> It's Always Worth the Price. (2022)
>  by xXCondemnedSoulXx
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Broken, and Battered.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

         I was left hanging off the ceiling by ropes entwined around my wrists, floating just an inch off the ground. I tried to grasp my bearings, so I took a look around the room with what little vision I had left. The room was dark, lit only by a singular candle hanging from the roof much like myself. The tile flooring was stained by my blood as it clung to the floor, calm and still. I looked ahead and saw a large metal table in the middle of the room, but with my head spinning and my blurred vision; it was all I could make out.
     
The pain was starting to get to me. The headaches were becoming more, and more frequent with each passing day. My back was covered in scratches, scars, burn marks, and stitches that matched the rest of my body. I tried to get a better view of myself from the reflection in the blood pool beneath me, but to no avail. My left eye had been cut out, and nothing was left in my eye socket but dried blood. Losing my eye was a small price; compared to what I could lose.

The large iron door to the room slammed open, and a blinding white light shone through. I winced at the sudden rush of blindness, and tried to focus once again. Standing in the middle of the light stood the figure of a woman. She took her approach, and closed the door behind her.

“Things could be easier you know; all you have to tell me is where they are.” The figure called out from the other end of the room as the door 'clacked' behind her. “Are you even sure they're worth all this?”

Anger took hold on me as I clenched my teeth together. “Do...not talk about...my children in such a manner. I would deem it...most unwise.” I threw my body forward and tried to stand on my feet, but was rejected as I couldn’t even reach the floor.

She scoffed at my remark,“Unwise you say...and who is going to teach me?” She left my small field of vision, and vanished into the shadows on the far side of the room. “Certainly you don't mean yourself, do you?” She began to cackle as she stepped back into view with a chair in her hand, and sat it at the table.

After she sat down, she reached into her pocket to retrieve a cigarette. Reaching into her other pocket, she pulled out a lighter. She lit the cigarette and took a long, deep inhale. After taking a long drag, she exhaled the smoke and blew it into my face. I shook my head in an attempt to dispel the smoke. “Oh pardon me, would you care for a smoke? Consider it a reward for lasting this long. You’ve managed to last much longer than all the others." 

She quickly chuckled for a moment thinking on the past,“I remember this guy in Canterlot. His thoughts all set on sex, while mine were set on the information he withheld.” She took another puff of her cigarette and spoke,“That poor bastard probably shouldn't have followed me back, and he probably misses that thumb of his.” She stood up from the chair, trotted up to me and put the already lit cigarette to my mouth. She left it sitting on the tip of my lips.

“Personally...I don't smoke. But if I'm going to die here...I doubt it'll be from one of these.” I accepted the cigarette and took a good, long drag too. I let the cigarette hang on the edge of my lips, letting the smoke gradually build up inside my lungs. Its smoke grew into an overpowering muster inside my chest. I had planned to black out with the growing pressure, and drift into death peacefully but she quickly saw through my plan.

“You’re not going down that easily.” She slammed a powerful punch to the side of my ribs, and knocked the wind out of me. I shot out the smoke, and gasped for air. “As the Guardian of the mystical lands of Equestria, I thought that you'd at least tough it out till the bitter end. Fighting.” She began to frown, and looked to me with mournful eyes,“You’re not dying from something so meaningless, such as that. You’re not ending yourself this way. It's supposed to be different..." My captor trailed off, letting a singular tear slide down her cheek.

“And just...how is it supposed to end?” My anger started to rise with each passing moment, “I'm flesh, and blood...as any man, or woman. I feel pain. Whether it's physical, mental, or...emotional.” My voice was barely operating, but my thoughts yelled powerfully reciting my words. I felt it was echoing throughout the room. I swore I could feel the very room shake. “My kids...are all I have left in this world, and if my death ensures their safety. Then, so be it.” The look upon her face looked as one filled with shock, and awe.

“There it is...This is the person I've been waiting to meet for the longest time. The man who would be willing to stare death right in the face, and laugh.” She stepped closer, and wrapped a hug around my bare chest. "This is for Tosla's tavern. This is for everything. I don't know what I could have done, without it.” A small smile crept across her face, as she nuzzled into my chest.

‘Tosla's tavern? What's she talking about?’ I thought to myself. I don't know what I did, but apparently it helped. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by her breaking away from the one sided hug, and placing a knife on the top left corner of my chest.

“Enough with the hugging. I have a job to do, and I intend to finish it walking away with my money. One last chance John! Where are the prince and princess?" She was taking the blade and sharpening it on the concrete floor. I continued to hold my silence, and she began pushing it into my skin slowly. Blood soon began to draw. The pain was festering inside my mind, but I had been through this very situation numerous times since I first arrived to this living nightmare.

“Do...as you will, soon I'll be dead...and your job is over. Have fun with your bits...” I said through painful grunts.

“I promise you'll give in before you die. Once I get my money, I can finally leave this whole experience behind me.” She turned away, and brushed something away from her eyes.

‘Is she crying? Why?’ I thought to myself once more. My mind was teeming with these questions, but were quickly silenced by the image of her with red eyes and tears streaming down her face. She drove the blade deep into my skin for a second, and brought it back out. She then took the knife, and started tearing away at my flesh leaving a jagged wound. 

First, she lifted it towards my shoulder, then began to drag it across to its opposite. Next, she started curving down towards my left hip. The pain was excruciating, and upon further inspection through watering eyes, the wound took shape of a ridged number seven.

“Where are they! Tell me, Old Man. Tell Me!” She screamed at me, her voice grew into one that could scare away a timberwolf. “Do you think I like doing this? Do you think that this is a game to me? If it's a game, then I play for keeps!” She sheathed the knife, and placed her hand on top of my flesh wound. The pain from the ropes digging into my wrists began to disappear, and the room started to spin. I tried to focus on the cut again, but did notice that I was losing a large amount of blood.

At this rate, I'd bleed out and be nothing but a lifeless husk. I turned my attention back to her, and seen that she had stepped back into the darkness in the other side of the room. Suddenly, I heard a loud hissing noise as something seemed to open then close. During the noise, I could only see a bright red flash. The flash faded, but it started to creep forward making the room warmer. She returned into the light again, and in her gloved right hand, she held a burning piece of scrap metal. I knew that it was pointless to try and wiggle away, so I simply hung there and tightly held my only eye shut.

“You're losing quite a lot of blood, you might die soon. I can fix that.” A devilish smile overtook her face, as she mended my wound with the burning metal. The pain shot everywhere around my body; she drug it along the giant gash across my chest, and cauterized it. As I held my fists clenched, I screamed. Upon hearing my cries of pain, she threw the metal away as soon as she was done. The room grew darker as I lost consciousness, the sensation of pain was slowly dissipating. Everything in vision had faded into darkness, as it consumed me.

When I awoke, I was staring at the blood covered floor. I tried to look around the room, and saw no trace of my executioner. The door began to open, and two changling guards entered. They untied me from the restraints that held me to the ceiling, and I fell onto the cold, wet floor. They picked me up off of the ground, and set me on top of the large metal table close to the opposite side of the door in the next room. I was too weak to fight them off, and figured that it would be wise to just let them do the usual. The guards started cleaning out my cuts, and began stitching me back up with the medical equipment in this infirmary.

“How in Celestia's name does this guy last? I get a few times, but this long? That's insane.” One of the guards exclaimed.

“I'll tell you what, I'm sure glad I'm not this guy. We may have to stand in this hallway everyday, hearing inmates screaming all the time, and get paid close to nothing...but still.” The other told his comrade. The guard smiled, and started to laugh. 

His friend looked to him and said,“What's so funny?”

“Nothing is. It's just that pretty soon this guy’s gonna fall apart. Like some kind of ruined teddy bear.”

“I hear ya, and what was up with Moon Shadow running out crying? She usually just comes in, does her thing, then leaves.”

“I don't really know. Did she know the guy beforehand?” He asked, and his comrade responded with a shrug. “She’s never reacted this way with anyone else, so I don't know what to tell ya man.”

Soon they finally finished up, and wrapped the bandages tightly around the stitches covering my chest. They edged me down from the table, and took a hold of me. One of them placed my left arm over their shoulder, and the other did the same to the other. They began to drag me back to my room. My cell.
> Now, or Never.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two guards drug me towards my room through the long and dim lit hallway, I could hear the screams and pleas coming from the other prisoners. It was horrible. We began to near my room, I saw down the hall through blurred vision when I happened to see the familiar figure of a large white pony with black spiky hair, sneakily hiding behind a stack of crates.

‘I knew it wouldn't be long, let's hope he can manage this.’ I thought to myself. I turned back to see the distance between me, and my cell room and found that I was only a few cells away.

Upon arriving at the large steel door, the two guards slowly slid  it open. When they opened the cell, they threw me inside. I landed on my chest against the cold and unforgiving concrete floor, and pain shot everywhere throughout my body yet I lay still, delaying the pain momentarily. Grudgingly, I rolled over onto my back and faced the guards. One of the guards spoke up,“Take it easy, shit could be worse.” With those short simple words said, one of them slammed the door shut, and locked it behind them.

“Yeah, I'll try.” I spoke to myself. Tired and pained, I began to try to get to my feet. I put myself into a kneeling position, and  then slowly rose myself off the ground. As I finally stood, my mind started to spin, as did the room too. Cautiously, I backed myself up into the corner of the room and laid my back against it. I found a bit of security within it. After a moment that seemed to carry on for an eternity, the room finally returned to normal. I pushed off the wall, and then made my way over to the middle of the room. I took a moment to search my dreary surroundings.

The room was small, lit only from the sun through the small barred window. The window was tiny, but just large enough for me to stare at the sun and moon, with each passing day and night. My 'Bed' was a pile of hay laid in the corner of the room. As for my restroom, we'll just say that I have a bucket. There was a small little rock that has been here ever since I arrived, nice little thing. Then, there was the ‘Wall’.

The Wall was something I created once I first arrived to this little slice of hell, one tick on the wall marked another torture session, with her. I edged myself down, leaning on the wall and grabbed the small rock off the floor. As I took hold of the stone, the pain from my wounds began to sting. I quickly rose back to my feet, and the pain subsided. I began my approach towards the wall, and made another small tick. After it had been made, I took a singular step back and I could see the product of my time. I tossed the stone to the side of the room, tired from looking at it. Upon gazing up at the wall, I finally realized how long I'd actually been there.

The wall was full.

I tried to break my thoughts away from it, but it was all I could think of. I turned and faced the door; it was all that was holding me back, and keeping me from escaping this living nightmare... The only thing.

I made my way over to my bed and took a small handful of hay, and placed it inside my mouth. I bit down hard. What was to come might hurt, but it could be worth all the pain. I stood against the wall facing the door, and prepared myself eagerly.

I took a quick breath, and charged at the door with a sided push. My rage built into incredible measures, and as I charged the door, my mind set upon my children and how they were going to be killed if I hadn’t found them in time. My shoulder connected with the door and it caused the thick steel to dent, and shake; causing much noise. The pain hurt, but the hay helped as I clenched down on it saving my teeth and jawline. I stood near the opposite side of the sliding door, and waited.

“The hell was that?” I could hear from the other side.

“How the hell would I know? Go check it out.”

“What if he’s angry? Shit could get real serious!” The guard shakily told his friend.

“You just drug the poor bastard with me, and we put him in there together. If he was going to ‘Get serious’ in there, all he could do is yell at you in the state he’s in." A light chuckle echos,"He’s probably drooling on the floor, even still this very moment.”

'This is my chance.' I quickly thought to myself. For a brief moment, the large steel door began to open, and one of the guards quickly poked his head in to his dismay.

“What’s going on in here?” The guard beckoned without seeing me, yet. I quickly shoulder-shoved the other end of the sliding door, and slammed it shut on him with as much strength that I could muster. I could hear the cry of the changling echoing throughout my room for a brief second, then followed by silence. A head rolled towards the middle of my room and stopped, staring at me with pained, clenched eyes. The lifeless, and motionless body of the changling lay decapitated slowly propping open the sliding door back towards me.

“Ken!” I heard the guard frantically call from the other side of the door. I lent down, and grabbed the dead changling’s M1911 pistol from his holster, and slid the rest of the door open as I aimed down its sights. “Fucking hell! Have mer..” The changling cried, but was quickly cut off as I blasted his head apart.

I searched the dead guards' pockets, and found a few bullets on them. Thinking quickly, I took one of the guards' bulletproof vest. After a brief moment of saying goodbye to my room, I cautiously sauntered down the hallway seeking the exit. A siren blasted throughout the base, and even though it was deafening through the halls, I had a friend to meet.

Down further inside the base, Moon’s Shadow was in her room deep in thought. Her 'findings' were interrupted by her door slamming open. A private guard yelling,“Sir! John is escaping, what do we do?” The guard cried. Moon Shadow’s face scruffed up as she heard the news, turning away from the guard and smirking frantically.

Snickering thought Moon,‘I knew you'd pull through John, but taking this long?’ She thought to herself. “Well, what would you do if any other prisoner tried to escape?” She questioned the guard.

“Recapture or kill?” The guard said hesitantly.

“Why are you asking, then? You obviously already know the answer! If he escapes; somepony else gets the machete.” She yelled.

“Right ma’am...sorry ma’am.” The guard turned around, and shot out of the office. Moon took a deep long breath, and walked towards the door.

The hunt achieved, and the plan in action. She rested her hand against the doorknob. Cock-sure, she chuckled to herself,“I finally think that a new Ruler for the Hive, is now in order.”
> Gathering Myself.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I made my way through the long dim lit hallway, and I noticed a group of five changlings behind a barricade of shelves, ammo cases and boxes. I loaded a fresh clip into the M19 and crept over standing staring at them, gunsight stranded towards them. 

Catching me in their glances; they shout, “Toss the gun to the side, and lay on the ground with your hands behind your head!” One of the changlings demanded of me.

“I could say the same to you.” I replied.

They aimed their M4 Carbines at me, as I focused my sights. “Down or we’ll shoot!” The same guard called out. I could barely muster the strength to keep my wrist from trembling from the tearing muscles. A little tapping could be heard further down the hall coming towards us, but like a clacking of hooves over cement.

“I’d personally deem these actions reckless, you do realize you’re facing a Guardian, don't you?” called out a familiar figure gracefully walking down.

“Who the hell is this guy? And how the hell did he get inside the base?” Asked one of the guards.

“Allow me to introduce myself, you may call me Archimedes. It's been a pleasure meeting you all, but my friend and I would like to leave this dreadful place to be somewhere more... how would you say it..”

“Now is not the time for this Archimedes, I have to go now!” I yelled.

“Some place swarming with beauties and beverages, rather than depressive thoughts soaked in piss from 'Swamp Bottom Well'. I'm sorry for trying to keep things pleasant, Dark.” The white stallion replied.

“Wait, what the hell? None of you slugs are leaving this place!” The group of changlings took their aim, between the two.

Time unfortunately was not on my side and I had to get out of here, so I drew back the hammer and pulled the trigger. Quick as the round shot, so did many fragments of skull and bursts of blood coating a shelf. “Get ‘em!” cried one of the guards. The sound of bullet casings dancing across the cement floor and the echoing of gunfire chiming throughout the hall, I quickly dashed behind a cover of a nearby crate and hid.

Archimedes flew through the hall, throwing three knives and turning some of their throats into ribbons with ease.

I poked my head around the edge of the crate to see Archimedes with a Luger 9mm pistol against the changling’s head. “Wait a moment.” I yelled.

“Let’s get this over with and be on our way!” Archimedes stated with anger.

“And if we don't ask for directions, this is going to take much longer. Not everybody needs to die.” I replied.

“Yeah, I can give you directions!” Pleaded the startled changling,“I'll get you outta here faster than anything. Frankly, I like living, and dying wasn't a part of my day plan.”

“Ok, well show us the way and then you can be on yours.”

After a few minutes of sneaking and playing follow the leader, we finally made our way out of the base, and into a small jeep. Now was the time to focus on getting out of the base and trying not to be blown up by the mortar teams blocking the road, and surrounding areas. Not to mention the ballistic teams. Shit is about to get real intense.

“So, what’s the plan? Drive through this whole crazy ape-shit plan, or just go with mine?” asked Arch.

“I was just going to wing it, and hope for the best much like my other plans; but if you have an idea, then shoot.”

“Well; as much fun as it is being bombarded with missiles and bombs and what not, I’d rather not take those chances. So, let’s just use this.” He reached into his satchel, and brought out my old right gauntlet.

“I’ll tell you what; this is a much better plan.” I took the gauntlet and strapped it around my right wrist, and clenched my fist. “A much better plan.” A dark menacing glow formed around my hand, and I felt the power surge throughout my arm. "Why not give it to me earlier?" I exclaimed. "Whole lot of use that was..."

“Come on, come on. We haven't got all day! Like I'm supposed to be here?” The white pony was impatiently waiting. "You should be thanking me for that, and consider 'this' you asshole. I'm not your butler; I command my own squads. I'm only here, because you're my friend!"

“Sorry; and thank you. I kinda was in captivity for about a month, so I need to warm up.” I took a deep breath and exhaled, focusing all my power into my right arm. “Hold on, kid.” The glowing grew tremendously and configured around my body as well as his, then everything in vision grew back into the darkness.

           I awoke laying on the field near Ponyville, but couldn’t find my companion. I began searching around for Archimedes. I stood up off the ground and walked around in search, and I shortly found him sitting on the beach of a lake not too far from where I woke. His attention was focused on the ever changing designs of the shapeless water. I approached him, and sat myself down beside the pale, dark maned pony.

“Dark, How is it we always end up doing this? One day, we're sitting around enjoying life; then the next we're battling some new rising threat?” His focus remained on the lake as he slowly exhaled.

“Arch, It’s not easy to be a Guardian; nor will it ever be so. Things have never been easy for me; for us even, ever since I came to this strange world...but as a Guardian, I am forced and challenged to face these kind of things head on.” I reassured the white stallion.

He finally managed to break away from his trance on the lake, and stared at me. “How did that happen? How did you actually become a Guardian in the first place? Why would you want to?”

“The short version or from the very beginning?” I asked.

“I wish to know it all. Since day one.” He replied with a small smile."But start with the short version, first." He smirked with mournful looking eyes.

I looked to the water and lost myself in thought, I spoke,"Family is important. You can 'make' your family."

He followed in the same process to fixate on the waters. "Can you start with the whole thing?" He asked.

“Well; ok, hope you're comfy. This is gonna be a long one, and time consuming. I have plans tomorrow; so listen well, for I don't have time.” I looked into my past, and smirked with the memories I had recollected. I laid back on the sand, and placed my hand against the vest. “This vest. It’s the second best hug I’ve ever had, I say second because...well, you’ll soon find out.”

“Just get on this the story old man, I’m not growing any younger.” He smirked.

“And you’re not growing any older.” I replied.

“That’s a good one; still, back to the matter at hand.” He said as he smiled.

“Well...It all started about 15 years ago back on earth...”
> Promises Kept.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This tale started out on a regular Tuesday. It seemed just like any other day of the week, but I would soon meet a couple of very unexpected visitors...

Arriving home from a long tiring day of work, I pulled into the driveway and parked the Ford F-150, then killed the engine. I pulled the keys out of the ignition, I opened the door and stepped out of the truck, closing the door behind me. I took a quick sniff of the fresh air and could smell the scent of the coming rain, and damp dirt. The setting sun set a beautiful painting across the sky, as I proceeded to follow the path towards my front porch. The sound of passing birds' chirps filled my ears, and set a smile upon my face. “This day is ending like something out of a story book.” I told myself with a grin plastering across my face.

Upon nearing my porch, I looked towards the setting sun and smiled. I turned to the front door and opened it. Easing the day, I began to remove my steel-toed work boots, and sighed in relief from the sudden sensation of freedom. I started to make my way over towards the fridge in the kitchen, and proceeded to make a quick snack. I pulled out a loaf of bread, some lunch meat, a head of lettuce and a tomato. I cut a couple slices of tomato, and two slices of the fresh bread. I tore a couple leaves of lettuce and started assembling my sandwich. After it was made, I started putting everything away.

Finishing my sandwich; I made my way towards my room, and afterwards I entered the bathroom. I turned on the shower, started to undress and hopped into it. As I let the flow of water lap against my head, my mind started to wander. My thoughts started filling with a mysterious figure of a man. I tried to focus on the figure, but was brought back into reality as I heard the bathroom door open, and my younger brother Nicky making a mad dash for the toilet. 

“Couldn’t you just hold it?” I asked the rather meager fourteen year old.

“Not a chance; The match is loading, and this is possibly the only chance i’ll have for a while.” He quickly replied.

“Well if you’re gonna go; remember not to flu-” I was interrupted by the sound of the toilet flushing, and a burst of hot water bashing against my bare skin. I quickly hopped to the back of the shower, and tried to evade the oncoming hailstorm of steam as I yelped at the sudden change of temperature. "Why Are You Like This!"

After my shower, I put on some boxers and brushed my teeth. I took a good, hearty stretch and laid down onto my bed. As I pulled the covers over me, my mind started slipping into a dream.

“Stay where you are, I don’t wish to hurt you.” I told the Large spiked demon with ridged teeth. He looked at me, and laughed.

“Do you really think you can defeat me? I am a God compared to the likes of you, Mortal. Now face your end, with dignity!” He quickly lunged at me with his razor sharp axe, and swung. I barely managed to dodge to the side but as I rolled, I slammed a kick into the back of his legs and he tumbled to the ground. He growled, and quickly returned with a barrage of attacks. I dodged as many hits as I could, but was struck with the hilt of the handle as he bashed me in the chest with it. I stumbled back from the sudden shock, and unsheathed my blade.

“I'm going to give you one last chance. Surrender your arms, or face your consequences.” I demanded, but the smug and stubborn demon wouldn’t have it. Again, he lunged at me and kept swinging his axe with giant feats of power. I rolled to the side, and stared him down. “Playtime’s over. Come, and get some.”

At this the demon roared, and charged at me. I bolted towards him with my blade in hand, and slid right under him. The sword carved into the beast’s gut, and it hooked onto something. As I continued to slide, he was pulled to the ground and fell face-first. I stood slowly, as the arrogant demon lay deathly still with my blade hooked onto something within his chest.

I approached the sword and grabbed the hilt. I placed my foot against his back for leverage, and I began to pull the blade up. The demon shouted cries of pain, and the suffering escaped the stubborn demon’s lips. I pulled the blade away from the dead monstrosity, quickly sheathing it away. With the success of victory, I could feel the sudden presence of another.

“That was most impressive, brother.” Said a shadowy figure, he appeared to me as if made of a bright screen of smoke mimicking a human body. It was casting past the wicked darkness surrounding me. He stepped into view, reassuring my thoughts as to what he was. A spirit of some sort. “Your skill is improving, with each passing moon.”

“Who are you, spirit? Why is it you’re here?” I asked the creature.

“I am here; because this is my world. I am the Guardian of this realm, and another. My name is Shadow kin, Lord of Dreams. I serve along side the Princess of the night, Lady Luna.” Stated Shadow kin,"Lady Luna is Regal, and the very fabric of your dreaming world."

“Lord of Dreams? Lady Luna? What are you talking about?” These questions slipped through my lips, and became heard.

Shadow kin slowly approached. He placed his arm around my shoulders, and started leading me into the nothingness that surrounded us. “Yes, the Lord of dreams. You do not have these demons that you dream of in 'your' world.” We continued on our way, and our surroundings turned into something of a park. The sound of a nearby river could be heard, and the smell of morning dew filled the air. I could see a white gazebo sitting in the middle of the park, and small orbs of light flew aimlessly throughout the absent night sky. 

“Brother, this realm in the shadows of night is quite beautiful; wouldn’t you say? The sensation of wind blowing across your face. The feeling of the soft moist grass beneath your feet. All this is possible within the walls of your mind. The only limit one can have within the dream realm is their own imagination. They themselves are their own key.”

I turned to face the moon, and blankly stared into the dark of night. "Who is this ‘Lady Luna’ you speak of? If you wouldn't be offended, may I ask why you call me ‘Brother’?” I asked entranced by the alluring night sky.

“You and her are quite familiar with each other, yet strangers entirely. She has been watching over you for the past 28 years, through all of the lows and the highs. I would tell you more about her, but it would be best for her to explain it herself.” Shadow kin turned towards the gazebo, and a mist formed inside. I focused on the strange spectral, and began to walk forward towards it. The mist began to take a shape into a human form, but as the mist dissipated it revealed a dark blue shade of fur, and an endless flowing mane that resembled the night sky. The mist faded, and out came a woman that seemed to be equine in form. “John, I would like to introduce you to Princess Lady Luna. Royalty of Equestria, and Ruler of the night.”

I placed a clenched fist over my chest, and bowed momentarily. “Hello John, my name is Luna. As Shadow has explained, I have been watching you for quite some time because I need talents, such as yours. My kingdom is in need of a new guardian, and you would make an excellent replacement.” She explained.

“Who was the last Guardian? What happened to the guardian, and why ask me?” I recounted.

“The previous guardian has simply aged through time, and the duty of protector has become difficult for him. I could revive his youthful spirits and body, but he rejects my help to rejuvenate him. Claiming it unnatural.” She stood a meter from me, but I could feel something holding me in place. “Where he resides at the moment, is within the courtroom of the castle with my sister, as Court Guard. I believe you would become a great guardian; due to the fact you, and he share the same traits. The same blood running through your veins.” 

“I know these are dreams and they’re supposed to be cryptic, but I really would just like it if you’d simplify it...” I started to rub the side of my head in confusion. "That would mean..."

“And in time you will meet with him, I will bring him to your world and tell him to meet you at your home. His presence is a welcoming one, but one you know not of.” She stepped forward, and placed her hand on my left shoulder,“You will be facing challenging, and confusing days ahead. This is the trial all guardians must undertake, but this proves your worth. You have been here in the dream realm for far too long and I must send you back, but is there anything you need to know before I send you on your way?”

I turned to Shadow kin and asked,“Yeah there is, you still haven’t told me why it is you call me brother. Why is that?”

“I am you, in 'our' reality.” This shadowy basic figure turned into a solid replica of myself. The spectacle held before me amazed me,“I was born into Equestria, and you in your world. The gods that 'be' wished for you to be born into the lands of Equestria, but when you failed to show, they created me from the ash and shadows from the mystic mountains, to ease this void. I have maintained a balance with your absence but time is nearing its end, and the land is in need of you. I call you brother because we are two separate individuals but again, two halves of the same coin. I am you.”

After that was said, I turned my attention back to Luna. With her hand still on my left shoulder, she gave me a light push, and I gently fell to the ground. Upon impact, I awoke in my bed with sweat beating down my face, panting as if it were a nightmare.

“Today’s gonna be a long one... I can just feel it.” I pushed the covers off from overtop of me, and sat on the edge of the bed with my hands covering my face in frustration,“Shit. Another weird dream...”
> The Old Relics.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, slowly peeling myself away from the welcoming embrace of my bed. With morning tired eyes, I fumbled my feet over towards my dresser to retrieve the day's clothes. I opened the top drawer, and reached in. I pulled out a black tank top, dark faded blue jeans, a pair of white socks, and some fruit of the loom boxers. I was about to head towards the bathroom for a shower, when I began to recall my rather strange dream. 

Something about the dream seemed very vivid, almost far too close to not wrap around my concentration. Flustering myself with strange questions, I figured that I’d simply set it aside for the time being and continue my day as usual.

I walked into the dark bathroom, and flicked on the lights. I set my outfit onto the countertop, and took a shower to wake myself up. As I stood against the rushing of water; a sudden jolt of pain straining my head caused me to cringe in agony. This pain lingered within the back of my mind, it felt like someone or something was prodding at my brain; prodding the pain and forcing me into a mental state of anguish. The headache caused me to end my shower early; so I laid myself back down on my bed, after I had dried myself off.

They’ve become much more frequent, and it made me worry. If I got sick, who’d take care of Jenns and Nicky? I'm sure without a doubt; Jenns could work, but she’s been through so much that she just earned her rest and freedom given 'Dad' had left. Nicky’s far too young to take on my burden. Their freedom to do as they wish was all I wanted, but I didn’t know what I’d do if something were to happen.

The thumping headache started to die down, so I decided to stand up for the second time. I peeled myself away from the bed and as soon as I stood; the room started spinning. It had me grabbing my head with both hands, and growling in anger. I braced myself down onto the floor; mind warping with thoughts out of control.

The thumping was all I could feel against my temples as the sensation of being light-headed filled my nerves; it just seemed like it may never go away. As my headache continued, it pushed me over the limit and I roared to the roof. The pain was excruciating; seeming to linger inside my head, then suddenly, I heard a loud crash come echoing from down the hall and the pain seemed to just stop instantaneously.

The sudden relief of pain put me at ease; but my mind turned back to the sudden crash. I listened in, and I could hear someone walking. I was feeling worried from the noise. I called out,"Hello? What happened?" A pair of footsteps seemed to be coming towards my room. 

I realized I was naked, and quickly bolted into the bathroom to throw on my clothes. Footsteps bouncing through the house, as they neared my room. The silver door handle started to slowly turn as I finished dressing, and grabbing the baseball bat I kept beside the bathroom door. It was for moments like these.

The door slowly creaked open and there in the darkness; stood a tall, dark figure. Through the small crack, the figure simply stared at me. “Before I come in; I would like you to drop the bat. I will not hurt you, I can’t. And you can't hurt me, I don't think you could.” The figure stated.

“Before I even contemplate that; what did you break when you crashed in here? Who even invited you in the house in the first place?” I asked the menacing dark figure with what seemed to be glowing orange eyes. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t think that was cool.

The eyes that gazed at me seemed to take on a more relaxed, happy expression. “Don’t worry John; I didn’t break anything... I'm coming in now; regardless you drop the bat, or not. I could care less.”

“Then you're telling me your point in mentioning to me to 'put the bat down' was pointless..." My tension was faltered from analyzing the sentence. Thinking more caught me off guard. "Wait...I...I didn’t even tell you my name...” My mind was starting to hurt again. I summoned all the strength I could to suppress the pain, and remained focused on the figure before me. "Who...the hell are you?" I questioned.

“There’s hardly any need for introductions.” The door made its way open and there stood the tall, dark hooded figure donned in armor. “You and I are hardly strangers; though you don't know much about me one bit.” He began pulling his hood down, and his eyes stopped shining orange. As he did, it was revealing a familiar face from an old photo. “Hello, my son. It's been a long time." He grinned.

As the sunset eased into the night, the conversations I held with my father, John 'Senior', trailed on about tales of life; love, and passion. It was 10:34 pm, and the silky sheet of night covered the once radiant blue sky filled with the light source of all life. We sat in the living room, and continued to chat.

“So, you haven’t told me exactly why you left; why was that?” I asked the old man.

Senior turned to me, and smiled. “Well son; I left to protect you, and our family. I made a deal with a powerful leader, and was brought to a strange place." His demeanor seemed to fall; as he lent forward from the couch. He clenched his hands mournfully as he spoke,"The deal entailed that if I protected their lands and it's people; that the leaders would do the same for my family.” A singular tear slid down Seniors cheek. “In doing so, I could never meet with my family again, and only be able to see from afar. I never wanted to leave, but as long as I knew you all were safe...” His voice seemed to trail off. "I even have a new addition to my family; a little Nicky."

“I know you care; sure, we did have a rough start at first, but I've made everything alright. Nicky and Jenns are safe, and that’s all that matters.” I stood up, and walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his pauldron covered shoulder. “You tried, and that’s all I could ever ask for.” Senior looked into my eyes, and a small smile crept across his face. I had to ask the simple question,"What were you protecting us from? A new world; what does that mean?" He stood from his seat, and I embraced the old man with a heartwarming hug. He accepted it with open arms; trickling light tears onto my shoulder.

“Thanks son. I 'Was' a bad man...and a deal I found turned me around.” He released the hug after a good minute, and faced me. “Now, for the matter of replacement.”

“Replacement?” I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean 'Replacement'? I had a weird dream, and suddenly you're out here.”

“Lady Luna and Shadow Kin have told me that you are willing to replace me...” He held a confused look. “Do you not recall any details about your dream? Usually they pop in to check on you...but...”

“Wait; so it wasn’t just a dream? They check on me? That wasn't the first time?" I furled my eyebrows thinking about it. "Yes, of course I remember the dream but... that’s all I thought it was; simply a dream. I have a lot of fights in dreams; but I don't fight unless in defense. Literally anything can happen in your dreams...” I trailed off, lost in thought. "...You're telling me that..."

“Enough overthinking right now, just listen for a second. Yes, I am the Guardian. I’ve long since seen the field of battle; and have become but an old relic within Equestria. Evil has seemed to have died down with my efforts, and faded away from the lands; but that's not forever. So; the Rulers of Equestria and I, believe this is the best time to find my replacement. And, here you are. In your prime, and willing to learn.” A worried look replaced his once smile ridden face. “Unless you think it would be too much to handle; I would not ask this if it were too great of a task.”

I sat back down onto the living room couch, and smiled up at him. “Don’t worry; a strange realm, or world... place... whatever it is; I think I can take it. So about the people; what are they like?”

“Well, they aren’t exactly... people. They are... how do I say it... 'Equine' in form; but still have traits that resemble humans, to a degree. Yeah, that's probably the best way to explain it.”

“Equine? Horses? Really? They need a protector? From what; a stampede?" I asked with a light chuckle.

“They are just like people; basically humans with hooves, and no. They are ponies, not horses.” Senior placed a hand against his head in frustration.

“Well, ok then. This shouldn't be too hard seeing as they’re ponies, I acce-” I let out a loud laugh, and couldn’t seem to contain myself. “I’m sorry. It’s just...really? Ponies?” My mind shot me point blank in the face, as I remembered my brother and mother. “Wait...Dad..." I sighed to the thought to lose an easy vacation. "I don’t think I can go, even if it’s an easy job.” I looked to a picture frame with Nicky and Jenns,“I don’t want to leave my family behind; because they need me. I couldn’t just abandon them like that.”

“Abandon? I wouldn’t ask you to take my place, and not return the favor. I wouldn’t just leave. Honestly; I don’t think I ever could.” Senior stated. "I gave my 'everything' for a family I couldn't even see, in this ever-changing world. I'll be here for our family."

I took a sigh in relief,“Thank you. I’ll gladly be your replacement, if you keep your promise. I will come back to visit. Family knows to 'check-up'." I smirked towards him. "So, how do I get to... Equestria, was it? And how long is it going to take?” I asked with a hint of curiosity.

“You will be sending yourself, and it should only take a moment to get there. As for your training... it depends on how willing you are. Tomorrow; I am going to be training you in the ways of magic, but only a little bit. Just enough to get you where you’re going. If you want further training in spell use, you’re going to have to see Twilight. She'll point you in the right direction. There are some other things that I 'should' show you, but Rainbow Dash will have a hell of a laugh showing you instead. Some things aren't going to make sense at first; but trust me, it’ll be an interesting adventure and a half.” 

A somber smile filled Senior's face,"I did a lot of searching, and attempts to come back to visit; but that's not so simple. 'Power' is how the portal works. You may be angry I've been gone; but I did try...a lot."
> Final Goodbyes.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was already up as the sun rose to greet our day. After a quick shower and brushing my teeth, I set out to cook some breakfast. I stood in front of the stove with everything I needed. I set the frying pan onto the heating element and slapped some bacon on. As the bacon slowly cooked, I turned to face the clock. It read 6:40 am. "I should probably call into work and tell them I'm moving or something." I thought to myself. "Strange days, that's for sure."
I turned back to the task at hand and flipped the bacon over. After a while, the bacon finally cooked and I set it aside while I cooked up some eggs. Once they were finished, I put them on a plate with the rest of my breakfast and sat at the kitchen table. Senior walked in the front door and sat down with me. His look seemed one of curiosity, "I hope you've been starting your day right, it's going to be an eventful day and a good breakfast is gonna be savored, for sure!" Senior chuckled to himself.

The dream I had before waking, Lady Luna introduced me to a vision of her sister Celestia, the Princess of Daylight. After our introductions, she filled me on some general details of the realm and what to expect when arriving.  "Grab a plate." I told the old man. He filled up a plate and placed himself at the table. "Princess Celestia asked me to make a promise, before I left today as soon as the sun rose, I'd be awake to say 'hello' for the morning." He chuckled before I spoke again,"And she told me I'd be living with Twilight Sparkle temporarily, this way she can make sure I get into a routine. I already tend to wake up early anyways." Finishing his breakfast, I could see a hearty grin plastering his jawline.

"Talk about a 'Daylight Test'. Information is essential to being a guardian. Remember to ask any questions you need answers for. Remember that, John." He laughed to himself quietly.

I could clearly see that Senior had his own little joke. "Ok, that's good to know but I've got some thinking to do, I guess. I slurped down my eggs, and started chowing down on the bacon. After finishing breakfast, I got up from my chair and put my plate into the sink. Thinking about how long the old man has lived in Equestria, I began to wonder about his love life. 'How long has he been guarding within the Court?'

My questions needed answers,"So; you've been in another realm for 'quite' a while. You're guarding Royals, after helping a continent. Celestia asked me some questions about you; but it's more intimate than I'd like to repeat. What's the deal with flirtatious Celestia? She and...you?" 

Senior looked at me,"Me and her? Whoa... That's a road I've left untraveled. I'd be lying if I didn't think once, or twice about it but..." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I served for the Royals; but I didn't 'Serve' them." Senior watched me wash my dishes and put them away. "I'll tell you something you're going to want to know; because I didn't know, before I left. You'd better make sure to get your last portion helping of meat here. Once you go, meat is forbidden."

"Why is it forbidden?"

"Well, since a good majority of the lands population are Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earthen... It's frowned upon." He held his hand to the back of my neck leaning himself to my ear, whispering,"You could go to the gryphon kingdoms and have as much as you like but..." he stopped; backed himself up, and sat back down. "Thought it would be wise to... you know... just letting your carnivorous appetite ease off." He gestured a 'Tipping the hat'.

"Well shit." I stared down at the last of the untouched pieces of bacon before picking it up and eating it,"Sorry my love, I've had fun but times have changed." I looked back up at Senior who had a confused look on his face from me talking to my food. I finished the final pieces and readied. "Ok, I'm done. When does this 'training' begin? What exactly am I doing?"

Senior folded his arms together restfully. "First of all: I'm going to show you how to focus your power into your arm. Nothing's going to happen, not until you put on the gauntlet. After that, you'll be on your way. I'm gonna give you a few things before you leave, and a little advice." He stood from his chair and walked over to me. As I savored the last bacon taste; I prepared to leave by calling work to quit, and move to a new city; but suggested them my father. He led me out of the kitchen, and we exited the backdoor heading straight into the backyard.

Some time had past and after a couple hours of feeling stupid during my 'training'; which consisted of holding out my arm and pushing a non-existent force 'into' it, training was complete... apparently. "So that's it then; are we done?"

"Yes, the trainings done. It was about an hour ago, but I just wanted to make sure you got it. Now; for the test. Here, take this." Senior started removing his right gauntlet and once it was off his forearm, he tossed it to me. I caught it and began strapping it onto my own; it was surprisingly snug around my wrist and forearm. "Now, let's put that training to use. Focus on me and think of the porch." I focused on the old man and closed my eyes tightly; thought of the porch like I was told. I could feel something cold covering my arm, and as I opened my eyes; I saw a dark aura engross my forearm and with a flash; he was gone. 

I stood there dumbfounded. I started looking for the old man, and did the only thing I could think of. I began walking towards the porch and to my amazement, he stood there covered in the dark force. I neared him and placed a hand on his shoulder. As the aura faded; Senior looked at me with a gleeful expression.

"That...that...What was that?" I asked.

"That my boy is magic; and you seem to be either a natural to magic, or I'm just that good of a teacher. When I first learned how to use it, I lit Rarity's dress on fire by accident. Don't do that either way, it'll save your life. Also take note; she may be a lady, but she can hit...Very hard." He winced as he began rubbing his bicep; as if he were suddenly stricken with pain. "Nightmares..." He shivered on spot.

"This is pretty amazing; never in a million years did I think that I'd be able to use magic! It's mind boggling." I stared at the gauntlet, and smiled.

Senior looked over to me with a serious expression and sternly said,"As the new Guardian, you will only use these powers to protect; nothing more. Not for Self-indulgence. Understood? Are we clear?"

"Understood. Just like glass. So; what now?" I looked back up at the old man, awaiting my next order. He began removing his pauldron and left gauntlet, and handed them over to me.

"These were given to me when I became the guardian, and now that you're the 'new' guardian, I entrust these to you. There are some hidden goodies embedded into these, and could prove useful. Guardian armor came from a lineage of guardians dawned in full-set, but I only needed some basics. You can find the rest; though that's your own adventure." 

I started strapping on my newly acquired armor, and took a quick stretch to see if they fit. They formed around easily, very comfortable and snug. He also removed his hood and handed it to me."It's also pretty bright there, you might need this. There are a few other things I have that you could use, but I left them back in Equestria. You may be the new guardian; but to get these goods, you need to earn them. Figure it out, I'm not helping."

"Ok, I'll find these hidden treasures. You also said these were embedded with something, what exactly?" I asked with curiosity.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow,"Nope, no more help. If you wish to know more, speak to Celestia. She'll know someone who can point you in the right direction. How easy is it gonna be to get there; that's the 'Daylight test' for you."

"What do you mean 'Daylight Test'?" I asked.

Senior nodded and smiled at me,"Well; portals go from this realm to their realm, exactly. Where will the portal open within their realm will be your question. I woke up in a dry desert in the middle of nowhere, called San Palomino Desert. That's close to Los Pegasus."

"Great." My enthusiasm was slowly beginning to die inside. "Well, I better get going, I guess." I thought of Nicky and Jenns for a moment and suddenly a flash of light appeared; inside the light stood the two in mention, and my eyes shot open. "That was very convenient; Hi."

Nicky was standing there in shock, and Jenns looked around and almost instantly saw Senior. "John? Is that you? Then that means..." she trailed off, and Senior interrupted the silence.

"Yes, it is time. It took a bit of explanation and training, but he's ready and willing." Senior turned to face Nicky, and my little brother looked almost horrified.

"What the hell just happened? I was just chilling out in my room and suddenly; Bam! Here I am. Did I blackout, or something?"

I looked to Nicky and said with a calm, and collected tone,"It's Ok Nicky, I just have to tell you some things."

"Umm, Ok. Shoot, what is it? And what's with the stuff? Who's he?" He was pretty confused by the whole situation but after explaining it to my brother, he was slowly coming to terms with what was going on.  We embraced for a good bit as for not knowing how long it would take me to visit. The warm wind breeze felt just right at that moment. I let go of my brother, and stepped away.

I put on the hood and pulled it over top my head, and the shadows covered my face. "I'm going to be leaving for a while but my dad's going to be watching over you, and mom till I get back, Ok?"

"Wait, where are you going? Can't I come with you?" He ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, a tear slid down my face as the thought that I didn't exactly know how long I'd actually be gone. 

"You can't leave; I won't let you!" Having to say those words, my heart seemed to break into two. "I'm sorry, kid." I said through a cough to cover my sadness. "I'll see you soon, and I love you, kiddo. Take care of Senior, and mom for me while I'm gone; Ok?"

"Ok..." Nicky said through quick sobs, just the sight of him crying was making me hurt further. "When you get back, you better bring me something cool; got it?" His sudden cheerfulness perked me up a bit.

"Deal." I gave him a good, long hug and turned to face Jenns; my dearest mother. "Mom, I'm gonna b-" I was quickly interrupted by her pulling me into her loving embrace, and hugged her back.

"I already know what's happening; where you’re going, and what you've become. I'm proud of you, you’re everything I've pictured you'd turn out to be; probably more so. I love you John; I hope you'll stay safe, for me?" She released me from her death grip hug, and I took a step back.

"I'll try." I turned to Senior again, and took a deep calming breath. "I'm ready." Senior looked at me, and smiled.

"Good, and here..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to me."Read it once you meet Tia. She'll help you with it. Now, I may have given you my armor, but that doesn't mean I can't use magic. I'll see you in a  couple month's time." He put his hands out, and started waving them in an odd fashion. A bright purple aura started to cover my body, and it sent sensations of warmth throughout my veins.

"Only two months? Ok, I got it." I closed my eyes, and held them tight.

"Yeah. After that, then your true adventures start." 

I shot my eyes open from the rather bold statement,"Wait! what does that mean?!" After those words exited my mouth, everything around me began to fade, and so did my vision. The world around me began to spin, crumble, fall and then...

Darkness.
> The Markings.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke in a forest laying on my back, and could see the sun poking through the rather large leaves above. My sagging hood slid down past my shoulders, as I felt the soft caress of the grass swipe against my cheek.

I figured that I'd try to get up and get moving around; but the soreness and sensation to puke from teleporting told my body otherwise. I could feel a pain aching from my back, as I slowly edged myself up off of the ground. The winding pain was happening so suddenly; that I began to wonder as to why this was present in the first place. I squirmed around trying to find the reason behind it, but the constant twists and turns arched these sensations further. With the unnerving pain present, and the limited knowledge I held about how to remedy myself to somewhat bearable; the only solution for the moment was just to ignore it for the time being.

Thinking to myself, 'Time for a plan; ok, let’s think John.' With a good bit of effort to ease myself onto my feet; I managed to stand. After dusting the loose dirt off of my clothes; I looked around to search the environment. 'We’re inside a random moss covered, swampy forest; I have absolutely no clue on where I'm supposed to go, and there's pain coming from everywhere on my body. Why pain? Which I have no idea why.' I took a deep exhale, and ran my palms across my face in frustration. Dredging the coming travel; I said,“This whole guardian thing is just starting so wonderfully.” Obviously, my voice was soaking with sarcasm.

Trying to grasp onto my bearings; I tried to focus my train of thought. I could see that the forest was immensely dense, and deep. The thick of the brush blocking most directions, while most were bare on some others scattering on the tree tops. I could hear the sounds of trickling rushing water in a nearby distance, but with the sounds bouncing off of the trees; the river could have been in any direction. 

A strong musky sensation rung through the air causing me to grasp my nostrils in refusal to breathe. Whatever the smell was coming from, it's been there for way too long. Before I could attempt to block the foul odor, the strange smell filled my nose; causing me to gag. In an attempt to locate where the smell was coming from, I began to inspect the area to find its source. It couldn't have been far off.

Walking around the area, I searched inside a couple bushes close to where I woke up, but found nothing. The sound of the moving bushes must have spooked something close, as a farther bush shook by itself. I could see what looked like to be a pair of glowing emerald eyes peering through the leaves, trying to mask itself within the dense brush. 

“Well, I guess I’m not going that way.” I said aloud; quickly turning away as fast as I could, and left towards the 'No Creepy Eyes' direction. I was trying to leave the creature behind with what little strength my legs could make. After I had accepted that I must have made a fair distance away from the unknown figure, I continued to try to listen for the running water. With all that pacing, my thirst was starting to become a problem. If I found the water, the water would always go down hill; to a big lake. Maybe, the ponies would be living close-by.

After many miles of what seemed like an eternity of searching; I managed to find the river and began trudging along side it. I figured that I would follow its river bank along to its end; and that I might manage to find someone to ask for directions. “All rivers lead to the ocean, right?” I asked myself; unsure if my answer was true, or not. As I continued to follow the rapid river, I tried to look to the sky in an attempt to make out the time. Of course; that plan was an absolute failure at the time with all the trees leaves, and branches blocking my sight. The longest trudge down the river bank lasted for a good half hour. So; I grew wary on when the rivers end would near, and when the edge of the forest would reveal itself to me. 

“This is taking forever.” I groaned. ‘I should’ve at least left the forest by now...What’s going on here?’ I thought to myself. As I stood searching for signs of life, a sudden rustling of leaves could be heard coming from behind me. I quickly turned to face the source of the sounds to find that someone, or something was hiding. “Hello? Is anybody there?” I called out to any that was listening, but my question received no answer. My mind quickly turned to the lingering thoughts of those malevolent glowing green eyes from before. Thinking quickly; I reached out and grabbed a nearby branch, ripping it off the tree trunk, and held it before me to use as a blunt weapon; if needed.

I heard light laughter after snapping the branch; more of a chuckle than anything, as it echoed softly throughout the reins of the forest. The laughter was shortly followed by a voice calling out from the forest, echoing as well. “The river is endless as you can see; if you are lost, then please, follow me.” The voice called out. I looked around in an attempt to locate the source, but much like before; it was difficult as ever.

I swung my head left, and right; searching the area for any movement aside from my own. I could see a shadowy figure jumping around the trees like a monkey; swiftly moving from tree to tree effortlessly. When I did manage to catch a glimpse; the figure would quickly shoot out of sight, and returned hidden once more. “You want me to follow you? I can’t even see you!” I called out to the voice; in an irritated tone.

A loud thump could be heard as something crashed, or landed into a small bush behind a large tree. I gazed to the spot; fixating my sight, and aimed my weapon towards the area. To my surprise, a person came out from behind the tree; wearing a long brown tattered cloak.

Without warning; the person strode towards me, and grabbed onto the branch. Gently pushing it down towards the dirt; this forest ranger, grabbed my empty hand. Whoever it was, began to pull me along urgently. “A man in the forest alone is the easiest of prey, but I will not let you die this day.” The voice was feminine, so I assumed it was a girl. “Time is not on our side; back to my hut, we will hide.” 

Rhymes, the woman was speaking in rhymes. ‘Ahh... fuck.’ I thought to myself; then that rancid foul odor returned, and I could hear the pants of heavy breathing, and dripping water coming from nearby. “What is that?” I asked the woman; but instead of an answer, she lunged forward faster as she was pulling us away. She shot towards the opposite direction of the noise, and I assumed it was towards what I suppose was the location of her hut. I was confused for a moment; until I heard a shocking loud crash that seemed to be coming from behind us. I stole a glance back as we ran, and found that we were being chased by something that was very large and monstrous.  

The size of the thing was gigantic, it walked on all fours and was made of everything that you would see lying around in the woods. Things such as leaves, twigs, moss and large chucks of wood. As I set my eyes upon the creature; they widened, and my mouth dropped. Seeing it was enough cause for me to drop my defensive branch of 'Protection'.

The thrashing of leaves started quickening with my footsteps. “What in the actual fuck is that?!” I called out loud. I picked up my speed even further, and shortly surpassed my guides pace pulling her with me. When she couldn’t seem to match my speed anymore; with the rush of the moment, I picked her up and began carrying her; swiftly throwing her onto my back. We dodged through the trees swerving; attempting to lose the sight of the creature, just as the woman pointed towards the safety of the hut. 

After weaving, and sprinting at full tilt for a little over a minute; we entered the only clearing I'd seen since I first woke up in that forest and I could see what I assumed to be her house. “Quickly now; safety is near. Once inside, there is no need to fear!” The woman cried as she took a quick look back. When she turned back to face me; I saw an expression of pure fear, aiding in my adrenaline drive to push myself forward; numbing all feeling coming from my legs, and back.

Unexpectedly; the woman jumped off of me, and began rushing towards the door at full tilt. Without say; she managed to get to the door before I could, and swung it open for us. One swift and sudden motion, I immediately grabbed her waistline with both arms, and ran inside. She grabbed the door handle, and instinctively slammed the door shut behind us.

Feeling relieved for us to survive, I let go of the woman. She fell to the ground, and laid flat on her chest returning from exhaustion. I leant over resting my hands on my knees gasping for air. I sat down using the wall as my sliding point, in an attempt to ease some body pains. 

I didn’t think of it at first, but with something that huge; It must stink like a swampy bog. 'How long has it been following me?' I thought to myself. I looked up to her as I panted,“What...in the living hell was that thing?” I took a few more breaths to calm myself; before I spoke again,“I’ve never seen...anything like that before. That was unbelievable!” As she tried picking herself up using the door, she knelt down and picked something up off the ground. She was beginning to stare at it.

Without looking towards me; she spoke,“The wolves must have been right on our toes; for it seems this poor fellow has gone, and lost its nose.” She held up the remains of a shattered wooden muzzle. The very sight of it left me speechless, and all I could do was simply stare gawking at the sight. She held it within her grasp, the splintered wooden nose began to glow with a faint green, and began to float. In a sudden rush; it wisped around the room, knocking a few things over briskly flying out of a barred window.

