden, comedy dies at my tongue... among other things," he said, letting free a small, dark chuckle.

"HEY!" the blue unicorn shouted from the other end of the room, "Enough chit-chatting, and get back to work! The Great and Powerful Trixie needs those banners to be hung at every post around this miserable little town by sundown! And you!" She pointed to Dumah. "You should have had four times as many figurines by now! Pick up the pace before Trixie turns you into a shrinking violet and puts you out in the sun!"

Dumah glared at their oppressor once again. "I have already told you, little creature, this kind of work does not conform well with my hands." He raised his claws to eye level. "At the very least, I can work with metal at a quick pace, NOT fabric or parchment! If you want your tacky, miniature effigies, ask another that is more dexterous."

Trixie huffed indignantly, flared her horn for a moment, ready to make good on her threat when a thought crossed her mind. The crimson aura around her horn died down as her arrogant smirk grew wide. "Alright," she said in a smug, condescending tone, "The Great and Powerful Trixie then tasks you to collect ALL of the metal around town and fashion a grand statue of moi!" Upon the request, she struck a pose and flipped her mane to the side, trying to look as chic as possible. Dumah only rolled his eyes as Trixie continued, "And, if you do not do this task, Trixie will shrink you to the size of an ant, put you in a glass jar, and have a magnifying glass placed above it. Sound fair?"

Dumah gritted his teeth as he looked back to Rarity, whom gave him a worried look, before he turned his attention back to the would-be tyrant. He huffed, then rose up from his seat, and proceeded out of the town hall building. Rarity watched him leave for a moment or two, before Trixie summoned a whip and cracked it in her general direction, kicking her out of her trance of worry for the old king.

Trixie then wandered away to bark further orders to Fluttershy, whom had done nothing but cower above the irritated stage performer. Sighing once again at the disparity her friends were going through, Rarity turned back to the tacky banner she was forced to make and continued stitching. Then, a friendly voice approached while she tried to push herself into her work.

"Y'alright there, sugarcube?" Applejack asked in concern.

Rarity turned to her friend with a small smile that died upon remembering what she witnessed Trixie do to her. Sitting in place, her scrutinizing eye looked her over a bit, checking for marks or blemishes. 

Applejack chuckled a little, knowing what her friend was doing. "Don't you worry none about what happened to me. Ah've taken harder falls before now. No matter what kinda power she has, Trixie ain't gonna bruise this apple." She finished with a chuckle, and a slight wince. "Though, to tell yeh the truth, one of those baskets might have clipped mah side a bit."

"I'll be sure to get you some ice after 'Oh Great and Powerful Trixie' lets us leave," Rarity promised as she continued to sew, slower than normal.

"Thanks," Applejack replied with a smile, before asking again, "So, y'alright there? You've stuck yer hoof a few times today, and ah'm a might worried about you. You don't do that often when yer normally workin'."

"You of all ponies should know why I don't 'stick my hoof' when I'm actually interested in what I'm working ooOAAAHHN!" She suddenly wrenched her hoof back out from under the fabric after jabbing it yet again. She gazed at her wound with a whimper before she looked back to the flag and gave another frown. Swallowing the pain and returning to her work, she continued, "So far, elation for my craft and skills has given way to increased and persistent disgust. It would be like if you were suddenly forced to farm BANANAS instead of apples."

Applejack shuddered, but sighed and smiled, putting on a brave face for her friend. "Ah guess so." Silence prevailed the air for a moment before she remembered something, "Oh, that's right! Ah've been talkin' to the other girls, and asked them to meet at the library after we get out. Somethin' ain't right about Trixie, and with Twahlight booted from the town, we can't git her to help... not now, at least. Can ah count on you to be at the library?"

Rarity dropped the flag completely and turned to her friend with hope fully restored in her eyes. "Oh yes! I'll be ever so glad to join you all at the library. Do you think we'll be able to find something in all of those books?"

"Not sure, but it's worth a-" Suddenly, Applejack was picked up by a crimson glow, and she was thrown unceremoniously into the wooden buckets that she had just filled and stacked. The was a loud crash as Rarity watched her friend being tossed violently into the heavy containers of produce in horror, and turned around to face a livid Trixie.

"I thought I said no chit-chatting!" the mad showmare seethed through her teeth. After a moment she huffed before continuing, "Finish those banners, NOW! Trixie will not ask you again." With that, she left Rarity alone, whom stared at the ego that was slowly becoming a monster with each passing moment.

"Oh... this day just can't get any worse," Rarity sighed as she turned back to her sewing set up and continued working on the gaudy looking tapestry.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Activating the newly refilled main fuel cell, Monsoon felt his full strength return almost instantly. A new sense of vigor and vitality spread though his body as he moved and tested himself, stretching his arms and let his hands flex and relax. He was never one to exaggerate, so when the thought crossed his mind that he felt better now than he had ever felt before, he couldn't help but believe it. 

"Well, dear Queen," he stated coolly, "this is nothing short of awe inspiring. Whatever is in that nutritional compound of yours is working wonders for my systems." He then checked his internal systems, and let loose another genuine grin as everything from within was in sublime order. He turned to her with a smirk. "I simply MUST get a recipe," he joked.

"Sorry, but it's a family secret," she replied with a chuckle.

Monsoon gazed about the room and watched the changelings work diligently on examining, experimenting, and extracting the various objects and knick-knacks they've always toyed with. He then looked down to his pouches, and patted one of them. "I really hope you don't mind me keeping the blade fragments of my Sais. I know you and your brood tend to prefer to scrutinize objects and materials like this, but I doubt you'll learn much from them. While they will never again be in my hands, they are a bit too personal to me to just leave them here for your children."

"Not at all, dear stranger. Speaking of, the repairs on your armaments should be well underway." Chrysalis began wandering to the exit before calling back to him. "Shall we leave? We do have much to discuss now."

Monsoon's smile fell, but realized a deal was a deal. He was wide awake and stronger than ever, and his weapons were about to be returned to him. Gratitude tugged at his heartstrings as it refused to let him shirk his agreement. "Very well," he said evenly, "Lead the way."

Following her out of the chamber, they returned to the familiar tunnels, and wandered back to the heart of the network, before heading towards to the strategy and planning room once again. Refreshed, Monsoon was ready to tackle any problem with haste. With his initial conversation still fresh in his mind, he reached an ideal compromise. Walking over to the map, he began by pointing at their current location.

"I believe I have an idea that would satisfy us both," he opened with, taking a handful of darts that sat on a small platform with his magnetic force. Upon grabbing them, he stuck them all at Unicorn range. "The first thing we need to do is divide the copies from your real children. I suspect that will not be an issue. You are their mother after all." Chrysalis nodded, keeping silent to let him resume his explanation. He took half of the darts, and continued with, "Once that is dealt with, we will make our first move in the dead of night." He then moved the darts, following the tracks for a moment, before curving down south-east and planted them in the representation of the Everfree Forest. "I will head west with the copies, cross the rail tracks here, move through the mountains, keeping as low as possible, and slip into Everfree. There, we will wait until dawn." He then took the remaining half of the darts, and moved them closer to the location representing Sweet Apple Acres, still in the brush. "Before that time, you and your brood will move to the forest-line near the orchard. Once dawn draws near, you will make a signal. I don't care how you do it, but make sure that I'll be able to see it clearly in the sky." Monsoon then moved his darts forward to Ponyville, spreading them around the lower half of the town. "From there, we will storm the town, where my half of the army will make the first move. At that point, the copies will provide a distraction for long enough that your army can strike while confusion plagues them." He then moved the remaining half of the darts down to the top, and spread them around accordingly.

Chrysalis thought it over, mulling the idea in her head over and over again. It seemed sound to her, leaving her with no questions. "Then, if that's that, I best be sorting my children out. I should have them ready by mid-night. We'll move then."

"Glad you are seeing it my way."

Chrysalis began to leave, but stopped, and turned back to her guest. "Do you mind if I confess something to you?"

If Monsoon had any eyebrows, he'd raise one in curiosity. Never the less, he motioned his hand, gesturing for her to proceed.

"There was something I left out in that tale I told you. Something even my children don't know..."

"Something only you're aware of? And, pray tell, how would I believe it? Especially if it's anything like your history lesson?"

"You trust me now, don't you?" she asked earnestly. Monsoon crossed his arms for a moment. In truth, he still wasn't entirely sold, but he couldn't help but admit that he was becoming more and more inclined to have a little faith in her words. Deciding to give a definite answer, he simply nodded, and let her speak freely. "We didn't immediately become self reliant after we were expelled... We did accept our fate... but we were also holding out for something. Maybe it was the delirium of having been ostracized, where our only refuge was the torturous badlands, but I had a prophetic dream. A creature, not unlike the stature of a Minotaur, with the power of a the strongest of unicorns would grace us and free us from our plight." 

Monsoon frowned. "Now, I know this is nothing but a crock. Let’s get one thing clear, there is no such thing as something as fanciful or cosmic as prophecy or destiny. There is only nature. We play our roles, and die. No more."

"And what if our role changes?" She asked, "What if what you knew was suddenly turned upside down?" She paused for a moment, hoping that the question would sink in. "Despite what you think, it has happened to both of us. We changelings were born to grace pony kind before a jealous Goddess ejected us from society. While you came from another world entirely under bizarre circumstances. We play new parts now. The rules of nature are skewed. If anything, we were fated to meet."

"Merely coincidence."

"Even if you don't believe in prophecy, the odds of our encounter are astronomical. Impossible even. This can't be a coincidence. Whether you want to believe me or not, I stand by what I said. I had a dream of you long ago. We did stop waiting around for your arrival, of course. A race like us can only go so long with so little as hope ticks away in silence." She paused for a moment, and smiled. "But none of that really matters. You're here and going to help us now, and as promised, once this is all over, you'll get exactly what you deserve."

There was a sound of hooves hitting stone as a small changeling entered the room and approached the mercenary. In the grasp of the magic of his horn, he held aloft a small bit of fabric that bundled two familiar objects together. Presenting it, the changeling bowed and offered it to Monsoon. The cyborg reached out to the bundle, grabbed it, and gently unfurled the fabric. There staring him in the face were his Dystopia, fitted perfectly with new blades. He felt the surface of the new material, and realized what it was.

"Obsidian?" 

"Enchanted obsidian. As long as I exist, it will never break or fracture. I felt using any sort of metal wouldn't do them justice, so I decided to go with something far more... non-traditional. I hope you like it."

Monsoon took each blade up with each and, and twirled them about for a moment, testing the weight and craftsmanship of the weapons. They flowed flawlessly, as if nothing were wrong with them in the first place, even though they felt a tad lighter in his hands. With a smile, and one last look, he slid them back into their sheaths at his sides, and turned back to Chrysalis. He didn't care anymore. He had gotten everything he wanted back, and the potential of returning home now sat in his sight. He smiled, resigning to his new fate. Chrysalis nodded politely before she and the changeling drone exited the room, leaving him alone.

He turned around and looked over the map once again. "Wind blows. Rain falls. The strong prey upon the weak," he said darkly, "They don't understand that yet, but they will soon enough."
> Raining Blood
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moving through the trees in the dead of night and keeping to the shadows, swarms of changelings shifting through various vegetation camouflage follow the maroon and gun metal grey cyborg in relative silence. Leaves flicked and swayed to the wind as the small army tried to mimic the air itself to stay as hidden as they could. Within moments, they had finally reached the forest line that cut off to the plot of land where the town of Ponyville sleeps. Encroaching the edges and lining the darkness, the army became still. Climbing a tree like a ninja, Monsoon took a vantage point, and activated the enhancement scope to extend his vision. Upon doing so, he noticed a very curious problem.

"A fishbowl?" He muttered in confusion. Studying the strange setting before him, he confirmed what he was seeing was indeed an upturned fishbowl that encased the entire town. At the flat part of the glass, high above the town, black clouds gathered and churned menacingly. Zooming in and enhancing detail, he noticed that lightening was crackling within the formations, creating an atmosphere of dread. Something's wrong, he thought to himself. Despite knowing little of the world aside that it played with his sense of reality, he fully believed that whatever was going on was far from their normal. Aside from that, with what little Chrysalis did tell him about pony society in an offhanded manner, nothing in her explanation stated that they'd ever dare to enclose themselves like this.

He looked down to the copy drones below him, whom all watched the town before them with dead, blank expressions, merely awaiting their order to move. Monsoon cursed under his artificial breath, and climbed back down to ground level. He then spoke softly, but clearly. "To all troops: Stay here, and remain in hiding. Do nothing else until I have returned and given all of you further instruction. Clear?" The entire group gave a low, simultaneous buzz as if they were all perfectly synchronized. Upon getting his response, he dashed back through the forest, retracing all of his steps he took to get back to Unicorn Range. Monsoon moved as quickly as he possibly could to get in contact with his co-conspirator.

There was going to be a big change of plans.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Fluttershy fidgeted as she was wrenched out of the log she hid in and into the dawn's light by her bird companions. She had been tasked to get in contact with Twilight to give her info on what they've really been dealing with, but upon learning her friend was in the Everfree, Fluttershy began to lose her nerve. It was normal for the meek pegasus to do that. However, her avian friends knew that they needed to get her to be brave and finish what she's been tasked with.

"This IS me being brave!" She whined, trying to gallop away in mid air as her little bird friends held onto her damaged sneaking suit and mussed mane. "I wanna be brave at HOME! Locked in my CLOSET! WITH MY TEDDY BEAR!"

Anyone that had respectable levels of cognitive thought would have probably concluded that little event was certainly odd. Odder still that the birds managed to drag her all the way to the forest entrance, and disappear into the imposing woodland. However, five hundred pairs of eyes, all of which that were passed by said little birds carrying the yelping butter colored mare, did not even bat an eye in that direction. They did not even consider a pegasus dressed as a black and blue bunny being carried away by a variety of birds, all of whom were in on a scheme to stop a rampaging tyrant in a small town, was something that was even out of the ordinary. Not that it would have mattered, for all five hundred copies had their own task at hand, being specifically told not to be seen. 

When Monsoon had returned to his small army, he addressed them, "I have new orders for our little siege. Upon the signal, we will approach the town, and surround it entirely. Whatever has happened here has left them trapped, which will make things a lot cleaner for us to deal with. Once we have the town surrounded, we will wait for further orders by your Queen. Understood?" A monotone, synchronized buzz of five hundred clones lowly echoed in response. "Before we move forward, has anything strange happened while I was gone?"

If they had also been told to report anything strange that might have happened prior to Monsoon's initial departure, they probably would have mentioned something. As it happened though, because of the lack of foreknowledge on the order, they remained silent, eyes still fixated on the town.

"Nothing? Then this will move smoothly," he said with a dark grin. Taking a step outside of the forest, out into the open, he watched the sky unhindered and waited. Within moments, a green flare in the distance shot high above the town and surrounding trees and hills, and exploded with gusto. Monsoon smiled again, and looked back down to the town. "Move out!" he barked as he began marching forth, followed by the changeling copies behind him, whom all de-cloaked in bright green flames at the same time. The slow tidal wave of artificial beings made their way closer to the town. 

Before he got too close, Monsoon stopped, letting the copies pass him and carry out their order unhindered. The changelings fanned out and slowly began to encircle the entire town, keeping themselves even and close to the glass barrier. Within minutes, they had the area completely surrounded by their blackened forms, leaving only Monsoon outside to pace around the entrapped town. He looked the town over, and noticed not a single soul was out of their home at the moment. Being a man of theatrics, he decided that it wouldn't do. Something like this deserves an audience, he thought wickedly.

"On my mark," he announced to his obedient drones, "strike the glass once to get the attention of our dear ponies." He moved to different parts of the encirclement and repeated these instructions, so that each copy could hear it. Once he finished, he made his way to the north of town, in between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, stood a fair distance away from the town and troops, and finally shouted, "NOW!"

Right on cue, five hundred hooves clashed against the glass, causing a rather loud ring as well as a red shimmer and the buzzing of energy to ripple against the surface of the glass. The effect was more than he hoped as he activated the voice amplifier and his scope in anticipation. With his voice enhancement ready and eyes optically zoomed in to keep a look out on the activity that would inevitably transpire, he waited. Sure enough, doors flung open as ponies of all shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities wandered out of their homes, only to grow looks of concern turning to horror. It was showtime.

"GREETINGS, KIDDIES!" Monsoon announced, amplifying his voice to a maximum level, as if he were using a megaphone and stereo system. Panic erupted almost immediately after they realized they were being addressed directly. "Welcome to the last of your good days, dear livestock. In the wake of sealing yourself under a giant glass dome, we have decided to take our advantage accordingly, as nature intended. Bring forth the one that made your glass bubble, surrender to the changeling army, and say your prayers."

The sudden influx of chaos and panic increased as ponies within the dome began running around wildly, only to remember they were completely trapped under the dome with no hope of fleeing. The smarter of the town ran directly back to their homes and locked their doors behind them, likely seeking shelter to try to avoid the almost certain invasion. Only a select four individuals ran forward to confront Monsoon, stopping short of the glass wall. Concern, irritation, and confusion were expressed deeply from the faces of Applejack, the cyan and rainbow maned pegasus, and Rarity respectively. Pinkie, however, having no lower face due to the spell cast by Trixie, could only flex her eyebrows to show shock at a bare minimum state.

"Monsoon! What in tarnation is goin' on here!?" Applejack shouted, trying to make sure her voice could carry through the thick glass. "What's with all these changelin's, and what are ya doin' with them in the first place?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Jack?" he replied, outstretching his hand. "You ponies have had your fun, messing with the rules of nature. You've screwed up the true order of the world for the last time. Today, natural predators will take their dominance, and you will become what you're destined to be. Stock."

"What the hay are ya talkin' about?"

"He's talking about me, dear little Applejack," replied Chrysalis, whom flew down from the sky and landed beside Monsoon. "It's our turn to have this world. You have all been living a lie, and I am here to right such a terrible wrong." Monsoon turned his head to Chrysalis in faint concern, as he believed he heard something odd in what the Changeling Queen had just said, but snapped his attention back to the trapped equines.

"You!" the farmpony growled, "Ah shoulda known you were behind somethin' like this." She turned her attention to Monsoon, eyes set in determination. "Listen, Monsoon. Ah don't know what yer after, but sidin' with THAT varment isn't gonna help any. She'd likely ditch you as quickly as she told you what you wanted to hear."

"Oh, indeed. He should NEVER trust someone like me, whom gave him everything he was looking for and promised to send him home, and instead listen to you, whom merely interrogated him like some criminal." Chrysalis scoffed as she turned to Monsoon, giving him eyes of pity and concern. "He hasn't even done anything to warrant such mistreatment." Chrysalis then flashed a toothy smile. "That's alright though, we'll give you a reason that you sorely lacked."

Just then, the sound of heavy gold being dragged against the ground and the agonized grunting of two young colts pulling an unnecessarily garish chariot prevailed the air. With it, the irritated bellows of a very demanding individual echoed and overtook the sounds of metallic grinding and strained effort.

"This better not be another false alarm," the voice barked, "or the Great and Powerful Trixie will-" She suddenly cut herself off with a short gasp as her eyes filled with dread. Five hundred changeling eyes bore into her mind, and one pair of eyes burned an old fillyhood scar within her very soul. She began to slowly backpedal, her mouth trying to form words lost to her, just before she fell off the back of her golden chariot indignantly with an audible, "Oof!" Scrambling to get back up, she scuttled behind the bulk of the chariot and hid, muttering barely the first syllable of Changeling Queen's name.

"My my my, what an interesting little development. Let me guess," she said, pointing to the now hiding Trixie, "That is responsible," she then pointed to the enchanted glass dome, "for that?"

Applejack turned back to the quivering Trixie and addressed her, "Now's NO time to be actin' like that. Ain't you supposed to be 'Great and Powerful', especially with that Alicorn Amulet ya have on?"

"Applejack!" Rarity barked, "You're not supposed to let Trixie know we knew about it yet until Twilight came back!"

"And Twilight Sparkle isn't here either?" The queen of the changelings asked in rhetoric. "Well, this is CERTAINLY very interesting," she said with a dark chuckle.

"RARITY!" Applejack barked back, before dipping her hat over her eyes to censor her own frustration and scrunched face. She then turned back to Trixie. "Listen, Trixie, ah doubt anyone in Ponyville likes you right now for what ya did, but yer our only hope now. Ya have to help us."

"I-I... I can't," Trixie shivered, "Do you know what she's c-capable of? She's powerful enough to defeat CELESTIA! I m-may have the Amulet, but I don't think I have THAT m-much power!"

"Oh, you know of my accomplishments?" Chrysalis asked, falsely flattered, "All good I hope?"

"You be quiet!" Applejack yelled at the changeling queen before turning back to Trixie, "Please, Trixie, all of Ponyville NEEDS you right now." The farmpony thought for a moment or two, before continuing with, "Ah'm sure if you helped, we'd all be mighty appreciative. Maybe even call you a hero. Wouldn't ya like that kind of admiration?"

Trixie looked to her with wonder in her eyes, almost as if she were reacting to the words "hero" and "admiration", and gave the prospect serious thought. Not a moment afterward, the sound of tapping on enchanted glass broke the showmare from her thoughts, and drew her back to Chrysalis, whom right right up against the glass. "Oh dear Trixie," she said as gently as possible, "Please be a dear and let us in? We promise no harm will come to you if you do. All we want are the Elements, really. It'll be worth your while."

For a moment, Trixie listened to her suggestion, right up until she looked into Chrysalis' dangerous eyes. Then, she noticed the hundreds of changelings surrounding the town, and even more behind Chrysalis and Monsoon, and quickly shrank again. "Mom said never trust the changeling queen. Mom said never trust a changeling queen. Mom said..." She muttered over and over in a mantra, stroking her mane rhythmically.

Chrysalis clicked her forked tongue and looked away from the little pony in disgust. "Drat, I thought that would have been easier. Nevermind, though. I guess we'll just proceed to the normal plan."

Monsoon stood idly, feeling slightly conflicted on the whole situation. While part of him was enjoying this, and indeed he expressed as much previously, something about what was going on here felt off, in conjuncture to the obvious. He couldn't shake the feeling that things shouldn't be going this way. Before he could dive deeper into his dilemma, a boulder the size of a grown pony suddenly shot from east and tumbled through a chunk of changelings as if they were bowling pins. Both Monsoon and Chrysalis jumped at the sudden attack, eyes following the boulder.

"What in the-"

"EEEY!" 

They turned back to the direction of where the rolling stone originated, and Monsoon bore witness to a familiar, however peculiar, figure approaching them, crackling his knuckles.

"I take a trip to train in Rambling Rock Ridge for a few days, and THIS is what I come back to? Oh Dios Mio, what would you caballos ever do without me? Good thing a little yellow canario told me to come here when she did."

"Elvis!" the three Elements at the glass cheered, as Pinkie tapped against the barrier silently in an attempt to express the same amount of joy. "Yer just in time!" Applejack said with a relieved smile.

"Always have been, always will be, hombre," he said with a thumbs up.

Monsoon smiled as he drew his sais. "So," he started, addressing the interloper, "I suppose you're finished working off the pastries you've consumed? Are you here to die with them, cause that can be arranged."

"The only arrangement happening is me rearranging your face to your ass, pendejo!"

"Oh, you've got some bite now? So what, now that the livestock is caged, you're finally willing to fight?"

"I'm always willing to fight, gilipollas! I just didn't want to wreck the orchard. I can get a little too heated when I throw a punch."

"Probably because you sweat profusely and get winded after said punch. Don't worry, pork chop, I'll make sure I throw you to the wolves when I'm done."

"No me jodas!" he barked, before growling, "This is your last warning, puta. Leave and take your capullo insect friends with you, or burn."

"This has been a long time coming, tonnes of fun." He twirled his sais and took an offensive stance. "I am NOT going anywhere until I'm satisfied."

Silence then prevailed the air as Chrysalis noticed something very dangerous about both Monsoon and the newcomer. She wasn't willing to step in to risk her hide, so she instead had herself and her brood back away from the two, giving them enough room to duke it out on their own. Monsoon didn't notice his ally cower from them, nor did he care. Blood will finally be shed, and he would relish in every moment.

In an instant, Monsoon's helm slid down and clicked into place as he shot forward like a bullet, wasting no more time. Elvis took a step back, and prepared for the assault. Upon getting within close striking range, the manic cyborg thrust forward with his right sai. The former Deva then swung his left hand, and easily parried the attack, where the enchanted obsidian clashed against his gold bangle with a CLING. Quickly following up to it, Monsoon swung his left sai at him, aiming for his neck. Just as quickly, Elvis shot his arm up and intercepted the strike, stopping it entirely. Returning fire, Elvis punched forward, attempting to meet his rings to the attackers face. Monsoon quickly backstepped, avoiding the attack, before lunging forward with the pommels of both sais attempting to hit Elvis in the stomach. Before the cyborg knew what had happened, Elvis suddenly backflipped just far enough out of reach, avoiding the strike. Monsoon jumped back, and twirled his sais again in preparation.

"How curious... you really don't move like a fat man."

"Looks can be deceiving, pendejo." Elvis then struck at the air with a series of complex fist and palm strikes and flexed, getting himself loosened up and ready for whatever his opponent would throw at him. "Even a super fighting robot like you probably has a few tricks up your circuits."

Monsoon scoffed at the remark. "You're right about one thing. I certainly do have a few tricks." He then broke back into a sprint, approaching Elvis once again, and circled him, looking for a new opening. Upon getting behind his opponent's left shoulder, he lunged forward, attempting to stab at Elvis' side. Elvis spun around, and threw a hammer fist at Monsoon's face, whom retracted his own attack and ducked from the incoming fist. While still crouching, Monsoon quickly rose back up, and threw an uppercut at Elvis, finally landing a blow on him. Elvis' head cocked back from the impact, but he quickly swung it back forward and headbutted the cyborg. 

"Gah!" Monsoon spat out as he reeled back and backpedaled to regain his footing. He quickly shook the stars from his eyes, and readied himself once again. 

Elvis rubbed the sore spot from his forehead, before rubbing his chin. "Well, Metal Man, I can't say this won't be interesting."

"I'm just getting started." He gripped his weapons tighter, stood up straight, and flashed purple sparks of energy. "LORENTZ FORCE!"

Elvis cocked his head to the side in confusion, trying to figure out if he heard of that name once upon a time. However, before he could recall anything, Monsoon's right hand detached from the rest of his body, and quickly flew towards Elvis. "Que demonios?!" The hand then began to expertly swipe and strike at Elvis, forcing the portly being to hastily block and evade each shot. Before he could bat it away, another hand shot towards him and began to synchronize with its already active double. Elvis began to have a tougher time clashing and parrying the assault and started to sustain cuts, punctures, and faded bruises. In Elvis' haste, though, he quickly noticed an opportunity as the two hands gather together for a tag team attack, allowing him to punch forth and knock them both back in one strike.

They returned to their origin point and re-attached at the wrists as easily as they came off. Just then, Monsoon rushed forward, lept into the air, and came down on Elvis like a diving eagle. Without a single shred of hesitation, Elvis heaved back his fist, and launched it forward, striking Monsoon directly in the chest while he was still in the air. However, the impact only caused the cyborg's body to separate at the seams, making it look as if he exploded into chunks. Not a moment later, all pieces quickly flowed around Elvis and recombined into Monsoon's complete form behind the large man. Then, Monsoon heaved his arms forth, twirled his sai, and slammed the blade into Elvis' side. 

Elvis let out a strained cry of agony as he tried in vain to mask the pain of the stabbing. As Monsoon attempted to attack the other side with his second sai, Elvis heaved his elbow back and knocked the cyborg upside the head, causing him to stagger away. Elvis turned about, and ripped the offending weapon from his side, seething and gritting his teeth as small amounts of dark ichor stained his white shirt. The girls gasped and averted their eyes in horror, praying only for Elvis to leave this madness no more harmed that he currently was.

Monsoon then regained his senses, strengthened his magnetic control, and attempted to steal back his sai that Elvis held in his possession. Upon feeling the pull of the sai trying to return to its master, Elvis tightened his grip and pulled back. The two engaged in a tug of war of brute force verses magnetic force, each straining with the might of titans for the little weapon. Within a moment, when the tension reached its height, Elvis smirked, pulled back as hard as he could and let go of the magnetized sai. It shot with the force of a cannon ball at Monsoon, whom caught it with a heavy stagger, almost dumbfounded by the sudden release. Before he knew what was going on, Elvis was already in a full sprint towards him. Too late to move, Monsoon could only watch as Elvis leaped into the air towards him and performed a flying dropkick right at the cyborg's armor plated head. There was a heavy metallic CRACK as the purple energy suddenly dissipated, where his head and several pieces of his upper torso went flying backwards from the impact. The rest of his body crumbled into its designated segments not a moment before Elvis landed from the drop.

Bouncing back up to his knees, Elvis quickly stood back up and looked around the area. From what little he was able to learn from his opponent during this confrontation, he knew that the fight wasn't over. He gave the heap of synthetic body parts a kick to scatter them about, before he finally noticed the head laying in the grass a good fifteen paces away from him. Sprinting towards the lone cranium, he leaped high into the air, and came down intending to crush Monsoon's head with the force of his own weight and power.

However, sparking to life with purple energies, the head suddenly twitched, and shot forward towards the former heap of parts, just as Elvis hit the ground with an earth shattering crunch. Just then, more parts flew from their resting spot and helped recombine into the cyborg's complete form. With the last piece connecting into place, Monsoon tested the tension in his neck before eagerly twirling his sais, ready for another round. He smiled darkly, eyes fixated on his enigma of an opponent, and noticed the sky was getting darker.
> Volcano
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entirely unable to be of any help behind the magical glass barrier before her, Applejack simply watched slack-jawed at the display of violence only ever heard of outside the boarders of Equestria. Her eyes stayed fixated, not to her friend Elvis, whom Pinkie mutely pleaded pathetically for his safe return, but on Monsoon's quick and impossible form. Ever since the strange and extreme cyborg arrived, she couldn't help but feel responsible for what's been going on. Especially when considering his freak-out over the revelation she had bestowed upon him mere seconds after he prompted her with a simple analogy. She tipped her hat forward in a frown, hiding her honest eyes from the world, ashamed of being unable to entirely feel sorry for proving him wrong, wondering if it was actual honesty or petty pride that pushed her to it. Was this outcome truly her fault though? Would he have went off and done something similar, or worse, if they took him in and helped him adjust over time with smaller, easier to handle examples of their world and the concept of harmony?

Applejack then looked to Elvis, finding a fire in his eyes she hadn't seen since he fought Discord, as he moved with deliberation and determination against his slippery, segmented opponent. She looked to him and thought of his endeavors, and how he adjusted to life in Equestria over time, with his ups and downs. She thought of how Pinkie herself was with him nearly every step of the way, even at the lowest of points, even when it almost crushed her fragile spirit. The farm pony then couldn't help but think about the stories of Bael from Fluttershy and how he had been adjusting with her help. Further still, she considered the vampire Dumah, whom only recently joined their community, with Rarity at his side as she assisted and guided him into a life that had once seemed alien to him. Sure, the last example was very recent, but it was no less effective or clear.

"Darn it," she cussed under her breath, as she realized her biggest mistake, "Ah need to fix this somehow..." She immediately remembered Rarity was there with her, equally worried about the situation. She turned to her friend, and quickly approached her, snapping her out of her own stupor. "Rare, ah need yer help. Ah need to get outside, and fast."

"Wha-what are we supposed to do, darling?" she answered, "As long as we're in here, we're safe from them, and as long as this barrier is here, we can't get outside."

"Can'chya just teleport me outside or somethin'? Ah mean, didn't Twah teach you that a little while ago?"

"Well, yes, she did teach me that spell, but I've only ever been able to do it on myself. It is probably an entirely different method to teleport someone else around, and I'm not sure how much magic it would require to cast. I'm not exactly the strongest in that regard, or the most adept at magic in general. That, and I have no idea if I could get you outside in the first place. That barrier may very well be teleport proof. After all, Twilight didn't teleport back in after she was kicked out, remember?

"Well, maybe she was wantin' to find a way to stop Trixie before she could get back in?"

"Maybe... Still, I'm not entirely willing to go out there myself to test it. I think I only have enough magic for one cast unfortunately, and if I go out there, I'll be HIDEOUSLY outnumbered and trapped. I just hope Twilight and Fluttershy are safe, wherever they are."

"Ok, Rares. Ah understand," she said, dejectedly.

"If only there were somepony else that would be strong enough to get you outside the barrier..."

Applejack sat there for a moment, considering the situation carefully, before it finally dawned on her. "TRIXIE!"

"TRIXIE?!" Rarity asked, perplexed and abhorred, "You want HER to help?!"

"Ah know, ah know. Ah'm not a big fan of her either, especially with what she'd done lately, but we don't have any other choice. With that amulet of her's, she IS the most powerful unicorn around right now. If Twahlight were here, I'd rightly take her over that bossy showboat, but right now, we really don't have a choice." She turned and began moving towards the harshly parked chariot where Trixie still hid behind. "If you wanna help me with this, yer more than welcome to, but ah'd understand if ya didn't."

Rarity stared at her rough-and-tumble friend for a moment, before she sighed in resignation. "Alright, fine. But, if she starts making more tacky demands, I'm leaving."

"Deal."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"Are you that much of a huevón that you can't dodge me normally? You have to resort to your little trick?" Elvis tightened his fists and tensed his body, getting ready for another round against his increasingly dangerous foe. Said foe had recombined a short distance away from Elvis, twirling his twin sais again in preparation.

"What? You can't handle the storm? Do you need an umbrella?" Monsoon smirked.

"More that I need a bucket, pendejo," he sneered, as he charged towards him, fists at the ready.

Monsoon rolled his eyes out from under his helm, and lazily separated just before Elvis managed to throw a punch, shifting a short distance away from him. "Is this all you have, fatman?"

Elvis smiled. "Not even close," he said as he quickly got in a crane stance, before pushing himself off the ground, suddenly shooting himself forward like a bullet, headfirst, directly at Monsoon. Warning bells immediately went off in Monsoon's head as he saw his large opponent get closer at a blistering speed. At the last second, he separated again to avoid the attack completely, which was entirely too close for comfort. Before he could recombine, Elvis flipped forward, mid flight, landed against the surface of the magic and glass barrier, and launched back off of it at equal speeds. Unable to realize the boomerang effect going on, Monsoon was struck directly in the back, causing his body to scatter violently.

Elvis then flipped forward, and touched ground once again, as he quickly turned around and saw the disembodied head come flying towards him. Smirking, Elvis took the unique opportunity to tense himself up once again, pulling his punch down and back, before springing up in a spiraling uppercut, launching the mid-air head high into the air with a heavy smack. As he landed back on the ground from the uppercut, Elvis looked back up to see the effect of his attack. Despite the damage he thought he caused, the head was quickly joined by the originally scattered pieces of Monsoon's body which quickly recombined. Elvis clicked his tongue, as he got back into a defensive stance.

Monsoon, having a new advantage, flung his sais down at Elvis, hoping to skewer him from above, but the fat man caught both of them quickly. Then, using his own strength and the sudden jerk back of the sais, Elvis launched himself upwards to Monsoon, quickly tilted himself backwards, and simply let the speed and trajectory allow his feet to collide with Monsoon's face once again. Upon the impact, Monsoon lost all magnetism, and crumbled away. Throwing away the sais off to the sides, he then grabbed Monsoon's head before it managed to sail away from the previous impact. Elvis then violently spiked Monsoon's head back to the ground before he reached peak height and began to fall on his own accord. As he descended, aiming for Monsoon's head, he started going into a dive to gain momentum before setting up for a mid air elbow drop.

"THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW, CABRON!" he screamed, laughing like a madman, hoping to finish off his opponent for good.

However, the head Elvis aimed for erupted with purple energies once again as it swiftly skidded backwards and away from the target point. Just as it did, not a split second later, Elvis landed with deafening CRUNCH as the earth cracked, buckled, and shattered below him, forming a crater three times the size of the Deva himself. Heavy amounts of dust kicked up, obstructing everyone's vision for a moment or two. As the dust began to settle, Monsoon slowly recombined once more, feeling a little more woozy from the assault, realizing he once again underestimated his foe.

"Un momento, señor," Elvis said from the bottom of the pit, slowly getting back up and shaking the stars from his eyes. Walking up and out of the crater, he shook off the dirt and debris before he cracked his neck and knuckles. "Ok, now I'm good to go."

"Very impressive," Monsoon said with genuine satisfaction, "I have to admit, I have never fought someone as surprising as you. You posses skills I'd assume someone of your... stature should NEVER be able to pull off. And yet, here you are, proving me wrong. It's just so..." he sighed, before sneering under his helm with intense fury. "... UNNATURAL! What in the hell are you?!"

"You REALLY don't want to know, puta." 

Then, it happened. Everything he went through, every defilement of his perception of reality that piled on top of each other within the back of his mind, finally broke though. He twitched slightly to the feeling, before splitting an ear to ear grin and started to laugh. It was harsh, forced, and deranged. Just like Jack... He questioned and scrutinized Elvis just as much as he did his former executioner, and he came no closer to an answer that fit with his rules. Just like Jack... The truth of the matter ate away at the back of his thoughts, forcing him to question himself. Are some simply outside the natural order, or am I missing something critical?

Monsoon then reached to the pouch in his side, unlocked the clip, and reached inside, before pulling out one of his red phosphorous grenades. His smile grew darker. "Honestly, I can't for the life of me figure it out. But," he started, chuckling darkly, "what I DO know, is that I MUST DESTROY!"

"Que la mierda?"

Monsoon quickly pulled the pin and threw the device directly at Elvis' feet, which detonated instantly and created a blast of thick heavy smoke. He then jumped away the moment everyone's vision was thoroughly obscured, disappearing from sight. Everyone caught in the smoke couldn't help but cough heavily from the noxious and thick chemicals.

"Changelings: SCATTER!" barked their queen, as all of the drones and their copies took flight and retreated in several directions away from the smokescreen. 

However, Elvis was left inside its epicenter, coughing briefly, before he covered his face with one hand, and squinted with mildly irritated eyes. Before he could get his bearings, Monsoon suddenly appeared from the smoke, and leaped at the incapacitated Deva. He struck abruptly, swinging his sais at Elvis's shoulders, causing the big man to flinch from the impact, before jumping back into cover. Elvis quickly gathered himself from the injury and desperately tried to scan his obscured surroundings. Once again, Monsoon appeared from the haze, ran right up behind his foe, and stabbed at his back, before immediately kicking him at the wound, and retreating after the assault. Elvis swung back too little too late as his foe was long gone. He growled in fury, eyes desperately scanning the thick toxic cloud around him, trying to get a read on his now invisible foe. Suddenly, a thought cast a light in the murk for him, as he opted to close his eyes, remained still, and focused.

Within a moment, the patience was met with the faint, swift sounds of feet hitting the ground, before leaping into the air. Elvis then turned to his left side in response, throwing a right hook, which collided with Monsoon's sais, whom blocked the defending attack. As he followed through the attack, Elvis launched Monsoon back into the fog, out of sight, and became still again, keeping his ears open and eyes closed. Sure enough, the sound of quick feet approaching from behind were made clearer now, causing Elvis to spin around once more with a hammer fist. Monsoon blocked the incoming attack, before backflipping out of sight. Elvis smiled, as he concocted a way to put his slippery little foe off of attacking like this in the future. As Monsoon tried for yet another surprise attack, Elvis spun in the direction of the incoming strike, hoisting his arms up in defense, and breathed in hard.

The enchanted obsidian sais clashed against Elvis' gold bangles, as the two fighters stared at each other face to face in close proximity, where Monsoon could see his foe was holding his breath fairly deeply. However, he realized too little too late the purpose, as it was revealed to him in haste with no warnings. Elvis then exhaled forcefully, but what came out was not pastry induced bad breath, but fire enough to rival a kiln.

Warnings went off inside Monsoon and his vision as everything in front of him erupted in fire. What came next, though, shocked the both of them. As soon as the fire touched the smoke screen from the red phosphorous grenade, the area it covered erupted in a heavy explosion, which sent Monsoon flying backward from the sheer force of the blast. He fell from the peak height of the trajectory, before tumbling against the ground and rolling to a stop, merely a short length away from the enchanted glass barrier that encased the town.

Battered and dazed, Monsoon slowly got back up, and shook the stars from his eyes and dusted himself off. "Thank Desperado for my pain inhibitors." He looked to the new cloud of dark smoke left over from the extreme blast created, and chuckled. "Well, that settles that, no one could-" He stopped sharply, as his sensors could still pick up a heat signature at the center of the cloud.

"That, *cough, cough*, is the last time I pull THAT trick in a strange smelling fog," Elvis said within the clearing smoke, lightly singed but no worse for wear.

"No."

"What's the matter, puta? Can't take the heat?"

"NO."

"Then, you best-"

"NO!" The furious cyborg then forcefully activated another of his electrolyte packs, overcharging the energy he could contain, and immediately triggered his magnetic power. Monsoon then concentrated hard, and felt for the ground beneath them both for metal with his power. It didn't take him long to figure out that the town at least had plumbing coming to it, and grabbed a hold of the metal piping through his magnetism. With one swift upward motion, he ripped up the metal around Elvis, and quickly wound it around him like a snare.

"QUE CARAJO?!"

Monsoon then began to squeeze his foe with all of the might he could muster, wickedly grinning in pure malice under his helm. His fingers curled tighter as the piping constricted Elvis' body, whom tried hard to struggle and escape the bindings. "I DARE YOU!" Monsoon screamed, "I DARE YOU TO ESCAPE! BUT YOU CAN'T! NO MAN CAN ESCAPE NATURE'S FORCE! NO MAN CAN ESCAPE THE FRUIT OF THE EARTH! MY METAL WILL BE YOUR CASKET!"

The metal pipes wound tighter as Elvis tried in vain to force his way out with his basic strength, but realized it simply couldn't happen. Despite his already unbelievable prowess, there was a reason why he took the form he had. It wasn't just for style, but it was a limiter. As long as he was in a mortal world, the form he took would keep him from "resetting" back home if slain. As much as he would have hated to do that, he honestly would have hated leaving this world on such a colossal let-down even more. Besides, he had promised to go on a hike and picnic with his closest friend in this brightly colored world, and he'd be damned if he let that die without a fight.

"Rosa... I'm so sorry. I have to do this... Please don't hate me." Elvis said solemnly to himself. Purple flames grew and flickered from his body as he reached deep inside his very soul and began to glow a brilliant orange and red. An intense heat emitted from him while the metal surrounding him faintly warped and bent away from his large, illuminated frame. Monsoon gritted his teeth and stared, mesmerized at the sight, before shielding his vision from a blinding white light. Within seconds, he pulled his hands away, and gazed at the result.

A titan of a creature stood before Monsoon, easily two or three times as large as Elvis was. It was a grotesque thing, not entirely dissimilar to Elvis' basic bipedal structure, with a hard purple shell-like surface for its skin, lined with red etchings seemingly outlining the muscles. Its feet were clawed with only two massive digits on each foot. Its kneecaps were covered by enlarged, strange looking skulls. Each hand was replaced with spherical, crab claw like appendages that were lined with teeth as if they were mouths. Just above them were enlarged bangles, now warped to a bronze color and etched with purple swirls, and a single line of spikes trailing up the outer arm. Its rotund middle gave the vague reflection of a large face, not helped by the mouth like crease kept partially open with what seemed to be rows of massive, sharp teeth in a permanent smile, where as its pecs mimicked closed eyes. Its head was an elongated oval, with three pairs of eyes stacked on top of each other, and two sets of horns: Two spiral horns jutting from the sides of its head, with two smaller curved horns poking from the top. Behind it were a pair of bat like wings that didn't seem fit to carry the large creature, which flapped idly and lazily. The only thing that resembled normalcy was the necklace of large beads that once sat around Elvis' shoulders.

"What in hell?" Monsoon muttered, utterly flabbergasted, oblivious to the irony of his statement.

Suddenly the creature's pectoral muscles pushed themselves up, and revealed large yellow eyes that sported nothing more than a thin red spiral in each eye. Upon this, the teeth lined crease at the stomach opened up wide, tilting the top half of the absurd monster back slightly, and gave an earth quaking roar from the giant mouth which caused everyone but Monsoon to cover their ears. 

Monsoon got into a defensive stance, his mind reeling, trying to understand what he was looking at with little success. The only reaction he could muster was an involuntary rush against the monster, hoping to strike it down out of pure fear. However, the moment he got close enough, the thing quickly heaved its arms up above its head and slammed its claws down, creating a shock-wave of pure force that knocked the cyborg back. Monsoon landed unceremoniously with a few humiliating bounces against the ground. Then, the creature spoke.

"TIME TO PLAAAAY, PENDEJO!" There was little room for doubt. The voice was Elvis, but what a change it underwent. It was much deeper, much more guttural, and seemed to reverb with more than a couple extra voices harmonizing with Elvis's own. This was the Deva's normal. His terrifying, true form.

Monsoon scrambled back to his feet, his artificial breath accelerating and getting deeper as he internally panicked. Whatever breaking point he reached, however hard he snapped not too long ago, was now paltry compared to this. Within seconds, instead of becoming a gibbering mass on the ground, breaking down like a normal human would, his new insanity came full circle, and just made him more focused. He would kill this thing before the day is done.

He activated another electrolyte pack and overcharged his body, immediately switching on his magnetic powers, and rushed his opponent again. The Demonic Elvis quickly heaved his right claw back and attempted to punch Monsoon, but the cyborg separated at the last second before impact, flowed around the grotesque titan, and reformed behind him. Sensing danger, before Monsoon could try to back-stab him again, Elvis whirled around and swung his claw like a wrecking ball. Monsoon back flipped in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding the sudden counter attack. However, as soon as Monsoon got some distance, Elvis opened both of his claws, then his stomach mouth, and formed a ball of fire and rock before shooting it directly at the cyborg. The impact was as heavy as it was perfect, as pieces of Monsoon flew everywhere, scattering about the torn-up battle ground. Elvis began running forward, but as Monsoon's head came to a rest, purple energies emitted from it and soon the cyborg recombined once again. Elvis paused for a moment as Monsoon skated backward, gaining enough distance away from the beast. Honestly curious at what he was planning, Elvis waited for Monsoon to make a move. He didn't have to wait for long as Monsoon heaved his leg backward and did a sweeping kick, his leg segmenting and stretching out to reach the demon. Unable to move fast enough, Elvis simply stood to tank the hit, bracing for impact. The kick flinched the beast from the impact but it wasn't enough to do any real damage to Elvis alone.