“That was a wolf? But that creature...it was made of wood!” I was confused, by everything. Nothing seemed to make sense at the moment, and my mind was rushing a million miles a minute. Senior...did tell me about that.

She raised her hand and placed it on her hood, removing it from atop her head, and letting it rest on her shoulders.  She definitely was not human, but had profoundly equine qualities. “Timber-wolves. They have been given their name because of their rancid bark. They live in a matching forest to be shrouded by its dark.” She looked at me rather odd, as I huffed thinking more of them living in the woods. “You look at me strangely, but now I see you're not from these lands. How am I strange when you're ice within the desert sands? You can handle yourself, of that I can tell but you look like someone I once knew quite well..” She eyed me for a moment, and shook her head after her inspection.

“How did that creature find us? I don't smell that bad; I just took a shower this morning.” The stress my body had went through to carry the woman all that way built a little tension in my upper back muscles, so I briskly slid my hand against my shoulder but as I did, I quickly jolted my hand away from it because of sudden pain. It was greatly coming from my shoulder blades, causing me to wince at the rush.

She walked up to me, and led me over to the table. After she sat me down, she requested that I removed my shirt. I was hesitant at first, but she told me that she was only looking to help. She introduced herself to me, as she aided me. Her name was Zecora, and surprisingly she's also a doctor, by chance. Such luck. 

Tired and broken, I removed my dress shirt and sat there. As she started to gently rub one of her hands against my back, which stung to the touch, she spoke calmly,“These marks on your back, you must not have felt. With the blood that leaks from the marks, is what they had smelt. I could sense you were hurt as I watched you walking, if your pain had a voice it would definitely be talking."

“What marks?” I asked, and she pointed towards a mirror on the wall. I stood from the chair and left my black, blood stained dress shirt on the table, and strode my way over to it. Once I stepped in front of the mirror turning to see the markings she spoke of, I saw two oddly-shaped strange bulges were prodding from my shoulder blades, leaving two distinctive markings that seemed to be etched into my skin. I raised my arm to see what it would do, and one of the bulges seemed to start pulsating. “Holy...shit.” She took a test to see if I had lost feeling in the area of my shoulders. I tried to feel the markings, but upon me touching them, I could feel sharp pain swim across my back, causing my investigation to end sooner than I expected. It hurt, but only when I begin physical contact. 

“Now...Now...Don't prod at such things. For all you know, they could just be some wings!” She began to laugh, and it left me confused. I had just woken up in the woods after being in a portal, in an entirely different world I didn't know; chased through the woods by something called, a timberwolf, with a equine woman stranger, and now I was inside that same strangers house. One of which would also rhyme with every conversation, laughing at my pain from the two new 'growths' coming out of my back. As anyone could clearly see, something wasn’t right.

“What are you laughing at? And what makes you think it’s wings?” I was feeling a little defeated through the last five hours being in this world. 

She quickly managed to pull herself together, and then looked at me with a smile,“I got it now! I can't believe it took me that long to figure it out. The person you remind me of was John, the Guardian; without a doubt." She calmed her expressions, and looked me in the eyes,"The man you remind me of had many mysteries to unravel. The wings growing on your back was what he used to travel. The armor on your body will be giving you strengths, continue to strive better for longer, greater lengths.”

I looked back at the mirror and looked to the markings, eyeing them as I spoke,“If they are wings, things would be easier I guess. It would be a major help if I got into another situation like that.” It also makes it easier to handle knowing I'm not the only one that went through this ridiculous pain.

“He is the Guardian of this realm I call home, he protects the land so that many may roam.”  She stated in a joyful tone, still not answering my question. Reflective thoughts could be seen from her expression, and she asked me,"I told you what I know, but I need some answers about you. The armor you have is our guardian's, why do you have it and what did you do?" 

“I was asked from my father to replace him here.”

Zecora looked at me hesitantly,"You're telling me that John is your father, and you're not from here? Like Equestria..."

The simple non-rhyming questions was actually unsettling, due to the fact she has only spoke in rhymes so far. “What... Does nothing rhyme with ‘John’? I know for sure ones exist for the word 'here'.” She simply flipped me off and handed me a bandage wrap, I looked to it for a moment, and then began unraveling it with my magic to attempt to practice,“Thanks, this’ll help.” I used the power of the gauntlets magic to wrap the bandage around my upper torso. I felt like I just made my own workout top that feels uncomfortable. She stared continuously at the gauntlet, and remained quiet. She seemed to look worried at the sight. Once I caught glimpse of this, I looked to her with a raised eyebrow. “What?” I asked.

“This armor that you wear was given only to the protectors of these lands. Please promise me you will guard the innocent with your strong sturdy hands.” Her charm took on an irritated tone of voice. She began to move closer to the door locking it closed and removing her cloak to hang it up,"Just know I like you, but let me tell you something, you little fawn. Many things could rhyme with everything, even a word like,'John'. Not everything has to be poetic. I like stupid jokes too." Cloak hanging up, she brushed her hand towards me, as if shuffling me away.

 I sighed, and waved her off,“Don’t worry, I didn’t kill your beloved protector. I’m actually his son. My name’s also John, but so is his and I can see some confusion. I'll just refer to him as ‘Senior’ from now on. The princess named Luna, my 'apparent' brother Shadow Kin, and Senior asked me to be his replacement. They've been saying that his age is affecting his job. So I’m here, and he’s back on earth, living with my mom and little brother.”

“Luna, and Shadow have asked this of you? Well, do tell me. What are you going to do?” She didn’t seem so afraid anymore with the information I gave her, and came a little closer.

I thought to myself, and said what I possibly could to my host,“Well I don’t know exactly. I know I’m supposed to go and see the princess named Celestia, so I guess that’s a good of a start as any.”

She smiled at my lack of direction and objective, so she signalled me to follow her over to the couch. I followed closely behind, and after I sat down, she left into another room. Once she returned, she handed me a bottle full of some kind of liquid,“Now you have the place to sleep for the night. Now all you have to do is venture up to Ponyville, and the travel will be it's own fight. I have faith in you, and you’ll have a little of flight in time. Now take some of this bottle; the taste is truly sublime.” I took a sip of the bottle she gave to me, and it was a familiar taste I’d already known for a while.

The cover of night soon began to fall over the landscape, and the forest was too dark to travel at night. Zecora let me rest at her place for the night on her living room couch, and we sat on her couch telling stories as each other finished the rest of the bottle. From what I assumed, it was the equestrian equivalent to alcohol. 

“There was this one time, I was in this alley back in my world and this guy comes out and he’s like, “Give me all your money!” and I was like,“Come and get it.” I started flexing the biceps, unaware of my squatting drunken eyes. "The situation was random as most robberies are and the guy pulls out a knife." Zecora rested her head against my shoulder, relaxing as I continued my drunken tale. “So he starts coming at me with the knife and I snatch it out of his hand just as he goes to cut me. So I take the knife and throw it on top of a building. I turn to the guy and say,'What you gonna do now?' Of course the guy gets confused and scared by the whole thing and runs away. I was kinda hoping for him to try something given I was half-cut drunk at the time, but we live and learn.” 

Finishing off my drunken story, my eyes started to begin feeling heavy and my mind was starting to cloud due to the brew. From the warmth of Zecora as she rested against my shoulder, it added to the relaxation of the moment. I slowly turned my head towards the zebra beside me, and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. 

“Thanks...for saving me today. I’d be dead if it weren’t for you.” I looked into her blue eyes as she looked back into mine, I felt like I needed to do something. I edged forward, and gave her a quick kiss on her soft lips but pulled away slightly after, seeing as to how she’d react. Just after I tried, she shot back, and pulled me into a deep kiss. She was wrapping her hand around the back of my head, keeping me there. That night would be a fun night.
> Hitting the Trails.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bright rays of the sun broke through the small cracks of the blinds. It slowly crept up overtop of my face, forcing me to groan in irritation covering my eyes in an attempt to block the blinding sensation. The caressing warmth from the heat of light was beginning to send my hangover over the edge. It was causing me to wrap my hands around my head in pain. 

With the refusal of retreat from my newest enemy, I was finally forced to surrender to a new day's light. In my last final attempt to fight against my opponent, I tried to roll over but was soon stopped dead in my tracks, as I lightly tapped on a familiar warm body.

I slowly cracked my left eye open to see her, and tried to rub the sleep away. For a moment, I took a look around, and found that I was in Zecora’s bedroom. I stepped out of bed making sure not to wake the sleeping zebra. With exposed feet, I stepped down onto the cold floor. Agile as I could, I grabbed my socks, and warmed my toes up by putting them on. I saw that the rest of my clothes were scattered around across the wooden flooring, much like hers. I began the process of gathering my belongings. Making my way over to my pants in the corner of the room, I pulled them on, and then my shirt. After my task was completed, I stole a glance over to Zecora to find that she was still lost within the sweet blissful sleep I was once a part of.

I left the bedroom and made my way to the living quarters, tieing on my wrist bracers. I adjusted my belt and readjusted my sleeves. I had rolled them up to make them more comfortable. With the last of the attire, I finally put on my pauldron. I stepped foot into the living room when a roaring pain pushed into my mind, and clouded my head with an evil intent. The silent, and deadly hangover. With the pain lingering, I decided to attempt to find something to ease my pounding headache. I went down the hall looking for a bathroom, but found a potion room. 

I could see that there were bottles of strange liquids tied put to hooks as they dangled. Various plants had been put on the walls, and off of the ceiling. Some ground up piles of materials were sitting within jars, and a wide assortment of multicolored plants had been collected. All of them were different and varied, as if they had been collected from different regions. 

All of these things were all intriguing, but the only thing I was looking for was some Advil. I searched further throughout the lab, and stumbled across a black cauldron filled to the brim of a warping and waving dark, purple liquid. Curious, I neared the cauldron. I could hear people talking. I looked into the pot, and saw the image of two ponies in the middle of a conversation. It was not what I expected to find.

“What do you mean you can’t find him?” Asked a confused looking purple unicorn. 

“It means exactly what it sounds like, we can’t find him. He was supposed to appear yesterday, but even with many flights, I still haven't seen the hood, yet. Maybe, he popped up somewhere else farther. You and I, both know that John warned us about this happening.” Stated a rather frustrated pegasus with a rainbow hued mane. “All we can do for now is search. I’m sure he’ll find his way either here to Ponyville, or to Canterlot.”

The lavender pony didn’t seem too reassured, so she looked around, and took on a worried expression. “Something could have happened to him...He doesn’t know anything about this place and he’s out there, afraid and alone!” The unicorn flared her wings...wait, wings? What does that make her then?

The rainbow maned mare placed a comforting hand on the pegasus...unicorn...other pony’s shoulder, to calm her down,“Twilight, if this new guy is anything like John, then you and I both know he’s doing fine.” She claimed.

I thought back to last night, and a grin cut across my face as I thought to myself, “Yeah. I’m doing alright, I suppose.” I smirked to myself, and then turned my attention back into the cauldron.

“Ok, you’re right Dash. We’ll just keep searching, till we find the new guardian. From what John’s told me, he should look just like him.” Twilight began looking back, and forth turning back to Dash, with an awkward expression masked from her eyes.

“And that’s not entirely...a bad thing.” A blush came to the pegasus, as she continued to speak. “But this is his son right? So...like a 'young' John. I like that idea.” The blush on her face darkened into a deep scarlet.

Twilight started blushing as well, they haven’t even seen me yet, and I was the crush of the town apparently,“If he is John’s son, of course he’s going to be around our age. Let’s just get the others, and begin the search.” Twilight coughed into her hand, to distract attention. They began walking down a road towards a distant cottage near the woods, and the image started to fade. 

 Pulling myself away from the purple concoction, and I felt two arms wrap around my torso in a loving fashion. I turned to face the expected zebra, and smiled,“Well, Good morning Zecora. You wouldn’t happen to have anything to cure a hangover, would you?”

“I could make you something, just give me a minute.” Again, I was surprised to see that she wasn’t speaking in rhymes. She started putting things into a pot, and stirred it around for a minute, or so. She then took a small wooden cup, scooped up some of the potion, and handed it over to me. “This should do wonders.” I grabbed the cup and began drinking it. After a good solid minute, I could feel my headache slowly begin to fade.

“Whoa, that’s amazing! That taste. It wasn’t even half bad, a little strong, but good nonetheless. What was it exactly?” I asked.  She gave me a small grin and pointed over towards the couch, I turned to see what she was pointing towards, and found the empty bottles from the night before. “Huh. I guess the best cure is the best solution for a slow, peaceful night.”

“The trick to a hangover is that you can cure it with just a bit more, now what will you do?”

I looked over to my equipment, and started walking over to them. I put on the armor, and while strapping it to myself, I said,“From what that purple stuff in the cauldron was telling me, some ponies in Ponyville are looking for me. I should probably head over to this place, and show them I’m ok.” Zecora seemed saddened by this statement but she soon found a smile.

“Well John, I guess this is goodbye for now then, but please visit soon.” She quickly trotted up to me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. Pulling me into a warm hug.

“Hey, I’ll try to visit you when I can.  Can I ask you to help me out of the forest first? I honestly don’t know where I’m going.” I started rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment. 

A smirk came to her face, and a light laugh could be heard. “Sure John, I know that. I’d love to.” She said affectionately. Her sudden tone made me smile, as well. As we exited the house, we began walking down a trail leading into the thick woods.

While we were following the ever growing trail, I asked her a few questions. “So, what is this place? Why don’t you live in Ponyville with all the others?”

“I honestly just like living out here in the Everfree." She replied. "I’m close to all the things I need for potions, and it gives me my privacy.” She seemed to go into her thoughts for a moment as she spoke. “I did live in town for a good two weeks before moving back here. It was nice and all, but Pinkie just wouldn’t leave my ingredients alone. She mixed poison joke, and sweet leaf together and then.... Well, lets just say I had to relocate, and that I’m glad I live back in the forest again.”
 
Time seemed to fly by as we walked down the path, and we soon reached a clear field of green grass, and a bright sun. A really bright sun. I pulled the hood over my head, and hid my eyes from the blinding rays. As the beams were cut away from my eyes, I turned to Zecora and she pointed towards a small town in the distance. “There is Ponyville, it’s not that far off.” I reached over to her and pulled her into a hug, which she accepted more than willingly. 

“Thanks again, I hope i'll see you soon.” I said, as I gave her a quick pek on her cheek. 

“I as well.” She smiled, and started trotting back into the forest.

Starting the crossing vast expanse of the field, the trip itself and the solidarity was in its own way peaceful. The chimes of birds danced through my ears, leaving me feeling most relaxing. The sky was clear as the blue ocean, with many miscellaneous clouds dotted around here, and there. The wind was blowing lightly against my exposed skin, and the field had housed a lot of spots to which someone could just sit around, and enjoy the little splendors of nature. 

Marching forward, I continued through the field, but I heard something scurrying around in the tall grass behind me. I stopped, and eyed the large patch of grass for a moment when the rustling stopped urgently.  Something was following me, from what I could tell. The very air around me seemed to grow denser by the second, but was quickly relieved by a pair of black fox ears gently brushing up past the grass. They were popping up through the very tops of the grass patches, and the pair of ears leisurely made their way towards me. 

I stood there watching, then the ears jumped towards me along with the rest of the furry body. I was tackled to the ground and got my face covered in a little foxes saliva, as he rapidly licked at my cheek. “Whoa, a black fox! Aren’t you supposed to be orange?” I gave him a scratch behind the ears, as he sat on my chest. “Interesting, I like you already.” The small fox hopped off of my chest and sat on the ground, like he was waiting for me. I got to my feet, and asked my new little friend,“You going to Ponyville?” The little fox seemed to nod and began walking along with me.

Finally, the little fox to which I came to calling 'Lela', and I made our way through the streets of the once distant town. I spotted a small little cafe, and grabbed a seat on the patio. A waiter quickly came to the table and I asked,“Do you have anything that can soothe the soul?” The kind waiter nodded and left Lela, and I sitting at our table. I turned to Lela, and asked,“What do you think of this town? It seems nice.” The small, black fox gave a quick look up and down the streets, and turned back to me, and smiled. I found it odd that my new friend could actually smile, but then again, I was now in an entirely different world filled with people like Zecora, and Luna.

A few minutes had passed, and the waiter returned with a ‘leafy’ looking sandwich, and a cup of tea. My stomach was crying out for food, but this had to suffice for now. I looked to Lela, and asked if he wanted anything. He seemed to think for a minute, then quickly shook his head declining. The table waiter nodded once more, and took his leave. Just as I sunk my teeth into the sandwich, a familiar rainbow maned pony appeared to be coming towards the cafe.

I looked to Lela and his eyes opened wide, he jumped off the chair, and ran down towards the pony. “I haven’t even taken a bite yet.” I thought through pains of hunger. I looked to the waiter, and threw him a a couple dollar bills that I still had in my pocket. I quickly turned tail, and followed the little adventurous fox, and caught up.

“John? Where’s your son? He must still be looking for a town.” The mare asked. Knowing I was being mistaken, I removed my hood, and figured that it 'did' hide my identity. “Whoa! You’re not John! You're here!” Her reaction was rather surprising more than anything, didn’t she know anything about genes?

I sighed in frustration, and hunger. I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster,“My name is John, but I’m not the John you know. I’m his son. Just call him ‘Senior’ now.”

The mare quickly broke a smile, and tackled me to the ground. Her arms had wrapped around my head pushing me towards her chest. “I found you! And you’re young! Yes!”
> The Art of a Fashionista.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash, Lela, and I walked down Mane Street towards the library. On the way there, I was telling her about my day yesterday. She laughed at me for running away from the timber wolves, and asked," Why didn't you just burn the wolves with your magic?"

"I only really found out the day before coming here that I can even use magic. I need to practice; because I'm new and my knowledge is limited right now. The thought to burn a forest really didn't cross my mind, in the first place. The only spells I managed to use so far have been a teleportation spell, which Senior taught me; and a telekinesis spell. I used that to bandage myself up earlier, but struggled maintaining it." I told the curious cyan pegasus.

Her eyes shot open, as she grabbed me and searched around my body,"You're hurt?" The Pegasus started prodding. "Where does it hurt? Does this hurt?" She kept on poking around spots over my chest, then around the side of my arms, but I simply stared at her with a tiresome expression. She then moved over, and stood behind my back searching. "Feel anything yet?" She asked with curiosity, and I simply shook my head. She proceeded towards my shoulder blades, and the pain from it made me wince a bit. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! We should get you to nurse Red Heart! They'll be able to get you better soon." She quickly snatched my hand, and led Lela, and I down the street.

We entered a large building which almost resembled exactly like a hospital, except it was missing the waiting lines full of people, and lazy nurses. There were only three other ponies besides Lela, Dash, and I in the waiting room. One had a white mane and a light cyan coated fur. She had a tattoo on her flank, much like Dash. Tattoo's seem to be popular in Equestria.

Her tattoo, instead of a cloud with rainbow lightning, it was a star tipped wand, with a magic aura floating in the background. The other was a pony that had brown fur coat, but was covered in orthopedic casts and bandages. I couldn't really see much else to describe him, besides the hospital gown he was wearing. The last pony was, who I assumed, the nurse. Given, her paper hat inscribed with a red cross on top.

"Nurse, this is a 'new' John model, and he needs to be checked out. He's hurt and his pains are coming from his back!" I looked to Dash, and thought to myself that she made it sound like I was dying, or something. I was fine, just as long as nothing touched my upper back.

The nurse led us all to the back into a small cramped room,"Ok, just wait here, and the doctor will be in shortly." Just as the nurse with the pink mane left; closing the door behind her, the doctor opened it up, and stepped in.

I was stunned to see me being treated already,"That was fast." What an entrance.

He threw me a smug look,"When you're good at something, and your business is other ponies business, you make sure the waiting rooms are empty." He grinned to himself, and nodded,"Ok John, if you would please take off your shirt, and this armor, we can begin." The doctor said plainly, without looking up from his clipboard. I began unstrapping my shoulder pauldron, and placed it onto the floor. I then began to remove my shirt. I kept my bracers on, because he was looking at my back, nothing more. I tossed my shirt to the chair in the corner of the room. Dash looked at it, and seen the stains of blood. She turned back to me, and looked at my back and gasped. Lela seemed to just stare at me, with a hint of interest.

"What is that?! There's something coming out of your back!" She yelled; I just sat on the table, and the doctor began to examine my back. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I could feel a form of relief from the pressure coming from my back. "Doc, is he gonna be ok?" Dash asked. 

"It's a good thing he had the common sense to bandage this up. It could have gotten infected, if he didn't. There is definitely something back here, and they're solid." He grabbed a scalpel from the table, and moved towards my back. I knew that he was trying to help, so I held my eyes closed and clenched my teeth in anticipation. I could feel the cold blade cut into my skin on both sides. It felt like melted butter as the pain seemed to subside even more. 

"There's...Definitely...something here!" The doctor shot back after giving my back a light push, and I could feel something sliding out of my back, as I fell off the table. I was left kneeling on the floor with tremendous pain, but shortly through mere pants of breath, the pain started to dissipate. It hurt but felt relieving at the same time, like pulling out a wooden splinter. After a moment, the things stopped moving, and the pain was gone. "Mr. John, are you alright?" The doctor asked me in a calming tone, I turned to him through pants of air, and nodded.

"John, when were you going to tell me you have wings? That's Awesome! You might have to take a shower though, they're kinda covered in..." She gulped,"A whole lot of blood...". She looked to the doctor, and asked,"Is he going to be ok?"

The doctor stepped closer, and continued examining my back. After a minute of inspections, he looked to Dash, and said,"As long as he doesn't try to use those anytime soon and tries not to bleed on our nice, clean sterile floor... Yes."

After I put my stained shirt back on, and my shoulder piece, we exited the hospital. We left towards what I assumed was the library. I had to rip two slots on my shirt, to fit my wings. Dash turned to me,"Follow me, your shirt looks kinda...Yeah..." I could she her teeth from her squeamishness, making sure to not look my way. "Rarity will fix that with something less disgusting. You should dress like most pegasi, and wear something more free. How about something awesome like a backless shirt?"

"No chance, Dash. I'd rather go through the wolf chase again, before I wear a backless shirt. Thanks for the idea, though." I didn't hate the idea, but I personally didn't want to have people looking at my back.

Dash rolled her eyes, and smiled,"Ok, Mr. Tough-Guy. Follow me, then. We're going to the boutique." She led us towards a rather fancy, posh looking building considering this was just a small rural town. Lela looked at me, and began following closely. I gave him a quick pat on the head, and he brushed against my leg.

We entered the shop, and I could see a white fur coated, radiant jasmine colour maned unicorn standing in the middle of the boutique. She was levitating numerous mannequins, fabrics, needles, and threads through the air. "Rar-ity! This John needs a new shirt." Dash yelled, trying to grab her attention.

Rarity simply kept her concentration focused on her task,"No way Dash. I just made him a shirt yesterday! He needs to stop helping A.J., and I've already had to tell him this a number of times. He's a good man, but he's not a farmer." She stomped her foot, and turned to us but as she laid her gaze upon us, all the objects she was holding within her spell fell to the ground.

"Dashie, my dear. Who is this rather fetching fellow?" She slowly swayed her hips, as she sauntered her way over to us. Being a couple steps away, she put her finger to her glasses, and started eyeing down my clothing. "That won't do, we'll just have to burn this... What you call your 'Clothing'." 

Dash rolled her eyes, and looked to Rarity,"Well, this is John's son. The John we know is now 'Senior'. This is our new Guardian." Rarity gasped, as she gazed upon my attire. It was interesting to see mortified, and elated combined in a single expression.

"A guardian, in such dirty rags? That will just not do. I shall make you something that cries,'Behold Equestria, I am your Guardian!' The mares will faint upon seeing you." Without hesitation, she floated a measuring tape over to me, and started measuring my waist, and height.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you just make me a dress shirt of some kind with slots in the back to fit my wings? I want to look good, but I don't want to brag about being the guardian." I told the busy mare.

Dash jabbed my side with her elbow lightly,"Yeah, you're already a knock out. We get it." The compliment made me laugh. "If you're doing that, make it easy to use. Nothing says unprepared, than a thirty minute shirt change."

Rarity looked up at me in confusion,"You are like your father then...Modest...Well, I guess I could make something like that work and functional. At least you have the sense to wear something formal. Your father only wore 'western wear'." She seemed to gag at her comment, as she left towards the center of the room again. After a few minutes, she returned with a pretty amazing long-sleeved dark dress shirt, a clean white t-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans with a design etched into the left back pocket. 

I slipped on the new clothes, and took a quick stretch. I looked to Rarity,"Thanks for helping me, these fit perfectly. I already love it." She nodded, and I could see she was blushing with her hand on her face. I turned to Dash, and she was too. I felt confused, and looked to Lela. He held an expression that said 'Really?'. 

"I'm glad that you like it." Rarity had been putting her hand cautiously covering her eyes,"It's just that I have a changing room you could've gotten yourself dressed in." That got me back to thinking about my choices.

I guess I should have done that. Yeah, now that I think about it a little more...

I don't have fur.
> Can you Stomach the Idea?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After our meeting in the Boutique, the group expanded to: Lela, Dash, Rarity and I. We all walked down the street towards the library once again.

"John, Don't you think that you should come up with a new name?" Asked the amethyst maned white unicorn. She seemed to be closing-in on me as we walked, seeing as how she pressed against my arm.

Dash quickly jumped in with an idea,"Yeah, that'd be awesome! As the new guardian, you'll need a title. It should be something that sounds awesome, and fitting. A cutie mark is what we get, but it's only gotten after finding your lifestyle, and personality!"

Thinking to myself,'Only found after that? Sounds like a tattoo.' I chuckled, but went back into the thought. 'Is that why every pony has a tattoo? Is that what a 'cutie mark' is?'

I stopped, and looked at the two. They soon stopped in front of me, and watched as I placed my hand on my chin, lost in a deep thought. I really didn't think about this, but what could it be? What can, and should, I be?

I do like the night, love it in fact. I always found it relaxing, and welcoming. The moon's been my closest friend, since I never had the time as a child to make any. 'How about Shadow Step? Nah.' I thought to myself. I looked to the two ponies, and asked indecisively,"I'm not sure, myself. Do you think you guys could come up with something?"

The cyan pegasus flew to the sky overhead with great speed, and seemed to thrust her hand into the air in excitement. She came back to the ground, and shown all her teeth in her smile,"Oh, Yeah! I get to name the..." She quickly trailed off as she stared down at Rarity, who had a less than pleasant expression plastered across her face. "I mean.. Oh yeah! 'We' get to name the next guardian!" Rarity smiled after she witnessed Dash's embarrassment.

"Certainly! But for now, we will just refer to you as 'John' until we've come to the decision. Right then, we better let the others know we found you, and that you're safe." Exclaimed Rarity. We continued down the street a bit further, and I began to feel the rumbling coming from my gut, as I realized that I hadn't eaten since I first entered this land.

"Before we go to the meeting, do you all want to go for lunch?" I asked. I turned to Lela, and he nodded his head accepting.

"To lunch? Like as in a date?" the two ponies said in unison. The aspect of them thinking it as a date was flustering, I was simply asking if they were hungry. The sound of my stomach seemed to echo through the streets.

"No, I'm just hungry. I can't think on a empty stomach." I rubbed the back of my neck, sure I felt like an ass for saying it that way, but that's all I could piece together at the moment. "I'm sorry, but even plants need water."

The two ponies blushes had faded into an awkward phase, as Dash covered her face in embarrassment, while Rarity crossed her arms behind her back looking down. "Oh yeah, um... sure, where are we going?" Rarity said with a hint of disappointment.

"There was this one place on the edge of town I was going to eat at. I think it was called,"Delight and Downright." The name was kinda lame, but the food 'looked' good." My stomach started roaring in hunger. I thought to myself,'Come on, we just have to hold off for just a bit longer.'

Dash shot up to me, and started yanking on my hand once again,"I know exactly where that place is! Come on, come on!" She kept pulling my arm, as if it didn't need it's socket.

After we arrived to the small cafe, I was greeted by a rather angry familiar waiter. Somehow in the short time since I first saw him, he had grown a moustache. As he neared us, he held up two ten dollar bills I left,"What in the blazes are these? Carnival Tokens don't work for payment. You owe us four bits, Sir!" 

I rubbed my head in frustration, but I looked at the waiter again,"Look bud, I didn't even get to eat my food. So, I'm not gonna pay for something I didn't eat. Secondly, I'll pay you back all the money I owe as soon as I can. I'm starved, famished, and in need of sustenance." I told the waiter calmly, and respectful as possible.

The waiter just cuffed his neck up, and scoffed at me,"These ladies may eat here." He gestured towards Dash and Rarity. "Hell, even this tiny fox can eat here." He turned his head, and poked me in the chest. "As for you Sir, you can go and dine somewhere else. We only serve proper gentlecolts and ladies, not scrounger scavengers like yourself." He took his finger away from my chest, and rested it on his side. He began turning his head away from me, and closing his eyes to evade.

"You just served me earlier! What the hell is this sudden 'Posh' bullshit act?" As soon as my voice escalated to a yell, a second waiter came out. The other waiter looked exactly like the pompous asshole in front of me, minus the mustache. He quickly ran over, and gave a light tap to his twin across the back of his head. His twin looked at him,"What's with the sudden slap? You like getting paid right?"

"Brother, We serve 'all' here. We're a simple Ponyville cafe, not that fancy restaurant, like the one up the street. We're better than that. We'll just put it on a tab, and he can pay us back as soon as he can." The waiter calmly said to the other, a bit monotone though.

'Maybe he's a neutral ground kind of guy.' I thought to myself. 

The clean shaven pony folded his hands together, and bowed in welcome,"Hello once again, Sir. How can I help you all? Anything to drink?"

"Yes, please! I'd like the same thing from before. I'm just hungry." I turned to the others and asked,"Would you all like something? I'll pay for it."

After consuming our rather 'Green' lunch, my food consisted of a sandwich that had a mix of hay and flowers. Interestingly, I found that if I took the hay, and flowers off the loaf of bread...I could imagine I had a turkey sandwich, as I just ate the bread. The power of imagination goes for a full course meal, if you have the willpower. I could get used to this, but it's hard. I stood from the table, and walked up to the waiter I ordered from. It was easy to pick out which one he was between the two, because of his relaxed laid back nature, and no mustache. "How much do I owe you?" I asked.

"Eight bits in total for the lot of you, you don't have to pay for before. Discount for the drama before lunch, I'm not a fan of the theatre. Before you left, I came out to see if you needed anything, and your plate was still full while you were no where in sight. I figured you shouldn't have to pay, but I had to throw it out because of teeth marks. You may not have eaten it, but I'm not eating it, either."

This chill pony with the red mane with a single white strip going through his hair, impressed me. "The names Flim; my bull-headed brother over there, his name is Flam. He's a good guy at heart, but ever since the whole apple cider incident, and losing the juicer; well...he's become angry towards everything. He's just a sore loser, I guess." I looked over to Flam. He was wiping down a dirty table with a wet cloth, he wore a sour expression wearing guffed up wore-in old shoes, as I expected.

"I'm sure he'll get over it with time, but I promise the money to keep your business a business. I'll pay you back as soon as I can. I'll be seeing you guys later." I turned towards the door, and exited the building. I met the gang outside on the patio, and they were waiting with their stomachs full. Dash leant against the railing belching, using a toothpick to clean her teeth. Rarity was dabbing her lips with a small white handkerchief, and checking her reflection in a pocket mirror. Meanwhile, Lela looked at me with his tongue handing out, and his mouth covered in spaghetti sauce,"You guys ready?" I asked.

They in Unison straightened up, and casually nodded to me. Rarity started eyeing Lela with his saucy fur,"After we arrive to the library, I'm going to make sure Lela is given a quick bath. He smells of dirt, and sauce." She then turned to me with unapproved eyes while smiling,"You should have a shower, as well. You smell like the Everfree, and full of regret. You can't meet with the Princesses smelling like such. It's even a horrid thought, you meeting the Royals with 'my' signature clothing; smelling like that..." Rarity fell towards the ground, but a couch flew out of nowhere. She plopped down on it, distraught. Lela, and I frowned at the idea, but it had to be done.
> Call of the Elements.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We arrived at the Library finally, and while the girls chatted in the main lobby, I took a second for myself, and took a shower down the hall. While I  was washing myself off, I could hear the sound of something scratching at the shower door. Taken back, I turned off the shower and looked through the foggy glass, searching for its source. I opened the door to see the small, saucy Lela standing in front of the door. Rarity said that she'd give him a bath, but I figured that since he's already here, he can hop in with me. He entered the shower and sat under the nozzle, his soft and luscious fur now looking like a melted marshmellow. I closed the door to the shower, and fired it back up for us.

As the shower roared on, and I tried to scrub the stained sauce off Lela's muzzle; I became lost in my thoughts. I looked up into Lela's eyes, and he seemed to stare into my soul with motionless, dark eyes. 'Brother.' Said a voice in my head. I shot back in surprise,'Don't worry. It's me John, Shadow Kin. I am the one you refer to as, Lela. I haven't been able to contact you yet do to the others, if you were to react like this around them, they would have me thrown into the Everfree.' The voice was coming from Lela, but hearing Shadow Kin telepathically felt off. 

I knelt down beside the small fox,"Ah. So, should I refer to you as Shadow now or..." I asked bewildered.

'No, you can continue to call me 'Lela', but they've yet to call me anything. We may simply introduce me to the girls, and you may call me Shadow.' Said the small fox.

I started up, and continued the shower. I had to focus my eyes away from Lela for his privacy. 'This is kind of awkward taking a shower with another guy, unannounced. I could've helped you, before talking...'I said to myself through thought.

'Why is it even a problem? We are the same person, just two separate bodies. You didn't seem to have a problem taking a shower with 'Lela'. So, why does this trouble you?' Asked my curious counterpart. I forgot immediately he had the ability of telepathy.

I scratched the back of my head in confusion. To form the words, I had to actually speak,"Well that's because 'Lela' was just a pet. It's like watching a wooden toy train suddenly fly..." I had to fill my hands with water to splash my face to help thought process,"it's just...I was just about to give you your own privacy too...Which...would be mine, too...Whatever." I shrugged it off, and continued to shower. Shadow did the same, he used his small feet to wipe the stained sauce away.

After the shower ended, I dried myself off, and passed Shadow his towel. He looked at me strangely with a tone of somewhat unpleasant. "What?" I asked.

'I may need a little bit more assistance than just tossing me a towel, paws remember? Because I didn't.' I face palmed at my own stupidity. I knelt down, began drying my little friend off, and then started putting my clothes back on. My wings were wet and hard to dry off, but at least they weren't covered in dried flakes of blood. After I pulled everything on, Lela, and I exited the bathroom. As we stepped out of the bathroom door, Lela shook his fur wildly, and he puffed up sauntering into the room.

I continued back to calling him Lela, for now. Upon being exposed to the rush of the cold air, it was an enigma exiting the steamy bathroom. Lela looked good being puffed up, and his tongue stuck out happily.

We entered the main room where all the others were waiting. The first one to greet me was the lavender...pony, Twilight. She tackled me to the floor, and started hugging me."Oh, thank the Goddess! You're safe, you made friends, and you have wings? That happened already?" asked the cheerful purple one.

"Happened already? what do you mean? The wings, or the 'Friends' part?" I furled my brows, as I processed the questions.

"The wings! Oh my goodness, sorry for the confusion. The armor you're wearing is passed down through the guardians, and they were made to not only protect, but to give you useful enchantments for the wearer. Your left gauntlet has already sprouted your wings, that's it's enchantment. It allows faster travel, but to grow wings on something that doesn't have them themselves, takes commitment." She warmly looked to me. 

She explained,"After the gauntlet was put on, your name was put 'in' that commitment. Your right gauntlet allows you to use magic, Senior has shown us through his career as a guardian, that humans have a rather large magic reserve called 'mana' within them, but on earth, they can't access these reserves. The gauntlet relies on these reserves, and channels it through the bracer. Sending it to your hand for your spells. While you use magic to cast a spell, the reserves will start to empty. You only have a certain amount of mana that you're allowed to use in a day, so don't go crazy with it." She rolled her eyes; as if in reflection.

"The reserves replenish as you rest, or stop using magic. It takes some time, and patience to fill these reserves. A nap helps, but a 6 hour sleep does wonders. As for your pauldron, it allows you to cast a protective spell once an hour that can save you from a near death experience. Once it activates, you'll have to get away as quick as you can. If you almost died, it's probably a good idea to regroup, and form a new plan of action. The spell only lasts for about thirty seconds, so you better get out of there quick." The violet pony continued to examine every part of the armor; as well as my wings.

"That makes sense, I guess. Commitment, indeed! Thank you for the details, that helps a lot knowing I have a back-up plan." I turned to the others, and introduced myself to the rest of them,"Hello, My name is John, and I am your new guardian." As I started my introduction, I formally introduced Lela to the team, I kept my promise and renamed him to his actual name, Shadow. The group tried to coddle for Shadows attention, when a bright blue light flashed into the middle of the room. From the beams entrance, I pulled my hood over my head and prepared myself for whatever was to come. A sword was thrown my way through the lights and I grasped it midair, unsheathing it in the process. I held out the blade  defensively towards the light, readying for what was to come with what I had. The blinding lights faded, and out stepped two regal figures.

"Your name is not John, not anymore. Your new title is; Darkmoon's Crescent', Guardian of Equestria." Lady Luna looked at me, tempering my nerves with her calming familiar voice. Rainbow Dash screamed in frustration. I did ask them for the name, but I was named from a royal. I could hear Shadow breaching my thoughts warning me to be pleasant in the presence of Luna and Celestia. "You're as quick as when you dream, this is a good thing. Princess Celestia wishes to meet you, face to face. You may keep that, you may need it."

I formally bowed in respect for the Royals, after sheathing the weapon. I took a step back adding the sheathing to my belt, and spoke to Celestia,"It is good to finally meet you in person, and I thought I'd have to go to a castle. It's been a process to come here, but I wish to serve the kingdom, and Equestria, as my father did before."

"It is good to meet you too, Mr. Darkmoon. Luna talks about your dreams a fair amount, and it's been a lifetime's worth. Your life time, to be exact. This time, I can actually talk to you, if I need to talk about your dreams. No offense." She chuckled to herself, as Luna frustratingly rolled her eyes. "Regardless, I would like to speak to you about your coming training and I would like you to further exceed your already sharp skills." The radiant maned unicorn... wait another one? Luna's one as well?

I ran my hand through my hair in confusion, which pulled down my hood. "If you don't mind, and I'm sorry if this offends you guys, but can I ask you what race of pony are you? I've seen twilight here with wings and a horn but... I get the Pegasi, that's easy. Unicorn, no problem. Earthen pony, piece of cake. All three in one though..."

Celestia let out a rather calming laugh,"It's quite alright. Luna, Twilight, and I are all Alicorns. Just like you said, all three in one. It's like a discount price tag but it's a buy two get one free."

I took a sigh of relief with this new found information."Thanks, I just have never seen one before. As for my training, what would you have me do?"

"I am going to have Twilight train you further your skills in the ways of magic, and as for your new 'Gifts'..." She lightly ran her fingers through my wing feathers, sending a shiver up my spine. "Well, I believe that Rainbow Dash shall train you in that aspect." I looked to the two mentioned ponies, and while twilight looked at me and smiled, I could see the rainbow maned pegasus do a silent fist pump with a determined demeanor.

"Ok, I'll begin training. Where do I stay for the night for the time being?" I asked. I really didn't want to sleep on the couch of one of my new comrades, but anything would be better than having to sleep on the streets I will be serving for.

"I'll have you stay at the Apple farm for a bit, Applejack, and her family reside the estate. I know they will be willing to help, and your father used to help around there every once in a while. Tit for tat, you could say. Within the next few days, I should have a house set up for you to occupy."

I didn't know exactly where to find this 'Apple Farm'. I'll be crashing on one of my new friends couch, but they could use the help around for the next few days till I get a place to live. At least I can rest my wings.

"Thank you kindly, Princesses." I gave her a quick nod, and bowed in respect once again. Leaning down, a memory flashed before my eyes. I reached into my pouch, and brought out the strange note Senior had given me. I unfolded the creased paper with strange looking scripture, and attempted to pass it to Celestia. She looked to the paper, and she started to shake her head with a smug look, as she read the note. "My father said you can 'Help' me with this..." I slowly related to Celestia.

She looked at me with a cheesy smile coating her mouth. "Thank you for this very important note, and I will promise to help you achieve this goal for it will help you with this job. I can teach you how to learn to read, Equina. Our language is new to you, and your father's joke was rather rude, but you have to hand it to him. That was a good joke." She chuckled, and gestured Luna to follow with her. They walked toward a void, and passed through. After they went through, the void popped out of existence.

I spoke,"It's a new world. Everyone has to learn something, somewhere, at sometime."  I looked to the group after being humiliated, and began wondering what my father saw in the western lifestyle. The clothing and in a new world working on a farm? Riddles, old bastard.

"Applejack? Damn girl, you better take good care of him!" I could hear Rainbow call from the other side of the room.

I turned to the orange mare she was yelling towards, and asked,"Is it cool if I crash with you? I'll work on the farm to keep myself useful."

"Boy howdy, I'm always lookin' for hard workers with the muscles of a human! You can use the gues' room, if ya want. There's also a barn with good hay, too." Said the southern farm pony.

The day passed getting to learn about one another. I got to learn about the 'Elements', and what they represented. They informed me what kind of ponies resided within Equestria. In our group session, I met this girl named Fluttershy. She was quiet, but her and I talked for a good long, even a while more after mentioning the timberwolf chase. She told me it would've helped to stand my ground, and out growl them. Alpha, apparently. The others seemed to be staring at us the whole time we talked as if it wasn't supposed to happen; didn't make sense with her being professed in creatures, but I'm thankful for it.

The sun was beginning to set, and I thought it was about the time for me to make a mile to the farm. Jack, Shadow and I said our goodbyes, and made our way to the apple acreage named 'Sweet apple Acres'. I started to yawn, as we continued down the road. I looked to Shadow, and smiled. He smiled back, as he nudged me towards Applejack. She must have thought it was an approach, because she wrapped her arms around mine as we continued to walk. I didn't shake her off, I was too tired to care.

All in all, I'd say I had a pretty productive new day in this new realm.
> Lonely roads, Mountain homes.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I worked on the farm with Jack and Mac, but kept my armor off while working. I also helped Applebloom and her friends for their little C.M.C. clubhouse project builds. During dinners, I would listen to the wise, old Granny smith and her reflective memory stories of past times. 

During her stories, there were times that she spoke about how my dad usually came to save the day, like when the Gryphon Kingdom tried to fight for more land, and she told me that Senior fought his way through waves of Gryphon champions. He managed to force them to retreat. The more I heard of his stories, I became more fascinated and thinking of questions about the old man. With just one man? Against an entire flying army? How?

A few days had passed since I first arrived, and I was switching between 'flight' training; magic training and working around the apple farm. Working for the acres has helped strengthen my shoulders and I can slightly move my wings, but haven't tried flying quite yet. I need to be in the best possible condition in physical, and mental strength, should anything happen. This kept me going and focused, but it was starting to take its toll on me. I was healing, but draining my own battery to build my endurance.

I laid underneath an apple tree catching some shut eye when I felt Big Mac nudge me,"Hey bud, workin' hard?" I slid my hood off my head and rested it against my shoulders as I continued to lay on the ground. I looked up at the quiet, red stallion and smiled.

"You know it, Mac. We all are. I'm just a little tired is all." I told him. I rubbed my eyes after stretching my muscles.

"It's alrigh'. Work is as work does, good buddy." He looked away from me, and to the acreage farmhouse,"Ee-yep." He slowly trudged towards me, and lightly placed his arm against the tree holding his balance. "I'm sorry for buggin' ya, but my sista says she wants you to see her at the house. You should get there quick. You know how she gets. She told me you should bring your armor with you." He looked over toward the porch. "I left your 'shoulder thing', and your gloves on the porch. Thought it'd help, so you don't have to go far to grab them." He nodded, and turned away given a large exhale when he looked back at the large cart halfway full of apples near the bare trees.

Seeing his dilemma, I decided to take the workload to drop it off. I offered some help. "Don't worry mac, I'll take it since I'm going that way. Thanks for the heads up, by the way." I got up from the ground and made my way over to the cart and held on to the holds. A cart you can pull, but it would be easiest with two ponies. Guaranteed it wasn't really made for ponies with wings, but I'd manage. The cart being half full wouldn't be too hard. Once I strapped on my wrists to the holder, I set out towards the house.

As I pulled the cart, I could feel it get a little heavier than it already was. I stopped moving and looked back. "Howdy Dark! Can you help us with something?" Asked the small, southern filly. I turned to face the little filly known as Applebloom, and recounted.

"You know I would, but I can't this time. First, I have to drop off these apples, then meet with your sister at the house and she wants me armored and ready. When I do come back, I will help with your projects." I really hate saying 'No' to this kid, not without making myself feel like shit.

"Ok! Just make sure you stay safe. We'll be helping at the Barber shop with their infestation of bunnies. Snippet said she had a bunch of hares everywhere. I already bagged ourselves the best carrots from the garden for the trap." She jumped off the cart, and ran towards the direction of her clubhouse. When I finally arrived at the barn, I unstrapped the cart grips from my palms and wrists. As I unstrapped myself from the heavy cart and removed the grip from my shoulders, it dropped with a sizeable 'thump' on the ground. 

I rubbed the sweat away from the back of my neck with my hand, and took a quick deserved stretch. Finishing bettering my posture, I began my way to the house and pondered to myself,"So, why does Jack need me this time? Did the wolves come back?" 

As soon as I set foot onto the porch, I grabbed my pauldron and gauntlets on the deck. After strapping them on, the front door burst open. Out came a concerned Applejack. She quickly clung to my hand and bolted right passed me, pulling me towards the exit of the farm. 'Why do they all do this? I like my arm!' I thought to myself, irritated.

"Come on, Dark! We have to meet the girls at the library. Celestia says it's important!" Applejack said, anxiously. I followed quickly in step, so I could keep my arm, and my hand.

"Did she say what it was  all about? You're not giving me a whole lot to work off of, and you're looking pretty distraught." Her lack of answers was starting to confuse me.

"I know when we're called, but you know jus' as much as me, I'll tell ya." She exclaimed.

Before we had left the gate, I saw Applebloom looking out her clubhouse window. I put my hand to amplify my echo, and yelled,"I'm sorry kid! I think you're mistaking which 'Hare'!"

We arrived at the library, and found the other elements surrounding a table farthest corner of the library. Twilight turned towards me addressing me at our arrival,"Dark, I have an assignment given to me by Celestia, and it's for you, and you alone. You will be going to the Hive near the Mystic Mountains to meet with the Queen of the Changlings, Chrysalis. Word has spread that she's been planning on expanding the Hive, and bringing further pain upon the surrounding areas. You will be going there, and be putting a stop to those plans. If it can be stopped peacefully, that would be the best option. Should she decline the offer to surrender peacefully, and decide to attack in any way, then you know what to do."

I pulled the hood over my head, and nodded; Celestia continued,"The training in magic I've given you so far should help just a bit, but you're still new to the ways of magic. Don't strain yourself, as I've already explained to you in your first lesson. Should your magic reserves empty, you'll be in a weakened, and in a drained state. Now, you should be off. The Element's, and I have another assignment of our own to attend to; there is word that someone has been leading ponies into the Everfree forest, and they seem to never be seen again. Should you return before we do, then I'd ask you to meet with us to help in the Everfree forest." I accepted the invitation, and bowed to the lavender Alicorn.

I turned to face the door. I looked back slightly, and spoke,"It'll be done." I closed the door behind me, and made my way to the market finding a specific small stand. The stall keeper was a well known grey pegasus named 'Ditzy Do'. She was a little clumsy, but that was one of the many reasons I loved seeing her around town. Her bubbly personality always cheered me up. I strode up to her stall, and waved to her,"Afternoon, Sweety Ditzy. You wouldn't happen to have a..." I was quickly interrupted by the lazy-eyed mare.

"I sure do!" She reached underneath her booth, and started rummaging through her storage. She shortly returned back to the countertop with a smile, and a map in her hands,"Here you go, Dark! I knew you'd need one for your travels." She snorted quickly, as she laughed at the 'New Guy'. "So, I got one for you as an early birthday present! Happy Birthday, by the way, you knucklehead."

"Thanks Ditzy, you always know just what I need. Gonna take some charting, but now at least I know where I'm going." She smiled at me leaving me with a wink. She then turned to help the next customer. 

I just remembered that my birthday was about five days away, I hope nobody else besides Ditzy knows. I thanked the grey mare once more before trudging off, and turned my attention to the map beginning examining it while I walked. "Ok, Twilight said, that the Hive was near the Mystic Mountains." I looked long at the map, humming to myself. I found that the mountains were about a couple of days to walk to. It was just beside the border leading into Dragon territory. Since I still haven't done a whole flight tutorial, or even the strength in my wings to open them, walking was going to be the easiest way to travel. I turned to leave, when I felt something tug on my pant leg. I looked down to find it was Shadow had tugged it with his jaw. "Wanna come along?" I asked my counterpart.

'Well, you do require a guide, and I'm far more versed with the ponies, and to the lands, rather than just you going by yourself. A 'You and you alone mission', sounds like something is missing from the equation. If that's missing, then I also qualify to come being, 'Just' like you, too. So, let's make our way. We're burning daylight." The little fox was correct. He was a little too self confident, but he wasn't wrong.

Shadow, and I had been walking for a good few hours, and figured it was time we set up camp. The sky was slowly being covered in the shroud of night, so I got a small campfire made with some wood lying around. I rolled a couple logs over, and set them around the fire for a seat, and bed. We sat on the logs, and warmed ourselves up with the fire.

Shadow, and I chatted for a while, he asked me questions like,'What I thought about the place?', and,'Was I taking a fancy to any of the girls so far?' I did like this new realm, and it gave me a lot of things to do with a whole new meaning on the word 'Freedom'. As for the question on if i liked any of the elements, or any other pony, I really don't see them that way. I was lucky, with Zecora. To me, they're nice as friends, but nothing more.

As we chatted, I heard something rustling in the nearby forest line. I grabbed my sword, and held tightly to the sword hilt waiting scoping the area in our dim light. I didn't have my armor on while we sat resting, and without it i was quicker in the draw, but...I was leaving myself open. I slowly made my way towards the woods with my blade on hand, but was quickly stopped, and told to back up by Shadow. In his current form, he seemed useless but with his keen senses, he could see something I could not. I followed his suggestion, and stayed closer to the fire still keeping the hilt within grasp.

"Sheath your blade, and we may let you live."
> Masking Many Truths.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Out from the brush, came a group of four ebony ponies. They had holes through their bodies that riddled along their arms, and legs. They had insect like wings, and razor sharp teeth cowling their jawline. I knew, these had to be 'Changlings'. I could see the blood lust, lurking in the back of their dark, blue eyes. 

Unsheathing my blade, I held the hilt in hand, but placed the tip of the sword resting on the ground. With Shadow, and I only outnumbered by two, I took the responsibility to give them a warning. "It would be wise to calm yourselves, I don't wish to harm you. We're simply traveling to try, and make a treaty with the changlings." I wanted to keep the situation in hand, but with my statement, their stubbornness was making negotiating a difficult process.

One of the changlings' stepped forward, and stared at me with a jagged snarl,"So, you claim. We know who you are, and why it is your traveling these roads. You wish to see our Queen, but you won't make the trip sadly..." The group of changlings started laughing in unison, while they pointed at the both of us. 

I gave the lead changling a look of confusion,"And how do you know who I am? We only just arrived here to camp, but enough merit for a death threat?" I smirked, at the rude attitude he gives. Wolves had been a threat for a good bit, and now, the only thing he's got is some nice teeth.

The group of Changlings began circling Shadow, and I attempting to stalk us. Waiting for the right moment for themselves to attack their prey. "We know who you are...Everypony knows, by now, young blood. You are the one to replace the old, sad excuse for a Guardian, John, the 'Protector' of the Distant hills. You're the new Guardian, Darkmoon. Little Farmboy..." His eyes squinted at me, as he huffed in my direction.

The group's cackles had become very frustrating. The leader continued to speak,"You're here to try, and stop our Queen in her plans to expand. I think you're stupid, farmboy. Walking all this way, just to die by my hands in a few moments. Everypony needs food, and It's pathetic that someone such as yourself, was made to 'Protect Equestria'. They really have been scraping the bottom of the barrel now, aren't they? Are the ponies too fat to fight for themselves?" The group continued to chuckle to one another.

I looked to Shadow, and smiled. I turned back to the group of hyena's, and pushed my sword into the ground, to hold it upright. I took a step away from the sword, and made a stance, readying myself. "Al-righty, then. I wanted to just sign a treaty with your queen to make sure there was peace for everypony, but now I'm adding kicking your ass, to that list." I clenched my fists together, and stepped forward waiting for his first throw.

The leader of the group made his way over to me, and chuckled to himself. He put up his arms, and took his own stance puffed-up, wiping his finger on his lips scoffing,"So, we have a tough guy. We'll just have to see to that, then. Your little friend can have the 'fun' of dragging your dead sorry carcass, back to Ponyville." The sly bastard swiftly drew out a sword, and lunged at me.

He had a good shot, as he managed to stab into my left bicep, and it quickly sent my arm numb. In the sudden rush of being stabbed, I let out a heavy breath. Through the pain, and with the sword still in me, I grabbed the leader by the neck, and pulled him into a headbutt. He flew back, and crashed into his friends falling down. The leader brought his head back up, then stood back to his hooves.

The sword was still in my arm, so I grabbed the hilt, and started the painful process of removing it. Though the pain was excruciating, I managed to hold an angered expression. Once the sword was removed from the fresh wound, I took it as well, and stabbed its blade into the ground. I kept my attention held on them.

The changlings looked upon me in fright, as I took a step towards them. I looked to the leader who held his bloody snout, and warned,"I care not that you stabbed me, nor that you insulted my father..." The leader's eyes widened at the statement,"And I'm on a mission of peace. I don't want to kill you in the first place, or your group either, but should I see any of you at the hive when I arrive, I won't think twice about killing you. Now go, your time at my camp has been extended for far, too long. Run. Fly. Whatever means necessary." After the warning, they all took to the sky. I watched as they faded into the distance, and I finally returned to the campfire. Shadow approached the fire light, and looked me over with a baffled expression, as I sat down on the log to stead myself.

Shadow looked to me worried, and started to nag,'Are you trying to get yourself killed? You just let them get away, and they might just come back, with more backup! In your injured state, we should just turn around, and go back!' The little fox shook his head, in disappointment. I reached down to my armor, and grabbed my right gauntlet. I tried to place it on the ground to strap it to my arm, but couldn't manage to with my paralyzed one, as it rolled with an attempt.

Shadow looked to me, and saw that I was struggling,'What are you doing? Here, let me lend a paw. Once we get your armor on, we're turning back, and getting you medical attention.' Shadow strode over to me and placed himself at my feet, turning away. I began using the grooves of his back to hold the gauntlet in place, and then used the useful hand to hold the gauntlet between his shoulder blades. Using my teeth, I managed to tie my strappings, and clipped them. Once I got the gauntlet on, I started warming up a newly learned spell taught to me. I didn't want to have to use it this much that quickly, but I'd rather know it, than need it. Shadow looked to me and asked,"What in the name of Celestia are you doing now?" 

"Well, as the Guardian, I can't just go, and risk my life without knowing how to patch myself up." I cast the spell and was covered from head to toe in a mystical bright ivory glow. I looked to the wound, and seen that it was gradually healing, and the skin seemed to piece together. The only thing different about the stabbing wound spot, now was the scar. The spell can heal me, but won't get rid of the mark entirely. "Twilight taught it to me, during my second magic lesson. It's proven helpful to me, and a rather clumsy grey pegasi." I told the worried fox.

His thoughts barraged my mind again. 'Ok, well at least the trip wasn't for nothing. There's still the problem with them returning, if they do.' Shadow continued to nag on,'Are you just going to keep getting your arm stabbed, until they leave out of boredom?'

I shook my head to disable his insults, and his wordiness,"Don't worry Shadow, I don't see them coming back for another go. If they were smart, then they'd just simply warn the hive, and beef up security. Waiting for us to come over." I dropped the spell, and worked my left hand around. I switched between clenching my fist, and stretching my arm to check its sensitivity. It folded quite nicely,"As long as your sly like the form you choose, then we shouldn't have any problems getting inside the base."

It was the middle of the afternoon; by the time we made it to the outside rim of the Hive headquarters. I could see changlings posted at every entrance; guards circling the base through the air, and soldiers were patrolling the nearby grounds. Shadow, and I were just out of sight on a ledge of Mystic mountain facing the Hive. "Ready to get that treaty signed?" I asked the cautious fox.

'As long as you keep that spell up, and don't let your reserves empty before we get to Chrysalis, then yes.' He scoffed through thought. I then motioned for him to follow towards the hive, and Shadow kept beside me.

Casting the spell, and trying to maintain it; I began to feel strange. Taken back; I let out a loud cough, in the sensation. A nearby guard heard me, and came towards the noise,"What's going on over here!" The guard stopped in his tracks, and relaxed looking our direction. "Soldier, what's wrong? Fox-hair allergies?"

I felt strange, being disguised as a changling. I could see that Shadow felt the same looking at me. We both looked to the patrolling guard, and I pleaded,"Man, that's my pet. It's just that my stomach feels like shit. I need to go to the infirmary." I took a few believable gasps of air, as I held my stomach belching. "My friend's been hurt too. We were attacked by this guy named 'Darkmoon'. Bastard used magic, and now my stomachs fucked. My buddy came to help, and he got kicked." Shadow, and I continued to hold our painful expressions.

The changling looked at us with hesitation, then spoke,"Another group? What the hell does this guy want? Some 'peace' treaty, from the looks of it. Ok, follow me. The Queen's going to want to hear about what happened. After you let her know, you can go to the sickbay for the evening." The guard started to lead us into the Hive.

I could hear Shadow's voice echo inside my head,'I honestly didn't think this would work. Nice idea.' All I could do is look down, and smirk.
> The Heart of a Guardian.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We followed the caring, changling guard; his demeanor was a nice change, in comparison to the light scrap I had from the group earlier. As we strode towards the large gothic architecture door surrounded by thick, slick, moving, coal-black gapped-walls; Shadow looked upon the Hive, and it's sparring grounds. His focus was on the fortress; and it's garrison, while mine was on the Queen I could see from her balcony; gracefully overlooking us. 

Our group approached the gate into the fortress walls, and to my surprise; the doors slowly crept, as it slid down soaking itself into the dirt surrounding the base of the fortress; like some kind of an ooze. It seemed that the castle was made of a living organism, but of what? I wasn't sure, and I really didn't want to find out.

As we continued to follow our guard the way to the court room, a changling ran up beside me,"Whoa, man. I heard that you were attacked by that new guy 'Darkmoon', I'm surprised that you're not shaken up, as much as the group that arrived here earlier. One of the scouts only had a hurt muzzle, but other than that; everyone just seemed scared."

"I'm just happy we're ok, that guy must have a sick sense of humor; to use magic to hurt me..." I winced a bit to play along. "I hope my friend, heals fast. He just got back into the field with me, and it took a long while."

The random changling placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder,"You two are safe now, remember that. All you need to do, is tell the Queen what happened, and then you can get patched up in the infirmary, with the others." He gave me a quick smile, and turned to Shadow,"Just a little longer, Little One." He took his hand, scruffing around Shadows head in a loving fashion. After his pet, he took his leave, and proceeded down the hall in the opposite direction.

I looked at Shadow, and his stare at me told me to look somewhere else. Through the hall, I smirked thinking about his petting, and his thoughts evaded my mind once again. 'If this is that funny to you, you better have friends. I hope, they're good friends. I do have good friends, and they're tall, as well.' I looked at Shadow, and he gazed at me, with a tone of smugness. 

We followed the guard down the large passage, and entered a room towards the back of the castle. Inside the room stood a massive corroding door. Much like the fortress door, it melted to the ground; and revealed a majestic throne room. It held a gigantic throne; with a singular changling sitting upon it. Ingenuity told me I was sure that it was Chrysalis, Queen of the Changlings.

Our leading guard bowed before his Queen, and stood up, holding his head down. He spoke gently,"My Queen, these poor souls have crossed pass with the one, known as Darkmoon's Crescent." The guard explained to the Queen.

"Very good. You all may go now. I wish to be alone with these two, my audience will give me their full attention. Everyone else, you are excused." Quick with her response, the entirety of the guards inside the court room filed out of the door, letting it close tight behind them. "Now, what did you two see. I wish to know every single detail." She sat excitedly.

"My Queen..." I said through fake groans of stomach pain. "Are we actually safe here? Can 'he' get in here?" I shook in false fear. It would be nice to know if we'd remotely have a chance, if things went south fast.

"Yes my child, and No. He cannot even reach the gate." She ran her hand across her cheek, and smiled warmly. Something about her eyes seemed, as though she was lost in thought. She addressed me meagerly,"Now, once again, what can you tell me of this man? Any details? Like anything?" 

"Well...he...he...He's right in front of you." I quickly dropped the act, and the spell as well, revealing my true form running through the room, up to the throne. She looked as if she was attempting to call the guards, but I quickly threw my hand over her mouth, and wrestled her 'still' to her seat. Once I finally had her pinned, I spoke,"I am not here to harm you, nor your changling followers. I only ask that you listen to what I have to say." She stopped squirming, and looked into my eyes entranced. I was telling the truth, and I believe she saw that in my eyes.

"Hmmm...hummmhm....muuhmm." The Queen's words were muffled, by my hands. I would let her talk, but I'd have to make sure to clarify my intentions. 

"I'm going to remove my hand. We're good guys, and here to sign a peace treaty between ponies and changlings. Any screams of any kind, and I'll resort to plan B." I gently eased my hand away from her muzzle, and stepped back to give her some space.

Shadow spoke into my mind, and said,'So, what's plan B?' I looked back to him and gave him a nod. 'You didn't have one, did you? You're just going to wing it, again, aren't you!' Once again, I replied with a nod. I turned my attention back to the Queen.

"If you ever do that; next time, make sure to wash your disgusting hands. Ok, so Mr.Darkmoon." She straightened her posture, and straightened her hair. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, finally. I've been trying to find, and get to you for some time now. I've heard that you've had roughed up one of my scouts, from my patrol scouts in the northern regions. Why was that exactly?" She was rather calm, given our current situation. Her easy reaction derailed my entire train of thought.

I turned to Shadow with a blank expression; and all he did was tilt his head back, and scrambled his expression. I took the chance, and I returned my attention back to Chrysalis. 

"Well, I was coming here to solve a disturbance that the Hive has been causing, and Celestia decided to declare a 'Peace Treaty' with the changlings, to solve this problem. I was trying to act formal, and courteous, but then these minions came into my camp; and tried killing me. Of course; I wasn't going to let that stand, and after the leader of this ridiculous raid stabbed my arm; I roughed him up a bit. He still had all his teeth, and they hurt a lot; as I hit them with my head." She looked at me, and frowned. "What's wrong?" I asked the saddened queen. I didn't know exactly how to phrase a 'I hope your Scout heals up after trying to kill me' apology.

"For starters; this wasn't exactly how I thought we'd meet for the first time, given these circumstances. Secondly, my guardsmen weren't supposed to be traveling that far passed the mountain trails. I didn't give that order, and now must punish 'one' of my generals." I removed my hood down, as I could see  easily with the ambient lighting cascading through the glass lining the room.

"Do you know why they would be traveling that far? What reason's would they have to go such distances?" I asked.

She turned away, and faced her throne. She held her right hand on her elbow, and stood there gazing at the throne. "Dark, I'm going to be honest with you. Do you know how it is, we Changlings feed?" She turned to me for a brief moment, and I nodded. 

I gave my answer,"Twilight gave me some details on changlings, and some of the 'traits'. She helped me learn to transform a little bit to get in, but it doesn't last as long as a changlings disguise. Everypony needs to eat sometime, no one gets to tell you their 'best' method. Sometimes, it's not that easy."

She turned back to the throne, and continued,"Since the incident at the Royal wedding in Canterlot, we haven't come across many ponies to 'feed' off of. The rations are scarce now, and the soldiers are growing edgy. I fear; that if I don't find a sufficient source of sustenance, they might plan to overthrow me." She turned to me, and walked closer. She stood mere foot steps between us. "This is why I've been trying to find you. Humans carry a great source of emotion, and I can make you a 'Commensalism' deal relationship. You won't be affected, and with the emotion I need to feed from you; It can feed an entire kingdom." She started to blush furiously. "I need...your love...for feeding purposes, of course."

"I can...and will help you, and your people with this feeding.  Though, you must promise to leave the residents of Equestria; and surrounding areas alone." She nodded, and I pulled the treaty Twilight had given to me before. I took a quill out of my pack, and then gave it to Chrysalis. Once she signed the dotted line, we agreed on each others terms. The changlings would stay an ally, and become a friendly nation to these peaceful lands. As long as I allowed their Queen to feed off of my emotional gauge; to nourish the Hive, the day seemed to be saved. We had begun our first feeding session, after the meeting had finished. The treaty was signed; we parted ways, and I set my sights on mental imagery of this promised new home. I needed the rest, after our first feeding session.

Shadow, and I walked through the large, fleshy door exiting the throne room, and we were greeted by a battalion of changling soldiers. I went to grab the hilt of my sword, when Chrysalis strode in between us, gesturing to her guards, while looking at me. "I can see you have found the soldiers; please lower your hand." And at her command, I did as I was told. "These gentlecolts will be seeing you to the gate, and I wish you two fair travels." I put my hand back down calmly, and we started to follow our escorts. We were led out by the ebony guards to the gate, and then we made our way towards Ponyville.

Once we finally arrrived back to the town, I remembered that it was the very morning of my birthday. All I truly wished to do, was rest inside my new home, and relax for the day; but the playful mare Pinkie Pie wouldn't have it. She came to us as we entered Mane Street, and lured me into the town hall with lies of work, and training. I groaned, but decided to help regardless of the tiredness. As I stepped through the solid oak doors following Pinkie, I was nearly pushed back out by the cried of the townsfolk.

"SURPRISE!" I went along with it feeling very appreciative, but as soon as the party was over; I returned to my true intention for the day. Sleep.

A month had passed since we first signed the treaty, and the feeding was a weekly process. The process was fun, but it left me weak afterwards for some time. It wasn't painful, at all; and it kept the land peaceful. The changling news was silent for the time being, and harmony was maintained through the land. As for the elements; and their mission to find this 'mystery mare' lurking inside the Everfree, we couldn't find the culprit. The elements remained searching, while I kept up on my training. Sad to say; without any clues, we didn't have any suspects.

During that month; during the feedings, I came to spend gradually more time with the Queen. She was very interesting in many ways. The way her personality portrayed her. The way she moved through the Hive halls. Even, the way she talked. With each passing day, I became more fascinated in our tattered Queen.
> Soaring Through Lessons.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nearly a month, and a half had passed since we signed the treaty,and everything was quiet around Equestria. The Gryphon kingdoms kept to themselves; while the Dragons, of the Badlands, took this in silence happily; resting with ease. My strength in physical fitness, and mental well-being, were at an all time high. My training in flight was 'still' in a sad state though, as I couldn't even take to the air quite yet. Today I'd be training further in flight, once again, but for some reason; I kind of already knew that I wouldn't be breaching that barrier anytime soon.

Dash, and I stood in the training area of the Canterlot castle; close to the cliff edge of the mountain the castle was built upon. She was angered by my stubbornness, and yelled at me,"Come on, Dark! I know you can spread your wings,  now all you need to do is believe, and fly! Just try, at least!" I tried moving my back muscles, but nothing seemed to happen. I was beginning to feel frustrated with my useless wings.

"I just can't do it Dash! It's just not something someone like me can do!" I yelled back, attempting to fly at the same time. 

Rainbow looked to me, and narrowed her eyes; in a countered fashion."Dark, flying isn't something you 'do', it's something you 'feel'. You won't ever move your wings, if you don't break this stupid barrier; you built up for yourself! Your dad was a master of his wings; and by Celestia, you will be too." She stomped her foot in anger, as she took a step towards me pushing me closer towards the edge. I was immediately caught by the  short castle fence that lined the cliffs edge.

"Well I'm sorry, Dash. I'm not my father. He was ten times the guardian I am!" I felt my heart sink a little. "I don't even think I should be a guardian. Hearing his stories; from other ponies...I don't know, if I have that skill." I could feel my self-confidence fading more, making a comparison. 'Senior wouldn't act like this, he'd know what to do.' I thought to myself. Dash walked up to me, and planted her hand on my shoulder. I looked up to her; she was smiling.

"Dark, come on. I want to tell you something. I've known it for a while, but now I think you should, too."

I leaned onto the fence railing, and Dash spoke again,"Dark, this is where your dad lived. He stayed with the princesses, with his own quarters with a balcony. During most nights, he'd look over the lands, and watch. I may have been far, but Twilight had a telescope. He was my hero." Dash smiled, as she looked to the ground. "I looked up to your dad, as if he were mine, we all did. Hell, the guy kinda was our 'dad', with his advice. I once had feelings for the old man, and tried to form a relationship with him. When he told me that he didn't feel the same, he showed me that love is something that can't be pushed; or bargained for. Love comes honest, and will sacrifice their time; just for you. I've learned many things from him, but now I think it's time that 'I' taught you something." 

The cyan pegasus came close to me, standing against the fence. She approached me, and slowly began to close her eyes. She placed a hand against my chest, caressing my breast tenderly. I could feel my heart skip a beat. Just before I could straighten my thoughts, she gave me a push, and I fell over the rather, small fence.

I pushed my arms overtop my head, to help any damage, as if it would even help. "Dash!" was all I could manage to say, as I fell towards the scattering field underneath; at a rapid pace. The feeling of adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and the wind blasting against my body felt exhilarating. I closed my eyes, and could feel my heart booming inside my chest. I was falling to my death, but these surges of ecstasy coursing throughout my body had me thinking that I wouldn't trade this experience; or the moment, for the world.

"Dark."

I could hear a voice calling me...

"Dark."

I didn't want to leave; there's too much I needed to do there. They needed my help.

The voice grew in a echoing scream, but as if it were a short distance away. "Dark!" I pulled myself back into reality, and I opened my eyes. With them opened, I could see a very happy Rainbow Dash; She seemed to be cheerfully excited.

"What's with the smile? Why did you push me off? I could have died! I almost thought I did!" I asked the questionable cheerful pegasus.

"Well, how else was I going to get a stubborn, relaxed Darkmoon, to fly?" I was confused by her words, but I could feel something on my back moving. I looked down, and could see the bottom of the cliff underneath my feet. Amazed; I stood mid-air, beside the castle. My current position made my heart race; I took a few deep breaths in disbelief, and looked around. Nothing within sight, at first but as I looked; Rainbow Dash slowly floated close. Her movements didn't make sense, she 'shook' too much.

I turned back, and looked to Rainbow,"Dash! How'd you know I'd fly?" I asked the cyan pegasus.

She started rubbing her forearm; giving a little chuckle, and then explained,"Well, in all honesty. I didn't. It was something John showed me about self-doubt. When I was a young filly, just before I went to Cloudsdale for flight training, I couldn't fly. He brought me here on a class visit; He gave me almost that very same talk." She began to smile.

"So, it was all a gamble. What would you do, if it happened, and I didn't start flying?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Most likely, I'd try to either catch you before you dropped; or at least slow you down, before you crashed onto the ground to break your fall. You may have some weight, but you're not a wooden crate of horseshoes." She put her thumbs-up, and stated,"I'm proud of you! Since you did fly however, we don't have to think about it anymore. So; tell me, how did you feel while you were falling?" The rainbow maned pegasus flew closer.

"It felt; amazing, I don't know exactly how to describe it. The air flying against my face, and the rush of it all. Simply; exhilarating." I slowly made my way over to her, then I pulled her in for a hug, and she accepted it. I swear, I could hear her squeal in delight; but it could have been my imagination.

"Right. Since you've now mastered keeping yourself up in the air; how about we go for a few laps around the castle to warm up your new wings?" Asked the cyan pegasus.

"You're on!"

We trained for the rest of the afternoon; circling the castle, and cycled back around the mountain a couple of times. We only stopped to take breaks every now, and then; but the exhilaration of flying kept me going. After my training for the day was done, I thanked her for almost killing me.

The glistening of the stars began to flicker, in the night sky. I flew my way back to Ponyville, while Dash on the other hand; flew towards her home, near Cloudsdale. I figured now that I've learned how to use my now, 'not so useless' wings; travel time would take much less time, than simply walking. I felt accomplished, I should treat myself to a few celebratory drinks, I thought. As I arrived to the bright, lantern lit town of Ponyville; I could here the sounds of ponies yelling, and things crashing in the distance. I figured that I should put a stop to it, before anything got too out of hand. I followed the sounds, and they led me to the very establishment I was actually intending to go.

"Tolsa's Tavern...Are you serious?" I said to myself. "Ah, damn it. You find a good spot; close-by, and it takes one day out of town..."
> Five chairs; Because We Care.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I pushed my way passed the swinging doors of the tavern, and inspected the bar. I saw wet, broken bottle shards covering the floor, accompanying many shattered chairs within the building. I found that the bar keepers were cowering behind the bar, in fear. I looked over to the opposite side of the room, and saw a lone stranger sitting at a table; sloshed to all hell. I approach the drunk; sat down beside him, to give him some company.

"Hey bud, what seems to be the problem here?" I casually stared at the pony, as I inspected him further. He seemed to be an Alicorn. One I haven't seen; or met before. I've met almost all the royal family, but never seen this stranger, yet. He had a white coat; matched with a solid black mane. His mane seemed to simply spike out naturally. His wings were large, and one of them seemed to be clipped at the ending; at the very tip of his wing, as though through battle.

He looked at me; with half-lidded eyes,"There isn't a problem here, my good man; It was just some 'accidents', you see. I just lost control for a couple of moments, but everything seems to be back in hand now. So, how can I help you, John?" The drunken alicorn gave me a smirk, and looked back to the wall on the other side of the counter. He surprised me, as I hadn't heard anyone call me that name for nearly a month, and a half; and from a stranger, no less.

"How do you know that name? And another important question, who are you?" I asked.

"You haven't heard of me? Ha...You wouldn't be the first, sadly." He took his bottle, and swayed it in place on the table, looking at its movement. "My name is Archimedes. I hail from a world not of this, but  it was much like yours. I came here on a 'ball of light', as many continued to say, for a while; but I actually crashed into this world, by accident."

Arc stopped rotating the bottle, and gently placed it back onto the countertop. He spoke,"I've been meaning to try to find my way out of this world; and back home to my family, but my past attempts have been fruitless, so far. As for the question of how I know your name is relatively easy. Basically, everyone already knows who the newest guardian is. He comes to a new world on purpose; to replace his father; Senior. He's attempting to fill the impossible shoes that his father 'left' behind. John was a friend of mine once; an aspiring upstanding guy. A 'good old' role model for little colts, and fillies everywhere. The glory, greed-envy of many trusting ponies. I knew exactly who you were; the moment I laid eyes on you walking through those doors." He lifted his bottle, and chugged the rest of his ale down.

Archimedes held the bottle, and seemed to be distracting himself by looking at the bottle labelling. "You walk with your fathers bearing; and you also carry his armor. Not with everything of his armor, but that's how he is. Always with his shitty riddles that are far too easy. I thought that Everypony was lying, at first. When I heard that John had left; I thought he'd comeback somehow, but now that I know this for certain; it almost breaks my heart. Left me. It's a new feeling, something different being on the opposite spectrum of being left behind, with no explanation." He took the bottle, and threw it to the opposite side of the tavern. It flew gracefully, and smashed on the ground; chiming throughout the room. "Since your here, and I know almost everyone around here, except you. Let's talk."

I looked to the barkeep, and used my eyebrows to gesture a 'sorry' expression; I then turned my attention back to the drunken alicorn, and said,"Alright, I'll answer anything you have any questions for; but you have to stop breaking stuff in here; and  in town. There's private spots to vent your frustrations, not at someponies business. Please Archimedes, control yourself."

We sat around, and chatted for a bit; I learned much about my father, and his little 'secrets'. Archimedes told me that Senior hid things in spots around Equestria, spots that meant greatly to him. I managed to piece together the puzzle; and figured that this is what Senior wanted me to do. The old man wanted me to 'find' these places, and discover whatever secrets they held.

The night continued to pass; but faster than I thought. The shop was starting to close; I braced myself using the young alicorn like a crutch, as we walked out of the bar. I looked to the barkeep; matching Arc's eyes, all while Archimedes was drooling onto my shoulder,"Here; this shood pay for what heath broken, sew far. I'm thorry." I ripped my coin purse off, and tossed it to the bartender.

He caught it, and began looking through it,"With this much, I could start up a new bar! I can't take this!" The kind bartender tried to return the purse; but in my intoxication, I assured him that there was no need. "Thank you! Goddesses, bless you! I'll remember this!" He took his new gold, and ran up to his barmaid; who I assumed was his wife, and showed her the size of the coin purse.

Arc, and I exited the tavern; and as we reached the street, I could hear cheers from the two inside. It put a smile on my face, and I set my sights on home. I decided that since I didn't know where Archimedes lived, and didn't want to leave him to sleep in the streets; he might as well crash at my place, for the night.

I was in the process of making breakfast the next morning, for us; when I heard groaning echoing through the house, and the light clacking of hooves coming from down the hall. His familiar voice echoed from the distant hall,"Damn...son of a bitch, again with this?" 

I turned to see Arc wobbling his way to the table, and he took security from the kitchen table chair, as he sat down. He looked around the house, and grabbed my newspaper from atop the table. A magical aura came off his horn, and a sudden steamy cup came into existence, out of nowhere. He took a sip, and winced slightly,"Ooh...Hot. That's nice." 

He took his attention away from the newspaper, and finally saw me on the only open side of the kitchen, pouring pancake mixture into a container. As our eyes contacted, he took a sip of coffee again; puckering his lips after his cup was put on the table. "Oh, hello...umm... we didn't...Fun times, right?" He coughed into his hand, and then took another sip of coffee. His eyes made contact with mine again,"May I ask; last night, did we?" I was confused by what he meant, and shook my head furling my brow. "Oh, thank the goddesses." He continued to sip an endless bottomed coffee cup.

"What do you mea...Wait...Never mind, I don't have to know. I didn't ask. You also; didn't just hear me even try." I coughed to break the awkward silence forming between us. He got up from his chair, and looked to the coffee pot on the counter.

"Oh, sweet nectar of life. I really would like some, right now." He grabbed another cup from the cupboard, and poured into the new cup. He took a good long sip, and hummed in delight,"Ah, that's the stuff."

Dumbfounded, I asked,"So, Arc; how old are you, exactly? Last night, I tried asking you the same thing; but you were so blitzed, you weren't sure of it yourself. You gave a ridiculous answer that's even longer than three human lifespans; combined." I told the dark maned alicorn.

"That wasn't because of the booze; it's because, I just honestly don't know how long I've been alive.  I came crashing into this world, from another, and another, so on, and so forth...for quite a while. With the constant changes in times, years, and universes; everything flies by. I was human at a time; for 'that' time, but something started happening during my adventures here in Equestria. It's always been a cellular problem, in general. I started growing fur, hooves, the whole nine yards. The change this time, at first was...'Strange'. After awhile, everything seemed normal, like usual; but I do miss some things about being a 'human'. It's for the best, in this spot; I suppose." 

He took another few sips of his coffee, then he turned back to me,"Well, enough about me, what's on your agenda for today? Going to save some lonely town? A few damsels from towers? Come on, come on, enlighten me."

I stirred the pancake mix around, and poured it into the hot pan,"Today's going to be a pretty rough one; but not the worst, in the slightest. It's feeding day."

I explained to Archimedes about the deal, and why I was feeding the changlings, and why it would leave me drained when I returned home. After enjoying our company, and our breakfast, Arc took his leave; setting out for more of his wacky adventures, as I readied myself for the day's draining experience. 

I flew towards the direction of the Hive, and I could feel a smile creep onto my face as I remembered that today, I'd be seeing Chrysalis again.
> A Living Passion.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had arrived to the changeling Hive by flying, and stood at the front wall gate; readying myself at the entrance. I was taken off guard, as the front gate guard had been watching me from the gate booth. He held a frantic look over his face, and then he began to call over. "Hey, Dark! Can you please; follow me." Confused with the sudden reaction, I started to follow the stallion. 

We strode through the large gate, and walked towards the entrance of the fortress. As I looked around the area; I could see changlings running patrols around the castle befuddled. Something was off, and it could be seen bright as the sun itself.  The guard began to lead me near the fleshy doors of the castle throne room, and the guard softly spoke,"Dark...My Queen has been talking about you, she says that we are not to fear you; yet I fail to see why we would; in the first place. You haven't harmed us, intentionally. When the Queen speaks about you, she talks with high regard; do you know why?" The guard questioned.

"I couldn't tell you, to be honest. When we met for the first time, she told me that she already had been trying to contact me for a while, beforehand. I'm just happy that she speaks about me, even with my absence." I smiled at the thought.

"I'm just glad you're here now, the Hive has become restless; for the past few days." The changeling uttered, in a shaken fashion. I had my own thoughts, as to why the hostility; but I continued with the guard through the castle door. We passed through the halls, and finally arrived at the throne room. The guards took their leave, and it left just myself, and Chrysalis; alone. 

I slowly began to approach the Queen, and she slowly stood from her throne. I began my approach, feeling a smile slowly creeping onto my cheeks, and as I walked; Chrysalis was doing the same off her three steps, to the room floor. We met in the middle of the room, and I could feel my heart drop. Our eyes connected, and with a toothy grin; I said,"It's good to see you once again, Queen Chrysalis." I lent forward, bowing to the ebony beauty.

"Not as good as it is to see you, Darkmoon." She smiled, and held out her hand. I slowly caressed her hand as I reached up for it, and gave it a warm, quick kiss. Her hand was soft to the touch, and the warmth of wooden fire. I stood back up, and smiled. She gently placed her hand back at ease, and gazed at me with her shamrock green eyes,"How was the trip here? You didn't have to travel very far, did you?" She questioned. 

"No; my Queen. I've started to travel using my wings. I thank Dash for the lengths she took; just to make me fly. I got good at training, it only took a few hours; at most, to get here." We began stepping towards the throne, and she gestured that I sit down on it. I felt tired from my lack of sleep, and the exhaustion from flying a great distance; so I agreed to sit. I sat down onto the throne feeling out of place, when I could feel something take hold of my body, keeping me in place. It seemed that the living chair had taken a 'liking' to me. 

With its new control, the throne started to stretch width-wise on the seat, and it had formed into a love seat. The ebony queen sat down beside me, and lent against my shoulder. I could finally move my body, as she lay on me; but would I really want to? As the grip on me faded, so did the remainder of my vision; my eyes started to feel heavy, and I began to yawn.

"Are you tired Dark? We should get you to bed soon." I turned to her at the statement, through my eyes half-lidded. I could feel my heart skip a beat, even with the extent of tiredness. "No! Um, that came out wrong...I mean..." She seemed to be struggling with her words."I'm going to get you a room to sleep in!" Her ebony cheeks turned a bright maroon red. She tried to hide her face behind her hands; but what was heard, could not be unheard. "You have to sleep!" The groan to herself was flustered. 

I trudged the weariness, and stayed up with Chrysalis.  The little moments of embarrassment between Chrysalis and I carried on for most of the visit. We shared stories of each others lives. Stories that told moments of laughter, sadness, joy, and love. Through the windows I could see that the sun would be setting soon; and that my eyes were starting to win the battle. I looked to Chrysalis, and signaled her to follow my lead. She got up from the love seat, and stepped beside me.

"What is it, Dark?" Asked the ebony queen, and I led her to the balcony. I opened the glass doors, and we stood in the light; side by side, facing the horizon. The sun began its descent, and painted a master piece across the sky. She stared to the open orange sky, and spoke,"Dark, it's beautiful." The words just barely breaching her lips.

"It's the second most beautiful thing I've seen." I continued to face the setting sun.

"Second?" Chrysalis asked.

I turned to the Queen of changlings; and smiled warmly. I looked into her cascading emerald eyes, and said,"Yes, almost as beautiful as yourself." She quickly turned around, and faced away from me holding her hands on her face. My heart sank to the bottom of my chest; as I realized that I'd blown it with the most beautiful changling I've ever seen, and looked back to the sunset to reflect. I clenched my eyes shut, in disbelief. 'Why do I have to rush this? Why do I always screw these things up?' I thought to myself. My thoughts were thrown to the side as I felt a warm, smooth hand pull me towards the mare of my dreams. "Sorry; if I.." I was quickly interrupted by her lips, as they made quick friends with mine.

As our lips locked on the balcony next to the setting sun; I caressed my fingers through her mane. I could tell she was enjoying herself, as moans of pleasure came out. I finally felt like this moment was meant to be, that 'We', were meant to be. She broke the kiss, and a single string of saliva was all that connected our once locked lips.

"Dark, I really think we should start heading to bed. There's a deal with the feeding, don't you agree?" Her voice was very arousing, and I finally realized that 'this' was her bedroom voice. All I could do was nod, and she led me into a dimly lit room lit by gothic stylized candles. I looked upon the room further to find a bottle of champagne, chilling inside a bucket full of ice, and rose petals lacing a trail; all the way to the only bed inside the room. This wasn't the method of the 'Usual' feeding process but if this was a new way, I was going to have to learn; step-by-step.
> Past; Presents: You Sure?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke after a good nights sleep. The night had been rather, to say the least; Eventful. I rolled over on the bed, and was immediately stopped by her silky wings pressing against my bare chest. I followed the wings to their sensitive source, to find the still sleeping beauty I had spent the night with. 

Her mane was a mess, and she was drooling into the pillow. The sight of the regal queen slobbering on her clenched pillow was amusing; I pressed myself in closer to the ebony queen, wrapped my arm around her chest, and lightly squeezed to take a moment. As she slept inside the cover of my arms, I could hear her breath snore lightly. I simply laid there peaceful; taking comfort with her in my embrace. I figured it was time I got ready to leave; I slowly, and carefully peeled myself away from the bed. I looked to Chrysalis, my sleeping love; and began to slip my clothes back on. 

As I started getting dressed; my belts must have rattled too loud as the sleeping beauty on the mattress started to stretch and gracefully remove herself from her bed. She slowly approached me; and wrapped her loving arms around my neck,"Leaving so soon?" I could feel a grin peeling onto my face, looking before the beauty before me. 

"I'm sorry, but Celestia wished to see me today. I'll be back; within a few days, my love." I gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "You're beautiful, just know that. I'll think of what you'll wear today." I smirked.

After all my goodbyes, I made my way out of the castle. As soon as I exited the fortress gate; I immediately took to the air, with a sizable gusto in my step. 

When I arrived at the Canterlot castle, I strode my way towards the throne room. I entered, and was greeted by Princess Celestia. "Hello, Dark. It's been some time. I hope you had a nice visit; but today, you will be going to the 'Pond of Guidance'."

She held her hands together, and stared directly into my eyes. She spoke,"With this mission, it's all in 'fair' game. You must step into the pond; completely submerging yourself into it. The pond holds magical properties, and your fitted for 'it'. The reason I ask of you to do this rather strange task; is because it has been almost two months, since you first arrived in Equestria. I can tell you wish to see your family; with this extent, I wish for you to see them justly. The pond is the only thing that connects these two realms together; your's, and mine. You have the choice to stay with them; but if you could find it in your heart to come back to continue to protect these lands, and it's residents, my gratitude would be unending." Celestia gave me a small nod, with a quivering smile.

"Don't worry, Celest. I have no intention of leaving this world behind. On that train of thought; Since the only connection between our worlds was this pond, Did my father spend much of his time around it, by chance?" I questioned the white mare, and the snowy coated alicorn slightly nodded with a narrowed gaze.

"Yes...he did; Why is it you ask?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, and gave me a look of curiosity.

I smiled, retorting,"For no reason in particular; So, where do I find this 'pond'?" She walked towards me, and placed her horn against my forehead. Her horn begun to glow, and vivid images flooded into my mind. My thoughts were invaded by figures, and shapes; as a map seemed to come into imagery within my head. Bright red dots covered random spots throughout Equestria on the map; and once Celestia pulled back, the map continued to stay. The very thought of the map; filled my vision. I immediately asked,"What just happened? What are these dots for?"

"I took my chance; and sorted out what was your reason for asking about these, 'Senior Spots'. I've seen into your mind, I know what you are looking for. I simply made your task; that much easier. The marks on the map I've imprinted inside your mind represent your fathers most beloved spots; here in Equestria. As you discover these spots, and discover their hidden secrets; the marks will begin to fade away, but the map will stay inside your mind. This way you'll always have a map, and will never get lost." The white alicorn gave me a light nod, and smiled with half-lidded eyes. "Now; you better get on your way. John was a very scheduled man; mostly due to my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." She chuckled to herself. "She may be timely, but she 'does' the work she needs done. I will be awaiting your return."

"I will. Thanks Celestia, I'll be back within a couple days." I turned to the exit of the throne room, and grinned to myself.  I thought,'I wonder what Nicky's gonna think of me now.' I began the journey.

I followed the map, and I held an adventure through the Everfree forest.  I travelled deep within the Badlands, quickening my pace and finally arrived at a mountainous destination. I looked up to find a large sizable volcano; directly were the marker stood upon my head-encased map. "Why does the thing that I need to get to; always seem to be blocked by something possibly dangerous... Damn it." I said to myself groaning. I took a few steps towards the tall summit, and the ground began to shake violently. "And of course; Here it starts, like always..." I grumbled.

I tried keeping my balance; and succeeded, as the shaking stopped. I looked to the volcano summit, and saw that the mini earthquake caused a small tunnel to unearth itself. I stepped closer, and looked into the small cave. It was pitch black inside, except for a small, dark blue light glimmering in the far distance of the tunnel.

I entered the cave, and held an inferno spell Twilight had taught me. It served a purpose; as a torch, holding my hand up in the air. Due to the darkness, I couldn't see much within the cavern beside what was in immediate presence. I came closer to the once distant blue light, and I dropped the spell; entering a room. 

The blue light climbed up the cave wall, then into a hole on the ceiling; light was coming from the outside. Gazing through the room, I could see small sections of wall uncovered by rock, and the light shone through the cracks. I could tell there was more behind the wall, so I curiously looked through the hole. I looked around the dimly lit room, and saw many amazing things. There were small wisps of light, floating around the area; grass forming across the smooth stones, and dirt flooring. Various sizes of mushrooms were covering the floor, and surrounding walls. Finally, in the middle of the room; sat the glistening pond. The water was still, but held a glowing aura.

I took a step back, and imagined myself on the other side. I closed my eyes and teleported myself through. I began to walk over to the pond. When I arrived; I leaned closer to the pond, and seen my reflection bouncing off the calm, still water. The glow was entrancing, and I had to fight free to pull myself away. When I did, I made sure to stare away from it. Before I began to step in the pond, I started my search for Senior's investigation.

"If I 'were' Senior, where would I put..." I rummaged around the room, and found nothing. I was just about to give up hope; when I tripped on a stump, on my way to the pond disheartened. I fell flat on my face onto the stone ground, and mumbled silent curses to myself. I turned to face what I had tripped on; to swear at it, when I found out what it actually was.

I stood to my feet, and walked over to my prize on the ground; that was slightly covered in grass. I knelt down, and pulled it from its earthen casing. It was a gun, of a sort. It looked to be a sawn-off shotgun, but had little fuses; and wires connecting to various parts. I took it into my left hand, and aimed down the dark tunnel. I thought to myself,'This is going to be loud!'

I pulled the trigger back; but was greeted by only silence. I looked at the barrel of the shotgun; into the ejector port, and found that it was empty. "Well, that was highly anti-climactic." I said; to no one, in particular. I took my new prize, and switched it into my right hand. I was about to put it inside my pack, when I heard a chiming hum sound echoing through the room. "What the..." I turned to the dark corridor, and couldn't find a trace of anything. I looked around the room, nothing. "Guessing it's my imagination..." I turned back to my pack, I found that the shotgun had started glowing; in my other hand.

I spent some time looking at the gun, and was in the process of figuring it out,"When I touch it with my right hand, it starts to glow. With my left, nothing." Then it finally struck me; like a ton of bricks. "It's magical! My right gauntlet emits magical power, and channels it from me, to the gun! The reason it doesn't react to the other is because it doesn't have the same enchantment! Why didn't I think of this before! That took too long..." I felt I could've saved a lot of time, if I had just went along with it; but I couldn't leave it alone. "I should probably go back to school, or something." I felt incredibly flustered.

I put my new found gear into my pack, and turned back to the pond; smiling. "Ok. Ready, or not. Here I come."
> Full of Regret.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I took my approach to the lonely pond; a smile overtook my expressions, as I thought of seeing my family. I was about to finally see them for the first time in close to a two month period; and I was filled with such joy, but then it happened.

A blast echoed around the dark tunnel; as I retrieved my new weapon, and gripped it tight with my right hand, the magic formed from my reserves, and were being channeled into the fuses of the gun. I held it up towards the entrance 
of the cave, and waited. Whatever caused the explosion wanted to kill me; if I was going to die, I was going to be taking it with me.

"If I were you; I'd lower that gun." Called a voice, coming from inside of the tunnel.

"Reveal yourself, and I might consider it." I replied, as I swiveled around; searching for the noise' origin.  A figure stepped into the dim orbs of light surrounding various spots. I turned the gun towards the movement in the room, and I could feel my heart lift in joy. I lowered my gun; but the sight sent my mind into confusion. "Wait, you're not supposed to be here. Why are you here, and aren't with them?" The figure was my father, Senior.

Senior's presence sent shivers down my wings, as he began walking through the room slowly. He held his hands together, behind his back; looking at the ground. He spoke, in a hushed tone,"Son, this is the Pond of Guidance. This is the only spot that connects Equestria, and our Earth. It got its name when the great; Star swirl the bearded, discovered it during the 'Pre-Classical Era'. He named it the Pond of Guidance; because he made this, his home." He explained staring at me.

"This is were he taught many guardians. The guardians used to be plentiful, and mighty; but during my time as one, a great war was held between the ponies of Equestria, and the gryphon kingdoms.  We battled for many years; gaining, and losing lands, as the seasons passed. Day after day, Month after month, Year...after year. Once the war was over, and I was one of the last of my kind. Both human, and guardian. My brothers fell for a country that forgot them; I lived, and journeyed through life with this sense of guilt." He clenched his fists into a ball, with his eyes closed. 

He opened his eyes, and stared into mine. "The guilt that I should have been killed too; but I continued to push through it. I continued to live for my fallen brothers, sisters, and for myself; and then I bore a son. Your mother lived on earth, as I resided inside Equestria. We met through the portal in a happy accident, and we loved each other. Two months passed with our visits, and your mother became pregnant, with you." He clenched his hands, as he looked to the floor.

"You were always meant to be my predecessor; and now you are, but something went wrong 27 years ago. While your mother visited back to earth, the portal shut. It wouldn't open, and it couldn't; no matter how much, and how long I tried. You were born on earth, but you were meant to be born here. The gods of this world, power much greater than Celestia's, and my own combined; found this troubling." He relaxed his palms, and looked saddened.

"In desperation; they created the one you know as Shadow Kin, to fill-in for your absence. He was made to replace you, but he couldn't find the missing piece to his half-soul. Without this piece; he couldn't exit the dream realm. Shadow was my son, I raised him through dreams. Loved him with all my heart, and he was the closest I could be; with you. When the gates closed, it put my mind through many challenges. The ponies I once called friends; the princesses, all of them...Not one, would raise a finger to help me; I begged Celestia to aid me, but was turned down." He yelled in anger. 

"She believed that the old relic of the fortress should be preserved. She said that by chance; spells could break the wards placed on the portal that prevent dangerous forms from coming through; but never received the only answer I cared for. I felt rejected, and regretted ever setting foot inside of this land."

Surges of emotion were boiling inside my head. I felt angry; that my fate would have already been decided for me upon birth, and I was saddened from the love he felt for Shadow, and I. I could feel a single tear carve its way out of my tear duct, and leave an acidic feeling; as it slid down my cheek.

"Why are you even here, Senior! Why would you ask me to replace you; if you felt this way, in the very first place!?" I asked.

"I can tell that you are hurting from this. All these memories; not your own, but mine. I asked you, because I wanted to stay true to my path I'd chosen long ago; to make you a Guardian. Strong, like a Guardian. The only reason I chose to send you here; was to toughen you up, not for these confounded ponies! They do not deserve our protection, and I am here to end the continuation of the Guardians. I am here to close the portal, and if this is the only thing that connects our worlds together; it's closed. Guardians were many, but now only two remain. Once I close the portal, this land will be left to protect it's own." He exclaimed in a saddened tone.

"I am not betraying this land, nor my brothers. I have simply turned to protecting my beliefs; my life, my love, and my family. This land doesn't need the guardians anymore, peace has returned to this land; Power such as the Guardians, would eventually be thrown into oblivion. We should leave."

"You, and I both know that peace is only temporary. The Guardians are needed. When trouble rises; who else could, and would protect these lands? I will not back away from this, not without good reason." I replied to Senior.


The old guardian stepped into the pond, and sat down,"Son, whether you choose to come with me, or to stay; I am still closing the portal. Should you stay, you will be forever cut away from your mother Jenns, your little brother Nicky, and me; your father. Are you sure the residents of this world deserve to be protected? What have they done for you? What have they sacrificed for you? Their families? I've sacrificed my family, my life, my world! All to protect them!" Senior was in a rage; as he yelled to the top of his lungs, his face growing redder as he spoke.

I faced away from the fallen hero,"What have you ever done for me? You were never there. You never showed me how to live. I learned everything from my own experiences. I gave up my childhood; to protect my family, just to keep us going. I never made friends, because I was always working. You didn't sacrifice your family, you gave up on it."

"Don't you ever speak to your father that way; how dare you to decide what I sacrificed, or not! I never gave up on my family; they were taken away, from me!" He turned away from me, and looked into the pond. 

"Taken? If you had any sense of family, then why weren't you with mom in the first place? Why weren't you on earth? Why do you feel this need to gain pity, from the son you never knew?" I could only gaze in his direction, as the anger muffled within my chest. 

"..."

"Well?" I looked to the old man; bewildered,"Well, then? Answer me...Answer me!" I cried out.

Senior began to slowly edge himself into the waters of the pond, making ripples with his arrival. He lowered his body further down into the water. "I don't know...I don't know. I once thought that you; of all people, would see things the way I did. I was wrong, I suppose. Wasn't I?" He began to submerge his torso, and only his head was above water. With his mouth above water, he spoke,"I don't expect you to forgive me, but I love you son. I always will. This is goodbye." He sank his head; after his statement, and his body faded away. Once he disappeared, the pond began to empty rapidly.

I leapt into the pond, and tried to stop Senior; but I was already too late. The once charming portal disguised as a pond, now resembled my heart; empty.

I pounded on the empty stone crater floor, and cried out in anger; I could feel my insides filling with rage. Fire appeared around the room; but I could care less, I could never see my family again. My old life was lost. My world was gone. 'I' was gone. As the fire took hold of the room, I could feel my rage expand. I screamed to the gods loud, and fearsome; a cry that would make a demon cower, in fear.
> Last Guard. Last Stand.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four months had passed since the portal was closed. I had been roughly close to being six months within Equestria. I searched for ways to open the portal once again; but nothing ever seemed to work. I don't have enough power, and the slightest means to do so. I tried using learned spells, rituals; pretty much anything I could find to open it but all my efforts were wasted. Even if the door back to earth was brought back to life; Senior would no doubt definitely close it. I grew to resent my father and his actions; but that didn't keep me from performing my role, as a guardian. 

During those four insufferable months, I kept my mind concentrated on roaming the plains of Equestria; to keep my thoughts in focus. Searching the lands for any signs of trouble, I hardly spent time at home. I hadn't shown up to the farm at all. I continued to feed the Hive; but the feeding was normal. Queen Chrysalis tried being affectionate; and I left her with no surprises as I continued to journey. 

From The Badlands; to Vanhoover, Manehatten, to San Palomino Desert. I continued to travel these endless routes; only stopping to eat, sleep, and gather supplies. I didn't search for the remainder of Senior's gear; I didn't want it. I didn't need it. Celestia called me in for a meeting once asking why I haven't been around frequently. Leaving invitations, and unopened on my front porch. I told her that I was only doing my job, but inside; I didn't think I was worthy of anybody's time. 

Time, its a funny subject. I once had a family, and with time; came Senior.

I was nearing Ponyville during my route. I was in need of supplies, and figured I'd get something quick to eat at Sugarcube corner; then be on my way. I stopped at a familiar stall, and was greeted by Ditzy. She looked surprised to see me at the stall. "Hey Dark! I haven't seen you in forever!" She leapt from the seat of her stall, and knocked me off my feet. As I landed on my back, I felt something I hadn't felt in quite a long time; Happiness. I was happy to see the lazy eyed mare before me. 

"Hey there, Ditzy; how are you?" I asked.

"How am I?...How am I? How are you?" She nuzzled her snout into my neck affectionately, it put a smile on my face; to see that someone missed me this much. "Why haven't you been around town? It's been like, what...four months now?" She continued interrogating me.

"I'm just doing my job. I can't help others; if I'm just sitting here in Ponyville. So, how is everypony here?"

"Well, let me give you the short version. Twilight, and the girls have been looking for help with this pony named 'Moon Shadow', and the apple farm isn't in too good of shape; since the bright light. The cakes have been..." I quickly interrupted her.

"Bright light? What was it? When did it happen? Why wasn't I told about this?" I questioned.

"Umm, let me think..." She put her hand against her chin, and slouched in thought. "It...happened shortly after you left to the Badlands. Come to think of it; that's kinda around the same time the apple farm went sour!" The grey pegasus nodded,"Yup, that's exactly when it happened."

'Senior, I knew you were an ass, and hated these ponies; but really?' I thought to myself; it must have been him, for sure. "Well, I guess I could take some time off. You all seem to need the help." At that, Ditzy's eyes shot wide open, and a smile covered her face from ear to ear.

"Yay! We should hang out real soon! Wanna have a sleep over? We can stay up all night, eat muffins, pillow fight, eat muffins, tell scary stories, muf-" I covered her mouth, and nodded with a grin.

"Ok Ditzy, I'll sleep over." Her hug tightened around my neck. "Dit-Ditzy...Air...I need air..." She loosened her grip, slightly. 

"Sorry, it's just that I'm so excited! Yay!" She let go from her hug.

After using Ditzy's services and supplying the journey, I went through with the day like it was any other; business like usual. Only one thing changed within the day. I was making my way to investigate Sweet apple acres; when a great explosion could be heard in the distance. I turned towards the direction of the sound, and ran down the street following the explosion. I finally arrived at a very familiar bar, Tolsa's Tavern. "Why the bar; Everytime?" I groaned. 

I pushed past the wooden doors, and seen the coat of a very angry white alicorn. "Archimedes?" I called out.

"Dark? Is that you?" His anger seemed to subside; as he looked upon me. We met in the middle of the once again; shattered bar, and embraced each other with a hug. "Where in Equestria have you been? The last I seen you was when John came back. What was he even doing here, in the first place?"

We sat in the tattered bar; and talked, I honestly felt bad for the owners of this place. Arc, with his problems; but we all have them too, I guess. As we sat at the table, I told him about what had happened. Why he didn't see me around; why I couldn't stay in one spot for too long, and everything that Senior had done. Bringing these memories back up was spirit crushing. These memories were just constant reminders that I would never once again see my family. That I truly was alone.

"Dark, that...that's terrible. I am sorry." The ivory alicorn was lost in a daze of sadness. "But, you know what? You're not alone. You have me, you have all of us. What about Chrysalis? Did you forget about her? Not everything is a guarantee, in life. I was from other universes; other lives. You'll be alright." He smirked, as he slapped the back of my pauldron.

"I didn't tell anyone about her; how did you know?" I asked.

A smile covered his face, but sadness was still apparent on his muzzle,"I may not have known about the portal, and it's...damned secrets; but I, and many others know about you, and her. Go to her. You need her, and she needs you. More than you know."

"Ok, I'll set off in the morning. Right now, I have some ponies I need to help first. I'll catch you later, ok?"