"I'm sterner stuff than THAT, cabron!" With that, Elvis got into a crane stance before ducking down and suddenly rolling forward like a giant speeding bowling ball. Monsoon was a little quicker on the uptake this time around, and easily dodged the giant rolling death, whom came to a screeching halt a short distance behind Monsoon. He quickly rose back to his feet, and rushed at the cyborg. Monsoon then shifted backwards, placing more distance between him and his foe, before splitting apart once again. This time, however, the pieces whirled around Monsoon's head like a tornado of heavy metal, before he shot forward at the demon for maximum impact. Elvis raised his arms in sudden defense, blocking the incoming attack in its entirety. Monsoon collided like boulders flung at top speeds against a wall, before bouncing off and skidding to a halt mid-air behind Elvis. The demon turned around as the fragmented cyborg doubled back for another multi-hit ram. The effect was the same.

Monsoon then floated his spinning, sectioned self a decent distance away after the attack. His pieces then began to swirl around him faster and faster, as if he were chunks of fruit in a high speed blender. Elvis turned to his fragmented aggressor once again and started to march toward him unhindered... but not for too long. Suddenly, singular pieces of Monsoon shot from the mass vortex like bullets, the first colliding with the center of Elvis' torso. Upon realizing what he was doing, Elvis stopped, and got into a defending stance. More pieces shot off in rapid succession as Elvis batted them off to the side, missing a few that ended up striking him in the left tricep and the right shin. Upon ending the attack, Monsoon reformed behind Elvis, but the Deva caught on as he spun backward on the spot, breathed in with the mouths of his claws, and unleashed a torrent of flames. Monsoon wasn't entirely vulnerable to such a heat, but the situation wasn't completely safe for him either, and chose to back away as quickly as possible lest he be hindered enough for a followup attack.

As the two continued their fight, a flash of light went off a fair distance away from the battle as Applejack appeared from it, finally outside the barrier. While the two monsters had no room to notice, Chrysalis and her brood in the sky did. She screeched and sent her kin down to capture the Element of Honesty as swiftly as possible. Applejack quickly noticed the incoming attack, and took off like a bullet, intent on reaching Monsoon and Elvis in an attempt to stop the conflict. She shifted to the right, narrowly avoiding a diving changeling that collided with the ground harshly, then stopped abruptly to avoid one that dove just in front of her. Taking off again, she kept weaving to attempt to avoid being pegged by the incoming shape-shifters. Finding that the overhead assault wasn't enough, they swarmed and landed a distance away from the approaching element, trying to create a defending wall, hoping to catch her that way. She screeched to a halt, only for a moment, and considered her options quickly before she charged once again, realizing there was no way around it. Prompted by the bold move, the changelings responded by charging at her themselves. Within mere moments, just before she collided with the army, she leaped up and preformed a flying drop kick with her hind hooves, sending the leader of the group crashing into a handful of his followers, giving her room to move. She began swatting and kicking, fighting her way through the hoard that desperately tried to take her down.

"MONSOON!" She called out as loud as she could, smacking another changeling in the face while still trying to push forward through the crowd. Despite the fact neither of them could hear her, she kept going, determined to get their attention before something happened. "MONSOON! STOP!"

It wasn't Monsoon that heard her, but Elvis, whom was in the middle of parrying an attack. Upon deflecting Monsoon's sai once again, he jumped back, and gazed behind his foe.

"What are you doing, caballo?" he said, puzzled by his friend's actions, failing to question her appearance. 

Monsoon backed off, expecting a follow-up attack, but stopped upon realizing he was no longer the prime focus. Before he could capitalize on this, he heard his name being called.

"MONSOON!" Applejack called again, galloping hard towards them, swiftly closing the distance between her and them, just before being tackled to the ground by a changeling. Within moments, more of the insectoid ponies dog-piled on top of her, pinning her to the ground from the sheer weight of the group.

The cyborg turned his head around slowly to the source of his name being called and saw Applejack's pitiful position. He cracked a smile, and faced her completely. "Well, isn't this a surprise?" he said with a mocking grin, "Decided to get a front row seat? Wanting to prove me wrong again, Jack?"

Applejack stayed her tongue for a moment, choosing her words carefully, but stared back at the manic cyborg with intent set in stone. "Back at the orchard, when we first met... What ah did was wrong, Monsoon. Ah've always been the honest type, but ah shouldn't have forced my thoughts on you."

"So, you came to apologize?" he asked, curious but also a little disgusted, "And what makes you think I'd accept it? What's keeping me from walking up to you, and piercing that thick skull of yours?"

Applejack became silent again for a moment, but continued honestly, "Ah don't expect you to accept anythin', but just hear me out and make up yer own mind. That's all ah ask."

Monsoon was about to respond, but Chrysalis landed beside her and the pile of changelings on top, and interrupted the conversation. "Don't listen to this pony, dear friend. She speaks nothing but half-truths most of the time, and only EVER uses true honesty for her own benifit." She smiled at Monsoon, before continuing with, "We'll take her away so you can get back to getting rid of this... obstacle."

Monsoon stood there for a moment, pondering what's been said. As Chrysalis was about to give the order, Monsoon raised his hand in objection. "Before she goes... wouldn't it be customary to give the condemned a final request?" He smiled wickedly, almost mockingly, before saying, "I'd like to hear what kind of lies she has to tell me anyway." Applejack's face scrunched to the blatant defamation of character, but she sighed. Arguing would only make the situation worse at the moment, after all. 

"I'd rather not," Chrysalis said with a hint of venom in her voice, "This one, like the other five elements, can be rather dangerous, even when on their own. I will NOT run the risk again." Monsoon frowned. He hated being undermined, and he hated it more when it was in an obvious and shallow attempt at silence.

Just as he changelings got off and began to seize Applejack, metal piping erupted from the ground, knocking away the changelings and coiled around the farm pony. She squeaked in surprise, as Chrysalis fumed for a moment.

"What is-" Chrysalis screeched in an upstart, before calming down and starting again. "Friend, we had her under control. We do not need your help in this-"

"SILENCE!" Monsoon shouted, staring at Applejack. He slowly approached the captive pony in his magnetic grip. "Speak now, or die," he growled, addressing Applejack.

The farm pony sat helpless and stuck in the metal binds, but was more than happy to speak. "Ah know ah did you wrong, but this ain't the way to go about things," she started, "Do ya even know WHO yer dealin' with? That is the Changelin' Queen. A natural born liar and deceiver. She ain't got a honest bone in that leech of a body she has. Her whole RACE is about changin' shape to fool us ponies into thinkin' they're our loved ones. Ah don't know WHAT she told ya, but I'd bet my farm, my LIFE, that it was all a big lie just to get you to follow her."

Monsoon stood there, stoic in the face of these claims. Chrysalis slowly approached Monsoon. "Dear friend, don't listen to her. This is just flanderization of our real nature. You know this. I've told you myself, even."

"And I'VE told you that I find it hard to believe," he spat back.

"Monsoon," Applejack said, calmer this time, "What I said the last time we met was true. Everything. Even when I told you that if we can shape the weather, we can find a way to accomplish true peace for everyone. Herbivore or otherwise. We CAN change a life of takin' to be a life of givin'. Remember?" Monsoon growled, but Applejack pointed her free hoof behind Monsoon, at Elvis. Monsoon turned, and looked at the grotesque being, whom stood in silence the whole time. "Elvis there is our friend. Our friend. He's been fightin' for us this whole time, and we'd do the same for him... but..." She then looked directly at Elvis, whom returned the gaze. "Elvis... don't fight him anymore... please?"

"But, caballo?" he asked.

"Please, Elvis. Enough has happened today... and, honestly watchin' ya do this, being THIS vicious... it's breaking all of our hearts. Especially Pinkie's." Elvis then looked towards the glass dome, where Pinkie sat with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, eyes on the brink of shedding tears. Elvis sighed deeply, as he dropped his guard completely.

Monsoon watched, intrigued to an extent, but wasn't willing to take hold of the idea. Applejack then spoke again. "Monsoon... you don't need to do this. Ah promise, as much as I promise that Elvis will NOT attack you, that we WILL get you home."

"A promise she will never keep, friend," Chrysalis said. "They are so quick to make these promises, but they won't keep them. They'll find a way out, one way or another."

Monsoon stood in relative silence for a few moments, before he spun around quickly and launched his fist from his body and smacked Elvis in the head, whom flinched from the attack, but did nothing else. The fist returned to Monsoon and reconnected with him, as the cyborg sneered at the lack of response. "Why won't you fight back?" He asked, addressing Elvis.

"Because," Elvis started, "she's right. Believe whateeeever you want, but she's right about this place, and me."
> The Lie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monsoon looked to his foe, then back to Applejack, then to Chrysalis, whom was fuming from the display. "What are you DOING?!" she screeched, "You're ruining EVERYTHING! It's bad enough that we had to work around this grotesque oaf, but now you can't even act like a proper weapon and-"

"What did you say?" Monsoon interrupted. The air grew quiet as realization dawned on Chrysalis as to what he was referring to. She took a step back unintentionally, and tried to think up a retort.

"I-it's... I didn't mean that. Slip of the tongue, and all that. Please, let's just finish with this-"

"Am I some sort of tool to you, Queen?" Monsoon asked in a menacing tone. He took a step towards her, slowly twirling his sais in agitation. "I may be a gun for hire... but I'm not something that can just be used."

"I am not, I assure you," she said nervously, taking another step back.

"Sounds like a lie to me," Applejack snarked within her confines. The Changeling Queen quickly spun towards Applejack's direction to bark an order of silence, but held her tongue upon seeing the Element's smug face. Chrysalis turned back to Monsoon with another smile in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Please, you mustn't listen to this pony. I've already told you how dangerous she is. She's already turning us against each other. Can't you see that?"

"Do ya notice how she's tryin' so hard to convince ya, Monsoon?" Applejack said gently.

"And how do I know that you aren't also lying through your teeth?" Monsoon spat back at the farm pony.

"Ya don't," the farm pony replied simply.

"I beg of you, dear friend. Believe me! I've been nothing but honest and hospitable to you!" Chrysalis pleaded once again, desperately. 

The cyborg looked to Chrysalis for a moment in consideration, before his vision drew back to the trapped pony that was completely at his mercy. He could easily tighten the grip the metal had on her and turn her into a mangled rack of gore, but he couldn't help but hesitate.

"Believe what ya want," she said, "That is all ah can say. That is all you should be expected to do."

Monsoon stood there for a moment in silence, before a smile split across his face. "I'm afraid," he started, "That I tolerate lies as much as I tolerate the rules of nature being marred. With that said... I'm afraid I have to terminate our contract, dear queen. For personal reasons, of course." As those words left his mouth, he turned himself towards Chrysalis fully, and began to approach her, Sais at the ready.

From horror to rage, Chrysalis' eyes burned and bored into Monsoon's advancing form as her horn flared and dissipated for a moment. "So be it, monster," she uttered.

Monsoon then suddenly shot forward from his position, aiming to strike down his former benefactor. Shocked, but not deterred, Chrysalis leaped from her position and took flight, narrowly avoiding Monsoon's attack. Soaring higher and higher, she aimed to get as far away as possible in order to summon as much magic as she had remaining in order to try to destroy her insubordinate at a safe distance. Before she could charge an offensive spell, Monsoon sheathed his sais and activated his magnetic powers before he segmented himself and shot his hands up to Chrysalis. The cyborg then gripped her front hooves, and began shooting the rest of his pieces up to reconnect with his wrists.

She gasped in surprise at the sudden assault, and tried to fly higher while charging her spell faster. The distance she made gave her a spot of hope as clouds descended past her, seeing no limb nor fragment coming for her, aside from the disembodied hands that gripped her like manacles. As she completed the charge, she stopped ascending, and scanned the clouds below her for her artificial pursuer. However, her reliance on her eyes failed her as Monsoon's pieces shot through the clouds from her blind spot. Before she could act, the pieces recombined, and the completed body wound around the changeling. She flailed about in fury, as one of Monsoon's hands let go long enough to retrieve a Sai from his side. He then plunged the weapon into Chrysalis' shoulder and snapped the blade from the hilt, forcing a horrid screech from the changeling.

Her agony of the sudden wound was enough to cast a beam of concentrated magical energy at Monsoon's head purely out of reaction. The attack struck him in the face, forcing him off the changeling, all the while clinging to the handle of his broken sai. They both began to go into a free fall, drifting further apart as the ground got closer and closer, until Monsoon finally regained his senses and prepared for a controlled landing. His body sparked with magnetic power again, slamming his feet firmly into the ground below as the rest of his body slowed from the repulsion before each piece attracted back together in quick succession, making satisfying clunks. Chrysalis, however, was not so lucky, as her body hit the ground unceremoniously, bounced a bit, and rolled to a stop.

Monsoon looked at the broken sai in his hand for a moment before he tossed it aside like the useless object it was. He then turned his attention to Chrysalis, whom struggled to get up. He took one step forward, aiming to walk right up to the changeling queen and squash her like a bug, but Applejack called out to him.

"Monsoon! Don't do it."

The cyborg stopped, before turning to the still trapped Element of Honesty and sneered. "And why not? Putting this creature out of its misery would be a mercy, wouldn't it? It would certainly make sure an event like this wouldn't happen again."

"It ain't right! No matter what she's done, we can't just do that to her."

"Are you really willing to risk your backwards, idealistic world just to keep this creature alive?" Monsoon scoffed in a mocking tone.

"We can change a life of takin' to a life of givin', remember? Ah believe that with all mah heart," she said solemnly, "She'll get what's coming to her for all the stunts she pulled, but she still deserves a fightin' chance to turn herself around."

"Yes," Chrysalis said weakly, a fair ways away from them, "I do deserve to live. I have a brood to take care of, after all, and more preparations to make."

Applejack stared at her with a hint of contempt mixed with pity for the pathetic liar. Her feeling was suddenly jostled though, as the piping around her uncoiled themselves and returned below the ground where they belonged, at the behest of Monsoon's command. She looked to the cyborg with awe and appreciation, before it transformed into shock as Monsoon unsheathed his other sai. Then, the sai and the hand that gripped it were pitched directly at Chrysalis.

"MONSOON! STOP!"

Chrysalis' eyes widened as the sharp, obsidian blade sailed towards her. She shut her eyes tightly and coiled away in fear of the impact, expecting the worst pain. However, no pain came, which caused her to hazard a look. And there, mere fractions of an inch away from her head, was the tip of the sai hovering in mid-air. Upon seeing it, the sai was dropped before her, and the hand returned to its master. Chrysalis sat there, scared out of her wits, before she lost consciousness from all of the excess stress.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It ended up taking a while, but once Twilight and Fluttershy returned from the Everfree, accompanied by Zecora, they managed to get everything under control and back to relative normalcy. The barrier created over Ponyville quickly lifted as the Great and Apologetic Trixie handed over the Alicorn amulet with absolutely no fight. Upon sharing her reasons why, which was her foalhood fear of changelings, and the fact something like Monsoon was able to stop the Queen out of the lot, she reasoned it wasn't worth fighting against this kind of crazy. She however didn't leave without some scathing remarks about Dumah's statue, which depicted a finely detailed likeness of Dumah, triumphantly standing over a detailed, mini-sized statue of Trixie if she were some sort of ant pony. It was later deconstructed and its metal was re-purposed to become the various pots and pans that were taken to make the monument in the first place.

Next to that, upon receiving word, a team of a hundred Royal Guards arrived from Canterlot, bringing with them carriages. Queen Chrysalis would be taken first to be brought forth before Celestia to receive an adequate punishment. The rest of her army, sans the copies, would be taken to the Equestrian customs office in Canterlot, and be processed and granted citizenship in Equestria, provided they no longer pose as friends and loved ones. The Princesses agreed to grant them lodgings and opportunities for employment for a while until they can properly integrate into society. The copies, however, were dispelled back to the mirror pool via the reverse spell, used by Twilight and Trixie together, after the former taught the latter begrudgingly. 

As the day wound down, the town swiftly returned to normal, complete with tacky banners violently torn from their bearings. Everything was finally right, but one creature still felt off.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Upon a hill, overlooking the vast apple orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack sat to watch the sunset beneath her second favorite tree on their property. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad things were back to how they were supposed to be, and that work could continue properly tomorrow. 

Her simple and honest train of thought was interrupted by the heavy footfalls of her new guest at the farm. "Come to join me?" she asked in a playful tone, looking to the approaching maroon colored cyborg. Monsoon stopped beside her, looking far into the distant sunset with his arms crossed. Applejack frowned from the lack of response, and the obvious unfriendly air about him. Her eyes went back to the sunset, returning to her wistful and simple daydreaming. "Sure is a nice sunset."

"I don't belong here," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"Ah know," she said, "But, ya'll might still be stuck here fer a while, at least. Twah's been workin' on this whole thing since that giant frog monster showed up in the Crystal Empire..."

Monsoon scoffed, but otherwise did not deject the idea.

"... but it hasn't been easy gettin' clues, ah guess."

"That isn't what I was talking about, Jack."

"Then, what were you tryin' to say?"

Monsoon stood silently for a moment, before he finally responded with, "I only know a life of death and war. A world where the strong prey upon the weak. I have grown up in the worst conditions physically and mentally, and nearly died for it. With that, I'd then become what I am now. A machine MADE for war."

"That sure is some vicious circle."

"One I embrace, Jack," he replied solemnly, "I don't belong here. I'm not fit for a world of peace and prosperity. Where death is a tragedy of old age, and the weak prosper WITH the strong. Where you can grow without having to experience true horror."

"Monsoon," she said, turning to the cyborg with an irritated look in her eyes, "Git it through that thick metal skull of yers. You can change! Do ya really think yer the only one here that's had a hard, violent life? Why donchya talk to Dumah, or talk to that Elvis feller you fought? Ah'm sure they'd be able to share in yer problems, and tell ya the same I'm tellin' ya now. Ya can fit in with the rest of us just fine. In the meantime, you might as well relax. Enjoy the peace while it lasts" After the outburst, she settled back down and shuffled a little in her spot, getting comfortable, before a particular thought came to mind. "If yer gonna be stayin' for a while, we'll need to set ya up with a place to stay and a job." She paused for a moment, before she continued with, "How're ya with harvestin' apples?"

Monsoon unfurled one of his arms, extended it beside the tree Applejack was under, and gave it a light tap. An apple then fell from the tree, right into Monsoon's outstretched hand. The farm pony whistled in approval as Monsoon took a bite from the fruit, blanching in disgust from the unexpected flavor.

"Hey, Mister! The apples here on the farm are the best in Equestria, bar none!"

"Not this one, Jack." He then tossed the bitten apple to her. Applejack then examined it and bit the other side, before also expressing disgust.

"Alright, alright... I'll have this tree checked tomorrow."

Monsoon then looked down to the little orange pony, before he stared back out to the sunset, which had just finished dipping beyond the horizon, casting colors of violet, blue, orange and maroon across the sky. Within moments, the night began to creep in, slowly approaching black as stars became more and more visible. It was a marvelous sight, one that Monsoon had only dreamed of seeing once upon a time. "It really is a nice night..." 


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Celestia face-planted against her bed, her muzzle firmly and deeply in her pillow. She was willing to suffocate herself as long as she could get some rest. Between assisting Discord in summoning the new entity to Equestria, setting up rooms for the new and unexpected citizens, and passing the sentence of one of Equestria's greatest threats, she was properly worn out for the day.

"Really? Worn out for the day? I thought you had more moxy than that. You've been alive for over a thousand years, and you act like you're already reaching a middle age of thirty six million, or something."

"Go away, Discord," she replied to the disembodied voice, "I have not the strength or will to banter with you today."

"Honestly, princess, you should be used to this. I mean, for goodness sake, you should still be at the gym, smacking the old sand sack and bench pressing a stadium."

"I haven't been to the gym in over five and a half centuries. I don't have time."

"Well, you're gonna have to make time soon. After all, you're going to have to tell them why they're here sooner or later, right? You need to be fit as a fiddle and sharp as a tack. Just in case, ya know, there is a bit of a fallout with six crazy, violent, and strange beings that might not be too happy about being ripped from their world."

"I am fully aware of that risk, Discord, and I have prepared to take whatever consequences."

"The only thing you're fully aware of is the fluff in your pillow, and the only thing you seem to be prepared to take is a nap." Celestia groaned as she grabbed another pillow and pressed it against her ears, trying to silence Discord. "But, what do I know," he continued, "I'm not even here right now. This is all in your head. Regardless, I hope you sleep well, dear Sun Butt. We have work to do once again in the near future, and you're gonna need all the strength you can get."

After that, only silence and the ticking of her clock prevailed her room. She sighed and looked out the window and into the night sky. The sea of stars sparkled in the night, wishing her pleasant dreams, which made her smile a little before she finally drifted off to sleep.
> Part 5: Loyalty Opens the Closed Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Feathers Shall Fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far beyond the reaches of mortal breaths, blanketed in golden mists within a sea of stars, fragments of locations so close to Heaven itself floated through the comforting void. Hallowed melodies from unknown origins swam through the space beyond space, weaving through the infinite atmosphere like a gentle stream. Speckled in the haunting distance, among the endless diamonds all around, strange avian figures of white and gold flew about, entering and leaving the fragments scattered. Creatures so pure, their only interest laid in committing miracles both grand and mundane in the name of their Father. It was as divine as it was systematic, etched with hundreds, if not thousands of years of practice and obedience. Across the cosmos, these beings had many names, but in the tongue of English speaking humans beings, they were called Angels. Majesty, patience, glory, grace, and joy followed them in their wake, with plumes of white feathers being their only evidence of existence remaining upon departing the land of the living.

However, despite the good they intend to spread, their brilliant nature obscured the dark deeds they needed to commit to keep the purity of their realms. In the name of their Father, the darkness must be pushed back at any cost, no matter the lives sacrificed, no matter the pain endured, no matter the chaos it brings. This grim task brought them to a lone floating fragment, where a peculiar black clad maiden stood, guns at the ready in each hand and attached to each heel. A smile of wicked playfulness adorned her face, as her fingers twitched in anticipation, holding her scarlet firearms aloft.

In an effort to throw her off, some of the angels that decided to engage her in battle used their halos to teleport directly to her location, in order to strike her down quick. However, before any could materialize and throw a well practiced attack at her, she had already dodged as if she had seen it before hand. Even if the attack came from behind. From then, she would pummel the offending entity while filling them with magic laced lead bullets for extra measure. Upon being significantly beaten, the angel would then see a crippling punch from a giant black fist, or other times a stomp from a giant black stiletto. Both sizable attacks would erupt from peculiar portals formed from the black body suit she wore that seemed to melt away to varying degrees to summon those strikes. Despite the punishment dished out, the angels subjected to those thunderous strikes were far more well off. From time to time, at the snap of a finger, strange and brutal contraptions summoned from hell itself would appear near the maiden and nearby angel. The end result was always painful, always bloody, and never, EVER merciful. Never the less, this intruder, this witch, was a blight to their perfection and order, and had to be stopped no matter what. Each and every angel near by gave in their best effort to send her to hell, but each and every one met with a brutal fate. Except, perhaps, for one. 

Bestowed the name Adna, it was nothing more than a simple warrior of light and messenger in the name of their Father. It's crimson helm gleamed in the light of the void around them. Its skin was a brilliant and unmarred white marble, decorated in circlets of gold around its arms and legs. Its golden edged wings flexed out pure white feathers in anticipation. The nails of its symmetrical, four fingered hands were also a brilliant gold, as were the claws of its didactyl feet. Its pure white and green decorated robe fluttered from the shifting heavenly mists along with the stray plumes that floated about the air. Carrying a staff depicting an image of the sun, the angel under the title Affinity charged forward to their common foe, winding its staff backward, ready to strike. Mere moments before the strike could make contact however, there was a sudden influx and distortion all around the angel. Upon realizing what was happening, it was too late. The witch had somehow manipulated the fabric of time itself to avoid the incoming attack, and had moved behind Adna. Before the angel could react, Adna's ankles were kicked out from underneath it, causing it to crash to the ground. Just as it landed, a portal of purple and black erupted between it and the witch, before the shape of a giant boot shot out, slamming against the helpless angel. The impact was so massive that the force shred Adna's wings, making it unable to fly, and cracked its marble skin, greatly diminishing its defense and endurance. Not only that, but its battered body was sent flying at a high speed off of the platform like fragment and deep into the star ocean.

The angel had failed spectacularly, and in record time. Its body spiraled out further and further into the vastness, with no end in sight, and no way to die. Adna was too far from any potential fragments to land against, and it knew no angel would help it when they had more important duties to tend to. The injuries it sustained only continued to sap the angel's energy as it continued to sail on through the infinite, praying for mercy until the subconscious consumed its thoughts. However, while its prayers were heard without it knowing, it wasn't from a God he knew, or a Devil he loathed. Never the less, in an effort to assist the passed out Affinity, the trajectory of Adna's body was tweaked, putting it on a course towards a strange looking castle made of the clouds themselves. A multi-storied tower, built of finely crafted pillars and archways, wrapped lovingly with billows of cloud formations, pooled with rainbow falls from the top and off to the sides.

Just before it got close enough, Adna's body hit a barrier the shimmered in gold. Upon the impact, the angel's halo began to glow brilliantly, becoming more intense in light than the sun itself, before finally shattering into pieces. With that, the shimmering force field changed swiftly, and Adna began to seep through the nigh invisible wall, disappearing on the other side. The barrier rippled from the transition, before settling once again in its forever changed state.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"So, Fluttershy, what's this all about?"

Upon a grassy hill, just on the northeast outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy had called upon a dear friend of hers for an urgent discussion. From an elegantly designed tower made of clouds descended the cyan coated and rainbow maned wonder herself. Rainbow Dash; the Element of Loyalty, member of the Weather Patrol in Ponyville, an aspiring prospect of the Wonderbolts, and capable of speeds far beyond pegasus abilities. In spite of her accomplishments, or perhaps because of them, her attitude always exhumed an air of pride and cockiness. However, despite her intense and arrogant nature, she had since learned to tone it down, especially around her friends. More so around Fluttershy.

"Oh, uhm, I was just wondering if you could tell me the schedule for the weather this week."

"Sure," Rainbow Dash said, "The boss has no qualms about telling other ponies about it. Why do you need to know, though?"

"Bael is coming to visit tomorrow."

Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrows in shock. "You mean that giant frog thing that you told us all about a while ago?"

Fluttershy grumbled a little, not appreciating how four of her good friends continued to call Bael a "giant frog thing" or some other variant, but let it slide just like before. "Yes. Twilight has been working on something for him so he can visit more places without his size being a danger to everypony around him. She told me a few days ago she had it completed, and is eager to test it."

Rainbow Dash nodded, but was honestly not entirely interested in her egghead friend's assumed experiment. However, the prospect of finally meeting the giant ice toad that basically saved the Crystal Empire was intriguing enough. "Well, the weather is going to be sunny for the next few days, but the schedule does say that we'll need to start up a chilly wind to run through the south and east side of town. Tomorrow night we start and it stops in three days, I think. I can re-check the schedule on that if you want."

"Oh, that'll be good. Any rain?"

"Sorry, but that's not until the week after next, and only for a couple days."

"Ok."

Suddenly, a loud crack was heard coming from the sky. Both pegasi looked towards the offending sound, and noticed a fireball of a sort, screaming down towards Ponyville. Or, more specifically, towards Dash's home. Before she could react in time, the unidentified flaming object collided with the top of the tower and sailed through a stream of rainbow. Said object was now on a direct course for the two mares. Fluttershy screamed in panic.

Without saying a word, Rainbow tackled her canary yellow friend out of the incoming object just before it could land on her. Up in the air and a decent distance away from the impact point, Rainbow Dash let go of Fluttershy once she was sure her friend was alright. Then, out of curiosity, the two mares floated down to the small crater to get a look at what almost hit them, before Fluttershy gasped and realized something. Whatever almost crashed into them was some sort of creature, and it seemed to still be alive and breathing.

"I'll go and get Twilight!" Fluttershy said, before turning to Ponyville and began making her way to the library.

However, Rainbow remained behind, fixated on the being laying before her, face down in the scorched and rainbow splotched ground. It was a little difficult to tell with the multiple colors, but she tried getting a good look at the being. It was strange to be sure. It seemed bird-like to her, but the body structure was all wrong. While its leg structure seemed right, despite how muscular they were, the upper body was most definitely off-beat, featuring a well toned torso, and two arms that had symmetrical hands. Its neck was thick and elongated, capped with what seemed to be a red helm, with a white beak just barely poking out at the tip. At the base of the back of its neck featured what seemed to be an open mouthed face. Going down its back, she saw two de-feathered wing-like appendages, still smouldering slightly from the fall. Its white marble skin, when not painted with the liquid rainbow, had slight chips and cracks that revealed something red underneath. The gold it wore seemed to wind around its arms, legs, and neck, either as decoration, or significance of something she couldn't tell. The only other thing it wore was a singed and torn white and green robe that covered its front and back. 

"Oh yeah, that," Rainbow Dash said, snapping out of her awe. She then quickly grabbed a cloud, positioned it over the fallen creature, and kicked the cloud, causing it to rain on it, washing it down. Swiftly, the creature was relatively clean and no longer smoldering in no time. "That should do it," she said as she kicked it again, turning the cloud off, and pushing it back into the sky at a safe distance. Once she returned, and felt that waiting around for her friends in the mud wasn't right for this new being, the mare decided to pick it up and take it somewhere warm and dry in the meantime. Lifting its body gingerly, Rainbow was surprised to learn that, despite it being a little more than twice her size, it seemed to be quite light. Perhaps even lighter than herself. Figuring she should not dwell on it, she took flight, and proceeded back to her cloud house. Rainbow looked towards the damage done to the top of her tower, clicking he tongue in slight annoyance, before finally flying inside her home.

Once inside, she made here way to the empty couch, and gently placed the creature's body on the soft furniture in a recovering position. Racing out of the room, she then retrieved a dry towel from her bathroom, and came back to pat the being down, gently trying to dry it off. Getting as much of the water and residual liquid rainbow off of it, she tossed to soaking towel away into the laundry bin once she felt she was done. She then backed off from the being, giving it room to breathe, and realized something.

"So, am I going to be eventually partnered up with you, or something?" Rainbow Dash assumed, based on what happened with her friends. Silence prevailed the air as the being remained still. She laughed at the prospect, before saying, "Well, it could have been worse. You could have been some weird flaming spider monster, or a jerk with slicked back hair and a blue coat, or whatever other dumb thing that could have shown up." She sighed. "Guess I won't know until you get up." She then turned her attention to her pet tortoise, Tank, whom had stirred from the disturbance and decided to see what was up. "Hey Tank," Rainbow Dash said, before looking back to the creature, "I guess we have a new guest in Ponyville. Hopefully Twilight will help us figure out what exactly it is. Not like she'll need to, unless it has amnesia after that crash, or something lame like that." The hardy reptile simply smiled at her, as she continued to talk, "Geez, there seems to be a lot going on around here. Weird creatures showing up left and right, Discord returning, another Changeling attack, a letter from the Wonderbolts Acadamy..." She looked out the window. "THAT, I can't wait to go and do. Training with THE Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash sighed in affinity, musing to herself about the possibilities and the inspired feeling deep in her heart. She looked back down to her beloved Tank, whom just smiled at her, unable to NOT feel some of his owner's joy. She then turned her attention to the strange creature. "I guess I should go wait outside for Twilight and Fluttershy, eh? You stay here and be good until I get back. You too, Tank." With that, she exited the building, leaving her pet and the new guest behind.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


It felt like an eternity. Adna's whole body ached beyond anything that it had suffered in the name of the Father. If this was the concept of Hell, it most certainly did not enjoy the feeling. Its consciousness swam through the nothing deep within its own mind, as memories slowly came back, bit by bit. It remembered the many duties it was assigned to do, and the miracles it was called for. It remembered the intrusion of the witch, and the colossal failure against what should have been an easy target. With the sheer numbers they had against her, it was almost flabbergasting that she took them all on so easily. It was a disgrace, and the fact that Adna still lived was an even bigger dishonor. It would rather reset in the meadows of Heaven as a Decoration than to live as a failure. However, because suicide was forbidden among their kind, all it could do was beg for forgiveness.

"Ils micaolz olpirt od ialprg de bliors, il Mad aaf tol, yolcam iehusoz od bams ol dobix. Gnay ip adrpan ol gah, crp loholo g-"a

"It's saying something..."

The angel stopped its prayer for mercy, and zeroed in on the unknown voice. It wasn't the Father that Adna prayed to, certainly, as it was distinctly singular and female in tone. For a moment, it worried that the witch it fought had found it, and was now waiting for Adna to return to the world of the conscious in order to enact terrible brutality. The terror subsided, however, when it realized the voice sounded younger and far kinder than expected. As the silence lingered, Adna started to become more aware of its presence, which gave way to its return to the waking world. Slowly but surely, the subconscious began to melt away, and more physical sensations became recognizable. 

"It's waking up!"
> In the Name of God
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash sat patiently on the "lawn" of her tower, watching the town below and keeping an eye out for her friends' arrival. Her patience was swiftly rewarded with the arrival of Fluttershy with Twilight in tow. Dash called out to them, waving her hoof as extra measure to catch her attention. Sure enough, the two ponies noticed their friend easily. While Fluttershy flew up to Rainbow Dash directly, Twilight had cast a cloud walking spell on herself first, then teleported onto the lawn, seeing as she wasn't capable of flight. At first, Twilight's hooves fumbled a little upon the cloudy surface, which elicited a giggle from her brash friend, but she adjusted quickly never the less.

"Glad you guys could finally make it," Dash said with a smirk, "You sure took your sweet time."

"Oh come on. We didn't take that long to get here," Twilight said with a playful chuckle, "So, where's our friend?"

"I took him inside a little while ago. No sense in letting the guy lay in mud while we wait for you, eh?"

"Lay in mud?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, heh, yeah. I washed the guy off with a raincloud while he was still out cold. I mean, he was caked with liquid rainbow and smoldering from the fall. Couldn't let him stay like that, after all."

"I suppose you have a point." Even if your methods are a little crude, Twilight thought. "Shall we go inside then, so I can examine our new guest?"

"I think that would be best," Fluttershy said, "I do hope the poor dear is alright."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. My friends, she thought, are such dorks. Soon, the three mares entered the tower, and moved into the living room, where Tank sat beside the couch that the strange being occupied. With a not so subtle gasp, that almost sounded like a squeak, Twilight suddenly teleported herself to the creature's side. Tank, while slow to react, still tipped backwards from the pop of magic, but managed to keep himself righted despite the shock. 

"Hey, careful teleporting like that. You might actually knock something or somepony over."

Twilight looked to her friend, giving an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm just so excited." She then turned to the hardy tortoise. "Sorry to you too, Tank. I'll be more careful next time." She then relayed her focus upon the specimen before her, eyes narrowing in concentration. Her horn flared once again, summoning a magnifying glass, which she then used to scan the creature's body slowly and studiously. Then, she pressed her hoof against the creature's neck gently, only to be met with the feel of warm marble. "How extraordinary."

"What?" Dash asked automatically.

With a poof, the magnifying glace disappeared from the room as Twilight turned to her friend. "Well, good news is this thing is most definitely alive. For its body type, size, and structure, despite how bizarre it may be, it's certainly recovering relatively normally. Breathing is even, and its heartbeat seems leveled. However," she continued, turning back to the white thing before her, "when I touched its skin, it felt like I was touching the marble in Canterlot Castle. What I wouldn't give to have a sample to see what exactly this creature is made of. Perhaps, if it's willing, I'll ask it when it wakes up."

"Alright, so the thing is strange. I think we could have figured that out without looking it over like a science experiment."

"Right," she said bashfully, before turning to her friend, "But what I'm curious to know is how it seems to be doing fine, despite the fall."

Rainbow's eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, judging from the abnormal marks on the surface of this creature, and the fact that you found it smoldering after a dangerous looking fall, if Fluttershy's testimony is anything to go by, then it really shouldn't be this well off." She then turned back to the creature and looked it over once again, noticing something odd. "Hang on. Something isn't right."

"What's wrong," Rainbow Dash asked, trotting closer to the creature.

"The cracks on it's 'skin'... they're fading. Or, more accurately," she reasoned, summoning another magnifying glass, "They seem to be healing." Sure enough, upon hovering the glass over one of the cracks, they noticed one of them was starting to shrink in size, as if it were repairing itself. "It really is like skin. I wonder..." Twilight Sparkle then looked to different parts of the body, searching for other injuries. She quickly came upon what looked like a chipped out spot, revealing red beneath the white. Upon closer examination, sure enough, the chipped spot began to shrink as well, closing up and covering the red spot. "That's definitely not right."

"Well, it's healing, I guess. What's not right about that?"

"This isn't how epidermis injuries heal. There needs to be blood flow and coagulation. This isn't following basic biological rules."

"Well, uhm, we do know this poor thing isn't really... normal," Fluttershy chimed in.

Twilight dispelled her magnifying glass once again, and pawed at her chin in thought. "True," she said, "but I didn't think it would go this far." She sighed, before turning back to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, I need you to look after our guest. I'm going to head back to Ponyville and do a little research. Maybe one of our other extraequestrian friends might be able to provide some insight." She then looked to Fluttershy. "That, and I have to prepare to help Fluttershy in receiving Bael when he's brought to Ponyville. Not even mentioning the amulet I was working on for him."

"Oh, an amulet?" Fluttershy awed, eyes sparkling at the idea, "I can't wait to see that. I hope it compliments his lovely whitish blue color. Or perhaps his cute little red eyes."

Twilight rubbed the back of her head. "I guess we'll see." She and Fluttershy then turned to take their leave. "It goes without saying, but I'm counting on you, Rainbow. If there is any change at all, let me know ASAP."

Rainbow Dash saluted her friends as they exited her home, and left the speedy pegasus and her pet alone with the strange pure white being. She looked it over one more time, already wondering where it could have come from, imagination running wild at the strangest of prospects. Then, something at the corner of her eyes drew her in. Turning to the anomaly, she focused upon the wing-like appendages on its back. She then noticed the sudden gold trim that wasn't there before, and newly growing feathers just barely poking from its skin.

"What are you?"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


A few days came and went, and events played out rather smoothly. Fluttershy and Twilight had successfully brought Bael into Ponyville, whom merely grumbled about the lack of snow. Twilight's little green amulet, originally constructed to fool Trixie into relinquishing the Alicorn Amulet, ended up working the magic it had recently been enchanted with. The effects were immediate, shrinking Bael down in size, leaving him just over twice the size of a bear, rather than the size of an Ursa Minor. Everyone that was terrified of the giant frog touching down at the town limits were now curious and eager to meet their new visitor.

After a rather hectic welcome party, Fluttershy finished helping the demon feel at home while Twilight returned to her studies. Not just on the magical anomalies she had been studying since Bael's arrival in the Crystal Empire, but now on the various biologies of magical creatures with enhanced healing capabilities. Needless to say, none of the records matched what she saw back in Rainbow Dash's home. She was about to call it a night upon finishing her last book, when Rainbow Dash came crashing through her window, creating quite a loud racket. Twilight groaned, but decided to go and see what was up, hoping it was important. After all, if it weren't, Rainbow Dash probably would have used the door like a normal pony. Probably.

Heading down stairs, she came to a normal sight that would follow urgent news. Rainbow Dash, dazed and collapsed upon a nest of books in front of a broken bookshelf with shards of a broken window scattered everywhere. She knew it was going to be a long night cleaning up after all of this was over. With her natural telekinesis, she picked up the pegasus off her books, and sat her down away from the mess. With a gentle shake, Dash snapped back to reality.

"Alright, Rainbow, what's up?"

"You gotta come quick! I think it's starting to wake up!" 

Twilight gasped, "This soon?!" She never anticipated that it would recover so quickly, but decided to address the moment at hand instead of the questions buzzing in her head. "Alright, let's go. Spike! Be ready to take a letter when I get back, and don't worry about the mess. We'll have it clean later. Otherwise, take the rest of the day off."

There was a muffled acknowledgement upstairs in response as the two mares headed out the door and sped for Rainbow Dash's home. It didn't take them long to reach the floating cloud tower, as Rainbow Dash instinctively headed straight for her lawn. She turned back, with slight irritation, before realizing Twilight needed to cast a spell to let her walk on her clouds, and let her irritation escape through her teeth. Upon finishing, Twilight teleported up to her cyan friend, and the two entered the home.

Inside, Tank sat in a makeshift camp arranged beside the couch the creature was still upon. But what a change it seemed to have undergone. Its skin was flawless, with no signs of cracks or chips. Its wings were now fully formed, trimmed with gold at the outer edge. Even the robe it wore was now flawless, as if it weren't even marred by scorch marks. Twilight's eyebrow raised upon realizing that little fact.

"That," she started, trying to keep her outburst to a minimum, "I know THAT is impossible. Fabric can't just grow back like that!"

"I know, right?" Rainbow agreed.

"Why didn't you tell me it was healing like this?"

"I didn't think it was important enough!" Rainbow then slumped a little, "Though, you did say to tell you if anything changes. That should have been my cue yesterday."

"Its alright, Rainbow Dash."

Then, the being before them twitched. The girls froze, staring at the creature, which did nothing after the initial spasm. Rainbow then looked to her friend once again. "Yeah, that's why I called you this time around."

"Well, that's good that it's moving now."

The creature then began to curl up against itself, its hands clenching together tightly.

"Ok, that's new," Rainbow Dash said quietly.

Silence hung in the air for a moment or two, until they began to hear something really strange coming from the being.

"Ils micaolz olpirt od ialprg de bliors, il Mad aaf tol, yolcam iehusoz od bams ol dobix. Gnay ip adrpan ol gah, crp loholo g-"

"It's saying something..." Twilight commented, a little louder than she wanted.

"Do you know what it's saying?" Rainbow whispered as quietly as possible,

Twilight remained mute, waiting for any further developments, resisting the urge to rush the specimen to study closely. Her patience was rewarded swiftly, as the creature, whom was still curled up at the time, began to unfurl itself and moved as if it were trying to sit up slowly.

"It's waking up!" Rainbow Dash blurted out.

The thing, now sitting fully upright, clutched its head with both of its hands, and groaned. The two mares stood silent, hooves ready to make very quick tracks if it turned out to be hostile. In hindsight, Twilight thought, maybe we should have thought of that before just leaving it here to heal without anticipating the risks. She looked to her friend, whom had a stern look in her eyes.

After shaking its head gently, it drew its hands away from its head, and placed them at the surface of the couch in relaxation. The being's wings then stretched out as far as they could go, showing off a rather impressive span, before they folded back behind it. As it finally retained its senses, it realized it wasn't alone, and its head snapped in the direction of the mares. Both Twilight and Rainbow froze, upon being spotted by the creature.

It got up off the couch slowly, sight fixated on the two, before it ruffled its robe gently and took a slow side step. Twilight and Rainbow's eyes followed its movement. It paused, before realizing a critical fact. Shaking its head, it took a step forward. "Dluga il dooain," it said in a moderate tenor voice that was smooth as silk and seemed to reverberate.

Twilight cocked her head to the side upon hearing the words. Did it say something, again? Why does it sound familiar?

Rainbow Dash's response, however, was alot less dignified, as she simply blurted out, "What?"

"Tuum nomen," it said not a moment after. The mares remained quiet for the time being, as it continued to speak. "Donne ton nom. Anata no namae o tsukete. Gib deinen Namen. Dar tu nombre. 'iieta' asmak. Gěi nǐ de míngzì. Dayte imya Tvoye. Geef uw naam. Cho danh Chúa. Give thy name."

"Wait!" Rainbow Dash blurted, "I understood that one!"

"Thou have an English tongue?" it said again.  

"English?" Twilight asked, "We know Ponish, if it sounds anything like that?"

"Is that thy babel's name?" the creature asked, "No matter. Give thy name."

Twilight's face scrunched, but she let it slide. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash."

"Bizarre," it stated simply, looking about its surroundings. "Most curious. If it shalt please thee, how have I come to this realm? Where am I?"

"You came crashing down from the sky like you were a meteor!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly, "I don't think I've seen an entrance THAT awesome before... though, I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt."

"Well," Twilight started, "You're in Equestria. Specifically, Ponyville. I'm not entirely sure HOW you got here, though. I've been investigating that for some time now. You aren't the only, uhm, foreign entity to end up here by random chance." Though, I am strongly convinced it's anything BUT chance.

"There are others?"

"Nothing like you, but yes, there are others."

The creature stood silent in thought, before it clutched its head again, forcing it to return to the couch it had laid upon. The heavy, dull throb robbed it of further action, and forced out a heavy growl of discomfort.

"Are you alright?"

"What I have gone through I'd wish upon ONLY my greatest of foes," it said. After sitting for a moment, it looked towards the two mares, and spoke again, "I am designated Adna by my kin. I am tasked as one of God's many messengers."

The two mares stared at the creature for a moment, before Twilight responded with, "Alright. Uhm, it's a pleasure to meet you, Adna. I suppose being a messenger for this "God" is very important."

"Only the highest of importance," it replied. Adna suddenly lurched for a moment, before feeling something both horrid and familiar. "My other task, however," it started in a menacing tone, "is the eradication of those that trespass against the name of God. Those that I sense nearby..." Adna then stood back up, upon uttering those words, before another shot of pain thrust into his head, forcing him back down. 

"Wait, what?" Rainbow asked.

"I have to agree. What are you talking about," Twilight inquired further.

Adna rubbed its head, then looked to Twilight. "I sense the foulness of devils." The angel then stood up, staggering slightly to another jolt of agony, before painfully stepping forth, intending to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Twilight asked in concern.

"I must find those wretched creatures."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Rainbow Dash said, floating in front of the creature, hooves outstretched. "You may seem ok, but you're acting like you went a few rounds with a tornado. Maybe you should just sit down and rest? I mean, maybe what you're sensing isn't really what you think it is, and that's just the obvious headache you have messing with you? Besides, I know for a fact we don't have any devils around here. Most ponies in town are pretty awesome."

Adna stared into her eyes for a few moments, viewing the windows to her soul. Arrogant, brash, hot headed, temperamental, but loyal and kindly to a point, and willing to risk life and limb for what she believed in. There was a strong virtue in her heart, superseding her self centered aura that throbbed dully. The angel stepped back and sat back down on the couch, nursing its pained head.

"Very well... But I will investigate at the morrow."

"I have so many questions to ask you, Adna," Twilight said in honest kindness, "but, I'll wait until you are feeling better." She then looked back to her friend. "I'll see you later, Rainbow Dash. I've got a library to clean, and some notes to make. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure. See ya." Dash said with a smile and a wave, as her intelligent friend left without another word, popping out of existence. Adna lurched forward from the act, but looked back to the pegasus, whom it noted she didn't even give the action a second thought. The angel relaxed against the soft surface, brooding in the calm. Rainbow turned to the angel, and addressed it, "I think I'm gonna go to bed. I'd stick around, but I've got a lot to do tomorrow. Besides, I'm sure I can ask you a bazillion questions some other time." She then picked up Tank gently, whom gave no protest, and headed for the stairs she floated above, before turning back to the angel. "Well, good night."