"I'll be seeing you, till next time." I gave Arc an embrace, and began to set off.

As I made my way towards the apple farm; my mind reflected on Archimedes, Chrysalis, Ditzy, and every pony within Equestria. The relationships I built; with all of them. It made me feel less lonely, realizing they were my friends. I was needed here, and everypony seemed happy to see me. I felt like I've created something; my very own family.

I pushed my happy thoughts to the side; and I focused on what needed to be done. I continued my way to the farm, when it struck me. I thought to myself, 'Wait a minute, if the Elements are searching for this 'Moon Shadow'; Jack's probably with them.' I quickly turned step, and set my sights on the Everfree. 'Since this mare is luring ponies into the forest.
> Moons Shadow.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood on the end of the Everfree as I searched for the girls, but none were within sight. This feeling of unease taking over; sending a bitter, sinister chill up my spine. I could feel something evil and vile creeping through the air of the forest, but I needed to find this mystery mare; putting a stop to these disappearances. 

"Hey!" called a voice from behind from the open field, I turned to find a young mare; she had long blue hair, and a light cyan coat. Her cutey mark appeared to be a quill with paper. "I need your help; my cart's wheel had broke, and I can't change it by myself. Can you help me, please?"

She only appeared to be in her teens, the fact that her parents weren't around was mind boggling. "Where are your parents, little one? Why are you out here alone close to the Everfree?" I knelt down questioning her; I spanned around looking for her parents.

"I'm not that young!" She started to frown,"Well... Can you help me, or not?" It was obvious that this conversation was going nowhere; so I nodded. She began leading me deep within the Everfree; I looked around. I was keeping an eye out for the girls; and the timberwolves. "We're almost there, but umm... Can you turn around for a moment?" She asked, quivering.

"Why? What's going on?" She stood with her legs crossed, and hopped on the spot. "Oh, you need to...ok." I turned away to give her some privacy. While waiting; I began thinking to myself,'Ok, I've come to the forest to find a mare that's been leading strangers...into the forest...deep within the forest?' My thoughts were interrupted instantly, as I turned to face the busy filly. She had a large sinister smile, and devilish eyes. With one quick swing; I was knocked unconscious.

When I finally came through; I found that I was strapped to a table in a dark room, and that I was completely isolated. I couldn't recall anything. I didn't know how I got there; but all I knew was that I'd have to get out.

My head felt like it was spinning, and it hurt to have my eyes open; leaving blurred vision. I forced myself to look around trying to get my bearings; I could see that the walls were made of stone, and the flooring was wooden. It was cold in the room, and I quickly found out why. I've been stripped of my clothing, and my armor had been removed. The only piece of clothing I had was my boxers. I needed to get out of here; I needed to find my clothing, and find that little girl; she must have been 'Moon Shadow'.

As I laid on the cold steel table; I tried to slip my hands out of the straps, but it was no use. The leather bounds were much too tight. I let off the straps in exhaustion for a moment,'Damn, she's good with cutting off circulation...' Thinking to myself. Both my feet, and arms had been strapped tightly to the table; so I had to make a plan. I placed the bottoms of my feet against the table, and put as much force as possible wiggling my hands through the strap; but within that force, it caused my left thumb to dislocate as it wiggled free. With my left arm; I used the rest of my usable fingers to unstrap myself off the table.

After unbinding myself; I heard a quaking 'pop' from a far off room. I flung myself off the table. The floor, never before had I been so happy to be on it. I got to my feet, and crept my way over to the door; I quickly looked through the barred window of the wooden door, and gazed down both sides of the hall. I couldn't see a soul, and figured that the place was vacant for a hideout. I tried to open the door, but found that it was locked from the other side. I devised a plan for a quick moment; and figured that I'd give it a shot.

With a loud crash, many shards of wood with steel; scattering around together on the floor as the door burst open. The plan was to take the table I was strapped to; and use it as a battering ram, and it worked. I was free; but still trapped within the building. I pulled the table away from the exit, and slid it to the side of the room; I turned back to the door pieces, and smiled to myself,"Almost home free."

As I crept through the dark halls of the stone building in only my boxer;  I looked around for either an exit, or my captor. After twenty minutes of searching the empty building; I finally heard two people talking inside a closed room. I walked closer to the door, and placed my ear against it to get a better understanding of what they were saying.

"What are you going to do now? That's the guardian; What will happen, if he gets out? It'll be the end of us all!" Said one feminine voice.

"So, this title of 'Guardian' makes him better, than anyone? I'll bet you one hundred bits that once I start torturing; he's gonna cry like a little girl, just like the others." The second voice was harsh; but a feminine voice as well, just deeper in tone.

"But...you can't, it's just not...right."

"Right? It doesn't matter now what's 'right', at the moment. Since you brought him here; we have to end him so we can continue, or let him go and face death for what we've done."

I pulled my head away from the door, and thought,'I am not going to kill either of you; but you will have to face justice.' As I returned to reality, I thought that being dressed only in my current state was a little ridiculous. I needed my gear, I needed a lot of things at the moment. Pulling myself away from the door turning, I accidently knocked over a wooden pile that scattered around the hallway.

"What was that?" asked a voice from the other side of the door.

"Well, go and check it out!" said the other.

"You were the one claiming that Dark would cry like a girl just now; you go!"

"Fine, I'll go...stupid brat." With that, the door to the locked room opened, and out came a mint-green pony. She gave a look around the hallway, but she couldn't see me, as I leant in fear.

'Don't look...don't look at me.' I thought to myself, and to my surprise; she listened. The mint-green pony looked up, and down the hallway scaling front, and back along it's path; but couldn't seem to find anyone.

"There's no one here...we should go check on Dark, maybe start the show." The mint green pony signaled for the younger one to follow her, and to her command, she did. Coming out the door was the same little pony that knocked me unconscious.

As they walked down the hall, I thought to myself,'Why couldn't they see me? I was standing just in front of them. What's going on?' All my questions were silenced, as I looked down to my transparent hand; there was a glow emanating off of it. "I can cast spells; without my bracer?"

I needed my gear; and I needed a way out. I needed to put a stop to this mad pair, before they hurt anypony else. I looked through the door to the room they came from, and spotted my clothes. "That's a start; at least."
> Unfocused. Mistakes.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood to my feet and slowly paced my way into the room, just to make sure there were no hidden surprises. I peeked my head around the corner and gave the room a quick scan. I couldn't find any other ponies; so I entered the room, and made my way over to my clothes.

Once I finally clothed myself; I took a quick stretch. It felt good to have clothes once again, and a hell of a lot warmer. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff." I said to myself.

I gave the room another scan for the rest of my gear. "And of course, they had put it in another room..." I figured that if these two were smart; then they would have had to put them inside a safe, or something.

As I exited the room, down the hall I could hear things smashing against distant stone walls. I knelt down concealing myself, and continued to listen in.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Screamed the older mare.

"I like how you ask me; like I'd know." Voiced Moon Shadow.

I could hear an audible frustrated grunt. "It was a rhetorical question! One that doesn't need answering!"

"If it didn't need answering; then why did you ask it then?"

I could hear the sound of the older mares palm slap against her forehead in agitation,"Sister, I am going to say this one last time. Stop. Being. A. Smart-ass. That's not your job." 

I couldn't help but laugh silently to myself; just the way the younger sister kept pestering her older sister was hysterical. I figured it was about time I got out of there; so I made my way through the halls of this empty, cobwebbed abandoned castle.

I was just about to lose hope of ever finding my armor and weapons, until I finally came across the only locked door left inside the constantly expanding halls of the ruin. "Now, if only I had that table..." I figured that I could try to bust the door off it's hinges, if I tried to boot it down; but it was completely made of steel and stone. If my idea was going to work, then I'd either need a hell of a lot of force; or a new peg-legged foot. I continued to plan the impossible doors demise when it hit me,"Let's wing it."

The hallway was slender; so I placed my hands against the wall to use it as leverage, and lifted my right foot off the ground to build stability placing it on the door. After placing both hands and feet on opposite walls and a great feat of force, and strength; the door burst open with a loud crash as it slammed the wall. The noise was sure to call my captors, so I quickly began searching through the once locked room.

After a moment of rummaging around inside the dimly lit room, I finally found the device that housed my armor. "I'd better hurry; they could be here at any moment." I reached down to the sketchy safe box built into the flooring, and took hold of it. "...Come on..." I pulled with the rest of my strength, but to no avail. It stayed closed tightly; then a thought popped into my mind.

'If I can cast a spell without my bracer, then maybe...' I placed my right hand over top the safe and focused. Slowly; my hand started to glow, and I could hear the sound of metal shifting. After a moment of concentrating, I heard the sound of a click. The safe slowly cracked open, and I reached in; pulling out my armor. "Thank you, Twilight. I never would have known this spell, if had I always kept my house key handy."

I strapped my pauldron on, and could hear the sound of hoofsteps coming closer down the hall. My eyes shot open as I realized that I needed to hurry faster. I quickly strapped on the rest of my armor on, and turned to face the door. I readied my right hand with a charged inferno spell; and I took a calming breath as my wings came sliding back out of my back. There was no pain, no blood, just feathers and bone.

I focused hard on the spell, and just as the spell finished charging; the figure of the mint green earth pony burst around the corner of the door. "There you are!" The elder sister cried out but I blasted her with the spell unfocused, and it launched her backwards through the window. She fell a great distance as her smoldering remains crashed to the ground. I didn't want to kill her; there was no need, and I made a mistake. 

"Sister!" Screamed the younger pony. The very same one from the Everfree; Moon Shadow. She cried out for her sister in agony panting, and each scream swelled and festered inside my head.

As the cries echoed throughout the halls; I felt every emotion inside my body fade. I couldn't feel anything, but sympathy...for the newly grieving filly. I made my way over to the sobbing filly slowly, and knelt down. "I'm greatly sorry, I didn't want to...I...I just..." I lowered my head; in shame. It wasn't a part of my job. I'm supposed to protect; not this. Then something happened to me. The aching headaches; began to happen again. 

The filly saw that I was in pain as she backed away from me,"Why? Why would you...oh goddess..." She watched me as I fell to the floor grabbing a hold of my head with both my hands, to comfort myself away from the pain.

"Please, stay back..." I said through grunts of pain angerly. Pounding nerves and strikes of pain pierced my back; then began to overcome my entire torso. I could feel the sensations of pain strength overtake my mind, and I could only let out tears.

"Darkmoon, is that...blood?" The filly exclaimed slowly. I tried to look down to the floor boards, and all I could see through blurred vision; that what I thought were tears, were actually tears of blood. Each teardrop staining the ground.

I tried wiping my eyes free from this curse. I cried out,"No, not now...Not now!"
> The Depths Within.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I first started having the headaches; they only began around the age of five. They weren't as strong back then; they were only just considered the usual, and casual headache. When I was a child; I was told not to worry about them as much, but now they might have been my death sentence.

'I need to leave; I need to leave now!' I thought to myself extending my wings, readying myself for flight. "I'm sorry, little one." Those were the only words of sympathy I could muster; as I gave a great flap with my wings, and shot out of the shattered window. I couldn't help but abandon the little filly; though it was for the best option for both of us. For if I stayed any longer; I didn't know how I would have dealt with it. 

I soared through my flight, everything seemed to drag on as I flew over the Everfree; but the lack of sleep was starting to get to me. Not to mention the aftermath from my cranial carnival. 

Hardened blood covered my cheeks, and my head rang relentlessly. I didn't care for all the little things for the moment; all I cared for at the moment was returning home, for some much needed sleep.  Resting seemed to be the only thing that would cure these episodes of pain; and the feeling that it might take hold of me in any moment grew nearer.

All I could see was the blurred image of Ponyville in the distance; just breaking through the onslaught of trees. I remember having this inner feeling of happiness, and everything felt like it was going to be alright; but that's where everything seemed to go wrong. 

I made my way over the forest but as I did; something felt off. I winced with a sudden flash of withdrawal; feeling a sharpening pain coming from my spine. I turned my head around; only to find that my wings had disappeared within my wing-slotted shirt. "Ahhh...fuck." was all I could say as I began crashing towards the ground.

As I was falling towards the forest rapidly; hearing the tearing wind against my body, something about it soothed me. In such a way, that I could feel myself losing consciousness. My eyes began to close, and before I knew it; everything went black.

I awoke on wood-chipped covered grass, inside the mossy forest floor next to an uprooted tree. "How long have I been here?" I asked myself. I took a brief glance overhead, and could see the radiance of sunlight breaking through the leaves. I assumed it was morning, and slowly pulled myself to my feet. 

Taking a stance to ease myself into recovery, I began to stretch my limbs; in doing so, I could feel some pain emanating from my shoulder. I grasped it for a moment wincing. I tried to summon my wings, but it was no use. Either the enchantment with the armor wore off, or something was interfering with it.

With my armor only serving as protection for the moment; I had to take care not to encounter any timbers. I did have my sword; but my arm had dislocated from the impact, and I'm no good with my left. I would have to take the time to fix it by myself. Looking around the forest searching my scenery; it all seemed to be beautifully chaotic, all except for behind me. 

The trees behind me looked to be maimed; toppled and knocked over, or scattered around chaotically. On the ground; the grass took on a trail torn into the ground, forming a tiny rotten trail leading up towards me. Everything was devastated. The grass; the trees, and my own body. They all felt and looked the same; overwhelmed, and broken.

Turning away from the carnage; I had to ask myself once again in thought,'Did I do that? That's not possible...' Nothing seemed to make sense; but I needed medical attention, and the closest place I could think of was Zecora's hut.

The welcoming striped mare aided me, and tended to my wounds; as I sat down on her couch defeated. "This blood leaking from your eye; this only happens when you cry?" Zecora asked curiously. I was surprised she was home. Usually she was in town at the market, or wandering the nearby swamp for ingredients.

"Physicians and doctors back in my world couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. They didn't do a lot of tests; but they reassured me nothing was wrong. They stopped testing; so i assumed it wasn't anything, nothing they found wrong..." I told the curious zebra. "I noticed my eyes would begin to bleed when I would cry; something with the massive pressure that builds up inside my head cause these headaches. The headaches were something different; something to learn to control. The blood was another issue...I never quite knew why they started."

"Back in your world; you didn't have me." The witch doctor of the woods boasted. After she finished bandaging my pain stricken body she spoke,"May I search around in your head?" Asked the striped mare; to which I nodded. "This'll be interesting." She lightly smirked.

Zecora laid me down on her bed and stood overtop of me; I looked up to the zebra, and asked,"So; how are you exactly going to 'search my head'? I'd rather not go through years of psychology again." I jokingly spoke.

She looked into my eyes, and said,"This process will be much quicker than questions, and this should only take...an hour..." Her uneasy glance while she stood over me; caught me off guard, as she slowly sat down on my waist. Her legs hugged both sides of my torso. In an authorized tone; she asked me,"Are you ready?" She grabbed a small vial off the nightstand beside the bed, and downed the small amount of liquid inside. 

"So...how does this work?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well; it's simple, I drink this and then I show you." The striped zebra added, with a smug look. She bent down towards my face and planted her lips upon mine; the same liquid that she induced made its way inside of my mouth, and was quickly coated with a slick textured object. After a moment of kissing; Zecora's body fell beside mine motionless, eyes closed and asleep. I could feel the liquid taking affects on my body as well. 

I began to feel light headed; followed by sensations of suprisingly pleasant numbness. I tried to raise my hand, it was astonishing as it levitated in front of my face; but all I could make out was a basic outline of my hand, and its constant blur. My eyes grew heavy and I was fighting to stay awake but alas; my efforts were in vain. I couldn't feel my body, nor did I want to. 

All I could think of at the moment were thoughts of memories; of loved ones, and people I held special. As I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into sleep, a figure became present in my thoughts. It was a dark figure, and one I knew well. I honestly hadn't seen him all that much in the months since passed. Now that I finally had the chance to meet with him once more, I was going to enjoy it.

"Welcome back, and Zecora; what a pleasure it is to see you once again." He was staring to my side, and as did I. I saw Zecora standing beside me gazing around inside the depths of my mind; searching around in awe.

"I see you two have already met; so let's skip past the formalities. We are here to search for something." I told Shadow kin.

He gazed curiously,"And what would that be?"

Zecora added,"We are searching for Dark's source of pain. Should these episodes continue to happen; he will most certainly die. Because of this, I have dosed myself and Dark to investigate the cause. Would you know where to start our search?" She asked. 

With his eyes half-lidded; he smiled looking at us. "I do believe I know where to start, but once we're there; only Dark and I may enter."

"Why only us?" I asked pondering.

"If Zecora were to enter; she might not be able to remove herself from you. It would be unwise for all of us; just for only us to enter."

"These headaches are your problem, and only you can truly deal with it. Shall we make our way through your jungle of thoughts?" asked Zecora.

I lightly nodded, and turned to Shadow,"Alright; I'm ready when you are. Brother."
> Mindless Madness.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three of us walked through the complex, and it's ever changing scenery; that was my mind. Much like life; everything within sight could hold no molding to consider a definable object. Shadow walked beside me; while Zecora wrapped her arm around mine, as she looked about aimlessly scanning her environment.

"So; where have you been, brother? I have spent many nights watching your dreams, and have sent for your concentration just as much; but you have never given any form of a reply. Is something troubling you?" Asked my equestrian counterpart; walking beside me, slightly invasive.

I looked down to my feet; as we strode forth with our group, and sighed aloud. "Yes. Senior closed the portal in the Pond of guidance, and cut me away from my family, home, and former life. I was going through a...dark time. I lost the world I called home, and the people I loved. I can no longer see them; nor they me. I feel cheated." I responded with a growing scowl.

"And this troubles you?" He responded. I looked to him and eased my tension; only to return my gaze back to the pathway.

"No; not now, at least. I've come to realize that there are equestrians, and friends that need me here. They need me; as much as I need them, and to be honest...I'm in need of them, more than humanly possible. It's funny; being the last human left in a world full of equines, and mythical creatures." A small smile twinkled as it appeared on my face lost in thought. 

I looked down to the zebra hugging my arm. The image of zecora faded away as thoughts of 'her' came back, flooding my mind. The little filly I had left inside of the ruin; leaving nothing, but her sister's traumatic death. She was in a time of need, and all I did was abandon her there; afraid and alone. I couldn't repair my damage, but I needed to try. In all honesty; I can say I know what she's been through. Losing her family, and left to fend for herself.

Shadow looked to me; then continued to look forward down the path. "Brother; I've noticed you haven't sent, or said a word for the past while. You seem to be lost in your thoughts once again; to what is the matter of your predicament?" Shadow asked.

"Well, there was this little filly named Moon Shadow back in this abandoned ruin of a castle; inside the Everfree. I was being held captive, and managed to escape. In the heat of the moment readying; I accidentally killed her older sister. I didn't want to, but she intended to kill me. Is it wrong to feel this way?" I asked Shadow as he simply looked forward. He closed his eyes for a moment, and stood in silence. 

After he opened his eyes once more, he began looking at me. Shadow faced me as we walked, and smiled. "This is a good sign. This is what tells you that you're still the same; human. This is good, and this is what you should remember."

I looked to Shadow, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?" I pondered.

"That you're still human. With many struggles; and with many decisions. What you do with your time, and efforts; will be your results. You took down a lurking fiend living within the evergreen forest ruin; but judge yourself about your execution in dealing with it." Shadow eyed me happily; then returned his gaze back to the path.

As my shadowy counterpart led us to the center of my mind; I found a large sphere that resembled a building. "What's that?" I asked, but Shadow remained silent.

We approached the sphere, and a door began to appear. Shadow slowly took hold of Zecora's hand, and led her a step back away from the door way. "This is where only you may tread." Shadow exclaimed.

I looked to the doorway; thinking of what it's purpose was. "Why only me? What is this...place?"

"This; dear brother, is your mind. It houses all of your thoughts, dreams and demons. If you wish to cure yourself of these headaches; you must be rid of these demons residing inside." Shadow said.

"What happens, if I fail?" I questioned. Shadow looked to me and closed his eyes; from his gesture, I knew what would happen from his expression. Should I fail; I would die.

I turned to face the door, and readied myself. "If I don't return; tell Chrysalis...I'm sorry." Without another word; I briskly strode through the door. The light emanating from the door was blinding, but soon faded; as I walked in. I took a brief look over the layout of the room; it was a empty blank space, and the walls were snow white. A rapid large slam echoed throughout the room, as the door behind me shut tight and dissipated.

I turned to face the door when I was halted; as a voice called out within the void of the room. "John; Or do you prefer your new name, Darkmoon's Crescent?"

I replied to the voice,"Dark is just fine, thanks." I didn't know if the voice was hostile or not, but I readied myself for anything; searching my eyes for any movement within the blinding absence. 

"Dark, there is no need to fear me. I am here to help you." the voice was familiar.

I voiced in frustration,"If there is no need to fear; then show yourself!" I yelled back to the voice.

The voice became a figure drenched in shadow, appearing on the farthest edge of the room. As the figure slowly paced towards the center of the room; the shadows that cloaked him started to dissipate onto the floor, seeping in.

The figure ahead of me began to take form; almost looking like an exact replica.  A mirror image worth of specifications of my bodily form; all but the face. It was in a constant shadow; with it's hood covering it's face. "Hello, Dark." He voiced.

"Who are you?" I asked my replica.

"You should already know me; we already met once before." The dark version of me peeled off the hood, and revealed himself to the light. The hood fell and basic shapes became present. First that became apparent were a pair of darkened green eyes. They were monstrous, and evil. The second more interesting feature about it was his wide and sinister grin; his teeth were sharp and ridged. The monster before me had the very appearance of me; but a heart that cried out pure evil. "Dark; I would like to introduce you, to yourself."

"And, what's stopping you?" I laid my hand on my sword hilt; just in case.

The replica drew a quivering grin, and began approaching me slowly. The beast stopped just mere steps from me; following my stance in mimicry, and spoke,"My name...is John Dixon."
> The Inner Demons.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked to the creature with a growl," I ask you nicely; what are you?"  Asking my monstrous copy.

"Like I have stated earlier; I am you. I'm your thoughts, visions, focus, and very life essence. I am what drives you forwards. I'm the voice in your head that tells you what to do, and think. Some spirits call such as myself; a conscience, but I am not." He pulled his hood over his face to be shrouded in darkness once more. "I am sorry; the light is hurting my eyes...Anyways, like I was saying, I am not a conscience but more of a forgotten spirit."

"And what would you count yourself as; spirit?" I asked.

He lifted his hand to his chin and thought for a moment,"Honestly, I don't know. I've never thought about it in the slightest." He dropped his hand, and it fell to his side once more. "We shall just consider me: the side of you that you truly are. Yourself."

"What do you mean by that?" The words he spoke threw me into a state of confusion.

I could see the smile through the dark hood,"Oh come now, do you really believe yourself pure in heart and selfless? If you were; you wouldn't have spent such time trying to re-open the portal. You slaved for hours, days, and months at a time just 'hoping' to re-open the portal. Some days, you would go without food, if it meant you were that much closer to opening it." I could feel my anger slowly rise. "If you truly were pure in heart; you would have stayed by choice. The residents of this land require a guardian, and you were trying to leave them. Four months constantly on the road after the portal was sealed, you might as well have left."

"You don't know me!" I yelled at the hooded monster. "Any person would have tried returning back if it meant to see their families again! I loved my life before, my family. I loved them all and they were just ripped out of my life because of Senior!"

"Senior asked you to come here, it was your roll to play and your alone. But asked you, he didn't demand. You came here on your own free will and you know this to be true."

"But I.."

"Darkmoon was always meant to be here, as the protector. But no, John Dixon arrived. If you were born here like Shadow was, would you be so willing to leave? I know what it feels like to lose family, I know through your mind and spirit." I could feel a tear threatening to fall. "Family, It is important to many. Strength through unity."

I stomped my foot on the ground angrily as the tear slide down my face,"Spirit, shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

The hooded man took a step closer,"It appears that I have struck a nerve, so family is a touchy topic then. very well."

Slowly the white of the room started fading darker, slowly until the walls were completely black. "What's going on?"

"Oh you know whats happening." 

I could feel a headache coming on, the pain becoming more apparent by each passing second. The pain was becoming unbearable, causing me to fall to my knees holding my hands to the sides of my head. "Why is this happening!"

"Dark, you and I know why this is happening. This pain comes only when you discover more about yourself, the way you used to be. You and I both know your childhood wasn't easy, and what you had to do to make it this far in life. Your adulescens was a horrible thing. The pain you endured, the things you've seen. One less fortunate soul I'm afraid."

"How... How can I" The pain was horrible but I fought through it. "How can I.. Make them stop?"

"Well, that is something you must discover for yourself. but I'll give yo a hint." With that, the hooded replica unsheathed his sword and held the point to the ground. "I will not hold back, so ready yourself."

I needed to endure the pain for now. If I needed to end him to cure this pain, so be it. I slowly pulled myself to my feet and drew my sword. I took a few long and deep breathes to calm myself before speaking,"I don't want to fight you, I just want to end the pain."

"To end the pain, first you must end me. I am you, I am what is left of your past. Are you willing to let go of the past to make a secure and create a life for the future?" He raised the end of his blade and pointed it directly at me. "I am you, but you must end your own life to live."

I could feel tears falling down from my eyes, if I ended him, I wouldn't have any attachments to the past. This is when a sudden realization came to me,'Is it really all that bad?' I thought to myself. Sure, I loved my family and I knew that they loved me. But if I left the past behind, does that really mean I left them behind? I never thought of this, but now I realize that no. No, it doesn't. They are and always will be my family and my loved ones.

I pulled on my hood and took a stance to ready myself,"I understand. I will end the pain, and I will end you."

My copy looked at me with a fiery blood lust and smiled,"Good, now. Let's begin." He took a step forward and began to multiply, first two, then four, and finally ending at eight replicas. 

"Wait, what are you doing?" I asked with my sword drawn and readied.

"Shadow did tell you that you must defeat your inner demons to end it, you didn't really think I was the only one, did you?" They all smiled in unison and readied their blades and fixated their attention on me.

"Shall we begin?" asked the horde of replicas.

I nodded.
> All Nightmare long.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I could feel the pain rushing though my body, all I truly wished to do at the moment was sleep. Just to help cure this pain.

"Let's begin." Cried the crowd of copies. all at once, they leaped towards me with their swords in hand. I swung my blade to protect myself and managed to stop most of them, all except the leaders blade. He managed to cut my lower left torso, but nothing too serious. I battled my way through constant slashes and jabs of swinging sword to sword. I rush of the moment energizing my body, pushing me that much further.

I finally managed to take hold of one of the copies by the collar and thrust my blade deep within his throat. As the life faded from his dark eyes, his body clacked open and turned to dust. With his departure, I could feel some of the pain fade. I looked to the remaining seven and stared them down. Four of the seven seemed to cower in fear but took reassurance in their leader and returned to their previously angered state.

"Well" I grasped my wound with my left hand as I held my sword in my right with the blade leaning on my shoulder,"Come and get some."

Angered by my bold statement,they continued their constant onslaught with savage strength. I held most of them off as best as I could, but one broke through my defense and cut a mark just over my left eye. It hurt, but I had spells to help it later and continued fighting of the fakes.

With a great swing of my blade, I managed to knock back most of the replicas and kill two. One tried to lunge at me but I deflected his sword and ripped it out of his hand. I gave him a quick back hand and sent my hand to hug his throat. Through coughs and spurts of chocking, he cried,"I'm sorry!"

I lifted him off the ground by his neck and crushed his esophagus within my grasp. His body hung lifeless, so I tossed his carcass to the side. Upon impact to the wall, he shattered into dust and further pain was relieved. I grinned ad set my sights on the others,"You got to try harder than this."

Once again they lashed out everything their bodies could muster, swinging in all directions and screaming at the top of their lungs. One after the other, the replicas died and turned to ash. All were soon dead, all except for one. 

"So, It's finally come down to just you and I." said the original replica.

"Yes, Hope you don't disappoint." I sheathed my sword and cracked my fingers. The replica followed in suit and readied himself. We both made our way towards the center of the room and stared each other down. He pulled down his hood and looked into my eyes, they were blood red and filled to the brim with hatred. He slowly began to change his form.

His body manifested into something purely evil, with a dark soul to match it. His hands became large and claw like, sharp to the touch. His body shifted into something much larger, he grew to such a size that his clothes ripped apart and fell to the floor, leaving only a tattered pair of shorts that once were pants. With his clothing gone, it revealed the horrible monster he was truly becoming. His entire body looked as if it were held together with large stitches and rotting skin. His mouth disappeared and his eyes were closed.

I readied myself and clenched my fists,"Face me, monster."

The monster before me opened his eyes, revealing the snake like eyes filled with a fiery rage. Even without a mouth, the creature still managed to talk,"Oh dear Dark, you know that you can't possibly defeat me. I am everything you are, this is your true form, on the inside. I know everything you do and everything you will do." with this remark said, I cracked out a light laugh.

"If you were truly anticipating everything I did, do you think that you copies would have died already?" This was the straw that broke the camels back, because the beast roared into the air and lunged at me.

With a quick jab, I struck him right across the cheek. He stumbled back in pain and turned to face me with an angered expression. the beast growled at me and continued his pursuit. I fought him back as best I could, landing powerful blows to his gut and slamming my elbow down on his shoulder. I was winning the fight and I could tell from the slower moments he gave. A grin crept across my face but was wiped clean off when he grabbed my neck and tossed me into the wall. A large crater formed where I was thrown. The rock had formed around my body and trapped me inside the wall. I hung there dizzy on the wall, but slowly pulled myself off. Once my feet were on the ground once again, I readied myself.

"Let's end this pathetic fight!" cried the beast.

"Yeah, I was getting bored anyways." I replied, he dove across the room and wiped at me with his claws. I dodged just in time and rolled to the side, I looked to were I once stood and saw deep claw marks embedded into the broken wall. He was angry, and dangerous.

I drew my sword and readied one last time. With a ear-shattering battle cry, the beast lunged towards me. Just as he raised with claws,  dove to the side and sliced his right hand off. Cries of pain echoed throughout the room and the beast groveled to the floor holding his stump of an arm. "That's not fair!" cried the monster.

"Says the guy with the razor sharp claws." I strode my way over to the beast with my sword ready,"Time to end this."

"No, please... I beg you!" the monster pleaded for mercy, but it needed to be done. I didn't wish to kill him, but I'd die either way if I let him live. I raised my sword into the air with both hands clenched to the hilt and brought it down with a great force.

The door to the sphere was cut open with a mighty swing of my blade, and I kicked the door down. I was greeted by my equestrian counterpart and a terrified zebra. I sheathed my sword and stepped over the remains of the door. As I stepped out, I clenched my torso in pain. I had forgotten about the pain with the adrenaline running throughout my body. I began casting the healing spell but the spell failed to charge, Zecora ran to my side and asked,"Are you alright?"

I looked to the frightened zebra and smiled warmly,"Yes, but I need to get home and sleep."

"How much sleep do you usually get a day" Brother, I am concerned for you." voiced a saddened and frightened Shadow.

"About nine hours"

"Then why are you so ti.." I cut Shadow off before he could ask.

"a week."

"Oh." was all Shadow could say for the next couple moments of silence but jumped in and said,"We must get you back home so you may rest. While you rest, I am going to have a chat with Lady Celestia. Zecora, could you please help Dark home?" The stripped mare nodded and closed my eyes. I could hear her chanting and before I knew it, I was inside Zecora's hut once again.

She helped me through the woods and left me alone inside my house to rest. I staggered to my bedroom and smiled as I laid eyes on my bed. Sleep would be most welcome, so I crawled underneath the blankets after removing my armor and clothes. I drew back a powerful yawn and felt as my eyes glued themselves shut. Before I faded off into dreaming, my thoughts turned to one I have missed for a long time...

"I'm sorry, my queen."
> Taking some time.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke in my bed as the light of the sun broke through the window. I sat on the edge of the bed while the sensation of heat warmed my skin as the light struck my bare back. I felt good but I had a take a shower to get read for the day.

I staggered over to my dresser and retrieved some clothes. Rarity had made me an entire wardrobe but I was always on the road, so they just sat here in my room. I pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and boxers followed by a pair of socks. I strolled over towards the closet and retrieved a white dress shirt, a black vest, and a red tie. After placing my on ensemble of clothing for today on the bed, I made my way into the shower.

Once I finished the steamy shower, I toweled myself off and brushed my teeth. I pulled my attire off the bed and began the process of dressing myself.

As I finished of dressing, I rolled my sleeves up and clenched my hands together. It felt weird not to have my gauntlets on, as well as my pauldron. Today was going to be different though.

I made my way down the hall and arrived in the kitchen to find a small letter on the table. Intrigued, I reached down and retrieved the small letter. Upon opening it, I found words explaining to me that I was being called to the castle. I quickly tossed the letter down onto the table and grabbed my boots. I laced them as quickly as possible and bolted down the street.

I arrived at the library and knocked on the door, the small dragon known as Spike was the first to greet me.

"Hiya Dark, what's up?" asked the purple gem dragon.

"Hi Spike, is twilight around? I need to ask her a quick favor."

"Yeah, she's up in her room.." I passed by the small dragon and ran up the stares. I knocked on the door to Twilight's bedroom and heard someone stirring on the other side.

"Hello? Who's there?" asked the familiar voice of the purple unicorn.

"Hey, Twilight. It's me, Dark."

"Oh, just give me a second."

For a couple minutes I stood at the door waiting, then finally the door opened. "Come in." twilight called. I slowly entered the room to find her laying across her bed with an aroused look. "So, what do you wish to talk about?" her tone was very flirtatious.

"Twilight, Celestia needs me and I need to get to the castle quickly."

Her facial expression turned to from flirty to worried as she quickly stood from the bed,"What? What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"I don't know yet, can you teleport me to the castle? I would fly but that could take too long and I haven't learned the spell myself." I told the violet mare.

"Ok." With that her horn shone a bright hue of purple. Once she cast the spell, I was blinded by the flash of light. When my vision finally back, I found myself inside the throne room. I saw a pair of equally surprised princesses.

"Celestia, you sent for me?" I asked.

"Um. Yes actually. It has come to my attention that you are overworking yourself."

"I can handle it, I swear." I claimed but inside I was dying for a break.

"No, you are taking a break from your guardian position for the next week. You need a break." exclaimed the sun goddess.

I sighed and accepted my fate,"What should I do?"

"Whatever you wish, all except work." stated the white mare.

I turned my attention to the princess of the night,"Do you wish the same as well my princess?" and with a quick nod of her head, my fate was sealed.

I decided to walk back to Ponyville instead of riding the train, it was rather relaxing and refreshing. The clear skies, chirping birds, soft grass. All of these small pleasures that I once held in high regard, I simply set them to the side as I took my role as guardian. For the time begin though, I would hold these precious moments in my heart. I missed the simpler things. 

As I reached the the outskirts of town, my sights on the local bar to get a couple of drinks. Good old Tolsa's Tavern. I finally arrived at the doorstep of the tavern as the setting sun kissed the horizon. I didn't know what I'd find or who, I took a deep breath and decided to enter the building.

I pushed through the swinging wooden doors of the bar and gave the bar a quick inspection. It was pretty packed for a wednesday, a various arrangement of lively equines lined the bar, booths and tables all over the tavern. The smell of food lingered through the air as well as the cheerful laughter coming from the intoxicated bunch. A brief smile crept on my face as I seen how happy everyone was, mostly do to the drinks but I took it for what it was worth.

I pulled up a chair next to a friendly looking character,"How's everything so far?"

"Pretty good mista, the names Axton. I'm a Scientist, I study all forms of magic."
> Grinding Gears.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stallion had a dark brown coat and a swept back mane just a few shades brighter than his coat. He was a unicorn with a fire in his eye. His cutey mark showed two crossed wrenches resting over top a pointed purple star. Axton had three freckles on each cheek and a large grin that could warm the heart of any mare and a Oatsralian accent to match. 

"How about we get some drinks, eh?" Axton signaled the bartender over. Once the barkeep finished off with another customer, he made his way over to the stallion.

"What can I getcha?" asked the kind barkeep.

"Well, I'll have a Stallion Adams, and my friend here will have..." Axton turned his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Some water will be fine, need to keep a clear head." I told the chestnut unicorn.

"Ah come on, just a couple and we'll stop. Ok bud?" the unicorn was persistent, I'll give him that. I nodded and pointed to a random bottle on the shelf. "Some Absolhoof vodka then, didn't take you for that kind. I'll buy the first round, and you'll pay for the next. Sound good, my friend?" asked the brown stallion.

"I'm not much for drinking, but sure. I need to take a break, well... I'm required to."

The unicorn gave me a confused stare,"Required to? Who told you to take a break?"

"It was requested by our rulers, Celestia and Luna. They say that I'm overworking myself and causing unnecessary stress on my mind. I'm off for about a week." I told the curious stallion.

"You were ordered by them? You must be really important to be gettin' orders from the princesses. One'd think that you were that guardian fella. But I'm not that lucky, but Imagine that. Me, sharin' a drink with the guardian." He stated with childlike wonder.

"What do you know of him?" I asked the clueless unicorn.

"Well, not much. I heard that he came from anotha world like the old Guardian, Senia. Some say that ever since he came here, he's just been wanderin' the countryside lookin' for a fight. I seen him once or twice in town here a sometime ago but could never catch his face, always wearin' that hood of his."

"What do you think of him?"

"Well, I think he's alrigh'. I do feel kinda sorry for the guy in all seriousness. Always travelin', never really havin' a home. I heard that he had a heated encounter with the Changlin' Queen."

I raised an eyebrow of interest, not in response to the known information, but what he heard. "Oh, what did you hear?"

Axton looked left and right, making sure no one else could hear and leaned in towards me,"Well, I heard from some ponies around town that a while back durin' a feedin', she slipped him a little tongue, if you know what I mean." The remark made me chuckle, he looked to me and said,"What's so funny?"

"That's not what happened." I said through continued laughter.

"And how would you know? You weren't there."

"Actually, I was."

"Hidin' in the background, eh?" the unicorn laughed off my claim.

I looked to the unicorn and pulled a grin over my face,"Things did happen, but I haven't seen the queen since last tuesday"

The Oatstralian looked at me in disbelief,"Wait a minute, you... your.."

"Yep." the bartender passed me my glass and I took a sip.

"Where's ya fancy clothes and armor? Besides the clothes your wearin' now." asked the curious unicorn.

I gave my attire a look over and realized that it was strange not wearing my usual set of clothes. "Well, I was going to visit someone special today. I was until I was called to the castle." 

The stallion raised his eyebrow in interest,"And who's this 'special someone'?"

I looked into the clear vodka and thought of her,"Well, I've had my eye on this mare for a while now but I don't know if I can bring myself to tell her. I'm just some guy, she's far out of my league." I told the stallion as he took a few drinks out of his mug.

He wiped the foam off his muzzle and smiled,"If you and this 'mystery mare' are meant to be, then tell her. If she rejects ya, then move on. You don't want to watch from afar for too long, she'll see you as a friend and there's no way outta the friend zone."

"I'll keep that in mind. Well enough about me, tell me a bit about yourself Axton."

As the night drew to a close and the bar started to clear, I learned a lot about Axton. I learned that he was a scientist that explored and experimented with complex spells. He was a brilliant stallion and by the time he turned fourteen, he was accepted into the well-renowned Magic University in Canterlot. His talents were extraordinary, so much in fact that he caught the attention of a royal princess by the name of Luna. He studied under her for quite a while and become a master of his trade, in the use of magic, regeneration spells and his profession of being a mechanic. 

The night seemed to be coming to a close, so I gave the bartender a pouch full of bits and paid for Axton's drinks. I made my way to the door and a voice called from behind,"Hey Dark!"

I turned to find the unicorn leaning against the bar with his drink in hand,"Thanks for the talk. Hope I'll see you sometime soon." I smiled to the unicorn. I placed my arm over my chest and gave a bow. "Ah, come on now. I'm not royalty." he gave me a toothy grin and I gave him a quick wink.

I turned to face the door once more and pushed my way through. I stood on to the dimly lit street of mane street, lit by nearby lamp posts and the radiance of the moon. I walked down the road and began to near my house.

As I stood on my porch, I gave a look to the night's moon and smiled.

"Goodnight Luna."
> For Queen and Crown.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was visiting the library to catch up on some light reading, I figured that I could afford it with all the time on my hands now. I found some interesting books ranging from; Rise of the Elements to a documentary titled University Days. All these stories were interesting and housed the one thing I seemed to lack, Romance. The idea was depressing; but my thoughts turned the the tattered queen.

Her sweet smile, the way she always found the time to meet with me. The subtle movements she made whenever she was around me, and how my heart pounded whenever she was near. A small smile crept across my face as I recollected the fascinating queen, which caught the attention of the librarian, Twilight.

"What's with all the smiles?" She asked jokingly. the violet unicorn gave my book selection a look over and grinned. "I didn't take you for the lovey dovey type, this is very interesting."

I set the novel, Rise of the Elements Part two: Return of the Avatars, down for a moment and gave the grinning unicorn a warm smile,"I may have to be strong, but I like a good romance story every now and then."

"So Dark, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Ok, Shoot. You got questions? I've got answers." I replied to the curious unicorn.

She retrieved a small book from the table and the title read; A Bubbly Hearth's Warming Eve. "it's about yesterday, in the bedroom."

"Yes, what about it?" I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well, I just wanted to know what you think about... me." she said through a deep red blush.

"Twilight, I'm sorry but I have feelings for someone else. To be honest, your a fantastic unicorn and your amazing with magic but this mare in my heart has been there for quite some time now."

"Oh." She put her hand on the back of neck in embarrassment. "Well that's ok, I was just checking." She let her hand down and sat at the table with me. "Who is this mare? Do I know her?"

"Well, from the scrolls in the Canterlot Archives and the file reports, you do actually."

"Is she dangerous?"

I drew back a laugh and smiled,"To some yes, me? Not so much." I stood from the table and walked over to the nearby shelf and grabbed another book. As I set myself down on the chair once again, I passed the violet unicorn the hard cover book.

"What's this?" she looked to the cover and raised an eyebrow,"Changlings: The studies and findings." she looked to me with a surprised expression,"You and the Queen, eh?" she broke a smile.

"Well, I don't know yet. I have housed feelings for the mare but I don't know if she holds the same feelings for me." I told Twilight to suffice her curiosity. 

"Well, go to her and ask. Simple."

I looked to my book and set it down on the table. Placing my hands over my face, I spoke,"Alright, I guess it couldn't hurt. Well she could reject me, that'd hurt."

"Turn you down? Come on now, no mare could." She filled me with a sense of confidence and gave me the motivation to ask the changling leader for her affection.

As I returned to my feet, I gave twilight an approving nod,"Thanks Twilight, I should be on my way then."

I gave the unicorn a quick hug and made my way back home.

Once I finally arrived home and stepped inside, I found my armor on top of the mannequin rarity gave me and began strapping it on. I left the hood on the dummy, I only needed the basics. When my armor was finally fastened on, I took my leave once more. Upon closing the door, I took to the skies with haste.

As I flew through the skies, my thoughts turned to Chrysalis. I hadn't truly shown the affectionate side of me, and I hadn't shown the compassion in needed to for all the wonderful things she's done for me. Something inside of me continued to think that she was too good for a person such as myself. I steered away from those thoughts and focused on flying and remaining confident.

Nightfall had come and I was that much closer to my precious Queen, but my body felt weary so I made camp for the night. I stopped at the area Shadow and I stopped before. The little camp was still there, leaving the work out for the night. As I lit the fire with an inferno spell, I could hear slow steps coming from behind.

I turned to find Shadow, in his true form, standing in the shadows. "Hello brother, to where are you heading, may I ask?"

"Yes, I have come to... do the feeding..." I didn't wish to tell my equestrian counterpart my true intentions.

"But brother, that's not for another couple days and you know they can not eat until then." Shadow became suspicious of my actions. I could feel my heart slowly pick up speed. "Why are you really here?"

"I..I.. I'm just getting a head start on time. This way I can relax for a couple days around the castle." I continued to weave a blanket of lies but Shadow persisted.

"And this is so you can spend some time with the Queen, isn't this so?" my shadowy equal asked then broke a large grin.

"What's with all the questions?" I turned to my pack and retrieved some food, I broke a loaf of bread and tossed one of the halves to Shadow,"Now are you going to eat or would you rather starve?" I asked.

Shadow accepted his half and bit down on it, he sat down on the log near the campfire and chewed his food. After he swallowed his mouthful, he looked to me with a smile,"Thanks for the food, but you still can't hide your feelings for Chrysalis from me."

I turned to face him with a fearful smile,"How would you know what I feel? I know we're brothers but come on, that's not possible."

"We are the same person, I feel what you feel. See things as you do, but still retain my own mind. You can not hide your affections for her from me, and by your excellent and very convincing acting skills, I'm pretty sure everyone else knows too."

"Ah, who am I kidding. I have felt this way for her for quite awhile and figured I should tell her."

"Let us talk about this subject further then, Shall we?"

We continued to talk throughout the night about our feelings of love. I held mine on Chrysalis, and found that my equestrian counterpart held the same feelings for his fellow dream-weaver, Luna. I never took Shadow for the loving type, he seemed too straight forward to be hiding his feelings. We all have our secrets, I suppose.

Time finally called for sleep and as I laid my head on the grass and stared into the night sky, I watched as the stars flicked and shot across the sky. All hugging the area around the moon. I turned my head and saw Shadow staring blankly into the moon, his thoughts focused on her. I looked back into the night and I thought of Chrysalis.

"I'll see you tomorrow, My Queen."
> Fear itself.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I woke, I was greeted by the morning and the cold dew emanating off the glistening grass. I looked for Shadow but he was no where to be found. I stood to my feet and gave a quick stretch. I turned to grab my pack and found a note pinned to the bag. I gave the note a read over.

"Brother, I have returned to the realm of dreams and shadow. I have come to realize through your words of passion about the changling queen, Chrysalis, that I too; house these emotions for my beloved Luna. I do not wish to withhold my feelings any longer and shall confess my love to her. I would like to give thanks brother. I wished to venture further with you in your adventures but my place is in the dream world. Until we meet again, Shadow Kin."

I looked to the note and a smile over took me, a sense of happiness fulled my body and made my morning. I set the note in my pack and strapped it around my waist. I stead my wings wide and took to the air, making my way to the Hive.

//////////////////

A couple hours passed and I arrived at the doors of the Hive, a feeling of nostalgia filled my mind. I did see the Hive last week, but this was a visit purely out of freewill and good intentions. A guard took notice of my gawking and asked,"Darkmoon, Are you alright?"

I snapped out of my moment of mindlessness and turned my attention to the guard,"Oh, it's nothing. Is Queen Chrysalis in?" and with a quick nod and a brief gesture, I followed the changling to the throne room. The halls were calm and quiet.

Once we arrived at the doors to the throne room, the guard signaled the guardsmen standing at the door to open it. Without question and through silence, they slowly began to open the doors. I found something to be off,'Why is everything so strange around here? They all seem to be.. scared.' I thought to myself. As the door cracked open, one of the guardsmen poked his head in and was greeted by a book. He flew back and rubbed his face in pain. "What's was that?" I asked.

"The usual, she's mad about something. We haven't been able to pin point the reason, or it would been dealt with already." The guard laying on the floor replied. He stood to his feet and motioned for me to enter the room,"Please try not to upset the Queen further."

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I've dealt with timberwolves attacking ponies in the woods, fought manticores raiding towns, even battled with three rebellious dragons but this was the challenge of a lifetime. To calm a ravenous changling leader into submission, just the very idea ran shivers up my spine.

"Alright gents" I took a quick stretch and cracked my neck in preparation,"If I'm not out within an hour, send an army to retrieve the body." the guards looked to me and nodded. As I began my approach on the door, the guards surrounding the area gave me a salute. I could have sworn that I heard someone say,"It was nice knowing you sir."

I took hold of the door and slipped through. What I saw was horrific, the damage around the room and the shattered paintings littering the floor. Broken glass and torn cloth accompanied each other scattered around the room. I looked to the throne to see it had been turned to face the window, blocking the sight of Chrysalis. Upon further inspection, I could see empty ice cream tubs stacked around it.

Light sniffles could be heard as I began to take my approach on the throne.  My foot caught hold of a torn cloth and ripped it, echoing the tear throughout the room. She heard it Clear as day and the snuffles came to an immediate halt. Her voice ratted and roared,"Who is it? I do not wish for any visitor's today, tomorrow or any other day but feeding day. Once Dark is here; then you may enter, but until then I suggest you leave."

I stood in place engulfed by silence. I felt that if I spoke a word, my life would be at risk. Against my better judgement; I spoke up,"Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do, my queen?"

She shot out of the chair and faced me, her eyes puffy and red. Her mane was a mess and some ice cream had surrounded her mouth. "Dark? What are you doing here? Your not supposed to be here for another two days!" she made a quick attempt to fix her mane and tried to wipe off the ice cream, her mane was still messy and a spot on her lips still held onto a small amount of the frozen dessert but I was mainly focused onto her reddened emerald eyes. Seeing her crying shattered my heart. "I am sorry that I haven't prepared for your arrival." She looked around the room and smiled with unease. "We were attacked... by a family of badgers... Evil badgers, with a taste for vanilla ice cream."

I began my approach on the queen and stopped as I reached mere steps of her. The redness of her eyes were saddening. "What's wrong? Please tell me."

She broke and began crying onto my chest as she buried her face in. Her arms wrapped around my body and held me close as she spoke,"Dark, you hardly come over anymore. I thought that you.. that..." her words were stopped by her sobs of sadness.

"That what? What is it?" I asked. The tear ridden queen's cries were silenced as see stared into my eyes. Tears flowed down her face as she stared up, I lifted my hand and tenderly wiped the tears away. She smiled as I touched her skin.

"I feel for you Darkmoon, I wish to know you further. I wish for you to be mine, and only mine. The only question I ask is why haven't you spent any time with me? Your always on the road, and never seem to have the time to visit."

I looked into her eyes and smiled,"I'm sorry my queen, I was going through something very difficult at the time but that's all behind me. I've come to terms with it and have found a new outlook on life. The reason I am here now... is for you, and that's all I truly wish for. I see the pain I've caused you and it hurts to see you saddened. I will go though anything if it makes you feel better, I only wish to make you happy." her face brightened up as she shot towards me and tackled my body to the ground.

She planted her tender lips on mine as I ran my fingers through her unkempt mane. I retracted my mouth and looked into her eyes,"Hey, guess what?"

Chrysalis broke a heart warming smile,"What is it love?" 

I placed my hand underneath her chin lovingly as I pulled her closer. My lips were a inch away from her's as I lightly licked the small piece of ice cream off,"Got it." We both broke out into laughter and shortly returned to making out. I began caressing her sides as she undid my tie.
> A Date with Fate.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As my eyes slowly opened, I looked to the mare wrapped in my arms and smiled. Her muzzle was buried into my chest as she slept and I felt that this moment was perfect. The sun warmed our bodies as it shone through the tinted windows, the covers were soft to the touch and the silky skin of my queen pressed against my own. If I could, I would lay here with her for eternity. I began to close my eyes once more and slowly fell back into sleep.

////////////////

Some time had passed and the night had begun to take over the sky, Chrysalis and I spent the entire day with each other. Before the night was allowed to begin, I got reservations at a fancy restaurant in Manehatten. It was relatively much closer than Ponyville and the perks of being a Guardian work wonders.

We sat at the table after ordering our food for the evening. I wore a suit that had been created by a changling tailor. The suit consisted of a solid black coat, a snow white dress shirt, a dark grey vest and a red tie. It was well fitted to my body but couldn't be compared to my date's wardrobe.

She wore a radiant red silk dress with a cut down the side, giving her the ability to flash a little bit of her smooth legs. Her mane was styled into a bun with chop sticks holding them into place. She looked beautiful.

"So I have a question." the ebony beauty exclaimed.

"Is that a question or a statement? I'm confused." I joked.

She smiled and gave me a playful push,"Shut up." We both laughed together but calmed ourselves down. "Anyways, what I was trying to say was; Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Are you kidding? The question you should be asking is why aren't those guys" I pointed over towards the group of guys sitting around a table; looking posh and full of themselves, and continued. "Why aren't they staring at you. You're stunning and beautiful, I feel like the luckiest guy right now just being able to say that I'm here with you." I turned back to the ebony queen and saw the blush on her cheeks. "It doesn't matter that they stare, what matters is that your here with me." I placed my hand on top of hers and I could feel my heart melt.

"Dark..." She stood from her chair and stood before mine. I could sense that I messed something up.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked as I stood from my chair. Without a single word, Chrysalis wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply. Her lips were soft, warm and tender. Tonight, everything was perfect.

/////////////////

Once we arrived back at the castle, Chrysalis and I spent the entirety of the night wrapped up underneath the covers of her bed. We cuddled for most of the night as we held each other within each others arms. Her feeling of her velvet skin pressing against mine was magical.

"I love you, my queen." I told the ebony beauty as I kiss her neck. She moaned sounds of pleasure as I pecked her neck. 

"I love you too, Dark." She closed her eyes and pressed our bodies closer. She began rubbing our bodies together and I could feel my arousal rise. All this was interrupted as a knock could he heard at the door. "Please go away, we're kind of in the middle of something." the ebony queen requested, but was rejected with another knock.

"I got it." I slipped out from under the covers and paraded towards the door. It was cold without the sheets and the warmth of her body but I'd suffer for the moment. As I opened the door, I found a group of changlings dressed from head to toe in battle armor. "What's going on? Are we under attack?" I asked.

"Dark! You're alive!" the group cheered within the hall. "We feared the worst had happened and came to recover your body. We're sorry we didn't believe in you." 

The very idea was just hilarious and I fell into a fit of laughter. I finally managed to calm my laughter as I spoke through small chuckles,"Don't you think you're all a little late? I came in this morning and it's night."

"Well, our comrades gave us a bit of confidence in your negotiating skills and..." the changling leader trailed off.

"And? Come now." I said to the leader.

"And we kind of.. cowered in the barracks... fearing for our lives."

"Wait what?" My laughter caught hold of me once more. "Come on, she's your queen!" the embedded smile on my face continued to burn my cheek muscles.

"Dark, who is it?" Asked the curious Chrysalis.

I turned to the ebony beauty and smiled,"Just some guards, hun." 

One of the guards called from the hallway to make himself heard to the queen inside,"Hi Chrysalis!" The entirety of the group gave him a look of bewilderment. "What?" asked the lone guard.

I turned to the guards and smiled once more,"Ok guys, I gotta go. I'm freezing." The guards looked to me in confusion but turned a bright shade of red when I turned towards the bed, naked. "Oh yeah." I quickly turned around and closed the door then locked it shut.

"Well?" asked the queen.

"Well, where were we." I sauntered my way over to the bed and buried myself next to Chrysalis once more.

"We were here I believe." 
> Returning home.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day had begun with a joyous start, Chrysalis and I awoke within each others embrace and had breakfast in bed, compliments from the chef for calming the raving queen. The meal was fantastic and my week of freedom was two days closer to its end. I explained to Chrysalis that I needed to get some things done before the week was over and she understood.

As I stuffed my equipment into my pack, I was interrupted by the ebony queen as she wrapped her arms around my chest and smiled as she stared into my eyes,”Dark, I wish you could stay here with me.” she buried her face into my back.

“I would if I could love, but I need to get some things before my week of freedom is over. On the last day, I promise you that I will come back and spend the day with you.” I reassured her as I continued to pack. Once my pack was filled to the brim in equipment and food for the travel, I strapped it around my waist. I turned to the changling queen and planted my lips against hers. We stood in the bedroom for a moment, holding each other until I realized I was burning daylight. “I’ll see you once I return, but until then.” I gave her a quick and embracing hug.

////////////////

Some time had passed since I left the Hive and I arrived at the campsite once more. I spent a lot of time here, and it could use some improvements. I set my pack down against the log near the campfire and left for the nearby woods. One after the other, I dragged four large logs out of the woods and towered them in each corner of the site. I scavenged for twigs, brush and leaves in the area and set them in a large pile. I gathered more and more until I had all the materials I needed. With the help of my gauntlets, the materials that I gathered, and a bit of ingenuity, I set to work on fashioning a small hut. 

////////////////

After two hours of slaving away at the small hut, it was finally finished. “Pretty good shack ya got there.” called a voice from behind. I turned around and caught gaze of a scruffy blue pony with flaming hair.  “The names Pyromancer, good to meetcha!” the strange Pegasus stallion reached out his hand and I cautiously took his.

“Hello Pyro. My name’s Darkmoon.” I gave the sketchy stallion a quick glance over. He held an ocean blue tint in his coat and a red and blue flaming mane. His more defining features were his pegasus wings and his interesting  cutie mark. The mark was a cyan and blood red flame. His hooves were orange and had a small red goatee. 

“What’s the matter? You look as if I were a passerby looking to kill something,” asked Pyro.

        “What?” I asked.

        The stallion blinked his eyes a few times and tapped the side of his head with his hand. “Nothing, sometimes my mind tends to wander and words come out without going through my brain. A few screws loose they tell me but I try to ignore the sods.”

“Ignore who?” The more he talked, the more confused and intrigued I became.

        The pony stopped pounding his head and faced me once more,”The town’s folk. I can’t stand the thought of them rejecting me so easily, but whatever happens to make them think or do these things, happens for a reason.”

        “And why do you think they rejected you?”

        “Ha that’s a joke. They ‘Say that I’m crazy’... Just because you burn down a town hall on accident and stay to watch it fall to the ground in a heap of smouldering ashes. Apparently, that makes me insane.”

        Again, the more he spoke, the more worried I became. I just built a hut out of logs and I was sitting with a pyromaniac.

/////////////////

We sat around inside the hut for quite awhile and Pyro told me a bit about himself. He was always on the go, never quite place that would accept him due to his mentally unstable state of mind. The blue stallion was surprisingly... a fairly good cook. He threw strange sets of miscellaneous ingredients into a pot and the water inside shifted into a strange color.

        “So... What’s this made of?” I asked the stallion as he stirred the pot of assorted ingredients. 

        “All sorts of things, rocks, sticks, leaves, berries I found on some bushes, bees...”

        “Did you just say ‘rocks’?” I turned my attention to the pot and saw the color of the soup. It was a deep shade of purple. “That looks... delicious?”

        “Don’t let the look define the taste, you’d be surprised.” He grabbed a small bowl and used his ladle to pour some into the bowl. He handed it to me and gave a large smile,”Try it.”

        I took the small bowl and it looked to be full of some purple poison and slowly brought it to my mouth. I could feel my insides churn at the sight of the soup. I pressed the edge against my lips and took a quick sip. “Oh.” I took a bigger sip. “Damn..” I continued to down the rest of the soup and after I finished my soup, I spoke through a mouthful,”How, did, you.” I decided it was pointless to speak with my mouthful seeing as how I could barely speak. I swallowed it and took a breath to ease the rush of my mouth. “Where did you learn to cook like that? That was amazing!”

        “Living on the road, you kinda have to work with what you got. A while back, before they said that I ‘snapped’ I was a cook at this fancy pants restaurant. I made things like caramelized pears and cheese souffles and other fancy stuff. I tried to get my own shop set up in Roamania but alas, they won’t allow that because of my so called ‘condition’. Screw them I say, all I need is fire and food.” the blue stallion continued to stir the soup and then poured himself some.

        As the stallion sat himself down beside me and sipped on his soup, he took notice of my sword. “Hey, is that..” He quickly snatched my blade out of its sheath and locked his eyes on the hilt of the blade.

“Hey, what are you..”

“Ah ha! You’re the guardian right? I can tell you are due to this symbol.” He pointed to the small carving within the hilt and smiled wide,”That’s the symbol of the Old Guardian guild. I tell you, they were not the kind of people to mess with. I wish I coulda been there to see them in person. I guess I was just born too late. Damn.”

“How do you know all this?” I asked the entranced stallion.

He took his awe filled gaze and centered it on me,”I studied up on it back in Cloudsdale’s Library, I’ve always found them so interesting. Many ponies have things that interest them greatly, for me, that is the Guardians.”

“So what can you tell me about the old Guardians?” I asked the blue stallion.

He squinted his eyes as he placed his hand against his head,”Well for starters, they were big in terms of honor. If you did anything to bring dishonor to the guild, you were forced to train in the courtyards  through night and day, rain or shine. And you did this till they saw it fit for you to go back into the field.” He took a sip of his soup. “They were destroyed after the war with the gryphon kingdom. The only one that was left was Senior, the last guardian of Equestria before you came. He was a master in both ground and air combat, and when it came to magic, he was... almost too good. I bet if he wanted, he could’ve taken a group of dragons by himself.”

“If he was so good, then why was the guild destroyed? If he had all this power, they would’ve pulverized the gryphons.”

“This is true, but his mind wasn’t set on the battle. His mind was set on something else they say.” he took a deep breath to relax himself. “For what I cannot say.”

I placed my bowl down and placed my hands against my head, I was intrigued by the story and the guild, but the pain of Senior’s betrayal and abandoning of me were brought back to mind. A lone tear managed to form in the corner of my eye as I thought. “I’d like to stop talking about this, at least for now.”

“Sure thing bud.”

/////////////////

The sun was a couple hours from setting and I brought the misunderstood stallion along with me to Ponyville. We were nearing the edge of town and talked the entire way. We talked of simple things. We spoke of foods, society, and magic. I thought that it was about time for a drink to ease into the night, so I suggested we stopped at Tolsa’s.

        Once we strode through the wooden swinging doors and sat down at a booth, I signaled the waitress over. She quickly approached our table and asked,”Hiya Dark, What can I get you and your friend?” I turned to Pyro and waited for him to finish looking through the menu.

        “I’ll have a...lettuce sandwich with some hay fries and some hard cider,” stated the blue stallion. 

        “And what can I get for you, Dark?” asked the mare.

        “Well, I’m not really hungry, so just a mug of anything alcoholic really.”

        “Hard or soft.”

        My mind went perverted for a moment as I laughed inside my mind,”Hard, please.” A light chuckle came out.

        “As you wish!” the mare turned around and set way to retrieve our drinks. I leaned back into the soft booth chair and took a sigh in relief, the walk had been long and tiring. The barmaid returned a moment after with Pyro’s hard cider and my surprise. It was a tall mug and the foam was overflowing, the drink was pure black and was giving off a strong, lingering smell. “Here you two go.” She turned to Pyro and gave him a quick wink,”Your food will be out in a few minutes.”

        As she turned away back to the bar, I could see Pyromancer watching her walk away. “She wants me, I can tell.”

        “Come on, she only gave you a wink. Don’t get all emotional on me now.” I prodded his ribs with my elbow in a joking manner. “Anyways, she’s married.”

        “Yeah right, you’re just saying that because you want her all to yourself. Not this time Dark, not this time.” 

        “I’ll have you know that I already have a special someone, and the barmaid is married to the barkeeper.”

        “No joke?” the blue stallion asked.

        “Not one.” I replied. He shrugged it off and took a drink of his cider. I followed by taking a drink from my mystery drink, and it burned as it trickled down my throat. “Goddess that’s strong! What is this? I..I... really like this. What do you think this is?” I asked the pyromaniac beside me.

“Don’t know, I’m not a casual drinker.” He took a few bites out of his sandwich.

        “Thanks for the help.” I said with sarcasm. I turned away from Pyro and caught the sight of a large grey and forest green dragon, he wore a full suit of finely crafted armor. He had dark grey scales that faded into green as the scales reached their end. His emerald green eyes caught my gazing and he looked to me. I called out to the dragon,”Hey. I like your gear! Where can I get a set?”

        He picked up his bottle and sauntered over to our booth. “Hello, My name is Terra. Terra Firma.” he sat down across from me and stared me down. I was about to reach for my blade when his words interrupted my actions,”That armor... Guardian status, are you? What makes you think that you’re fit to wear such armor.”

        I growled at his accusation,”I don’t care for boasting.”

        The large dragon leaned against the table and continued to stare me down. I squinted my eyes as I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. The large dragon bowed his head and smiled,“You... you’re worthy of this precious gift. I once was the apprentice of the Master blacksmith who forged this incredible armor, this grade of armor was once only given to the protectors of the land, the Guardians. Their guild was a group of mighty and fierce warriors, masters of combat. Celestia sought out the greatest blacksmith in the land, Firefist. He crafted many sets of this armor for the proud warriors gladly. I was taken under Firefist’s smithing ways shortly after most of the armors were crafted. I witnessed the many stages of his craft, heat treatment after heat treatment, one hammer smash after another, folding and bending of the metal. He was truly a master of his trade, and I was honored to be able to witness his ways. Sadly, I’m sorry to say that your armor is not complete. You only bear the gauntlets and Pauldron, you still require the chestpiece and the greaves. I remember this set, Firefist crafted it especially for the guardian by the name of Senior. The last I saw of him was with the complete set, but after he left in search of a cave; he came back with only the upper half of the set. He must have left the greaves back in this cave, of that I’m not positive though. It’s just a guess.” He leant back into the chair and took a large gulp of his beer.

        “Why is it so important for me to retrieve Senior’s old gear? I haven’t needed it before, why should I need it now? Plus we’re in a time of peace, so there’s no need for it.” I told the drake.

        “This is true, but like you stated, we’re in a time of peace.. for now. I’m sure you’ll need it if the time of war arises, and I’d feel safer if I knew that the guardian was protected by mighty armor so that he may protect us.” There were wisdom in his words, and I could tell that it all came with age. He may have looked young, but a dragon ages much slower than a regular human or pony. “I would ask this of you, please find his gear. It would do many good to know that you are protected.”

        “Alright, I’ll do this if think it’ll help.” I took a long drink of my mysterious beverage and took an abundance of joy from the fizz and small stings for the strong taste.

/////////////////

The night begun to a pleasing start, the small group of Pyro, Terra Firma, a few miscellaneous ponies and myself sat around and got hammered. I could feel my body begin to loosen up and my mind relaxed. I felt content with everything. My company was a pleasant crowd and I learned much about the armor bearing dragon. I found that he lives near Ponyville, his house was built on the mountains near the small town. He was a blacksmith and created his own dazzling set of armor that he wore at the moment. He usually wandered the countryside keeping the peace of the nearby regions. He seemed to be a little bit too dramatic for any given moment, thought couldn’t compare to Rarity’s sense of drama. The very sound of her crying about something being wrong sent a rather chilling shiver down my spine.

        “I need to set off now, I have plenty to do tomorrow. I shall catch up with you all sometime later. Farewell, my friends” I managed to say through drunken slurs. The buzz took hold of me after my fourth mug of the mysterious brew. They all gave me a nod in respect and returned to the constant laughter and chatting around the now lively table. I turned to the door and made my way to the door and stumbled out into the nights cool embrace. 

        As the moons light shone upon me, I could feel something take hold of my body. My wings spread open wide and I shot into the sky. “What’s going on?” I asked myself aloud. The wings on my back seemed to have a mind of their own as they rocketed me towards the Everfree. “Why am I going here?” I asked myself again. As I flew over the Everfree forest, my wings cut away and slapped themselves shut. “Not again!” I plummeted towards the ground at a rapid pace and crashed through tree after tree, finally coming to a halt in a familiar ruin.

        I stood from the ground and leaned my body against a stone wall,”I’m gonna feel that in the morning.” My thoughts of future pain was ended by the sounds of small cries of sorrow. I quickly remembered the small filly known as Moon Shadow returned to mind. I almost completely forgotten about her, and I left her alone... here. My thoughts turned dark and depressing as I began stumbling through the corridors trying to find the small mare. 

        “Moon?” I called out, but all I got were constant sobs. I needed to find her, I needed to help her. I couldn’t just leave her anymore, I needed to deal with this. This is why my wings brought me here, I was sure of it. As I staggered through the halls of the ruin, the cries came closer. My head was spinning and I could only see a short distance in front of me before the images turned into blurs. The sobs became more and more frequent as I neared the end of the hall. The last room to the right had a dim light brightening the room and I slowly approached the large wooden door.

        The door crackled and creaked as it opened, I slowly and cautiously peeked inside. I could see the shadow of the small mare cascaded across the wall in the far end of the room. 

        “Moon, is that you?” I called out to the shadow. The only response I got were small gasps of air between light sobs. “I’m coming in.” I pushed the door open and staggered my way through. The light dissipated into thin air as the door slammed behind me, I shot my gaze behind me and found the door had been locked. “What’s going on, Moon? Is that you?” I tried to look around the room but was denied this pleasure with the tonic in my system and the absence of light.

        I remembered that I still had my gear and charged the inferno spell. As the spell reached its peak, I cast it to illuminate the room. The once dark room was now lit by the torch that was my hand. I heard laughter in the distance of the long stretching room and could feel my senses turned grim on the outlook of my situation. 

        “Well... fuck.”
> Raising the Moon.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Moon?” I called into the darkness, the emptiness of the room was frightening. A bone chilling and sinister laughter surrounded me which echoed throughout the long, stretching chamber. I couldn't find the right state of mind to carry on downward through the room, my body couldn't find the motivation to continue. My legs locked into position and the alcohol running through my system set my mind spinning. I didn't know what to do, so I stood there, waiting. Calling out for the small filly. 

Hours passed and the light slowly crept in through the small barred window of the wooden door, I hadn’t fallen asleep since I first arrived to the once abandoned ruins. I hadn’t even moved from the spot in which I stood in. All I could do was call for her, living in a hope that she would forgive me for the terrible things I’ve done. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” The power within my legs disappeared as I fell down to my knees in anguish. I placed my hands over my eyes in an attempt to stop the oncoming rushing feeling of tears. “I don’t know any better way to tell you this, if you’re even listening to me...” My voice volume dropped to a whisper,”if you’re even here. I'm just..sorry.”

The laughter slowly faded away with the darkness as I heard a pair of small hoofs near me. I raised my head and found a small face appear from the darkness as she neared the light of the sun that shone through the small window. I could see tears streaming down the face of the small filly as she neared me, a small smile crept across her face as she knelt beside me. She looked deep into my eyes and asked with a shaky voice,”Do...do you really mean it?”

I looked into her eyes and nodded, I couldn’t find the words that could compensate for the acts that I’ve done to Moon. All I could do was try to find redemption in the small mares heart. I would do anything to make things right, something, Anything. To my amazement, the small mare wrapped her arms around me and gave me a heartwarming hug.

“I don’t hate you, and I don’t want to mourn for my sister anymore.” She let go of me and wiped her tears away and turned her attention back to me,”I’m kinda glad she’s gone.. she used to.. She did terrible things.. to ponies.” Moon stood to her feet and held her hand out to help me to mine. I accepted her small hand and we managed to get me standing with a great deal of effort. 

“I want to help you, with anything. I need to help you. I can find you a home, I can find someone to raise you. You don’t need to live here in this constant reminder.” I could feel my senses returning as the effects of the tonic wore off.

She looked to me and smiled,”You’re gonna really do that? What if I don’t want a parent?” She wrapped her arms around my pant leg and looked up to me with a smile,”What if I want someone like you.” I contemplated her question and thought long. I cracked a smile and looked down to the small filly. A sense of happiness filled my gut as she returned the smile.

“If you really want me to, I can. I’ll take care of you, you won’t have to worry about being alone anymore.” I playfully ran my fingers through her mane as she hugged my leg tightly. I had a home, to which I never stayed in. A marefriend, and from that moment on.. a daughter. All I wished from then on was to be the father that Moon Shadow deserved. 

////////////////////

“And here we are, your new home.” I told the little mare. She gazed around the house and proceeded around searching all the photos throughout the rooms. I never really stayed here all too often and Miss Rarity always seemed to spend more time in here than I ever could, with all the clothes she’s made for me and all the decorations she littered everywhere throughout the house. It felt to me that she was a maid at first, but in all actuality, I was just a guest in my own house.

        By the time my thoughts returned to reality, I heard Moon calling from down the hallway,”You live here? This place is so big! Where did you get all this stuff?” I followed the voice to its source and found Moon staring at the Knight armor inside my room. Her mouth was hanging awe, amazed at the spectacle. “Where’d you get this? This is amazing!”

        Her attentiveness was cute, just the fascination she held for the objects throughout my household. “I got this as a gift from Celestia.” 

“Why do you think she got you this? You already got your own set, their ten times better than this set.” Moon asked.

        “I’m not sure exactly, mostly just for show I guess.”

        “Has anybody but me seen this?”

        I put my hand against my chin and thought deeply this,’The only people.. ponies that have actually seen the inside of my house have been Rarity, Zecora when she dropped me off that one time and now, Moon Shadow.’ I looked to the small mare and said,”Nope, not really.”

        She cracked a smile and turned to search the rest of her new living quarters. I smiled at her as she left the room, and I then retreated into my thoughts. ‘I hope I can be a good enough father figure, we’ll just have to see.’

///////////////////

        The night begun to set across the sky and I had Moon Shadow sleep in my bed while I slept on the couch in the living room, I laid there in constant worry. Just the thought of her living with me. It wasn’t a scary thought, but what had her sister done to her before her passing? What did she do to the small mare through for Moon to just forgive me as she did? These thoughts plagued my mind as I laid on the couch. “I’m not gonna get much sleep tonight, am I?” I asked no one in particular. I looked to the clock on the wall and seen that it was three o’clock in the morning and gave myself an answer. “Eeyup.”

        I stood from the stiff couch and gave a quick stretch to ease the sore spots it had embedded into my body. I made my way over to the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee, and if I paid attention to my surroundings, I would have caught sight of my new daughter, Moon Shadow.

        “Still up I see?” Asked the small mare, I turned to face her with a scoop full of coffee grounds in my hands. I looked to her and gave her a little smile.

        “Morning kid, why are you up so early?” I asked Moon.

        “The greater question is why are you still up? You know you have to get stuff done today.. tomorrow.. wait.” She retreated to her thoughts for a moment and returned to our small conversation. “Yeah, today.”

        I put the coffee grounds into the coffee maker and grabbed the coffee pot and began filling it with water. I turned to the mare and raised an eyebrow,”I thought I was the parent here, come on.” I gave a quick, small laugh and turned back to the pot. Once it was full, I began pouring the water  into the machine and placed the pot back in its appropriate spot. I flicked the machine on and turned to Moon, to find a 'not too pleased' expression on her face. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go to sleep once I’m done this pot. Deal?”

        She gave me an unsure look and nodded,”Alright, you can drink it but I’m gonna help ya.” I looked to the mare with a confused expression.

        “Wait, how old are you? I thought children usually steered away from this stuff. And aren’t you a little young to be drinking this?” I asked Moon. She looked to me with a smirk as she reached into the cupboard for a mug.

        “I’ve done a lot worse than just drink coffee. Come on now.” I gave an approving nod as I took my mug and waited. "Oh yeah, I'm ten. Just so you know." she gave me a smirk and we returned to waiting.

/////////////////

        After the coffee had been finished off, Moon and I sat around and chatted. I continued to learn more about my new daughter. All the positive and negative things she’d lived through, the things she adored and the seemingly infinite stories she had. As the daylight cracked though the kitchen window, I turned to greet the sun. “Morning Celest.” I turned to Moon and her eyes looked to be falling ever so slowly as she tried to stay with the waking world. I watched as she closed her eyes and gently rested her head on the table. I could hear soft snores coming from the little filly as she slept. 

        I cautiously picked up the small mare and carried her back to the bedroom and placed her under the covers. I tucked her in and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “Night kid, sleep tight.”

        As I made my way out to the couch once again, I glanced at the clock for a brief moment. “Seven thirty, well.. I guess I could go see Ditzy for a couple hours.” I strapped on my boots and took a deep breath. “No sleep, no problem.”
> Treasures Unknown.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Hey, Darkmoon.” I could feel someone pushing on my leg,”Dark, wake up.” I let off a couple of irritable groans as I rolled over. “Nonono..” called the strange. As I rolled over, I rolled myself into the park fountain that I’d fallen asleep on. In a seconds notice, I was drenched from head to toe.

I slowly pulled myself out of the tiny pool and yawned. “So much for sleep..”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.” the blue stallion began to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

After a stretch and failing to try to dry myself off, I turned to the stallion. He was a deep shade of blue with a light cyan mane and tail. Even his eyes were a crystal blue. He was a little on the small side, matching the height of Twilight. His wings were neatly tucked to his back as he stood before me. I ran my hand through my hair to sweep it to the side as I looked to the stallion,“Well, It’s seems that you already know my name, so can you tell me yours?” I asked the blue stallion.

“Mine’s Night Strife. I just saw you sleeping here, why is that? Mare troubles?” Asked the stallion.

“I don't have mare troubles and well, everything’s a blank after I left home this morning. What time is it?”

The stallion looked to his watch and read,”Well, it’s roughly around twelve thirty.”

My eyes shot open as I realized how long I’ve been asleep for,”Well, I better get going.”

“Where are you off to?”

“Well, you can call it treasure hunting, but I’m actually going to go collect some rare artifacts left to me by my predecessor.”

“What?”  The stallion began to give me 'Off' expressions.

“It’s not that important. Well, it was nice to meet you.” I turned to make an exit but was stopped once the blue stallion spoke.

“Hey, I have a question. Can I come with you? If you don’t mind that is.”

I began to think about it,’I could use a bit of help, maybe I could gather a small group before I set off. That’s a good Idea actually.’ I turned to the stallion and said,“Alright, go pack a few things before we leave. We’ll be gone for a day or two, so pack some things you’ll need. I’m gonna go get a few friends, then we’ll be off. I’ll meet you at Tolsa’s Tavern.”

////////////////////

        My group of recruits gathered inside Tolsa’s, we all sat at our usual booth. Drinks and bags of equipment lined the surrounding area as we sat and chatted. “So, you’re all ready then I take it?” I asked the group of familiars.

        “Well, at first I didn’t know what to pack so I brought a few things I thought we’d need.” Axton was the first pony I asked to come, his knowledge in science and magic could come in handy should there be a barrier or something blocking our path.

        “I am ready, I have packed everything that I might need, this is unlikely but just in case.” Said the large forest green dragon known as Terra Firma. His knowledge on the Guardian's could prove useful, that and his brute strength could come in handy as well.

        “Hey, I’m always ready. I’ve gone years just on the basics, I got this.” Called the blue, fiery mane stallion, Pyromancer. His survival skills were incredible, I'd feel off without him at my side.

        “Alright then, we’re just waiting on Night Strife then and speaking of him, there he is.” I saw Strife push through the wooden doors of the tavern and he looked around. I signaled for Strife and he caught notice of me. He brought a similar pack as mine due to his wings, and a small black case. His pack seemed to be a little light for my tastes; but if he believed he was ready, I wasn’t about to complain.

        “Ready Strife?” I asked the blue stallion, he quickly nodded and I turned to the group. “Team, this is Night Strife and he’ll be accompanying us in this search and recover type mission we’re on.” I turned to the stallion and asked,”Ok Strife, what kinds of things are you good at?”

        The stallion didn’t speak a word, he just continued to stare at the group surrounding the table. I noticed this and asked,”Is something wrong? What’s going on?”

        “I thought it’d just be the two of us, I’m not very..very...”

        “Come on now, don’t be shy. If any of the guys feel the need to ass around, I’ll promise you myself that nothing like that will happen.” I turned to the guys and gave them a stern look,”Right guys?”

        In unison, the group nodded and it put a smile on my face. “Alright. Since we’re ready, let’s get going. We’re burning daylight here.” The group stood from the table and grabbed there packs. As they exited the shop, I walked over to the barkeep and tossed him some bits to pay for the drinks. “I’ll catch you later.” 

////////////////////

        “So where are we going exactly? You didn’t give me any clues or anything on the location.” Strife asked.

        I looked to the pegasus and smiled,”Well I have an embedded map within my mind; given to me from Celestia herself, that shows me the locations that Senior held ‘Sacred’. From what he’s told me, he left gear and equipment for me to find in these spots. I didn’t originally want to get them..”

        Terra bumped in and spoke,“Until I suggested it to him. All of Equestria can thank me later.” The dragon gave a brief smirk as he finished.

        “Yes, well thanks to Terra; I’ve finally accepted this proposal to retrieve these artifacts.”

        As we continued down the long stretching road, I dove into my thoughts to look at the map. We were coming up to the intersection to where we needed to break away from the road and travel into the mountains. I signaled for the team to stop and they all looked to me,”Alright. From what the map’s telling me, we need to go into the mountains and locate a small cavern.” We broke from the road and began traveling through the field.

////////////////

        “Why don’t... we just... use our wings?” Strife asked through small pants as we climbed the mountain side.

        “We could, but then would that be very fair for Axton? Come on, you all look to need the exercise anyways.” I replied to Night Strife.

        “Hey! Not all of us need this, I keep myself in peak physical form, thank you very much.” Yelled Terra.

        “Is that a complaint I hear? From the one claiming to ‘Not need this’?” Questioned the fire obsessed stallion.

        “Oh hardy har har, you simply crack me up Pyro.” The dragon stated sarcastically.

        “Quit your fighting and let’s just get to this cave before nightfall alright? I don’t want to be climbing the side of a mountain to end up fumbling around in the dark.” I called to the group.

////////////////

        “Finally, at least we got the cave before it got too dark. We’ll set up camp inside.” As I finished off the speech, the unicorn, the pegasus and the dragon began creating a resting area for the night. Axton set up tents and makeshift beds while Pyromancer set up the campfire. I seen that Terra set his sights on the parties food supply, he set out the ingredients he needed for supper and waited for Pyro to finish playing around with the open flames of the roaring campfire. Everyone was accounted for, all except our quiet and shy Night Strife. 

        I took a step out of the lit cavern and took in the nights cool wind, it was calming and welcoming. I glanced to the left and caught the sight of the stallion in question, setting up a rather odd contraption. I strode over to the lone stallion and he heard my footsteps as I approached. “So, what are you doing there?” I asked.

        “Well, in my profession” He let out a little grunt as he tightened a few loose screws on what seemed to be a stand. “I’m an Astrologist, I study the stars. I find them quite fascinating.” He lifted a large cannon looking thing and placed it onto the stand and began fastening it together.

        “What’s that?” I questioned.

        “Well, It’s a telescope. I thought you’d know this. Well; to be more specific, this is a Celestron Nexstar 130SLT Computerized Telescope. It’s a fully automated telescope that boasts a powerful 130mm reflector that produces detailed and remarkable images of the planets and stars.” He gave a large cheesy grin as he finished his statement, to which I couldn’t even try to comprehend. 

        “Umm.. What?” I asked.

        “It let’s me see the stars that much easier. I’ll just leave it at that.” He returned to assembling the telescope.

        “If you love stars so much, which is your favorite?”

        “Well, I don’t have a specific ‘favorite’ because of the vast amounts of stars and planets but I have a favorite constellation, if that suffices. It’s my cutie mark, the Gemini. I got it while I was doing a school report.” He took his focus off the telescope and closed his eyes to reminisce. “I was watching the night’s sky and caught a glimpse of this interesting horde of stars and begun analyzing the many formations. The night stretched on but my fascination for the stars was undying. I continued staring at them for the remainder of the night, and the next day at school; after giving my teacher the report, I got an astonishing A+ and a flash of light. I turned to find I had gotten my cutie mark.” he let out a light chuckle,”I walked around the remainder of that day proud of my accomplishments. And that’s my story, sorry if I bored you.” He slowly broke away from his thoughts and returned to building his telescope.

        “That was a thing of beauty my friend. I haven’t heard someone describe a story like that in ages. It was nice.” I gave a warm smile to the stallion and he returned it in kind. “Well, Dinner should be ready. Let’s go eat.”

        The stallion turned to me and we set our way to the entrance of the cavern. Just before we entered, D
Strife turned and stopped me,”Thanks. I haven’t spoken to anyone this much before. It was nice.” 

        “Don’t mention it, anything for a friend.” I gave him a warm smile once more and we pulled up a spot to eat.

        “Where were you guys? Off having fun I bet while the rest of us were working, weren’t ya?” Pyro said playfully.

        “Ah, you guys could handle it. I was about to do it all but then you all felt this sense of obligation so..” I jokingly stated.

////////////////

The next morning rose and we were already traversing the vast cavern. We couldn't seem to find anything until Axton placed a pair of steam-punk goggles over his eyes and called,”Hey guys! over here!” I turned to face the stallion and saw him pointing at the wall.

“Have you gone insane? There’s nothing there, you dult.” Called Pyro.

I quickly made my way over to Axton and eyed the spot he was pointing to,”There’s something here.” I called to the rest of the group. I placed my hand against an oddly shaped rock and it lightly bounced back. “There’s definitely something here.” I pushed the rock in as far as it could go and it stuck to the back of the wall. With a loud shock of rock crushing, the wall began to fall apart and made a small door, large enough to fit through. “I’m going in alone. If I don’t come out in a few minutes; come in ready to fight.”

I slid through the crack in the wall and made my way through a long stretching tunnel. It was fairly dark except for the small glimpses of light here and there. As I neared the end, I heard a voice call out from behind me. “If you wish to live, you shall not disturb this resting spot. Brother or not, I will strike you down.” I turned to see the end of a blade, a fingers width away, from my throat. It was the ghostly image of a departed soul. He was a deep blue pegasus with mane and tail two distinct shades of purple. His mane and tail seemed to be spiked back and a bloody scar ran across his chest. His wings were huge and his body was very well-toned. His cutie mark was a Lightning bolt with a diamond tone, similar to his mane and tail, it was two different shades.

“What is it you wish spirit? Begone!” I demanded.

“I knew you’d return, brother!” The spirit raised his blade and brought it down with a great deal of strength.
> Fallen, but Never Forgotten.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        I quickly unsheathed my blade to block the strike. To my surprise, his sword went straight through my sword and through my body. Instead of shattering my blade and shredding my skin, the blade passed right through without leaving a scratch. I turned to stare at the figure and he continued to speak with someone else. “Do you think that I would simply allow you to do this? It is an insult to leave it here! Firefist made this for you, no one else!” 

        I was baffled by the scene, it was like watching a movie but in person. The spirit was speaking to someone but I couldn’t see who he spoke with but something told me I already knew who it was.

        “You do not deserve the armor you wear! The guardian’s are not meant to leave their responsibilities, and you just decide to up and walk away? I am not letting you leave this place alive. We took the vows, we have the skills, and we both know the cost of betrayal.” The stallions steel glare turned to one of sadness,”We may be the last of the guardians and the price of peace may have been our brothers and sisters” his expression filled with hatred and fury. “But that does not mean you can leave.” He threw his sword at the wall and both the ghostly figure and the sword faded away.

        “What was that about? Was he speaking with Senior?” I turned and found the exit of the hall. I found a small room connected to the hall and entered. It was lit with natural sunlight through the many cracks and crevices lining the ceiling. The room was barren, nothing inside but chunks of rock and tangling vines and moss. “There has to be something here.” and fortunately for me, there was. I found a trap door in the corner of the room buried under a pile of creeping moss. I flipped the hatch open and found a ladder leading into a deep darkness of a seemingly endless pit.

        As I reached the bottom of the hole, I was engrossed by darkness. I charged up and cast the inferno spell as I slowly made my way through the newly discovered hall. The ghostly figure returned and looked to be battling with the character he was arguing with earlier. He continuously swung his sword with grace and finesse, each strike landing with a powerful blow. I continued to watch as the stallion fought furiously with his opponent. As the battle dragged on, I could see the exhaustion in the stallions facial expression, sweat trickled down his face as he took quick, short breaths.

        “Senior! You won’t leave here alive!” Cried the stallion. Blood slowly leaked out of his chest wound and as it was about to hit the floor, it seamlessly vanished. He grasped his gaping wound as he grunted in pain. He seemed to be paying attention to Senior as if he were speaking and cried out,”You won’t get lucky like that again!” As he raised his blade, he leapt towards down the hall. Once he was in the air, he vanished once again.

        “What are these two fighting about?” I questioned. I knew that it was about Senior’s betrayal of the past Guardians but there seemed to be more here. ‘If they were the only ones left, why would they spend this time fighting in some goddess forsaken cave?’ I thought.

As I reached the end of the hall, I finally found a large room with unlit candles lining the walls. “This seems promising.” I said. I looked around the room and as I made my way through, I lit the candles with the inferno spell, so I could salvage as much mana as I could for the day. As the room slowly lit up with a dim ambiance, I found someone. I found him lying in the middle of the room. He was calm, and peaceful. I slowly approached him and knelt down beside him. He was holding a note in his hands as he slept on the floor. As I retrieved it from his grasp, I gave it a quick read:


To whom is reading this, My name is Diamond Sprint and I would like to take this time to bestow my knowledge of our Creed into your memory. It was a beloved Guild founded by the great Starswirl the bearded. He raised the guild to be protectors of this great and noble land, to fight the dark forces that seek the eminent destruction of peace.

 During the war of the Gryphon kingdoms and the Equestrian kingdoms, we were lead into battle by the fearless and courageous human known as Senior. He was a remarkable man with powerful charisma, able to get any challenge given to him mastered within an hours time. As this man lead our army of guardians into battle, he seemed to crack under the pressure of the rising war before us. He charged in alone, with both his swords at the ready. I watched as he slaughtered many of the winged demons as they tried to rip and tear away at his armor, but to no avail. He must have taken out twenty of the beasts as we watched from afar. Once we seen that he seemed to be struggling, the remainder of the Guardians and I followed in example. We were winning the fight by a devastating amount but had we greater knowledge of the allies the gryphons commanded, we would have been more cautious. A horde of dragons swept over the skies and charred all those that stood in the way of their scorching flames. They burned both guardian and gryphon alike as they stormed through, raining fear and discouragement amongst both armies.

We would have lost if it weren’t for Senior. With his blades drawn, he merely gazed at the dragons and they flew off. Was it fear? Or was it because of the treaty they had signed? All the answers I seek seem to be less important with the passing time of this moment. Each moment growing just a bit darker. I loved Senior as a brother, we fought side by side, through thick and thin. The battle must have been too much for him, for he seeks to return to his world. He claims to be tired of the ordeals of war, But I know better. Senior, he was a man of war. When he put on that armor, he was nearly unstoppable. He fought countless enemies, saved many lives, and risked his own in order to protect the common. He did this righteously, and never asked for a award. 

I fear that I’ve lost my dearest brother to the dark thoughts that plague his mind. And now that I know that he’s gone and he leaves me here, I feel mournful. I seek the forgiveness of my fallen brothers and sisters in arms, please know that I soon will be joining you. I love you all.

                                Till we meet again, Diamond Sprint.

I glanced over to Diamond and gave him a respectful bow in silence. I didn’t wish to leave the stallion to be hidden in a hole, far beneath the ground never to be seen again but I couldn’t muster the strength to concentrate. All I could do was say my quiet goodbyes to the unfortunate soul. “Sleep peacefully brother, I’ll join you and our brothers and sisters in the ethereal plains one day.” I heard a group of hoofsteps and footsteps nearing the room. I didn’t move, I couldn’t move. I wasn’t in fear, I was simply mourning the loss of Diamond Sprint. He was a loyal soul, and would have made a great and trust worthy ally. I felt a warm hand place itself on my shoulder and I stood still.

        “Dark, What’s...” Terra looked over my shoulder and found the skeleton of Diamond. He slowly bowed his head and paid his respect to the fallen warrior. “Diamond, I’m sorry.” I could see a tear mustering inside the eyes of the green dragon. “I used to know him, he was a noble and loyal soul. He used to be dear friends with Senior, where was he when this happened?” I didn’t wish to crush the poor dragon’s spirits, so I hid the small letter inside my pants pocket. 

“Who’s the dea.. Ouch! What was that for?” Pyro shouted after Axton gave him a shot to the arm.

“Have some respect will ya?” scolded the unicorn.

The group of five including myself stood in silence. 


“Goodbye, Diamond.”

> Escaping the Darkness.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        I rose from bowing and continued over to the end of the room. The others quickly followed behind, all except Terra; who stood watching over his fallen brother.

        “So what are we looking for?” asked pyromancer. “If I were a mystical guardian relic on the verge of discovery in the deepest depths of some cave in the side of a mountain, where would I be?”

        “My goggles could help, they can pick up on magical enchantments and other secrets of the world, but I haven’t tested it on guardian attire before, so I don’t know the outcome yet.” Axton placed his goggles on and scanned the area. He searched the room but gave me a shrug and said,”Well. With this newly acquired information, I can say with confidence” He let his goggles hang around his neck once more. “It doesn’t work on guardian enchantments.”

        “What’s with you guys and being completely anti-climactic? It’s a bit too much really.” Pyro called to Axton.

        We searched the room from top to bottom but could find nothing. All hope to find the ancient relic seemed lost, until Terra called out,”Dark, you might want to look this over.”

        I was surprised by his comment, he hadn’t moved from his spot since he began mourning. “What did you find Terra?” I asked.

        “There’s something here, with Diamond Dasher.” He knelt down to the remains of the fallen warrior and slowly begun the process of wiggling his arm around the skeletal remains. He managed to slide Diamond over without bringing harm to the brittle bones. Underneath Diamond was a small hatch with a lock. “Another tunnel maybe?” 

        “I just want to leave this goddess forsaken cave and be done with this darkness, sure it’s amazing in its own way but I’m more for the open skies and the green fields.” Voiced Pryo.

        “You won’t get an argument from me, I’m like the open air myself.” Axton called to the group.

        I looked to Terra and smiled,”We’ll give Diamond the proper burial he deserves. I promise Terra.” I looked to the lock an frowned. “We still need to find the key, I’m not sure if I have enough mana to open the lock magically.”

        Terra looked to the lock and said,”I have an idea, stand back.” We all took a couple steps back and the large dragon turned around. He lifted his enormous tail and brought it down with a mighty strike and smashed right through the door. “Voila.”

        I took a step forward and removed the shattered door shards. Once they were cleared, I found that it wasn’t an tunnel but just another safe. Inside I found a chest piece matching my own set, inside was another note. It was written in another language, of what? I wasn’t sure. I turned to the group and showed them the note. The only one to speak up was Terra,”That must be Guardian tongue, it’s a language that has been long since forgotten. It makes no sense on why they spoke it, but it was the language of the pre-classical era. It became their way of talking to one another in secret, to not let their enemies figure their plans. It was a little much, but they were a secretive and powerful bunch.”

        “Do you know what they say?” I asked the dragon and to my dismay, he shook his head.

        “I wasn’t a member of the Guardians, just an apprentice of Firefist.”

        “Do you know of anyone else that can read Old Equestrian?” I asked the dragon.

        He placed his hand against his chin and thought for a moment. Once he returned to reality, he spoke,”The only ones to come to mind are the two princesses. The one we’d have a higher chance with would be princess Luna.”

        “Ok, it sounds like a plan. Let’s leave this place, but first...” I stood from our spot and faced the skeletal remains of Diamond. “You guys go ahead, I’m going to give our friend the funeral he deserves.”

        Axton and Pyro set their sights on exiting the ruins, while Strife, Terra and myself stood in the room. “I’m not leaving yet, I at least need to be here for my final farewells.” voiced the large dragon.

        “Death, it’s an inevitable thing. It comes to us all in time, it’s an unstoppable force with the power to wipe kingdoms free of life. At least in death we’re free, no fear, pain, sorrow. Just peace, true peace.” Called the blue pegasus.

        “But we must cherish this life, if not for ourselves, for those who’ve passed on.” I Raised my right hand and began charging the inferno spell. It raised to an incredible heat and I launched it into the room. As the fire spread, I took my leave of the lonely room. “A funeral fit for a king.”

        We left the ruins and found no trace of Axton or Pyromancer,“Where did those to go off to now?” Terra asked. We all turned once the sound of swords clashing together rang through the air. I quickly rushed over, followed closely by Terra and Strife.

        We found Axton lying on the ground knocked out and Pyro standing over him with his sword drawn. He was protecting him from a group of rogue changlings, the one that never followed as the Hive asked. They travel the land and hunt down their prey. “Get back you bastards!” cried Pyro. 

        “Let’s get down there, he needs us!” And with a powerful sweep of his wings, Terra flew forward at lightning speed. Night strife flew forward as well after Terra. I let out a powerful battle cry and charged forward with my blade drawn.

        We gathered in a circle around the unconscious stallion and prepared for the battle before us. The rush of the moment sent an endless sense of adrenaline rushing through my body, and from the roars and movements my companions were boasting, they were getting the same feeling.

        The large group of thirty changlings surrounded our small party, circling like sharks. I eyed each and every one of them, searching for their leader. And that’s when I saw him.

        He stood at my height, body covered in thick sheets of armor. On his back were a pair of steel wings with a black staining material tainting them, and they were sharpened to the point of razors. The proud armored stallion stepped before his comrades and smiled as I stared him down. “Tell me, do you really think you’ll win?” asked the stallion.

        “I’m not much for boasting, so let’s get to it!” We all lunged at the group and begun our vicious battle with the changling bandits.
> Blood and Steel.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        We clashed blades, claws, hooves and hands. My band of warriors took the fight to the changling rebels while I stood off with the mechanical beast. 

        “Skin them alive!”Cried a changling from the group of marauders. Pyro shot a glare over to the one speaking and smiled.

“You!” The fiery stallion pointed to the changling,”You’re the first who’s gonna be broken in half!” He ran to the changling with his sword in hand, roaring a mighty battle cry. Striking fear into the hearts of the changlings.

 As steel brushed against steel, Terra stood over Axton. With one of our allies in eminent danger, it was imperative to guard our fallen friend. Some brave but foolish changlings attempted to take Terra on head on, but were slaughtered as they neared his blades and razor sharp claws. “Stay back.” Terra simply said, but the ignorant changlings wouldn’t heed his warning. Three changlings tried to circle around him and rush the large dragon but to their dismay, he shot a scorching fire blast out of his muzzle as he roared.

 Two out of the three turned to smoldering ash, the lone survivor ran for his life but it was quickly ended by the ever so quiet Night Strife. As the changling fell to the ground, Night quickly rushed by and retrieved his throwing knife from it’s back without losing his momentum. He used knives, for ranged and close quarters combat. The dark blue stallion was swift as the wind and accurate as all hell. “We warned you all, now you pay the price for your ignorance.”

Pyro had slain many changlings, the thick green blood covered his face and upper torso. It was truly menacing, but it served it’s purpose as a fear factor to the changlings. He continued to hack and slash his way from fight after fight. Exhaustion was beginning to take hold of the blood soaked stallion and his actions slowed. The changlings saw this as an opportunity to end the stallion but he was soon backed up by Night Strife. As they stood back to back, they roared to the skies and sent chills through the air.

I stood in the heat of battle with the metallic stallion, readied with my blade in hand. “You can’t expect to beat me, you barely look to have any skill. I have many life times worth of knowledge in terms of battle.” He stated as he brought up something off his back. It looked to be his wings at first, but as it raised it manifested into a cannon of some sort. “You’ll never defeat me!” He broke out into a fit of laughter,“You’ll never beat me!” A sinister smile crept along his face. His cannons begun to light up with a red beam. I quickly realized what it was and dove behind a tree. Just as I hid, the beam shot at the trunk of the tree and turned the once solid tree into toothpicks.

“Fucking great, ranged.. I don’t.. wait.” I quickly reached to my holster and retrieved my first artifact, the magic-fueled sawn-off. I took it into hand and watched as my mana ran through the coils leading up to the bulb mounted on the side of the gun. Once it glowed with a bright, shimmering light, I turned to the mechanic stallion and readied my weapon. “Two can play that game.” I dove behind the cover of a log in our small battle field as another blast came from his cannon. I stood from cover and aimed down the sights at my opponent.

 As I pulled back the trigger, I felt the end of the barrel rumble at first then the rest of the gun, slowly running down my arm. There wasn’t a shot but a shockwave of lightning coursing its way through my arm. I gripped it to try and calm the pain but to no avail. The gun fell from my grip as I clenched my fist together. The metallic stallion cried out in laughter at my misery, and as I wiped my hand forward to tell him to shut up, a charge of lightning shot into the stallion.

He cringed back and forth, and was left stumbling from the pain. Through heavy pants, he asked,”What the... hell was.. that?”

I clenched my hand together and was unsure at first, I hadn’t learned the elemental spell of lightning yet but when I looked to my gun, I realized that it must have taught it to me once I pulled the trigger. ‘But if it did, then why didn’t it do it inside the cave when I first pulled the trigger?’ I thought to myself. I remembered that I tried it with the left hand and not the right. Since it required my mana to run, it couldn’t function yet. 

“We’ll, are you just gonna stand there looking stupid, or are we gonna fight?” asked the stallion. I turned to him as I picked the shotty off of the ground and smiled.

“Coming from the guy with a light twitch.” I was true, and he knew it as he gave a light twitch as the shock still coursed through his body. He growled at my remark and it placed a grin across my face, I quickly through my sawn-off into the air just overhead of the stallion and as he fixated his gaze on it, I bolted towards the him. As I neared, he realized it was a simple distraction and returned his gaze to me.

As his eyes landed on me, I slid right under the stallion and bounced up. As I took to the air with my leap, I took hold of his cannons and ripped them off of his body. He let out a painful cry as they were removed. “You bastard!” He yelled. I threw the amputated ‘limbs’ into the grass and caught my sawn-off in mid-air. I fixated my aim on him and readied my finger on the trigger.

“That’s cheating!” cried the metallic stallion. I smiled as I aimed to his leg and pulled back the trigger. His leg turned to mush and fragments of shattered bone. A loud cry of pain left the stallion’s mouth as he called to the sky. “My leg!” I looked to him and gazed into his eyes with fury fueling mine.

“You were only so lucky, it could’ve been your life.” I told the grief stricken stallion. He looked to me with a hateful and loathing glare. “Now leave this place, I don’t want to see you around here ever again.” I turned to walk away but was struck with a small stone to the back of the head. 

“Leaving? Just like that? Can’t even take a life? How are you supposed to be a guardian when you can’t even work up the nerve to kill?” Asked the stallion.

I turned to him and said,”Being a guardian means more than simply killing, it’s about protecting others. Even if it’s from themselves. I’m sparing your life because of two reasons. One: You’ve learned your lesson with that now missing leg of yours, and two: I’m don’t plan on killing anyone anytime soon, I promised her.” 

He clenched his teeth and growled at me, his left eye was twitching in anger. His expression quickly changed from one of anger to happiness,”Well, I guess I’ll be leaving now. Minions!” Cried the stallion. Within a seconds notice, the changlings that were still alive, roughly about ten or so, ran up to the stallion and carried him off.

“Where are they going?” Asked pyro as he strode beside me, sheathing his sword in the process. He was now dripping with the blood of the changlings and some of his own.

“They’re finished. They won’t be coming back anytime soon.” voiced Night Strife.

I turned to the two and shook my head,”No. They’re not done, not yet.” 

“Why did you let them go? Wait... before you answer that, tell me Dark, how many books do you read?” asked Pyro.

“Well, I used to go to the library nearly twice a week so a fair amount, I’d say.”

“And in any of the stories you’ve read, When can you see the good guy let the bad guy get away, only for them to come back better, faster and stronger?”

“A few.”

“You’re starting to see my point then, eh?”

I turned to see if they were gone and unfortunately, they were. “Well.. fuck.”
> The Darkest Heart.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                A few hours had passed since we returned from our travel to the mountains. The crew and I sat inside of Tolsa’s in our usual booth.

        “Ok, so let’s get this straight. You all were attacked by a group of renegade changlings lead by a stallion covered in steel or something and Darkmoon blasted his leg clear off with his gun?” Asked a new friend. 

The pony in mention went by the name of Firedancer. He was a regular earth pony, raised by a colony of dragons from a young age. He, much like Pyromancer, had an undying passion for the fires that plagued their minds. The stallion in mention held a light grey coat with a mane of a dark red with  a bright yellow strip from end to end.

“Yep, just point and click, the red mist that shot through the air went everywhere! You’d have to have been there to truly see how awesome it was!” stated Pyro a little too enthusiastically. “Then fight was amazing, changlings running every which way, swords and spells, Everything man! The only thing that I found disappointing...” He slowly turned his head towards my general direction and made eye contact with me for no more than a second and rolled his eyes. Pyro turned back to Firedancer and gave him a toothy smile,”Our fearless leader here let the armored stallion get away, even though our very lives were in danger.”

Firedancer gave me an unamused look and shook his head in disappointment,“Do you read at all?” asked the grey stallion.

“Ok, I get it. I let him get away, and he has the potential to return, bigger and badder than ever. When that time comes, I’ll end him. Though I am pretty sure my warning was enough.” I downed the rest of my drink and stood from the table. The group looked to me and raised an eyebrow in unison.