The angel nodded, but said nothing more, as it watched the pegasus exit his view. Looking out the window from where it sat, it growled in frustration. Magic, it thought, what further blasphemy does this realm have? I shall investigate on the morrow, in thy name. It laid down on the soft furniture, and let its body relax further. Soon, fatigue of the pain and keeping itself awake swept over, and allowed it to drift to sleep.
> The Enemy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning gently seeped into the surprisingly cool cloud home of Rainbow's. Creeping up along the floor and up to her cloud bed, the light made its way onto the pegasus' face, causing her to toss and turn under her navy blue blanket. Eyes creaked open eventually before suddenly shutting from the intense glare while she tried to shuffle away, getting too close to the edge of her bed. Before she realized it, she reached her tipping point and tumbled out of the comfort of her warm blankets and onto the relatively cold and hard floors.

Now fully awake from the crash, she quickly shook the stars from her eyes, yawned, and stretched herself out while feeling satisfying pops in her stiff joints. With one final stretch, she finally stood back up proud and tall, before looking out the window to greet the morning. Sure enough, she could see yet another good day ahead of her in Ponyville. With a knowing smile, she thought to herself, I wonder how long THAT will last. Looking back to her messy bed, she noticed her pet tortoise sleeping at the foot of her cloudy mattress peacefully. She considered waking him, but decided against it. He'll get up when he get's up. No use rushing him. Heh, Tank rushing. I'd still love to see that. With that, she ditched the slippers and thick purple night robe, before proceeding to her daily routine. A few extra advanced stretches followed by a short work-out of push ups, wing ups, and speed hovers right before hitting the showers for body, mane, and teeth needs. 

After her routines, she sped out of her room and down the stairs, and rummaged through her kitchen for something quick to eat. As she did, she felt something off. Turning around, she looked into the empty living room that still had the small empty camp beside the couch. Nothing out of the- she began to think, before remembering that her living room wasn't supposed to be empty of a certain guest. She abandoned her kitchen and took a short look around, noticing only a few pure white feathers scattered about. Rainbow Dash then relaxed upon realizing that the strange creature was going to look around town this morning. He didn't seem like the type to get into trouble, so maybe it's all good, she thought. Lazily flying back to the kitchen, she resumed rifling through her pantries until she found exactly what she was looking for.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Adna knew there was something disturbingly off about the world it was in. It knew it could sense the essence of demons nearby. Very powerful ones, to be frightfully honest. Not only that, but aside from the unicorn that displayed skills of the arcane, the actual atmosphere itself seemed to exhume magic. It was as if these creatures lived and breathed it. For the angel, this was a terrifying prospect. Magic, in most instances, is forbidden to mortals and can only be preformed under contracts through the vile armies of Hell. Miracles, a pure, divine facsimile utilizing holy elements and light, were otherwise contracted through the legions of Heaven. On rare occasion, some mortals, be they human or otherwise, were able to bypass such pacts and utilize magic or miracles on their own merits. But for an entire WORLD to have beings capable of performing acts of the arcane sent the angel's feathers to ruffle in agitation. With these epiphanies, Adna doubled its efforts on the investigation, starting its search at what seemed to be a cottage roofed with vegetation and dotted with various bird houses and animal hovels.

Descending from the sky, Adna landed on the lush green lawn nearby a beaten path leading to a small bridge before said cottage. The grass below his feet was surprisingly soft to the touch, which almost caused the angel to drop its guard. As it slowly approached, small furry creatures nearby became curious and started to crowd around the holy being. Even small birds and butterflies hazarded a chance and landed on the angel. In all honesty, Adna didn't quite understand such attraction those little creatures had, but it quickly ignored them and proceeded to the cottage. Knocking on the door, it peered into the window to see nothing. Then, a very gentle voice piped up from behind the building.

"Oh, uhm, I'm back here. If you would like to talk to me about something, you're ever so welcome to."

Adna focused its attention towards the origin of the voice, and slowly made its way around the cottage. Stepping over animals, but stepping on flowers, it rounded the side of the building and circled around to the back. Upon passing the corner, it beheld a rather foreboding and curious sight. A merry Fluttershy giving a rather sudsy sponge bath to a creature Adna only ever heard hearsay about. A horrifically large, white skinned toad demon with ice crystals spiking its back, whom hummed lowly to the little pegasus' attention.

"Trespassing fiend!" Adna exclaimed. The outburst was enough to cause Fluttershy to drop her sponge in surprise, whipping around to Adna's direction. It also forced two deep crimson eyes to open and focus intensely on the angel. Adna glared at the monster before him, ready to act, but a voice kicked out his stream of consciousness.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're doing alright," Fluttershy said with genuine relief, "You looked so injured when I last saw you."

"Uhm, grammercy," Adna uttered in response, focusing back to Bael.

"Oh, pardon my outburst, I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Fluttershy, and this is Bael."

Adna looked to the pegasus for a moment, before focusing back on the demon lord. "I am Adna," it stated, before asking, "Wherefor dost thou harbor such a fiend?"

"Fiend?" Fluttershy parroted, "He isn't a fiend. He's actually quite nice when you get to know him. I mean, he was a rather rude little toad when we first met, but we're all past that. Right, Bael?"

The Lord of Frozen Soil grunted, eyes remaining fixed on the avian intruder of his discontent. He growled lowly, ready to tear the the amulet off of his body to get his original size back so he could stomp on the angel quickly.

"Bael," Fluttershy repeated in a chastising tone. The demon focused back on Fluttershy before sighing.

"I have no nefarious intentions, angel," he finally said firmly in his guttural, booming voice.

"Angel?" Fluttershy looked back to Adna, noting its appearance and pure white skin decorated with gold. "That's what an angel looks like?"

"What they can appear as, yes. Disgusting looking creatures, are they not?"

"Bael! That's not very nice!" Fluttershy shot back.

"Certainly better to look at than that serpentine chimera."

"Enough!" Adna shouted.

Fluttershy turned back to Adna. "I am very, VERY sorry about that. I don't know what has gotten into him. He wasn't this spiteful in a long time." She turned her attention back to the demon toad for a moment, before adding, "I'm sure he feels very ashamed of himself."

Bael grunted once again, averting his eyes from the little pony in a huff. Adna, however, wasn't in the mood to deal with such a bizarre happenstance, and decided it would be best just to act. It held its hand aloft, and using the divine power within, summoned forth a pure white staff with a golden depiction of the sun at the head. Clutching the tool, Adna drew it back, and began running towards Bael in a sprint, intending to enact holy judgement. However, before he could get close, or even begin to raise his weapon, Fluttershy shot between the two, hovering in the air a little off the ground with outstretched forelegs, with a stern look on her face.

"STOP!" she commanded, to which Adna did. "What do you think you're doing, mister?!" 

"Stand aside, mortal," Adna ordered, "This foul creature MUST be slain in the name of all that is just."

"I will NOT!" she responded, "I refuse to let you bully someone that isn't even doing anything wrong!"

Adna was almost stunned by such a statement, but held its ground. "That creature is a DEMON! A blight to all that is good and holy. It is the embodiment of everything wrong. Stand. Aside."

Fluttershy stared back at Adna sternly, holding her ground firmly, keeping the angel from advancing. Despite everything in its body telling it to strike her aside, something else told it that would be a horrible idea. It would be like blindly attacking innocence. Forbidden. Looking back to Bael, whom also stared intently at it, but with malice instead of determination, Adna decided to go for the unorthodox option. With its staff disappearing in a flash of light, the angel stepped back and gave the pegasus room once again. Her eyes softened, as her body relaxed and floated back to the ground.

"Begone, angel," Bael commanded, "and brighten another door with your obnoxious-" Bael stopped, before his lips curved into a smile. "Oh, I didn't notice. I suppose you can't brighten anything without your halo."

"WHAT?!" it shouted, hands reaching up above its head instinctively. There was no ethereal touch of golden light misting around its fingertips as it would if it were to try to grab it, cluing it in the halo's absence. Adna began to panic.

"What's wrong, little dove? Missing something precious?" Bael mocked with a malicious chortle.

"FIE ON THEE, FOUL THING!" Adna shouted, before launching itself into the sky and flying away.

Upon being left alone once again, Fluttershy turned to the deeply smirking toad demon with a very cross look upon her face. "We are going to have a long talk about this, mister."

Still worth it.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


High above the air once again, Adna slowed to a stop, and hovered among the clouds as it sorted its panicked thoughts. It thought back long and hard to when it might have lost its halo, but couldn't remember much after its failure, or before beginning to wake up the first time. For a moment, Adna believed that perhaps it was under some sort of trick or bewitchment, which was making it believe it lost its halo. Mayhap my light is just unseen. To test this hypothesis, it concentrated hard and called upon the power of its halo to teleport itself. However, after a few moments of straining and silence, with a chilled wind nipping at its skin, nothing came of the effort. Adna sagged in the air, entirely at a loss. My connection to my brethren... to our Father... gone.

As its gaze was cast down to the earth below it, the angel watched the town's activity. Despite the obvious and blasphemous faint air of magic all around, the citizens all behaved as they should. Perhaps a far cry kinder than other mortals even. It was strange. Everything in the angel's being was telling it that this was both wrong, but it was right. It made no sense to Adna.

What did make sense to him was another influx of demonic essence, which he fixated on. I may have left behind the Lord of Frozen Soil, it thought, but this one shall not ignore God's judgement. With that, Adna dove down from the sky beak first, before tilting back and landed gracefully upon the ground. Ponies all around the Affinity paused, a tad spooked from the sudden intrusion of the angel, but otherwise didn't question it this time. The angel, however, marched its way through the sparse herd, looking for the being that exhumed a violent, demonic presence. Summoning its staff to its hand, it attempted to approach a rather rotund, human-looking creature whom was carrying a large stack of heavy packages. 

Before he could get even remotely close enough, a sudden pink blur zipped into his face while shouting, "HI THERE!"

Adna squawked from the bold action, jumping back and brandishing its staff in defense. Upon realizing it was just another pony, he let his staff drop. "Step aside mortal. I-"

"Oh, oh, don't tell me! You're hear to surprise Elvis, aren't you? I'd normally be TOTALLY on board with that, but we are SU~UPER busy right now. The Cakes need these supplies ASAP because we're getting a VERY large order for a BIG party later! It's a 'Welcome to Ponyville Bael!' party, because I haven't thrown him a party yet and I'm so super duper excit- hey wait, you're new too, aren't you?" She gasped in an impossibly high pitch, before suddenly invading Adna's personal space once again. "YOU ARE! That means I have to throw you a party too! YAY! Now we can change it to Welcome to Ponyville: Bael and... and... Uhm, what's your name?"

Adna backed away again in an attempt to get a little breathing room and distance away from the pony. "Thou art wasting my time. Stand aside."

"HEY! ROSA!" Elvis shouted from a fair distance away from the two, "PICK UP THE PACE! WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO AND-" He stopped, and realized what exactly Pinkie was talking to. "Oh... great. A pigeon is here." With that, the large bellied demon gingerly placed his stack of supplies on the ground and approached his friend and the angel.

"Look, Elvis! It's a brand new friend to be welcomed to Ponyville! Isn't that so cool?!" Pinkie squealed with excitement.

"That ain't no amigo, amiga," Elvis growled.

"No un amigo?" Pinkie asked, "But, he looks so nice, and smells like rosemary!"

Elvis pinched his nose with a gag, before stating, "Yeah, I noticed."

"Demon, I know thy potential is being restrained. Show thy true self, and accept God's sentencing."

"God has no jurisdiction here, cabron. Take off, or I'll bat you so hard you fly into the milky way."

"But, there aren't any bats around here, Elvis. We're nowhere NEAR a spooky cave or sports store," Pinkie interjected, laughing nervously.

"Foul creature, thine empty threats do NOT sway me. Step forth, and be judged!"

Elvis gritted his teeth, staring at the angel for a moment or two. He took a step forward, before Pinkie quickly placed her forehooves against the demon in an attempt to give him pause. Elvis looked down to Pinkie, whom had pleading eyes under her smile.

"It's alright, Rosa," he said in a hushed tone while giving her a gentle pat on the head, "I know what I'm doing."

That's what I'm afraid of, Pinkie thought solemnly as Elvis walked past her slowly. The angel then assumed a combat stance, holding its staff off to the side in preparation. However, before it could even move, Elvis suddenly shifted forward, closing the distance between them rather frighteningly fast, and thrust his left fist at Adna's beak. The angel flinched, but not from the attack, which stopped short a few inches away, but the sudden extension of Elvis' middle finger which gently clicked against the angel's armored helm.

"Last warning. Piss off, pendejo," Elvis said lowly with finality and authority, before turning around and walking back to the supplies he put down. Picking them back up, he turned back and called to his friend. "HEY! ROSA! VAMOS! WE'RE ALREADY LATE AS IT IS!" And with that, he left in a speed walk. 

Pinkie looked to the departing Elvis, then back to Adna before giving a very nervous smile. With that, she began to quickly scuttle after Elvis, shouting, "I hope to see you at the party at the end of the week! TOWN CENTER! EIGHT AT NIGHT, SHARP! DON'T BE LA~ATE!"

Adna stood there, rather dumbfounded at the display of the lack of confrontation most demons wouldn't have. First Bael, now this creature, both refusing to fight the angel. The Affinity didn't know whether it should be mad neither didn't try to engage it in combat, or that they resorted to petty insults and demands to leave. Countless times before, when within entirely neutral territory, whenever angels engage in combat against demons, angels were instructed to let the demons be the aggressors. Mostly for strategic purposes in order to formulate effective counter attacks and exploit weaknesses caused by aggression. It was a way for them to learn more about their opponents so that they might be able to use it when it is necessary for angels to act on aggression when demons actually trespass on divine territory. It had worked for so many centuries. So why, then, are natural aggressors not making the first strike? 

With an infuriated stomp against the ground, it once again took to the sky, and left the ponies below to stare at the angel in disbelief. From the sparse crowd, a voice of opinion piped up that got immediate agreement.

"Wow, what a jerk."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


At the edge of town, haphazardly attached to the side of the fashion shop Carousel Boutique, the muffled clanking of a hammer against metal could be heard. Within the crude wooden and metal structure, beyond a simple silk curtain entrance, the ex-clan leader known as Dumah diligently worked on commissions. His work had surprisingly been getting more than enough attention with how high quality the end result was, all for rather reasonable prices. When it came to metal work, no matter how simple or complex, he could always fashion whatever was named or blueprinted. Today was no exception, but a walk-in customer left him puzzled. Said customer was Monsoon, whom delivered him a rather crude recreation of his own sai out of what seemed to be scrap.

"I hardly see reason why I should fashion objects like that, especially if you are giving me one as reference anyway," Dumah explained, hammering away at another project. "You said you made this yourself, why not make the second and save the money for more worthwhile endeavors?"

"A model is hardly a replacement for what I seek. I was told by Jack that you can fashion anything with metal in the highest degree of quality."

"I stand by what I have said, human. Why should I fashion an object like that?"

Monsoon remained silent for a moment. "Call it a sentimental thing. I can never feel fully complete without them, and with my previous ones having to be discarded, I've been needing new ones for a while. I've saved the money from working menial labor, and I intend to get what I desire. Besides, you need the bits so you can sustain this business. Why refuse such mutualism?"

"I know who and what you are," Dumah growled lowly, "What makes you think I will trust that you won't turn on them at the drop of a hat when it suits you, especially if you have your precious weapons? Humans are miserable piles of secrets and lies, after all."

"You don't," Monsoon stated simply, before dropping a bag of bits on the desk before him. "However," he continued, "I doubt whatever I do, whatever number of bodies I leave, will not go unpunished by you monsters, or Jack and her friends. It would always be in my best interest to play nice."

Dumah looked up at him with a weary eye, then looked at the small bag of bits before he slowly grabbed the small sack and the model sai. "Fine, but I'll be watching you."

Before Monsoon could make a response, the silk curtain was shoved open, as Adna stepped into the crude building. Both Monsoon and Dumah looked to the new being with expressions of intrigue and indifference respectively. Adna walked past a smirking Monsoon as it slammed both of its hands on the desk counter.

"What do you desire, strange one?" Dumah asked.

"Thou, to step outside of this edifice, so that I may bury thine undead body below the earth where it should be," it stated boldly.

"If you have no real business here, I demand you leave before Mistress Rarity has a fright from seeing your ugly robe."

"Foul creature, DO AS THOU ART COMMANDED, OR FACE THE WRATH OF GOD'S LIGHT HERE AND NOW WITHOUT DIGNITY NOR CEREMONY!" it shouted in anger, suddenly brandishing its staff and pointing it at Dumah. The large vampire looked at the angel incredulously, before scoffing.

"You have no idea, do you?" he asked simply, "Light has no effect on me anymore, and your pathetic stick will not pierce my flesh. Your efforts of intimidation are wasted. If you wish to bother someone of an equal challenge, bother the human."

"Oh that's nice. Throw the strange magical creature at the defenseless human."

"I DO NOT USE MAGIC, CUR!" Adna shouted while spinning towards Monsoon, "ONLY GOD'S DIVINE MIRACLES ARE ALLOWED TO TOUCH THESE HANDS. MAGIC IS AS FOUL AS DARKNESS ITSELF. BLASPHEMY SUCH AS THY STATEMENT WOULD HAVE THY TONGUE REMOVED!"

"You could try, but even if you succeed, it isn't like I'd need it," the cyborg stated matter-of-factly, "I wouldn't make it easy for you, though."

Adna growled, but turned its attention to Dumah once again. "I am in no mood to intervene in a mortal's life. My aim is to correct this undeath!"

Monsoon crossed his arms, and interjected with, "While I would agree with you on a personal level, as undeath goes against the very nature of the cycles of life, I have two problems with that: One, I highly doubt you could do a thing to him with your slender build. Two, I'm paying him for his services, and I'd take huge offense if you interfere."

Adna let out a cry similar to a bird of prey's and attempted to strike Dumah anyway. Before it could, a flicker of purple energy sparked behind the vampire and a large and heavy chunk of metal shot out from its resting place. It suddenly struck Adna in the chest and sent the angel flying out of the establishment. Tumbling violently against the ground after the metal lost its momentum, Adna rolled to a stop and lied still for a moment.

There was something shouted at it from within the building, but the ringing it heard drowned out the words as it groaned in pain. Defeated and broken of spirit, the angel decided to retreat for now. Three more failures, it thought as it took flight, I need sanctuary. Before it could get too far, a voice called out to it, where the words actually seemed to reach it from the dissipating ringing.

"Hey Adna!" Rainbow Dash called, "You alright? I didn't see what happened, but you kinda look like a bull just ran you over."

The angel sighed, rubbing its chest in discomfort while wincing from its aching body. It was ready to comment about the prior situation, but felt that showing weakness to a mortal wouldn't fare well for itself. "I'll be returning to thy tower. I am tired and I have all the knowledge I need from this place."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking about Ponyville, taking her eyes away from the angel for a second. "But, it's still morning. Not much has even happened..." she continued, turning back to Adna, whom was now absent from her vicinity, "... yet." Alone, but confident that Adna would indeed follow his word and return to her home, she opted to let it go for now and get back to her weather patrolling duties. Maybe I'll ask him what happened later, if he's feeling up for it.
> Repentance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe I'm about to do this."

Pacing back and forth upon a patch of clouds at the outskirts of Ponyville, roughly an entire hoofball field away from Rainbow Dash's cloud home, a griffon grumbled to herself in frustration. Her moderate gamboge coat ruffled in the cool breeze of the afternoon air, as her golden colored talons made their way to her white head feathers, gripping them in frustration. Her crude relaxation technique ruffled the pale purple tipped fringe that hung ahead of her face, causing her to slip further into a poor mood before fixing the mess she made. She huffed, looking back to the tower's front door.

"I REALLY can't believe I'm about to do this," she repeated, just as her wings shot out, extending from her sides. Leaping from the clouds, she glided towards her destination, giving off a powerful enough flap to adjust her altitude, before landing on the tower's front lawn. The clouds gave a little from her natural weight, but held her aloft due to her natural cloud walking magic that all griffons and pegasi possessed. Strutting up to the front door, she balled her left claw into a fist, raising it up to knock on the door, only to hesitate.

"Nah... I should just get my supplies and go... I mean, what if Dash isn't even home? What if I'm just seen by one of those other pony dweebs and have to answer a bunch of dumb questions, all just because I came here?" And what if those dweebs catch me talking to myself, she snarked inwardly. Sighing, she let her claw hang down for a moment, before she finally kicked her indecisiveness to the curb. No, I have to give it a shot. Get her to come back. I mean, I was in the right. Somepony as cool as her doesn't need to be around such lame dorks. Right?

With her fist shooting back up, she rapped against the door three times, and waited in silence. Though, after barely a minute, she began to have her doubts. Her mind whirled in panic as sweat beaded at her brow and her heart quickened in pace, being so strangely exposed to the silence, waiting for someone she believed should have been there by now. Dash is never this slow to answer, she thought. Maybe she really isn't-

Before she could finish her thought, the door cracked open before swinging all the way inward, revealing an entirely different entity than the one the griffin was hoping for. Beak agape, she stepped back in surprise upon laying eyes on the strange avian biped.

"Oh, m-must have the wrong place, heh," she stuttered a tad, before recomposing herself, "I should have known a place this sick couldn't belong to that lame-o."

Adna looked down upon the visitor at the doorstep, and cocked its head to one side for a moment. A griffon? How curious. Stepping out of the structure in genuine intrigue, Adna addressed its guest. "God save thee, creature. Whom art thou?"

She then too tilted her head to one side upon hearing the being before her speak. "Uhm, come again, buddy?"

Adna inwardly grumbled, but clarified itself. "Thy name. What is thy name?"

"Oh," she responded, before giving an indignant laugh, "You're one of THOSE guys. The name's Gilda, and listen buddy; that kind of way of speaking is reserved for the dorkiest and those that lived, like, centuries ago. Like before this stupid town was barely just a pit of mud."

Still frustrated from the events of barely a couple of hours ago, the griffon's rude nature ruffled Adna's own feathers more than it should have. Patience being stressed to its limits, the angel took a looming step forward, suddenly casting a shadow over Gilda's comparatively smaller frame. She took another step back, feeling intimidated for the first time in her young life, eyes still fixed on the strange creature whom spoke once again, "What business dost thou have here at the young Dash's abode?" it asked, slowly and dangerously irate.

"W-well," she stuttered again, coughing a little to hide her nerves, "Like I said, I think I'm at the wrong place, so I'll just be-" She then suddenly stopped herself, unsure of what exactly she heard. "I'm sorry, where am I again?"

"This tower belongs to the young mare, Rainbow Dash," it answered plainly.

I don't believe it, she thought in shock, right house, wrong bird. Composing herself once again, she spoke, "So, uh, is Dash inside, or something?"

"No, she has not returned since her departure."

Gilda frowned, grumbling to herself inwardly. I knew it. "Well, then I guess I should-"

"What dost thou require of her?"

The griffon sputtered a bit from being so blatantly interrupted with such a blunt question, but managed to focus herself again before answering, "Well, that isn't any of your business, mister tall, white, and weird. It's not even that important anyway." With that, Gilda turned away from the tower and began to walk towards the edge of the lawn. Before she could get ready for take off, Adna suddenly descended back into her line of sight, gently flapping its gold laced wings to keep it in a precise and steady hover. Glida's beak hung upon once again as she looked behind her at the still ajar, but now very vacant, doorway, before turning her focus back to the angel. Wow, you're quick. Slapping her mouth shut, her brows furrowed as she went into a sneer before screeching, "Hey! What's the big idea, stopping me like that?"

"Lying to an angel is as abhorrent as it is useless. Thou hold great importance in meeting with this... cloud tower's keeper, and I intend to pull the reasons from thy sinning tongue."

Gilda's head pulled back from the biting words, but dared to speak anyway, "As I told you, it's none of your business. It's between me and Dash. Not you, not that lame, pink, annoying pony she hangs out with, not anyone."

Adna looked into the griffon's brilliant amber eyes, and noticed something intriguing. It saw something akin to what it saw in Rainbow Dash, but laced with the undying loyalty were spikes of jealousy, anger, and sorrow. Further still, the brash nature it saw in the pegasi mare was repeated in the griffon, but wound in a vice grip of selfish callousness. The creature before him, one detailed in the lore of mortals as being a symbol of divinity and majesty, was struggling with deep seated issues that belong to those that towed the line of a dangerous and difficult road. Adna could not let this go unchecked.

"I shan't allow myself thy leave unhindered," the angel announced clearly.

"Wait, what?" Gilda asked, still having a tough time deciphering his speech patterns.

"If thou truly wish to find the mare Rainbow Dash," he started as he turned away, "Follow me."

Gilda raised an eyebrow for a moment, unsure how to respond, as she watched the angel slowly fly towards the town of her discontent. She shuddered inwardly, but swallowed her pride for the time being, taking flight after the angel. If this dork just leads me on a wild goose chase, he's a cooked bird! Her internal threats died the moment they surfaced upon remembering she'd have no chance against a creature that imposing. Or, I'll at least get him with a finger trap prank, or something.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Adna touched down in the town center gracefully, as the eyes of nearby ponies stared at it with feelings of distrust and indignation. The angel turned back and looked to the sky, noticing that Gilda wasn't too far behind, but stopped short of landing upon noticing the judging eyes of Ponyvile's citizens.

"So," she started, trying to avert her attention from the collective mild glares, "Where's Dash?"

"In town. Thou shalt find her soon. Come hither," Adna commanded with an outstretched hand.

"Uhm, I'd rather stay up here," she replied, clenching her fists while shying away.

"Thou needs to trust me if thou wish to find thy friend."

With the stress of everything in such a short time frame, she couldn't help but blurt out a lie in response. "SHE IS NOT MY F-" was what leaped from her throat before she cut herself off by closing her own beak with her claws. Calming down for a second, Gilda repeated, "She isn't my friend. I just have business with her, that's all."

"Thou abhorrent lies are also poorly spouted. Come hither, and mayhap thou shalt break free from thy personal demons."

"Jeez, dude. Quit talking like that," Gilda said exasperated, "You're embarrassing the both of us with your loser-nese."

The ponies began to murmur among themselves, recalling exactly what kind of a show the angel made only hours ago, and rumors of the griffon's last visit to their little town. Gilda looked about, hearing talk of her and her outburst a fair while ago, sometimes accurate, other times blown out of proportion. She began to shrink, wanting so badly to tell everyone there off and flee the town, but a voice snapped her out.

"Listen not to them. Thou hath business to conclude, and there is no time to dawdle. Come hither, and we may go."

Gilda looked to the angel, then to the ponies that continued to stare at her, before she sighed in resignation and landed before the angel. "Cut the chivalrous attitude. Take me to Dash, and do it quick," she demanded, smacking the angel's hand away.

"As you will," Adna said, before moving forth with Gilda trailing behind.

While the two walked down the streets of Ponyville in relative silence, the various citizens continued to look on. However, as the two strange beings went on their trek through the little town, behaving well the whole time, not a soul dared to step forth against them. Despite their doubts, the residents of Ponyville hazarded the chance to leave them alone for the time being, hoping they wouldn't disturb the peace yet again.

Fewer and fewer eyes remained on the angel and the griffon as the minutes passed, until even the murmurs became lost in the wind. Noticing the change, Gilda gazed around her surroundings, and despite catching a few eyes quickly seeking something else of interest, found that the atmosphere became much less uncomfortable. Her scowl slowly morphed into a sulk upon this feeling invading her thoughts as her mind began to wonder.

"Regrets?"

Gilda snapped out of her train of thought upon hearing the angel's voice. "R-regrets?" she parroted in a stutter, before she mock laughed, "What do you mean? Griffon's have NO regrets. Especially not this one! Got it, buddy?"

The angel sighed, "Lies to me are disgraceful, but lies to thine self..."

"I AIN'T lying!" she shouted, inadvertently drawing attention to herself once again.

"Stay thou temper, griffon, lest thou sacrifice thy reunion. I will not lead thee further if thou arouse the ire of this hamlet."

Gilda fumed, but kept relative silence. You started it.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Exiting the haphazard shop that was constructed at the side of Carousel Boutique, Rarity flipped her mane in relaxation, after having a long discussion with her latest business partner. She had noticed that during the time Dumah had worked with her, he had taken no efforts of respite, seemingly working nearly every hour of every day since his shop was built. Being the generous mare she was, Rarity had offered him many different chances and opportunities for a day off, even suggesting he join her at the spa. However, every offer was shot down with increasing demand to continue work on his high quality projects, arguing any rest he would take would ruin the future effort he could put in. He'd even normally end his arguments with, "I have been in physical rest for nearly a hundred years out of death. I need no further relaxation." In all honesty, she had no way of arguing with him, despite her efforts, and this time was no exception, save for the fact he had agreed to take at least a few days off when he felt he needed them.

"I swear," she started, moving back to the front door of her establishment, "That vampire would give Applejack a run for her money with how much of a stubborn workaholic he is."

Before she could enter her shop, she noticed the environment around her growing warmer. Taking a chance, she turned around, and was greeted by the unusual sight of Adna.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "You must be the one Rainbow darling found a little while ago."

"God save thee. Thou knowest of my arrival?"

"Oooh, Renaissance speak! My, what a dashing and sophisticated being you must be. Dear Dash never indulged me on that little detail." She gave a proper bow and cleared her throat before continuing, "Good morrow to you, my lord. Pray tell, whom do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"Oh, brother. You're a virus!" Gilda grumbled, walking out from behind the angel and poking its side rudely with her claw. "The loser-nese is spreading, and it's your fault, white-wash." 

Rarity stood on the tips of her hooves in shock as her whole body froze. "Gilda?!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, you're that hoity-toity pony who was at that party, aren't you?" the griffon asked, still rude as ever.

The shock was replaced with irritation as the fashionista's memories of Gilda came flooding back in. She huffed, dipping her head lower, and glowered at the offending creature. "What are YOU doing here? Don't you have some other poor creature to bully and harass?"

"Hey! I didn't really harass any of you jerks!" the griffon defended, before countering with, "Just that annoying pink one that ruined a perfectly good day! And, I'm not a bully. I'm cool... unlike you lame-os."

"And what about Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked with a hint of spite in her voice.

"She's... why am I even answering you? Your lame-o opinions aren't worth a lead feather, let alone a flying one."

"How DARE you speak to a lady like that?"

"I'll DARE when I actually meet one!"

"SILENCE!" the angel shouted at the top of his lungs, causing everyone and everything nearby to go dead quiet. Both Gilda and Rarity stared at the angel in disbelief, before said angel walked between the two, leaned forward towards Rarity, and spoke again, much quieter, "Where might we find Rainbow Dash, my Lady?"

"O-oh... yes, well, she's finished up on this end of Ponyville. I believe you might be able to find her in Applejack's orchard in Sweet Apple Acres. That would be to the northwest end of Ponyville. Once you see apple trees, just follow them until you find the farm." However, after explaining where to find her friend, she rose an objection, "Why are you looking for her?"

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR-" was all Gilda could blurt out before Adna whipped around and loomed over her. The griffon took a step back, suddenly remembering how intimidating the angel was, before the angel turned back towards the fashionista.

"The griffon has some issues to sort out with thy friend. That is all."

"Oh?" Rarity said, incredulous. "Is someone wanting to apologize?"

Can it, marshmallow, is what Gilda wanted to shout, but she held her tongue, not wanting to press her luck with her imposing escort. Adna, however, simply refused to answer the follow-up question.

"Grammercy, my lady, and God save thee. Come hither, Gilda." With that, its wings opened, and began to take flight. Gilda watched for a moment, before her own wings opened up. However, before she leaped into the air, she took one last look at Rarity before quietly muttering, "Sorry," and took flight after the angel.

Rarity watched as the two disappeared into the sky, smiling a little. The sound of heavy footfalls approached the little unicorn, as a booming voice spoke to her, "That creature did not harass you, did it?"

"No, Dumah, darling. He was a perfect gentlecolt, really."

"And the other one?"

Rarity thought for a moment, before replying, "She'll get better."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Adna and Gilda flew gently and carefully over the town of Ponyville, passing by various pegasi and doing their best to keep out of the way. It was of no easy task, as the sky was filled with quite a large number of them today for reasons the two strange beings weren't quite aware of, but they managed. Eventually, the two saw the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres, and gently touched down at the front gates before walking into the property. As they walked up the dirt path towards the modest barn, the sound of clanking metal suddenly rang out for a few moments before the air became quiet once again. The two beings stopped in their tracks and surveyed their surroundings.

"Wait..." Gilda asked in a hushed tone, "What was that noise?"

After a few moments of silence, there was a sudden crash before a voice piped up shouting, "Ah, shoot!"

Instinctively, the angel took to the skies again before flying to a shed where the rough and tumble Applejack was just climbing out of a mess of tools that fell on top of her. Shaking the supplies from her body and stretching her limbs to iron out the soreness, she pouted as she grabbed a garden hoe from the pile. "Ah swear, ya ask yer sister to do one thing, and it's left a heapin' mess. I'll be seeing to it that she don't get any pie tonight for dessert."

"Good save the. Prithee, art thou in need of aid?" Adna asked.

"What the hay?!" the farmpony exclaimed as she turned around in surprise. After seeing the angel's figure, she calmed down slightly, "Ah, yer that feller that fell from the sky Dash were tellin' me about. Didn' think you'd be up and about so soon. Anyway, what can ah do ya for?"

"The lady Gilda seeks the very mare you mention. We were told she might be here."

"Gilda?" Applejack asked, before she leaned to one side and noticed the grumpy griffon standing a stone's throw away from the angel. Her confused, albeit friendly, smile soon morphed into an irritated frown as she passed the angel and began to approach Gilda. "What the hay are YOU doin' here? I thought you were gone fer good after that outburst of yours. Land sakes, you put everypony in a sour mood with how ya behaved."

Gilda's beak began to grind as her jaw moved back and forth, trying hard not to let loose another outburst. However, as Applejack continued to stare her down, Adna stepped back between the two and spoke once again.

"Fie not the griffon's transgressions, for she is on a duty most important for her soul's sake."

"Pardon?" Applejack asked.

However, before she could follow it up, Gilda finally cut into the conversation. "Listen, forget what the weirdo said. I don't care what you or any of you other lame ponies have to say to me, but I'm not leaving until I talk to Dash."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "To apologize?"

"NO!" She blurted, before stuttering, "I-it's just business. And it's none of yours."

Liar, Applejack thought, just by listening to how the griffon handled her previous comment. Gilda's fidgeting body language and her blatant acts of covering up her intentions were a dead giveaway for the Element of Honesty. With a heavy sigh, while removing her hat out of impulse, she responded to Gilda. "Shoot... she's in the north orchard, probably nappin' in the clouds."

Before another word could be said, Gilda took off like a bullet, leaving the angel and the farm pony in the dust. Catching her hat in the torrent, Applejack returned it to its rightful spot atop her head, and looked back to her remaining guest. "So, ya think she can do it on her own?"

Adna said nothing, taking one last look at Applejack, before it took flight after the griffon. Applejack looked on before turning back to her shed. "Considerin' Dash, I don't think it'd be a very easy task in any case."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Rainbow Dash laid silently upon the comfiest of clouds she could gather, staring up into the atmosphere, thinking about one very special thing. A while ago, she had written an application letter, complete with a portfolio and credentials, to the Wonderbolts Acadamy Training Facility. It was an exclusive offer only presented once in a long while where ponies may apply to come for a week's stay to train with the Wonderbolts. Despite the benefit of spending time with the Wonderbolts, it didn't seem like much at first glace, but any credentials built in that one week would go a long way in getting into the team. It was Rainbow Dash's life long goal to be part of that team, and she couldn't help but feel like it was all a dream with how close she was now.

"It's a shoo-in!" She said with a smile.

"Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus shot up from her cloud, and looked about the sky before realizing something. "Wait... I know that voice." Getting off the cloud, she looked towards the ground, and saw a very familiar griffon sitting on another cloud just below her.

"Hey, Dash..."
> The Flameout
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gently ascending the sky at a leisurely pace, Adna slowly drew nearer to the griffon it escorted and the individual that she wanted to speak to. Anticipating Gilda's sincerity on the matter, despite the fact the griffon tried to cast fibs to conceal her feelings, the angel hoped the young pegasus that allowed it room and board would receive the peace offering in earnest. With the sudden streak of the entire color spectrum bolting past the angel also came the grinding halt of Adna's assumptions as well as its own ascending frame. Turning to look where the Rainbow blur took off to, it took some mental notes, before turning back to the now fuming Gilda.

"THAT JERK!" Gilda shouted, "FINE! I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO TALK TO YOU, YOU STUPID... stupid..." Gilda shook her head angrily, trying to cast away the tears that were beginning to form. "You know what? Whatever. I gave it a shot. It's not my fault that she's gonna be a dweeb about this." Gilda then sat on the cloud, head hanging for a moment before another screech escaped her beak. Just as her wings opened up, ready to take her away from Ponyville, Adna landed beside Gilda, causing her to flinch for a second, only to deliver a punishing scowl. "And what the flying feather do YOU want?"

"Pray tell, wherefore dost thou yield after not but a single attempt?"

"PONISH! Speak it, you stupid birdbrain!" She snapped back.

Adna crossed its arms as the griffon continued to glare at it. Silence prevailed for the longest time before Gilda cracked, tears welling in her eyes. "She won't listen. Why would she? SHE'S JUST ANOTHER-" she started to angrily scream before catching herself and looking back out to town with a broken sigh. "I wouldn't be able to catch her anyway. She doesn't want to see me, with the way she took off like that. She's probably somewhere in that stupid little town now, telling her friends I came to terrorize her again.."

"Then, seek her out." Adna replied simply.

"NO!" she exclaimed, "No. She won't ever listen to me now. When her mind is made up, it's kinda hard to change it, and I'm not hunting that village of sticks for her just to be led on some wild goose chase that will get me nowhere." Her wings opened up once again. "I give up."

"Hark, and mark these words," Adna commanded as he swiftly crossed Gilda's attempted flight path and hovered before her. "Dost thou truly wish it to end like this?"

The griffon looked up at him with pleading eyes that soon turned into concern before settling on another scowl. "I wouldn't even have time. I came here to pick something up here for my grandfather. Talking to Dash is only a detour, and I can't just wait any longer."

Adna considered the information before coming up with a simple solution. "Go. Seek thine affects, and return to Miss Dash's home. Stay there, and I will bring her back. Then, thou may say thy peace."

Gilda ground her beak a little in thought, before sighing again. "Fine. We'll do this your way." She leaped off the cloud and began to take flight, only to stop and turn to the angel with a scowl. "I mean it though. I don't have much time right now. If this is a total bust, or if you take too long, I'm bailing, and NEVER coming back to this stupid, lame, mud pit."

With that said, the griffon sped off back into town. Adna watched for a moment, before descending from the sky and landing back onto the fertile farmland.

"Well, that didn't go very well, did it, sugarcube?" Applejack asked the landing angel as she approached.

"Dost thou know where I may find the Lady Dash?" it asked, ignoring the question.

Applejack snorted at the title Adna gave her friend offhandedly, but coughed to recompose herself. "Well, from the way her trail went, I'd say she likely went to Sugarcube Corner." Adna turned to her and cocked his head in confusion, remaining silent otherwise. Sensing that the angel didn't know where or what that was, she decided to elaborate. "There's a bakery in town that kinda looks like a gingerbread house. You do know what those look like, right?"

"Yes. My thanks to thee, and fare thee well!" With that, it opened its wings and gave them a hard flap, ascending the sky and making its way to town.

"Good luck to ya, pardner."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Within the confines of Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash took a seat in the back corner table, waiting for her cupcake order. Her feathers ruffled in agitation as her mind refused to dismiss the image of her former friend's face. Shaking her head and tapping her hoof in impatience, she prepared to yell for her order to speed up. However, her words were far too slow, as Pinkie Pie zipped before her and produced the little treat to her with a smile. Sighing, unable to let her irritation browbeat her good friend, she took the pastry with a halfhearted thank you. 

"Yo~ur welcome, Dashie!" Pinkie said with the same exuberance as ever before she tilted her head to get a better look at her friend. "Hey, how come I need to almost turn my head upside down for you to smile?"

Halfway through the cupcake, the pegasus haphazardly swallowed what she had in her mouth with a cough before brushing her friends bizarre but well placed question aside. "J-just thinking about stuff, Pinkie."

"Tough day on weather patrol?"

"Not really, it-" she started, before realizing she was about to spill the beans. "I mean, yeah, it's been a tough day. A few other ponies got the day off, and I need to cover their shift. S'not like I can't handle it, but ya know, I'm still just one pony."

"Hmmmmmm..." Pinkie stared at her friend for a few moments, eyes squinting in scrutiny. Rainbow Dash sat there, desperately mustering a smile to ward off her friend, before the pink pony's face returned to its normal, bubbly state. "Okie dokie, Loki. I guess you don't have any reason to lie to me. Not like an old friend you didn't want to see came to town." Rainbow Dash's face fell, but Pinkie simply giggled, remaining either completely oblivious or willingly ignorant. With that, she trotted back to the counter to help the Cakes with their cakes.

Slumping in her seat, Rainbow Dash let out a big sigh or relief, just before she took another anxious bite out of her cupcake. Before she could return to her thoughts, the bell above the entrance door jingled lightly as a familiar white avian form stepped through. 

"Oh, hey Adna, what's up?" she asked.

Adna did not answer, but instead walked over to the table its keeper was at and took a seat. The angel's frame was comically oversized compared to the furniture supporting it, making it nothing short of silly-looking. Rainbow Dash snorted, already thinking of a way she could turn that into a prank one day.

"Wherefor art thou here, Miss Dash?" Adna asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't know WHAT kind of question you're asking, but I'm just gonna take a guess and assume you're asking why I'm here. I did pass by you on the way, after all. Kinda surprising you didn't flinch with how fast I was moving." Adna remained silent, waiting for the answer he requested. Realizing her attempts to segue the subject to her flying capabilities was a bust, she moved on. "If you have to know, I'm on break, and I thought I'd spend a little time with my friends."

"And Gilda?"

"Gilda? Who's Gilda?" She asked, trying not to let the venom lace her words.

Suddenly, Pinkie popped up beside their table, saying, "Oh, ya know, Gilda; the really grumpy griffon that really kinda sorta didn't like me very much, or anyone for that matter, that was your friend, or used to be your friend, that got really mad at that party I set up for her because of all those pranks getting her one after another until she slipped on some cake and crashed into the snack table with the pin-the-tail-on-the-pony tail draped across her beak like a weird little purple mustache, even though the party was supposed to cheer her up, but backfired because she was just too grumpy? By the way, can I take your order, Dashie's friend?"

Rainbow Dash just sat there, stunned, before shaking her head, and replied with a dismal, "Oh, right. Her. What about her?"

"Did thou not speak with her?" 

"What's there to talk about?" she grumbled. "She's a jerkface beakface. I have nothing to say to her."

"As I have said, thou lies are pointless. Cease your resistance and place effort on this ruined bridge."

"Why don't you just leave me alone? It's really none of your business anyway." Throwing bits on the table, she chomped on the rest of her cupcake angrily before speeding out the door, causing it to thwack against the attached wall.

Adna rose from its seat intending to give chase but two pink hooves grabbed its hand. "Wait!" she said, "You'll never be able to catch her like that."

"Stalling me only allows her more distance. I must pursue."

"No, no, no. You won't catch her cause you don't know her well enough. Though, I do~" she sang. "Follow me. I know a short-cut!"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Descending from the skies above Fluttershy's cottage and after landing upon a rather large, low hanging cloud, Rainbow Dash gave a sigh before she flopped onto her new fluffy surface. With a yawn, her eyes slowly and gently shut to the afternoon sun, preparing her drift to sleep to forget what happened today. As she got more and more comfortable, she failed to realize the marble and gold arms pierce through the cloud and wind around the little pony. Rainbow Dash shot awake with a squeak, struggling hard against the surprisingly mighty grip. As she did, the angelic owner of the arms revealed itself by rising from within the cloud, lifting Rainbow's body higher into the air and away from her napping spot. 

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" she angrily barked, desperately thrashing in Adna's stone-like hands, unable to move even a single inch.

"Be STILL! Thy flight of reckless abandon will burn bridges, and I shan't let this one alight," the angel replied vaguely.

"WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" she yelled, continuing in vain to escape Adna's capture.

"Thou shalt claim no respite until the heart thou washed thine... hooves of is hearkened."

The little pegasus continued to struggle, gritting her teeth, kicking and squirming to free herself without any sign of easy freedom. Without another word. Adna opened its wings and took flight once again, heading towards Rainbow Dash's cloud tower. The journey there was relatively quick and smooth, despite the captured pegasus' protests and attempts to liberate herself. Upon noticing the tower between bouts of straining for freedom, the hotheaded pegasus laid eyes upon a rather surprised griffon, before she fought even harder to be released. Adna then landed upon the lawn of its keepers home, right before the somewhat dumbstruck Gilda, all while making sure its grip on the temperamental pegasus was firm but not too harsh.

"Jeez, and here I thought you were going to pull some friendship mumbo-jumbo out of your feathers to get her to come here." Gilda mumbled to herself. Note to self, this guy gets things done. DON'T MESS WITH HIM.

"Now, speak," Adna commanded. Noticing that the angel directed the command at her, Gilda took a step forth and was prepared to say her peace. However, the brazen attitude of the captured pony cut her off out of mistaken direction.

"Why?" Rainbow Dash asked bitterly, "I have NOTHING to say to her, and I HIGHLY doubt she has anything she wants to say to me."

As Rainbow Dash continued to struggle in Adna's hands, Gilda shut her eyes for a moment, and let out a quivering sigh, before she had the courage to speak again."You're wrong," she uttered simply, sadly.

The pegasus stopped, hearing the broken heart in her former friend's voice seized her attention. Adna watched, making sure the little pony heard what she needed to hear.

"Dash, I..." she started, "I've been a real knucklehead, ok? That day at the party, when I flipped out like that, I was just so angry. It felt like that everything I knew was completely flipped on its head. And when you said those things to me... I didn't want to leave you behind. I guess I just..." she faltered, rubbing a forming tear from her eye, trying to hide her feelings in a poor attempt to upkeep her attitude. "I'm... I was a massive jerk, and I don't know if I... no... I do. I deserved you bolting on me like that today. I deserve a lot of things. But... I dunno..." The young griffon sniffled, rubbing out another tear. "I miss... I just really miss you being there as a friend. I miss us hanging out, being dumb pranksters, laughing at the stupidest things. I kinda missed it for a long time, really... when I came to see you that day, I guess I just got jealous or something stupid. I thought coming by would let us catch up like old times, and when Pinkie came..." She sighed.

Rainbow Dash listened to her friend intently, letting her say everything she wanted to say, not wanting anything ruin the moment.