Terra was the first to speak,“Where are you going Dark? Their idiotic words haven’t put you off, have they?” the large dragon asked.

I shook my head and grabbed my pack and strapped it to my waist, I turned to the group and tossed a pouch of bits to the middle of the table. “Nah, they think what they do. I’m just gonna get this armor checked out and spend the rest of the night with Moon Shadow. Since tomorrow’s my last day of freedom, I’m going to be taking her over to the Hive to meet with Chrysalis.”

“Chrysalis? Of the changlings? Are you..” Firedancer was quickly interrupted by Axton.

“Yes, it sounds strange but Darkmoon is in a relationship with Lady Chrysalis. Is this a problem?” Axton gave Firedancer an unsure look and Firedancer simply shook his head in decline.

“No, its just... well, I thought that.. never mind, I guess.” voiced Firedancer.

“Thought what exactly?” I asked.

I could see the group signalling the stallion not to answer but he didn’t seem to pay any mind to their warnings.

“Well... changlings are a powerful race that feed off the raw emotions of others to live, and they command a fairly large army so I thought that this was the reason that you signed the treaty.”

I looked to the stallion dead in the eye and focused on nothing but him, Terra and the rest of the group slowly peeled themselves away from the table and took comfort from across the tavern. I stood there, eyes locked on the stallion and a single beam of sweat dripped down his face.

“Look, I signed the treaty because of the role I was given. I didn’t sign it because I had too. I’m in a loving relationship with the queen of the changlings, and I feel honored to be able to say that she’s my special somepony.” I slammed my hands down on the table, turning the attention of everyone to focus on me. “I don’t fear their armies, for they are my allies and the allies of the rest of Equestria. I don’t let their leader feed off of me, off my emotions, to protect this land. I let her feed off of me so I can show her that I... I love her.” I turned to the exit and began to exit, but stopped just before I reached the doorway. “I’m not angry with you, just speak more cautiously about my Queen.”

///////////////////


        “To be brutally honest with you Dark, I’m not entirely sure what this note reads. It has been many years since the tongue of the Old Equine.” Celestia continued to look over the note, squinting and trying to decipher the impossible inscription. “You must speak with my dearest sister Luna about such matters, but firstly, you must find her.”

        “Where would you have me begin my search?” I asked the ivory alicorn.

        “She has been spending much time with your counterpart, Shadow Kin. Lost together in their new found ‘appreciation’ for each other.”

        “Shadow, you sly fox.. ha.. fox.” I shook out of my slight ramble and turned my attention to Celest once more,“So what I have to do to contact her is to be asleep?” I asked.

        With a simple nod of the head, I bowed to the sun goddess and set my sights on the exit.

I just left the castle front gates and quickly took to the air and set off for Ponyville to retrieve Moon Shadow. I planned to introduce her to Chrysalis and maybe...

 If I’m lucky, start a somewhat patched together family.

The very thought was warming my heart with an ever growing sensation of joy like no other.

“Family, it’s a nice thought.”

> Past thoughts.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “This is... Awesome! I honestly thought you were lying about this ‘dating Chrysalis’ thing.” said a once skeptical Moon Shadow.

        I gave the small mare a confused expression, the very thought that she believed I would lie to her, “Ah, come on now. I’ve been honest thus far with you, why start now? And why would I lie about something like this?” I asked the small mare.

“Well, sure.. I get the part about being a guardian, the part about having a brother that can only exist in his true form inside the dream realm. The part that I’m having a problem with though is having a relationship with Chrysalis, the queen of changlings. So pardon me if I seem a bit skeptical about this whole thing.”

        “Now that you say it like that, you make me sound like I live in a fairy tale.” I looked to the path and left to my thoughts for a moment. I shortly returned to our conversation after gathering the right words to continue,“Now that I think about it; back in my world, before I knew this life and land, hearing something like that would make you think that same thing. Damn.” I turned to the small mare and seen a look overtake her face, she seemed to be tired.

        I stopped and she followed my lead. I knelt down and looked her in her tired eyes and said,“Want me to carry you the rest of the way?” I asked.

        Through a yawn and a tiny stretch, she nodded and I picked her up and held her in my arms. I held her as if she were an infant, though she was ten years old. I'd grown attached to the small mare in the short time of knowing her. She was a troubled child in some ways, but I found it fascinating that she’d been through so much. She told me of the terrible things her sister did to others, and the horrible things she put Moon through. I needed... no, wanted to be the father figure Moon never had, even though I never had the best myself.

        It’s strange to say but when you meet with someone that shares your experiences, you understand their pain, and from pain... a friendship is built. A mutual respect for the other. I guess that’s why we became such fast friends.

        I held onto the mare tightly and she nuzzled her nose into my neck as she slept soundly. I cracked a smile and spread my wings and took to the air. Moon Shadow had the right to be tired, given her age and the fact we left Ponyville right after I left Tolsa’s tavern. We arrived at the castle at four o’clock in the morning, in only six short hours of travel time. An all time record so far.

        I strode through the front gates and after a short walk through the castle, I arrived in the throne room. I was greeted by my love, Chrysalis. “Welcome back, Dark. So I see you do keep your promises.” She said with a smile.

        “But of course my queen, I’d never break one with one as lovely as yourself.” Her cheeks turned a bright crimson red as she smiled at my comment.

        “And who do you have there? A friend?” Asked the ebony queen.

        I turned to the small mare in my arms that still slept peacefully in my embrace. I gave a faint smile and said,“Yes, she’s a friend but she also my daughter.”

        Her eyes shot open at my statement,“You never told me you had a child, so who’s the mother?” she asked seemingly worried.

        I laughed at her sudden frustration,“I adopted her, and I don’t know anything about her mother. She don’t seem to know anything about her parents. I brought her here with me so she could get to know you, and vise versa”

        “Oh.” was all she could say. She approached me and gave the small mare a look over,“This child.. looks familiar though... like I’ve seen her before.” Moon nuzzled into my neck once again and began to snore lightly. “Oh goddess, that was adorable!” whispered Chrysalis.

/////////////////

        It was around nine and Chrysalis and I laid in bed in each others embrace, I was fighting to stay awake while she cuddled me while Moon slept in the guest room. I asked for the guards to watch over the room and attempt to scare her when she woke. I thought to myself,‘I feel sorry for the guards, they have no idea what she’s like. It’ll be something to laugh at, at least.’

        I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep.

/////////////////


        “Oh yeah, right there..” The ebony queen let out a few cries out in pleasure.

         “Right here?” I continued pushing harder, giving it my all.

        “Yes! on my... this is... this is amazing!” Chrysalis cried out.

        Moon Shadow looked to us and her cheeks turned a bright crimson red,“Oh come on! Why do you guys have to make it sound like that? It’s a massage for goddess sakes!” Moon turned around and buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

        I lifted my hands  away from Chrysalis’ back and turned to the small mare,“Alright, alright. Let’s just get back to enjoying our picnic.” I reached down and grabbed a bottle of water and unscrewed the lid. Before I took a drink to quench my thirst, I looked to the small mare with a wide smile,“Again, that was some pretty sketchy stuff. So I can see how you’d interpret it that way.”

        “Dad, just... just no. Just drink and let’s just forget that happened.” Moon seemed mortified but to be honest, it was hilarious. I gave a quick laugh and took a drink of the water.

        “So Moon, please tell me more about yourself. We’ve only been able to talk a couple times now.” said the radiant ebony queen.

        “Alright, what do you want to know?”

        “How did you and Dark meet?” From this, I pulled the water bottle from my face and felt my heart drop. I turned to Moon and smiled. Moon looked to me with a puzzled expression, as if looking for my approval to tell the truth. I gave a nod and the small mare started explaining everything.

        “Well, my sister and I were in the Everfree forest doing horrible things to ponies. She had this sense of cruelty I never understood. We were held up inside an abandoned ruin of a castle, torturing all of her ‘Prizes’. I would wander the woods with a seemingly harmless lie, luring ponies to there most certain demise. My sister, Crater crusher, would wait inside the ruin for more ponies or be in the process of ending them. As I wandered the woods, I found an oddly dressed man wandering as well. I asked him if he could help me with my cart, and he said yes.”


 She stood from the picnic blanket and slowly began to make her way over to my side. “I lead him for a bit but I could see he was beginning to feel a little skeptical about the whole thing so I faked that I needed to relieve myself and asked him to turn around. He did and I knocked him out with a large branch. He fell like a ton of bricks. Sadly for me, he weighed the same as well. I dragged him for maybe a good ten minutes and my sister took him and strapped him to the table in her torture chamber. I never wanted to be like this, I wanted to leave her, but I knew that she’d track me down and end me as well. So while Crater wasn’t looking, I loosened the straps, but only a little. I got a bit curious about ‘our’ prisoner because his face was covered by his hood. I slowly took it off and found that it was the newest guardian. I jumped back and gasped from the sight, Crater was about to yell at me for the loud noises but then she looked at him too. She gave the idea of killing the guardian a quick look over and processed anyways.”


She sat down beside me and leant against me. “She removed his armor and clothes and his hood. The sight was just a little disturbing though, seeing that he was a human kinda... weirded me out. I’d never seen one before, sure we had that Senior guy but I never saw him in person and without his hood up all the time. Anyways, I knew it was a bad idea to kill a guardian so after placing his gear in the safe in the back room, I took my sister into our room and asked her to rationalise our current problem. She kept going on about revenge of an old friend or something, this was the first of me hearing this so.. you’re in the dark as much as I am. She stormed out of the room and was heading towards the torture room and I followed shortly after her, for if I didn’t follow, I’d be beaten again.”

She laid her head on my legs and I closed my eyes as the small mare recollected her thoughts,“We arrived at the cell and found that the door had been busted off it’s hinges with the table we strapped him on, I found that incredibly resourceful. Crater however, she wasn’t too fond of the idea of letting our captive free. We searched the castle till we both heard the sound of a door being smashed open. She knew exactly where the sound was coming from and dashed towards it. She rounded the corner of the room and yelled out,“There you are!” but that’s all she got out.”

Her expression was one of sadness as she continued,“I watched as she flew out of the window and began plummeting to her death, but she didn’t die from the fall, she died burning to death. As her ashes hit the ground, I looked to the hooded man and asked why he would do such a thing. He said that he didn’t want to do it, but had to and took to the air after some freak out session and blood leaking from his eyes. As I watched him fly away from the castle, I retreated to my thoughts. I thought about my sisters death, I was still mournful for her passing but I wasn’t saddened because of all the things she’d put me through. The beatings, the torturing, the constant taunting. I never felt like a sister to her, just a servant. Family is family though, so I did cry that night.”

She lifted her head off my legs and gave me a hug,“But then one night, Dark came to the ruin. He was drunk but he still came, maybe it was the alcohol talking, or maybe just seeking forgiveness. He pleaded to me for hours, even though he could not see me. I stood and watched as he teared up and asked for my forgiveness. When the sun rose and I stood before him, he said that he’d adopt me and try to make things right again. I’ve never known anyone to care this much about me. It sent many thoughts to my head, but I scoffed them off. I looked to his face and through all the tears and redness, I seen his eyes. And I knew what honest eyes looked like, and they were no different.”

She smiled greatly at me and turned her attention back to Chrysalis,“That’s how we met, and that’s how i’ll always remember it. Painful things did happen that night, but I got actual family now and that means the world to me.”

I looked to the ebony queen and she had tears building up in her eyes,“Moon.. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“There’s no need to be sad, I always wanted to leave Crater, I always wanted a real family, I always wanted someone to love me for who I am and not treat me as a slave. Thanks to Darkmoon, it sounds horrible to say but it’s true, he’s helped me with all of this.”

We continued our picnic, and I had anticipated that it would have been quiet the entire time and prepared for the worst. Luckily for us all, it was far from that. We all talked, laughed and enjoyed our short time together. The sun stepped down and  the night had begun to take it’s reign over the sky and we set out for the castle. I carried the filly on my back as she held on tight, as the ebony queen walked beside me leaning against me affectionately.

Family. I had one now.

> Trail Blazers.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

         We did the feeding early, for I'd be leaving for a good long while, and honestly.. It was fun, to say the least.

        “I’ll visit as soon as I can, and thanks for watching Moon while I’m gone.” I gave the ebony queen a light peck on the cheek and she smiled.

        She looked into my eyes and said,“It’s my pleasure, if she’s my new daughter then I must get to know the young one. She’s an interesting child, to say the least.”

        I gave Chrysalis one last kiss and turned to Moon,“You be good while I’m gone, I’ll miss you.” I gave the small mare a warm hug and she returned it in kind.

        “I’ll miss you too Dark. When do you think you’ll be back?” asked the small mare.

 I looked to her with a disheartening frown and said,“I’m not exactly sure, I could be gone for a week or two. Luna contacted me while I slept this morning and told me that I needed to head up to the badlands first of all and deal with a rising aggression between the dragons and the equines. After that, I need to head up to the Crystal mountains to deal with an infestation problem. Apparently there’s frost spirits that need straightening out. After those have been dealt with, I should be able to visit for a couple days.” 

“So I take it you’re traveling alone as per usual?” Asked the ebony queen. I turned to her and shook my head. “So, who are you traveling with?” 

“I asked for Terra Firma, Pyromancer, Axton, and Night Strife to travel with me as well. I even got a hold of an old friend to accompany us during our travels.”

Moon raised an eyebrow in confusion,“Well, I can’t read your mind. Come on then, tell us who this mystery friend is.”

I nodded and smiled as I said his name,“Archimedes. I haven’t seen him in quite some time. In about four or five months I think. Time flies.” I gave both mares a hug and chrysalis a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you two when I come back, have fun.” 

“Don’t worry Dark. I’ll take care of Chrysalis till you get back.” The small mare declared, crossing her arms in the process. Chrysalis smiled as she looked to Moon and chuckled a bit.

“It’s a good thing to know that I’m protected.” Chrysalis turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck affectionately. Through half lidded eyes, she said,“I’ll have a ‘present’ ready for you when you return.”

“Is that so?” I asked with a grin on my face. I looked to the small mare and noticed she looked sickened, like a child watching their parents kiss or show any form of affection.

The sight of her momentary sickness made me laugh, I turned my attention to Moon Shadow and smiled,“Ok.. I’ll drop it...” I looked to Chrysalis and whispered into her ear,“for now.”


//////////////////


        “The gang all here?” Asked Terra, I looked to him and shook my head.

        “We’re still waiting on that other guy, what was his name.. Archimedes right?” said Pyromancer.

        “So where is he?” Asked Axton. Night Strife looked to the group and signalled for them to look his direction, but no one noticed. He waved his arms to attract their eyes, but yet again they continued to chat amongst each other. I could see that no one was paying any mind to our quiet companion and let out an audible cough to signal the others and the group looked to me. I looked to the rest of the group and stared to the blue pegasus. The rest of the group looked to Night Strife as well and he nodded and smiled to me.

        “Thanks Dark, anyways. What I was going to say was that he’s right there.” Strife looked to the horizon and we could all see the silhouette of a stallion in the distance.

        “A bit dramatic, but this is to be expected.” I said and the others caught me speaking to myself.

        “True, you know what? I have an idea..” proclaimed Pyromancer.

        “What is it Pyro?” Asked Terra.

        The fiery maned pegasus looked to the group and smiled,“Instead of standing here and waiting for him, let’s meet him halfway!” He said this with so much enthusiasm, it was hard to tell that it was sarcasm. “Alright? Let’s go.”

        We crossed the field and met up with the white coated, brown spiked maned stallion and I embraced him with a hug,“Brother, I haven’t seen you in ages! How have you been?” I asked the stallion.

        He looked to me with squinted eyes and made his teeth visible. I could see an expression of anger overtake his face and I slowly began to back up. He let out a low growl and readied himself to pounce. Archimedes leapt at me and knocked me on my back. The group was about to step in and split us up until laughs from us two came into earshot. “It’s been far too long brother! How was you been? What have you been up to? I’ve been all over the map Dark! It’s so good to see you again!” We pulled ourselves off the ground and embraced each other in a hug. 

        “So, if I’m not interrupting anything here, can I ask that we get this journey underway? I would like to see my homeland before a war bursts out, and if we’re lucky, we should be there in only a couple of days time. So please, can we start heading for our destination?” Asked the forest green dragon. 

        I pulled myself away from Archimedes and nodded,“Alright, alright. Let’s get going. We’re burning daylight.” I signalled for our group to head out and we set on our way.

///////////////////


        We traveled quite a distance and were about seven hours walking time away from the badlands. We set down to make camp in the middle of a barren field. “I don’t see why I have to set up these tents, I should be handling the campfire!” Cried Pyro.

        “After last time? Yeah, that’s not happening again.” claimed the large dragon who was handling the campfire.

        “Oh come on, I said I was sorry!” Pyro called out but was shot down by Axton.

        “Yeah, you’re sorry. But the entire trip back to Ponyville after the cave exploration, when you burnt all our food, It was a hungry one.”

        “At least you knew it was cooked.”

        “Cooking implies that you are making food to satisfy your gut, what you did was just against nature.” said Axton.

        “I’m a good cook! And Dark knows that for a fact!”

        I looked to the blue pegasus and held an expressionless face,“Pyro, yes.. you are a good cook. But intentionally throwing the food pack into the fire was just uncalled for.”

"Well, there was a spider on the pack!" A shiver shot through Pyro's body as he shook in the thought of the spider,"I hate those things."

The rest of the night was loud and fun, everyone talked amongst each other and even Strife had begun to loosen up around the others. I found it amazing that our once quiet stallion finally warming up to the others. Archimedes, being extremely well versed in magic, provided entertainment for the others as I laid in the grass staring into the night’s sky. The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. I looked to the moon and smiled,“Good to see you Luna, it’s been a while.” My eyes grew heavy and I let out a yawn. I placed my bag underneath my head to serve as a pillow. “I’ll talk to you...” another yawn escaped my mouth. “in the dream realm.” 

I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.

Shadow, i’ll see you there too.

> Dragons and Guardians Don't Mix.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        My rest was pleasant, I had spoken with Luna and Shadow. It made me happy to see that the two were in such high spirits with their new found relationship. We spoke about many things during my visit to the dream realm but my time was drawing to a close, I thanked to two dream walkers and said my farewells. I awoke in the middle of the field and the sun was just in the process of coming above the horizon. I assumed it was roughly around five in the morning.

        I looked to my comrades and all but Archimedes were sleeping, he perched himself just beside the campfire that had been burning all night and was heating up a kettle. I pulled myself off the ground and made my way over to his side.

        “Morning Arch, you been up all night?” I asked the stallion. He looked to me with tired eyes and nodded with a kind smile.

        “Yeah, someone has to keep an eye out for hostiles. What some coffee?” I looked to the stallion and nodded back,“It should be done in a couple of minutes.”

        “Good man, right after my own heart.” He gave me a playful shot to the arm and gave a light chuckle.

        “Shut up. Well, you have fun with the coffee. I’m gonna take a nap till we need to head out.” He stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder,“You snore... just so you know.” I gave with a smile and nodded. He strode over to my gear and used the spot, to which I just left, to sleep. I turned my attention to the kettle and watched as the steam slowly rose from the top of the spout.

/////////////////

        “Well maybe someone should have taken their shift instead of leaving him to sit up all night to watch over everyone.” said a very annoyed Axton, who carried Archimedes with Night Strife while he slept.

        “I would have, it’s just he didn’t wake me up.” Pyro replied.

        “He shouldn’t have had too. You knew that it was your shift at three.” Terra said.

“You guys are always picking on me, I hate you all.” Pyro said with a light chuckle.

        “Ease off the guy, he messes up every once in awhile but you all have your share of mistakes from time to time.” I said to silence the group.

        “And you’re of no faults? Ha! Mr. Perfect over here.” 

        We continued through the field to our destination as I replied,“I have plenty of problems, but none that concern any of you.” 

        “Concern none of us? Like what? Come on, you don’t bring something up like that and just expect to drop it, do you?” said Pyro.

        “I do.” I simply replied, We continued down the field and all remained quiet till we began to near the bottom of a mountain. While we began climbing to the top of the mountain, Night Strife continuously looked to me without speaking a word. I noticed this and after ten minutes of constant staring, I began to feel annoyed. I figured that if I held out for as long as  humanly possible as I could, Strife would lose interest and continue to follow. “Just over this ridge and we should be about two hours from the badlands.”

        As we reached the ridge, I ordered for the group to rest for a bit. We stopped for lunch and as I dug into my food, I noticed not one, but three sets of eyes staring at me. Pyro, Night Strife and Axton. They continued to stare at me, and it made me feel agitated. ‘How long have they been staring at me for? It’s been about five hours since camp.’ I thought to myself. The pressure continued to build inside me and I finally tapped out. “What are you all staring at?” I asked with an agitated tone. 

        “I knew we’d finally get you, tell us then.” Said Axton.

        “Tell you what?” I asked, I was confused by his statement.

        Axton and the other stallions looked to me and said in unison, as if they prepared beforehand. “You have problems, tell us.”

        I found it strange just how timed and precise they were with each other, that gave me an idea but I’ll save it for later. “Ok, that’s worth on one secret.” I looked to the group and smiled. They all looked back and gave me their full attention. “I can’t taste.”

        “What? I don’t get it.” Said Axton,“What do you mean you can’t taste?”

        “It’s exactly how it is, my taste buds are shot and I can’t taste anything. Sure I can taste things that are extremely bitter or spicy but that’s the fullest of its extent.” I told the group.

        “How’d that happen? They don’t just go away, do they?” Asked Pyro.

        I looked to him and shook my head,“No, they don’t just go away. And for the part on how it happened, I couldn’t tell you. When I first came to this world, I could taste anything. After a couple days here, I noticed that some things tasted bland or like nothing at all. It could have been anything really.”

        “Could it have been something you ate? Something you drank?” Asked Strife.

        I looked to the blue pegasus and shrugged,“Your guess is as good as mine.”

        Pyro looked to me and tilted his head,“How does it feel? Not to be able to taste.”

        “Honestly, I do miss being able to taste, I really liked your soup though, it was the first thing I tasted in a while. I’m not sure how I was able to, but it was good.”

        Night strife retreated to his thoughts for a moment before speaking,“Didn’t you say that you could only taste things that were either ‘extremely bitter or spicy’?” At this comment, both Strife and Axton looked to Pyro. The fiery maned stallion raised an eyebrow in confusion and Strife said,“You’re not cooking for a bit. For good long while, I’ll handle the food for now.”

        “Come on, not fair! I’m a great cook! You just don’t have any sense of taste...” Pyro looked to me and said,“No offense.”

        I looked to Pyro with a smile and said,“None taken.” The sight of these stallions fighting amongst each other was entertaining enough.

//////////////////

        “How is he still sleeping?” Asked Terra,“I’m a dragon and I don’t rest for this long.”

I stopped in my tracks and looked to the group. They all halted and looked to me with a puzzled expression. I looked over Archimedes and cracked a smile,“You’re a jerk, you know that?”

        The others looked to Arch and noticed with eyes were open and he was simply laying on their backs lazily. Terra and the rest of the gang moved away from the stallion and Arch fell to the ground with a loud thud. “Well it was fun while it lasted. I guess I could stretch my legs for a bit.” I let out a light chuckle at his playful characteristics and motioned for us all to head forward.

/////////////////


        “So this is was it looks like, I haven’t been here before.” Said Night Strife.

        “Nice to be home, This brings back a few good memories.” claimed the large dragon.

        “All I want to do is visit this Dragon kingdom, maybe ‘borrow’ a few gems from the dragons.” Said Pyro with a smirk.

        “Have fun with that, one finger on their jewels and you’ll lose a hand.” Terra said to Pyro, making the fiery maned stallion rub his hand in a touch of fear.

        “On the other hand...”

        “Maybe you’ll lose that too.”

        “Shut up! Do say that, you’re creeping me out.” Pyro said defensively.

        I coughed to attract the attention of the others,“Alright, I have a family I wish to see within a couple weeks so I’d like to get this done.” We all proceeded through the  scorching hot plains of the badlands until we finally found it. I was determined to solve this problem once and for all and my goal was just ahead of me. Dragon Territory, the Kingdom of Drakes Plain.

        We stood in front of the large stone gates and there stood two large Dragon guards, one on each side of the door donning armor from head to toe. “I wish to seek entrance, for me and my party.” I said to the guards.

        “Who goes there? What business do you have with this place? Be gone!” The left guard blasted a horde of black smoke and knocked me to the ground. Terra was about to jump in when I stopped him. I pulled myself off the ground and dusted myself off.

        I returned my attention to the guard once again and said,“I, Darkmoon’s Crescent: the guardian of the Mystic mountains, have been sent by royal order to deal with a problem here, I wish to speak with your King.”

        “It doesn’t matter who you are or your orders, you aren’t worthy to meet with our King.” The guard slammed his spear on the ground and caused a small shock wave and triggered a reaction of guards to surround us completely, each well equipped as the guards blocking our entrance. “Be gone before we make you, human.”

        I unsheathed my sword and was soon copied by the rest of my companions, we all stood back to back in a circle. “I don’t want to hurt you, but we are entering this city, with or without your permission.” The guards all burst out into laughter as I finished my threat.

        “And what you and your brigade of miscreants going to do? Bleed on us?” The crowd of guards roared loudly in laughter.

        I looked to my party with swords ready and nodded. They all roared loudly, sounding our battle cry. I looked to the gate and focused on getting inside,“We’re going through the front door.”

        The battle’s begun, but what’s waiting for us on the other side?
> The Trouble with Guards.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Take them down!” Cried the guard blocking our entrance, and by his command; his fellow guards jumped in on us. We were rained down upon with arrows but thanks to my scaly companion and his sturdy wings, they were blocked. He let out grunts of pain as he held his wings over us, shielding us from the onslaught of arrows. Once the hail storm of aerial projectiles ceased firing, Terra flung his wings open and shot out a large blast of air, nearly knocking over a couple of guards in the process. As he roared into the air, his battle cries were joined by a constant flow of fire.

        The guards all held still with either bows in their hands or with swords at the ready. They watched as we stood in formation, ready to leap into the fight head on. For a couple brief moments, the air was filled with the sound of blowing wind. The guards watched us, and we watched them. In the heat of the moments to come, I let out a roar to signal the battle between us and the guards to commence. I was soon followed by my party as we all let out a powerful and ground shaking scream. The guards seemed to cower for a moment and we took this moment to our advantage.

        We charged at the guards as they hid behind their shields and armor. I charged towards the guards blocking the entrance while the rest of my party charged in every which direction. Pyro took on a few guards by himself but was later backed up by Axton after his fur was singed by one of the guards fire breath. Night strife sprinted around, zig-zagging and slicing the guards’ sheath straps, removing the swords that weren’t drawn, away from the fight. A guard nearly slammed his sword into Strife’s face but was stopped by Terra’s mighty broadsword. The guard looked to Terra and his eyes grew into saucers as he laid his eyes on the large dragon before him,“Traitor!” Cried the guard.

        “I was never on your side.” Terra slammed his sword against the guards and the blade cut clean off. The guard looked to Terra and said,“You didn’t!” and with a quick and powerful strike, Terra launched the guard a great distance as he slammed his palm against the guards chest. As the entrance guard hit the ground, the force knocked him unconscious. 

        Strife looked to Terra and said,“Thanks.” The large dragon looked to the blue pegasus and gave a quick nod and processed to the next guard.

        “Come on!” Cried Pyro to the guards, with Axton at his side. While Pyro clashed blades with the dragons, Axton hung back and charged spells. Once Axton’s spell fully charged, he cast it into the direction of the guards. It was a telekinesis spell and he caught a few guardsmen within his grasp. Within a few seconds of holding them, he focused his his spell to the wall of the entrance and launched them into it, the massive shock knocked the guards out cold as they rested against the wall.

        Archimedes slammed through massive amounts of guards careless and recklessly. He leapt into a guard and knocked him to the ground, rolling him over to and using his legs to launch one guard into another. He jumped to his feet and sprinted his way from one guard to the next. His massive feats of energy were astonishing, but I knew what the end result would be. He only used his fists and the weapons he’d disarm from the guards as he swept through them effortlessly. He never took a life the entire fight, and this I thanked him for.

        I charged the door and one guard tried to toss a spear at me. I caught it mid-flight and stopped in my tracks. The guards looked to me and I slammed the spear against my leg, snapping the spearhead off in the process, leaving it as just a wooden pole. I held an expressionless face as I approached the guards. They began charging me with their swords in hand and screamed at me as they ran. I stopped and waited for the two to approach. 

One of the guards swung their blades at me. I quickly dodged to the side and as rolled to my feet, I used the momentum to slam the pole into the back of the guards leg. He fell to his knee as he cried out in pain and I quickly shut him up with a quick swing back and struck him in the head. He fell to the ground, dazed and silent. I turned my attention to the other guard and was quickly knocked back as he slammed his sword against my chest piece. I fell to the ground and as he tried to crash his sword into me, I brought my sword up just in time and blocked his mighty blow. He staggered back as his sword shook in his hand. I jumped to my feet and threw the pole at him, it struck his chest and he was knocked back even further. I quickly sheathed my blade and ran up to the guard. Once he finally regained his balance, it was already too late for him.

I leapt into the air and slammed my knee into his bottom jaw and knocked him to the ground. As I landed on solid ground once again, I looked to the guard and he slowly tried to lift himself to his feet again. I watched him and as he tried to stand once again, he toppled over and fell unconscious. 

        I gave a quick smirk and looked to the others. Everyone of my comrades looked unharmed and each were breathing heavily. The countless guards that once surrounded us laughing, were now lining the ground like lifeless flies.

        “We did it!” Cried Pyro. The fiery maned stallion looked to the others with a large toothy grin and said,“First rounds on me!”

        Axton looked to Pyro and began to chuckle,“Yeah, sure Pyro. First of all, get the money to pay for them!” The entire group bursted into laughter and even I started laughing. Everything grew deathly quiet when the ground begun to shake and a echoing roar could be heard from deep within the Kingdom. I turned my attention to the dragon city before us and a large dark figure shot into the sky and hid in front of the sun. 

        I looked to the group and said,“Work’s not over yet boys, looks like we’re in for some overtime.” And as I finished speaking, I turned my attention back to the sky. The sun was blinding, but I knew that if I had any chance of getting a head start in the oncoming fight, I’d need to know where he was. The sun slowly began to dissipate behind a large shadow and I quickly realized that I needed to jump out of the way. I spread my wings and shot myself backwards. Just as I moved out of the way, a towering and mighty dragon lord slammed down where I once stood.

        He gave my crew a look over and looked to the downed guards lining the ground. I grabbed one of the shields the guards were carrying and stepped before the dragon lord. “Why have you come here, what have you done to the guards? Do you wish to seek war with the Kingdom of Drakes Plain?” Asked the mighty dragon before me.

        I looked into the dragons eyes and shook my head,“I only wished to see your king and these guards denied us entry. My companions and I did not travel such distance away from my family, just to be sent home again. We have come here by royal order to settle a dispute between the dragons and the equines. Now please, step aside so we may enter.” I told the dragon. He simply looked to me and grinned with a sinister fashion, revealing his razor sharp teeth.

        “And what if I don’t, What if I wished to just end you and your pathetic group right now?” I could see him let a fire burn inside his throat. I readied the shield and raised it to block the oncoming flames. A load roar could be heard and as I held the shield up, it began to rise to unbearable temperatures. As his roar and the onslaught of flames ceased, I threw the shield into the dragons mouth. It landed against his jaw and between his teeth. It locked his jaw into place, he tried to crush the shield in his mouth but he simply couldn’t summon the strength to. He shook his head wildly as he tried to free himself from the blockage. After a moment of constant shaking, the shield flew from his mouth and stabbed in the ground just a foot or two away from me. He looked to me with fire in his eyes but stopped in his tracks as he stared down the end of my sawn-off.

        “Enough of your games, Elder. I wish to speak with your King.”
> Rediscovery and Foundation.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        As the Giant dragon stared down the barrel of my gun, he gazed at me with angered eyes. “Please step aside, I don’t wish to harm you elder.” I told the dragon before me.

        He rose his head into the air and let out a mighty laugh, I was thrown into confusion by his random fit of joyous laughter. Once he calmed himself down, he turned to me and smiled,“Mortal, you remind me of the Guardians of old, now they were a force to be reckoned with. Your companions would have made excellent candidates, as would you. Now then, what have you come here for, young one.”

        I looked to the dragon before me puzzled, I was confused by his calm and collected ways. I turned to the group and gave them a look of confusion and they all replied with a broad shrug. I returned my attention to the dragon lord before me and said,“I have come here to discuss this matter of disturbance with your king, may we enter?” I asked.

        He looked to me and raised an eyebrow. He began to scratch his chin with his sharp claws and contemplated the scenario. “Well, I could let you into the city to talk to the king, but since he’s already in front of you then it seems like a waste of time.” He looked to me and smiled.

I looked to him and balled my fist, I placed it over my chest and bowed to the dragon. “I’m sorry elder, I ask for your forgiveness.”

He looked to the down soldiers and grinned as he returned his eyes on me,“There’s no need to feel ashamed for what you and your friends have done. This shows what you are capable of, young one. Taking on Draganic guards is no easy feat. You and your companions would have made the guardians of old proud.” He looked to the downed guards once again and said,“And to top it off, none of them are dead. This is good.” he grinned as he nodded his head. 

I looked up into the king’s eyes and said,“If I may be so bold to ask, what was this dispute between the dragons and equines about?” The dragon looked to me and raised an eyebrow at my curiosity.

“The council and I have come to the conclusion that we do not wish to watch over these lands anymore. When the guardians still existed, they watched the lands and protected its inhabitants. We were equally to blame for the extinction of the guild and have taken it upon ourselves to temporarily watch over the equines in their place. When the orders numbers faded, and their guild had disappeared, we, the dragons of the badlands have remained the watchful eye these lands needed, but things change with time. They now have a new guardian, a new protector. They do not need for us any longer.”

 He slowly approached me and sat down between me and the group. “My kingdom and I have watched over this land with the guardians of old for many centuries, but now it is your time, your chance to raise a new guild. You have the strength, physically and mentally, to rebuild the once forgotten order. From what you and your friends have shown here, I say that you already have a few deserving candidates.”

He looked to my companions and I turned to face them as well, the entire group looked amongst each other and smiled. I turned to the dragon king and said,“If it stops these problems between the dragons and the equines, I will rebuild the order.” I looked to the group once more and smiled as I laid my eyes on Terra firma,“First of all, we’re gonna need some armor...”


//////////////

        With the dispute between the two troubled races solved, my comrades and I were crossing the fields of barren wasteland on our way towards the Crystal Mountains to deal with the frost spirits, they were consuming whole towns in a hold of ice and frost. 

“Do you really think we can do this? Do you really think we can rebuild the Guild of Guardians once again?” Terra asked. He seemed to be otherwise ecstatic for our future plans.

        Pyromancer jumped in and said,“Yeah, and if we did, where would we set up shop?” I looked to the fiery maned stallion and thought about his question. We didn’t actually have a place to build the foundations of our guild yet, and I didn’t actually know where we could house the guardians, nor the future recruits. 

        Terra jumped in shortly after pyro had finished and spoke,“Well; I do know where we can set down, but achieving our base will take some time, and maybe even some blood.”

        I looked to the drake and said,“What do you mean?”

        “Well, the old guardian fortress. The place was plenty spacious and had court grounds to train and practice. A mess hall, and a smithery. That would be the ideal place to stay and build, but there could be some complications with this plan...” He trailed off and looked over the field of red before us.

        “There’s something guarding these ruins, isn’t there.” I said with a tinge of annoyance. I knew that the basic fundamentals of life would always have some sort of road block, obstructing our path. From the expression plastered across his face, I could already tell that there was. “What’s hiding inside the ruin?” I plainly asked.

        “That’s the question I’ve asked myself for many years. Ever since my apprenticeship under the legendary blacksmith Firefist ended and the guardians home abandoned, I gathered groups of my own to explore the fortress and discover its secrets. Each trip, we would lose crew members.” He looked to me and his voice grew quiet. “One moment, you would be walking through the endless hallways and in the blink of an eye, you’d lose entire teams. I once caught sight of a dark shadow fly through the corridors and I knew that it wasn’t a figure of my imagination. It was too.. real. It was a spirit, or a demon.”

        I looked to the dragon and thought deeply,‘Is it a good idea to house the guardians in such a haunted ruin?’ the thought was a surefire ‘No’ in my books, but if this was truly the original fortress, it could hold some secrets and tools that we’d need to rebuild. I looked to the dragon and nodded,“We’ll stop there right after the Crystal mountains. Their could be something we could use there.”

        Pyro jumped in,“Ok, I’m not the only one that thinks going into a haunted ruin, that houses a spirit of some kind that steals ponies, a bad idea?” He looked around at each and everyone of us and we all stood there watching him. “Just me then?”

        “It does sound a bit risky, I’m not sure if I’m going on this one with you guys. I’ll follow you into the Crystal Mountains but after that, I’m out.” said Night Strife.

        “Good, then it’s not just me.” 

        Axton stepped in and looked to Archimedes, Terra and I. “If it’s a chance to check out this ancient order, then count me in. I’d like to do a bit of field research instead of the usual trip to the library.” He threw a smile across his face and we all proceeded towards our destination.


        Frost spirits, You better be ready.

> Every Question has an Answer, Every Lock has a Key.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “That was c-complete and utter b-bullshit and you have to agree with me.” Pyro said through chattering teeth.

        “He has a point Dark. Things like that shouldn’t happen to ponies, he’s still shivering and it's been like, what? Two hours now?” stated Strife.

I looked to the stallion as he shook in place, completely frozen from the waist down. “Well, you have no one to blame but yourself Pyro. I warned you not to build a fire so close to their cave.”

“I was f-freezing! I’m made for warmer p-places like the badlands.” The fiery stallion shook violently with his arms crossed, trying to warm himself up with his own body heat. Terra had been carrying him for nearly two hours and the block of ice that encased Pyro’s lower body had only just begun to melt.

“You may have been freezing, but I told you to pack some warm clothes. Did you listen? No. And now you’re frozen in a block of ice. Congrats.” I told the frozen stallion.

“I was t-told no such thing!” He claimed but was quickly declined by Night Strife.

“Well, he did. He told all of us just before...” Strife trailed off as Pyro gave him a death glare.

        “I get it, alright? S-shesh.” The frozen pony crossed his arms and pouted while laying on Terra’s back. He shook from the cold and just as I expected, the ‘expected’ happened. The stallion began to cringe on the dragon’s back and shook violently. Night Strife looked to Pyro and quickly became confused.

        “Pyro, are you alright?” He asked but in return, got no response. Terra slowly hid his muzzle underneath his giant claws and turned his head away. “Dark? Is Pyro ok?”

        “Just turn away Strife, you wouldn’t want to be caught in the fire zone.”

        “Fire zone?” He looked to Pyro and noticed him pulling his head back and scrunching his nose. “Pyro?” A loud sneeze could be heard and again, as I expected, I heard Strife yell,“Sick! You sneezed right in my mouth, you monotonous ass!”

        Pyromancer was sick, and soon, so would Night Strife. Through a stuffy nose, Pyro said in a weird voice,“I might be an ass, but now you’re gonna be sick. Just. Like. Me.” He began to laugh as he rode on Terra’s back. His fit of laughter was soon ended by another powerful sneeze. He let out a loud groan and said,”Can I go home now?”

        I looked to the sick stallion and smirked,“You live on the road, remember?”

        He looked to me for a moment, and away for another. When he returned his eyes on me, he said,“Oh yeah. Dark? Can I crash at your place? I promise not to break anything.” a stream of snot leaked down from his nostrils but he quickly snorted it back up.

        “Elegant. Sure you can. Moon’s with Chrysalis, so you got the house to yourself.” I looked to him and held a serious expression,“But if I hear one word about a party going on in that house, I will make it my life’s goal to make your life a living hell, are we clear?”

        He looked to me and grinned,“Buddy, my life is ‘hell’. What more could you do?” I paused in my tracks and looked to the shaking stallion. I continuously glared into his eyes, not blinking once.

        “I’m not saying I would, but being the guardian, personally knowing both princesses, and having the changling kingdom to back me...” I cracked a smile and said,“Yeah... no one would find you.”

        Pyro’s expression turned from playful to frightened in the blink of an eye. A loud gulp could be heard and Pyro slowly hid himself behind Terra’s wings.

        I asked him,“You knew I was joking right?” I quickly pondered my own lifestyle and quickly realized that I wasn't the playful type. “Right?” 

        Worried laughs could be heard from the opposite side of the wings,“Yeah... of course I knew. Ha... yeah.” 

////////////////////


Some time had past and after many explanations on ‘How I was only joking’, I had managed to calm down the startled stallion, we dropped him off at my house and he was accompanied by Strife. “I’ll keep on eye on the guy for you. Have fun wandering the ruins of a haunted fortress.” With a quick grin, he slammed to door behind him and locked it in place.

Terra and Axton looked to me with troubled expressions,“Is he scared..”

“Of ghosts, yes.” I said plainly.

Axton stood before me and gave a small smirk,“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“I’d think twice, if I were you.” said Terra,“Where we’re going, you’ll find plenty of proof.” Axton turned to the dragon and raised an eyebrow. “Somethings in this world are stranger than they seem.”

“Hey dark, do you believe in this whole ‘Ghost’ business?” Axton asked.

I looked to the stallion and thought back to the cave, the entire experience with Diamond Dasher was still fresh in my mind. I stared into the stallions eyes and nodded,“As a matter of fact Axton, I do. Back in the cave, up in the mountains. When I went in alone, I was traveling through the long stretching halls. I thought I was alone, but I wasn’t.” I placed my pack on the ground and sat on down on the porch,“I heard a voice call out to me, and when I went to turn around, there was a blade. It was just an inch or so away from my throat, one lunge and my life would have been over.”

I pulled my hood down and ran my fingers through my hair to focus,“The voice was warning me that I shouldn’t have been there, and what I was doing was against the guardian order. I jumped back and pulled out my sword as he swung his down on me. The sword passed through my body and chilled my very soul. He continued swinging as he passed me, swinging at something else. While I watched this ‘spirit’ thrash his sword through the three encounters I had seen him, I figured out who he was fighting. It was Senior.”

“Your father?” I turned my gaze to Terra and he was lost in his thoughts from my story. 

I nodded as I looked to the stallion,“The very same. I later found this, it was a letter from Diamond Dasher.” I reached into my pack and retrieved the note I have taken from the skeletal remains. I knew that Terra would want to be the first to look over the note, so I offered the piece of paper over to him. “Here Terra, you knew him better than any of us. You should keep this.”

Terra took hold of the note and buried himself into the paper as he read. “Senior...” After the drake pulled himself away from the note, he looked to me and his face was pale. “Why would he... He couldn’t. We all looked up to him, he wouldn’t do something like this. He wouldn't just up and abandon us for his own selfish reasons, it’s not like him!”

“Terra, I know it’s not something you want to hear, but it’s true. Senior killed Diamond Dasher, and his reason for it was because he wanted to leave the order. The responsibilities. This world. I know this to be true because that’s the reason he wanted me to come here. He wanted me to toughen up and build up my strength so that we could take care of our family back on earth. That was the only reason he wanted me to come here, not for the land, nor it’s people.”

Terra sat down on the porch and buried him face behind his huge claws, he let out a sigh. He ran his claws down his face and revealed his eyes. The dragon looked to me and his eyes were filled with sorrow,“I don’t want to believe it, but I don’t think I can refuse the truth.”

We both stood to our feet and stood beside Axton,“I’m sorry for what you must be feeling right now Terra, should there be anything I can do. All you need to do is ask.” Axton stated sympathetically. 

“I think I’m good, but thanks.” 

I looked to the two and asked,“Well ladies, are we gonna go explore this ancient, haunted ruin of a fortress? Or are we gonna stay here and talk about our feelings?” I gave a quick laugh and the others joined in almost instantly.

//////////////////

“There it is!” Cried Terra. We stood on the top of a hill as we all glared down the old ruin. There were vines, trees, and tall grass surrounding and occupying the building.

“We’re gonna build up the guardians from that? It’d be a lot easier to build our own castle than renovate that catastrophe!” Axton said.

I looked to the stallion and grinned,“Who said being a guardian would be easy? If we can’t renew this half decent relic, then we’re terrible guardians.”

“You have a point there, I guess.” I could hear Axton grumbling under his breath.

“Come on then, let’s go investigate.” I signalled for the both of them to follow and we began our approach on the building. We arrived at the entrance, or what was left of it due to the tree blocking the once clear path. I looked to the large wooden door and lightly knocked, testing its strength. “See? perfectly fin...” I trailed off as the door collapsed and fell to the ground. I looked to the two and smiled. “It’s a fixer-upper.” I leant against the stone wall and waited. After a couple of moments, I figured it was at least strong enough to hold my weight. “See? Good as..” The wall had slipped under itself and a small hole in the wall formed as I fell through. “Ah Come on!” I yelled.

“Are you sure we should still keep this place? It’s pretty secluded from the rest of the world and it’s at least a good two hours from town. Not to mention the damn place it falling to pieces.” Axton said. Terra jumped in and spoke.

“He’s right, sure this place has sentimental value to me, but then again. I say that we search for anything useful and gather as many books and scrolls we can find that contain any wisdom and leave.”

“Alright.” I pushed the bricks and stone on top of me away and stood up. As I dusted myself off, I said,“Just a grab and go mission, I can work with this.”

////////////////

        We strode through the halls of the dark building, we each held a torch to light our way and a sword ready in the other. The hall was dimly lit, surprisingly, the vines and grass inside had managed to survive inside the hall without much sunlight. We crept through the ruin and checked each door, some would be locked and others weren’t. The one’s locked we decided should stay that way, for one loud sound could trigger a cave-in. We had managed to scavenge a few texts and scrolls, bits and pieces of armor and the occasional weapon. The craftsmanship of the armor and weapons were astonishing, and the scrolls and books were all well preserved.

        I approached a large iron door inside the hallway and had seen that it was covered in chains and locks. “Whatever’s in there, they didn’t want getting out.”

        “What do you think was in there?” Axton asked.

        “I don’t know, but from these chains, it must have been dangerous.”

        Terra spoke up,“Let’s check what’s inside.”

        “Are you crazy? It could kill us!” Axton said in terror.

        “Or if you really think about it, it could be curled up into a ball in the corner, nothing but a bunch of bones.”

        “What if it was a dragon? You know that you guys live for thousands of years.”

        “Yeah, but with no source of food or water, we die like the rest.” Terra approached the door and lifted his foot. I stopped him just before he could slam his foot against the door.

        “Terra, if you do this, it could send the building crashing down on us. It’d be simpler to find the key that unlocks the door.” The dragon placed his foot back onto the floor and nodded.

////////////////////

        It took us a little short of an hour but we finally found what we figured was the key inside the masters room. It was a large room, it was illuminated by the sun as it shone through the gaping hole in the ceiling. “I wonder who used to be the guild master. I guess we’ll never find out.”

“Or maybe we will.” Axton was searching through the tattered and broken desk and pulled out a small journal. “Seeing as how you’re the new guild leader, I think this is now yours.” He tossed the journal over to me and I caught it.

I looked to the leather cover and noted the small scratches across the front and back of the book. “I’ll have to read this later.” I placed it inside my pack and turned to the others. “Well, we have the key, or I hope we do, so let’s go crack open that door.”

////////////////////

We arrived at the large iron door once again and with the key in hand, Terra placed the key inside the first lock and turned it. The lock fell to the ground and the chains hung loosely against the door frame. Terra placed the key inside the last lock and turned to us,“Wait Dark, I have a question.” I looked to Terra and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Well, you’re able to use magic, and you never use your keys to open your door. Do you leave the your door open all the time?”

“No, I...” I finally realized that we searched the entire building in search of a key we didn’t even need. “Well, I feel like a complete dumbass. We got the guild masters journal, so at least it wasn’t for nothing.” I mentally kicked myself and turned to the lock once more.

Terra twisted the key inside the lock and it fell to the ground with its kin. Terra grabbed the handle of the door and pulled. The door must have been welded shut because the door wouldn’t move. As Terra pulled on the handle, his once green scaled face turned bright red. “A... Little... Help please?” I could see that he was struggling and tried my best to aid him. I wrapped my hands around the door handle and pulled with all my might. Again, the door wouldn’t budge.

After a couple of minutes of constant struggling, I finally gave up. Through pants of exhaustion, I said,“We’ve done too much to not know what’s on the other side of this blasted door.” I turned to Terra and said,“Ready?” He looked to me as he panted as well and nodded. “On three.”

Axton spoke up,“What are you two doing?”

“One...”

“Guys?”

“Two...”

“You two better not be thinking of...”

“Three!”

The once solid door busted off its hinges and away from the shards of metal that froze it to the ground. It flew into the back of the room, smashed through the wall and plummeted to the ground. We all stood looking out of the new addition of the building, the balcony, and watched as it collided with the ground of the forest below. “That was interesting.”

Axton turned around and began to struder. “G-g-guys?” Terra was the first to turn around and I could hear him unsheathe his blade. I quickly placed my hand on the hilt of my blade as I spun around to take a look at our opponent.

“What is that thing?” Cried Terra, he swung his broadsword wildly, trying to fight off the creature. It was fast, and hard to see. I drew my blade and readied for a fight but everything turned black as a loud and overpowering screech could he heard.

As things faded and my mind drifted into unconsciousness, I could hear the sounds of Terra and Axton crying out for me. Saying things like, “It’s taking him! NO!”

Everything grew dark and I was at the mercy of the creature, whatever it was. All that I wished for, at that moment point in time, was that Chrysalis and Moon would forgive me... for not coming home.

I’m sorry.
> Runs in the Family.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        I awoke in a dark room on the floor, right next to a large pile of debris and other forms of trash. I placed my hand against my head and mumbled small curses to myself as a jolt of pain was sent to me through the powerful headache. I slowly edged myself up and looked around the room and found a small lantern lying on the ground, just out of arm's reach. I stood to my feet and slowly paced over to the lantern and gave it a quick inspection as I picked it off the ground. It still housed a bit of oil and all it needed was a small flame to work.

        As I held the lantern in hand, I noticed I felt lighter than usual. I gave myself a quick lookover and I had been stripped of my armor and weapons. “Great.” I focused my energy through my body and after a moment of constant focus, I channeled the power through my arm and cast a small inferno spell and created enough power to light the dark lantern.

        With the item lit, it quickly illuminated the entire room. The walls were made of stone, with dead vines and moss growing across its canvas. The once smooth tile flooring had long since cracked and shattered. And within the small room, stood a door. A small wooden door. I approached it and as I placed my hand across the handle, I felt something warm emanating from the room on the other side. Without any effort, the door cracked open and it revealed a long dark corridor.

“Great, because nothing bad happens to people in long, dark hallways.” I said sarcastically.

I slowly made my way through the hall, I would hear the occasional rock fall from the roof and the sound of rushing water, but other than that it was a peaceful walk. The heat began to slowly rise as I cautiously made my way through the hall.  I needed to find the exit, and tell the others that I was safe but my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clashing metal. A loud chime rang throughout the air as I began to near the end of the corridor and there stood the only other door besides the door I originally came out of. It was large and covered in fragments of skulls and drenched in dried blood. “Nothing creepy about that.” I said again in a sarcastic tone.

I began my approach on the door and lightly pushed it in. As it slowly cracked open and created a little slot for me to see through, I saw that it was the entrance to a smithery. The sound of clashing metal rang loudly from the room and the heat emanated against my skin warmed my cold body. Through the small crack, I tried to find the source of the chimes but couldn’t manage to look about the entire room. I pushed the door even further and slid through the small crack. The room was lit only by the raging flame of the smithing station, the constant chimes of metal against metal rang loudly as I made my way towards the large station.

As I made my way over to the light, my foot caught on a rock and it fell to the ground and bounced around for a brief moment. As it struck the ground, the sound echoed through the room and alerted a dark figure standing in front of the smithery. It quickly turned to look at me and raised its head. Even though the room was well light, he was shrouded in darkness. His eyes glowed with a bright orange light that shot out from the shadows.

“Hello, I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up John. Welcome back.” The dark figure was well built, with a black apron hanging around his neck and a large hammer held within his mighty grip.