Gilda continued. "Remember when we first met, Dash? It was my first day in Cloudsdale. No one gave me a chance... except you. I guess, I never wanted to let that go. It was just the two of us for so long, kicking flank and being awesome. I never thought... I never thought we would grow apart. Until that day..." she choked, but kept pressing on. "Until that day, I thought we'd always be friends, no matter how far away we were. But I saw Pinkie... I saw how well you got along with her, how she could just show up and pull you away... It was as if you moved on without me, and we were just on borrowed time... and that party cemented that idea. That stupid idea. I was such a lame idiot... to just stop believing we were friends." A small hiccup escaped her beak as her head dipped low and a few tears managed to escape. Her eyes shut hard, trying with all her might to keep it all at bay.

Adna then let go of Rainbow Dash, whom landed gently upon the clouds of her lawn. She looked back at Adna, whom motioned for her to go. Looking back to Gilda, whom was on the verge of breaking down. Rainbow Dash slowly approached Gilda and sat before her.

"Gilda?"

The griffon looked back up, greeted by her friend's concerned face. "Dash," she sobbed, "I'm... I'm so sorry."

Rainbow Dash gave a gentle smile, before lightly bucking Gilda's shoulder with her fore-hoof. Gilda choked out a laugh, before returning the favor to Dash's own shoulder. "When did you get so mushy?" the pegasus asked with a giggle.

"Since this lame-o town infected me with feelings," Gilda responded, causing the two to laugh some more.

Upon realizing the situation was now entirely under control, Adna stepped back from the two young beings, opened its wings, and slowly ascended the sky. Turning away from the tower, its keeper, and her friend, Adna took one last look before disappearing into the mid-afternoon sun.

"God speed."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Over the hour that followed, the two friends talked. They talked about everything since the failed party, which Dash continued to rib Gilda about, prompting her promise to apologize eventually.

"Seriously, Dash. I'll get to it one day. I've already said sorry to the purple maned one. Ya know, the one that probably likes to wear too much make-up."

"Heh, she's not THAT obnoxious about it, but yeah."

They talked about how Gilda took up a job as a baker a while back, selling scones based on the recipe her grandpa made. 

"Oh? I didn't know you were a baker. How do the... scones taste?"

"Terrible."

"Oh... and here I thought I was in for a treat from you."

"Grandpa Gruff doesn't allow me to give away free samples."

"I guess I'm saved then, heh."

They talk about how Rainbow Dash's life has slowly became more and more complicated as stranger things started happening around town.

"Even more strange than the big white bird that... kinda scares the fur off of me?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. Like, Fluttershy for instance is taking care of this giant frog from another dimension that can make an instant winter. Or Applejack kind of employed this strange red ninja guy that can fall apart and come back together on her farm."

"Jeez, never a dull moment, eh? Makes me feel like I should move here so I stop missing out on these things."

They even talked about their aspirations, and what they've done to get closer to achieving them. From struggles and mishaps to victories and stumbles of pure dumb luck and fortitude.

"Well, the baker thing isn't exactly something I want to do all my life. Honestly, I'm just trying to get enough to go out and see more of the world."

"No kiddin'? Well, I'm sure you'll get what you need."

"You?"

"Well... still trying to be a Wonderbolt."

"Ever since you were a foal, heh."

"Yeah. I think I'm getting closer, though."

"What makes you say that? Did they send you a formal invitation, begging you to join?"

"I know you're just messing with me, Gil, but your right."

"No way," Gilda said incredulously.

"Well, it isn't entirely official yet. Over the last while, I got the chance to fly with them at the Young Flyers Competition, kind of hang out with them at the Gala Twilight invited me to, and I just sent in my application to go to the Wonderbolt's Acadamy. I'm actually expecting a response any day now."

"Yeah, I've heard of what happened at the competition. You've certainly been busy, making legends again like the good old days."

"It's been a heck of a year. Between weather duty and saving the world, I'm surprised I ever have time to hang out with my friends. Though, when you're as awesome as me, you can make time."

Gilda smiled. She missed out on so much of her best friend's life in such a short time, but was none-the-less happy to know she was doing good for herself. Reaching into the cloud beside here, she pulled out a wrapped package tied with a small rope.

"Whachya got there?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Nothing special. Just something Grandpa Gruff ordered in the mail. The delivery service kinda messed up though, sending it here to be picked up. When I heard it came to Ponyville, I kinda volunteered to pick it up so I could talk to you."

"Heh, sorry for bailing like that," she said, rubbing the back of her head with her forehoof.

"It's alright. Glad tall, white, and looming was able to catch you though," Gilda smirked.

"Yeah."

Gilda rose from the cloud and tucked the package beneath her arm, before extending her wings to get ready to take flight. "Well, I gotta get going home. Can't keep gramps waiting for too long."

"Back at Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, HOME home. I'll try to visit you sometime, though," Gilda replied, finally taking flight to leave town, "Seeya around, Dash!" she shouted, taking off like a bolt to rush back home.

Rainbow Dash watched her friend leave for a little while until she remembered one very important detail. "WAIT! I don't know where you live!" But it was too late. Gilda was gone, and while she could catch up to her friend to ask, Gilda had a huge head start, and Rainbow Dash was technically still on the clock. She only had another five minutes of break time, and probably wouldn't have enough time to make it back, even if she caught up. Dash sighed, falling back against her lawn to relax before muttering, "Oh well... maybe I'll run into you one day anyway. There's always a next time, after all.” With how today turned out, she thought, it feels like tomorrow might be even better.
> No More Angels
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speeding through the clouds at breakneck velocity, Rainbow Dash flew like a bat out of Tartarus towards her destination: the Wonderbolts Academy. It's only been minutes since she finally received her letter, and she intended on not wasting any more time lollygagging about while she could be spending time there. Truth be told, she was still a little nervous, with an inkling of a doubt scratching at the back of her head, claiming she wouldn't be good enough. However, all fears were finally squashed the moment she read those glorious words of acceptance. Having her friends there to keep her somewhat grounded and pumped up at the same time helped as well.

The whole package detailed it would be a single week training regimen, standard for all new cadets, with the works; testing strength, endurance, agility, stamina, and dexterity. In her mind, Rainbow Dash's bold confidence had her scoff, believing she had it already in the bag. Though, a small piece of her did recognize that to be part of the Wonderbolts meant to go above and beyond. She knew she had the talent, but she also knew they would not mess around to push it to its fullest.

Upon finally eyeing the runway plateau, she gazed at the training facility in all its glory. Cadets from all across Equestria were hard at work from their own acceptance, while others were brandishing their colors in a march for completing their course. Each group worked hard, exercising every aspect they could to flesh out the strengths within and support their weaknesses, with trainers pushing them to go the distance. Rainbow Dash could hardly contain her excitement, expecting just as much in her own week long class.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed with the widest grin and the most determined eyes, "This is gonna be SWEET!"   

Before Rainbow Dash touched down, she stopped mid air and looked about, feeling like she was being followed. Sure enough as she turned around, Adna was spotted a few minutes away from the training grounds. Deciding to know what was up, she sped back to it to get answers from the strange bird creature itself. Stopping just short of the angel, she greeted it.

"Hey, uh, why are you here?" she asked, "Came by to watch me be awesome?"

"I was brought here by a strong feeling of familiarity," Adna said frankly, "I wish to investigate the area to lay curiosities to rest. Thou art here for thy training, correct?"

"Uh, yeah, I am," Rainbow replied, both disappointed Adna had nothing to say about seeing her skills in action and trying not to comment on the angel's style of speech, "Well, the pamphlet says that guests are allowed to visit until four in the afternoon. It's about noon now, so I guess you have a little bit of time for your investigation, Sherlock."

"I am not Sherlock," it replied flatly, missing the joke.

Rainbow Dash simply rolled her eyes, "Well, anyway, I should meet up with the rest of my class. I'll catch ya later. Good luck with your investigation."

"God speed in thou endeavors as well," the angel replied. 

Rainbow Dash shook her head as she returned to the academy grounds in search for the other new cadets she'd be training with. Now left alone, Adna began ascending the skies, overlooking the vast facility. Ponies that flew by gave the angel strange looks of curiosity, but would always quickly return their focus to whatever they were doing. Adna paid little mind, and continued to gently search the open skies, relying on the present feeling deep within as a guide. However, it didn't take long before it was confronted in the skies by what seemed to be a yellow pegasus with a dual toned orange mane and a decorative military jacket complete with medals and a whistle hung around her neck. Upon reaching the angel, the pony hovered in place, taking off the shades to get a better look at what she was talking to.

"Can I help you?" she asked in authority and slight irritation.

"My apologies. I'm searching these grounds for something important."

"Is that so?" The stern mare sized up the angel before putting her sunglasses back on. "Listen, buddy. You're in restricted airspace. Cadets and full members in training will be flying in, out, and around the area, and they need clear skies to do so safely. I request you either touch down to ground level until your visit here is over, or leave outright."

"Again, my apologies." With that, Adna descended the skies gently until its feet made contact with the grassy plateau. The mare that confronted the angel followed suite with a smile.

"You're cadet Dash's friend, right?" she asked rhetorically, "I saw her speak with you not a moment ago. The name's Spitfire. If it's any consolation, I'll be the drill sergeant for the class she's in, so you don't need to worry about her."

"I have no worries," Adna assured simply, "And I shall be leaving the grounds soon."

"Nah, stick around, watch your friend. Show a little support. Heck, maybe you'll learn a thing or two about how we operate." She smiled lightly. "Just don't float around our airspace too much, and you have yourself a good day."

"Grammercy, and have thy self a pleasant day, if it please thee."

"Heh, whatever you say." With that, the mare took flight towards her new class to greet.

Adna stood, crossing its arms with intrigue. The angel decided that it wouldn't hurt to watch how things play out. The feeling it had didn't intensify, and while it was searching, it found no evidence in relation to the curious ailment deep down inside. With that set in its mind, Adna opened its wings again and flew to the audience stands, and perched on the highest seat available. From there, it began to observe. The stands were a bit too far away to hear what was being said beyond the odd "Yes Ma'am!" that was shouted from one of the cadets. After a few minutes though, the one called Spitfire backed up, and blew her whistle, causing the entire class to speed off to make laps around the facility, with a rather large, burly looking pegasus trailing behind on his pathetically small wings.

Upon watching the five hundred lap exercise come to an end, Adna observed Rainbow Dash chat with another pegasus that moved as fast as she did. Said pegasus was light turquoise with a brilliant amber and gold streaked mane, almost like lightning striking in the day. While they did seem very friendly with each other, the angel felt something off. The feeling was feint. Very feint. Right to the point of almost nonexistence, but it was there. 

With it etched in its mind, while watching the two ponies leave for the mess hall, Adna decided to look around the grounds again. Keeping in mind Spitfire's request, it opted to stay out of the skies as much as it could while it searched. While it did limit the angel, it made the best of it. However, for a solid ten minutes of looking, nothing seemed to turn up. Not one iota of evidence of the bizarre sensation of home invaded its senses. Clenching its fists in frustration, Adna was prepared to leave, but the sound of Rainbow Dash and the others gathering up once again stayed its pace. Curiosity caught the angel's attention enough to watch. 

A few officials dragged out some large contraption that was covered in a purple tarp along with an odd machine attached to it. Before questions could be asked among themselves, Spitfire returned and demanded attention. After some more shouting Adna couldn't entirely make out from the distance, the officials whipped the tarp off of the object it concealed and revealed a strange disk based device with a gear attached to one end of the large circle complete with harness. The only thing he could catch from the odd lull of silence that followed was the name of the strange thing before them: the Dizzatron.

Adna watched carefully as the first pony in the class was selected. Upon getting in the harness, the device was activated, spinning the whole disk rather quickly with the gear spinning faster than that due to its comparatively smaller size. Suddenly, the pony was released and was flung high into the air, tumbling wildly through the sky. It took the poor cadet about fifteen seconds to realign herself and come in for a safe-ish landing. Adna leaned back, realizing what was being done. This object must have been crafted to simulate loss of flight control. Clever. Next up was Rainbow Dash. Everything started out the same, but instead of uneasily gaining control, she managed to stop almost completely and speed in for a perfectly safe landing. The whole thing lasted an impressive six seconds. Intriguing, thought Adna. Next up was the pony Rainbow Dash was talking to not very long ago. The angel noticed that strange twinge it had as she made an unusual request it couldn't quite hear, despite noticing the confusion emanating from Spitfire. Upon getting into the device, they activated it, only to speed it up to its maximum velocity. Upon release, the pony in question preformed near identical to Rainbow Dash, only coming in second place to her time by half a second. While it would feel impressed, even more so than it did with Rainbow Dash, the angel couldn't help but feel something was marring it. The feeling it noticed from earlier refused to go away, but because Adna couldn't identify what it was, it only hoped the issue would be solved without the angel's intervention.

As time went on, the rest of the class each took their turn on the device. Some came in at closer to twenty seconds, others came up to ten. The bulky looking pony that seemed far too big for the device ended up getting dead last at twenty-four seconds, having trouble realigning himself with his comically small wings. Not a single one of them ever came close to six, let alone breaking ten. After the test was over, Spitfire explained something to them for a moment. Upon finishing what she wanted to say, the entire group made their way to the barracks, except for Rainbow Dash, whom approached Adna.

"Did ya see that!?" she exclaimed, "That was SO AWESOME!"

"Thou performed admirably," the angel replied.

"I hope I get lead pony for this." Upon remembering she was talking to someone that wasn't familiar with what was going on, she began to explain. "Spitfire is going to divide our class up into pairs. One will be lead, while the other will be a wingpony. It's just another way of saying that one is in charge while the other one follows. Though, I'm too good to just play 'follow the leader'."

"I congratulate thee. Being a leader is a great honor," Adna began, "However, leadership a big responsibility. It would be thy job not JUST to set examples, but to support thy followers when they need it."

"Ah, that won't be too hard. I'm the queen of setting good examples," she posed for a moment, before deflating her ego a little with a nervous laugh, "Well, actually, I do kinda need to work on that a little, but it shouldn't be too hard to try."

"Mark these words of mine, Lady Dash," Adna started, "Whilst I give thine applause prematurely, do not be discouraged if thou dost not make lead. Being a subordinate is responsibility driven as well. Thou must support thy leader, but know how far is too far."

Rainbow Dash stared at him for a moment, before her cocky smirk returned. "Ah, don't worry," she said with a laugh, "I'll probably make lead. No one else even comes close to how awesome I am. It's in the bag."

The pony and the angel said their goodbyes, with Adna promising to return to check up on her another day, as well as continue its investigation if anything develops. Rainbow Dash departed for the barracks, excitedly ready to continue her week of training, while Adna returned to Ponyville to investigate another thing that has been bothering the angel.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Back in the town of Ponyville, the sun was on its way to set over the horizon as Adna had just touched down after the journey back from the Academy. While investigating the anomaly that was pulling at its very core was one of the few important things it set for itself to do, the other task was necessary if it wanted to get some answers. Something was very off for the angel in town, and it began with the clearly dark spirited creatures that resided so close to such bright souls. The only way the angel figured it would find out anything is if it got said answers from the horse's mouth.

Flying over the town, Adna approached Fluttershy's cottage and touched down on the grass just outside her property before the quaint little bridge. It didn't take long for various birds and butterflies of all kinds to perch on its marble skin in a trusting way, nor did it take long for an upset Fluttershy to storm over to Adna.

"Greetings, I wish to-"

"You listen here, mister!" she spat angrily, "when you last came here, not only did you antagonize my guest in my home, but you also stomped all over my garden. You never even apologized for what you did!"

"Thou chide me for simple blooms?" Adna asked, "But, they are fleeting. By the seasons eve, they will die for new ones to take place. If thou insist, I can have them bloom once again."

"It's not about the flowers," she scolded, "but about how you disregard them so casually despite the time and effort I would have put into them when gardening, and how callous you are when it comes to someone's home. I don't go around stomping on YOUR flowers, do I?"

"I-"

"And you still haven't apologized! You just made up a bunch of excuses to brush off the blame just now to whitewash the situation!" Fluttershy huffed, but kept a stern glare on the angel. "You are not allowed to come back here to my home until you've thought about what you've done, apologized, and quite frankly, cleaned up your attitude." She then pointed off her lawn with her hoof. As if on cue, all of the birds and butterflies that sat on the angel immediately dispersed and returned to the flowers and perches they came from.

Adna stood flabbergasted at the display. Before the angel realized what was happening, it turned around and actually began to fly off. Upon realizing the situation, Adna had two thoughts: How did she scold me as if I were nevermore than just a poppet? and, Why am I actually considering it?

Never the less, despite being barred from one of them, Adna figured it had other places to go to get its answers. The angel had not made similar errors with other homes as it did with the cottage, and had relatively easier interactions with the other significant mortals. With that, Adna headed for the nearest location: Carousel Boutique. The angel recalled the mare that resided there being both eloquent and kindly. It was sure to get some answers from her by that fact alone.

It didn't take the angel long to gain visual on the unique building, so it wasn't long either that it touched down on the ground. Before it took a step forward, it eyed the shack that was attached to it. Adna scoffed, wishing only to barge into it, kill the undead, and be done with it, if only to quell the unnatural, uncomfortable feeling it had. Never the less, shaking its head, Adna proceeded to the main building and entered the shop proper.

The little bell above the door jingled lightly as it stepped through the door and beheld a rather extravagant interior, more so than what it seemed like on the outside. Not long after, the little unicorn with the elegant purple curls trotted out from behind the curtain.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique and-" she paused, upon realizing who her mystery customer was. "Oh, my darling, I never expected you to step through my doors. I highly doubt you need my assistance in being fabulous, but if you need a new look, I'm always here to help."

"Thy services shalt needn't be required, dear maiden," Adna said, "I do, however, require answers."

"Oh?" She replied, inquisitively, "And, what may I help you with?"

"I wish to know about the creature that shacks beside thine establishment."

"W-heh-ell," she laughed, trying to hide feeling little indignant to Adna's choice of words, but replied in earnest anyways, "My dear friend Dumah needed room, board, and a place to work his craft. It was a little difficult to get used to, especially with the smell of hot metal, but Twilight fixed that by coating his... humble establishment with a light sense barrier. Not smell nor sound can be experienced outside, and frankly, it's been a blessing ever since. It was ever so hard to concentrate on my work when all I could hear was a hammer clanging on metal and smell whatever he was smelting."

"Indeed," Adna replied with little thought, only to continue his questioning, "Why dost thou have such a terrible creature attached to such a divine place like a cancer?"

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, shocked and confused to what she just heard, "I don't believe I heard you right."

"The creature is of undead origin. and ghouls like that are mere puppets of worse beings. I wish to understand wherefor thou tolerate such a monster."

Her eye twitched at the indignities, but she remained calm regardless, hoping to be able to change Adna's attitude through her explanation. "Dumah is a friend. A very dear one. He's been a perfect gentlecolt ever since he rescued me from a horrible fate, and has done nothing but remain decent not just to me, but everyone in town. I assure you, he is not some ghoul."

"I sense a dark hunger from that beast. Art thou sure the fiend should be trusted? Thou dost not seem like a mere familiar nor thrall, so thy wits are unmarred, if uneducated on these dire matters. The horror it could cause-"

"Ok, that is it!" Rarity barked, "I've tolerated it for long enough, but I will not sit here and let you INSULT one of my good friends. He is not some beast, nor is he some soulless horror. He is a good friend of mine with a good heart to match, if only a tad misdirected from a bad life he lived before now. And if you cannot understand that, then I must request you leave until you've developed some manners, for insulting him is insulting me."

"Thou must reconsider!"

"Good e'en!" Rarity punctuated with a huff, before disappearing back behind the curtains.

Adna stood dumbfounded once again. Not only did the angel end up arousing the ire of one of the individuals it believed to be sensible, but it was still no closer to understanding why creatures like that were allowed to wander free as if they weren't dangerous. The angel turned around, and slowly made its way out the door, bell jingling to signal its leave.

It did not take flight this time, instead opting to wander the now emptier streets of the sleepy little town as its mind was set to dwell on the circumstances. Eyes of ponies briefly turned to the angel, still not entirely used to the sight of such a strange creature among them, but just as quickly returned to their own lives for the end of their day. The sun was now setting, and the bright and colorful world it was in was now a few shades darker. Strangely, though, it felt more peaceful and just as pleasant as it did during the morning. However, it was soon kicked out of its thoughtless wanderings by a familiar voice.

"Oh, there you are!" said Twilight, whom approached the angel with a smile. "I've been looking for you. I've been all over town, and no one said they've seen you today. I even checked Rainbow Dash's home, and you weren't anywhere to be found. So, where have you been all day?"

"To be honest, I had spent most of the day traveling to and from the place Lady Dash was invited to. I had only recently returned."

"Oh? Why did you go there? To cheer on Rainbow's first day?" 

"I was there investigating a feeling I had earlier this morning. Something familiar to me. I had not found an iota of a clue, so I left the grounds, opting to return another day."

"Oh," Twilight said, a little disappointed there wasn't more to it. "Well, anyway, I need you to come with me. I need your help on something I've been working on."

"Wouldn't thou benefit from asking thy friends for assistance?"

"Not for this. Besides, I haven't even gotten the chance to get to know you anyway. This would be a good opportunity for that."

Adna thought about it for a moment. Originally it was going to seek out the pink mare to attempt to get its answers, but felt it wouldn't hurt to stick with Twilight for now. Besides, she didn't seem to have some demon or monster following her around like the others, and would probably get more answers from her and her outsider's perspective. On top of that, it could tell she had an inquisitive mind and would rather provide answers than defend prides.

"Very well. Lead the way."

"Thank you. I promise this will be quick. Heck, we both might learn a thing or two."
> Rainbow in the Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take them long to reach the library where Twilight lived. Before the angel stepped through the front door to follow the young mare in, it felt a demonic presence within. Not long after, it heard a familiar voice.

"Eh, you finished running those errands, caballo? I really can't stick around for long 'cause I gotta get back to the bakery con rapidez."

"Mostly. I need you for a few more minutes."

Adna then stepped inside, causing the Deva to rise from his seat in a growl.

"Oh great, the pigeon is back. I'll go get a broom."

"Elvis, I invited him here. He's necessary for my investigation. Same with you." With that, Elvis sat back down, crossing his arms in irritation. Adna was no better, keeping its eye on the demon and sitting on a chair as far away as possible.

"Oh, alright, but make it quick, chica. I really gotta get back to the bakery to check on Rosa. She refuses to step away from the mailbox, and I need to make sure she doesn't starve herself out there."

"That's fair enough. Alright," Twilight said, sitting at the table between the two, papers ready, quill inked, and held aloft. "I'll start by asking you questions, Adna. The first is, what exactly are you?"

"It's a pigeon. That's all you need to know, HAH!" Elvis laughed, taking a drag from his cigar he just lit.

"I beg thy pardon?" Adna seethed.

"Elvis, you know I have a no smoking rule in the library. Kids come in here, you know."

"Oh, alright," Elvis grumbled, putting out the cigar with a mutter of discontent before setting it off to the side, whispering he'd finish it later.

"Anyway, the question still stands."

"I am a messenger of God," the angel said simply.

"I'm sorry, but that really doesn't answer anything. You mentioned it when we first met, but I don't know who or what this 'God' is, and I still don't know what you are either. A messenger is more of a job and title rather than, well, a species specific classification."

Adna huffed at the pony's ignorance to its Lord, but never the less reasoned she had a decent point. Composing itself, it presented the proper answer. "My specific class is that of an Affinity. There are nine circles in our hierarchy, grouped into three spheres, where I and my Choir belong to the Third Sphere at the lowest circle, Angel. Said circle is also the common term used for our entire legion by mortals and Father Almighty."

"Fascinating," she said honestly, scribbling down notes, "I didn't know your kind had such order to your society. Elvis, do demons have such detailed classifications?"

"Like the pigeons? HAH!" the Deva said in confident arrogance. Then, he grew quiet for a moment, coughed, and continued speaking, "Well, we kind of did, but with how many different hombres exist with different strengths, we stopped going by the book and settled on a simple ranking list. I'm an upper Rank-A demon. One official rank is above that, and one unofficial one is above even that one."

"Scum,” Adna muttered.

"I think that's very interesting. You and your people must be very diverse if you couldn't have a complex system set to keep everything organized."

"Eh, it's less that and more that we believed in less control and more freedom."

"Thou fiends believe in more chaos, rather."

Twilight ignored the comment from the peanut gallery and opted to ask a new question. "Is your kind capable of doing magic, Adna?"

Adna abruptly rose from it's seat. "Magic is an abhorrent affront to the natural order!"

While Elvis brushed it off with a wave of his hands, Twilight on the other hand took offense. "You can't be serious! Magic in Equestria is literally the breath of nature itself. An expression of emotion and thought. Every pony can do it, and every creature has an acute awareness to it. Even some animals and plants have magical properties dating back LONG before Equestria's foundations, let alone recorded history!"

Adna sat back down. Normally, it would have argued the contrary, but doing so had cost him sources of information previously. Instead, it opted to remain quiet for the time being. The angel would have to research it later as a result, but if what was said was true, then magic here was not an affront, but a true rule. If that was the case, then perhaps the hands of devils were not at work. At the same time, it reasoned, devils could have crafted this world, but that would make little sense for a fiend to create a world of relative peace. What by God's name is going on?

Twilight took the time to sigh and recompose herself, before asking a related question. "Are you against the idea of magic because you can't do it yourself?"

Adna was about to reply, but Elvis was able to beat the angel to the punch. "Technically, amiga, the pigeon can do magic, but-"

Stomping its foot, Adna shouted, "Our hands are not sullied by such-"

"Eh, HOMBRE! Let me finish!" Elvis roared, lighting his fist on fire with but a thought, aiming it at the angel. Adna went quiet once again. "The bird over there can do magic like the rest of its amigos de la mariquita, but they like to call them 'miracles'."

"Oooh, that's an interesting term," Twilight said with twinkles of curiosity in her eyes, "Is it any different to Equestiran magic? I mean, I can tell Elvis' magic has some key differences to it, such as its obvious chaos oriented properties, but it isn't too far away from any fire conjuring magic any unicorn can do."

"Eh, how can you tell?" Elvis asked.

"Well, as a unicorn that has studied the principles of magic for most of her life under Princess Celestia's wing, I've long since had an acute sense to notice the weaves and sequences required for most forms. Most unicorns that study magic like I do can do the same if not all of them. Others outside those studies can normally only sense their own weaves and sequences."

"Ugh, forget I asked." Elvis mumbled, not fond of the science lectures.

"Adna, would you mind performing a 'miracle' for me? For science, of course."

The angel would have muttered an objection, but realized this was a perfect opportunity to prove that angelic miracles were nothing like magic from mortals or demons. With that confident thought in tow, Adna stood up and outstretched its arm, opening its hand upward to summon its trusted staff. In a flash of golden light, it materialized before the angel with the grip in its hand. Channeling its own power, it coated the staff's head in a swirling golden shell of light.

"Extraordinary," Twilight said, scribbling down more notes.

"Dost thou now see?" Adna declared, proudly standing before them, "It is of the lowest and simplest, but angels can-"

"A forty-two over seven weave at a double helix, bending light particles to create physical matter, then coating it by a three by nine over thirty four hard light weave, sequencing one by three less one by three less two by three less three by three less four, etcetera. While the staff is flawless, the hard light force field you have can be tightened by making it a two by nine over twenty-eight."

"... wh-what?" Adna fumbled, dropping back into its seat, almost dropping its staff.

"It is a rather simple form of conjuring and materializing, all through principles of light is admittedly a fair bit more advanced when working with that type of sequencing." Twilight reasoned, still scribbling down notes.

"Cat got your tongue, bird?" Elvis said with a smirk.

"How?" the angel asked with a shaky voice.

Twilight looked up from her notes and gazed at the dispirited angel. With a sigh, she placed her quill into its little ink pot and spoke. "It's science, Adna. Well, science AND math, but I digress. Everything can be explained from the physical to the meta. Especially the fundamental laws of magic and its properties. We don't have explanations for everything, though. I know for a fact we are too young of a race to know all there is to know. However, we'll keep studying the world around us so that one day we can understand even the strangest of anomalies. With that said, I understand how you feel. Something you knew as unique to your kind has been dissected and shown that its as common as everyone else. With it being especially more disheartening when you were so confident about it. But, just because it's similar doesn't mean it isn't extraordinary. Handling the properties of light to take physical forms rather than spread like unchecked fire takes immense concentration and focus."

"EY!" Elvis barked indignantly.

"Oops," she said, turning to the Deva, "Not that there's anything easy about conjuring and manipulating fire on its own, but even you can admit what Adna can do is difficult."

Elvis crossed his arms, snorting at the comment but otherwise didn't object.

"But to conclude, while I didn't show it when I was writing my notes, there was something more to your weaves. It wasn't magic, but I could almost feel an immense sense of peace. A calm, serenity, and, well, warmth, that I could only ever feel when Princess Celestia ever did her magic. To be able to actually feel such emotions behind it is extraordinary on its own. If this is your most basic, than I'd be ecstatic to see and feel what you could do that's more complicated."

Adna remained silent, barely budging an inch as Twilight spoke. Realizing that the conversation was long over for the angel, Twilight sighed and got up from her seat.

"I guess that concludes it for today. You can go home now Elvis."

Elvis rose from his seat. "Eh, chica, what was this all about again?"

"I was kinda hoping that bringing the both of you here and have you perform magic before me so I could study it would give me a clue on my research. I'm afraid that isn't the case."

"Good try though, amiga," Elvis said with a smile and a thumbs up. The devil made his way to the door, passing the angel, whom waited for Elvis to be gone entirely before it stood up as well, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Twilight pleaded, "Before you go, I have a few more questions."

Adna didn't turn around to face her, but remained at the door never the less. "Ask."

"Are you still harboring a negative view on magic?"

Adna stayed quiet for a moment, before speaking again. "By God almighty, by this blasphemous tongue of mine... I do not know."

"Ok," Twilight said dejectedly, "I have one more question. Why do you seem to hate Elvis. Did he do something horrible to you?"

Adna finally turned to face the little unicorn and spoke clearly, "Thousands of years ago... almost countless to be sure, Heaven was pure and whole, and we children of God danced under His radiance in paradise. God was pleased, but not satisfied. We were his perfect children, but he sought to create a new race. In his great wisdom, he created the mortal world, and set in motion the creation of Humanity. Imperfect creatures of mud, born from the culling of races of animals until they gained the great blessings: Reason and Understanding. In His jubilation, some of his perfect children, our brothers, grew jealous and spiteful. Cracks in our perfection began to show, and a war broke out between us, the good children of God, and those that dissented. They would not listen to reason, and one of our kind sacrificed their own life to separate us, divide Heaven from our enraged kin, and end the war, casting the fallen to a newly formed realm to remained imprisoned until the Grand Forgiveness. For thousands of years, fallen angels became devils, and continued their bitter hatred for Humanity, toying with their lives." Adna paused for a moment, before he continued in a melancholy tone. "But we were so divided. Have they changed so much and we did not see? I saw anger in that devil, but not the spite and jealousy our fallen brothers had all those years ago."

"Maybe," Twilight started, "Things aren't as black and white as you think they are. Time changes us all. Even I grew into a very different unicorn compared to the shut-in I used to be. Maybe it's time to give things a chance. Do what is right, and not what you think you have to do based on something that happened so many years ago." Then she laughed for a little. "Geez, I'm starting to sound like Celestia."

Adna considered her words. They were as genuine as her patience for both the angel and the devil that was here not a moment ago. "Fare thee well, until the morrow."

"Yeah, goodnight." she replied with a smile.

With that, Adna left the library for Rainbow Dash's cloud home, intending to ponder the words and revelations he found today.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


The morning after, Rainbow Dash had woken up extra early to do more vigorous exercises, compensating for the words that her idol etched into her mind. Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty and seemingly the fastest pegasus in the land, wasn't selected to be a leader. Despite a previous protest and wanting nothing more than to remain begrudging in acceptance, she opted to follow the advice of her strange guest and behave sportively. On top of the outlook, she decided it would be best to try to push herself further as well, and no longer leave things to talent alone. However, as she tried to move onto her wing exercises, she felt a jolt run up and down her right wing. Remnants of an injury she gained yesterday curbed her enthusiasm. Never the less, upon reacquainting herself with the pain, she began to work through it slowly.

While she worked out, oblivious and lost in her thoughts, her strange house guest had gently flown in the training facility and touched down beside her. It took a gentle cough to kick her out of her stream of consciousness and collapse with a gasp of confusion. Rainbow Dash picked herself up and brushed herself off, before she turned to greet the angel.

"Oh hey, Adna. What are you doing here so early in the morning?" she asked.

"The feeling returned," the angel stated flatly.

"Oh," she mumbled dejectedly, "So, you aren't here to watch me continue to be awesome, I guess?"

"In between investigations, I shall," it said with a warm, friendly laugh.

Rainbow Dash paused. Did I just hear that right? "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before."

"My apologies, Lady Dash. It has been a very trying time," it said with a light bow.

"Hey, hey, no need to be all la-de-dah formal with me, dude," Rainbow Dash said with a smile.

"I did not believe I was," Adna confessed, slightly confused.

She rubbed her forehead in mock irritation, "Of course you weren't. Well, whatever." Suddenly, she remembered something she wanted to say to the angel. "Oh, I took your advice. I didn't make lead pony. In fact, I was made wingpony to Lightning Dust's lead."

"Lightning Dust?"

"Yeah. She's a pegasus that can ALMOST keep up with my speed. She has some pretty sweet skills, for sure. Well, I never really figured I'd end up being wingpony to her. Kinda had it in my head we'd both end up being leads, since we're both so awesome and all, but I guess Spitfire set us up so we could be examples of a strong team." As she said this though, she seethed through her teeth as her right wing twitched.

Adna noticed the pain, and quickly moved to the wing, gently taking it up with its hands.

"Hey, OW! What are you doin'? Let-" before she could finish, however, Adna's hands glowed a brilliant golden light, and the injury deep seated in the fragile limb went away entirely. In fact, it felt better than it ever had before. With that, Adna released the wing, and Rainbow gave it a test flex before folding it back against her. "-Go... Wow... what did you do?"

"Where did thou get such an injury?" Adna asked.

The pegasus was thrown off by the sudden question, but managed to stay on track and answer. "Well," she started, albeit sheepishly, "We were running a flag hunt exercise and I, uh, clipped my wing when looking for one of them. It was the strangest thing."

The angel grunted. "I am disappointed. I never thought thou would stoop to a lie." Rainbow Dash was about to retort, but Adna raised its hand in request for silence. "Know how far is too far, Lady Dash. Obedience and loyalty are strong traits... but if thou continue to be injured, or if thy actions place others in jeopardy, make thy stand."

Rainbow Dash took a step back. Its like he read my mind, or something, she thought. The normally outspoken pony sighed, "It was an accident. Lightning Dust just, ya know, likes to push herself a lot. She's a little careless, but I don't think it'll happen again." She flexed her wing once more, before smiling in satisfaction. "Thank you for patching me up. The medics did what they could but warned it would take time to heal and would be kinda stiff and sore for the next little while. At least now I can get back in the game and do my best at my absolute best."

"Thou art verily welcome."

She rolled her eyes. "You're doing it again. Anyway, I should finish up my exercises and get my cadet flight suit on. Since you're here to investigate, maybe you could stick around and cheer me on?"

"It will be highly considered." With that, Adna opened its wings, and gently ascended the skies, leaving Rainbow Dash to resume her wing-ups with renewed vitality and drive.

From there, Adna took the relative calm of the morning to continue to search the grounds, trying to pinpoint the location of where the feeling it had was originating from. Like before, however, no new clues were found, which began to drive the angel mad. Despite the irritation, the angel did its best to keep calm. As it was about to continue, it noticed ponies leave their barracks and head for the mess hall constructed of clouds. Gazing up at the sky and towards the sun, it realized that it had been searching for the hour equivalent and had gotten nowhere. Defeated, Adna decided to find a seat and watch, hoping either the feeling would go away or get stronger, so the angel could put this to rest.

For a while, the angel simply perched and watched the grounds in peace and quiet, finding solace in such a strangely comforting atmosphere. The rays of sunlight that easily reached the grounds were warm and familiar, allowing the angel to relax more as the minutes passed by. Enjoying the simple splendor, it wished for nothing more than for this moment of silence to last a lifetime, as ridiculous as it may sound. Nothing was meant to last, however. It didn't take long for the silence to be disturbed as ponies soon began to leave the mess hall, normally small groups or pairs at a time. All of them stuck around the building long enough to form their classes before properly departing for their training locations, among other things. The angel managed to even spy Rainbow Dash leave with the one it assumed was called Lightning Dust. With the pegasus' behavior still fresh in its mind, Adna decided to pay close attention to them, no longer out of curiosity and well wishing. 

Mere moments pass as the class gathered in a section of the training grounds at a secondary runway that sat below the main facility, with the one called Spitfire joining them not a moment after. The cadets were given a short explanation, as the drill sergeant pointed above them, singling out various obstacles and strange machines. Adna watched the machines closely, realizing they were artificially generating wind currents and clouds. Once again, it found itself being fascinated by this mortal species' ingenuity and intelligence. However, shaking its head, Adna refocused on the class, nearly missing Rainbow Dash's take off with Lightning Dust.

The course went well at first as they sped through half of it, dodging clouds and currents, while flying through hoops with pin-point precision. It seemed like it was some sort of race, right up until they came to a hard slowdown behind other cadets. Adna was confused at first before realizing perhaps winning wasn't the main concern as it was being aware of the pseudo-dangers. The angel was then amused as it watched the two talented pegasi pull tricks while they were forced to slow down. It had a sneaking feeling it was the Lady Dash's idea to do that while they waited. However, all mirth came to a halt when it felt that strange feeling coming from Lightening Dust again as the line of ponies passed through the large grey rain cloud. After a lull of silence, the two ponies ahead of the pack that slowed down the others were suddenly blind sighted by steaks of rainbow and jagged yellow, knocking them back into the rest of the following herd. Every single one of them became affected by the impact, and crashed into the clouds around them, only keeping them safe from a harsher landing. On the other hand, both Rainbow and Lightning sped through the last of the course, flawlessly dodging the moving wind barriers, and returned to the secondary runway they started at. Spitfire was there to seemingly congratulate them, before she took off to assist the crashed cadets left behind on the course.

Something was wrong. While it could sense that strange feeling grow within Lightning Dust, doubt and discontent began to form from Dash herself. The angel wanted to intervene, but it remembered Spitfire's request, and stayed its own form as the two star cadets left for the mess hall. Instead, it sat and waited.

It took a good half hour before the rest of the cadets were fished out of the clouds and escorted to the mess hall to help themselves to some lunch before returning to the primary runway. After the class was once again gathered, Spitfire explained their latest exercise, and left the class behind with her attendants. One sat at a chalk board, and the other near the class, readying his whistle. They took ready stances, before suddenly taking off in pairs in every direction at the sound of the whistle. It didn't take long to realize it was their task to bust the clouds in the sky, while everyone was being marked for each one taken. Everything was going relatively smoothly, until that strange feeling cropped up yet again, with Rainbow Dash exhuming more doubt and concern from her soul.

Adna, sick of being a useless bystander, stood up and was about to take action when the two pegasi suddenly sped up. As they got faster, they began to cycle themselves into tighter and tighter laps until the air around them began to follow and create a tornado, sustainable in the sky. Adna halted as the torrent of wind whipped about and cleared the sky almost immediately, before it ejected both pegasi and spun out of control. The first victim to be hit by the rampaging cyclone was the attendant at the chalkboard, whom thankfully managed to flee in terror unharmed. The chalkboard itself wasn't so lucky. As it got stronger, a few of the weaker cadets were also tossed aside from the rampaging winds, grounding them for the time being. 

However, in the distance, Adna noticed something pink and bulbous poke out of the clouds and approach the training grounds, which was now in the path of the flying tornado. It was a hot air balloon, carrying Rainbow Dash's five friends with it in its basket, whom only realized the danger they were in when it was too late. It didn't take long for the force of wind to vacuum in the balloon and swing the girls around wildly. In mere seconds, the support ropes snapped and sent them all flying and falling to their demise.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she sped from the runway ground she previously landed on, chasing after her friends. Adna took action too, summoning its staff, and ascended the skies, heading right for the tornado. As fast as it could go, fighting the wind current it created, it coated its staff with a tightly woven hard light shell and forced it into the gale, before expanding the shell and destroying the cyclone entirely. Seeing the large basket continue to fall and pose a danger for those below, it tossed its staff like a javelin, spearing it, and pegging it to a nearby mountain side.

Suddenly, it noticed that the five ponies that were in danger were now suddenly falling upward. Noticing only four other able cadets rushing in to save them, Adna sped in to help, managing to catch Fluttershy out of the bunch. Utterly overjoyed for being saved from certain death, they thanked their rescuers. Even Fluttershy managed a warm smile and a thank you to the angel that she had so angrily chastised only a while ago. Returned to the plateau runway, they all breathed a sigh of relief, even as Rainbow Dash returned from below in panic. 

"Are you guys ok?!" she bellowed in concern. Upon getting confirmation, she went in, giving them a hug of reassurance before turning to see a distraught Pinkie behind her. "Pinkie Pie!", she shouted, running over to her last friend. It only took a moment, but the frazzled mare on the ground soon became teary eyed and leaped at the cadet, winding around her neck in a desperate embrace of relief.

"You... REMEMBER ME!" she whimpered, almost crying.

"Well, yeah," Rainbow Dash replied, confused, "of course I remember you." With Pinkie still hanging off of her, she turned towards the rest of her friends. "But, what are you all doing here?"

"We wanted to bring you a care package," Applejack answered, "Didn't realize you'd be in the middle of some crazy tornado drill."

"That. WAS. AWESOME!" Lightning Dust exclaimed, pushing her way through rather upset and angry cadets, oblivious to their concerns.

"Awesome?" Rainbow Dash parroted, indignant and irritated, "My friends could have been smashed to pieces!"

"Yeah, but they weren't, right?" Ascending the sky, she looked about, forehoof to shade her eyes from the light as she gazed into the clear blue. "Can't say the same for the clouds. We totally wiped them out with that tornado." Floating down with her legs crossed and her hooves behind the back of her head, looking smug, she continued, "The other cadets would have to be up there for DAYS to bust as many as we did." With that, she offered her hoof to Rainbow Dash.

The cadet looked at it in surprise, then anger, then turned her gaze to Lightning, rejecting the offer. "A hoof-bump? Seriously? You made me clip my wing, you sent half our class into serious tail-spins on the obstacle course, YOU UNLEASHED A TORNADO THAT NEARLY DEMOLISHED MY FRIENDS!"

"Yeah," she replied, remaining as if she had done nothing wrong, "And?"

"AND, I get you want to be the best!" she replied angrily, before softening for a moment, "So do I. But you're going about it in the wrong way."

"The Wonderbolts don't seem to think so. That's why Spitfire made ME the leader, and you the wingpony."

Rainbow Dash sighed. "You're right. She did." With that, Rainbow Dash took the the skies, and left for the main offices of the facility. 

Lightning Dust watched confused, before brushing it all off once again. "What's her problem?" she asked, hoping for an answer from her peers, whom all did nothing but return cold or angry stares. She was surprised at first, but brushed it off as well. "Whatever, everypony. All's well that ends well, right?" Leaning back as she floated away, she remained oblivious until she ran right into Adna's marble like frame, which kicked her out of her self-reverie and fell to the ground, into the angel's shadow. Upon rubbing her head from the minor injury, she looked up, and her jaw dropped.

She had noticed it in the corner of her eye previously only for a moment, as she made it a goal to only remain focused on her training, but felt seeing it was a trick of the light. But now laying beneath its stature, this wasn't a trick.

"I see thy soul now, clear as the skies above," it said with its haunting, reverberating voice, "Arrogence, callous and prideful, forgoing the welfare of thy peers for self-centered acclimation, risking all in blind pursuit."

"Wh-what?" Lightning quivered, backing away slowly from the heavy, judgemental words.

"Repent and amend thy callous, prideful heart, lest thine actions cost thee more than a toll thou can pay," it exclaimed, flaring its wings and showing off its impressive span.

Terrified of the angel's presence, the pegasus darted off, returning to the barracks. Adna sighed, letting its wings fold back against itself. It looked towards the group that was still there, whom stared back with curiosity and unease, aside from the five mares that came to see their friend. The crowd parted to let Rainbow's friends approach the angel. With that, the cadets also dispersed, realizing there was nothing more they needed to see or do.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Adna," Applejack said.

"I was here on investigation again. Why hath thou all come?" the angel replied.

"Well, as we told Dash, we were here to give her a care package. It was Pinkie's idea." Twilight said.

Before they could continue conversing, Rainbow Dash returned with dejection in her eyes and her packs in her teeth. Landing among her friends she gave them a weak smile.

"What's wrong, Rainbow, darling?" Rarity asked in concern.

The pegasus sighed, putting her saddle packs on. With a shaky voice, still coming to terms with her decision, she responded, "I talked with Spitfire. After what happened today, what almost happened to you, I made a choice... I've quit the Wonderbolts."

"You did WHAT?!" Applejack shouted in surprise as Rainbow tightened her saddle.

"Being a Wonderbolt was your dream!" Rarity added in shock and concern.

"Not anymore." She said, almost trying to convince herself.

Twilight approached her distraught friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I know how much this meant to you."

Adna watched as the ponies huddled together to give the disappointed and crushed pegasus support in her time of need. The angel was touched by such devotion that they had to each other, and couldn't help but feel the warmth of the moment all around, even though it was grim for the aspiring cadet. However, Adna noticed something odd. The warmth was more than just their friendship, but it was something all encompassing and strong. Something that resembled home. Then, it felt the air shift. Like the sky being sliced open silently, turning the blue to golden and sprinkling the air with pure white plumes.

Adna gazed to the skies, and beheld the grace and glory of heaven, ushered in by Fortitudo of the Auditio, an angel in a class above the three Spheres. First, Adna welcomed the idea of heaven finding the lost angel in jubilation, only to lose it in a realization of dawning horror.

The grand creature was colossal. An upside-down head ornate with golden trimmings was what one first saw. Next, what could be discerned were dragon legs at its forehead below, and twin dragon heads at either side of its jaw, one side red and the other side blue. Elegantly flapping slowly to keep the bizarre, divine being aloft were two gigantic wings, tipped in armor of the colors the dragon heads carried, still trimmed in gold. Behind it, a magnificent, ornate, runic circle of light floated in sync with it perfectly. With a deep voiced bellow that reverberated much like Adna's own, it summoned a hoard of Affinities just like the wayward angel, save for slight differences of colors in their robes and sparse armor, their weapon choices, and the distinct presence of a halo above their heads. Everyone in the facility gasped at the sight in mixed emotions of fear and enchantment, unable to act beyond that. Then, the massive Fortitudo spoke. 

"Esiasch, ge uran ta. Chirlan!"a
> Banned from Heaven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adna froze, its gaze fixated on the gargantuan angel high above, flanked by its brethren. The warm atmosphere of heaven itself encased the land in golden light like a new dawn and repopulated the vacant skies with new clouds, far thinner and more gentle than Equestria's own. The Affinities summoned flapped their wings slowly and rhythmically, keeping themselves in place in the sky. The angel that had spent time in this alien land looked to Fortitudo, recalling its life in heaven. In all of Adna's centuries of existence, it had only seen a member of the Auditio once. When hunting witches in the mortal realm on a world called Earth on its northern continent, it bore witness to Fortitudo and its divine wrath, as it bathed the land below it in purifying fire to kill a particularly troublesome pact-bearer. The fires were hot enough to pierce through the barrier between Limbo and the living world, destroying the forest the witch had hid in. It was a terrifying and almost awe inspiring moment, and as quickly as it happened, Fortitudo vanished, leaving behind the burning former northern paradise. Adna seldom heard stories of the Auditio before and after then, of grander cataclysms they create in the name of the Father. It was said that the Auditio are only brought forth in times of crisis, times of urgency, and times of trouble. The little Affinity was only afraid of why Fortitudo was brought here, as seeking one lost angel was hardly worth such ceremony.

"Adna," the massive angel spoke gently, "Torzu od niiso, esiasch. Geh aaf il bransg."a

"... Be among thy... guard?" Twilight muttered. Everyone within earshot turned to her with quizzical expressions.

"You can understand that, Twah?" Applejack asked disconcertingly.

"Almost," she replied, "Adna's first words to us were in a language I recognized but couldn't quite remember, before cycling through different languages and settling on a slightly dated version of our current language. After doing a little research that day, I found out what said language was. Its Old Equish, a rather dead dialect to be sure. Dating back before the original truce of the Three Pony Kingdoms. Long before Equestria was Equestria. It's startling to hear it now so clearly spoken."

"Jeez, what DIDN'T you learn while being the Princess's 'teacher's pet'?" Rainbow Dash asked honestly, despite her attempt to rib on her friend.

"Not much," Twilight said automatically, more focused on the strange and oddly beautiful spectacle they all beheld. If only I had my notepad and a camera.

"Adna?" Fluttershy asked, causing the rest of the ponies to turn to the owner of the name. The angel was purely fixated on the seemingly peaceful invaders, opening its wings slowly in silence. Before they could say anything more, the lost angel kicked off the ground and began flying up, closer to the new angels in the sky above. "Is he gonna be ok?"

Twilight watched the angel closely. "I'm not sure, Fluttershy. He hasn't said anything since they showed up." She looked back to the imposing creatures that waited in the golden sky. "I'll be honest. I am a little worried."


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Adna tentatively and slowly ascended the skies high above the training facility, keeping its gaze upon Fortitudo. The little angel's feathers ruffled in nervous anticipation, wondering what will happen. As it got closer, the high ranking angel spoke once again.

"Ge yrpoil galvah, od geh aaf Ascha iehusoz,"b the mighty creature said, "Niis, zildar a ge od blans unal hami."b

Adna stopped approaching, taking in its superior's words to heart. It gave a concerned sigh. "What will happen?"

The angel of the Auditio gave a quizzical look. "Ils camliax a nidali par zonrensg. Bagle?"c Adna covered its beak in reaction, but before the little angel could defend its minor transgression, the great being continued to speak. "Zirom ils tliob lap cors un drilpa capimao de ge fifis loagaeth? Noan ils a dodsih?"c

"Ag,"d Adna finally replied in its native tongue.

The great angel became silent as it looked down on the former cast away. It sensed a change, but not of the soul, and the change it could sense was not from the accursed pungent aroma of magic that permeated the land they were in. "Ils camliax vaoan."e It gave a light chuckle. "Solpeth, ils gru trian oi: Aldon unal hami ar ge adgt fifalz a babalon od urbs oi pi."e

"Fifalz?"f Adna parroted, "Gnay ils fafen de zonrensg teloc de priaz casarm ge uran ca babalon?"f

"Noib,"g it answered without a shred of remorse, "I ge umd a balzizras, g Ascha dooain."g Before Adna could object, the high ranking angel bellowed out, which caused the Affinities it summoned to begin flying down to the ponies below. Adna whipped around, realizing what was about to happen. It was a culling.

As the angels screeched their battle cries, readying themselves for opposition, Adna outstretched its hand towards the prelude of chaos, calling out, "STOP!" Only the Auditio angel managed to hear the plea, and only in a light pother. The little angel turned to its superior with worry set on its soul. "They are innocent!" However, without waiting for an answer from Fortitudo, the halo-less angel followed its kin to stand for justice on its own accord.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Twilight watched as the two angels conversed, trying hard to follow the Old Equish between them, but too many words were lost on her. Despite her difficulty, she noticed Adna's body language. It was stiff, nervous, and troubled. Seeing this, however, began to put the little unicorn on edge herself. Her friends were quick to notice her silent plight.

"You ok there, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked in concern.

"Adna's afraid," she said simply.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, almost trembling in empathy to the thought.

Before Twilight could answer her meek friend, they heard the roar of the massive angel, following the smaller angels, much like Adna itself, that descended the skies at a rapid pace. Everyone froze, but upon realizing the angels were readying their weapons, Twilight called out to her friends. 

"EVERYPONY! GET NEAR ME!" she shouted. Her friends, and a few of the cadets gathered around her as she summoned a force-field of purple magic around them. Everyone was confused until they saw it. Angels scattered and began to chase about other ponies, attempting to capture them, some already close to succeeding. Everything in Twilight's mind desperately struggled to weigh the odds. Adna was powerful. Very powerful. A talented unicorn would be lucky to have that kind of prowess as the Affinity she knew. Assuming her own talents, she believed she would have enough to match herself against one of them, maybe two. However, being one of the only two unicorns in the area, she knew fighting back actively would get her nowhere and only get more ponies taken over by the sheer numbers. The pegasi, especially the Wonderbolts themselves, might be able to help keep them at bay, but even then the facility was filled more with members-to-be rather than fully trained personnel. At the thought of the devil, it was at that moment that Spitfire's own voice was echoing across the facility's speakers. 

"ATTENTION ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS!" Spitfire yelled out in desperation, "THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! SCRAMBLE AND DEFEND ALL CIVILIANS AT ALL COST! NEW RECRUITS, SEEK OUT SHELTER AND ARM YOURSELVES FOR PROTECTION! THAT IS AN ORDER! SPITFIRE, OUT!"

It was then a squad of Wonderbolt members, lead by Spitfire herself, emerged from the main building and split to intercept the invaders. Their efforts were valiant, as they slammed into angels that had captured ponies, getting the Affinities to release their claims, and distracting the angelic forces from further attempts at capture. While the angels were clearly stronger and gifted with miracles, the seasoned Wonderbolts were fast and dexterous enough to keep them at bay and avoid their relentless assaults for the time being. But, ponies are merely mortal with limited stamina, while the angels knew it would be a matter of time before their infinite patience would be rewarded. 

It was a sight of pure chaos to be sure, beheld by Twilight and everyone lucky enough under her dome. The safety did not remain unchallenged however, as a flock of three Affinities descended the sky and landed before the magical barrier. They cawed and shrieked in their odd language as they began to repeatedly strike at the force-field's surface, causing Twilight to flinch at each strike. Sweat formed at her brow as she tried hard to maintain the barrier. However, help came as Rarity herself flared her horn and poured her own energy into Twilight's, strengthening their protective shield for that much longer. As the two unicorns kept them at bay, Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in fury and frustration.

"Twilight. On the count of three," she said, fire burning in her eyes, "let me out so I can do something instead of just sit here while these punks harass us."

Twilight looked to the loyal friend behind her, and gave her a hard nod. And as requested, at the count of three, Twilight bust open the barrier quick enough to allow Rainbow Dash out, and closed it before any of the angels had a chance to take advantage. The sight was something to behold, as the Element of Loyalty screamed through the sky. She pin-balled between the angels, knocking them off balance while in the air, and kept them from harming her future comrades and team members almost as effortlessly as she busted clouds. It was inspiring to see her friend fight so hard to protect everypony, and wanted nothing more than to applaud her actions. 

However, a sudden crack in her mind kicked out of her revere, as one of the Affinities at the surface of her shield had begun to push its hand through the barrier slowly. It reached in to try to grasp Twilight by the horn, inching ever so close to the little pony to stop the source of the magic. Twilight shut her eyes, hoping to Celestia it wouldn't be able to reach. 

Suddenly, there was a heavy thump, as the trio of Affinities were smacked away from the barrier by Twilight's damaged hot air-balloon basket, allowing it to seal up around the group once again safely. Twilight opened her eyes, and couldn't help but gasp in jubilation. It was Adna that threw the heavy basket at the aggressive angels.

"Art thou alright?" it said.

"Yes, w-we're fine for now." Twilight said, "But we can't do anything like this, and we're too far away from Canterlot to get the Elements to help. The best I can do to keep my friends safe is to keep casting this spell, but this is as far as I can take it. If it takes any more punishment, we're toast."

"God speed. I shall do my part then." With that, Adna summoned its staff and charged forth.

Adna headed straight for the nearest brother, striking it viciously with its own staff, and sent it tumbling to the ground below. The pegasus it chased gave a sigh of relief and a thank you to Adna before darting off to help others. On cue, however, another Affinity floated in with a trumpet, and played a forceful tune, gathering miracle energy at its cone, before firing it at Adna. The halo-less angel dodged the attack before it rushed its brother, raising its staff to strike down the attacker.

"Geh loncho?"h it asked in an eerily similar voice as Adna's own, causing the lost angel to pause for a moment. The pause was enough of a distraction, however, as yet another affinity teleported in from its halo, and immediately swung its morning star, striking Adna in the back.

White marble skin and red ichor leaped from the resulting wound as Adna shrieked in agony, but held itself aloft in the sky. Ignoring the pain, it retaliated, swinging its staff proud and true. The resulting thwack caused the affected angel to tumble away unconscious, as Adna turned to the trumpet blower. It backed off, preparing to blow another shot of energy, but Adna sped towards the offending angel and struck away the instrument from its beak before punching it in the face. The Affinity staggered, but recovered quickly, only to receive another brutal hit from the same fist, knocking it out properly.

Adna darted toward another angel that had successfully captured a familiar yellow Wonderbolt with the fiery orange mane, and struck the angel in the back, causing it to release its prisoner. The Wonderbolt in turn whirled around and bucked its failed captor in the chest before giving it a nasty uppercut, knocking it senseless and falling out of the sky.

"Hey, thanks... uh... oh, this must be tough for you, fighting your own guys," Spitfire said, "Honestly kinda glad you're still on our side, though. I know we could use all the help we can get right now."

"Thou hath no time for idle talk," Adna said sternly.

"Oh, right," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "See ya later!" With that, the pegasus raced off to join her fellow ponies in pushing the angels back.

However, before Adna could return to the fray, a new flock of angels teleported to their wayward brother, brandishing their weapons. Adna raised its own staff in defense, before clashing against the first strike, knocking away the trumpet of another, and striking away yet another slash. As Adna desperately parried each attack, another angel dropped in with a morning star in tow, and flicked it so the ball and chain would wrap around Adna's staff, allowing the owner to disarm Adna for its brothers.

Adna lost grip, but before it could get hit by the incoming attacks, it flapped its wings harshly to dash backward and get some distance. The lost angel tried to summon a new weapon, but the sound of a trumpet sung as a ball of miracle energy sailed toward it like a cannon ball, causing it to forgo armament for a speedy dodge. The Affinities then pursued the backed up angel, applying further pressure to get Adna to make a mistake. Before anything could be done, a streak of rainbow cut in, bowling over three of the four angels with incredible force. The tossed messengers of God fell from the sky as Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt and turned to see if her friend was alright.

It was then Rainbow realized her error, as the remaining angel took advantage of the confusion and struck Adna in the side with its own staff, chipping off more marble skin from its body. Adna screeched again, but regained control enough to grip the head of the staff, rip it from its brother's hands, and cross-checked the angel before giving it a swift kick to the chest. It wheezed hard before Rainbow Dash sped forward and delivered a punishing forward buck to the face, cracking its helm and knocking it out. She then turned to Adna once again in worry.

"Sorry," she said genuinely, "I didn't think I'd miss one like that. Will you be ok?"

Adna looked up to Fortitudo, whom still remained floating above the chaos that ensued. Clenching its fist, Adna summoned a new staff. "My brothers will not stop, it seems. Go, defend thy friends. I will try to end this madness."

"What are you going to do?"

But, there was no answer. Adna simply flew up and forth, intending to close in on the Auditio, and do whatever it could to put a stop to what was going on. The mortals could handle themselves for now, it reasoned, but if they are to be saved from this skewed judgement, Fortitudo must be stopped. Even if I must die for it.

Fortitudo noticed the lost angel's approach, and in its wisdom, called back the angels it summoned to intercept Adna. Each angel that was still in combat or hunting one of the pegasi down suddenly stopped and heeded the summon, allowing themselves to ascend into their halos. Said halos then rushed passed Adna and set themselves before Fortitudo like some pseudo-barrier, before the angels then appeared from their rings of light. Brandishing their weapons, they floated in anticipation for the order from their superior. At the same time,  Adna witnessed the pegasi that fought off the angels turn to their fellow ponies and helped them seek refuge and protection in case the angels return to attack again.

"Adna," Fortitudo addressed, once again calmly and gently, "Bagle gnay ils biah lap z? Gnay gi ge brin nalvage, q as da blior fafen gahal?"i

Adna clenched its fists. "I see no reason why we should harm these mortals. They have done nothing but good and I have seen as such, while not perfect. Even now, they defend not for honor nor glory, but for their fellow being."

Fortitudo raised its brow, noticing their lost brother has forgone the use of their language. It then replied in its almighty righteousness. "Balzizras trian on de quasb a babalon."j

"And what shall count as wicked? Ignorance to our Father, whom they do not know?"

The Auditio scowled before it roared out a war cry, causing the angels to all attack their lost brother like bolts of a crossbow. Adna raised its weapon before it, and dashed forth to meet its brothers head on. It swung its staff to one incoming attack, parrying it, only to swing again to deflect another. A shot from a trumpet rang out, but Adna was too busy stopping a morning star to see it. The ball of weaponized divinity struck Adna in the wing, clipping of feathers and its marble skin. Adna gritted through the pain, and knocked away the morning star wielder, only to be speared by two more angels with staffs. Red ichor spilled from the wounds as it cried out like a bird in agony while it dropped its own staff. However, Adna persevered, gripping the two weapons and used them to toss aside the angels still holding them, then ripped them from its divine flesh. Discarding its brothers arms, it continued up as fast as its injured and battered wings could go. All along the way, angels attempted to strike Adna down, only managing to damage it further and flay the marble from its body. None of the attacks were enough to stop the angel, as it kept moving, bleeding and tired, its exposed teeth gleamed in the golden light. Its crimson muscles ached under the white binds that held the creature together, while feathers continued to fall from its deteriorating and battered wings. Angels were, in reality, highly grotesque under the marble beauty they exhibit, as the few ponies below managed to see, but none of them would think ill of it. All they saw was a creature standing up for them, and paying hefty tolls.

With one final push, it weakly knocked away one more angel, before floating towards its former superior. However, before it could get close, one last angel rushed from behind and attempted to impale Adna. A harrowing cry of the lost angel's name had Adna turn around in time to notice and attempt interception. Just as it was about to fail, Fortitudo let out another bellow of fury, expanding a dense amount of energy from itself and encased the world around them in a deep golden light, stopping time itself in its place. Adna was stunned from the sudden shift, backing away from the time frozen tip that would have skewered it. Confused, it turned back to Fortitudo and began to float up to it, no longer pressured from its brothers' assaults. Here and now, they were the only two unaffected, certainly by the Auditio's own wish. Adna decided to ignore the strangeness of the moment, and simply take advantage to make its plea.

Weakly, Adna spoke. "Please... leave them be..."

Fortitudo remained silent. The little angel's conviction was astonishing even as it was in such a sorry state, and the superior angel once again sensed no corruption within its brother's soul. Adna was not another angel that had fallen from grace, but perhaps one that was touched by a crowning epiphany, giving it something more in purpose than God's own will. To say the Auditio was impressed at the idea was an understatement. Fortitudo then looked out to the world before it. It had planned on bringing the wayward angel back to heaven and sow the word of God in this untouched world to spread the influence of heaven. It had planned that its brother would join their side without question, and the mortals of this land would be shepherded quickly to be purified. But all plans went awry, and now it beheld a new option. With the option, it encountered an unexpected feeling. The magic in the air did disgust it, but despite the disturbance, it felt more peace here than any place in other mortal worlds that sat so close to heaven. And through the thin clouds their kind brought, it could see a land lush with purity and vitality. It almost lived in harmony with the blasphemous magical energies. It was a strange juxtaposition. The Auditio looked down to its practically flayed brother whom was trying desperately to keep itself together. For the first time in centuries, perhaps millenniums, it smiled genuinely.

"Adna," it addressed, "Geh dlugam ol gono, esiasch."k

Adna sighed, but Fortitudo continued, drawing out a suitable condition.

"Crip, ils trian parach de hami kures. Oi trian il salman. Mirc il teloc, ils alca trian umd; ca babalon q akarinu."l If the world was truly worthy of protection, then Fortitudo figured the lost angel would not mind exile here. Besides, Adna had lost its halo. There needed to be some penance for that mistake.

Adna could barely believe the words it heard, but was relieved enough to gave a weak bow in appreciation. "Thank you."

"Tustax par, harg a mozod nothoa z, ucim, od chirlan!"m With that, all of the fallen brothers were gathered up in a heavenly light, returned to their halos, along with the still able Affinities. As the halos disappeared behind Fortitudo, it too gave out one last blaring cry, breaking its stop of time, and receding through the crack in the sky it came from. When it departed, the hole through the cosmos sealed up, and the sky returned to its clear, blue normal.

Adna gave a weak laugh as exhaustion finally set in, and suddenly dropped from the sky. While it fell, it could hear its name being called by a familiar, rainbow maned pegasus.
> Meadows of Heaven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adna woke up with a start, breathing heavily, almost desperately. Placing its hand on its head, it felt its marble skin intact and the garments it wore restored. Gazing about the room, Adna realized it was on top of a comically small hospital bed for its size, in a simple white room, next to a large window that had an outlook view on its right. Outside was a peaceful sunny day, where the angel could see various ponies either leaving or entering town, relaxing against the grassy hills and meadows nearby, or in the case of one aquamarine colored mare, peeking into the window before darting away after she realized she was spotted. Taking its eyes away from the outside world, it looked over itself and noticed various bandages covering parts of its body, which it reached for to start removing. A door nearby opened, and a light amber male unicorn in a white doctor's coat walked in with a clip board, flicking his dark grayish tangelo mane away from his eyes and glasses. As soon as he did, he caught the angel white handed.

"Hey! Stop that! You're still recovering!" he said, rather cross that the strange creature had the nerve to start undoing bandages willy-nilly.

Adna stopped, but only out of curiosity's sake. "Where am I?" it asked, "How did I come to this place?"

"Well, you're in Ponyville Hospital," he answered, matter-of-factly, "and you were brought here about five days ago by Ms. Twilight and her friends, practically in shambles. Honestly, its a miracle you were alive, let alone healing at such an astonishing rate. Though, you are a rather strange being, so maybe it's just normal for you." The unicorn began scribbling down notes, checking the charts and nearby machines. "How are you feeling?" he asked, almost automatically.

Adna looked itself over once again, before looking outside into the horizon, then back to the doctor. "All is well."

"Yes, quite," he muttered, writing down more notes. "Well, I shall be checking back in on you in two hours. I'll go and give the news that you're able-bodied enough to receive visitors." Just before the doctor left, he leaned back in quickly to bark "Don't you DARE touch those bandages until they are ready to come off!"

Adna quickly withdrew its hands from the bandages and hid its talons under the covers of the hospital bed. The Doctor lowered his glasses, eyeing the angel for a moment with distrustful look before finally leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Adna gave a long sigh and leaned back against the pillow it had been resting on earlier.

It was such a weird feeling. It could no longer feel the comforting and warm sensation it did days ago, and considered Heaven itself was now so far away, but at the same time, Adna didn't mind. The glow of the day's sun was inviting, and while the magic in the air was still hard to adjust to, there was a unique charm to the way the world seemed to be. If it was to remain here until its end of days like every other mortal, then so be it. It would hardly be a true punishment.

Adna then got a chill as it sensed a demonic force approaching, along with another tainted soul, and a handful of pure hearts it recognized. There was one other individual trailing behind, emanating doubt and confusion, but Adna paid no real mind as the door swung open, demanding full attention to the intruders. Entering the room was the devil Elvis, along with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and the cyborg known as Monsoon, all of whom were lead in by Twilight Sparkle.

"ADNA!" shouted the rather excitable Pinkie Pie, whom was prepared to jump the poor angel. Elvis, however, had sense enough to catch Pinkie by the tail and keep her from doing just that. "Awww, I wanted to give him a hug..."

"As much as I'd love to see you tackle his feathered, pampered ass to the ground, Rosa, we should give the pigeon a break for now. That cabron has been through quite a bit. Nice goin', by the way," Elvis said, giving a thumbs up, chomping his unlit cigar with gusto.

Did... I just get complimented by a devil? Adna thought, Dear Father Almighty, I have fallen and sinned by proxy. Adna leaned back in its bed, before realizing, Wait, how did the pink one know my name?

"It's good to see you well," Twilight said with a genuine, warm smile, "I was worried when you just charged through like that. I was even more worried when Rainbow Dash managed to catch you when you fell from the sky, when you were..." The little unicorn trailed off, trying not to think of the sorry state the angel was in. "Anyway, you healed rather nicely, all things considered. How are you feeling?"

"These infernal bandages bother me," the angel replied flatly, "But I was told not to remove them yet, much to my dismay."

"Yeah, I know how you feel," said Rainbow Dash, whom approached the Affinity's bedside. "They're itchy, always too tight, and never feel quite right."

"But, they are quite necessary, darling," Rarity interjected with a dignified smile, "I'm glad you're doing well otherwise, Adna. What you did for all of us was wonderful and utterly divine of you."

Adna noticed the choice of words, but decided not to comment on it. The cybernetic human that came with the four ponies and the demon turned around with a single laugh and started to leave. Said ponies looked to the cyborg and immediately questioned the action.

"I'm only here on Jack's request. I've seen what I needed to see, and I have no further business here. I need to return to the orchard to report the supposed 'good news' so I get back to work," Monsoon said with a disingenuous grin. With that, the former Desperado left the room with little other ceremony.

"Do thou honestly trust that human?" Adna asked, honestly.

"Well, about as much as we trust Elvis here," Rainbow Dash said.

"Ey!"

"What?"

"OH NO!" Pinkie exclaimed, rushing up to the bed in a panic.

"What is it, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, concerned.

"You missed the party you were invited to! YOU MISSED THE PARTY, AND I TOTALLY FORGOT!" Upon exclaiming those words, she face planted against the mattress, babbling incoherently, waving her fore-hooves about in an animated way.

"Is this one always like this?" Adna asked

"Yes, but the dear has a good heart," Rarity replied, "Trust me. You'll learn to really respect the dedication she has."

"Alright, everypony," Twilight announced, kicking Pinkie out of her panic to turn to her friend, "I think it's time we leave and let Adna rest. We can come back tomorrow when he's feeling better."

"Yeah. Hopefully Fluttershy can join us then. She wants to thank you again when you're in better shape," Rainbow Dash stated.

While Adna was in better condition than the little unicorn and pegasus implied, the angel decided to let it slide, wanting to enjoy the peace and quiet anyway from the excuse. As the ponies and accompanying demon all left, Adna shuffled back against its still rather small resting spot, letting its somewhat aching body relax as best it could. Before it could slip into sleep, there was an uncertain knock at the door.

"Thou may enter," Adna said, sensing the self-doubting soul just beyond the wood frame.

Not a moment later, a familiar form stepped in sheepishly. A gold and amber mane that was normally swept back hung a bit lower against the head of turquoise pegasus. Her eyes looked off to the side, almost avoiding Adna's line of sight.

"This is a surprise," the angel said, "Thou art dispirited. Has my visage shaken thee so much?" Lightning Dust remained silent to the question. Adna crossed its arms, unimpressed from the lack of answer. "Is there any reason why thou have appeared before me?"

Lightning Dust kicked the ground lightly, before finally mustering up the courage to speak. "I saw what you did at the academy. I didn't think anyone, let alone every present Wonderbolt and a few of the cadets, would fight that hard for anyone. I thought being a Wonderbolt simply meant being number one. To be the best of the best of fliers." She paused, looking away from Adna for a moment. "After those things were driven away and everything went back to normal, Spitfire took my title as a leader, and gave it to someone else. She said it wasn't just because of what I was doing was wrong and not what the Wonderbolts stand for. My former wingpony gained the title I lost because she also didn't hesitate to stick her neck out for everypony else. I mean, I helped then, but..." The pegasus trailed off for a moment, before looking back towards Adna. "I kinda considered what you said to me. I mean, it took me a while to actually realize WHAT you said to me, but... after I figured it out, I gave it some thought..." The little pegasus gave a confident smile, "And, I just came by to say that."

Those words hung in the air for a moment or two, as Lightning herself began to fidget after the silence persisted. "Uh, look, dude, I'll be honest, you still freak me out, and I can't tell if your mad at me, or smiling at me, or anything with how you look. So I'd, uh, really appreciate some sort of confirmation, or something."

Adna gave a sigh and an inward smile from the sincerity, "May you take your humility with grace, and succeed in the betterment of your attitude. Go in peace, little pony."

"Heh, thanks dude," she said sheepishly, before giving the angel a wave and turned for the door. "Get well soon."

As soon as Lightning Dust left, Adna gazed back out the window to the daylight sun's rays, which graced the meadows that outstretched to the strange little town that defied the angel's outlook. It gave another inward smile, as exhaustion once again set in and it slipped back into sleep.


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


"Dear Sister, we need to talk."

"Please, Luna, not today."

"Tia, you can't keep saying that day after day. We. Need. To. Talk."

"Luna, I am very busy at the moment. I promise we will-"

Luna then tackled her dearest sister to the ground, pinning her to the floor to make sure that she couldn't get away from this. The Lunar Princess' determined eyes were fixed on Celestia's own, before the Sun Goddess looked away in a huff.

"Luna," Princess Celestia said in a frighteningly calm voice, "Get off me before-"

"Before what, sister?" Luna let the question linger for a while as Celestia continued to remain silent. With the question unanswered, Luna began to speak her mind. "This whole 'summoning other beings from clearly violent and destructive worlds' stunt is getting too dangerous."

"The one we summoned recently wasn't that bad," Celestia pointed out.

"Until its kin ripped a hole through time and space to find their lost brother and were prepared to plunge our world into chaos before likely creating an overwhelming totalitarian governing body! Don't you DARE become smart with me." Luna retorted, "You FELT how powerful that creature was."

"I would have been perfectly capable of handling the issue if I were needed."

"Oh, yeah, sure, and put everypony in jeopardy from your clash with it. Not even mentioning that an action like that would likely incite aggression from more of those beings. Who knows how many others like THAT could exist from THEIR realm? We don't need an inter-dimensional war on top of... whatever other doomsday is coming that you still refuse to tell me about in detail!"

"I can see your modern speech lessons are beginning to pay off," Celestia said, trying desperately to calm her sister.

"Don't change the subject!" Luna looked away with a sense of doubt, "I'm worried, Celestia. There are too many details out of our hooves, and too many risks we're going to take on this. How do you know it's even going to work?"

"Starswirl predicted it and designed this exact countermeasure for it. We just have one more to go, and we'll be ready."

"But what if the last one is so much worse than the thing we need to stop?" Luna asked, genuinely.

Celestia sighed. "Luna. Please, have faith in me. I promise to tell you everything when the time is right."

"Why won't you tell me now? Why wouldn't you tell me before all of this?"

"Because, I'm worried what you'd do. I know you well enough to feel that way."

"You don't think I could keep calm about it?!" Luna yelled angrily.

"Luna..." Celestia uttered, "The truth is, I'm just barely keeping calm about it myself. I'm at my wits end. Every day I wake up terrified that it might happen sooner than we know. Every night I worry that everything that has been set will backfire, and I know I'll be to blame. Dealing with Discord hasn't made it any easier on me, and he can just as easily turn on all of us if he found it more amusing. It's like I'm walking along a tightrope, with all of Equestria on my shoulders. Even if I let you shoulder some of the burden, it would STILL be far too overbearing for you. If I hadn't..." Celestia choked back a hiccup, trying not to loose what little composure she had left. "Luna, please. Once this is all over, once all six are here, I'll feel far more comfortable to divulge everything to you. I promise."

Luna stared at her sister, for a moment or two, watching her eyes. She could see nothing but a whirlwind of emotions. Doubt, anger, sorrow, tension, fear. So much fear. It was almost heartbreaking. Luna then stepped off her sister, and helped her back up. She gave a sigh. "I'm sorry, sister."

"Don't be. You have every right to be irritated with me," she said reassuringly, giving a weak smile. She then breathed deeply, and recomposed herself. "Perhaps its about time we go have dinner. The Nobles are demanding our attendance for their inquiries."

"Don't they always?" she replied somewhat defeated, letting her sister take her mind off of the dire current events with the idiotic squabbling of the rich. 

Just one more, Celestia thought, and I can start to put my mind at ease.
> Part 6: Friendship Saves the Nihilist Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




> Twisted Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

An endlessly swirling nothing, forged deeply from the tears of the sleepless dead, pulsated and throbbed to the eternal wailing of misery. This is where consciousness came to die, as souls of the lost, broken, and damned collected for their final moments. Normally, nothing is left but an utter oblivion for all those who congregated here, but all rules have exceptions. In the infinity of this horrible place, every now and again, a strong enough will would rip itself away and claw back into the realm of the living. For some, they succumb to despair from a world that has long forgotten them. Others writhe with rage in mutiny for how they were so easily cast away, and wish only to repay the living for these perceived transgressions. A few, clear minded or not, choose to find a new home or a new vessel in order to try to continue their unfinished business. For why is always uncertain, whether it be selfish desires and material things, or simply to leave a legacy or remain in memory. All of these examples are rare, but none are more common among them than a will that managed to resume the affairs they left behind, only to become excised and thrust back into the void.

In one such case, a harrowing soul with extraordinary talents managed this, before confronting something that shouldn't have even existed and becoming promptly erased. It was twice that the deceased individual was snuffed out, and there was no going back. Any rage, anger, or hatred it carried was no longer enough to ferry it, let alone inspire another chance of escape. Its original vessel, its body, was dead and gone and any remnant ties to the living world were severed entirely. For the lingering consciousness, there now was no hope.

What a pleasant feeling...


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Deep in a rather expansive basement full of all assortments of nick-knacks, a light aquamarine mare carefully constructed a rather crafty and complex contraption at the far back end. Giving her light greyish cyan and white striped mane a hard brush from her hooves to get the sweat away from her eyes, she wandered over to the last pieces of the thing she was building. It had been a long and hard journey, but it was finally nearing its conclusion for the little mare named Lyra Heartstrings. Keeping everything she had done quiet up until now was a nightmare, not even mentioning that gathering together what she needed were pure strokes of luck, for better or worse. In fact, if it weren't for the creature that called himself Elvis showing up in Ponyville, or the mechanized being known as Monsoon, she wouldn't have even thought to go through with it in the first place. One would say her efforts would be redundant, as she already has two individuals that could satisfy her curiosity. However, if you would tell her that, she would easily reply that Elvis, while looking the part, clearly isn't the creature she's looking for. Monsoon on the other hand straight up terrifies her, keeping her from ever wanting to ask any questions.

It all started when she was a little filly, reading a book about myths and legends. She always wanted to know about the unbelievable, and nothing more unbelievable to her was reading about a strange bi-pedal creature that resembled a hairless monkey. The most striking feature it possessed was the stubby claws that had a count of five digits on each arm, unlike a minotaur's three. Unfortunately, she could never remember the name of the creature, or the name of the book she read, for the day after she read that book when she was little, it was signed out by another young foal and was lost since then. It was a stroke of just the worst luck, if anything, but the image of that thing, that strange creature, stuck with her well into her independent life.

Her best friend and roommate, Bon-Bon, whom knew about her eccentric hobbies and interests, was also none-the-wiser about her recent activities. At least, Lyra hoped so. She knew that while her friend tolerated her and her desire to see such strange specimens, she knew that Bon-Bon would probably attempt to stop her latest actions, especially with how dicey things had gotten. It couldn't be helped, and being missing for a few days didn't make things any better. Well, not for her roommate, at least. Lyra's little adventure into Whitetail Woods proved to be rather fruitful, despite the initial hiccup of being captured by creatures known as Diamond Dogs. Evidently, they were trying to capture a specific pony, and as the days went by, they became more desperate to the point of simply kidnapping at any random that wandered close to their territory. Never the less, their leader ended up treating Lyra quite well, even producing a rather old book they found written by Starswirl the Bearded to exchange for luring their real target down there. The musical eccentric originally would have spat at the offer, but upon giving the book a skim, she realized it held information she needed to fulfill her dream. Among the many spells and contraption blueprints, it had diagrams and detailing about a summoning portal, powered by musical hymns and magic. Apparently, Starswirl was never one for music, and never managed to get it to work, but left the notes behind in case someone did. Lyra found it odd that there were some addendum notes attached that mentioned a 'Black Heart countermeasure', whatever that was, but ultimately paid that no mind. Still, what was in the book was more than intriguing, and even more than just irresistible. It was a hard sell, and she always felt guilty for feeding false information to Rarity's little sister to lure the seamstress into a trap, but Lyra figured she'd make it up to her later some day. 

It was then, just before the Great and Tyrannical Trixie was dethroned, where further motivation kicked in. Seeing the odd, maroon mechanical bi-ped duking it out against Elvis made her want to make haste with the project detailed in the book. Collecting left behind metal scraps, among other things, and storing what she needed in her basement while Bon-Bon was busy with the rest of the townsfolk, she kept tabs on the book. Not among the scraps, however, was one vital thing she needed to even attempt to complete what was in the book: A magically susceptible musical instrument for channeling.

Something like that wasn't impossible, but it wouldn't be easy either. Enchanting a musical instrument, like any other object, so it was properly able to absorb and transfer magical energy was a task that could take weeks, if not months, from an especially skilled unicorn. Longer if the instrument was bigger. Lyra had mused that she could probably request Twilight to assist her, but stopped herself upon realizing that the Element of Magic may get suspicious as to why it needed to be done, and ask further questions. When it came to secrets, she could keep them well enough, but direct questions could chip away at her mental resilience and probing from Celestia's student would just break her down faster. 

Luck struck again recently, when she went out on a picnic with Bon-Bon at Winsome Falls, a rather beautiful location that sat at the edge of the cloud city of Cloudsdale, and sat below the Wonderbolt Training Acadamey. Bon-Bon had always wanted to go there, and Lyra figured they both could take a break from all the excitement that had been going on. During the trip, Lyra spied a rather odd object that was just sitting in the grass all alone: An elegant, golden trumpet. At first it seemed rather normal for what it was, if a bit garish with its gold and bejeweled design, and it even played really well. However, Lyra quickly realized something was off. Levitating the instrument swiftly became gradually harder and harder as if it were slowly siphoning her magic from merely being in contact with it. It was then Lyra realized she found her last piece of her puzzle. 

It wasn't hard for Lyra to convince Bon-Bon to let her keep it, seeing as Lyra was a musician by trade. What was tricky to discuss was why she needed to borrow a synthesizer keyboard set up from Vinyl Scratch, too. Ultimately, she persuaded her friend on the idea that she wanted to experiment with lots of different sounds with it and the trumpet, and see if she could come up with something new. It wasn't a clean tale for her friend to swallow, but it worked for the time being.

And it all came down to this: The machine was finally, painstakingly completed, hooked up to both the trumpet with the keyboard below it so she could play the notes and channel the magic into the metal door-frame. It was a rather foreboding device, as if it were a gate to some twisted dimension. Never the less, she was too close to just give up out of the lack of nerve, and began channeling magic into the garish trumpet, which took to it like a dry sponge in water. Within minutes, Lyra was exhausted, but she gritted her teeth and bore with it. Upon finishing the channeling, she pulled out an old book of organ pipe hymns, and began to flip through the pages, looking for something fitting. After enough searching, Lyra's eyes laid upon a single sheet with an interesting title. It was called "Hymn of the Saddened Mantis". The song in question was simple enough, sticking to four parts, starting off with a repetitive bass hum that remained constant, before it added soprano notes that switched to tenor notes, then to alto soprano notes before all four parts came together on one full choir, before petering off by dropping the alto soprano notes, then the tenor notes, and leaving the bass to drone. As it was only one page, she assumed it was likely a song that was meant to be repeated. 

Upon playing the hymn, she found the song itself seemed rather foreboding, but also kind of sad, just as the title advertised. As the notes were played, chills crawled up and down her spine in ominous anticipation as the bass continued to drone along with the rest of the music. Looking to the makeshift door frame, and then the trumpet, she soon saw the magical energies travel from said instrument through the haphazardly cobbled together metal piping, before the energy began to slowly swirl between the frame edges. Her face began to light up with glee as she kept playing the sombre song on the synthesizer keyboard, already rounding the end of the song in at a minute and a half. The device hadn't done anything but channel the magic, so Lyra repeated the song, hoping to see a change.

Sure enough, the swirling magic began to take a soupy consistency, as electrical discharges erupted from it, spooking the mare. Intimidated, but not undetermined, she continued to play, rounding the second play and going into a third. More discharges of static erupted from the magic as the soupy consistency soon became less viscous and almost seeped out into the rest of the basement. Lyra coughed from the sudden gaseous invasion. She looked back to the door-frame, only for her eyes to grow wide in tension. 

From the magical swirl, the surface began to warp and twist as something small and thin began to slowly poke through. Lyra stopped playing and moved before the frame with a big smile on her face, clacking her hooves together in anticipation. Soon enough, the small protrusion was followed by four more, before it was joined by a flat surface between the five points. Lyra's heart skipped a beat. It was someone's hand. An honest to goodness hand in the flesh.

As it pushed further, the magical essence that covered it melted away and revealed almost what she was hoping for. The only difference, however, was this individual wore a black leather glove with the index and ring finger entirely exposed. As the limb pushed out further, more leather was what could be seen all the way up to the exposed bicep. Soon enough, the rest of the entity's body surface passed through the gate much to Lyra's combined excitement and confusion. She got exactly what she wanted, but what a strange being it was. The creature was bound in more tight leather from ankles to the neck, with tight thin rubber boots adorning its feet, and was tattooed with barcodes on the naked shoulders, with one more tattoo on the right side of its head, and a vicious scar right above the aforementioned barcode. Most worrisome of all though, was the harrowing gas mask it wore, complete with deep orange lenses.

The machine deactivated as the slender and emaciated figure took a shaky step forward, reaching out towards the pony. However, its efforts were in vain as it breathed harshly through the mask, before collapsing forward at Lyra's hooves. Lyra let out a yelp, flinching away after it fell, but gathered the courage to investigate the now rather still being. She slowly checked it over, gently prodding at the skinny neck, looking for a pulse, and listened for breathing. Everything, from pulse to breath, was slow and unsteady. Something was wrong.

"BON-BON! GET DOWN HERE QUICK!" she bellowed out.

The sound of hooves crossed above her as the basement door was suddenly slammed open, pouring bright light into the dim basement. The mare known as Bon-Bon raced down the stares in a panic, and froze upon seeing the haphazard contraption with her dear friend standing over the strange being that wasn't supposed to be down there.

"What the HAY is going on down here!?" she barked, hoping for a reasonable answer, but expecting something ludicrous.

"I'll tell you later, but we need to get this human to the hospital, NOW!"

"What? Human? Is this-" she started, pointing to the makeshift machine, before letting her hoof rub her forehead in exasperation, "Lyra, I told you-"

"Look, you can chastise me later, but right now, this human needs help. Its heart is beating very slowly, and I'm really worried!"

Bon-Bon sighed, and moved over to the being's right side, picked up its slender arm, and draped it over her own shoulders. Lyra did the same at her side. The two began hauling the unconscious and barely alive human out of the cellar, where Lyra couldn't help but smile in glee, where as Bon-Bon was justifiably not amused.

"After this, we are going straight to Twilight, and we are going to have a VERY long talk about what you've been doing, and you WILL spill every detail, got that?"


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


His mind was in a haze and all of his limbs felt numb. Eyes creaking open, he gazed into an unfamiliar location through the orange tint of his lenses. His breath was shaky as he slowly gazed about the room in weary lethargy, trying to figure out where he was with the best of his groggy abilities. After a moment or two processing the information his tired eyes could gather, he realized he was in a hospital room. It was a bit rustic, but it was definitely for medical purposes. Looking to the side of the bed, he noticed an IV tube attached to his arm, which was no longer wearing the long leather glove that he'd normally have on. Looking down, he noticed the thin blanket that covered his thin and sickly body. It was as if he were some sort of impromptu patient. He then realized something was very wrong.

It took him a bit to recall, but he remembered one very important detail he was stuck with for years. He was dead. He shouldn't even have a body anymore. At least, that's what he thought. The horrifying images of the slain and the victimized screaming in his face was not an easily forgotten memory. He even remembered how he managed to escape that terrifying place once, if briefly, only to be thrown back to the ether to continue inching towards total oblivion. It was sort of strange that, in those last moments, he had figured it would have been a graciously accepted finale, all things considered. However, here he was, feeling the standardized hospital fabric against the few exposed portions of his skin, smelling the sterile air through his mask, and seeing the dim light of the moon peek through the windows.

He looked about once more, and realized he was alone. It was comforting to be in solitude, but the implications of the situation pointed to one thing. His isolation will not last. Whoever brought him here, and the staff that worked here, would likely return. He was actually quite curious. How did he even come back?

New memories began to trickle to the forefront of his thoughts. There was the pull of something in that nothingness he resided in for so long that he felt... attracted to. It wasn't a light, but something like a sound. It was familiar, if a bit nostalgic. He followed it, and...

He clutched his head tightly after a sharp pain jabbed at his mind. The memories that once trickled now began to flood in agonizingly. Feelings of searing physical torment, as if every nerve in his body was re-activating one by one. Flashes of muscular spasms, and blurred images from his own rapid eye movement. He could remember strange faces and colors that didn't belong. He remembered something trying to take his mask, and an unconscious response to stop the attempt.

The throbbing in the head subsided while he calmed down and let the memories fade. He tried to sit up, but felt far too weak to make it so. He tested his legs, and while they had the potential of mobility, they were also just as weak and useless. It was an odd feeling to be so helpless. Not wanting to entirely give up, he decided to test the one thing he relied on for so many years ago. Fixating on a chair, he raised his hand towards it and willed with all his might to lift it. When nothing happened, he concentrated harder, clenching his fist in the attempt. The chair moved ever so slightly; scratching the floor below it briefly and sharply, but nothing else came of it. With that, his body sunk back into the bed he laid upon, energy spent. 

There was no other option. He would remain as is, allow events to play out, and see exactly what sort of nightmare he is trapped in. Once he regains his full strength, both mental and physical, maybe then he could crack open some minds and see what he's up against.
> With My Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight sighed, nudging at one of the many countless scrolls that sat on her small desk, filled to the brim with notes both similar and contradictory. Events haven't exactly been playing out like Twilight wanted. Ever since Elvis' arrival, she assumed that the more this happened, the bigger the chances were where she could crack the code and figure out how to replicate the anomaly, for study and for the trapped guests' sake. Not to mention how much pony society would advance if inter-dimensional travel actually became successful; let alone further research opportunities. And that was just the science aspect of the situation. Friendship and relationship studies would suddenly take new twists and turns as well. However, every time a new creature from another world would show up, it would be through vaguer and vaguer circumstances, making the anomaly more discrete with each entrance. The previous two times with Monsoon and Adna were nearly invisible to her, either hidden well behind electrical interference for the former, or circumvented entirely with the anomaly creating a short, direct tunnel between two realms, being far too quick to pick up.

Worse still was the recent situation where she finally thought she had a breakthrough. Yesterday, she felt a huge magical surge, likening to the first one she felt when this all began. At that moment, she dropped everything, accidentally breaking a fine crafted tea set in the process, and raced up the stairs to grab a parchment and quill. While it lasted a fair amount of time, she slowly realized while writing down the sensed sequences and waves, that the magical signature was from a normal unicorn, just amplified. With such a guess, she concluded that this new surge may be unrelated to the anomaly. She continued to write down her findings despite the futility of furthering her desired research, and as soon as it ended, she raced out of the library to track down the source.

What she found both excited and disappointed her. The latter because of how right her hunch was about the new surge being unrelated. The former because a new creature from another world was brought here by an Equestrian-made device. Most exciting was that the device in question was constructed based on the blueprints detailed in a book by Starswirl the Bearded. Said book was one she didn't recognize in the slightest, however, and it seemed to be an original from the way the ink sat on the pages and the notes that haphazardly littered the texts and sketches.

Fortunately, she was able to confiscate the device that was made by Lyra intact before Bon-Bon's desire to smash it in order to teach her friend a lesson was actually acted upon. Well, save for the keyboard, which belonged to Vinyl. Said pony was completely shocked at what it was used for, but not displeased. Despite that, she needed it back for a concert she was headlining, and Twilight wasn't one to get in the way of that. If Twilight ever wanted to use the device in the name of research, she would need to talk to her again about acquiring another one.

After that, Twilight decided to head to the hospital, where the new creature was being housed at the moment. That was when things got strange. The first was seeing the doctors and nurses all spooked out of their wits. She managed to talk to one and get answers on why. Apparently, minutes after they got the new being into an available room, they tried to set it up with an IV and make it more comfortable by removing its articles and mask. While they managed to get one glove off, what happened next is what shook them to the core. As an orderly tried to take off the mask, the creature began screaming bloody murder and thrashed about wildly. Every single pony in that room ducked and backed away from the being, afraid of what would happen if they got too close. On top of this, they began to notice things were starting to move on their own, including the bed of the patient next to the strange non-equestrian, whom was also now screaming in fear. After the screaming and writhing suddenly ceased, so too did the movement of random objects and furniture. With that image firmly set in their minds, they apparently risked setting up the IV, which thankfully went without another episode, and cleared everything else out of that room, save for one visiting chair.

Twilight found the story rather unbelievable, but remembered that stranger things have happened, and asked which room the new visitor was located in. With that information in tow, she walked in and found the extra-equestrian being was sound asleep. Honestly, looking at him chilled her with how still he was. If it weren't for the awful, ragged breathing that filtered through the gas mask, she'd believe the visitor wasn't even alive. She approached him with caution, and her curiosity almost urged her try to take the mask off, just to see what was underneath, but every instinct in the back of her mind screamed at her to not touch it. With that, she left the hospital and went back home, redoubling her efforts to figure out what was going on, researching long into the night.