“Welcome back?”

“Yes, I already know you’re John Senior’s boy, and that you’re the newest guardian. When I had heard that you were back, I had waited here in this place of many memories. I have waited here for your return for many years.”

“You keep saying that I’m ‘back’, I don’t understand. I wasn’t born here, I was born on earth.”

“You may have been brought into the world of men, but you’re spirit and soul remained here. You were raised here, with the order. I’m not surprised you don’t remember any of this, but your brother would have much knowledge of this.”

“How do you know about Shadow? I haven’t told you about him.” I questioned the imposing character.

“I know many things, and most of all, I know you and your many adventures. Both in this land and the world before. I have watched you for many years, but that is what one does... for family.”

“What?”

“I would like to introduce myself” The tall, dark and imposing figure stepped into the light, allowing me to gaze upon his face. He had a manly bearing, like an elderly version of myself. A neatly trimmed beard and a familiar face. 

“My name’s Firefist, and I was the legendary blacksmith for the mighty protectors of Equestria. My son was the bravest of souls in the guild, but when his heart was betrayed by the master, he sought to return to the world of man. My heart was loyal to the guild and even though they have long since passed, my loyalty remains. I am your Grandfather, but you have no true ties to me. Our only link is the blood that runs through our veins, but the rest is blank. I have watched you grow into a man, much like your father and I am proud to call you my grandchild.”

“You’re not my grandfather, I met my granddad back on earth! You can’t be...” I was shocked by our meeting. The entire fragmentation of our meeting was sketchy and unannounced.

“But I am dear child, the grandfather you knew was from your mothers side. I once met him, back on earth. I could never understand the man” he seemed flabbergasted,“The man spoke a million words per second. That was the first and last time we met, and just to ensure that happened, I returned here, to Equestria.” The statement made me laugh a bit, that one grandfather’s speech caused the other to hid away in another dimension. I did understand his reason though, I did love my grandfather, but he did ramble most of the time.

“Wait, was that you in the room? With me, Axton and Terra Firma?” The thought was sudden but I needed to know.

“Did you say Terra? So that Dragon covered in that magnificent set of armor was Terra, eh? That last I seen of that dragon was when he was a little drakeling studying under me. But to answer your question, yes. That was me.”

“How did you move so quickly? It was like you were a shadow.”

“I profess in Smithing, but enchantments are the true reason behind my swiftness. While I am still well protected behind a shield of armor, I can move faster than without it. I am a master of the anvil, but the enchantments are sadly not my own. I made the armor that protect me, but the enchantments came from the one known as ‘Turning Gears’, The last I heard of the soul, he was wandering the countryside, enjoying his time left in these plains.”

“That’s amazing, but I have another question.”

“Ask and I will answer.”

“Where’s my gear and armor?” I asked.

“You mean your fathers gear. I know that he gave it to you, but I could tell it was his armor for I crafted it specifically for him. I seen that it was damaged and I simply repaired them, though you are still missing the greaves and the hood to complete the set. As for your gear, it’s over in the chest over there.” He pointed over to a chest next to the smithing station and spoke once more,“Again, you’re missing some things to complete your arsenal.”

“What about this hood? It serves its purpose, shielding my eyes.”

“This is true, there is nothing wrong with the one you’re wearing, but the guardian hood was made for both protection from the sun as well as an onslaught of attacks.”

“Where do you think it is?” I asked Firefist.

He strode over to the chest and began to dig through the assortment of gear. “Well, I was surprised that your..” he let out a small grunt as he shifted the items around inside the chest. “father left it here, I guess that he wished for you to find it in this old relic of a fortress. As for him scattering the set throughout Equestria is far beyond me.” He placed it down beside the smithing station on the wooden table holding my fully patched armor. “You better get ready, your friends must be worried for your safety.”

I strode over to the table and began strapping the armor on, I removed my old hood and pulled the new armored hood over my head. I pushed the hood down off my head and let it rest on my shoulders. It was lightweight but it was strong. As I finished strapping the armor on, I turned to Firefist and thanked him. “Thank you grandfather, this is an amazing gift.”

“You look like your father in that armor.” A tear ran down his cheek as he smiled. “Sorry if I feel a bit reminiscent, but I miss your father.”

I looked to the saddened elder and wiped the tear away,“There’s no need to feel sorry, we all miss our family from time to time, and ever since Senior closed the portal...” I myself began to feel saddened as well, but I pushed the thoughts aside and embraced the old smithy in a hug.

He returned the hug and whispered “Thank you, young one. Remember this, I love you.” With that, I heard a door swing open and Terra and Axton calling out for me. I released Firefist and turned to face the two approaching.

“Dark! We’ve been looking for you for ages.” Axton stated angrily,“After that shadow swept you away, you disappeared into the darkness of the hall!”

Terra stepped closer to the forge and eyed the still burning flames,“I haven’t seen this in years, and I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Firefist told me that Senior did have a reason behind leaving the guild, the old master betrayed him somehow, right grand...” I turned but could find no trace of the old man. Terra looked to me with a troubled expression.

“Dark, are you alright? Did you say that you spoke with Firefist? The old Forgemaster?”

I looked to Terra and nodded,“Yeah, he was here a minute ago and..” I was cut off my the large dragon as he spoke up.

“No one was in here when we came in but you. How could you have spoken with Firefist?” Terra asked.

“He was just here, maybe you two frightened him off.” I said plainly.

“Dark, that’s not possible, you couldn’t have spoken with him...” he trailed off.

“Why isn’t it possible? It literally just happened.”

“It couldn’t have happened!” Terra yelled. “I was the one who carried him out of the fortress during the war. He died in my arms, he lost too much blood protecting me from the gryphons.”

“What?” I gave the room a quick look over, and I found that the ground had been covered in dust and wherever I stepped, a foot print was formed. Firefist walked beside the forge numerous times and I found no footprints. I began to realize that.. My grandfather was a ghost. That was why he was still in the ruin, why he stayed as long as he did. “My grandfather was a..”

Axton jumped in quickly,“A ghost? That’s just... well I guess this counts as proof, not much but still.”

“Did you say grandfather?” Terra asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“I didn’t know that Firefist had children, and Senior never spoke about his father much.”

“Maybe.. Maybe Senior didn’t know, I didn’t know anything about my father until he showed up on my porch one night. This is nice to know, it runs in the family.”

“You don’t know that, that probably why Firefist made Senior a one of a kind armor set. To protect his son.” Terra stated.

“Actually, that is the reason..” Axton called out. We turned to look at the stallion and saw that he was flipping through another small journal of some kind. “It says here that Firefist had a child with a mare known as ‘Moonlight’s Grace’. He was forbidden by the guild master from having children, but the damage had already been done. Moonlight was pregnant, and after the child was born, the child was named John Dixon, Dark's father. When he was old enough to join the guild, John flew through training and mastered his art. He still didn’t know that Firefist was his father, and when John became the highest rank in the guild, he was given an unique armor set. Forged by none other than Firefist himself. It was crafted to signify his rank, but mostly to protect John.”

The stallion continued flipping through the journal but only scratched the surface. “There’s more too it, but you’ll have to read that on your own. I don’t feel right reading someone else’s personal journal.” He tossed the small book over to me and I placed it in my pack alongside of the guildmaster’s journal. I turned to the dragon and watched as he continuously eyed the forge.

“I only wish Firefist taught me more. With his knowledge, I could build the proper armor we need for the future guild.” and like a signal from the old smithy, I felt a cold breeze blow towards the chest. I approached it and began taking my gear out.

“One sawn-off, check.” I placed it in my waist holster. “One sword, check.” I strapped the sheathe with the blade inside around my waist. “and my food pack, check.” I strapped on the last of my gear and noticed something at the bottom of the chest. A small book. I reached in and pulled it out, I found sketches of armor sets and descriptions on how to fold the armor properly, the heat required, everything. I looked to Terra and called out to him,“Terra, catch.”

He looked to me as I tossed the book at him. As it lightly hit his chest, he grabbed it just before it fell to the ground. He began to flip through the pages and his eyes grew larger as did his smile. “This is it! Everything Firefist knew about working the forge!” He buried himself in the book but was quickly interrupted by Axton.

“It’s nice to know that we’re all safe and got some nice things from here, but I’d like to leave now. I’ll take the books and scrolls to the library in Ponyville and study up on how the old guardians worked. Terra will go study up on Firefist’s lessons and as for you Dark, that’s entirely up to you.” We all looked to each other and nodded.

I already knew what I was going to do, I was going to go see Chrysalis and Moon. It’s been so long since I last seen them. And it was finally time to visit, and hopefully stay till I’m called upon.

As the two exited the room, I stopped at the exit. I turned and gave the forge one last look,“Grandfather, if you can hear me... Thank you. For everything.” I balled my hand and placed it over my chest. I gave a bow and as I looked up, I seen the ghostly image of him copying me. I gave a smile, and he smiled right back.

“Life is too short to fight all the time, sometimes you need to make peace.” and with that, his image vanished into thin air.

“Peace and unity are constant in this land, but should anything happen, i’ll return it.” I turned to exit and a smile kept its presence as it embedded itself on across my face.

I promised myself that day, I would always be there for my children, adopted or not.

> Sleep. Dream. Or Die.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        After I had gave my farewells to the large dragon and the hazelnut stallion, I had set my sights on the Hive. Terra and Axton took the gear we had acquired from the fortress and were taking it back to my house in Ponyville. All except for the two journals they had found and gave to me, to which I would read during my break. I thought to myself quite often about what my grandfather, Firefist, had said. “I love you.” I had never heard those pairs of words directly spoken to me. I haven’t even heard them come from Chrysalis yet. I averted my attention from the thoughts that plagued my mind because they would only grow dark. I tried to focus on the positives. We had managed to gather needed information and materials from the ruin, I met my grandfather, and lastly.. I was on my way to see the two I’ve been dying to see for awhile.

        As I strode through the field of green and the skies started to fade into the ever approaching darkness of night, I spread my wings and took to the skies. If I were fast enough, maybe I could make it to the campsite before the night had fully set upon the land. The skies were clear and not a cloud in sight. The gentle wind brushing across my body as I flew through the dimming skies. I felt something unusual, I felt calm. 

I haven’t had this feeling in quite some time, the last I remembered feeling this way was back on earth. As my mind drifted back into thought, my speed increased. The gentle breeze became stronger as my speed grew faster. The day I had found myself waking in this land was unusual, but I already knew what I was getting myself into. Another flap of my wings sent me faster. The day I met the elements was strange, but I felt comfortable around them. My body slanted forward, allowing wind resistance to decrease and my speed increase. 

Then ‘that’ day. The day when everything seemed to go wrong, I sacrificed my life on earth for the man I’m supposed to call ‘father’. Betrayed and my fate sealed in stone as the portal closed behind him. I felt another feeling, Rage. The fuel that drove me to train harder, that sent me aloft for four months, that had me put my work before anything else and.. that drove me to break away from the ponies I was trying to protect. Sadness, I think that’s what I felt. As I flew through the skies, I felt a tension building around me, trying to push me back but I was feeling so many things, I hardly paid any attention.

I was mournful for the loss of my family and my old life, saddened by the betrayal of someone I was supposed to trust. I felt guilty leaving my life back on earth, and the responsibilities I had. My family came first for me, and I let them slip through the cracks as I left my world behind. The life I had was gone, and my family lost in the void before. That was when I felt another feeling taking over my thoughts, Hope.

I rocketed through the air as I sped by with the rush of my wings, the air around me pushing down on my body and slapping my face as I pushed myself faster. I was hopeful that I would find my family once again, but now.. I have my own. I hoped that one day Moon would forgive me for what I had done to her, and she did. I hoped that one day Chrysalis would feel the emotions I felt for her, and she does. I hoped that their was more to life than my routine of going to work in morning, and coming home at night and sleeping to repeat it the next day. And now, I’m the guardian of Equestria. And one last feeling overcame me. Happiness.

As I soared through the skies, I cracked a smile as I closed my eyes. The feeling of the air pushing me back seemed to lessen as I flapped my wings faster. I opened my eyes and a small white light began to shine in front of me. The light grew brighter and expanded in size. With one final flap of my wings, I tried to surpass the light. I shot forward and breached the barrier that held me back. The light shone bright and a shock wave followed in my step. My speed doubled as I rocketed through the skies, a trail of light following closely behind me. I was coming close to the campsite but with the speed I was in, I could make the Hive in another half hour.

////////////////////

        I was soaring just over the Hive and tried to slow myself down but couldn’t manage to. I stopped flapping my wings but I continued to fly at tremendous speeds. Slowly but surely, the light trail that followed closely began to fade. “Yeah.” I said but then I began to feel my wings grow numb and couldn’t manage to move them. I began to fall from a great height and soon began to match my speed as I fell towards the ground. I frantically tried to move my wings, but when they wouldn’t respond, I knew what was to come. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impending crash ahead. 

As I neared the fast approaching ground, I heard a guard cry,“Watch out!” I heard a loud crash and everything seemed to stop. I tried to open my eyes but everything remained dark. I wondered what happened, but when light was finally visible, I was thrown into bewilderment.

“Dark? What are you doing here?” Asked Shadow.

“Here? Where’s here? All I can see is darkness and.. well.. you.”

“This is the Dream world, but you have this aura around you. That means only one thing.”

I gave my body a quick look over, I was encased in a dark black and violet glow. “Would you look at that, that’s not something you see everyday. I have a quick question. What does 'this' mean?”

Shadow looked to me worriedly,“Well, it means one of two things. One: You could unconscious and may stay this way from a few days.”

“And what’s the other?” I asked.

“The worst of fates, you could be dead.”

“Oh, thanks for the subtlety. Not like life is important or anything, you know.”

“Well, think about it. If you were dead, you wouldn’t be talking this much, even in the dream world. Talking dead spirits are a rare thing, though that’s the only difference between the dead and the living. If you watched two different specimens from afar, one alive, the other not, you couldn’t see the difference.”

“So you’re saying there is still a chance that I might be dead. Great.”

“I’m sorry to say but yes. There’s still that chance. I won’t be able to tell if your alive or not for a few days, not till you wake up. If you don’t, you may be in a coma. After a month, if you still haven’t awoken... well...” My equestrian counterpart trailed off.

“Wait, I have another question.”

“Ask and I shall answer.”

“You work in the dream realm, and you handle both the living and the dead. You can tell if people.. ponies are alive or not with this aura and you exist as a spirit unless you're using your fox form to enter the waken world. So by simple analysis, does that make you the embodiment of..”

“Death. I’m sorry to say, but yes.. partially. I operate with the living and the dead, but I don’t have any say on when their time has come. When they show themselves to me in the dream realm and they are glowing much like you, it tells me that they're going to be visiting mine and Luna’s realm for an extended period of time. Should they not disappear after a month, they become permanent guests.”

I sat on the ground, looking to my brother of the dream realm and pinched my the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. I gave a small sigh and after I opened my eyes once more, I looked Shadow in the eyes. “Fuck.”

> Sleep. Dream. Or Die. pt.2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Do you always have to be training?” Asked a very confused Shadow, he stood on the gazebo as he watched me training with enemies I had created using thought. I paused everything and turned to my brother and nodded. “Can’t you learn to relax and have fun? You’re in the Dream realm, you have infinite power to do as you wish as long as your imagination can create it, but you wish to train? Fascinating.”

        “I have to keep myself sharp, I don’t need to slack off on my studies just because I’m in a coma.” I told the dream seer.

        “But you’ve been training non-stop since you’ve been here. You’ve been here for four days and this is all you’ve wished to do? No. I will not allow this.” As he spoke his last words, the enemies I created turned to dust and faded into nothing. I turned to Shadow and I felt confused.

        “Why does it matter if I train or not? You said that I can do anything I want, and I want to train.”

        “You’re forcing yourself to train. I can see it. Just try and relax, image something peaceful. Or you could imagine your greatest memory. Just give it a try, brother.”

        I gave a sigh of irritation,“Alright then.” I rolled my eyes and then closed them as I tried to think of something relaxing. I could feel something coming into existence and as I opened my eyes, I saw that Shadow was giving me a ‘Really?’ kind of glare. I turned to what I had created and found the Canterlot Training grounds. I turned back to Shadow and he was pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. “I actually did try, so don’t judge.”

        “Training, training. Is there anything you actually do for fun?”

        “Training is fun, but if it makes “Mr. Ohdon’ttrainbecauseyou’reinacoma” happy, I’ll just ponder on a good memory then, ok?”

        I closed my eyes and thought hard, I tried to focus on anything that would come to mind but couldn’t seem to grasp anything. I opened my eyes and ran my hands over my face,“I can’t do anything, it’s useless.”

        “So what would your fondest memory be of?”

        “Well, I tried to remember and bring back the first time I took my little brother Nicky out for a quad ride, the entire ride consisted of laughing and smiling. I miss him.” I could feel my heart sink a little but then Shadow placed a kind hand on my shoulder.

        “Brother, I know that your family before your time here was important to you. I know what it’s like to have a family but not being able to see them. Just focus and it’ll come to you.”

        “Ok.” I calmly closed my eyes and let my memories scatter and waited as they came to me. One came to mind and I could feel it come into existence. I opened my eyes and I found a lopsided smile cut across Shadow's face, As I turned to see what I had created, a feeling of inner warmth shot throughout my body.

        “Well then, say hi.” Shadow said.

        I looked to him and asked,“These are the real ones? Or are they only memories?”

        “It’s a good thing it’s night in the waking world and that they were dreaming as well. They’re the ‘real’ ones.”

        I looked to the two before me and I could see tears streaming down the small mares face,“Moon?” I ran up to her and wrapped her in my arms as she did the same to me.

        “Why don’t you wake up? I know what it’s like for people to go into a coma, but why did you have to?” She said through sobs as she cried into my shoulder.

        “I’m sorry I have to put you through this Moon, but I’m trying to find my way out of her. I’ll promise you this though, I’ll be up soon.” I held onto the mare a moment longer and broke away from the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes away. “There’s no need to be sad.” I turned to the other mare before me as I stood up.

        She stood there silent, holding one hand with the other as she stood elegantly. “I haven’t seen you move like this in quite some time, it’s nice to be able to talk with you, love.”

        I quickly grasped her in my arms and held her close. “My Queen.”

/////////////////


        Some time had passed since Chrysalis and Moon had left and that left Shadow and I alone once again. “I need to wake up Shadow, is there any way I can force myself to wake up?”

“Well, there are two ways. But I would highly go against one more than the other, though the other is difficult and complex.”

“What’s the problem with the first option?” I asked. He looked to me and frowned.

“It requires... the life force of another.”

“Well, what do I need to do for the other? I can’t kill. That’s a number one rule here.” I asked my equestrian counterpart.

“Option two is a difficult task, are you sure you’re up to it?” He asked. I responded with a nod and a look of determination. “Follow me then.”

As we walked down the ever-present stone walkway, Shadow turned to me and seemed worried. “Brother, this task is not one you should take lightly. Do you remember when you first arrived due to the coma, to the Dream realm?” I looked to him and nodded. I was confused by his statement.

“Yes, I remember. Why?”

“Good, then you remember me telling you I ‘handle’ our permanent guests. I show them around and tell them the world is their oyster and they go and do as they wish.”

“And what does this have anything to do with the task at hand?” I asked.

“I was just getting to that. You see, I am an advisor for.. him. He’s been around for many eons and possibly longer, and he is a cold man. His soul is stained with the lives of many, though he doesn’t end them physically. He is seen as a ‘Boogeyman’ to many, but accepted by some. If you wish to get back to the world of the living, you will need his approval before you can even try to leave.”

“And who would that be?” I felt that I already knew the answer to my own question. I could feel my heart begin to thund loudly inside my chest cavity.

“The man, the spirit, the end. You may call him anything you wish, for he has many names in many tongues. Though these names are all different, they all point to the same person. He is the man in tattered black robes, shrouded in darkness and known universally and feared by all. He is the pale rider of the apocalypse, Death.”
> Sleep No More, Dearest Dark.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “So. This is where he is?” I asked my shadow form. He simply looked to me and nodded.

        We stood in front of a large iron door with a large skull embedded into the formation. As we approached the door, it seemed to be giving of a humming noise. And just arriving at the door filled my body with a sense of dread and hopelessness.

        “Come on, let’s knock.” I told Shadow, he looked at me and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

        He spoke up as he returned to reality,“Huh.”

        “What?”

        “I just realized something.”

        “And what would that be?” I asked.

        He placed his chin within the grasp of his hand and he thought as he talked,“Well, consider the concept. We are literally knocking on Death’s doorstep, I just find it a bit funny.”

        I gave the thought a quick lookover and found it to be interesting as well,“Standing at Death’s door. Huh.” I shook the thought off and returned to the task at hand. “Come on, I’m not gonna wake up on my own.”

        “Well actually, you can.”

        “Not quick enough it seems.” I turned back to the menacing door and grasped the large door knocker that seemed to resemble a snake slithering through a skull and pulled it back. It weighed a ton and as I rammed it back towards the door, it rang loudly. I pulled it back again and slammed it down two more times, I stood back from the door and waited.

        A loud and thunderous voice called out from behind the door,“Young one, begone and out of my sight.”

        “I’m not leaving.” I told the voice.

        The door slowly creaked open,“Would would dare defy my orders?” asked the thunderous voice. “I would watch that tongue of yours, you could lose it just as fast.”

        Shadow looked to me and whispered,“What are you doing?” I looked to him for a brief moment and nodded with a smile. “That still doesn’t answer my question!” I turned back to the door and waited.

        “Elder, I wish to leave this realm. My people need me.” As the door opened wide, I was met by a room that was completely pitch black. Slowly a thick dark fog eased out of the door and laced the floor, the fog seemed to be emanating small feats of lightning every so often. I turned my attention back to the door frame and focused as I clenched my fist together. “I ask that you send me back to the world of the living, I grow tired of this realm.”

        A large skeletal hand grasped the side of the door and pulled a sizeable man out. He easily stood four feet higher than I, he was covered from head to toe in a tattered grey cloak. The man stood within the fog and towered over me, the very feeling of his presence filled my body with fear but I knew I had to stand strong. “And I ask of you this, young one. Why should I send you back, since you seemed so eager to drive yourself here.”

        “I can’t stay here. Now send me back.”

        “Your time is nearly up, do you wish to see how much of you precious life is left in the tainted carcass you call a body, mortal?”

        He slowly raised his arm and placed his index finger against my forehead. A painful sensation stung my head, as if the headaches returned. “Open your eyes.” voiced Death. I opened my eyes at his request and found myself in front of a statue in the middle of a lone field. Abandoned and empty. The statue held small trinkets and notes, a few roses and bits scattered at the foot of the statue.

        “Why are we here? Wherever here is.” I looked to the status before me and it was a man that seemed to be kneeling and holding his hand out to me. He seemed to be familiar, but I couldn’t see his face. It was hidden behind his hood. “Wait a minute.” I said. I gave the statue another lookover and found a plaque beneath my feet. I took a step back and as I knelt down to wipe the excess dirt and debris away, words begun to form. They read:


	We plead to the sun, and we cry to the moon.


	 Sleep well, dearest Darkmoon’s Crescent.


	He came from the world of man, to protect the world we know.


	He raised from nothing, to the Guardian of Equestria.


	Darkmoon, sleep well. You’ve earned your peace.


Sleep now, your time came too soon it seems. 





~We miss you, the people of Equestria.





“Do you see it, young one?” Asked the hooded figure. I turned to Death and a tear ran down my cheek, I couldn’t process the thought. “No one is invincible. Mighty as the Guardians are, they are still flesh and blood.”

I wiped the tears that ran down my face away as I spoke up,“I can’t be dead. Not yet.”

He turned to me and placed his finger on my forehead once again. With a flash of light, Death and I were in another place. We were in the hive, inside the bedroom. I could see two people sleeping in the messy bed sheets. One was clearly Chrysalis, and the other was masked behind her flesh and the cover by the blankets. A loud knock could be heard and as I turned my attention to the door, it swung open. Two children ran in. They couldn’t be more than five or six. The two jumped onto the bed and nuzzled themselves next to the sleeping mystery. 

I turned to Death and I felt heartbroken,“So not only do you wish to show me that I’m dead, you have the audacity to shatter my spirits with this, that after I pass, she starts... her own..” I felt disheartened but I trailed off as I saw him raise a finger and point over to the bed, I turned my attention towards the bed and felt shocked.

As the two children played around in the bed, it knocked the covers away and revealed the man. As he pulled himself away from the pillow, a smile crept onto his face as he saw the two dance around on the bed. He gave Chrysalis a kiss on the cheek and wrapped her in his embrace. The two kids turned to the two showing their affections and they said in unison, “Ewww.. Mom and Dad. That’s not cool!”

The man spoke up,“Oh yeah, because this is totally wrong.” He let out a familiar chuckle as the two ran out of the room. As they bolted for freedom, he called out,“Go get big sis!”

They two kids called from down the hall,“Okay dad!” The man raised his hand and used a bit of magic to close the door. He turned to the ebony queen and they laid in the bed, quiet and calm.

Chrysalis turned to her bedmate and smiled,“I’ve missed you. Promise to never leave for that long again.”

“My Queen, I promise.” He smiled as the tired in his eyes begun to show. Chrysalis gave the man a kiss on the lips and nuzzled into his chest.

“I love you, Darkmoon.”

“I love you too, My Queen.”

I turned back to Death and I felt confused,“But I’m supposed to be dead, why am I here?” I asked. He turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Mortal, the places I have shown you are two different choices, but are held at the same time. The choices you’ll make with the remainder of your time alive will lead you to one of the two places. Your time on the mortal plains isn’t over just yet, but remember one thing.” He raised his finger and held it an inch away from my forehead. “A family was at the Hive, but No one was at the statue.” He placed his index finger on my forehead but nothing happened. “I’m sending you back, but the choices you make will either make you, or break you. Now choose.” A blinding light overtook me and everything went black.

“agh...” I groaned as the light quit. My eyes felt like they’d been glued shut and it felt like someone had thrown my body down a hill and let the timberwolves munch on me. A grave amount of pain was coming from my right shoulder and as I tried grabbing it with my left hand, a large amount of pain was coming from it. “I hate.. being me... damn it.”

“Dark?” asked a familiar voice.

“Yeah.. the very same.. what is it?” I asked the voice.

The voice seemed to turn as it called over others,“Dark’s up! Guys! Dark’s up!” A large group of footsteps and hoofsteps could be heard approaching.

I tried to open my eyes but they refused to cooperate. “Where am I?” I asked.

“You’re in the Hive, Dark. Your friends are here too.” Called a familiar voice.

“Who was that?”

“It was me.”

“I’m sorry to say, but I can’t see you.”

“Here.” the voiced came closer and placed one of my hands on its face. The pain was unbearable but it was worth it. The feel of the persons face was all too familiar. “It’s me, love.”

“My.. My Queen.” If I could feel my eyes, I swore I’d be crying.

Death, the man, the spirit, the end. You may call him anything you wish, for he has many names in many tongues. Though these names are all different, they all point to the same person. He is the man in tattered black robes, shrouded in darkness and known universally and feared by all. He is the end to all things, but the unsung hero of many. He can show you many things, change your ways, but most importantly... Save you.
> These Old Bones.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        When I awoke, I was greeted by all of my friends. Although I could not see them at the time, I knew from the sounds of their voices it was surely them.

        “How long have I been out?” I asked anyone that could hear me.

        “It’s been about... damn near a month!” Voiced Pyro.

        “We thought you might have passed on the the ethernal plains, I’m glad you haven’t yet.” Terra said through clanking armor.

        “I’m glad that you’re back, Dark.” Voiced Night Strife.

“So, once you’re back up and running, we’ll have start adventuring again.” Axton’s voice seemed to swing around, as if talking to the others. “We’ve tried to search around for guardian relics and such, but without that map in your head, no luck. But, you’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve found the perfect spot to start building the guardian base, to a spot you’ll find most convenient.”

I coughed as I spoke,“And where’s this spot?” My voice still was sore for not being used for so long. “Damn throat.”

Pyro spoke up,“Well, it’s not even that far from here... just over the ridge on the far side of Mystic mountain. We’re gonna build it mounted to the side of the mountain. A bit of inspiration came from the Canterlot castle. As for how we’re gonna start, we’re gonna need to use some old schematics that were used to set up the city from the Canterlot royal library. Which you’re gonna have to get.. when you’re good again that is.”

“That... that might take awhile. I..” I trailed off as I held my throat in pain. The amount of stress I was putting on my throat was excruciating.

“He needs to rest for a bit. After coming out of a coma, I don’t expect that he’ll be right on his feet. If you wouldn’t mind, I would ask that you all left for now. As soon as Dark feels better, I’m sure he’ll meet up with you four somewhere.” Voiced Chrysalis.

“I guess so. Well Dark, we’ll see you sometime later. Get better soon.” Pyro said while patting my foot. A sense of pain came from my foot and jolted up to my brain and became sound as I grunted out a small groan. “Sorry.”

“I hope that you will be better soon, brother. I must return to my house in the mountains. Farewell for now.” Terra stated.

“Dark, I’ll be back sometime later. Either tomorrow or the next day, either case i’ll have something that’ll help with your current... being. Catch you later.”

“I would like to stay, but if the queen wishes that I leave then I guess I have no choice. Get better soon Dark.” Night Strife said with a hint of sorrow. In a uniform fashion, I heard a group of hooves and a pair of footsteps turn towards the exit of the room and the door close behind them.

“Dark.” Voiced my Queen,“You should get some more rest, This’ll take you some time to recover so it’s best for you that you sleep. I’ll inform Celestia and Luna that you’re awake, though I have the feeling that Luna already knows.” She gave off a light chuckle that warmed my heart. “One day at a time Dark, I’ll be back in a few hours. Sleep tight, love.” She planted a light kiss on my cheek and I listened as her hoofsteps made their way over to the exit, following the future guardians steps. As the door closed behind her, I was left alone to my thoughts and the quiet that came with loneliness.

‘I want to be moving, but I’m far too broken to even try. It’s probably best to listen to the others and just try to get some sleep.’ Through the pain I was feeling and the soreness that filled my body, I slowly edged back into my mind and began to drift back into sleep.

////////////////

        Axton returned the next day with a small trinket, it was a small ring that had been enchanted to help with my recovery. I wore it on my left hand index finger and the charms’ powers had already began to work their ways. I wasn’t healing at an incredibly fast rate, but it was helping to ease the pain that filled my aching body.

It took nearly two weeks before I could even leave the bed, and another week to work up the strength to walk. The pain of walking around was ever present, but I tried to work through all the pain. I’ve gotten older, I could feel it in my bones.

        “Love, where are you going?” Asked Chrysalis with a hint of concern and a worried expression covering her face. 

        I turned back to the ebony queen and gave a smile,“Just to the training grounds. I need to work on many things. How can I expect to lead the guardians if i can’t even move?” I let out a small laugh and turned back towards the field.

        “Don’t strain yourself, you’ve only been walking so far and you’re always tired when your done. Just don’t push yourself too hard, ok?” she pleaded.

        “I’ll try not to.” I continued my way through the field and after ten minutes of walking, I finally arrived at the training grounds. I asked a few changling guards ahead of time to set up some dummies for me to practice on, and to clear the track so that I could exercise my endurance. Weights were also set up, though I did not ask for them to be. ‘Are they suggesting I’m weak?’ I thought to myself. I gave a small chuckle and said,“No, couldn’t be. They’re just looking out for me. I hope.”

        Each time I rounded the track, I found myself gaining just a bit more speed. The first round was a light walk, the second was a fast walk, the third a small jog. I thought it best not to push myself to anything too strenuous, so I changed from the track to the weights. I started with five pound dumbbells, then trading to ten pounds, fifteen, twenty. Once again, I stopped myself from pushing it. I traded over to the dummies and started practicing.

“Ok, I can do this.” I jabbed between the dummies, switching between the three that had been set up. When I first arrived in the grounds, it was the early morning. As I looked to the sun, I could see that the time was nearing high noon. “I should go get some lunch and relax.” As I turned to head my way back to the castle, I could feel something watching me. 

I gave a look around and I found a dark figure standing in the field, staring at me. I couldn’t exactly make out who or what it was so I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to reveal the shadowy figure, but as I removed my hands from my eyes, I found that the dark figure had vanished. “What was that?” I asked myself. All I could make out from the figure was a small gleam of light.

        As if it were metal.

> The New Recruit.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Every day, I would head out to the training grounds to practice. Everyday, I would find that same figure standing in the field alone and waiting. All I could do was watch as the figure watched me train myself.

        The days progressed and so did my training. I was nearly moving back to my old speed and I’d been lifting enough weights to regain my strength. Standing was no longer a chore but the fact of my age was starting to show. It had been nearly a month since I last saw the others, and I had become accustomed to living at the Hive.

Moon Shadow had been growing into a nice young foal, each day she seemed to be growing bigger in size. No longer the little kid I once knew, but still as kind hearted as I remembered her to be. Chrysalis and I had begun to grow more attached to each other and whenever I left to train, my heart seemed to ache to be near her once again. I hadn’t ever felt such a way before, I knew once a long time ago that I cared deeply for the ebony queen, but this feeling was entirely new to my heart, I believe it was love.

Love, I was finally to realize my own feelings at such an age. Nearly thirty and I was feeling like a child in preschool laying his eyes on the cute girl in the class. My heart raced when I was near Chrysalis, and I could never seem to find the right words to speak. No words could sum up the amount of feelings I held towards her. I should’ve told her back then, but I hadn’t come to realize these feelings yet. I needed to tell her something, but maybe I could show her instead.

I pulled myself away from the weights and sat up from the bench press. I took a quick breather and looked towards the field. I saw no trace of the figure, and a sense of worry came into mind. I turned around and reached over for the barbells when I heard a voice call in from behind me.

“Hello, remember me?” said a voice.

I quickly pulled the barbell from the bench press and smashed the end against the bench, making a makeshift mace as I turned and faced the voice. “Why is it your here?” I asked in a stern tone.

The once distant dark figure in the field was now up close and visible. He shone within the light of the overhanging sun with his metallic coat. His wing appendages were oddly different, and the once missing leg was now returned in the form of a mechanical one. His eye was glowing a bright red and he held a sinister expression across his face. “Well Dark, time heals all wounds. Wouldn’t you agree?” He gave his bottom lip a quick lick as he glared at me. “With time, all wounds heal, not my leg of course but... emotional pain does. With time.”

I rested the barbell mace on my shoulder and glared him down,“Answer me this, Who are you and why are you here?”

“Oh, you must forgive me. I’ve grown impatient, and have forgotten my manners. My name is Sharpened Intellect, but you may call me ‘Intel’ for short. As you have no doubt noticed, I have been watching from afar, waiting for this moment for some time now and I finally have a chance.” He pressed a button on the side of his mechanical leg and out popped a small holster,“This should be interesting.” He stated with a smile.

I dodged to the side and readied the mace in my hands, but stopped as Intel held out his hands in protest,“Whoa there soldier, I’m not here to kill you.” He gave off a small laugh as he reached within the small holster and brought out a piece of paper. He quickly handed it over to me and I accepted it cautiously. With the makeshift mace held at the ready in my right hand, I took the paper within my left. I quickly read over the paper and felt confused.

“What’s this?” I asked the stallion. “This is just a paper with your name and some personal details, why are you giving me this?” The confusion continued to build as I pondered my current situation.

        The metallic stallion gave a small laugh,“It’s my resumé! I want to join the guardians.” I looked to the stallion and felt confused even further.

        “I’m fine with this peace but the question still plagues my mind, shouldn’t you be trying to kill me for what I’ve done to your leg?” I asked the metallic stallion.

        He gazed up into the sky and took a deep breath,“Like I said earlier, time heals all wounds. I was looking to.. upgrade anyways, don’t get me wrong though, you shooting off my leg was pretty painful and I’m still pretty miffed for you showing me up in front of my men, other than that though, I have no real quarrels with you.”

        I gave the prospect of recruiting the the stallion, but then I realized something better. I handed the resumé back to Intel and said,“If you’re really looking to join the guild, you should go find the stallion known as Pyromancer. He should be in Ponyville at the moment, look for him around the main square, that’s where he’s usually hanging out.”

        “Pyromancer, eh? Sounds fun. Ok. Thanks for accepting me.”

        “Oh, I didn’t recruit you yet, I just pointed you in the right direction to start your search in joining.”

        “But aren’t you the guild master?” Intel asked.

        I nodded and gave a quick smile,“I may be the guild master, but I gotta see if you have the initiative to seek out Pyro to join, and if you pass the tests he gives you, then consider yourself in.” I said as I rested the broken barbell down on the ground. He looked to be with a puzzled expression.

        “This just seems like a wild goose chase. Can’t you just say I’m in?”

        “I can, but I won’t. Consider this just another test. You should be heading your way over to Ponyville, your burning daylight.” I said as I turned away from the metallic stallion and faced the castle. “Should you meet with Pyro and pass the tests he’s given you, tell him I wish to see him and that he’ll meet me here.”

        “Ok. I’m off.” The stallion called out as he turned to the fields from which he came.

        I was soon alone to my own devices and training, though my weight training would have to wait for a bit. I looked to the sun and found that it was coming close to the mid day mark once again. I felt an inner warmth as I strode my way back to the Hive,“I’m on my way, don’t you worry love.” 

        No words could sum up the amount of feelings I held towards her. I should’ve told her back then, but I hadn’t come to realize these feelings yet. I needed to tell her something, but maybe I could show her instead.

> On the Bright Side.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        A week had passed since I last seen Intel, and as I strode through the halls and made my way to the Hives cafeteria, I thought to myself,‘I’m still surprised they have one. I thought they only ingested emotions.’ As I waited in the lunch line, a few friendly changlings waved to me and smiled. I noticed and waved back to them. Then my turn came and I grabbed my food and sat down in my usual stop in the mess hall. The far back of the room in the corner. I remember back on earth, when I was still in school that I used to enjoy lunch alone. But my privacy here in the mess hall was all but nonexistent. I would always be surrounded by the familiar faces of all sorts of changlings. Today was slightly different though, for only one changling sat beside me today.

        “Hello Darkmoon.” voiced a changling as he sat beside me and he set down his lunch tray.

        “How are you today... Grey Skull right?” I asked. He seemed to be the right changling.

        “Yeah, I’m glad you remember me. May I ask you another question? If it’s ok with you that is. I did hit you with a bunch of them yesterday, so I’d undertand.” He asked as he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. I nodded and gave a warm smile. “Well, I’ve noticed something different about the Queen recently. She seems to be looking... how do I say it.. ‘Brighter’?”

        “How do you mean?” I asked Skull. The choice of words seemed to confuse me. “What do you mean ‘Brighter’?”

        “Well, she seems to have.. gained a small bit of weight, but it’s not usual for a changling to gain it, even if she’s laying eggs for new soldiers.”

        “Are you calling Chrysalis overweight?”

        “No, I just find it different. I’m just wondering is all.” He gave off a small audible cough and the situation grew a bit awkward. “Well, just forget it for now, how has training been lately?”

        “Well, I’m back to my old self once again. Emphasis on the “Old”. I should be traveling the lands pretty soon but I’d like to spend a few more days with Chrysalis and Moon.”

        “Ah, nice! And how has Moon been so far?” He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

        I took a quick bite from the spuds I had taken and a drink from my mug. After I finished chewing and swallowed the mouthful, I turned back to the curious changling and said,“She’s been fine, she’s not the small filly I met a few months ago, that’s for sure. I used to be able to pick her up with no problem, but she’s gotten much bigger since then. As for how she’s feeling? you’d have to ask her.”

//////////////

        After I finished my lunch I made my way back to the throne room. As I stood beside Chrysalis as she sat in the throne, I watched as she presided over a case. Apparently, it was an old case. From back when I first met with Intel, the metallic stallion. She caught word that one of the generals had sent a group of changlings out without the approval of the Queen herself, risking the prospect of of war with the Equines of Equestria. The royals and the changlings were still a bit sore about the Canterlot wedding, and they were always in their corners, sneering at each other. The only things separating the two races from breaking out in a war were two things. The treaty I had signed with Chrysalis, and Me. 

        “So what do you have to say for yourself general?” Asked the ebony queen as she awaited an answer from the general on the ground. 

He had been removed of his rank and handcuffed. He sat on his knees and pleaded to the queen,“I swear to you my queen, I wasn’t the one that sent the orders for the changlings to patrol passed the mountains. I swear!”

        Chrysalis glared down at him,“And do you have any proof that states your innocents? I have many eyes throughout the Hive and they watch for stallions such as you. I’ve called upon them, and they all give me the same answer. They say that they heard you, General Zero, had ordered for that brigade of rogues to venture passed the mountains and raid nearby villages!”

        “I never gave that order, I wouldn’t! It would jepardize the Hive’s well-being! and I know this! My Queen, you have to believe me!” 

        “I will not.” She turned to the guards and ordered them to remove him and place him in the dungeons. 

“I’m sorry, my queen.” The ex-general stated as he was being drug out of the room. I couldn’t help but feel pity for the stallion as he was dragged across the throne room and out of the large fleshy doors.

        Chrysalis stood from the throne and gave a small stretch,“I need to rest.” She placed her palm over her stomach and gave a warm smile as she stared down at it. “Come along dear.” she said to me and I followed at her request.

        As we strode our way down the hall towards the royal quarters, Chrysalis wrapped her arms around mine as she leant against me. I stared down to the mare beside me and gave her a quick lookover. ‘What did he mean when he said ‘brighter’?’ I thought to myself. We finally reached the doors of Moon’s room and I opened the door to check up on her. As we gazed into the room, Chrysalis and I found Moon sleeping in the bed. Light snores could be heard within the quiet of the bedroom. I gave a smile as I laid my eyes upon the small mare sleeping and whispered to Chrysalis,“Isn’t that just adorable?”

        She looked up to me and placed a small kiss on my cheek,“Pretty soon, this room will be echoing with light snores.” I closed the door and we made our way over to our room. As I opened the door and closed it behind us, she gave a cheeky smile and lead me over to the bed. ‘I’m so confused.’ She laid down on the bed and I laid down beside her. We laid there and cuddled, I don’t know what it was but I was filled with the inner sensation of happiness and whispered into the Queen’s ear,“I love you, My Queen.”

        She pulled herself a tad back as stared into my eyes with hers half lidded and smiled,“I love you too, Darkmoon.” She planted her lips on mine and I placed my hand on her waist. As I slowly ran my hand up and down her smooth skin, small moans of pleasure echoed inside my mouth.

        Family, it’s what’s important. And as for mine, it was just about to get a bit bigger.

> Reunited Under the Banner.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        A couple of months had passed and nothing too interesting happened. One thing that was good to hear was that construction on the new guardian fortress was underway, and that my beautiful wife, yes.. wife, she was now two months pregnant with a foal on the way. I found it kind of odd at first. With me being an entirely different species and still managing to “pollinate” her. I guess that it wasn’t all too hard to understand, it was an entirely different universe with magic and such, and not to mention that they support the same trait humans carry. You know, two hands, stand on two feet.. whooves. Basically human.

        “Hun, do you really have to go?” Asked the glowing ebony queen.

        “Yes love, I’ve been called on by Celestia for an important assignment that she see’s worthy of a an old guardian’s attention.” I replied. The day was only just beginning, and I thought it would be best if I got a head start on the journey and leave just before daylight.

        “Can’t you send one of the guys?” She asked.

        “I could’ve, but I’ve already tried that. The first I sent was Terra, he was denied. The next I sent was Axton. They chatted for a bit but then again, she rejected his proposal. Next was Night Strife, he seemed to make the most progress, but once again. Denied. Pyro didn’t seem too interested in going, so I didn’t want to bother him asking.”

        “What about Intell? Didn’t you ask him?”

        “I would have, yes, but as of this moment, he and Pyro are patrolling the continent in search of capable and trustworthy candidates for the role of Guardian. Another reason I didn’t want to ask our flamey headed friend.” I told the queen. I finished strapping on the rest of my gear and wrapped my pack around my waist. I strode up to the ebony queen and planted a kiss on her sweet lips for a brief moment or two, then knelt down and kissed the newest member to our family. As I stood back onto my feet, I gazed into the eyes of my queen and said,“Stay safe, I’ll be back in a few days time. Farewell for now.”

        She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a heartwarming goodbye hug. 

        As I crossed the field of green, I gave one last wave back to Chrysalis as she started to fade into the distance of the horizon. My day today would be a long and arduous one. I would have to find my companions and lead them to the castle of Canterlot. The first of the guardians I would set out to find would be Axton and Night Strife. The last I heard of them, they had stopped to pick up some supplies in Manehatten from their shop, but they’ve been delayed due to their having to wait for their actual shipment to arrive.

        I loosened my shoulderblades and relaxed my body as I was trying to take a good stretch. I hadn’t attempted to fly in nearly two months, so I needed to prepare for the worst of accidents to occur. With one swift movement, I spread my wings and took to the skies as I pushed off the solid and trusty ground. My form wasn’t steady as it once was, but such things would be less trivial with time. I switched from flying to walking and then back again every few miles, with the absence of flight, my wings had become stiff and sore. With this switch every now and then, I could exercise them and slowly regain what was once lost.

        With my focus set on the prospect of my sore wings, I hadn’t noticed that I was starting to near the once distant city. Almost rapidly so. “No.. No!” I cried through gritted teeth as I collided with the side of a small shop. “Damn it...” The impact with the wall had winded me, but I peeled myself away from the building and gazed from side to side, checking to see if anyone saw my little embarrassing moment. Thankfully to my relief, no one saw.

        After I regained my breath, I strode down the sidewalk of the city. I noticed ponies of all colors, genders, races, all of which were staring at me, smiling. I gave a brief wave and just continued along my merry way.

        I was starting to arrive at my desired location, Axton’s house of Mechanics. I found it almost inspiring that he owned his own tinkering shop. Since he was fairly versed in enchantments and mechanics, he decided to start a shop, co-owned with our night blue coated stallion Night Strife. While Axton worked with enchanting mechanical devices he’d make, Strife would study the stars and use his particular talents to harness the power within the stars themselves to double the strength of Axton’s enchantments.

        The things those two could create, it was amazing. Back on earth, cars were a common sight but the types of transportation vehicles they could craft? Amazing. Last week, they came up with a vessel, designed after an arachnid, that could travel many miles and scale mountains with ease. It didn’t rely on fuel at all, it just needed to rest like an everyday creature.

        As I pushed through the doors and entered Axton’s shop, I could hear talking amongst the two inside.

        “Like... this?” Asked Night Strife as he swiveled around two mechanical parts, trying to wedge them together.

        I heard the sound of Axton’s hand slap against his forehead as he groaned to himself. “No. Try again, this time.. have tha’ end connect to tha’ there!” The brown stallion pointed towards the part on the machine. “Come on, I know you can do it.” His Oatsralian accent was funny to listen to sometimes.

        “I just work with the stars and planets! I’m not even sure why you’re trying to teach me this.” Strife shot air out of his nostrils in irritation as he finished. 

        “I’m teachin’ this to you because it would really help with...” Axton trailed off as he spotted me standing at the doorway. “Oh! Dark, I’m glad you’re ‘ere. Ova’ ‘ere.” He quickly trotted to my side and pushed me towards the already seated blue stallion.

        As I was seated down next to Strife, I looked to him and he held a worried expression. I gave him a small smile and said,“Hi.” I gazed back towards Axton and he just stood there watching the two of us,“Why?” I asked plainly.

        Axton passed me a few pieces of scrap metal and other miscellaneous things. “‘ere, just try to do as Strife does.” He said. Night Strife looked to me and planted his hand on his face in frustration. 

        “I’ve been sitting here for nearly an hour still and I don’t even know what this is for!” Strife said as he turned to Axton with anger in his eyes.

        The brown stallion gave a small smirk and signalled me to scooch over, I slid over to the side and Axton planted himself right next to us. He took the parts into his hands and began working at the metal. With a few twists and turns and a slight touch of magic, the brown stallion held in hand a small mechanical machine. “See? It’s easy! This is what I’ve been tryin’ to teach ya.” The machine looked to be a small arthropod, a scorpion to be exact. “It’s the easiest thing I know how to make and it’s the basic “Baby step” into engineerin’. The reason I’m tryin’ to teach you how to work the metal is for the guardians. It’s going to make things a lot faster in terms of defences, you’ll be helping me set up mounted crossbow turrets, hall patrolling monitors and other things we could use to strengthen the fortress.” He stated as he looked to the blue stallion.

        Strife seemed to be dumbfounded, as if a massive amount of pressure had been shifted into his shoulders. He looked to Axton and gave a weak smile,“Umm.. I don’t know if I can do it.”

        I looked to Night Strife and gave him a small nod,“Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to learn engineering. In fact, you’ll have about seven months to learn, that’s when the fort should be built and filled with newly trained fellow guardians. While Axton is teaching you all this, I’ll be training all the new recruits Pyro and Intell gather up.” He seemed to ease at my words and gave a slow exhale of relief. After a moment of contemplation, Strife looked to me in confusion.

        “If we’re doing all this, then what’s Terra doing? Is he just going to patrol like normal?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

        I leant forward and rested on the table,“Actually, Terra’s had his hands full for some time now. He’s been stationed up in his house in the mountains, smithing. He’s been practicing up, trying to master the notes Firefist had made on the old guardian armor sets. I’ve heard word from him from time to time on the progress he’s made and from what he’s told me, those suits should be complete and mastered within about a month. Then you and the others should have guardian armor sets of your own.” I leant back on the seat and ran my hands over my face in exhaustion,“And I have to train all the newcomers. Why is it you all get the fun jobs?”

        Night Strife opened his eyes wide open and shot towards me in excitement,“Hey! I could trade jobs with you! It’d be easy!”

        “You’re willing to train... I don’t know.. fifty or more new guardian recruits at a time? Sure, then be my guest.” I held out my hand towards him to shake on our agreement.

        He slowly slide back down onto his chair. “On second thought, maybe I’d be better with engineering.” He gave off a few uncomfortable laughs and returned to his pile of metal. I pulled my hand back and pulled the chair back as I stood to my feet.

        “Well, I’m sorry that I have to cut this short but pack your bags. We’re going to Canterlot.”

        Axton turned to me and gave me a confused look,“Is this about tha’ mission? If it is, I’m not sure why you’re bringing us along.”

        I looked to the stallion and smiled,“Well, companies always welcome, and I have a feeling this one might be a little too dangerous to for me to handle alone. Thanks to some useful advice from Pyro, I’ve decided to bring you all with me to watch my back as I watch yours.”

        “Ah, well if you say so, who am I to reject. Alright, give me and Strife a moment to pack and we’ll be ready to head out.” And with a quick nod from the two, they turned around and went to pack some essentials. After a few minutes, Axton and Strife returned with their packs. We left the comforts of the shop and strode towards the edge of the city, towards the the city of Baltimare. 

As we traveled through the seemingly endless green hills and watched as it split into orange dirted ground, Axton turned to me and asked why we were heading in such a direction, I told the stallion that it was where Pyro and Intell last sent word of a new recruit, though the recruit would stay behind. 

        After some time spent walking, probably for the entire party due to them mainly being earth ponies, and the fact that my wings were currently out of commission at the moment, we all arrived on the outskirts of the city. The day was only half over as the sun hung overtop of all of us, peering down on us. As we began to near the town, sounds of drunken slurs could be heard from every which direction. “Only twelve o’clock and ponies are already drunk. Didn’t you say that they found a recruit here? I can see how that’s gonna pan out.” Night Strife said as he rolled his eyes with a small sigh.

        I looked to Strife and exclaimed,“Well, with Pyro and Intell in town, I believe they have good reason.” I gave off slight chuckles and I turned to Axton and he held a look of disgust as he thought to himself.

        “What if Pyro’s tried to cook for them?” I watched as Axton shook in his spot from top to bottom, cringing at the thought.

        “Ah come on, It’s not that bad.” I told the two, then Strife looked to me with a smirk.

        “Coming from the guy with no taste buds, sure.” He gave off a small laugh and pointed towards the nearby parlor, the main source of the constant noise. “I guess we could start searching for them in there. Who wants to make a twenty bit bet? I say that they’re both drunk off their flanks.”

        We pushed through the swinging doors into the bar and found many ponies singing and dancing, and other things expected by western ponies. I gazed through the hordes of stallions and mares and finally spotted our two friends sitting in a booth. I lead us through the crowd and sat us down beside them in the booth, I looked to Pyro and Intell and made not that they were completely sober. I turned to Strife and he tossed me a small pouch of bits.