Which lead her to today. She had gone through so many notes and so many books, she couldn't help but groan in dissatisfaction. Nothing was making any sense, and the new being wasn't even brought by the anomaly she was trying to figure out. While she figured researching the device she acquired would certainly come in handy, especially if she cracked its formula on how it works, it would be a while before she could get her hooves on the final piece to complete it. Considering the constant failure in her original research, however, she decided to take this whole situation as a win, in the hopes that it might bring her closer to unlocking the mysteries that plagued her in some way. It still didn’t improve her mood in any way, though.

"Twilight!"

The Element of Magic sighed with a smile. "Yes, Spike?", she responded. The little drake waddled down the stairs, holding a book and roll of parchment. Twilight smiled again. "Oh, you found it. Where was it?"

"On the dresser in your room," the good child said with a deadpan tone. "Seriously, Twilight, you haven't slept at all last night, have you?"

The mare gave a sheepish grin, "Maybe, but I had a very good reason."

Spike sighed, "Uh-huh... Well, aside from the book, you've got some mail from the Princess." He then held aloft a small scroll with the Royal Canterlot seal.

Twilight snatched it up from the little drake's hand with her telekinesis, uttering a small thank you before unfurling the letter. She quickly scanned its contents, only to roll it back up with a defeated sigh.

"Well, what's it say?"

"It was just a reply to the letter I sent last night about what Lyra accidentally brought over from the other side. She was wondering how our new guest was, apologizing that she couldn't come by and greet said guest herself."

"Anything else?"

She gave an annoyed look, but sighed in exasperation. "The letter also said I shouldn't be keeping myself up studying these bizarre circumstances." She shot Spike another look.

"H-heh, that was one heck of a good guess from the princess," he laughed nervously.

"Yeah, guess." With another sigh, she closed her books, reshuffled her papers, and put her writing tools away. "I might as well go and get some fresh air anyway. Maybe see how our new guest is actually doing now that things are a little more settled down."

"I take it things didn't go well when you stopped by last night?"

"You could say that." 


-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-


Lyra couldn't help herself. After the whole debacle with the human she brought to their world and the confiscation of the device she built along with the book that instructed her, marshal law was enacted by her dear friend Bon-Bon. She never knew the candy maker could ever become so livid or strict, and in all honesty, she'd normally obey the instructions given to "leave the human alone" under any other circumstance. The condition of said human, however, worried her to no end, despite the insistence that it was in good hooves for now. She just hoped that she could check up on it, maybe ask a few questions, and be out quick enough so as not arouse suspicion. She had an opportunity to do so when tasked with picking up groceries at the mid-day market. Quickly rushing through town, she arrived at the hospital the human was admitted into and casually strolled through the halls. 

Navigating the three story building wasn't exactly an easy task, though, even on a good day. It was only really made worse due to the fact more than a few familiar faces were trekking the halls for their own reasons, forcing her to take sharp turns and keep low. Worse still was the fact she had to refrain from asking for directions on the off chance she'd arouse suspicion. She wasn't willing to get into deeper waters with her already upset friend and roommate, all hypocritical risks aside.

It was by chance she heard some of the orderlies talk about the one she was looking for, though she didn't take too kindly to what she heard. The words describing the human she sought included: strange, creepy, and sickly. What's more is that the orderly in question proceeded to whisper a rumor about the human, claiming that his screaming the night before was like a banshee in the dark, before swearing that objects began to move on their own in the human's room. It sounded absolutely preposterous to Lyra. Humans don't have magic, and aren't capable of moving anything without physical contact. As for the screaming, she chalked it up to the poor thing having a nightmare. Regardless of her gripes, she had the destination she needed. Room 314, located on the west wing on the far side.

She casually strolled along the halls, keeping as inconspicuous as possible, avoiding unnecessary confrontations with anyone that may end up ratting her out to her roommate, or Celestia's protege. Within a few short minutes she found the correct hall leading towards the human's room. What was odd about the whole thing, however, is that it seemed as if everyone, from patients to staff, were vacated from the wing, as if they were scared of something. Probably those dumb rumors, she scoffed internally as she came to Room 314. The curious pony went to open the door, but stopped short inexplicably. She turned her head, staring down the very silent hall, getting a chill from the unnatural stillness and a heavy sense of dread. Come on, Lyra, it's just a bunch of bunk that's creeping you out. Get a hold of yourself. She looked back to the door, eyeing the number carved into the wood, before swallowing hard to smother the urge to leave and gently opened the door.

The hinges squeaked and the wood creaked as the room's door was gently pushed all the way open, unveiling its entirety to Lyra. It was spartan at best with empty cabinets, a single bed, a sparse set of equipment to look after the human, and a single visitor's chair. Even the drapes were missing from the windows and the bedside nightstand that'd normally be there was absent as well. It was honestly a shame to see such a bare room like this, but it was little matter. Her human guest was here, and every step closer made her more and more excited, which cracked a wider and wider grin. It wasn't long before she reached the chair and took her seat, just as the door behind her closed gently with a soft creak.

Looking at him now, and despite seeing him so close just yesterday, Lyra couldn't help but denote that he was a very strange-looking fellow. Remarkably thin, strange markings and scars on the skin, rather tight-looking clothing, and that mask. Dear Celestia, that mask. There was something so fundamentally off about it; The harshly black, hard material that made up the bulk of its surface, the tight straps that fastened around the human's head, and those ominous orange lenses all gave off this dangerous vibe. Lyra confessed that she felt uneasy at this moment, despite the fact her life's dream was literally inches away from her. With a tentative gulp, she leaned in a bit closer, and spoke.

"H-hello? Are you awake?" There was no response. She would have been worried that something was wrong if it weren't for the fact that the human was still breathing a lot more peacefully than the last time she was with him. Instead, she giggled to herself. He must be a heavy sleeper, she thought. "I can't believe this is actually my reality, right now," she said with a returning grin in full force, "In fact, I shouldn't be here right now. Bon-Bon is gonna brow-beat me if she ever finds out I'm playing hooky." She giggled again. "Oh, I wish I could actually talk to you. I have so many questions to ask. You're the first human I've ever had the privilege to even be near. And they told me they were a myth." She pawed her chin a little in thought. "Well, there was that fat guy that looked like a human, but he's just wearing a disguise, and the red guy that can fall apart seems to have been human once, but he's waaaay too scary to get near. I SAW what he did to that changeling. Nuh-uh, I ain't having that crud."

Realizing she was following more of a train of thought than actually talking to the being before her, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Anyway, it's so nice to actually see you, even though you look like you're in terrible shape. You honestly seem like you haven't eaten in days. Well, don't worry about that around here. I'm sure we'll get you back to full strength in no time." She looked out the window at the other end of the room, becoming lost in thought again. "I don't know what I can say about my personal life, leading up to meeting you. Especially what recently happened. I swear, my luck either loves me, hates me, or loves to hate me, 'cause I've seen and done some odd stuff. If it weren't for that day I ended up getting trapped by Diamond Dogs, I would have never got my hooves on that book, and I would have never made that... "thing"... to bring you here." She grimaced a little, looking off to the side at nothing. "I still have to apologize to Rarity. I heard she went through quite an ordeal because of that... Sweetie Belle too."

Lyra.

Lyra snapped out of her thoughts and comments, and focused on the human before her again. He hadn't moved, nor did it seem like his eyes under those orange lenses were opened. However, she could have sworn she heard her name being called by a weak, raspy voice, similar to how he was breathing the first time they met. Even more shockingly, she realized one very important thing: She never said her name while she was here.

Her fear began to die as the rational part of her mind brushed it off, explaining that perhaps the orderlies-

-have not told me that you brought me here, Lyra.

The color drained from her face, as she heard those words as clearly as birds chirping in the early day, but saw no movement from the human, nor did it seem like her ears actually picked up any sound. She looked behind her, and saw the door was still closed, and upon using her magic to peek outside, found no one out in the halls either. She gazed around the room, and squinted out the window. Not a soul was found. She was alone with the human. A very still and quiet human.

"A-are..." she gulped, "A-ar-are you... awake?"

Silence chilled the air for a moment, before the soundless voice responded once again.

Barely. I am so very tired...

She shivered. Somehow, the human was talking to her. She never knew humans could do that. Or was this-

Few others possess the power I am capable of, Lyra. Human beings, on the whole, have the mental capacity of rodents compared to me. I am... ... I was the greatest practitioner of psychokinesis and telepathy in the world.

"Psycho-?" Lyra muttered, trying to recall any meaning those words may have, but nothing came to mind.

Do not exhaust yourself. Recalling any years of your school life will not turn those words up. You were quite the slacker in your studies, save for music and your hobbies, were you not?

"How did you-?"

I can read your every thought, Lyra. You are but an open book to me; I know what your favorite song is, I know what your favorite breakfast is, and I know exactly what you did three years ago at band camp.

"HEY!" She barked, "I didn't know the piano would be that flammable!" Upon realizing what she said, she slapped her mouth shut and peeked behind her in paranoia. 

There is no need to be defensive, Lyra.

The little unicorn fidgeted in her seat. This was just far too much for her to handle, and she wasn't entirely sure if she was just imagining it, or if this really was happening.

You still doubt me, Lyra? I'm so very disappointed, but I understand. We are both very tired individuals, and you need to get back home, where your friend Bon-Bon is waiting. I'm sure she'll want to know what took you so long, right?

"Oh, hayseed!" the non-voiced human was right. She'd already been out too long, and she didn't even get the chance to pick up the groceries. If she wanted to have a believable lie at the ready, she'd need to make sure she blasted through her errands like a mad pony fleeing from a chimera. With that thought, she hopped off the chair and proceeded to the door, before turning back to the human once more. "I guess I'll see you another day then. Maybe I can ask you some questions when you're feeling better?" An eerie silence was her answer, as her brow furrowed a bit for a moment while walking out into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

She crept along the halls, dodging orderlies, and managed to reach the bottom floor without being noticed. Curiously, though, as she was about to leave through the front entrance to the hospital, she noticed Twilight herself make her way through the halls, seemingly heading for the higher floors. Considering how studious and inquisitive she was, she'd bet Bon-Bon's expensive, imported oats that the Princess's protege was going to visit Equestria's new alien guest herself. She just hoped that the human wouldn't rat her out, if he truly knew everything on her mind at that moment, at least.

With that, she left the building and headed for town proper, to finally finish her errands she was tasked to do, and make sure she returned home in a timely manner. Maybe have a nap to rest her rattled mind after her... unique experience with the mentalist.
> Mindfields
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mantis sat up in his hospital bed of the quiet, spartan room with small effort as the mid-day sun's rays creeped across the floor. All things considered, he could only barely believe what he heard and saw from the mind of Lyra. A world of myth, infested at the seems and dominated by creatures, literal livestock, from a small girls' story book, whom were as real as death with similar thoughts and feelings to his own race. Further still, to be the one considered the real myth in this land was curious at its very least. Though he couldn't get too much information out of her, Lyra's thoughts allowed him to uncover even further distressing fragments of information. The laws of nature bent to the will of these beings through the arcane, even more so than humanity managed with technology. Even worse, those that were capable of this were apparently nothing special in comparison to the rulers of the land, whom were powerful enough to effect the time of day. To merely say times were strange for the former member of FOXHOUND would be a gross oversimplification and understatement. Oh, how he longed for a coffee from his private stash just so he could ease his nerves.

Mantis laughed. He never figured he could actually miss anything from his past. He thought back to his life before then, but the memories were hazy at best, with few exceptions. At the moment, he could remember as far back as his employment under the aforementioned special ops unit, and even then, thoughts were spotty. Mantis could remember that his work was rather mundane to him. Cracking open minds and fishing out secrets and plans from enemy soldiers and spies during missions. He could remember how FOXHOUND would later stage a revolt, and how he was tasked with an island wide mind-control over the occupying soldiers that weren't willingly on their side. He could then remember gunfire, pain, and...

That man. Whether it be technology or pure mental fortitude, Mantis was successfully gunned down, with a great amount of effort. It would be years later that he somehow managed to come back to the world of the living to posses the mind of a screaming, broken woman of war. The power she had was a shallow, artificial copy of his true abilities, but it served him well enough to have one last chance to see the agent again; to once more exhibit his talents and take revenge. However, and this moment was clearer than any of his other memories, humanity's tools had developed too far, and had overridden his power. Defeated and unable to resist death's pull any longer, his spirit was dragged back to the void, which led him here.

Mantis seethed. He remembered how he surrendered in the end, letting technology's blasphemous grip win, and let the cattle of humanity to remain ignorant, self indulgent, and blind. If he ever had the chance to go back, he'd only go to burn the world to the ground. No mercy, no survivors.

The door creaked open, snapping Mantis out of his train of thought and drew his gaze upon the new visitor.

"Oh," Twilight exclaimed, "You're awake!"

Mantis raised a brow underneath his mask, unseen by the new pony, and sighed inwardly. The mentalist would be fair: he didn't bother even looking at the one he spoke to telepathically, and only guessed she was one of these equine-like creatures based on what he witnessed in her mind. With that said, it was something wholly different to see one of these creatures willingly. He honestly wished he would have just kept his eyes closed and pretended to still be sleeping, but it was far too late now. The damage was done and it was time to face the music.

Twilight closed the door behind her, and took her seat upon the chair near the bed, taking off her saddle-pack and setting it beside her. It was then, in this mid-day sunlight, she was able to get a proper look at him. While the light didn't dissuade or dispel the creepiness and foreboding appearance she had felt when looking at him, it did paint the human in a more pitiful, sorry light. It was enough to diminish the strong urges to flee, at the very least, keeping her on the seat and fueling her desire to be friendly and professional. However, she scrunched her face a bit and fidgeted in discomfort, realizing the surface of her seat was a tad warm as if someone were there mere moments before. The apprentice had a sneaking suspicion as to whom, but decided to let it go for the time being, as she had more pressing matters. Besides, there was always the possibility she could be wrong and an orderly had just used the seat prior.

"I hope you're doing well," Twilight said with a smile, "It was a bit concerning to see your state when you arrived. I did check up on you last night after you were fitted into this room, but I have to confess that I wasn't around for very long." She opened the pack she brought and pulled out a notepad and pencil, flipping through the pages with her magic until she was on the one she wanted.

Mantis watched intently, witnessing the power first hand before his eyes. He was tempted to use his own power to wrench the objects out of the hazy, light brilliant raspberry-colored aura. Before he could, however, the pony spoke again.

"Before I get to any questions, allow me to introduce myself," she said, clearing her throat, "My name is Twilight Sparkle, scholar, researcher and general practitioner of magic, apprentice of Princess Celestia, and student of the study of Friendship."

The bravado was met with intense staring from the human, but not from the titles and accolades. As odd as they were to him, Mantis' main focus was on the strange happenstance that was occurring between them. As she had spoken to the psychic, he had attempted to probe her mind and fish out the details of her life himself to cut time short. However, in his attempts, he was met with a strange resistance which kept him from even speaking telepathically to her, let alone digging out her thoughts. It was curious yet infuriating, and reminded the mentalist of other such cases from other individuals back in his old life due to nanomachine interference that masked the minds of others.

"So, uh," she fidgeted once again, now a little uncomfortable from the intense staring, "What's your name?"

Mantis grated his teeth weakly before he sighed inwardly and sat back against the backboard of the bed. With a little bit of effort, he opened his mouth and spoke. "I am... Psycho Mantis." His voice was hoarse and his tone was tired. It was honestly rather shameful to hear himself sound so weak. Despite that, he was expecting worse. No matter, he thought.

"Psycho Mantis?" Twilight parroted, "That's an... interesting name. Though, it's no stranger than the others, I suppose." Before Mantis could interject, the young scholar continued to speak. "Well Psycho Mantis, allow me to officially welcome you to Equestria. I apologize that it isn't a very warm welcome, but your arrival was somewhat of a shock to all of us, and we were all a bit more concerned with your well being." she flipped back and forth through her notebook while she continued to speak. "A friend of mine will probably try to visit you to announce your welcoming party, but I'll be sure to keep her out of your," She paused for a moment, and looked to his head again, noting how it was mostly bald with very sparse strands of wiry hair, "...  mane?... until you're back to one hundred percent." 

"Where... am I?" he asked weakly.

"Oh, yes, I suppose you'd want to know that. Well, you're in the land of Equestria. Specifically Ponyville, south of Canterlot, which is in the central region." She flipped through the notepad for a moment, before flipping back to her previous page. "I feel I must inform you that you aren't the only... odd being to be pulled into this world. Five others before you had arrived here under mysterious circumstances, and are all stuck until we can find a solution."

Mantis looked away from her and to the window, gazing out into the bright and colorful world that sat just outside the barriers of his room. The warm afternoon glow of the sun shining on the lush grass as young, multi-colored equines went about their day, running errands, having picnics, or in the case of what seemed to be reserved for even younger ponies, just playing outside and frolicking through the planes. The whole thing was so sickeningly sweet.

"I have to mention though," she started, causing Mantis to return his attention to her, "how you got here was through what could quite possibly be THE most bizarre circumstances I've ever seen or felt, and is a far cry different from the five other arrivals. I fear that it might cause some complications with the research I've been conducting in regards to these, but I pledge to do what I can to get you and the others home."

Home, he thought. I'm dead. I have no home.

"With that said, I would like to ask you a few questions," she announced, resting the tip of her pencil upon the notepad, "Can you tell me what kind of a place you came from?" There was no response. "Uhm, what was your society like before you got here?" No response. "Any friends or family?" Mantis' eye twitched at the question, which went unseen by the scholar, but no other response was given. "Do you have any hobbies?"

As the silence remained at the human's end, Twilight sighed and put her notepad away. "I guess you're too tired to answer, or you can't remember, or don't want to talk about it. Either way, I won't push you," she said, sealing her pack and putting it back on. "I guess I'll just leave you to recover then, and maybe come back another day. I really do wish to get to know more about you. It might even help me in figuring out this mystery." She proceeded to the door, and opened it gently with her magic, saying, "Well, talk to you later."

Before she could actually leave, though, Mantis spoke again. "If it's possible... may I see the one called Lyra? The one that brought me here?"

Twilight gazed back at the mentalist, somewhat dumbfounded. Dual questions invaded her mind at that point. Did he manage to get her name despite his condition while he was taken to the hospital, or did she indeed go against her instructions and came here of her own volition? Either way, she couldn't help but ask, "What for?"

"I simply wish to speak with her," he replied simply.

Twilight sighed. It wasn't going to be an easy, or quick, thing to discuss with Bon-Bon, especially considering how livid she was yesterday. Never-the-less, she gave a nod and finally answered, "I'll see what I can do." With that, she left the human's room.

Alone once again, Mantis focused on the door handle that was just used, and with some concentration, managed to lock it with his power. Then, he focused on the nearby chair once more, and tried to move it. It was now sliding along the floor a fair bit easier, but the effort it required still left much to be desired. Never-the-less, the startling amount of progress did not escape Mantis. For whatever reason, despite being confined to a bed for less than a two days, his strength and abilities were exponentially greater than they were when he first woke up. Hypothetically, he'd be back to full strength in two more days' time. There was always room for error, however.

Still, with the experiment over, he looked back out the window and thought for a moment or two. He considered testing to see if his telepathy would be able to reach those outside of his room, or perhaps outside the building. Mantis had all day to try it seemed, if the silence was any indication, but would refrain from arousing suspicion to any of the staff should they become curious. At least, for now. Until then, he supposed it was time now to play in the mind fields.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


After running several errands, and dropping off a message to Bon-Bon, who's already sour mood had dropped to harsh and bitter, Twilight swiftly made her way to Fluttershy's home. Her fleet-hooved exit was partly out of urgency to be as far away from the candy maker as possible, but mainly it was because she had scheduled a meeting with Fluttershy's charge; Bael. He wasn't the only one she was intending to see, however, as Elvis had also been invited over to this meeting at the little pegasus' cottage at Twilight's request. Pinkie would have tagged along, but the Cakes needed her to watch over the twins while they went out to deliver a new order in Canterlot. She didn't mind the babysitting job, however, as it gave her a little extra time to plan the welcome party for the sixth "guest" that she was undoubtedly excited to meet. 

Twilight shook her head with a smile at the thought of her silly friend as she reached the cottage's beautiful garden and stepped over the little bridge to the front door. She was about to knock on the door when a voice called out from the back.

"We're back here, chica, just as usual" Elvis exclaimed from behind the cottage. Twilight answered with a thanks before making her way to the back yard where the half sized Bael sat, with the mighty mouth Deva being not too far away. The unicorn sniffed a bit, and realized that the atmosphere surprisingly didn't smell like dead fish. "I know that face and yes, no huele mal."

"Silence, you!" the master of the frozen soil growled, freezing the grass beneath him in irritation.

"Ey 'ey 'EY! You wanna get us both in trouble, cabron? Quit turning the lawn into a pista de patinaje!"

The large demon toad huffed in irritation, but ceased his cold nature otherwise. Twilight giggled a little, and found it rather amusing they were able to get along well enough despite their personalities and elemental natures.

"This is so much simpler than traveling to the crystal empire to do this," Twilight mused.

"No kiddin'. That train ride has always been a pain in my ass..." Elvis grumbled, before lighting up a cigar and taking a slow drag. "Besides, los sapos cave was just the worst."

Twilight sighed. "Elvis, do you really need to do that right now?"

"Eh?" He replied, before he realized what she was talking about. "Oh, yeah, right." Without even thinking, Elvis poked the burning end of the cigar against Bael's leg, which fizzled out almost instantly. The great beast did nothing but growl and shoot the Deva a killer glare as he pocketed the now cooled cigar. Twilight would have protested, but this had been going on for a while, and the result now was honestly much less volatile than it had been when she first started these meetings.

It all started after Monsoon's arrival, mostly jump started by a request made by Zecora. If she ever wanted to further her magical prowess, she would need to undergo further mental training and concentration. The wizened zebra would have helped, but she had further work to deal with that needed urgent attention. It was then that she realized she could enlist the help of other powerful entities to help strengthen her mental fortitude, both of which were far more experienced in both that and magic.

Bael spoke directly to Twilight finally, "We have instructed you time and again the ways of creating a wall through your own will alone. Now that you are here, it is time we test your mental resolve. As devils, we will use the darker powers within our advantage to break down your wall and take hold of your mind." Bael gave a wicked grin. "I will not lie. This will be painful."

Twilight gulped.

"Are you sure you want to go through this, Púrpura Inteligente?" Elvis asked, "El Sapo isn't joking."

She gave a heavy sigh, before her face grew hard with determination. "After what Sombra tried to do to me back when I first visited the Crystal Empire, and how often I've been stopped because I didn't have the will to fight on, or even just the mental tenacity, I need to do this; if only so I never let down my friends again."

"Alright, caballo. We're giving it our all." Then, both Elvis and Bael closed their eyes. 

As Twilight watched them, she noticed that her perception of them seemed to somewhat shift, as if a deep, dark aura were emanating from them. It was at that moment that she felt it. At first, it was a little prickle at the back of her mind, but then, it began to feel like thin needles prodding her. Then thorns. Then claws. She concentrated hard, already gritting her teeth at the intensity of perceiving SOMETHING trying to invade her thoughts with sheer force and malevolence. Her head dipped as she pushed back harder and harder, her horn flaring up in an effort to pour more energy into the defense. The oppressive and utterly crushing grip of their probing wills probably would have destroyed her if she hadn't come prepared.

After a while, the intense feeling began to subside, and the pain began to fade and be replaced with a dull and throbbing ache in her head. She slouched and panted from the effort exerted, already feeling exhausted enough to fall asleep right then and there, but with a rubbing hoof against her temple, she sat back up and looked to the two demons.

Both Bael and Elvis' eyes opened and looked down upon their student.

"You've improved," Bael stated.

"Better than expected," Elvis added.

"Heh, I won't lie, I have been practicing mental exercises in between my research sessions, as well as mastering a spell I found about mental walls."

"Is that so?" Bael asked rhetorically.

"How long have you been using this 'spell', caballo?"

"I think... twenty hours straight now."

"De ninguna manera!" Elvis balked, "Chica, have you slept at all?!"

Twilight fidgeted where she sat, "Well... not really. Between researching the anomaly, the new visitor, the strange contraption Lyra made, the unpublished journal written by Starswirl that she had found, and that spell I need to be conscious to maintain... I've been doing everything I can to stay awake. There's no rest for the wicked, after all!"

Both Elvis and Bael's disgruntled faces declared all there needed to be said about the poor joke to mask her obvious need for rest. The Deva further punctuated his exasperation by pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as hard as he could to ward off his anger through concern. However, it was Bael that spoke up first.

"You have done well to take to these lessons so far and push your limits. However, no amount of preparation, practice, and effort would actually be of use to you if your body is far too drained to even remain focused, let alone aware." 

"Chica. Go to bed." Elvis punctuated.

Twilight sighed. They were right. Bael, Elvis, Spike, and the Princess. She had tried too hard to push herself in her research, whether it be through her recent training, her research on the anomaly, extra research on her guests, or her constant scholastic drive in her various studies, and it was starting to weigh down on her more than ever. She's had very little of a break between it all, and the last while was an early sign of it getting worse if nothing were to give.

"Alright, alright... I think I'm just gonna go home and have a nap then."

"No, you're going to sleep," Elvis insisted. "Actually lay your head and no despierto for a while."

Twilight simply stood back up wearily, bid them both farewell, and left without another word. The two demons looked to each other in bemusement.

"Can you believe this mortal?" Bael asked in annoyance.

"She's far too stubborn," the Deva replied, taking out his cigar once again and lighting it. "I just hope chica doesn't kill herself over it." With that said, he took another drag to wash the stress and care away for the day.
> Dream Oblivion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vicious, swirling snow amidst jagged steel and concrete ruins ensure little mercy for the weak. Darkened clouds blot out the nighttime stars, allowing the hollow, artificial lights littered around the environment to be the only sources of illumination. Blood stains painted the ground and wrecked walls as winds wailed like angry spirits in denial. At the center of this abstract horror stood the emaciated Psycho Mantis, unflinching to the elements and unfazed by the decay, but not entirely in a controlled state of mind. He slowly looked about his surroundings with a daze beneath the lenses, mesmerized and calm from the coiling and active, yet cold and long dead, atmosphere. He let out an involuntary sigh, slowly swaying from side to side in the wind-swept blizzard, remaining half-asleep to the familiar thoughts. 

It was then, however, that the wailing wind began to scream louder than before, forming vague threats, promises, thoughts and feelings. Hurt, envy, rage, disgust, betrayal, revenge, and death. Screams became diverse, losing unity and dark harmony to create a white noise of foggy memories, itching details of countless sins. But within the cacophony stood out a muted hum: A fragment of a mental poison from long ago. Mantis' daze broke away, bringing forth full concentration to it, where new memories bloomed before him. Several men painted dripping red. Countless bodies before them. Millions of faceless, naked people, writhing like maggots against each other in a selfish, desperate fashion. And then fire. A roaring inferno consuming everything in its path. However, as his concentration became weaker, he was able to see one last vision: Five people, standing before a gigantic, bipedal machine. A machine capable of untold destruction. The answer. 

At long last, he remembered the answer.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


Mantis woke up with a start, inhaling sharply as he sat up in his bed. His hand brought itself to his head, as he rubbed his exposed scalp scars. The lenses of his mask reflected much of the mid-day light that seeped in through the window, despite still needing to turn away from the rays that did reach his tired, blue eyes beneath. As he did, even in his haze, he noticed he was not alone, as the blur of a bright aquamarine figure sat on the chair at his bedside. Even before his eyes could focus, he knew exactly who it was, especially with the constant squealing of excitement that rang within her head.

"Oh, I'm glad you're awake!" Lyra said with the biggest smile on her face. 

Mantis groaned inwardly, rubbing the side of his head roughly, eyes squeezing to strain out the groggy disposition. He remembered he wanted to speak with her, but he still wasn't happy about the necessary evil. 

"Are you alright?" Lyra asked.

Mantis focused on her again. "You're early, Lyra."

"It's 1 PM, silly," she said with a playful giggle.

He cursed under his breath for skipping over such a detail. Never the less, it was a minor inconvenience at best. "So it is," he said to her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "I can actually hear you this time!"

"Yes, Lyra. I wished for us to speak on even ground," he lied, already thumbing through her mind for details about her hometown to start. "Besides this, I've been silent for the last few days. It feels good to be able to speak, now that I have the strength," he continued, honestly.

"Ok, that sounds fair."

Ponyville. What an asinine name. A relatively small town in population, but extensive in businesses. All sorts of specialty shops can be found here, even ones that are entirely absurd. Has been around for hundreds of years, and is relatively peaceful, despite recent happenings. Mostly inhabited by the dominant equine species of this land, save for a small number of other herbivore creatures and... 

"So, I wanted to ask; what's your world like?"

Mantis stopped for a moment, breaking away his concentration on probing the young mare's mind, and considered the question. "Harsh. Cold... Disgusting." Her heart sank, but the mentalist didn't care, as he peered back into her head. ... and a few other unusual residents from another world. Mantis remembered the other equine that visited him mention that there were others before him, but wondered about specifics. He tried to probe further, but Lyra's details were hazy at best. Apparently, she knew OF them, and had passing glances, however-

"What kind of tools do humans use to, well, do everything?"

Mantis stopped again. These juvenile questions... "Why do you want to know, Lyra?" Before she could answer, the mentalist interrupted. "Nevermind. That was a foolish inquiry of mine. However, if you really must know, then the answer is this: There is a technological gap between our races, but in most cases our races use the same equipment for our day-to-day lives. The only true differences I can discern is transportation, media, and in-home power. While your society does have electricity, it seems to be a lot less wide-spread, as you rely on... simpler means, on top of this... "magic" your race seems to command." What lunacy. "As for media and transportation, generally your society uses forms that are generally half a century behind, with certain, isolated exceptions. Nothing noteworthy."

The landscape of this world is generally much more lush and natural here, despite current circumstances. City-scapes do exist, but they are much fewer and farther between, opting to be more out of the way to nature rather than-

"What do you like to do in your free time?"

Mantis' eye twitched, before giving a light sigh to calm his nerves. "Think."

Lyra frowned slightly. "That's all?" She waited for further answers or elaboration, but resigned to the one she got. "It must be boring."

To a simpleton, perhaps, he thought with venom. Sitting for a moment, he did consider an extension to his answer. "There is one thing I do like to do on my time off, Lyra. A game of chess."

"OH! I know that game, though I'm not very good at it myself. I do know someone who is."

"Twilight, correct?"

Lyra gasped for a second upon hearing him reveal the name on his own, but remembered he was psychic. She rubbed the back of her head for a moment, before replying. "Yeah, that's her. One of the smartest ponies in town, if not all of Equestria. Well, that might actually be a bit of an exaggeration, 'cause I hardly know everyone in town, let alone the whole world, but still."

Mantis ignored her prattling and continued to probe for information. He decided to forget geography and topography for now and begin investigating in more detail about the society at large. He had managed to successfully test out his range for telepathy yesterday, and as such snagged a few nuggets of information, however minor, about it. Equestria was apparently a Diarchy, which was an odd term to say the least. Never the less, considering two rulers were in place, it was apt. Below them were the Nobles from various houses and prestige, however little other information on that was available from Lyra and the nearby minds he could reach competently.

"By the way, I know you didn't look too well when you arrived here, but are you sick at all today? Because most of what I read of humans often shows a healthier figure."

"No, Lyra. My physique does not reflect my vitality, and strength is less of a concern to me. So, my body is light, and just strong enough to carry the mind."

"Ok, that's fair," she responded. "Well, aside from that, what are your-?"

"Eating habits?" Mantis finished. "Well, you already know my race is omnivorous, don't you Lyra? While that does apply, I'm much... pickier."

"That's interesting. So there are things you simply won't eat then..." She thought for a moment, but decided against offering to cook a meal for him, on the off chance she'd get it wrong. "Speaking of what you need, and what you told me about your world, do you need that gas-mask to breathe?"

The mentalist winced. It had been a very long time since someone asked about his mask, and it was never easy to talk about. He looked to her for a moment, probing her mind for hidden intentions via research purposes or worse. However, very little but concern and genuine intrigue ebbed its way through. He sighed, seeing no harm in sharing for once. "I need it, Lyra," he started simply, "It keeps... everything else out."

It was cryptic at best, but Lyra decided to accept the answer as is. There was no real need in pushing the matter further. It was obvious Mantis was hurting somewhere deep down inside, but she knew it would be pointless to aggravate old wounds. So instead, she tried to give a small, warm smile. "Alright."

Despite the intentions, Mantis remained skeptical. It was too soon to be so trusting to something she just met. Far too early to simply be accepting and kindly. It didn't feel natural to him, and so he continued to probe her mind for information. However, before he could get very far, she spoke again.

"I have to ask, if you're psychic can you see other people's thoughts or just read them?"

Mantis was actually dumbstruck. This had been the first time someone asked such a question out of pure curiosity. It flattered him, which was also a first in a very long time. "That... is actually a very good question, Lyra, and one I don't hear, or read, very often. I will be blunt with you. Under most circumstances, telepaths like myself are rare. Among those that exist are usually ones that specialize in certain aspects. Some are able to read surface thoughts. Others are able to actually see images through the abstractness of mental information. These abilities, along with manipulation of thoughts and senses, moving physical matter with will alone, or... other skills are normally divided among those with such a talent. Even the skilled normally have to hone their abilities and train to evolve beyond what they were originally capable of. I, on the other hand, was... 'blessed' to be given these many forms of power."

"So, you can even move things without ever touching them? But, I thought-"

"Some rumors are true, Lyra. This is what makes them so... dangerous." 

Lyra began to wonder what other rumors were true about this human, but only for a moment or two. No, she thought, He's been nothing but nice... if a little creepy and ominous. After all, you can't judge a book by its cover. "I have one more question..."

"Do my dreams work 'better' considering I have a high aptitude of skill in telepathy?" Mantis asked for Lyra, while he considered said question for a moment. In all of his years, in all of the things he's seen and done, using his mental capabilities on his own mind was never considered. Not out of negligence, but more out of the clear redundancy it would entail. Dreams, however, were a different matter. Despite who he was and what he's done, and despite how much power he had, he never had real control over his dreams. It was bizarre to know how non-telepaths had more success through the phenomenon of lucid dreaming than he ever did with his power of direct mental control. Finally, he answered, much to his chagrin, "No, I do not."

Lyra frowned a little. "Oh, that's too bad. I mean, if I had the ability to change my own dreams however I want, I'd TOTALLY abuse that." She laughed at the little selfish desire of hers.

"Indeed..." Mantis continued to probe her mind, but only got so much out of her. She clearly knew little about her society beyond the surface and the workings of her home town. However, she did have a mental map of the capital city's location on this world, home to the Diarchs, Celestia and Luna. That may come in handy, if I need it.

He looked through the nearby minds within the building, cross referencing the few facts he had gained from the little unicorn before him. Everything seemed to line up, but the surface thoughts put him off a little. Mixed in with genuine well wishes and kindly thoughts were pips of self desire and baser cravings. They were fleeting, and lesser, but they were still there. A disease is a disease, no matter how small the infection is.

"I'm afraid, Lyra, I'll be needing you to leave for today," he requested, "I feel... fatigued."

"Oh," she responded dejectedly, "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Perhaps," he replied, "One thing, though. Would you mind sending your bookish friend, the scholar Twilight?"

"Oh? What for?"

"I didn't get the chance to speak with her very much last time, due to how tired I was... recovering. Besides, after today, I would be very interested in having a game of chess with an intellectual like her."

"Oh sure," Lyra stated, "I promise to tell her when I can." She got off her seat, and proceeded to the door. With one last look to her human acquaintance, she gave one more smile before leaving the room and shut the door behind her.

Alone once again, Mantis shifted his concentration, and reached out to the minds in the hospital once again, lifting surface thoughts to get a better understanding. Just like last time, it was a mix of sin and virtue. While benign, he couldn't help but become more and more doubtful over how long their society's good intentions would last. How long would it take before they descend to violence and self desire? Worse still was that the majority of them were equip with power to imitate his own. As disgusting of a thought it was, it was a tad unnerving to feel that such power could become a threat through inevitable corruption.

That sort of power, he thought, it can't be left to thrive. He recalled what he probed from Lyra. Celestia and Luna. Literal movers and dictators of the time of day itself, as was claimed. Veritable gods in this land if it were true. What a pretentious title, but alarming if much of the race held even a fraction. He sneered at the idea. They lived in Canterlot, the epicenter of Equestria. If he were to cure the world before its sickness could set in, he would need to start there. Burn the center, and then let it spread to consume all in its path. Yes. That is the best course of action.

Mantis, upon his epiphany, looked to the vacant chair. He raised his hand, and with little delay, so too did the piece of furniture levitate from the ground effortlessly. He was honestly surprised at how easy it was now; as if he were already at full strength but still capable of far more. A wicked smile cracked beneath his mask, as he flew the chair around the room like a child with a toy airplane. Upon setting it back on the ground as it were, he then concentrated on the bed he laid upon, and attempted to move it too. Just like the chair, he was able to grip it with his will, and with a fair bit more effort, he managed to move it about. The feeling was a bit too loose for his liking with the movement, but he managed to keep control. It was extraordinary, upon reflection. His power had returned at an exponential rate, and there were no signs of stopping yet. If he were to wait for even a few more days, he'd have long surpassed his apex and prime back when he was with FOXHOUND. 

No... he thought, I'll surpass the raw, untapped potential I had when I was merely the Third Child. There was something in the air of this world that seems to be allowing this to happen, and he couldn't help but let his wicked smile grow wider and wider. It was an intoxicating thought to say the least. When the time is nigh... It will all come to an end.
> A Darkened Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiet, uneventful life came the next day in the sleepy little town of Ponyville, which everyone was thankful for. After constant misadventures, chaotic takeovers, sudden stampedes of the mundane to the peculiar, monster attacks, and the arrival of strange creatures with even stranger talents, the citizens relished in the relative normalcy that covered most of the town. Even the odd sight of the maroon cyborg, whom was currently running the Sweet Apple Acre's apple stall at the marketplace, didn't perturb the frequently skiddish pony folk nor kick them out of there headstrong desire to want nothing to happen today. Life went on as it should, save for poor Applejack.

Having overworked herself once again, she ended up catching a nasty bug that had left her bedridden and entirely unable to finish her work. She fought tooth and horseshoe to insist she was still fit to continue, as it was in her stubborn nature, but the law was laid by a firm stomp through both Granny Smith and Applejack's brother, Big Macintosh. Unable to fight the both of them in her condition, she gave in, but not before demanding a compromise. In her place for the time being, Big Mac would take care of the fields, which he humbly accepted, knowing them just as well as his sister did over the years. Furthermore, in the older brother's place, Monsoon would handle the market stall. While Macintosh objected to the idea, Granny Smith was quick to point out that he was the only other able-bodied individual that could deal with it, much to both he and Monsoon's chagrin. The older brother would then argue that Granny herself could work the stall, just like in other times of need, but she'd have quickly rebutted that while she COULD do it herself, the trip to do so these years were always quite tough on her old frame. Besides that, Apple Bloom was still too young to help out in any significant way beyond chores here and there, so her involvement with the fields, or even the business side of things, was a long ways off. After Granny Smith gave Monsoon a quiz on the types of apples and small business economics, and after Applejack gave him a list of instructions on how to build and operate the stall, as well as a list of prices for the different apples and specials on bushels, he was sent away to Ponyville.

And so there sat Monsoon, within a stall that was just barely big enough to fit him, on a chair entirely too small for his body, so bored out of his chassis that he "borrowed" some sewing needles from Rarity's boutique halfway across town, and began experimenting with an apple he bought for himself: sticking the needle inside, levitating the fruit with his magnetic power through the needle's metal, and trying to hone his precision of movement and dexterity with so much non-metal material. In between selling off some of the product, counting the money, and shooing away the odd gawker, the apple experiment was so riddled full of holes that it was hard to keep the needle inside the fruit for longer than a second anymore. Monsoon gave a small, sick smile as he looked over the fruit's perforated flesh, as if it were violently stabbed over and over. Despite its look, however, he decided not to throw it away and eat it as intended.

"Waste not want not," he said, quickly devouring it, leaving no trace. The apple was delicious, as expected, but it didn't help his normally dour, cynical mood. "Too bad there isn't nearly enough in the seeds to kill me now. Not that they could, as I am," he laughed darkly.

"Hey, Monsoon!" called Twilight.

He gave a sigh as he leaned further back on the tiny chair, removed his feet and shins from his legs, and lifted the knees and thighs to rest against the edge of his side of the stall, one leg overlapping the other. Twilight looked at him, then to his halved legs.

"I... will never get used to that," she said frankly.

"Is there something you want?" he asked.

"I mostly just came to say hello, though I am a bit curious as to why you're here today."

"Jack is sick," Monsoon stated flatly. He looked to her, hoping the answer would suffice, but upon noticing she likely had no intention to have a simple response and would ask follow up questions, he continued with a sigh, "From what I've gathered, she overworked herself 'again', and she caught a bug because of it." Monsoon gave a small laugh. "Such is how the world works, regardless of which one I'm in, I suppose. Even the strong are vulnerable to something so piercing." As he began to levitate the needles with his magnetic powers and cause them to almost dance in the air at his command, he continued his little speech. "Aren't diseases such an exquisite answer to the ebbs and flows of life in nature? Such a biological detractor that can topple even the mightiest, effectively acting as the great equalizer."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, noticing the familiarity of the needles. "You're going to have to give those back to Rarity, you know that right?"

The cyborg stopped his impromptu puppet show and gave a sneer, before he put the needles away in one of his vacant pouches. "I'll see to it after the market is closed down."

"Good. It'd also be wise to perhaps apologize to her for stealing."

Monsoon rolled his eyes from underneath his helm, before he lifted his legs off of the stall's edge, put his shins back on, and sat upright once again. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

"Somewhat. I actually wanted to pick up a few apples. Some for home, but others for the new guest that recently arrived."

"I overheard Jack mention that," he said offhandedly, looking off to the side while in thought, "but didn't hear very many details on the matter." He then gazed back to her, "What new monster do we have trapped in the world with us now?"

Twilight frowned at the comment a tad, but answered the question anyway. "Well, he's a human, as far as I know. Apparently, Lyra's been able to get a fair bit more information out of him. I guess he used to live in a rather cruel world if his visage is any indication, on top of what I've been told. Further still, Lyra says he's likely an intellectual, and has invited me to play a game of chess with him, but I'm not entirely sure if he's up for something like that yet. The poor human looks so weak on that hospital bed. I just hope he'll be able to make use of the apples I'm going to give him." With that said, Twilight fished some bits out of her satchel with her magic, and placed them on the table, before taking the ones she wanted. Monsoon responded by lazily levitating the coins into the small chest.

"Fascinating," Monsoon stated flatly and dryly, "I suppose we have a winner with this one. What was his name again? I'd like to be able to know the name of such a dreaded being before I laugh myself to death when I confirm such a pathetic description."

Twilight narrowed her eyes, not appreciating the sarcasm in the slightest, but decided to answer. "If you must know," she started matter-of-factly, "His name is Mantis. Lyra tells me that he's-"

Monsoon stood from his seat, nearly smashing his head right through the stall roof, before he exited it frantically with some struggling and cursing. After such an amusing display, the cyborg swiftly marched up to her, grabbed both of her shoulders, and looked her dead in the eyes, which actually startled the little pony a tad, bringing a lot more tension to the moment.

"What did you say his name was?" Monsoon asked, deathly serious and straightforward.

"Mantis. Psycho Mantis, actually," she replied.

He let go of her slowly, rose back to his full height, before he stepped back, mouth agape as if a terrible revelation had struck him. "No," he muttered, "Not him. It can't be him!" He looked back to Twilight. He dreaded asking the next obvious question, but he had to be sure. "Was he wearing a mask?"

"Yes," she answered, wondering why he the cyborg had such a sudden interest.

"Scars. Did he have scars along his head?"

"Yes, it seemed so."

Monsoon grit his teeth as he snatched the apples from Twilight, and tossed the bits back at her, which elicited a protest from the baffled unicorn. "What's the big idea?"

"For the love of everyone's safety and sanity, don't you DARE help that... THING anymore." he growled.

"What?! Why? What's going on?"

Monsoon gave a heavy, shaky sigh as Twilight realized something very important that she never thought she'd see from the cyborg. He was terrified, and it was evident.

"Do you know something about him?" she asked.

His attention snapped back to her, before he gave a rather unhinged, nervous laugh. "Do I know something?" he parroted, "I honestly wish I didn't."

"Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Not here, out in the open... too many minds," he warned, cryptically, "May we go somewhere safer? If I'm to tell you anything about this, you'll need to know EVERYTHING." With that said, he reached into the stall, grabbed an "out to lunch" sign, hung it above for all to see, and covered the produce with a tarp.

"Wait, it's not lunchtime ye-"

"Spare your neurosis for now, and take me to a safe, quiet place, immediately."

"Alright, alright. Hold on." Not a moment later, as she closed her eyes, her horn began to glow as the magic slowly built.

"What are you doing? We don't have time to-"


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


Back at the Golden Oak library, Spike had just finished dusting the main room, and was gearing up to reshuffle the books in a new organizational standard, as per Twilight's request. As he put his cleaning equipment away, there was a sudden burst of magic and a blinding flash that exploded within the main room of the Library. There stood Twilight and a somewhat dazed Monsoon.

"-w-waste..." he managed to stumble out, before he shook his head, trying to regain his senses, and gazed at the sudden new surroundings. "What happened? Where-?"

"We're at the Golden Oak's Library," she answered quickly.

"Twilight, what's going on?" Spike asked as he approached them.

"Oh, good, this is perfect." She then flared her horn up once again, opened the pouch that contained Rarity's sewing needled, and floated them towards the little drake. "Take these to Rarity. Tell her that 'Monsoon is very sorry for taking these.' Ok?"

"Uhm, sure, anything to have an excuse to see Rarity!" he said happily, snatching the needles from the air before practically skipping out the door.

"Ok, that should keep him busy for a while. Now, what did you want to tell me?"

Monsoon shook his head again for a moment, before he looked back to Twilight with irritation. "A warning would be nice, little Miss Friendship." He took a breath. "You may want to sit down. This is going to take a while."

Twilight did, pulling out a quill and parchment, ready to take down notes.

He began to slowly pace back and forth before her, wondering where to start. After a moment, he finally spoke, "Out of all beings I would never wish to encounter, Psycho Mantis is the apex of true horror in my world."

"What is he?" Twilight asked.

"Simply put, he's the most powerful practitioner of psychokinesis and telepathy."

"Telepathy? You mean-"

"He can read people's minds, yes," Monsoon interrupted, "But this isn't all he's capable of. After the fall of the SOP system, around the time I took my job as a Desperado Enforcement mercenary, I managed to read up on many of the files the new wave of free information had in store, mostly to help prepare myself for what I'd be undertaking."

"Wait, what's SOP? What's Desparado Enforcement?" Twilight asked, cutting into Monsoon's explanation.

"I'll talk about my own history another day, but right now you need to listen," he barked back with a stern tone. The smug, condescending attitude was all but gone now, as he took another breath, and continued. "Among the files and official government logs, his history and track record was listed and well documented. All of his known escapades, and some of the covert ones, detailed events that were... nightmarish, to be frank. Brainwashing, mental probes, illusions, spontaneous combustion, psychotic breakdowns, and this wasn't even including his very real ability to apply mind over matter. All under the employment of one spec-ops military group or another. Atrocities and human rights violations in the hundreds at an official government request. Even more done so at his own discretion."

"Oh my stars..."

"This isn't even going into the madness the plagues his mind. He's jumped into so many different, psychopathic minds of serial killers, warmongers, soldiers, and other violent criminals to solve cases and extract information. With as much knowledge he has accumulated and with as many minds as he's delved into, he's long since lost his own from the horrors and the disgust that's firmly rooted in the human condition." Monsoon quit pacing for a moment before he continued, "In consideration of the year I... 'died'... Mantis should have been ancient history for thirteen years, and yet he's in this town, in the flesh, being ALLOWED to gain his strength?!"

Twilight had no words, nor did she have the nerve to write down any notes from this lecture, as brief as it was. If it was honestly as serious as Monsoon made it out to be, keeping to her studies for the time being would be a bad idea. Something needed to be done, and fast. She first considered conducting a letter to the Princess to request urgent assistance on the matter. Next to that, she'd gather her friends and the other outer-equestrians to explain the situation and hopefully stand on guard in case something went wrong. However, before she could even try anything, what Monsoon said next shocked the kindly scholar.

"We need to kill him, now," he announced, already drawing his sai.

"Wait, WHAT!?" she exclaimed, leaping out of her seat.

"The longer he lives, the less we have for our painfully short time limit. If he's still weak, I may just be able to-"

"There has to be another way! We can't just... kill him," she hated saying it in that context, but continued anyway, "M-maybe he isn't as bad as those 'files' make him out to be? I mean, you-"

"I am willing to play ball if it'll get me out of this candy colored nightmare, even if it means cooperating with such... sickeningly idealistic abominations and affronts of nature, such as you and your species." Twilight's face scrunched from the blatant slander, but Monsoon continued. "But Psycho Mantis would likely want nothing more than to torch the world and all of us with it, to satisfy whatever desires he may have, whatever goals he may pursue." He paused for a moment. "Friendship and tolerance may be a law of your world, but he comes from a place of strife and war, where peace is only a temporary delusion and the blood of people soak the soil, for profit or for honor. Acting nice around him will only eventually get you murdered. He must die."

As the cyborg turned away from her and headed for the door, Twilight's horn flared up for a moment, before she teleported between him and the exit. Monsoon growled, gripping his sais tighter.

"Spare me your idealism," he spat venomously, "I couldn't care any less if you were all killed with extreme prejudice by that psychopath, but this is a matter of survival, and I'd rather live long enough to die in my own world. If you honestly do trust me on this, if you really care about your friends, your research, and your world, then you will step aside."

Twilight faltered for a moment. She didn't have much of a reason to trust Mantis as much as she did the other guests, nor did she have much of one to doubt Monsoon. She could utterly hear the fear in his voice as he stood before her in intimidation, and such contrast chilled her more than his capacity of violence ever did. She gave a sigh as she began to consider and understand the dire situation. It was a pony way of life to give every living being a chance, foe or stranger, but sometimes it was necessary to step down from upholding that wish to fight for the sake of others. That's why the Elements of Harmony were-

"The Elements of Harmony!" she exclaimed, "We could use them to try to cure him of the madness he has!"

Monsoon let out a dark, troubled laugh. Twilight was about to protest from the obvious mocking, but Monsoon raised his hand to interject. "I've heard of those little trinkets from Jack, and I'm not entirely surprised they actually exist in this world. They do indeed sound quite powerful, despite the rarity of their use. However, if I remember correctly, all SIX of you are required to use them."

"What do you-" It was then Twilight remembered. She cursed under her breath for forgetting such a detail.

"You could drag Jack out of bed to use them, if you so wish it, but I have no idea how effective that would be. Further still, with how weak she is currently, there's no telling what could happen if she used hers, nor is there any knowing that Psycho Mantis wouldn't just tear her mind apart and leave her useless on the floor with her normally iron clad will being brought down from her little illness. Even if we wait for her to get better, it may just be entirely too late by that point. There are FAR too many negative variables to consider, and gambling on possibilities in the hope of a positive outcome will come back to bite us, if not destroy us."

Twilight's gaze cast down to the floor. She was literally running out of options as Monsoon washed each possible preferable action away before her eyes. Save for one, but it was an option she had hoped she had never needed to consider.

"Monsoon," Twilight started, staring the cyborg dead in the eye, "I forbid you to act on your intention to kill Mantis."

Monsoon stood dumbfounded. "Y-you're kidding. After everything I've told you, after actually giving you advice on how you should proceed, you're going to pursue your-" He stopped with a frustrated grunt, rubbing the spots on his helm where his temples would be. He stopped, then took a step forward. "If you're not going to let me, I'll-"

"If you harm him in any way," she stated, having a tough time even going through with this ultimatum, "I will have to have you arrested." Every fiber of her being felt sick for even doing this, but she had to force herself to remain strong.

"You're... strong-arming me?"

Twilight stared at him, remaining quiet. Monsoon grit his teeth, gripped his sais harder, and tried not to pick up every sharp, metal object in the area to throw them at the stubborn, stupid pony. He contemplated long and hard, before he gave a heavy defeated sigh.

"Fine. Do whatever you want," he stated flippantly, before placing his sais back in their rightful holsters and passed Twilight, heading out of the door. Before he fully left her behind, he looked back to her and said, "If you and your race die off because of this... I'll have no trouble laughing in my grave."

With that said and done he walked off, heading further into town and back to the market place to finish his job. Twilight stood firm for a moment or two as she watched him leave, before she dropped to her knees, shaking like a leaf. So much was going wrong all at once, and there was no telling how everything would play out now. Monsoon was desperate and violent, while Mantis was a possible time bomb if everything the cyborg said was true. She could honestly hardly believe it, but now things were so uncertain. With Applejack out of commission for the time being, which likely renders the Elements too risky to use, the only thing she could do was simply increase the security. With a shaky sigh, she stood back up, headed inside of the library, and began to conduct her letter to the Princess. After that, she thought, I'll go and talk to the others, just in case.
> Losing My Insanity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Late into the night at the Apple Family orchard, as the hard working farm ponies slept within their humble, comfy, and cozy home, the barn doors slowly and quietly slid open. As it reached its apex, the air became still and all noise in the area ceased. It was a warning, as suddenly a darkened figure shot out of the shadows within, and swiftly bolted out of the property limits, heading straight for Ponyville. It was Monsoon, dead-set on survival.

With his unnatural frame, he sped down the road at breakneck speeds, legs amplified by the boost of energy he unleashed which had him move swift enough to outclass Olympic athletes. As he hit the towns edge, he leaped high into the air, unleashed his magnetic force, and landed on the nearest thatched roof softly with the aid from the repulsion of the metal below him. As he kept the electromagnetic field around him active, he darted between the buildings like a ninja in the night, making his way to the hospital that housed Psycho Mantis. 

As he drew closer, his thoughts began to waver in resolve regarding to what he found out about the ex-FOXHOUND member. There was no one quite like the psychic. While Monsoon's technological feats blurred the lines between science and fantasy, easily performing acts that were beyond impressive, the history of the self proclaimed "world's greatest practitioner of telepathy and psychokinesis" was entirely unreal. Even with the absurdity of magic, talking ponies couldn't hold a candle to what he read in the files. 

He finally found himself before the target hospital, and as the dead of the night grew colder and quieter, the cyborg hid himself within the shrubbery that sat a good distance away from the sign, let alone the entrance. He observed the face of the building, and noted that a few lights were still on. There were still a few orderlies and doctors within the halls, obviously there to take care of the various overnight patients of different conditions. Monsoon switched to the installed scope within his ocular lenses inside of his helm, and scoured the windows to get a look at who may be patrolling the halls, and what rooms have ponies in them. He did this to all four sides of the building, before returning to the front where he started. As it turned out, fourteen windows in total were off or obscured by blinds or curtains, but the ones he could see through had nothing but ponies sit at the frame or walk by every now and then. Never-the-less, it narrowed his search somewhat.

Monsoon rubbed his chin in thought, and considered how he'd approach. The front door was possibly the easiest way, but there was a chance that someone would be running the reception desk. The roof was out, as the thatched surface had no entrance or landing pad for emergencies. He could try sneaking in through one of the top windows, but there was a chance he could easily pick the wrong one and be immediately busted for his attempt, and he knew he only had one shot at this. He gazed back to the front entrance, noting the lack of glass to see through. He tapped his chin for a moment, before he came up with a solution.

Activating his magnetic force, he let his body fall to pieces. As he lay upon the ground disassembled, his head and hand rolled up to the front entrance slowly, staying in the grass and using the sign as cover, up until the chosen pieces reached the front door. He lifted his hand to the door and lightly tested it. It was locked, of course, but that was no problem. Keeping calm and focused, he concentrated the magnetic force around him, and manipulated the lock until it clicked. Child's play.

He then slowly opened the door a crack until he could just see through the sliver of the opening. Peering inside, he surveyed his surroundings, and sure enough with his luck, the reception desk was actually empty. He grinned outwardly, and called the rest of his pieces to him and reconstructed himself. Slowly slinking in, he closed and locked the door behind him, and kept his footfalls light and soft, as he approached the front desk. Upon reaching it, he began looking through the files. Thankfully, they were all written in a language he could understand, despite his street urchin background back in his old life. It was amazing, really, that the language the ponies seemed to use mimicked the languages back on Earth, though how much of that statement being true was up for debate. Thumbing through the papers and documents, he finally found the one he was looking for. Psycho Mantis: 3rd Floor, room 314, west wing. Reading further, it had been noted that he's the only one residing in the room, and staff are to check on him every half an hour. He had his location, and his possible patrol route, but now it was just a matter of getting to him. 

Before that, he heard the sound of hooves clacking against the floor, approaching his location. Monsoon replaced all of the files, closed the drawers, and left the area as quickly and as quietly as he could, keeping low and treading softly. That was, up until he reached a slightly ajar broom closet, which he ducked into and shut the door as silently as possible. As he waited for the unknown pony to pass by, he noted that a lot of the equipment and supplies here were actually quite typical. Mops, brooms, rags, buckets. Funnier still, there were various disinfectants and bottles of cleaning solutions and bleach. He never knew bleach actually existed in this world, and wondered if it was just as potent and dangerous as it was back on Earth. He picked up a bottle and read the label. Sure enough, there were warning signs and notes written all over it, including directions in case of accidental ingestion or direct contact with coat hair and skin. He pawed at his chin once again, and wondered if any disinfecting alcohol was also available in the building, considering it WAS a hospital.

With the only way to find for sure being to investigate, he silently fell back to pieces, and began rolling his head and detached hand along the ground, using the magnetism to propel them along the surface, searching for a medical supply closet. His pieces didn't have to go far before he found an emergency medical closet. Once again, like the front door, it was locked, but that was once again a trifle as he willed it open and swiftly moved his pieces inside. Gazing about the slightly larger room, he found all sorts of supplies for any sort of physical ailment that couldn't be treated with medicinal remedies. Tenser bandages, wraps, medical tape, spare crutches, folded wheelchairs, and of course, rubbing and disinfectant alcohol. His hand swiftly grabbed a bottle and brought it down to the ground as his head and prize were dragged back to the broom closet. Upon re-entry, Monsoon put himself back together, grabbed a few cloths, an empty bottle, and poured some of the alcohol into the bottle itself. After that, he carefully added the bleach until the bottle was full, then swiftly sealed it with a spare cork he found. 

A wry grin cracked along his face, but died when a thought occurred. Are ponies affected by chloroform the same way humans are? If he wanted any hope of getting around some of the patrolling ponies, he'd need to know if it would be effective, even if it were a last resort. He cracked open the broom closet door, and peered outside, looking for any sign of anypony nearby. Sure enough, he could see a nurse at the desk, flipping through papers and putting some of them together with paper clips. Monsoon had another idea to make this test stealthy as possible. Activating his magnetic force, he borrowed a small team of paper clips, and covertly flew them over to his location, before unfolding them and bound them into a claw big enough to wrap around a pony's face. He then wadded up a cloth, doused it with his impromptu chloroform mix, and placed it between two more rags, before fastening them together with the metal wires from the clips. He then manipulated the clips to fly the chloroform rags to the nurse, whom was totally unaware, and then swiftly wrapped said soaked rags around her mouth and nose. The nurse panicked from the sudden gag, and tried in vain to pull it off, as the wires tightened up and kept her from removing it. After a few moments, the nurse began to slow down, before passing out entirely, held aloft only by the magnetized wires and haphazardly thrown together chloroform mask. It was a success. Slowly, he used the mask to set the nurse down, before sped to the desk quietly, cleaned the mess she made in her panic, and picked up the unconscious body. He then placed her inside the broom closet, jammed the door, stole a map, and began trekking through the halls carefully.

He had to go to the third floor, but that was easier said than done, as he soon found out. The first problem was the obvious: The many doctors, nurses, orderlies, and other staff members that worked the night shift (or in this case, graveyard shift) doing their various tasks and patrolling the halls, all of whom that likely won't be very keen on his intrusion, especially since he was certain breaking and entering was still a crime here. This wasn't even mentioning the fact he assaulted, knocked out, and locked up a nurse. The second problem, which he discovered upon reading the map, was that the only way to the higher floors was to take the stairs. Elevators either were a luxury, or hadn't been invented yet. It'd be less of a problem if it was a straight shot, but there's always the possibility of someone entering the stairwell. He needed to be extra careful in that regard. 

Despite this, he had no choice but to persevere, and keep his senses sharp, first sneaking down the hall to get to the west wing's stairwell. Following the map was easy enough, but he moved slow, keeping his eyes on the doors and keeping his frame low and away from view. He was rather surprised he only ever had to stop and hide twice on the way to his first destination, but his good luck ended upon grabbing the door and finding it locked. As he was about to turn on his magnetic powers to unlock it, he heard rather swift hoof steps coming in close. In a panic, he disassembled himself, magnetized to the roof, and watched as an orderly arrived to his former location, fetched some keys, and enter the stairwell, only to sit upon the ground outside the door, and pluck out a snack from a carried satchel. Monsoon grumbled to himself, realizing he'd either have to wait, which was not an option, or head to the east wing to find the alternative staircases. It didn't take much thought as his peaces rolled across the ceiling slowly, away from the lights, as he kept his eyes open for other individuals.

It took some time, but he finally managed to get himself to the east wing stairwell door, which was surprisingly unlocked. Monsoon then swiftly ducked inside, and crept up the steps as softly as he could, using his magnetism to offset and lessen the vibrations he'd make while climbing. After a while, he reached the third floor, and bolted for the door. However, before he could even open it, the handle jiggled, causing Monsoon to flatten against the wall, as the door swung open and concealed his presence. The sound of a stallion and a nurse merrily making medical jokes as they proceeded downstairs rang about, while Monsoon slithered around the door and back into the halls, letting the passage close behind him with an audible click. He gazed about his surroundings, and noticed that another pony was coming from the west in the distance. The cyborg cursed softly, as he turned the corner to take the southern halls of the east wing and found no one there. Without a foreseeable alternative, Monsoon crept down the east wing, keeping low once again and staying vigilant to any sounds that could indicate pony movement. 

Once again, his luck ran dry, as the sound of opening and closing doors echoed before him, while the approaching pony behind him was now about to make the corner. With no other alternative, and figuring it'd be too risky to jump to the ceiling this time, he opened the door to a darkened room he was near, slipped inside, and quietly closed the door, using his magnetism to keep the knob and lock under silent control. He crouched, staying out of sight from the window beside the door, and waited patiently for the two staff members to pass by. However, his patience was in vein as the two staff ponies met before the door he hid behind and began to chat with each other. He growled, desperately needing to get a move on, but was hopelessly stuck now while the inane conversation continued, until an idea lit up his day. Activating his magnetic influence, he took hold of the metal doorknob of a north side door, just far enough away from him around the corner of the hall, opened it gently, before forcing it to slam as hard as possible. The noise was enough that the entire hospital could hear it, if his judgements were correct. Regardless of how audible it truly was, it certainly got the attention of the staff before the door he hid behind, as their conversation ceased, and the two of them left to investigate.

He sighed for a moment, before something in the back of his head told him to look behind him. Slowly and tentatively, he turned, and saw a bandaged up pony, practically sealed in a cast from face to tail, staring directly at him. Monsoon was shocked he was actually caught, but relieved it was from an entirely helpless patient. He stood up, reached into a couple of his pouches, and took out a set of rags and the bottle of chloroform. With the items in hand, he approached the pony, whom was now panicking at the sight of the approaching, menacing cyborg. He stopped before the poor, bound creature, doused the rags, and covered the nose and mouth. The muffled pleas and cries of help slowly dissipated as the eyes behind the cast shut gently.

"You seem to be in a lot of pain anyway," he whispered, "This'll help you rest, and forget I was ever here."

Once Monsoon was satisfied that the patient was unconscious, he placed his rags and chloroform back into their pouches, and returned to the door. Upon opening it, he took a peek outside, and noticed no one was nearby. Smiling at the stroke of luck and opportunity, he wasted no more time. Monsoon exited the room, sneaked down the hall, and proceeded to the west wing of the hospital, still careful to make sure no other staff could catch him.

It was then that he finally reached the proper wing, and was practically a stone's throw away from his final destination. He gazed to his side, and noticed the closest door being Room 320. He smiled, as he slowly moved down the hall, still keeping low on the off chance a staff member were near. Strange, he thought, it seems quieter around here, now. He noticed the distinct lack of activity in the area, but figured that the psychotic telepath had spooked them out of their minds. It honestly wouldn't take much, he laughed mockingly. 

However, as he finally approached the door he had been looking for, an ominous sense of dread began to slowly bubble within him. The very fabric of nightmares and madness was on the other side of this door, and flashes of files and documents that detailed the feats and crimes danced in his head. He reached for the door, but hesitated for a moment. What if he knows I'm here? It was something he had asked himself before he decided to come here, and it still wasn't properly answered. Rumors among the files described that anti-telepathy tech was possibly being made to counteract psychic operatives, but the number of psychics were minuscule at best back then, and the tech was never mentioned, nor openly implemented, as the years went on. There was no telling that if the tech exists, if it's in use now as he continued to live, or that he was now a sitting duck before perhaps the most dangerous natural human in all of creation.

He took a deep, cybernetic breath, before he slowly opened the door to Psycho Mantis' room, only to find the psychic to be lying still upon his bed, lightly breathing. It was entirely unreal. The legendary Psycho Mantis, a formerly deceased member of the special forces unit codenamed FOXHOUND: a squad of extraordinary talent which ended their career with a failed coup. He was somewhat shocked to see him so emaciated, bound in tight leather garb, with exposed stitches, scars, and bar-codes marking his skin. Despite the shabby appearance, there was no doubt in Monsoon's mind that there was a thick air of danger around the sickly body.

After basking in the presence of a legend, he took another breath, and unsheathed one of his sais, slowly approaching the thinly psychic. He wanted to make this as quick and as quiet as possible, and be absolutely sure he succeeded. He would use no magnetism to do it from afar, nor would he manipulate the metal around him to do it. He would simply plunge the sai into Psycho Mantis' heart, with his own bare hand, and leave no mistake.

As he got closer, the sound of three sets of hooves were heard clamoring down the hall, as metal armor clinked and clacked along the hoof-falls. Monsoon turned for a moment, clicking his tongue, realizing he was running out of time, and decided to just rush the psychic and get it over with. However, to his horror, as he turned back, the psychic was already sitting up in his bead, staring directly at him. I'm too late...

"STOP!" 

Monsoon whirled around, and saw the nurse he knocked out when testing the chloroform, with two heavily armored stallions, one wielding a crossbow, and the other wielding a spear. Damn, he thought, I guess the chloroform didn't last as long as I'd have hoped.

"Put your weapon away, Monsoon, and step away from the patient," the nurse ordered.

"How do you know my name? I highly doubted you pony folk would care to learn such a thing from a creature like me." Monsoon asked, as he slowly slid his sai back to its rightful place.

"Twilight informed me after I requested she send guards to catch the one who DRUGGED ME AND LOCKED ME IN A BROOM CLOSET."

Silence was thick in the air for the moment, as the cyborg and the nurse stared each other down and the guards kept their weapons pointed.

"You do know those won't do anything to me, right?" Monsoon pointed out, mockingly, hoping that he could use the sudden confrontation as a front to surprise the psychic in the confusion.

"Probably not. The weapons are just protocol with them," she answered, "but if anyone here gets injured for whatever reason, the Princess WILL be contacted, and you will have to answer to her." She let the words sink in for a moment, before adding, "And considering you want to go home, I think it would be best if you leave with these Guards, without resistance. You can sort your... violent issues out with them and Twilight, AWAY from the hospital patients."

Monsoon glowered, and looked back at the psychic, whom remained silent the entire time. It was then he felt a small, but harsh, tug on his sai, as if someone was trying to pull them away from the cyborg. Or worse, he was sending a message wordlessly to Monsoon that he's aware of the situation fully and just may retaliate if attacked. A shiver crawled up his synthetic spine upon peering into the orange lenses of that horrible gas mask, realizing that he no longer had control over the scenario. He gave a shaky sigh, and removed his hand from his sai, held both hands above his head, and turned towards the ponies. "Very well. I surrender. I'll go peacefully."

"Good," the nurse said, "Follow them." She then stepped aside, allowing room for Monsoon to pass by.

The cybernetic mercenary took a few steps forward, before he stopped, and looked back to Psycho Mantis. There he was, sitting in his bed, staring directly at him, weak and frail, but in so much control he would easily pull Monsoon around like a marionette. The nothing that did happen honestly disturbed him the most. After another, shaky sigh, he kept on walking, now being lead by the guards as they slowly made their way to the entrance of the building. Only the nurse remained, whom looked to Mantis, and slowly closed the telepath's door before locking it.

Alone now, Mantis looked into the night sky, as he waited for his uninvited guest to exit the building, and the small caravan of guards, joined by the two that retrieved Monsoon, to depart the grounds for the Golden Oaks' Library, where they would speak with Twilight about the situation. Some had hoped that they could take the intruder to Celestia herself to dole out a punishment savage enough for such a danger. Others just wanted to go home and be done with the situation. It was honestly the same drivel he heard when he manipulated the minds of the soldiers back at Shadow Moses Island. Human beings were such terrible, disgusting, and frankly embarrassing creatures for the most part in his eyes, and ponies were no better for different reasons, if a few similar vices and a whole lot more power.

He was somewhat afraid the cyborg wouldn't show, but was glad that human fear and desperation was still alive and won in the end. He did need to test to see if psychic insulation was actually created in the technology that Monsoon possessed. He had once read that such anti-telepathy technology would be implemented through a combination of chemical stimuli and brainwave signal alteration and jamming, and felt such a thing was likely set up within the cyborg's body. However, the body language that was seen showed that the cyborg himself didn't even know he had that kind of advantage. Invisible to his telepathy and psychic probing, if Monsoon had been quicker, he would have succeeded. Despite the risk and the one spot of bad news, the testing data he gathered on his strength and manipulation elated him to no end. However, it was still no less a threat, now that he knew the existence of two types of telepathy walls. He would have to mind his actions, and keep his distance away from the the more powerful users of the arcane, and be sure to dispose of the cyborg as soon as he could if he ever troubled him again.

Despite the troubles, it was never-the-less almost time to move forward with his final plan. Once ready, he will gather his map, and head to the source of their hopes and dreams, before he finally makes good on his promise.
> Mad World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight rushed out the door of Golden Oaks, bag barely keeping a hold of the various papers and notes it was stuffed with, as well as the chessboard that was stuck inside. After the disaster that was last night, as well as sending an emergency letter to her mentor, she had accidentally missed her alarm for the morning and woke up far too late for her own taste. This wasn't even going into the dire news that she received yesterday from Monsoon. In fact, the whole ordeal had her conduct a few requests she didn't entirely want to set up, but did so anyway out of pure caution. Still, in the deepest part of her heart, she had a strong hope that what she heard wasn't as iron clad as the cyborg made it out to be. She wished for the shadow of a doubt that said their sixth guest had some good will underneath the darkness within that mind. The only way she could figure that out is if she were to confront and speak with him properly, as she promised to do a couple days ago now.

She aimed to start on a good note by coming in early in the morning, bringing him a decent breakfast as a token of friendship. She knew the hospital breakfasts were functional at best and bland at worst, so an offering like that would be welcome enough by anypony. She did intend on doing this prior, but Monsoon's reaction to Mantis' presence, not to mention his actions later, completely dashed the first attempt.

Twilight shook her head in annoyance as she galloped through town. There was no use in dwelling on what could have been, no matter the intention, as the fact of the matter was that it was too late for that. Instead, she hoped that the thinly being would be up for a game meant for intellectuals. She recalled Lyra mentioning he wanted a game of chess at a later date. Once again, she had planned on attempting this yesterday, along with bringing a bushel of apples, but-

She growled at the irritation of returning to yesterday's events. Honestly, her thought process was going around and around in circles, but that's what happens under such dire circumstances. Stopping for a short second, she breathed in slow and deep, and exhaled, just as Cadence taught her, trying to clear her head and temper her emotions. Feeling slightly better, she continued her trek to the hospital, hoping to catch Mantis in a decent mood. If not, a harmless, friendly game between the two should be enough to break the ice, and hopefully learn to trust one another.

Thoughts about the events of yesterday, however, were already slowly creeping back into the forefront of her mind. She couldn't really blame or even hate Monsoon for his behavior. The little unicorn had heard and seen how terrified he was, and had no reasons to cast doubts on his deductions, nor did she have evidence. A large part of that was simply because she was an outsider in regards to what THEY are, how they operate, and what they know and went through. There were so many mysteries to them and their loose relationship, which wasn't even getting to the mysteries of the other visitors: Dumah, Elvis, Bael, Adna. The other four were just as enigmatic, despite how open they seemed to be. They were willing to share, but it was obvious they had their own thoughts and secrets they were less than willing to unveil.

Twilight shook her head once again. If it wasn't her dwelling on Monsoon and Mantis, it was raising questions about the others that she, and everyone else, had grown to trust. Reasonable doubt was healthy, but now was certainly not the time for that, as her current situation would only lead to paranoia. That, and her current objective of talking with Mantis, so being so preoccupied would just make things a tad more difficult.

After a relatively swift and unhindered trek, she finally reached the Hospital's front lawn. Everything seemed normal, except for the Royal Guards that had been stationed at the doors. To be honest, last night was cutting it close. She had called for their assistance after her talk with Monsoon, but they hadn't finished preparations for actual deployment until late into the night, when Monsoon showed up. If they were just a moment later, she would have had blood on her conscience.

With a sigh she stepped forward passed the guards, whom saluted her, and stepped into the hospital, where patients old and new, busy hospital staff, and a small group of Royal Guards roamed the halls. She stepped up to the front desk, where a disgruntled Nurse Redheart sat, leafing through papers, and having her afternoon cup. It took a moment for the nurse to notice Twilight's presence, but once she did, she forced a pleasant smile.

"Oh, hello, Miss Sparkle. I suppose you're here to see the patient?" she asked.

"Yup, but I'm actually-"

"Running late, yes, I know. You told me you were supposed to be coming much earlier last night. What happened?" Before Twilight could respond, the nurse waved her hoof. "You know what? Nevermind. I could probably already guess," she said with a hint of venom. "What happened to our little intruder anyway?"

"He's back at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Is it safe for him to be there, just like that?"

"He's given me his word. If nothing else, I can trust he'll be honest in that regard."

"But didn't you-"

"I gave him explicit orders not to do what he did, yes, but he never gave me his word. All he said was 'Fine, do whatever you want'," she said, mocking Monsoon's mannerism of that day, "That was an open invitation for trouble, which is why I requested the guards in the first place... Again, I'm sorry they're so late."

The nurse waved it off. "Honestly, if there was one part to that whole mess that I don't mind, it's that he ended up chloroforming Skyfall in the east wing. Even though it only lasted a few minutes, it probably gave him a bit more relief than standard medication and magical treatment. That poor pony has been in pain for days ever since his accident, and we ran kinda short on his pain medication." She gave a sigh and shook her head. "Anyway, you can go and see him. I gotta get back to work anyway. We've been having a slew of new patients lately. A lot of sudden headache and migraine complaints all at once."

"That's strange..."

With that offbeat note, Twilight left the reception area and headed for Mantis' room on the third floor. As she trekked the halls, however, she began to wonder how Monsoon managed to get through most of the hospital virtually undetected. It was rather fascinating to consider how stealthy he had needed to be, especially considering pony hearing is so fine tuned naturally. She made a mental note to ask Monsoon on how he was able to stay so quiet, provided that he wasn't still so cross with her.

Before she knew it, she arrived at room 314. Twilight flared her horn to grip the handle, but stopped mid turn, realizing something was amiss. Looking about her surroundings, she realized it was FAR quieter than she thought it would be, even more so since the last time she visited. Twilight knew that the mentalist spooked out the hospital staff, but the silence here was almost unnatural, almost suffocating. She swallowed hard, finished turning the handle, and opened the door. There, Mantis sat in his bed, attention towards Twilight at the frame. 

"I'm happy you could join me today, Miss Sparkle."

Twilight entered and closed the door behind her slowly, gazing about the spartan room. Hospital rooms weren't ever the most pleasant places in the world, but the bare nature of this room with only a single occupant seemed to put her slightly on edge every time she came here. Never the less, she forced a small smile, approached the human, and sat before his bed.

"Is this an academic visit?"	

"Depends on how you're feeling. I don't want to push you too hard."

"To be quite frank, Miss Sparkle, I've been feeling quite well. I should be ready to check out very soon."

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" she exclaimed, clacking her hooves together, not entirely catching the undertone of his words. With that, she flared her horn again, reached into her satchel, and pulled out a chess board and the required pieces, which were colored a very light rose for one set and a deep purple for the other. Mantis tilted his head slightly.

"Miss Heartstrings passed along my message after all."

"I thought it would be a good way to break the ice. Besides, I haven't had a good game of chess in a while." She pulled over the nightstand and began setting up the board. "Considering you're from another world, the rules and pieces might be different, so would you mind if I explain them briefly?"

Mantis sat silent for a moment, staring at the board and the less than orthodox design of the pieces. He could tell what the equivalents were based on how they were set, but he had no idea if the rules were the same, or if they were given different names. He looked back to Twilight, and tried to peer into her mind, but found the same wall he felt before when they were last together. 

As this happened, Twilight began to feel slight pressure against her head, as if the atmosphere was growing thicker, if only slightly. However, as soon as it started, the pressure vanished.

"Is something amiss?" Mantis asked.

"It's nothing," she lied.

He looked back to the pieces, before he finally answered her prior question. "I would like for you to explain the rules to me, on the off chance that your game is different than what I'm used to."

Twilight's eyes lit up. "Oh, certainly! First off, the row of eight identical pieces at the front are known as Guards. They can move forward two spaces if they are moved from their starting spot, before moving one space normally. They cannot attack forward, however. Instead, they can only capture opposing pieces diagonally." She pointed to on of the end pieces in the corner. "This is a Spire. Some people call it a chariot or a Rook, but those terms tend to be old fashioned. They are capable of moving any number of spaces horizontally or vertically." Moving her hoof, she pointed to the next piece in line. "This is a Knight, or sometimes called a Champion. They can move in any direction straight for two spaces, before moving one space to the side, or vice versa. Sort of in an "L" shape pattern."

"And the next piece is capable of moving diagonally any number of spaces, Miss Twilight?"

"Exactly. Those pieces are called Archers." Twilight then pointed to two center pieces, one slightly smaller than the other. The larger one was of an alicorn with wings flared, holding aloft what seemed to be a sun with the tip of the horn. The smaller one was yet another alicorn, again with wings flared, however this one was holding a crescent moon overhead within the curl of the wings.

"Those were called the King and Queen in my world."

"I suppose the terminology is close. Here, it's the Sun and the Moon. The Moon is capable of moving in any number of spaces in any direction, straight or diagonal. She has the greatest potential of movement and can be an extremely valuable piece when setting up defenses and going on the attack. The Sun, while not as capable, being only able to move a single space in any direction, is perhaps the most important piece. If the Sun is cornered without any conceivable way of escape or rescue, the game is over with a checkmate."

"If I remember correctly," Mantis started, "the white army goes first. I suppose the 'pink' is the equivalent army?"

"I suppose," Twilight responded. She looked down to the board, and noticed the pink forces were at her side. Looking back to Mantis, she rotated the board. Underneath the mask, Mantis raised an eyebrow. "As the guest here, and since you've been through so much, I think it would be a nice gesture to let you go first."

Mantis looked over the board once again, before looking back to Twilight. Underneath the mask, a small smile split beneath his mask. While he could not read her mind, he was a decent player in his own right. If all went well enough, perhaps he could use this game to get a better understanding of who she is as an individual: to predict her thoughts and actions purely on her personality and mannerisms, and anticipate any possible surprises. Failing that, he could always just mess with her head by playing a few legal dirty tricks and traps, all in the name of laughing at her frustration. As he lifted his hand his hand, he pointed to his Sun's guard, and while levitating it with his telekinesis, moved it forward to square "E4", opening his set to start the game.







Twilight's jaw dropped, and not because such a common opening move (that she did intend to respond in kind). It was the action itself that gobsmacked her. The piece moved with no physical contact, and no magical interference. There were no weaves or sequences. No aura present that surrounded the pawn, or a place on Mantis' own body. Even Monsoon's magnetic force had some sort of distortion effect that could be seen or felt by those keen enough to pay attention. Here, there was nothing. The guard piece simply moved. She looked back to the human, now with hundreds of new questions blooming within her own mind.

"Psychics" in the land of Equestria were uncommon, but many of those known were either just very good fortune tellers, able to make very educated guesses based on whatever information they could gather from a conversation, or soothsayers that played on a pony's emotions and personalities. Very few of them were non-unicorns, and the ones that were most definitely from the Earth pony tribe never exhibited abilities that even DARED to resemble what Mantis had just done. Even parlor tricks, a common trait among some of the more flamboyant "psychics", were rare and crude, no matter how talented they were.

"This is no trick, Miss Sparkle," he said with confidence, his voice harshly filtering through the mask, "This is true power."

Twilight snapped out of her stupor, before managing to say, "I... have SO many questions."

"I suppose you do, Miss Sparkle, but let us finish our game first, hm? I'm dying to know how you play."

Twilight looked back down at the board in response. While it was true she was excited to finally be able to play another in this game, which was a first in quite a while, she was a tad nervous, especially considering how different of an individual Mantis was. Never the less, deciding to play it safe for the time being, she mirrored Mantis, and moved her Sun's guard forward, to square "E5". Taking a moment or two, Mantis moved his Moon's Champion's guard only one space forward, to "B3". Twilight thought for another moment, then moved her Moon's Champion to "C6".







Mantis smirked beneath his mask. He could see straight through her actions in these few moves. She was playing conservatively, merely testing the waters and keeping her wall of pawns up for as long as she was willing to. If she wasn't careful, she could find herself in a lot of trouble with said wall. I'll be sure to exploit that later, if the defense doesn't change enough by then, Mantis thought. He then moved his Sun's Champion's guard to square "G3", opening his forces up a little further. Twilight thought for a second, before she finally brought out one of her more major pieces, her Sun's Archer, to square "C5". Mantis responded in kind, pulling out his Moon's Archer and moving it to square A3.







Twilight leaned back a bit, starting to lose herself in the game. It was most certainly a bold move on Mantis' part, drawing out his own Archer to be in the line of fire of hers. However, she noted the champion that sat just a stones throw away from it. Even if she decided to go on the offensive and capture his piece, she'd only get burned and lose her own Archer in a relatively pointless push forward. Instead, she decided to simply move her Archer on C5 to square D4, both to stay out of harms way, and to threaten his now unprotected Spire. Undeterred, and moving almost immediately after Twilight had dispersed her aura from her piece, Mantis moved his Moon's Archer's guard to "C3", both blocking and threatening her newly moved Archer. She was rather surprised at the swift response, enough to take her eyes away from the board and look to his "face". She hadn't really noticed before, but there was something so fundamentally... off about his mask. It wasn't its shape or how tight the belts seemed to be against his scalp. No, what really put her on edge were those orange lenses of his. The color, she swore, reminded her of fire, just barely in control. Furthermore, she could see just past the thick color and almost make out his eyes behind them. However, the only thing she seems to take away from that was a gaze far colder than she had anticipated. Finally prying her stare away from him, with a shake of her head, she checked the board again. His archer was in a prime position to attempt to flush out her Sun or Moon, or at the very least set up to be a grave inconvenience for her later. On top of this, her own Archer was in danger, and while her Champion was protecting it, she felt that pushing it any further forward would end up prancing the piece into a future trap. Swallowing her doubts, she pulled her Archer on "C3" backwards to "E7", in an attempt to block her Sun and Moon from danger, as well as call Mantis' bluff, if it were one.







How cute, he thought, she thinks I'm just bluffing. Very well, I'll play along this time, but with that, I believe it's time to add a little more pressure. It was then that he moved his Sun's Champion to space "F3". Regardless of your next move, no matter how defensively you play, Miss Sparkle, you are going to lose a piece on your next turn, he thought, I will dismantle everything you are trying to protect, and destroy you. This, I promise.

Before Twilight could make her next move, however, the door swung open, revealing Lyra at the frame. Both of the intellectuals were surprised to see her: Twilight in the belief that musician was going to be busy today, and Mantis simply not keeping his mind open to see if anyone was heading this way. He cursed under his breath for allowing himself to be so distracted by the game.

"Oh, hey Twilight!" she exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Still?" she asked.

"Well, knowing you, I figured you'd have been here since this morning, more or less."

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with her hoof sheepishly. "There were some... complications."

"The intruder, correct?" Mantis said casually. 

"Seriously? Again?!" Lyra asked in shocked excitement. She then turned to Twilight, and asked, "Was it also Rainbow, or...?"

"No. Dash had nothing to do with this. It was... somepony else," she said vaguely, trying very hard to not make it seem obvious that she was gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Anyway, seems like you guys are in the middle of a game. I'll just-"

"No, it's alright, Lyra. We were just getting started." Twilight assured, "Besides, I think it's going to be a while anyway. Why don't you sit and get comfy while I go and get some snacks for us all?"

"That sounds good! Mint wafers for me!" Lyra requested ecstatically.

"Is there anything you want, Mantis?"

"A simple glass of water." 

Twilight stared for a moment, somewhat transfixed on his lenses and perplexed on his dull request. She had hoped that he would have required something more than just water, especially considering the food. Never the less, she wasn't about to argue, and instead took her leave. "I'll be right back, then." With that, the door shut behind her.

"So, did she buzz you any questions about your life story, or whatever?" Lyra asked.

"No. I suppose she was hoping the game set up before us would be a way to ease tensions and 'break the ice', as it were."

"I figured."

"Would you mind bringing yourself a little closer, Lyra. It's not terribly easy to see through my mask, and I'd like to get a better look at you."

"Really? Cause, before, you seemed liiiii-" Lyra tried to say, but suddenly trailed off for a moment, feeling a bit dizzy. "Whoa, what was... why do I feel...

You probably had a very long afternoon, Lyra.

"Yeah, a very loooong afternoon."

You should sleep, Lyra.

"I'm kinda... tired..."

It's time. Lead me to... them.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


As Twilight wandered down the hall, her mind began racing with thoughts about who and WHAT Mantis is, as well as his abilities and how they contradict EVERYTHING she had ever learned. Magic was a natural law of an Equestrian's reality. A fundamental force that allowed everypony to shape and manipulate the world around them, from the smallest and most subtle of actions, all the way through to the most profound and mighty shows of force. There were rules, however, in order to apply said magic. Each tribe of pony that lived needed some sort of medium, which would determine the type of magic, as well as the application, be it through physical contact, or through the energies that existed within all. Furthermore, magic had ways to be measured and traced, as well as having evidence of presence. Even raw magic, as wild and untamed as it could be, had its own set of sequences and weaves. How, then, could she explain what she's seen? 

Before she could lose herself in thought, she felt the building begin to quake. The force of movement was enough to cause her to trip over her own hooves and collapse to the ground. Body against the floor, and ears swiveling to try to listen for foreign noise, she tried to pinpoint the direction of the disturbance. Her heart sank when loud cracking sounds began to echo from behind her, afraid of what the source may be.

She swiftly scrambled back up and rushed back to room 314, but it was far too late. The walls, ceiling, and floor that connected to the building's hallway fractured and began to pull away slowly, loudly scraping the uneven fissures and creating debris. She flared her horn and gripped the handle, trying to swing it open before the room could be completely removed from the hospital, but she soon learned that it was locked. Despite her best efforts to try to unlock it, the room, having finally scraped its way out of the building, began to float away into the sky. Once again, she felt no presence of magic, but her sinking feeling and realization soon became a dawning horror.

"Dear Celestia... He was right..."

Concentrating hard, she charged up her horn, and cast a teleportation spell as screams of panic began to erupt from the many witnesses of this bizarre happenstance. With a harsh pop, she disappeared from where she stood, and reappeared at her destination: inside Room 314, where Psycho Mantis stood before the window, away from his bed, and a dazed, zombie-like Lyra sat beside him.

"I'm glad you can join me, Miss Sparkle," he said casually.

"What are you doing?"

"Traveling."

"Why... a-and how?!"

"You know how, Miss Sparkle. You've seen a sample of it during the game." He crossed his arms and turned to his visitor. "It's strange really. I've never felt this... invigorated before. My abilities couldn't be denied, nor compared, back when I was alive. But here... It makes what I had a joke. Correct, Lyra?"

The dazed pony that owned the name leaned her head back in an unnatural tilt, eyes entirely unfocused and dulled. "Correct." She flatly parroted, while she continued to stare at Twilight. Twilight herself couldn't help but feel unsettled by what was happening, but swallowed her fears to stand firm against this enigmatic threat. Cautiously and slowly, she walked around the bed, trying to come up with a way to get Lyra out of this mess.

"As for why..." he started, "It's simple, really. Your world. It's far too powerful."

Twilight paused for a moment, "What?"

"Your whole race is so expertly capable, Twilight. There is no such thing as impossible in this land. And yet how happy, how oblivious, you all are, satisfying your self desires." He gave a harsh sigh through his mask as he uncrossed his arms. "What sick, ridiculous people, and what fun you all have, dancing on this stage, without a care in the world, not knowing that we are nothing. And yet, you are beyond capable."

"I... don't understand."

"I suppose you don't. However, no matter your understanding, the decision has been made. I want to know what happens when I destroy the source of capability."

Twilight's eyes widened at the implications, as she then ran to the window, trying to see where the floating room was headed. The height of Mantis' impromptu transportation was high enough to see the vast countryside of central Equestria: The town below up to the forest's various cut-lines, then to the mountain ridge, with the tallest that sat at the heart of the land. And there, clinging to the side of the mountain like a lone flower was Canterlot.

"No, you don't mean-" before she could finish her thought, she felt herself get picked up off the ground violently, causing her to squeak in surprise.

"I need to make haste, and you, my Dear Miss Sparkle, are far too dangerous to just keep around. This is goodbye." 

With that, Twilight felt her body slam against the window hard enough to cause it to shatter, with the shards and her being now in a free fall. She panicked and screamed for a moment, before realizing how far up she was, giving her enough of a chance to act. Concentrating, she charged her horn again, and with a pop, appeared on the ground, safe and sound. Her well earned sigh of relief was interrupted by a scream, as ponies began to run away from where she was standing, as the glass shards were still in free fall. Hastily, she flared her horn once again, and cast a shield dome large enough to catch the pieces.

After a moment of waiting, she could hear the sounds of the sharp objects embed themselves into her shield, or shatter and stick to the surface. Looking about, she noted that her estimated size was a tad too small, but the result couldn't be denied. With a secondary flare, she bundled all of the glass together, and began morphing it into a harmless giant marble, intending on dealing with it later. Crisis averted, she gazed about as she tried to formulate a plan. Gathering the girls was out, due to what Monsoon had warned her about previously. If anything, the utilization of the Elements would need to be strictly a "plan B", and only if she manages to get to them in time. Sending a letter would be prudent, but only once she had an Idea of what to do. 

It was then that she looked up, and noticed that the room was slowly accelerating, clearing much of the town, and likely would pass the train station in minutes. If it kept going like that, it would take something as fast as a train to chase Mantis. Upon that realization, she knew how she could keep up with Mantis, but there was no time to lose. 

As she raced back to Golden Oaks, she already began writing up the emergency letter, as well as prepared a checklist of names. Very shortly, once the letter was sent, she then ran across the town to gather the only other ones that could help slow him down. 

I only hope they're willing to help. Especially him.
> My Train of Thoughts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monsoon marched straight through town with perhaps the widest, toothiest smile on his face. Every single Ponyville denizen he passed along the way rightfully backed away from the psycho cyborg, whom would have skipped along and greeted every single one with the tip of the hat, if it were something he did. Despite the miserable failure of a night, asinine questioning that followed, and the warnings that his farm pony of a warden issued, he couldn't help but feel like he was having a really good day. To be fair, there was a small chance that everyone was going to die VERY soon, including him, but the feeling deep in his synthetic heart simply couldn't be denied. He must see this through. 

Eventually, he arrived at his destination: Ponyville's train station, where the three other "extra-Equestrian" beings had gathered. Seems she has her bases covered, but where is the star of the show? he wondered.

"You got a sudden visit too, cabron?" Elvis asked.

"And I couldn't be happier," he replied smugly, grin proudly displayed.

"A human smile is such a disturbing thing," Dumah uttered, "However, yours is so much more... vile, for the lack of a better word."

The angel that stood next to the old vampire simply crossed its arms. Unwilling to agree, but not so daft as to miss it, all it did was grunt.

"And what's got your feathers ruffled, pigeon?" Elvis asked, coming off a bit more crass than intended.

"I am not entirely thrilled to have been summoned here, if thou must know," Adna began, "However, my ire is limited, as this excuse has allowed me distance away from the upset reptile that resides in the Maiden Dash's abode."

"You are quarreling with a turtle?" Dumah asked, perplexed.

"Tortoise," the angel corrected.

"I wonder where the pony of the hour is, since she was the one that told us to be here," spoke Monsoon.

"True. Though, I'm curious as to WHY," Elvis declared, rubbing his chin scruff.

"Oh, don't worry," Monsoon promised, "You'll soon find out, and it'll be RICH." Upon picking up distinct heat and movement signatures, the cyborg chuckled to himself. "Speak of the Devil..."

"Cabron, he's been sitting on his stupid frozen chair of shame ever since he was kicked out of the land of-"

"Sorry I'm late, everyone," piped up Twilight as she galloped towards the quartet while she strained to carry a half sized Bael inside an aura of magic. It was quite the sight, really, watching a giant, several tonne frog monster float toward everyone like a giant balloon. Obviously, the creature was quite cross with the whole situation, as his stubby legs flailed about helplessly, as if trying desperately to swim.

"Would you put me down, THIS INSTANT!?" Bael angrily shouted, as if this wasn't the first time he's said something similar today.

"We're here anyway," Twilight replied, as she gently placed him on an open cart of the train. It was then, as they watched the former lord of frozen soil being set down, that they turned their gaze towards the flying jagged room in the distance. Elvis had managed to see it up close, as he was the first here, but was actually quite shocked to see how much distance it made within the span of only a few minutes. "I suppose you're all wondering why you're here."

"Oh please, do tell us," Monsoon said, with a smile and a sneer, "By all means, PLEASE explain the gravity of the situation, now that you seem to understand it."

Twilight gave a heavy, irritated sigh. He is NOT going to let me live this down, is he? she thought, Well, forget him and his attitudes, Twilight. You have bigger things to worry about.

"I suppose our summons doth have relation to that," Adna said, pointing at the room.

"Yes," Twilight affirmed, "A little while ago, our latest guest, a human named Psycho Mantis, used his... "abilities" to rip his hospital room out of the building itself, and turn one of my friends into a living map. He's headed for Canterlot, and the rate he's going, taking into account his current speed and acceleration factor, he'll be there in less than an hour."

"Did thou just claim the one responsible is... human?" Adna asked.

"And how is this human even capable of that sort of feat?" Dumah asked in rising anger. He then turned his gaze towards Monsoon for a moment. "Excluding the abilities of the abominable automaton present, of course." Monsoon simply shrugged it off, too amused by the turn of events.

"From what I've been told, his ability is something called 'psychokinesis'. I've tried figuring out what exactly that is, but I couldn't pick up any form of sequence or weave found in magic, nor could I discern an intrinsic, scientifically studied force of non-magical nature. Whatever he's doing, he might as well be simply WILLING things to happen. I'm sure Monsoon has a better idea of how it works, all things considered, since Mantis came from his world."

Elvis turned to the cyborg, clenching his fists. "Que mierda, and you didn't think to tell her to stop him if you knew how dangerous he was, cabron!"

"Hey, calm your folds before you get a heart attack from getting so worked up. If you have to know, I DID try to tell her. Hell, I even tried to deal with the situation myself. But no, it seems like the pretty pony princess knows e~e~everything," Monsoon mocked with his hands in the air. "Well, unless you have a plan, it seems like we're all doomed to die very soon, and there won't be anything you or anyone of us can do about it."

"I think I can take it down from here," Bael said, after staying quiet for so long, staring at the floating room.

"What?"

Before anyone could act, Bael's ice spines began to glow as he puffed himself up, leaning back to set up the attack. Suddenly, he leaned forward as far as he could and began shaking his body, which launched the gigantic spines from him at rocket speeds, screaming toward the room.

"Wait, NO!" Twilight exclaimed as her horn suddenly flared up. Within an instant, her magic managed to grab most of the super massive projectiles mid-air before they got too far, only missing one out of the volley. That single one embedded itself deep into the back corner of the room's back wall.

"What in all of hell are you doing, child!" Bael barked as he turned to face her, "If you wouldn't have interfered, that shot would have obliterated the problem, human with it."

"Lyra is still in there!" she shouted back. For a little while, there was silence between the two beings as the others watched. "She's in danger because of me. I have to make sure she gets out safely, at the very least." She gazed back to the others. "I messed up, and now I'm responsible for making sure nopony else gets hurt. I asked you all to help because you are my best shot, and because Monsoon had a point." She then looked directly at the cyborg. "You're right. The Elements might not be able to help us and I'm not entirely willing to put my friends in danger, especially since I don't think I could cast a mental block strong enough to cover everyone. But you guys..." she started. "I don't want to put you in danger either, but you might have magic or methods strong enough to counter whatever mind reading abilities he may have to end our attempt. But... I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to do. From here on, it's up to you."

The gathered group stared at Twilight for a moment, before they stepped back to think on the situation. It didn't take long, however, for Elvis to speak up.

"I'm in, chica," he said with a thumbs up.

Adna had no idea how sincere the demon was, even though it was surprised by the lack of hesitation. However, despite how detestable it thought of demon kind in general, the angel couldn't exactly berate Elvis. "I shall assist as well," Adna added.

Dumah crossed his arms, looking to the sun with a sneer for a moment, before he presented his answer. "I suppose I should help as well."

Twilight then looked to Monsoon, whom stared at Twilight. Silence lingered between the two, before he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You know, I was quite ready to tell you 'no', and leave you to die at his hands as you charge in like a fool, but... I'm curious to know how this might pan out."

Twilight gave a warm smile, and sigh of relief. It was then that she turned to the great ice toad that sat on the train. He grumbled and huffed a bit, before he finally answered. "Well, I don't have too much choice on the matter, as you've dragged me away from the cottage and placed me on this bloody contraption right off the bat. I'll assist, but the extent of my help will be artillery fire."

"We'll figure something out," she responded. "Alright then. Everypony, get on the train." It was then that she pulled out a signed scroll with an approved formal request printed on it, stamped with the Princess' seal. "We've got a psychic to catch, and fast."

The unlikely group of monsters boarded the train, with Dumah being the only other one being forced to ride on the open ended platform that Bael occupied due to his size. Once inside, Twilight ushered Elvis to the front, where he was in charge of running the engine, as the normal engineer was relieved of his post, as instructed by the formal request. With everyone ready, Elvis started up the train, and drove them forth to chase the rogue human with a hostage.

I just hope we can stop him, before he reaches Celestia... For the sake of my friends, and all of Equestria.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


Within the span of a half hour, as room 314 sped through the sky, making a bee-line for the grand city of Canterlot, the train that once sat at Ponyville had finally caught up with its target. It honestly wasn't any real surprise, since the one driving it was Elvis himself, manipulating the flame to the point of overcharging the engine's efficiency. Once they knew they gained enough distance ahead of the floating room, Elvis was very careful to dial back the flames and slow down the hearty locomotive to keep a steady pace. With a thumbs up gesture of reassurance from the Deva, Twilight teleported herself to the car that held two of the five beings that accompanied her on this mission. Monsoon was lounging lazily along the seat of the cart, pawing at the handles of his sais, while Adna sat upright, hands gripping its staff tightly and ready to spring into action.

Twilight signaled the two and beckoned them to step close. As they rose from their seats and approached the little unicorn, Twilight concentrated on the roof above them, calculating the velocity the train was going and keeping in mind the spacial awareness. With everything carefully planned out, her horn flared up, and with a flash of light, the three of them were on the roof, relatively stable despite the sudden shift and the outside wind resistance. Monsoon simply shook his head lightly to cast the stars from his eyes, while Adna was a little more worse for wear, not entirely used to such a brand of teleportation.

As they were able to recollect their thoughts, they quickly ran the length of the train's topside, approaching the cart where Bael and Dumah were waiting. They were just in time to see Bael fire a new volley of ice at the flying room. However, every shard was either caught, redirected, or batted away by a psychically captured shard. It was clear Mantis was staying very focused, despite not being able to read any of their minds. In all honesty, the attempt was to test Mantis’ reaction and attention, but it was still rather disheartening to see that nothing was getting through the psycho’s defences.

"This is not good, spellcaster," Dumah announced, addressing Twilight, "No matter what the demon toad launches, no matter the pattern, they are all taken down."

"Then, I shall engage the human directly," Adna declared, flapping his wings hard and taking flight.

"Be careful!" Twilight called out as the brazen angel sped towards the room, hoping to dive through the broken window, grab the hostage, and take out the threat. None of which came to pass, however, as within the instant it took to go from the train to the room, a reasonably large piece of ice swiftly ripped away from the back end of the structure, flew around the perimeter, and swatted Adna out of the sky with a heavy crack. A wailing caw escaped the angel as it tumbled out of the sky, which was followed by a feint thud, and finally punctuated by being left behind by the speeding train and room. "ADNA!" 

"Do not mourn. He is still alive, I'm sure," Dumah reassured, "But his action shows that the human's sight is not to be trifled with, either. If we are to be direct, we'll need something he can't simply swat away." Smiling under the mask, he pointed beyond Bael towards a set of steel beams. "Automaton, bring me four of those metal pieces. Once I've finished using them, you will climb inside the structure I make, and I will throw you.”

"And why should I EVER listen to you?" Monsoon spat.

"Would you rather die a defiant coward at his mercy when he finally hunts you down later, or would you rather die fighting in a glorious effort to exert your freedom and self propelled action?"

Monsoon clicked his tongue, before he activated his magnetic powers, and brought Dumah the materials. Once he had him, the former vampire clan leader began bending the thick metal into a heavy, ball-like cage. With an irritated sigh, Monsoon climbed in and kept his magnetic force on to keep himself stable, hoping to whatever deity that was watching this madness would give him one last chance to end this brewing nightmare. Picking up the cage ball with the cyborg inside, Dumah hurled it at the room with a mighty heave, hoping to obliterate the front wall. Twilight tried to protest, but it was too late, as the cage sailed proud and true. Sure enough, a few objects collided with the structure, but none were heavy enough to even slightly veer the course. In the end, it hit the front wall hard, and annihilated the front of the building, embedding in the remainder of the wall, spraying bits of the building everywhere as well as the remaining glass. 

Inside the room, Monsoon found that Mantis had already moved himself and his hostage to the back, safely away from the debris and glass. He then reversed the polarity of his magnetism on himself, climbed out of the cage and drew his sais, ready to attack the legendary psychic again. Mantis held his hand forward, and began to push him back with will alone. Despite his swift action and his magnetic repulsion he created to help push him forward, Monsoon was no match for the sheer force and pressure Mantis seemed to exude. The cyborg gritted his teeth as he tried so hard to approach Psycho Mantis, but in the end it was useless. With a final push, the psychic flung Monsoon back into the cage, and wrapped the steel beams around him like some sort of makeshift coffin.

"Oh, how I DO hate rampant technology," Mantis said with a sneer, "I can't read you, I can't understand you, and your parlor tricks irritate me to no end. You, and everything you are, is a deft representation of the crutch a diseased ridden race is so wishing to use and abuse. So much power in such a technological nightmare, and for what? To be used most likely by a street urchin brat that simply stumbled into it that has no rhyme or reason to expand talents not of his own? There is only ONE other being in the universe that should be allowed such a gift, and that is most CERTAINLY not you." Mantis pushed the metal beams inward tighter, eliciting a cry of pain within the ball. "Pathetic." He then psychically pushed the ball off of the building, and launched it at the train, aiming for the engine. 

Unable to act, Twilight watched in horror as it sailed over her head. She closed her eyes in panic, expecting the worst, before the sound of a heavy metal crunch and an explosion of fire erupted. She expected to lurch forward and be flung off the locomotive, but when it didn't come, she opened her eyes to see Elvis standing atop the engine car. 

"CHICA! Get here QUICK!"

She sighed in relief, before teleporting to Elvis' location. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Peachy, caballo," he responded quickly, "Listen, we're running out of options here and the locomotora is about to take a hefty turn into a mountain tunnel very soon. IF that hijo de puta is flying like el cuervo, he'll be way ahead of you. I'll turn up the heat, but you need to steer the stupid thing."

"Why can't you?"

"One more distraction, cause that puta," he said, pointing to Mantis, whom now stood at the giant hole where the broken window used to be, "looks pissed off."

"Crass as always," she muttered. With little more time to decide, she answered, "Fine. But be safe, alright?"

"Can't count on that, chica. But, get Rosa to set up a party for me, 'ey? No matter what."

"It's a promise." With that, she teleported herself into the engine cart, and began to accelerate the train. She was only glad she studied up on how to operate it a few years back, even though it was simply research out of curiosity.

As for Elvis, he gathered up his demonic fire energy, tensed himself up, and lowered himself to get ready for the hardest and fastest jump in his entire life. "Get reeeeaaady!" Springing up and forth, he extended his fist and engulfed himself in fire, streaking through the sky like a comet, poised to sail proud and true. Just as he did, the train took a turn, and began moving more east than north. However, the room did not follow, as Mantis could only see fire and Elvis getting closer and closer.

"BECAUSE, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO Y-"

Was all he managed to shout as he was promptly spiked into the ground by Mantis, kicking up dust and railroad tracks all around. The room simply plowed on through the masking cloud, and looked about the scenery, but noticed the train, and even the tracks, were nowhere to be seen. Just fields of grass, trees, and a river that flowed below the mountains and the city of Canterlot. The remaining interlopers had eluded him.

No matter, he thought, they can't stop me now.

With that, he increased the speed of room 314, and flew straight for the city, ready to make his debut.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


At the front gates of the Palace, Guards lined up with various weapons at the ready, from spears to lances to crossbows, prepared to combat the intruder. All citizens on the palace grounds were ordered to return to their homes until the threat was stopped and the city was safe, which would minimize civilian casualty. In truth, the order made it just in time, as not a soul aside from the Guard was left on the premises.

Despite not being commanded by Shining Armor, they were still confident in their abilities and their duty to defend Canterlot, its citizens, and the Princesses.

It was then that the bizarre, detached room flew overhead and made a slow descent before the gates. As it landed, the guards outside approached, weapons drawn, poised to retaliate. However, rather oddly, said guards soon dropped their own weapons, and began grunting and gritting in agony as they clutched their heads with their own hooves tightly. It was then, with a small symphony of pained cries, that the front gates suddenly burst open, and Mantis, with Lyra in his invisible grip, floated onto the grounds before the small army. They shifted back, weapons still at the ready, but this sight was simply far too much. Some of them had seen creatures like this, but the majority were oblivious to the events in Ponyville.

Never the less, one of the guards panicked, and charged forward in a foolish attempt to attack the intruder. With that came a predictable result: The charging guard was simply swatted away by an invisible force before landing on the ground in a useless, unconscious heap. That then sparked the instincts of the other guards, as the crossbow wielders took aim and fired at the threat. Again, it was pointless, as the arrows simply stopped mid-air, seemingly a solid three meters radius. The arrows all dropped like twigs, clattering against the ground, as Mantis and his hostage began to float forward towards the palace. The guards shouted in defiance, and rushed the intruder, but the attempt was met with their bodies being struck by an unseen force, and either sent flying to and fro in every direction like toys, or they simply crumbled to their knees with colossal, crippling headaches.

Mantis, meanwhile, kept reading Lyra's mind to follow the path towards the likely place his destined victims would be. Normally, he'd just extract the information and move on, but there were a few issues that kept him from making it so simple. The first was that Lyra herself didn't have a photographic memory of the palace's layout, and needed visual cues to help navigate the halls, despite her rather thorough exploration during a fateful wedding. The second was that while he entertained the idea that he could swap out Lyra for one of the guards, he soon found that they all had psychic insulation. Strangely enough, however, each guard seemed to exhibit the exact same mental wall, as if someone was shielding them. Even psychic insulation constructed and maintained by technology had unique quirks due to the intricacies of the individuals mind. Whatever this was, it was a direct defense, and a very powerful one. It didn't stop him, however, from bowling over every single adversary that came before him or squeezing their skulls as if they were like grapes between fingers.

In a few short minutes, after dozens upon dozens of guards attacked him to no avail, with both weapons and magic, remaining forces retreated to the throne room, barring the door, as Mantis slowly approached said doors. They were large and intricately decorated, as a palace door in a fantasy world aught to be, and clearly the final threshold of his journey. He then tossed Lyra aside like a useless doll and prepared to open the door. However, the door itself began to glow with an all too familiar aura, which was seen over and over again in the chess game only an hour before.

"MANTIS!"

The aforementioned psychic turned around and saw his proof standing at the other end of the hall, horn burning with that same light brilliant raspberry color. He immediately tried to read her mind, but found the same mental wall she had up earlier. He realized then that she was obviously not the source of the psychic insulation that the guards had. He began to grow curious, as well as infuriated.

"It'll be useless to keep that door shut for long, Twilight Sparkle," he boasted, "Even though I cannot read you, I can still apply a little of my power to overwhelm your own strengths."

It was then that Mantis began pushing against the door, which caused the wood to creak from the two conflicting pressures: magic and psychic. In response, Twilight's horn began to glow a little more intensely, pushing back and keeping it in place. Mantis stopped for a moment, and turned to her once again with a dark laugh.

"It's useless, I told you. And yet, you still fight. Why?"

"I'll keep this door locked for as long as it takes. By now, the Princesses are probably already getting ready to stop you in the event you break through, and I'll give them as much time as they need before then," she said with confidence. Her mood dipped, however, as she spoke again, "But, if you stop this madness, we can drop this right now, and I'll do what I can to try to send you back home."

Mantis grew ever more curious. The pressure he placed on the door waned as he approached the little unicorn, becoming less interested in the death of hope and more in the mental workings of this particular individual. Her own horn, however, remained alight in its aura, further exemplifying her tenacity. It was intriguing, commendable, but most of all... terrifying.

"You have not answered me. Why do you still fight? I simply can't understand."

"Because I-"

"NO!" he shouted, cutting her off. A silence lingered between the two, before he spoke again, "Anyone can SAY what they want others to believe, and EVERYONE has hidden intentions. It's the basis of the sapience disease. Thought is the language of truth. As long as I can't read you, I can't believe or understand."

Twilight took a step back for a moment, taking the words in and actually taking a good hard look at the strange being in the new implied light. Before her now, all she could see was a very sad individual, unable to trust or understand anyone without prying into their minds forcefully. To be so intelligent and inquisitive, yet to be so detached, desperate, and over focused, it reminded her of someone. Perhaps in another life, he would have been more like herself way back when. Or, more alarmingly...

She took a calming sigh. What's important now, she thought, is ending this rampage and averting this crisis. There is no time to be thinking about what-if scenarios.

"Mantis," she spoke loudly and clearly as she slowly approached him, beginning the trek from down the hall, "I will take down my mental wall, and allow you to read to your hearts content. I have nothing to hide. But, please promise me that you won't hurt my friends, or anypony else." Cautious, he said nothing as the little unicorn approached him with her horn still aglow, right up until she was a mere meter away from him. "Do we have a deal?"

Mantis took a step forward, before he began to kneel down before her. Twilight, believing it was a sign of submission or respect, also stepped closer, now seeing him once again at eye level, hoping to hear him agree with her terms. As she began to think about this, she started lowering her intensity on the spells she was casting in anticipation of a positive answer.

"I don't think it will be necessary," Mantis started, low and quiet, "It's over now."

"Wha-?" was all she was able to utter as both of his hands clasped both sides of her head. Spooked and with her concentration knocked around, her horn suddenly flared in an attempt to cast a teleportation spell out, but the interference was enough to change the spells properties, which suddenly discharged between them in a blazing light. It was then that all feeling left her body and everything went black.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


Twilight stirred a bit, her head throbbing in pain from the strain, as she coiled her own hooves to press against the sore spots. Soon enough, the throbbing melted away, allowing her to finally push her body off of the ground, groggy and spent. Her eyes slowly opened, straining for a moment, before she finally got a look at the ground before her. She was on snow patched grass, which was odd, since she remembered she was most definitely in Canterlot Castle's hallway to the throne. She also remembered it was nowhere near the winter season yet. 

She then looked up, and the sight took her breath. At first, all she saw around her was twisted, broken remnants of her home, which already made her heart sink. Further inspection revealed far more horrifying details. Among the homes were strange grey structures made of stone and metal, broken search lights with wires attached to them, random fires, and twisted mountain crags that stretched to a blackened sky. Despite the darkness, the whole place was well lit, and it was clear the randomly placed fires were not responsible. The lighting itself was almost unnatural.	 Further still, she could hear thunder, but not a cloud could be seen in the sky. Only stars, and a very strange looking moon.

"Where... am I?" Twilight asked herself. Whereever she was, it certainly wasn't home. She thought for a moment, before coming up with one other very important and terrifying question. "Where's Mantis?!"
> Stream of Consciousness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Distant thunder rumbled through the clear, starry sky while fire licked and crackled wild and free all over the mismatched town. The snow beneath Twilight's hooves crunched ominously, echoing about the defiled lawns and pathways. Broken homes and other familiar places assaulted her eyes with ugly black spines, industrial metallic structures, and odd rocket shaped objects, which invaded every space conceivable, utterly defiling a place she came to know as home. To further punctuate the grotesque landscape, bullet holes and splotches of a sickening tan decorated small parts of the various buildings, as if something happened long ago. Deep in her heart, regardless of its quivering, she knew this wasn't real. Wherever she ended up, Ponyville was doubtlessly safe for the time being. However, the fact that this town, despite being a very twisted parody, seemingly matched the layout of her beloved home only served to manifest intrusive questions, all boiling down to a single concept: Is everywhere in Ponyville here, including where I live? Morbidly curious, but ruing the thought, she wandered through the twisted landscape, following what she felt she recognized. 

As she wandered, she noticed brief flashes of Ponyville's original look in the bright, daylight sun. In those moments, Twilight swore she could also see ponies milling about their day, chatting among themselves. These lapses lasted for few precious moments, until the bright world faded away, taken over once again by the odd corruption before her. As she kept trekking through the streets, she began to hear echos of events rather familiar to her.

Wow, what a gorgeous day.

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, pivoting on the spot to try to find what she heard. "Wait, that's-"

Rainbow dash must have gotten up early for once and cleared all of the clouds away!

"Spike?" Soon enough, the voices faded out as memories of that day began to flood in. A few days of paranoia and prejudice, only to finally end in understanding due to the help of a stalwart filly's actions and headstrong nature.

Call me silly, but I think this whole hero thing might be going to Rainbow Dash's head.

Another slough of memories flooded in from the day her friends decided to teach the egocentric Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility. She wasn't entirely sure if they went too far, but the result was enough to keep her humble... for a while.

She tried following the voices for a moment, trying to focus as they faded in and out, unclear and vague. However, as she kept moving, she noticed the surroundings become more and more canyon like, with deeper and deeper snow coating the ground and much less vegetation. At the same time, she finally found the very thing that satisfied her inner inquisition, despite the distortion. There was Golden Oaks Library, but what a strange location it was in. Wound, stretched, and clinging to a strange building that seemed to be built within the rocky terrain itself. It was heartbreaking to see a place she came to love and cherish be so violently twisted around such a harrowing and foreboding place.

The wind began to pick up, causing Twilight to flinch as snow suddenly kicked up into a violent flurry. Within seconds, her field of vision diminished at an alarming rate until she could only see white, as well as grayish silhouettes in place of the unnatural environmental objects beyond the thick falling snow. Knowing she was a stones throw away from her home, she galloped forward to the structure and entered the front opening.

Upon escaping the snow and taking a moment to recollect herself, she gazed about her surroundings for a moment, before her heart sank. She no longer saw the beautiful wood-carved and hollowed oak tree library interior that she had come to love, but a cold, metal and concrete hallway that sloped down to a large vertically opening gate. Thick metal beams criss-crossed diagonally along the walls, with lights spaced evenly at the overlaps. To her left was a non-sloped, railed walkway that seemingly lead to some sort of machine and a glass window. The materials used to construct this place were sometimes rarely used in Equestria, but were never implemented to this extent, which emphasized just how alien this location was to her, especially considering how far reaching the structure seemed to be. Twilight's uncomfortable feeling only got worse as she reached the gate at the end of the slope, and noticed a space between it and the floor just enough for her to squeeze under. Faded black and yellow warning stripes were painted on the edges, giving a sense of danger of what she was planning to do.

However, before she could weigh her options, a loud, explosive bang was heard behind her, as the very entrance she came through was suddenly obliterated into little flaming wooden pieces. Stepping through the snow and chaos was a human-like creature, one that she didn't recognize, whom seemed to be entirely aflame. Panicking, Twilight turned back to the gate, flattened down to her belly, and crawled through as quickly as she could.

As soon as she made it to the other side, she stood up quickly while turning to the gate, and slowly backed away, as angry wails echoed from behind the barrier, and flames licked through the gap. Twilight jumped as the gate itself suddenly slammed shut, cutting off the encroaching fire and keeping the strange aggressor barred from her for the time being. She backed away slowly, only to bump into something hard and metallic, covered by some sort of tarp. As she calmed herself, she looked about the massive warehouse, and noticed more tarp covered box-like objects, as well as a giant, jagged hole starting from the wall on her right and traveling all the way to the middle of the far end wall. What made it so disconcerting was that instead of snow, rock, or any outside presence, there was just a pitch black nothing. 

Prying her eyes away from the empty void, her gaze turned back to the tarp covered objects, where her curiosity got the better of her in the end. Flaring her horn, she gripped a loose flap with her magic and began to pull it open. As soon as she saw what was underneath, she gasped and backed away, letting go of the flap. She shivered and convulsed, trying hard not to be sick from the vivid and mangled shape of horrific burns and charred skin she saw underneath. What was worse was that for some strange reason, she felt like this wasn't the first time she saw something like that.

"N-no," she uttered, "That's impossible. Everyone is..."

They're going to kill me...

She paused for a moment. An image of a village burning and people screaming flashed before her for just a moment, before fading away. She could have sworn she heard voices she knew mixed in with the brief, chaotic cacophony. It was such a bizarre vision, one that she couldn't recall, but one that also sounded so familiar. She tried to remember, despite how afraid she was of what she saw, but the longer she thought about it, the more light headed she became. "Wh-what's... going on?"

C'mon, Mr. FOX-HOUND. The Commander is waiting...

Twilight looked up, and noticed the staircase to the far left of the warehouse, leading to a strange door that sat so uncomfortably close to the gap in the room. Despite the uneasy, foreboding feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach, something compelled her to climb the steps and open the door. And so she did, slowly and cautiously, keeping her ears focused, and checking behind her to make sure the gate wouldn't suddenly bust open. Upon reaching the door, Twilight -almost out of instinct- pressed a button on the panel that was situated right next to the door, causing it to open up. Inside was a small room with no other entrance or exit. Before she even realized what was happening, she had already walked inside of the small room, where upon the door shut behind her. Twilight whirled around, and tried to pry it back open again, but a sudden jerk from the room and the sound of something whirring just beyond the walls caused her to stagger for a moment and realized the room was taking her down somewhere.

Twilight sat down on her haunches while she waited, feeling as if she knew what was going on. At that time, she took a moment to do breathing exercises to calm her already frazzled nerves.

"Keep it together, Twilight. You're fine, your friends are mostly fine, and your home is fine. You are Twilight Sparkle. You can get out of this mess. You just have to find Mantis, and-"

The room suddenly stopped, causing Twilight to flinch again, before the door before her opened once more. Outside, however, was the pitch black nothing. She stepped forward and looked over the edge, seeing absolute darkness.

"Intruder!"

Twilight whirled around and saw an odd, threatening human clad in a black ski mask and strange green clothing, whom carried a strange dark metal object that was firmly pointed in her direction. Warnings of danger and fear caused her to jump and fall backward into an impromptu attempt to flee, but all it succeeded in doing was causing her to tumble out the door of the small room and deep into the void outside.

As she fell, she screamed through the endless nothing while watching the small box of a room get smaller and smaller the further she dropped, until it was gone. After a while, though, she felt something strange, and fearing for the worst, she shut her eyes and curled her little body inward as tightly as possible to prepare for the worst. Her descent into the abyss had slowed, and the vertigo all but ceased, until she finally stopped, which entirely threw her off her expectations. Unfurling herself, she stood back up and looked around, but saw only darkness to her dismay. With nothing else left to do, and no longer feeling she was in any more danger, she began walking through the darkness, trying with all her might to keep hold of her senses. However, after a fair few minutes of nothing, she noticed someone crouched in the distance. It was a small human with stark crimson hair in a dark grey coat far too big for the poor thing's body, wearing an all too familiar mask.

"M-Mantis?" she guessed.

The child didn't move, however, as he just remained in his crouched position, shivering with small harsh breaths filtered through that awful mask. It was then that she heard the voice of a woman, clear as day.

Пожалуйста, живи.1

Mantis looked up with a light sob, "Мама?" 

Twilight looked up, trying to find the source of the voice that was speaking in Moscown.

Живи для меня, мой ребенок... Ty zasluzhivayesh' zhit'!1

The little unicorn's heart cracked, as tears formed at the corners of her eyes, which elicited a light sob while she tried to keep it together. "M-mom?" she weakly uttered. Upon realizing what she said, she shook her head vigorously. "No, my mom is... what's going on?" She quickly wiped away her tears, and turned back to Mantis, only to find he was gone.

It was then the darkness melted away with a sudden gust that came from nowhere, and she found herself in a run down shack of a home. Once again, the location was quite alien, but she did recognize a few details that gave her an idea of what she was looking at.

It was a living room, complete with house plants, a small area rug, a strange box with a glass front side, a warm fire place, various nick-knacks decorating random locations, a few photos of what seemed to be a human male and female, possibly a father and mother if the implications were correct, a worn couch, and a wooden rocking chair. In said chair was the large human male, with similar features as the one in the photos around the room. He sat with the most depressed expression on his face. 

It was then Twilight noticed she wasn't the only witness, as she found Mantis creep up from behind her and peak around the corner, obviously worried. It was then that she heard a bitter, spiteful voice echo around her.

Она умерла из-за этого ... вещь. Это ужасное, отвратительное существо. Он не мой сын. Мне нужно убить его.2

Twilight gasped, backing away from the scene.

"Отец, нет," Mantis said quietly to himself in absolute fear and betrayal.

Before Twilight knew what was happening, the entire environment around her became consumed by fire, completely obscuring her vision as she attempted to flee. Screams of fury, misery, pain, and panic swirled within the flames and became louder while the fire grew to reach the star-lit sky.

As the fires died, Twilight slowed her speed until she finally stopped at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a forest. Behind her laid the smouldering remains of a village that suffered such an uncontrolled tragedy.

"No choice."

"Wh-AH!" she screamed as something grabbed her leg and tried to pull her off the cliff. She pulled back in reaction, only to look down out of curiosity of what exactly was attacking her, and laid eyes upon the soldier that threatened her before.

"No choice." He then melted into a new person. A grizzled man with short brown hair and a short brown beard, wearing a black eye-patch over his right eye, and that was clad tan and black camo patterned clothing now stared back at her. "No choice," he choked.

She gasped as she tried to pull away harder, trying desperately to get away. The figure then melted to a new human with a psychotic smile stretched across his face, whom was reaching down his side with his other hand for a knife he had stashed. "No choice."

She pulled much harder and more frantically, fearing for her safety, as the strange human began to melt again, only this time to become nothing more than a skeleton and disintegrate to ash. Upon the sudden change, Twilight fell backward, away from the cliff, and scooted away for extra security. She fought hard to catch her breath, but felt herself only hyperventilate.

"There is no choice," Mantis said, finally. Twilight gazed behind her, only to suddenly feel her neck be gripped by an invisible force, and her body lift off of the ground. "In the end, despite how much I loathe him, my father was absolutely right."

"I-It wasn't y-your fault," she choked. Her fading gaze looked beyond the manic psychic to the small child behind him that was now cowering away from the madness before him. "Sh-she waech- ... wanted you to live!"

"Is that so?" Mantis then threw Twilight aside, and turned around to his younger self. "I don't." As he got closer, he reached out to his past, hoping to finally end his own nightmare. "The last connection to my past... the last to my misery."

Recovering from the psychic assault, Twilight returned to her hooves, only to see Mantis attack the poor child. It was then that she saw red, and ran full speed at the slender mentalist, tackling him to the ground, before flaring her own horn and tossing him as far as she could muster. As soon as it ended, she dropped back to her knees, exhausted. The child, dumbfounded but safe, approached the unicorn cautiously and silently.

"Почему ты мне помог?3" he asked her mutely.

"It was the right thing to do," she responded, "You deserve to live."

Before anything more could be said, Psycho Mantis rose up from where he landed and furiously screamed out bloody murder before he charged across the scarred and scorched ground right towards the unicorn and his past self. Twilight, gritting her teeth and flaring her horn, began casting a defense spell. As emotions began to run high and the two intellectuals prepared to clash, the child suddenly felt an odd but welcome sense of nostalgia. It feels... nice.

A blinding flash overtook them, as locked minds finally drifted out of the darkness.


 -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- 


A hazy, numb mist ebbed while the horrible dream began to lose clarity, and flowed away into the inky blackness with the dull throb of  murmuring pushing against the walls of consciousness. Memories scattered and returned to their rightful place while the link severed, minds no longer one.

Twilight stirred groggily from her slumber, eyes squeezing tight as a groan escaped her lips in protest with regards to a sore body and pressured head. Eyes shut, her body slowly rose from the velvety carpeted floor she slowly became aware of, which she involuntarily brushed with her hooves for a moment, eliciting a rustle of something on her back.

Huh?

Finally opening her eyes, she became far more aware of her surroundings, and realized she was not alone. Along with Mantis, whom was also stirring from his own sleep, she finally noticed the platoon of guards that stood a fair distance at the ready, weapons drawn, but seemingly at ease with looks of shock plastered on their faces. Along with the accompaniment, she noticed both her mentor Princess Celestia and Princess Luna present with stern, yet pleasant expressions. Behind the royals and their escorts stood the looming goliath Dumah whom watched them all, as stone faced as ever.

What's going on? she thought as she stood while something flapped gently. Wait, flapped? It was then that she turned her gaze behind her and noticed two very large, very purple wings. "Wh-WHAT?"

"Be calm, my dearest student," Celestia spoke as serenely as ever, "Quite a lot has happened. After you confronted... Mantis, if I'm recalling the name correctly from your letters, it seems as though you had accidentally lost control of your magic."

"I," she grimaced, rubbing her forehead with one of her hooves, feeling her now elongated horn for the first time, "I remember that. Mantis spooked me while my guard was down. I think I..." she rubbed her head again, trying to remember what happened.

"In your panic and haste, dearest Twilight Sparkle," Luna declared, "you attempted to flee with a teleportation spell while re-casting a mental barrier. The confusion and abruptness of Mantis' attack threw your concentration, and instead of focusing on one or the other, you tried to attempt both at the same time, resulting in..." she trailed off.

"I don't know what you saw, my dearest student, but the result was a new type of magic."

The revelation shook Twilight. "I created... new magic?"

"An extremely powerful spell. It was enough to render you unconscious, as well as the one you bound to." Luna approached the little, former unicorn and looked to her with the softest expression she ever managed. "While I'm capable of walking through a person's dreams, you have found a way to walk through the entire mental landscape."

"Is that-?" Twilight started, beginning to recall flashes and images of what she saw, and memories not her own. "Is that why I... I can remember his..."

The Princesses looked to each other for a moment in concern, but ultimately turned their attention back towards Twilight with a reply. "To be honest, we don't know," Luna started, "Spells of mind-reading and dream-walking are the closest to what you've created, and they are not nearly as in depth or complex, nor do they leave lasting effects on the caster. Even then, they are still extremely difficult spells to learn and maintain."

"In fact, if you weren't so close to us when you casted it in error, you would have been in danger of magic depletion," Celestia added. "However, despite the risks you took and the threat you faced, you succeeded in saving all of us, and in stopping Mantis, all while ascending as an Alicorn through your new magic."

"So, that's why," Twilight uttered offhoovedly, as her wings gave another gentle flap. "But, I can't. I can't just ascend, just like that. It was all an accident."

"Some of the best moments in life are not planned, my dearest Princess Twilight." Celestia gave a bow, which was shortly followed by Luna's bow, as well as the guards in the room. Even Dumah, whom stood silently behind the group the whole time, gave a small bow of his own. As the princesses and guards rose back up, Celestia pulled a book from a satchel one of the guards was carrying and presented it to Twilight. "We intended to send you this book, so you would have researched and finished Starswirl's incomplete spell."

Twilight's own magic gripped the book and pulled it closer to her, as her eyes glittered with wonder. "Starswirl's... incomplete spell?"

"A masterpiece he was working on before he... left," Celestia said in a tone of discomfort. With a sigh, she shifted her mood from sullen to  proud, and continued to speak, "If anyone can make sense of it and complete the spell, it would be you, Twilight." She gave a warm,  motherly smile. "I hope you can accept the book and its unfinished work as a gift of congratulations."

Before Twilight could express how overjoyed she felt right then and there, the sound of pained groans not too far away from her caught everyone's attention. Turning to the source, she saw Mantis stir and begin to return to the waking world. The tension in the air thickened as the guards raised their weapons in defense once again. However, Celestia's right wing opened, signalling them to stand down.

The psychic swayed as he pushed his body up from the ground until he was in a sitting position, comfortable enough to rub his scalp and the straps that kept his mask in place. A deep, filtered sigh escaped him as he gazed at the company kept, before he laid eyes on the transformed Twilight, followed by seeing the princesses in their glory for the first time.

"Mantis."

The ex-FOXHOUND member drew his gaze back to Twilight, whom had already stepped closer. He didn't move, nor did he reply, but instead watched the new alicorn closely and carefully.

"I... know more about you than anypony has any right to know... but hopefully, you know just as much about me. Is it enough for you to understand?" She paused, waiting for him to answer. When no reply came, she extended her hoof, "Is it enough for you to trust me?"

Mantis looked to her hoof, his expression still entirely unreadable due to the mask, but his body shook slightly, as if shivering in the cold for the first time.

"I... don't know."

Twilight allowed her hoof to drop, but she gave a small smile. "I won't force anything, but know I mean you no harm, and I promise that I'll get you back home, just like I promised everyone else."

Mantis just sat there in silence as his gaze cast to the floor. There wasn't any point in fighting or forcing his will at this time. He had failed in beating Twilight and her friends, just as he failed in stopping the agent that killed him. Furthermore, in the short time it took for him to wake up from that exhausting nightmare to the point that he spoke those words with earnest confusion, he had scanned the minds present, and met with a strange sensation. While the guards were still vulnerable under normal circumstances, he assumed due to the mental wells he hit, his mental abilities were utterly useless on the three alicorns and the monster vampire present, and it wasn't due to a mental wall. Something else, something more profound, was stopping him from picking up any thoughts or injecting his actions. It was a terrifying thought, and going up against such untouchable power in the state that he was in now was entirely unwise, no matter how powerful he was capable of becoming in this land. He had no choice. Mantis decided to comply for the time being.

"Very well," he finally answered, "I concede."

"Then, I shall leave him under your care, Twilight," Celestia declared, "I trust you will look after him until the time is right?" While the  wording seemed like an unofficial request, Twilight simply accepted it with a bow of her own as if it were a command.

"Will thou escort our friend and her charge back to the train station?" Luna asked Dumah.

"I have no reason to decline," he replied, "Come, let us return home."

With all said and done, both Mantis and Twilight were excused from the throne room, accompanied by the watchful eye of the steadfast vampire Dumah. As they exited, they saw Lyra, having recovered from her own affliction from the situation, and while she was shaken, she was in decent condition. Twilight offered to take help her home, but Lyra insisted on sticking around Canterlot for the time being, to clear her head and relax from all the excitement. Before the small group left the musician alone, however, Mantis stopped for a moment and turned directly to her.

She froze up, far more weary and cautious of the human than she had ever been, understanding how dangerous he really was, but his verbal reply was unexpected and disarming.

"Lucid dreaming," Mantis stated, "It is the ability to manipulate one's own dreams at will. An ability I do not have, despite my talents. If you can make it work... you could 'totally abuse that', as you would say."

Lyra was utterly gobsmacked, and just as confused. For the time she was under his control, she could feel nothing but a malevolent force that worked her like a puppet and used her as a map, before tossing her aside once she had outlasted the novelties. She had just learned to be on guard around the being, and here he was, giving her advice on a silly little conversation they had a short time ago. Why would he even bother telling me?

But she would never get her answer, as the psychic turned away from her and followed the small alicorn and the goliath vampire down the battered hall of Canterlot Palace, aiming to return home and put this disaster behind them all. The best laid plans were now in ruins and all parties involved were simply exhausted. The one thing left to do was find those that had put themselves in Mantis' line of fire and bring them back home so they could be treated well and lead back to comfort, no matter their transgressions.
> Epilogue: Swamped
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a very trying day for the Princess. There were so many things that were unaccounted for, and every precaution taken was almost entirely overwritten in a single evening by a solitary being. The whole situation reminded her of Discord's takeovers of Canterlot, and how much of a mess it left the country after his plans were finally ended. She sighed as she filled out file after file, approving dispatches to assist in the location of the other monsters that were scattered from the incident, as well as clearing the requests to clean up and repair all the various damages caused by the whole situation. To say it was difficult dismantling and clearing out the broken hospital room that sat at the front gate was an understatement. This wasn't even going into the fact that, once citizens were able to return to the castle, curiosity was at its peak and every single pony nearby couldn't help but try to investigate the hullabaloo. Celestia sighed irritably as she continued to balance budgets and order funds to continue the clean-up effort, wishing it were much simpler to handle. At least I don't actually have to deal with the accounting.

There was still the pressing matter of revealing the crux of the situation to the new guests that now resided in Equestria. Depending on their personal affairs, history, and outlooks on life, it was difficult to tell how the news would be taken and extreme reactions are a major possibility. She had confidence that at least one of them had acclimated to life here enough to not do something too drastic, but catastrophe likes to spring up whenever inconvenient. This wasn't even to mention how her beloved protégé and her friends would react. Celestia believed they would at least take the news in a bit more of a predictable light.

Furthermore, there was also the matter of the latest guest: Psycho Mantis. He had certainly lived up to his name in many aspects, to say for sure, and while she had power enough to stop him, it would have only gone south if she took matters into her own hooves outright. Twilight needed to establish some sort of bond between the two of them, and stepping in would have only ruined that chance. That was to say that if the gamble fell through, she would have stepped in, but it would have been a last resort. Her sister wasn't exactly thrilled to hear about that, but it seemed she had since eased up on the distressed and desperate prying for information since their last talk.

However, it remained to be said that Psycho Mantis IS still extremely dangerous. His power was not governed by laws of science, nature, or magic. Even Discord himself, as chaotically influential as he was, couldn't command such an ability. Despite the bond he seemed to have formed, it was still alarmingly frail. There was no telling how he could act at any given moment. Thankfully, Twilight had promised to keep a close eye on him to make sure he didn't decide to recreate events with a new captive. She just hoped that his intellect warranted enough of a curiosity to want to learn about the world a bit, hopefully to appreciate his temporary stay here.

There was also THAT matter. Celestia was ever so grateful of the various progress reports on Twilight's research she was doing on the "anomaly", but she didn't have the heart to inform her former student that she already knew. She even had written up the return spells for the five visitors, ready to be executed after everything was said and done. Speaking of which, the thought of the return spells reminded her that she needed to speak to Discord. Celestia had no hoof in bringing the sixth visitor to their world, and had a strong suspicion that Discord had decided to do it himself as a surprise. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to assume he was responsible, especially since the result was extremely chaotic and time consuming to clean up.

She sighed as she finished the last paper for the time being before rising from her seat. With a flare of her horn, she fixed herself up to look more presentable, and exited into the hallway. With another flare of her horn, she scanned the castle to locate Discord, and cast a Teleportation spell to jump to his whereabouts. With a sudden flash, she appeared in the throne room, which was closed for the day due to the repairs and clean-up that was still underway.

"Discord, I know you're here. Come on out," she commanded, "I'm not exactly in the mood for your pranks today, so you better put that slime bucket away."

"Oh, spoil sport," he huffed as he slithered out from under the cushion of the throne, bucket of green viscous fluid in claw. He tossed it aside, which caused it to moo out of existence. "It wasn't one of my most clever of pranks anyway. My mind has been a bit preoccupied lately."

"We need to talk about Psycho Mantis."

"Oh yes, indeed we should," he responded surprisingly seriously.

Celestia's eyebrow rose to the rather straightforward reply. "You're being awfully-"

"Straightforward? Indeed, it's a bit out of character for me, isn't it?" he said without a joke, pun, or comedic transformation. "It's also rather out of character of you to bring something so dangerous to this world. You've honestly outdone yourself this time."

"Wait a minute," she interjected, "I thought you were the one that brought him here. I had no plans to do something like this so soon."

"You are rather fond of your schedules, which is why I was so surprised you brought him here on a whim."

"I didn't bring him here!" she angrily retorted, "It had to have been y-" The room went suddenly silent, as the revelation of what was going on hit her, and with it, the color from her face drained to a ghostly pale. "He... he wasn't planned..."

"Dear oh dear," Discord said mockingly, "There goes your carefully set-up turn of events. And what a wonderfully chaotic mess it brought too. It's a shame it was a little more violent than I would have liked, but beggars can't be choosers."

"He wasn't planned..."

"So, how do we proceed from here, Ms. Sun-butt? I assume the first step is to send away the 'accident', if you want to salvage-"

"We can't!" She exclaimed, surprising Discord, "It's far too late now. He's here, and Twilight has bonded to him. It's frail, but... I think we can get this to work."

Discord crossed his arms and clicked his forked tongue, "Improv is SUCH a low form of comedy, my dear, but you ARE certainly full of surprises today." He gave a shrug, "Are you sure? You seem rather torn on the matter," he said as he ripped himself in half like paper, before swirling back together.

"No, but... I don't have much of a choice right now. It would be unfair for Mantis to be replaced like that. He seems like he needs a new lease on life. And, it would be unfair to Twilight, having gone through so much due to his arrival." She gave a heavy sigh before gazing back to Discord. "Don't tell anyone about this. Not until the time comes."

"Scouts honor," he said with a sly grin.

"I'm serious, Discord. If the information got out before it's time, it's likely it'll wreck everything I've been trying to do. Please, if not for my sake, then for your friends' sake."

Discord pawed at his little goatee with audible chalkboard scraping and thought for a moment. He would absolutely love to watch Celestia's plans collapse on top of her, even just for a giggle, especially to annoy the giant blue toad that had been brought first, but he didn't want to involve Fluttershy in the issue; especially since she had invested so much time in their friendship and rehabilitation. However, there was also the possibility that the whole situation could unravel by itself, and still cause a disaster of hilarious proportions. He could hear the panic now. With a giggle, and a suitably annoyed Celestia, whom tried vainly to cover her ears, Discord stopped scratching his goatee and made his decision.

"Fine, Ms. Perfect. You win. I'll let this play out as is. But, do please call me if something goes wrong." With that, he snapped his fingers and splashed from existence with an audible cluck.

Celestia sighed, knowing that his offer was not to help, but to laugh at her if anything did go wrong. She could only hope that things from here on out would go smoothly until it was time.