        “What’s that?” Pyro asked me as he raised an eyebrow in interest.

        I looked back to the fiery maned stallion and said,“Ah, nothing. Anyways. How’ve you to been?”

        Intell spoke up,“Well I’ve been good. Thought the blasted heat from this place is starting to get to me. I honestly can’t wait to get out of this place and go to the next city.”

        Pyro turned to the metallic stallion and said,“I like it here actually, but then again, we do have a job to do.” He swung his head back to me and took a drink of his beer,“So, what brings you three here?” 

        “To give you the newest location of your next stop.”

        “And where would that be?”

        I gave a small smile,“Canterlot. Once you’re both ready, we’re heading there with a new mission. I thought I should bring you all along with me, for safety measures. With that known, I kind of want to know a bit about the new recruit, is he here?” I asked.

        “Yeah, he is.” Pyro stood up and called out over to the far end of the bar,“Hey Blue, get over here!” He sat back down and turned back to me,“You’ll like him, he’s a good guy, a bit talkative but other than that, a fairly good pony. Though there’s something you should know about him, he..” the fiery stallion trailed off as a deep blue maned pegasus stallion cut through the crowd and sat down at the booth. “Ah well, Darkmoon, meet your newest recruit, Skyler Blue.”

        I held out my hand and it was immediately grasped by the cobalt coated stallion,“It’s an honor sir! I’ll try my hardest, I swear!”

        Pyro whispered into my ear, as to not offend the stallion,“He’s just a bit too friendly...”

        I turned away from Pyro and faced Skyler,“Well recruit, I’m Darkmoon’s Crescent. Leader of the Guardians. You know where to meet with all the others right?” I asked him and he nodded. “Ok, when you get there, tell the others that training will have to wait till I get back from my mission. Bunk down for a few nights at the site and I’ll get back as soon as I can, do you understand?”

        “Yes sir.”

        “Alright, It was nice meeting you Blue, but we need to get heading on our way before the sun starts to set.” I shook hands with the stallion and stood from my seat and signalled for the others to follow me. “One last guardian to grab, then our next adventure starts.”

        It’s been almost too long since I’ve seen everyone together like this, and I can honestly say that I’ve missed it. Brothers till the end, the bitter end.

> Terrafying.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        It took time but after traveling many miles, we finally arrived at the foot of the mountains that housed the dragon known as Terra. Something felt wrong while we stood at the base of the towering mountains, for a cold and unforgiving wind cut through our clothes and sent chills up our spines. As the chill shook my body in place, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I had a feeling something was amiss.

        Through chattering teeth, Pyro spoke,“Scre..screw cold... It’s summer damn it!”

        “I know, this is.. this is interesting.” Strife stated as he eyed the cold and lonely mountain. I was the first to make step on the slope, beginning to climb to its peak in search of our friend. We were nearly halfway up the mountain when we hit an utter stop. We were stuck at a tall smooth wall. The wall seemed to have been carved out of the mountain, blocking entrance from all sides. Through that was how Terra wanted it. To seal his house away from adventuring and curious ponies. The wall usually held a hidden lift that would slide those who knew about it up the wall and over, taking them closer to the shelter. But we searched everywhere and couldn’t seem to find it. 

“Do any of you see the blasted thing?” Called Axton.

All the others called back was a simple,“Nope.” They all stopped their searching and gazed to me. Strife called out,“You’re gonna have to go on without us for the time being, Intell and I’ll babysit Axton while you’re gone. Strength in numbers, you know? You’ll be fine by yourself, right?” He gave a small gaze around. “Also, tell Terra the left is gone...I think it might have been stolen.” He said as he continued to look around.

“Eh? I’m no foul, babysit ya’ selves.” Axton sneered, earning a few laughs from everyone.

I gave a stretch and spread my wings. I gave them a few test flaps and they seemed fine. So I pushed off the ground and flew up over the wall and landed smoothly. I continued walking down the path, searching for both the lift and the drake. I crossed through trees, rocks and piles of leaves searching for Terra as the sun hung overtop me. The woods gave off an essence that felt very sinister, maybe it was just the trees playing tricks on me, maybe it was the very thoughts that ran through my head, or maybe.. maybe it was just the feeling of being utterly and completely alone. Alone for the first time in months, I always seemed to have someone with me but to be completely alone once more? It all seemed so different, so alien, so... threatening. The quiet was sharper than the finest of steel and the feeling of loneliness was constantly looming over me like a creeping shadow, waiting to snatch me off into the distance.

But that’s where a light ‘Ting’ could be heard within the dense conclosement of the echoing woods. It reminded me of who I was looking for, and ridding me of this aching feeling. As I cut through the woods, passing trees faster and faster as the ‘Tings’ got louder and louder. As I neared, I felt my heart beginning to race. It thrusted and pulsated within my chest, screaming to be around another, smiling to finally be near someone that could talk. The sounds of my heart pounded against my ears as I could finally seen the lone silhouette of Terra’s house within the distance of the forest. But as I neared it, the sound of crashing metal rung throughout the air, lingering with a malicent intent. To a normal person, it would just be the sound of a blacksmith hard at work, but the sounds that emanated within these woods could even bring tears to the eyes of the happiest of ponies from sheer terror.

Another step closer, another loud wet crack from the anvil. Another shaky breath, another chill up my spine. I finally reached the house, and I listened as the metal crashed against metal from the forge built on top of the roof of the building, under the open skies. Something within me whispered to turn around and leave, but I needed to press on. If I were to disturb Terra as he toiled away on the forge, maybe I could end the menacing clanking. I spread my wings one last time and slowly flew up to the roof. I landed onto the balcony and found the drake exactly where I thought he’d be, on the forge with a large hammer within one hand and a flaming sheet of metal within the other. He placed the scorching metal onto the anvil and raised the hammer into the air. With a mighty and fierce swing, he brought the hammer crashing down and that eerie sound echoed once again. Again, he raised the hammer and smashed it down on the charred sheet of metal, sending my nerves on edge.

“Terra!” I called out, but he didn’t respond. He just continued working, trying to shape the metal the way he wanted it, the way he needed it. He would let out an irritated grunt as the metal refused to bend to the will that he wanted. “Terra!” I called again, but as before, I didn’t get a response. I slowly began my approach, if he wasn’t going to respond to me verbally, I would make him look at me. As the hammer crashed down on the metal, I grabbed hold of his shoulder, turning him to face me. Though I wished I hadn’t. His face was dark, but mainly around his eyes. He looked extremely tired and glared at me for interrupting his work. His glare was cold, and if he were not a friend, I would have drawn my sword in precaution.

        “What do you want?” His voice was low and groggy,“I’m trying to work, but I can’t work if you’re interrupting me, so speak up and say what it is you want or begone.” He tightened his fist around the grip of the hammer.

        “I’m here to collect you dear friend, but it seems that I should leave you to rest. But the only way that’s gonna happen is if I pull you away from the forge. Come with me. Let’s get away from here.”

        He began to sneer,“I’m trying to work... I only have seven months to master how to make these armor sets, I’m not going Anywhere.” As he gazed at me, his eyes began to narrow in anger. “I’ve come too far, and worked too hard to just be hauled away at your beck and call. Leave..” he trailed off as he let out a long exhale, coated in flames. “Or I’ll make you.”

        “Terr..” I was cut off as he swung the mighty hammer. It flung me through the air and launched me far passed the ledge of the roof. I continued spiralling, back the way I came. As I flew through the air, I could hear the sounds of roaring coming from the drake. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the inevitable crash to come. I began to lose momentum and quickly came crashing down to the ground. I smashed through numerous trees, each crash slowing me down and getting louder and heavier with each stop. I could have saved myself from much pain, but the heat of the moment left my mind blank and I had forgotten completely about my wings. I eventually came to a slow roll and thought it was over, but luck was not to on my side. 

I was on the edge of the carved wall, and unfortunately, my rolling wasn’t over. I nearly fell off the edge, but I caught myself as I plummeted towards the ground below. I hung to the edge of the wall with one hand. I slowly managed to grab hold of the edge with my other but then footsteps could be heard. With each footstep, I could feel my heart pulsating once more. I tried to pull myself up, but a foot placed itself on top of my hand. I let out a grunt of pain as he twisted his foot atop. I lost hold and the hand he stepped on let go. Left with just my right hand hanging above the ground, I looked up. Terra, he stood there eyeing me. “What are you...” I couldn’t finish as he knelt down and took hold of my neck, lifting me into the air within his mighty grip.

        “I’m not your slave, you can not tell me what to do. I am my own, as you are yours. While I stand on two feet, you fall crashing onto yours.” He said it was a sinister smile and his grip loosened up, I fell. Crashing down towards the ground below. As I hit the ground, my vision became dark and blurred. The only things I could see were the dark silhouettes of the four with me before. Axton, Strife, Pyro and Intell. They surrounded me and asked if I were ok. But my attention wasn’t set on them, not even the pain from being launched this far. My attention was focused on the raging dragon standing on the side of the wall. Waiting.

        “Dark!” Everyone called as they swarmed around me. I continued to watch the dragon, everything was pain, my head, my body, and my emotions. Though I knew what to do. I slowly pulled myself to my feet and everyone gazed up at the spectacle before us. The towering, mighty and hardest of soldiers within our guild was now our greatest opponent.

        Pain was all we knew, and from pain, we found friendship. Friendship needed to be saved, but the only way to save that friendship... was pain.

> Tired, but Refreshed.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The impact of smashing against the hard ground shot throughout my back, the painful sensation sent my adrenaline gauge rocketing. I watched as the towering drake stepped off the wall and collided with the ground with a massive shockwave, still standing on two feet with the smithing hammer clenched tightly within his mighty grip.

As the smoke cleared, Terra began his approach on us. Each step pounded against the soft dirt and hard stone, each step sending your hairs on edge. We were now pitted against the brute within our group, and I had no intention of ending our partnership there. Terra leapt into the air and tried to slam his foot down onto my chest, but I managed to roll out of harms way just in the nick of time, but I was caught off guard as he swung his blunt weapon and managed to strike my shoulder as I tried to pull myself off the ground. I was launched from the ground and sent flying into a nearby tree. As my body connected to the trunk, the once tall standing tree was reduced to a shattered mess much like the others that I had collided with.

Everyone called out to me, asking what they should do. I expected this, what does one do when the enemy is one of your closest friends? I slowly pulled my aching body off the ground and watched as Terra constantly strode his way towards me, the face he held was malicious and frightening. “Take him down, but don’t kill him.” I shouted to everyone. Terra didn’t seem to hear my words within his blind rage. I readied myself, though I kept my weapons sheathed. I waited and waited, watching the drake creep his way through the dense forest towards me.

He was only a few steps away when Axton and Strife leapt down from the trees, attempting to pounce the drake and drag him down to the ground. Their plan failed as he swiped them away like flies. Within one fluid motion, he jerked back his hand and slammed it against my chest. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs and shot me back. As I gasped for air, Terra took hold of my collar and lifted me into the air, holding me in place. He gazed me in the eyes and narrowed his vision, as if in disgust.

“How is it I’m supposed to follow someone that can’t even fend for himself, you’re pitiful and weak. Mortal, and useless. The role of guardian should have fell on someone strong, not weak like you.” He tossed me back towards the wall. I rolled a couple times before coming to a stop a few inches from the carven mountain wall. I laid there, gasping for air and reeling in pain.

Pyro and Intell jumped in and tried to hold the large dragon back, just enough as to let me get my bearings. Intell toned down his laser cannons into a less harmful setting, to a pony, it would have left burn marks, but since dragons have strong and sturdy scales, it would merely sting. He fired them into the drakes chest relentlessly, though it didn’t seem to slow him down, barely affecting him at all. Pyro jumped in and took Intell by the hand. While Intell faced Terra, he bent backwards as Pyro slowly eased back his metallic arm, using it as a catapult.

The fiery maned stallion cried out as he was launched towards the large drake,“Freedom!” As he flew through the air, he pulled his arm back and clenched his fist. Just as approached Terra, he shot his fist forward, making contact with his cheek. Just as flesh met scale, a powerful smack could be heard echoing within the forest. Pyro landed on the ground, panting and grasping his hand in pain, he gazed back to Terra. His head was slightly turned and a look of irritation roasted over his face as his eyes fixated on Pyro. With a laugh and a small grunt of pain, Pyro said,“So worth it.”

“I’ve no quarrel with you weakling, stand aside.” Terra turned his attention back to me and gave a bone chilling grin. “Alright, now. Where were we?”

“And let you continue messing with Dark?” Pyro stated as he slowly edged himself off the ground, holding his wrist within his hand from the pain. “Sorry man, not happening.” Just as he finished speaking, Axton, Strife, and Intell took their spots beside him. I could have sworn I had seen something, some kind of glow emanating from around them, but then again, I might have knocked something around inside my head from being tossed around like that. “So stand down, we don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me? You can barely harm me with those soft mushy hands of yours.” Terra took his claws and ran them down his left shoulder, drawing a bit of blood. The scarlet liquid covered his dark talons and he licked it off with his tongue. “Come on then, I’ll give you a few tries before I take a shot.”

Each one of them looked to the other and smiled,“On four.” Axton spoke up.

“One.” Intell said.

Strife grinned,“Two.”

Pyro let a crazed smile cover his face,“Three.”

Within a moments notice, Terra was knocked out cold as a thick tree branch connected with the back of his head. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. A branch fell to the ground and bounced. As Terra hit the ground with a loud and worrying thud, I spoke up,“Four.”

Everyone looked to me with wide grins, but Intell was the first to speak up,“I thought you said ‘Don’t hurt him’, breaking your own rules now?” He said with a lopsided grin.

“I said don’t kill him, he’s a dragon after all. His scales are thicker than the armor he makes. I thought you all would at least try to defend yourselves with something.”

“Coming from the guy taking all the hits.” Strife gave a light laugh as he shook his head.

I gave my shoulder a few rubs,“Yeah, but something like this should have been dealt with sooner.”

“At the count on three?” Pyro asked with a raised eyebrow.

“There shouldn’t have even been a count, as soon as an enemy surfaces, it should be dealt with on the spot. After we get back from the mission, I’m having each and everyone of you training with the recruits.”

“Sweet! We’re training the rook’s!” Cried Axton, but his and his friends happy faces were quickly turned into frowns and irritated grunts.

“That’s not what I said, I said all of you will be training with the new recruits. Not training them. Now, each of you grab a leg, arm, or neck. It’s a long way down to Ponyville, and this sleeping dragon’s not just going to lay here.” I took hold of Terra’s arm and slowly struggled to wrap his arm around my shoulder, holding him up. I looked to the others and they followed in step. Axton grabbed Terra’s other arm, Strife stood underneath the drake, holding him up slightly. His knees began to shake and he soon felt down. I sighed and turned to Strife,“Trade me places.” Within an instant, our spots switched. Intell held onto Terra’s left leg, while Pyro struggled with the other.

“Having a bit of trouble I see?” Intell said with a small laugh.

“Oh yeah, its easy to say that using both hands. I’ve gone and sprained my wrist, so shut it.” Pyro winced a bit as his wrist knocked against the sleeping drake.

From underneath Terra, I looked back and heard their argument. I gave a small smile and said aloud,“Intell!”

“Yes?” He asked.

“Since you’re so busy talking, you can take hold of both legs, Pyro, you have tail duty.”

Intell shot out and sighed,“What? Come on! I can’t do that by myself! Sure, most of my body is mechanically enhanced but the dead weight of a sleeping dragon? That’s just unfair!”

Pyro called out,“Well, maybe next time you’ll learn to quite boasting, you know Dark hates that.”

I called out so that everyone around could hear,“Alright ladies, it’s a ten mile trudge back to Ponyville and I don’t want to be walking in the dark, pick up the pace and let’s get moving.”

Time flew and we soon arrived in Ponyville’s general hospital, Nurse Redheart was the first to attend to the sleeping dragon. We all sat in the room watching over Terra as he slept within the hospital bed, we were all exhausted from the long trudge through the forest, the fields and then through the streets of Ponyville. We did get some help from Archimedes though, he’s been staying in my house for the past while and luckily we managed to pass by and grab his attention. We sat and waited, exhausted and weary. The nurse walked in and gave Terra a quick look over.

“His vitals seem fine, but after some tests, we’ve found that he hasn’t slept in some time. Normally, dragons can stay up for quite awhile but he’s only a drake after all. He needs his sleep, and somethings been keeping him awake. Would any of you happen to know what it could have been?” She asked curiously.

I stood from being seated on the floor in the corner of the room and strode over to his bedside. I gave him a light pat on the shoulder and smiled,“The kids a hard worker, and his work has been the thing keeping him up. He’s been trying to master a different kind of metalwork on the forge for some time, and the kid is as stubborn as a rock.” I turned my attention away from Terra and set it on Redheart. “You could also say that it’s my fault. I’ve been pushing him.. hell...” I looked away and looked to everyone,“I’ve worked everyone here to the bone, trying to make this guild work. Wouldn’t you all say?” I asked everyone.

“Noo...” Axton said as he nervously rubbed his arm.

“Not even close!” Strife smiled with a worrying laugh.

“Work is all i do, especially for you Dark!” Intell smiled as he looked side to side, as if expecting something to happen. 

“Yeah, I could use a break every now and then. We all could.” Pyro stated nonchalantly, earning a elbow nudge from Intell. “What?”

“Yeah, I could use a bit more breaks, brother.” Archimedes smiled. I looked to Arch with a lopsided smile.

“You get nothing but breaks.” I gave a small chuckle at his idiocy. 

“I know, I just felt like talking.”

I turned back to the nurse and gazed down to Terra. “He’s not a bad guy, just stubborn is all. Just... just like me.”

A few hours passed and the night had set across the sky, changing the clear blue skies coated in white cotton candy clouds into a beautiful navy blue with small gleams of stars glittering across its surface. We all thought it best as to not separate with the group, or member. Terra slept in the bed, Axton and Strife in the chairs, Intell slept in the corner opposite to mine and Pyro tried snaking his way onto the bed, but eventually fell asleep on the drake’s large chest. Arch slept on the floor calmly breathing in and out, giving off light snores and then there was me. 

I laid there, in a state of unconsciousness but still awake. I couldn’t find it in myself to sleep. The ever looming thoughts of me overworking my comrades, and what had happened because of it. I felt an inner resentment. I hated myself for what I had done to Terra, what I’ve put everyone through, all because I was too selfish. Had I spent more time working with them, instead of with my family, things might have been different. Then again, it’d be the same thing with my family. Chrysalis, if I spent less time with her, there isn’t a relationship to be had, and Moon. Dearest Moon. It’s felt like forever since I’ve seen that small adorable mare. I missed them, I missed my family. My loved ones. I also missed those I had tried to set aside, Nicky and Jess.  My first family. It felt like my insides were churning and twisting at my thoughts but they were interrupted by an unexpected intruder.

“Hey, mind if I sit here?” Asked Terra.

I had my hood over my head, shrouding my face from view of the drakes vision, that and my watering eyes. I cleared my throat before I spoke as to strengthen my voice and make it sound normal,“Yeah, sure.” I looked up at Terra and asked,“Shouldn’t you be on the bed?”

“Well...” He looked up to the bed, as did I and we both found three tired bodies sleeping on top. Axton, Pyro, and Strife. All flailed around taking up the rather large, dragon fitting bed. It was large enough to house four or more ponies. I turned back to Terra and he whispered,“The bastards jacked my bed. I could easily kick them off, but I guess they can use it.” He sat down and rested himself against the wall. “Ah.. that’s comfy. So, what are you still doing up Dark?” He asked as he gave me a worried look.

“Just been thinking, about everything.”

“Just don’t stress yourself about it, and just relax. I’ve learned my lesson, and I guess it’s your turn.” Terra said as he began to rest his eyes and slowly drift into the dream realm. “Night..” He trailed off as he gave a loud yawn. “..Dark.”

As he fell asleep, I took his advice into consideration, to just relax and not stress about every little thing. I made myself a promise, and that was that after the mission was over, I’d take some time off, and spend my time with all those that I loved, who cared for me, and most of all, all those that loved me. 

Rest for now, but then problems have only begun. Would I be able to handle it? Only time would tell.

> Just How Lucky?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We awoke as the light penetrated the shades of the patient room, stinging the eyes of everyone inside. As the rays set themselves against my eyelids, I lightly brushed my hand across both my face as I wiped the sleep away. I took a deep breath which was soon followed a large yawn as I lifted myself to my feet. I took a quick stretch and looked to the others.

Terra, still slouched against the wall in undisturbed slumber. Pyro laid flat against the bed as Strife and Axton hung over the side carelessly. Archimedes somehow worked his way underneath the bed and hid himself away from the glowing window’s sunlight. Intell, he seemed to be the oddest out of the group. He still stood there, in the corner opposite mine, locking himself in place as he stood like an emotionless statue. The sight sent a slight chill down my spine, but it must have been a requirement to sleep the way he did, seeing as most of his flesh and bone were replaced by machine.

I took my focus off the mechanical stallion and loudly clapped my hands together, signalling for everyone to wake. “Alright, get up. We have things to do, and I’d like to get them done relatively soon. So get up and let’s head out.” I called aloud to the group. Most, if not all, replied with groans and irritated grunts as they tried to bury their faces beneath their arms in an attempt to return to their once peaceful slumber. I thought for a moment, but soon returned with a smile. I strode over to the door and opened it wide. “Whoever isn’t up and out of this door in the next ten seconds is cleaning the fortress bathroom stalls for the first six months.” Almost instantaneously, everyone jumped to their feet and bolted out the door.

“Yes sir!” cried everyone as they exited the door with tired eyes and dried drool stained across their cheeks, bolting down the hallways and making their way towards the hospital exit.

I slowly and quietly closed the door behind myself and strode confidently down the hall. A smirk plastered across my face the entire way. I was soon accompanied by the hospital nurse known as Redheart. She walked beside me as I made my way towards the exit.

“What was all that noise for? Is something wrong?” She asked with a hint of worry. I turned to her and waved off her concern.

“Don’t worry, and I’m sorry if we’ve woken up any of the other patients here. Thank you for you help Nurse Redheart.” I told her with a warm smile.

“Well, I didn’t really do anything other than run a few tests and lend your friends a room for the night. But, if you really feel the need to thank me, you’re most welcome. Remember to pop in if you or your friends get hurt during your travels.”

“We will, or Pyro will at least.” I thought back to the time when he had managed to get his lower half frozen tangling with the frost demons up north. “Farewell for now.” I turned to the exit and strode out the front doors. I was blinded by the bright light of the sun, so I pulled my hood up to rid me of this pain. I shortly found everyone in the process of working their gear around and making them fit for travel. “Well men, let’s make our way to the train station. We’ll be heading up to Canterlot Castle to go over the mission details with Celest and Luna. Hopefully this mission is a quick one, then again, she’s asked for me to get involved as well... so that makes me think otherwise.” I watched as they finished strapping their packs on and readying themselves. “Alright, let’s head out.”

I walked in the middle of the group, as Archimedes lead us towards the train station. The walk was silent and quiet, mainly due to everyone being soundly asleep within their houses. As expected, the stalls were closed so that meant breakfast would have to wait for the time being. I returned focus on the walk and we shortly found ourselves on the outskirts of the town, nearing ever so closer to the train station. “So, what do you guys think the mission is about?” Asked Pyro curiously. Pretty soon everyone began throwing their own thoughts on the idea.

“Maybe someone’s been kidnapped and they’re so important, she needs the help of us.” Axton called out.

“Nah, I think that she needs us to go and clear out some dangerous bandits from the badlands!” Pyro replied.

“Maybe the dragons of the badlands have begun to prepare for war because of the new law about the great dragon migration. I’d be pretty miffed myself if my carefree flight was suddenly changed due to some new law claiming that’d I have to fly around a certain area before I could return to my original flight plan. I’m just saying.” Strife exclaimed. He got a few dirty looks from Terra as we paraded down the street. “What?”

“Maybe, it has something to do with the royal family in general. I’ve heard that some of the royal guard have been sneaking supplies out of the castle, so maybe we’re going there to straighten them out?” Terra suggested. It was a reasonable suggestion, but highly unlikely.

“I think that We’ll be sent somewhere far away and somewhere wet. All because I forgot to bring some things I should always carry.” Intell gave off a few irritated groans and slouched over in agony.

“Maybe, just maybe, hear me out. Maybe the royal family thinks that we’re working too hard and need to take some time off. I bet they’ve hired flight carriages to fly us over to Los Pegas, letting us blow off some steam with unrestricted gambling, vacations on the beach, with martinis in hand and pretty ladies everywhere.” Archimedes gave off a hopeful sigh, earning a few nods and smiles from the others.

“That’d be a dream. I like your idea better.” Pyro stated quickly after Arch.

I popped in and spoke,“Whatever it is, we’re soon to find out. We’re here.” I pointed towards the train station and we all began our approach to the ticket stall. I was thankful that the train ran at all hours, as the stall keeper stood inside.

“Hi, how may I help you all today?” Asked the mare.

“I am Darkmoon, and these are my companions. We need to go to the castle, can we get a few tickets up there?” I asked. I didn’t need to worry about paying, for being the guardian, some privileges come with the title. She quickly handed over seven train tickets and gave a smile and a nod.

“There you go, have a good day Dark and company!” We turned away and headed towards the train cart doors. I handed over the tickets and he quickly signalled us to enter. We got our own private cart and we all sat around and waited for the train to begin its way towards Canterlot.

“I don’t like that mare, she seems a bit mean.” Pyro stated in an irritated tone.

“How do you figure that?” Asked Terra.

“Who says “and company”? I have a name for her information.” Pyro scoffed. He lightly tapped the back of his head against the window, trying to pass the time as we waited on the train.

Axton spoke up,“Well, it’s not like Dark gave the shiela our names.”

“That’s true, but still. It’s just the thought.” He turned and laid his head against the seat, attempting to rest before our adventure actually began. I figured it was a fairly good idea and suggested that everyone got some sleep as well. As everyone drifted back into the depths of sleep, I sat there alone with my thoughts. I had already gotten enough sleep in the hospital, so I just sat there. Waiting for the train to begin its course. Thankfully within the next few minutes, the train conductor shouted out for everyone with a ticket to board or they’d be left behind. As I peered through the window while I leant against it, I saw rows of ponies gathered around the entrance, handing over their tickets over to the train conductor. Once everyone had boarded, only the few odd stray pony would quickly rush up and hand him their ticket to enter.

I listened as the trains engine begun to chug, pushing the train forwards on the track. The station soon began to fade into the distance as we begun to round the mountain. As the train chugged along, it was being lead towards a tunnel that passed through the mountains, the room begun to darken is the train passed through. The cart soon faded completely black and I begun thinking of our task,‘Why did Celest deem it so important that she’d need me to retrieve it? or how dangerous is this task? What if something were to happen to my brothers?’ I thought silently to myself, the questions plagued my mind and would not cease their torment. I couldn’t imagine if something were to happen to them, we were a family. A strange one, but a family that I couldn’t imagine any other way.

I thought that my thoughts were my own, but I was proven wrong as a voice whispered to me inside my mind. ‘Brother, do not stress yourself with such questions. You’ll only cause unneeded pressure on both yourself and everyone around you.’ I looked around the cart, but due to the darkness, I couldn’t make out my hand in front of my face. ‘Does this confuse you? I’m always with you, though you can never truly see me. But, given time and a watchful eye, you’ll eventually find me.’ As he finished his sentence, light filled the cart as the train exited the tunnel. We rolled across the tracks up the mountain. Trekking closer and closer to our destination.

‘Where are you Shadow? I haven’t seen you in some time, I’d like to see you.’ I gazed around the room but found only my traveling companions, all sleeping soundly.

‘Gaze out the window, you’ll see me.’ He whispered back. I followed his instructions and looked out the window. All I found was the overlook of a breezy wheat field and the rising sun. I squinted my eyes as the sun stung my eyes with its bright rays. The train slowly begun to turn and round the mountain once again. As I watched the sun creep away from the windows center and edge to the side, I began to realize as to where Shadow was hiding. ‘Hello Dark, it’s been awhile dear brother. How are you?’ Asked my equestrian counterpart.

I gazed at the reflection within the window, seeing as it wasn’t my own reflection I saw staring back at me. Shadow looked to me with a wide grin as he spoke telepathically,‘Hello brother. It’s been sometime since we’ve spoken face to face.’

‘This is nice, I’d like to be able to see you more often, but sleep is our only chance anymore, though you and Luna are always distracted with other souls. Leading them through their dreams with ease.’ I exclaimed.

‘I’m sorry brother, but we do this as to protect them. You’re a strong willed person, and you can easily understand as to what is reality and what is not. It’s mine and Luna’s responsibility to protect ponies from their nightmares and illusions of the mind.’ Shadow explained. He turned his gaze from me and looked to the others sleeping in the cart. ‘So, is this about the mission?’ He asked.

I looked to him as he returned his gaze on me,‘Yes, would you happen to have any idea as to what the mission is about? I’d rather have some understanding as to what we’re supposed to do instead of walking in blind.’

‘That, dear brother, is something I myself do not know. I may be a little more knowledgeable than most, with me being so close to Luna, but this mission hasn’t even reached my ears. I’m having a feeling that if it is this quiet, it must be something that Celestia and Luna wish to hide as to not have ponies cowering within their homes in fear.’

‘You have a point. I’m just hoping this adventure is over soon, I wish to return home.’ I told Shadow. With that said, his eyes widened for a moment and he fixed his attention back on me.

‘Speaking of which, how’s Chrys coming along? Any news about the two expected?’ His word choice sent me into a wave of confusion.

‘What do you mean ‘the two expected’? There’s only the one..”

‘That’s not what I’ve seen. During the process of ‘creation’, while the unborn is within the womb, they are in a constant dream state. While you and Chrysalis wait for your expected, I’ve already met with the two inside. I can not speak to them, but I have sensed that there is to be more than just one.’ He looked to me with a large grin and began to laugh. ‘You are going to be one interesting case soon enough. You thought that sleep was rare before...’ He let out a few more chuckles. ‘Father to be and expected guild master. You’re going to have plenty on your plate soon enough.’

‘I know, but I can handle it. I know I can.’ I told Shadow, thought to be completely honest, I wasn’t all too sure.

‘Very well.’ He gave a warm smile and we both sat there in the cart, mindlessly chatting about anything. Something interesting that was brought up was the soon to be wedding between him and Luna. It would be a nice formal wedding, though it wouldn’t happen for some time. Since Shadow can only remain in his true form within the dream realm, they both decided to have it during the night while everyone slept. As ponies and others drifted off into sleep, they would appear near the wedding ceremony. Of course, they would be told by the royal family that such an event were to happen beforehand. Shadow needed to leave after his visit, or at least my line of sight and faded away as I watched my reflection return to my own.

“We’ll be stopping in the next ten minutes at the Casterlot train station. We’d like to take this time to thank you for riding the Ponyville express, and have a good day mares and gentlecolts.” Called the intercom in the cart, awakening the others that slept within. I looked to the others, they all looked well rested and generally happy as they rearranged their belongings.

“Whoa, I needed that.” Strife said through a yawn and giving a long stretch.

“Same here.” Called Pyro. He stood from his seat and reached into his pocket, retrieving a small lighter. He flicked the flint, lighting the spark and just stared blankly at the flames for a moment or two. He didn’t break his attention away from the fire until Terra called out to him.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Well, I feel better with fire around. It calms me down, I guess. I’m not scared or anything, its just a nice feeling, you know?” Pyro exclaimed. Terra gave a quick nod and returned to reorganizing his gear as he rummaged through his pack on the floor of the cart.

“Well men, gather your things and let’s get ready. But once we arrive in Canterlot, I think we should get some food for both breakfast and the trip, I’m feeling a bit hungry myself.” Everyones eyes shot open as I mentioned the word ‘food’ and they all began thinking as to what they would eat as soon as we arrived in Canterlot, personally I wanted something I’d been without for a long time. And with Canterlot being a place of diversity, variety and things of interest, my chances of finding it were that much higher. But to go ahead with my plan, I’d need to break away from the group first.

Minutes turned to seconds as the train pulled into the Canterlot train station, allowing the encased creatures to exit. As my group and I exited the cart and stepped foot on the solid concrete platform, we instantly headed our way over to a nearby restaurant. We entered a small diner and found a table. My companions sat down and gazed at the menu, but I was left standing.

“What are you doin’? Sit down. We’re not gonna bite, not you at least.” Called Axton as he eyed one of the other customers plates of food. Licking his lips in anticipation.

“I’ve got something to do before we leave, so I’ll meet you all at the castle. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Why not eat first, and then we’ll all do this “thing” together. It could escalate into something bad, like usual and it’d be best if we were all together to watch each others backs.” Pyro looked to me with a weary eye, trying to decipher as to why I wanted to separate. I didn’t wish to lie to them, for you never lie to your family. I leant in and crowded everyone close. As everyone gathered around and I lowered my voice to not draw attention to myself, I spoke.

“I may be a horrible person, and you might begin to hate me for what I’m going to do, but I need to eat something.. that’s a bit red, and juicy.” My mouth begun to water at the thought of what was to come.

“Like a radish or somethin’? You’re not bein’ very clear about this Dark. What are ya looking for?” Axton asked with a bit of worry in his voice, holding a look of concern.

I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves, but I could only feel my breaths become more and more fast paced by the airload. I pulled away for just a moment, checking to see if anyone was able to hear me. Everyone in the store was busy in their food, removing a little tension that was raising within my gut. I turned back to the others and finally exclaimed my reason. I spoke softly,“I’m going to this shop in the poorer district, they have.. a type of food there I’ve been dying to get my hands on for some time. It’s been too long since I’ve felt the chewy texture of... that..” I clenched my fist, bidding down the sudden raise of my jitters.

“Of... what?” They asked in unison.

I held my eyes shut as I bit down on my lip. Once I finally opened my eyes, I looked to them with a slight twitch in my left. “I... need..” I took a few breaths before finishing. The adrenaline was rushing through my veins, I couldn’t stand it anymore. “I. Need. Meat.”

Everyone shot back in disgust, all except Terra. They let out sickened sounds as if they had just smelled something foul. Strife leant in and said,“Why would you want meat? That’s cannibalism!” He whispered as he spoke, as to not alert anyone within the store.

The drake spoke up, and thankfully for me, he understood what I was going through. “Guys, it’s ok. He’s only human, much like Senior and those before. They aren’t from our world, but something like this isn’t unheard of. Some dragons, most gryphons and all insects prefer the taste of others rather than grass and such. I don’t do it myself, but I understand what it’s like to give in to these urges.” He gave me a quick wave, sending me away. “Go on, but remember that we have things to do. I’d like to get this mission over and done with within a couple days or sooner.” I gave him an appreciative nod and took my leave.

As I pushed my way through the wooden doors of the shop, I stood upon the sidewalk. I turned towards my destination, heading down the walkway that lead me towards the poorer district. Time slowly passed, but as I began to near the district, my heart pounded within my chest as I found the entrance to the shop I had been searching for. It was far down at the very end of an ally. The flickering neon sign reading “Skiller’s Den” but one of the letters on the sign had faded and the light refused to shine, spelling out “killer’s Den”. In a sense, it was right, but to me, at that particular moment, I didn’t care.

I quickly paced towards the shop's front door. Heart still pounding within my chest, the sound was pulsating against my ears, I needed to get into that shop, weather it were open or not. I finally reached the end, standing in front of the door. I searched for a handle, but there wasn’t one to be found. Then the thought hit me. If this kind of food is here, maybe it’s not supposed to be. Maybe it was a secret club, so I knocked on the door. Within a moments notice, a small slit opened on the top of the door, revealing a pair of yellow, piercing bird eyes. “Password?” He asked.

I thought for a moment, I hadn’t thought there to be a password. But an idea popped into mind. A secret club for meat. “Carnivore.” I told the glaring eyes. I didn’t hear any words spoken, he just looked over me, as if expecting me to entertain him or something. After his inspection, the slit closed and the door creaked open. I pushed my way in and closed the door behind me. I looked around the room, searching the faces of everyone within the shop. Mainly gryphons and dragons, the odd carnivorous pony with either a sick fetish or a taste for other creatures. I looked to the counter and found a gryphon in a white blood stained apron.

“So, stranger. What’ll it be?” She asked while sharpening a knife.

I approached the counter and eyed her for a moment before speaking,“What do you got?”

“We serve almost everything. Lamb, cow, pig, chicken, almost every type out there with a few choice exceptions. So don’t go asking for pony, gryphon, dragon, changling, anything that can speak.”

I was confused for a moment,“Sheep and cows can speak, I’m pretty sure pigs can too.”

“Do you want meat or not? ‘Cause if you keep this up, you’ll be outta here faster than last months rent!” She pointed over towards the doorman and I turned to him. He was huge, in both weight, height, and muscle mass. I rested my hand against the hilt of my sword and gave him a little wave and a smile. I turned back to the shopkeep and she spoke as she eyed my gear. “Oh, so you’re that guardian fella everyone’s been talking about. I knew that you’d be one of us. Not many ponies around here enjoy the amazing taste of flesh. Well, except for Crawler here.” she said as she looked over to the odd pony.

I realized that I still had my hood up, and decided to let it down, letting them know they could trust me. “I’ll have a nice cooked steak.” Her eyes widened as she saw my race.

“A human! Well, I can say that I hadn't expected the likes of you to show up here. Seeing as how the old guardian Senior never came around. He was the only one I’ve actually came across, so I generally assumed that they were all herbivores...”

I slammed a pouch of bits down on the counter and shouted. I needed meat and I wasn’t about to stand around and wait for it. “I’d like some food please.” She looked to me with a bit of shock, but slowly eased back and sighed.

“I was hoping to at least get some talking in, but apparently someone needs their fix.” She went into the backroom, and as she opened the door, a rush of cold came spurting out as she shivered underneath her feathers.  The gryphon disappeared within the freezer for but a moment, but she returned with a platter of assorted, juicy, chewy slices of all kinds of meat. She placed the platter down on the counter and opened a hatch, placing everything but one fairly large steak inside the icebox. She closed the hatch and locked it shut just before she picked the plate off the counter and strode her way into the kitchen. I watched her begin preparing the steak as she warmed the stove top. She tossed a few herbs and spices on and tenderized it with a spiked wooden tenderizer. While she prepared my little misadventure, I attempted to create small talk, if she were up to it. Thankfully, she was.

“So, tell me a bit about yourself miss...” I trailed off, signalling it was her turn to speak.

While she pounded down on the steak, she spoke,“Well, the names Gilda, but most around here just call me Gil. I don’t see why though, Gilda’s already short enough, lazy I guess. I’ve been working here for some time, this place belonged to my dad but I never thought about working in a sleazy and shady kind of place like this, but then again, look at me now.”

“So what did you do before this place?” I asked with a hint of curiosity, she was actually a fairly interesting character. Gilda. The name was a little odd though.

“Well, let’s see..” She retreated to her thoughts for a moment, but shortly returned with a smile. “I was doing a bit of traveling. I was looking up all of my friends that I used to know in flight school. Basically everyone I knew wound up in either a major city or a small town. There was the odd exception with a few but if you knew them personally, you wouldn’t have expected it any other way.” 

She placed the tenderizer down and set the steak within a cast iron frying pan. Gilda laid it down on the elements and it slowly begun to sizzle. “But one of my friends that.. basically changed my life around.. was one of my closest friends. I was visiting Ponyville and I caught up with my old friend Rainbow Dash. During my visit, I found out that she’d made a few new friends. The entire time, I was mad at her friends. I don’t know why, but it felt like I was just being replaced. So, long story short, I was basically run out of town for my behavior but I understood why. After I left town, I spent time wandering, and with that, you’re left with your thoughts a lot. I thought about it, and I started to hate myself as well. I needed to apologize to Dash, and her friends. I did and almost all of them welcomed me back with open arms. I say almost because of what I did to Fluttershy, she took some time to win over. But that’s an entirely different story. After I made peace with them and myself, I wound up working here after my dad offered me a job. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but my dad told me it’d be just like a couple shops back in the gryphon kingdoms. Again, I interpreted that in numerous ways because, well,  it’s an entire kingdom. So choices as to what it actually was like, was very broad and ranged. I’ve eaten meat before, and it’s good and all but I’d rather have some hay fries or something.”

“So you started working here.” I gave a look around the store for a moment, noticing the cracked walls and dark surrounding spots throughout the shop. “Well.. it’s not all that bad, I guess.”

She gave off a few laughs,“It’s not the life I dreamed of. Being in this meat shop and all. I wanted to be out there, traveling, seeing the world and exploring the land.. but I can’t do anything about that. I miss the fresh air, but the scent of blood is all I smell day in, day out.” She shifted the steak around and flipped it over. “So. I’d like to make you a deal.”

“What would this deal entail?”

“I give you my loyalty and strength, you give me a job. A better job.” She looked to me with hopeful eyes. I had no intention in denying her offer, seeing as how the guardians numbers were few and rookies were by the cartload. We needed all the help we could muster and a new recruit is always welcomed.

“How goods your arm?” I asked. The answer didn’t matter, I just needed to see if she were cocky like Pyro, careless boasting can get someone killed and I didn’t want a walking target within the guild.

“Well, I’m good but I can always find room for improvement. I swear, if you get me out of this dead end job, I’m yours.” She smiled with a quick nod.

“Alright, if you can be at Mystic Mountain within the next few days and wait with the other recruits till my party returns from our mission, then your chances are that much higher.” I gave her a grin and she tackled me to the ground, showering me in hugs and constantly thanking me. “Um, Gilda. The steak.”

“Oh yeah!” She pulled herself away from me and ran up to the stove. She shifted the steak around and checked to see if it was cooked thoroughly. With a small nod, she took the pan in hand and slipped the steak onto a clean plate. “Here you go sir!”

I pulled myself off the ground and dusted myself off, the place could have used a good sweeping. I looked to her and accepted the plate as she held it out to me. “Thanks Gilda, but just call me Dark. No need for the whole “Sir” thing, well, not yet anyway.”

“Oh ok.”

I quickly finished off the succulent steak and laid a small pouch of bits in her hand. Upon opening it, she saw that I had left more than needed, but I told her that it was a tip. She gave me a quick hug and I exited the shop and left the dark alley. With my misadventure over, I could finally return to the task at hand, reaching the walls of the castle and meeting with the princesses and the others.

I strode through the streets, through the royal gates and up the walkway leading up to the castle’s front doors. I felt relaxed, calm and peaceful. It felt like nothing could go wrong. And thankfully, nothing did.

I entered the enormous throne room and I found my party resting to the side of the room and the two royals sitting in their respective thrones. I walked my way up the lacey red carpet and placed a clenched fist across my chest as I bowed. “Princesses.”

I pulled myself up and gazed upon the two sisters and smiled. “What can we do for you?” I asked.

Celestia stood from her throne, as did Luna. They slowly strode their way up to me and began to talk. “Darkmoon, it’s so good to see you. We hardly see you around here all that much, haven’t already forgotten about us have you?” The white coated alicorn asked as she gave a quick laugh.

“Of course not, Celest. I could never forget either of you.” I smiled back.

Luna stepped in,“Well, since you haven’t forgotten us, no need for introductions.” She smiled. “We have an important mission for you and your champions...”

I interrupted luna before she could finish, I looked back to the others and found my rag tag party. A blacksmith, a mechanic, a stargazer, a pyromaniac, and a machine. “Yes... champions.” I gave a small chuckle as I returned my focus on Luna. The sound of my laughter must have spread, as Luna too begun laughing. “Anyway, please continue.”

Once she calmed her giggles, she spoke,“We have a mission for you all. We have heard word of a stallion that has isolated himself within the Everfree in fear of something. The fear is of that of which he carries, a pure diamond orb that contains immense power. The Clover family treeline has always had their issues with magic. Terrible things have happened because of that magic. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad ponies, it’s just that they produce too much of it and after a while, magic leaks out and without the will of the user, it plays with others. Much like that plant in the Everfree forest, Poison Joke. The Clover family finally got their hands on this diamond orb six generations ago and since then, it’s been absorbing the excess magic. With the power of six generations within this orb, if in the wrong hands, it could be used as a weapon.”

“So, you want us to go into the Everfree and find this Clover, and take the orb?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes and no. We wish for you and your party to travel into the forest, find Mr. Lucky Clover and bring him this.” She stepped back towards her throne and retrieved a small but hand sized black and red stone. She quickly came back and handed the stone over to me. I stared at it for a moment, it was a shiny crystallized black stone with what appeared to be stained blood across its surface. “This is a bloodstone. In your world, they hold no powers, but here, they can house much power within the walls of the small rock. I wish for you to give Lucky this in trade for his diamond crystal. He has already made an agreement with us to hand over the orb, as long as he got a replacement. You’ll be meeting with him at the edge of the forest, near the zebra Zecora’s trail route. With the power of mine and my sisters magic combined, we’ve been able to enchant to the stone to dispose of excess magic that’s been stored within, as long as the holder is willing. So, you needn’t fear holding it.” She gave me a smile and walked herself back to her throne. I slipped the stone into my pack and was about to turn to Celest, but someone interrupted me.

‘That’s my wife for you.’ I heard Shadow say within my head. I gave him a mental kick and to my surprise the most unexpected happened. ‘What was that for?’ He asked as he gave irritable groans.

I thought back,‘In all honesty, I didn’t even expect it to work, but still, in front of the princesses. Just try to act civil.’

I turned to Celestia and she spoke,“Dark, once you and your friends return. I need to speak with you about something, though when that time comes, I’d rather it be just the company of us, so if it’s not too much to ask, I’d like you to come alone.” She gave me a quick hug, but stopped for a moment before releasing. I felt a little tense at the moment, and thoughts were running through my mind as to why she wouldn’t let go. But my questions received an answer as she spoke once more as she whispered into my ear,“Is that the smell of meat on your breath?” She gave a light chuckle. “You’re not so different from your father than you think. Quite the carnivorous one aren’t you?” she giggled and returned to her throne.

I gave a small cough and rubbed the back of my neck,“What can I say? It’s just me and my canines. They need a little work as well.” I gave her a smile then turned back to my companions and signalled for them to ready themselves. “Come on, gents. We have somewhere to be.”

In unison, they peeled themselves off either the ground or off the wall and called out,“Yes, sir!”

“Can you please stop with the “Sir” thing? I’m Dark! Not some uppity richmen.” I told the boys, though I wished I hadn’t. They all looked to each other with lopsided grins and looked to me.

“Yes sir.”

“I hate you guys.” I turned towards the exit and we exited the castle after parading through the halls as the others continuously teased me with ‘Yes, sir!’ and ‘Of course, sir!’, I’d get them sometime soon, I swore to myself that I would. As we exited the castle, I turned to the group and said,“So, if any of you need to get something before we leave, do it now. No pit stops on the way, so no complaining if you left your one of a kind lucky charm back at home, or anything.”

They all looked to one another and said in unison,“Nah, we’re good.”

“Right then, off to the Everfree.” We all turned tail and strode back towards the direction of the train station. The walking quickly ended after a few minutes passed as we had finally boarded the train, heading back to Ponyville. The engine chugged along as it pushed the train back down the mountain. I retreated to my thoughts for a moment as I remembered back to when I first arrived in Equestria. 

Back then, I remembered how when I walked from Ponyville to Canterlot that it felt so far away, but now it felt like a quick jog compared to the distance I traveled now. Nowadays I could be in the Badlands one day and in the crystal mountains the next. Travel, that’s all I seemed to do most of the time, but it was always filling me with an overwhelming sense of freedom and adventure. As I slunk out of my thoughts, I noticed that everyone had been chatting about seemingly random topics. I joined the conversations and we all sat in the cart, laughing and having a good time while we waited for the train to come to a halt.

The sun loomed overtop us as noon reached its peak. We exited the train as its doors opened, dodging through the hordes of ponies that were either entering or exiting the train. After we regrouped at the end of the platform, we all began our travels towards the Everfree at long last. I thought to myself about what I’d do after the mission was over, after we had retrieved the orb and brought it back to the princesses, I could return home and visit my family, or adventure to some far off land. We quickly passed through Ponyville and after receiving a few waves from a few friendly ponies, we were quickly stopped in our tracks as a familiar white coated, and violet maned mare gazed at me with irritated eyes. I felt a light tap on the shoulder as I set my eyes on the unmistakable miss Rarity. I turned my head and saw that Arch was the one tapping.

“We’re just going to be over here, and if she says anything about me, it’s either not true or she’s just out to make me look bad..” His words were spoken rather quickly, so I could tell that Rarity’s words were more than likely to be both complaints about Arch and that they’d all be true. I paced up to the white mare and she began yelling at me.

“I swear Darkmoon, I do not see how you can let such a humungous slob live within your home. I’ve been cleaning that house ever since I got there this morning! I know I’m here to help you make your house a home, but you’re never there, and unfortunately, Archimedes is. I’m here to help, but I’m not some maid. The catastrophic state I found the house in this morning was just an absolute disaster! I’m still in the process of cleaning that dreadful place!”

I made sure to keep to myself until Rarity was done with her frustrations before I spoke. Once she had finally vented to her hearts content, which was roughly an hour later, I finally was able to speak. “Rarity.” I ran an exhausted hand across my face,“You don’t have to take care of  my house at all. When I first got it, yes it was nice that you helped me decorate it, but now. It’s time to leave the place be. I’m thankful that you’ve been there for so long but the house isn’t really mine anymore, it’s just a guest house, I guess. The guys spend more time there than I ever could, but I have another idea if you’d like to hear it.”

She let out a few calming breaths and placed her hand up against her chest for a moment before extending it out in front of her. “Ok..” She took a few more breaths. “What’s is this proposal?”

“Well, since you’ve spent so much time working on the house, making it a home, shaping it the way you see it should be, I’ve been more than inclined to... part with it.”

“What!?” She yelled. “You’re selling the house?” She looked as if she could grow horns and breath fire had she been angrier. “What is wrong with..” I quickly placed my hand across her mouth and silenced her for a moment before I spoke.

“No. I’m not selling it, I’m giving it away, to someone who deserves it.” I removed my hand from her muzzle and she began to yell again.

“And that’s supposed to be better than selling it? Oh yes, just give it away. It’s not like I’ve spent countless hours working on that house or anything, it’s not like I been trying my damndest to bring that place to life. Go ahead, just give it away why don’t you.” She threw her hands into the air and nearly screamed until I stopped her as she noticed me reaching into my pack. “What are you doing?” She asked with curiosity. Her words seemed to grow more and more hateful as she spoke. “Haven’t you been listening to me at all?”

As I rummaged through my pack, I finally found what I’d been looking for and pulled it out, holding it within my grasp. I looked to her with a smile,“Yes, I have been actually. As my friend, my decorator, my tailor, I believe that this..” I handed over the piece of paper I held with my left hand. “belongs to you.”

She cautiously took hold of the paper and slowly read over. “This is... this is the deed to the house. This is the house deed. You’re.. what are you..” she trailed off.

“I don’t think that there isn’t anyone more deserving than Miss Rarity to own that building. It’s your’s from now on.”

“Thank.. thank you.” She kept her eyes set on the deed for a moment, but just as I tried to signal the others to begin our way to the Everfree, she quickly wrapped her arms around my chest. “Thank you! Thank you!” She constantly repeated those words over and over as she bounced around me happily.

“No problem Rarity. I’m sorry I have to cut this short, but we need to be on our way.” She placed her hand flat against my chest piece, making me halt. “Alright, but just so you know. You’re all welcome to stay to my “new” place anytime you wish.” She narrowed her vision as she rested her eye upon Archimedes. “Everyone’s welcome. All but you.”

He spoke up,“Oh come on, we’ve had some good times together. Everything I’ve done wasn’t all that bad...”

“Still. The fact that you can’t clearly clean up after yourself.. is just horrendous. You are not welcome within my home. Never. Ever. Ever.” She turned tail and walked away. I looked back to the others and Axton, Strife, Terra, Intell and Pyro held the same expression as I. We were all lost in a state of confusion. Archimedes slouched over in defeat, saddened at the loss of his old home.

“That. That was interesting.” Terra said softly.

“Eeyup.” Pyro said with a southern accent. I obviously picked up who he was trying to impersonate and to be completely honest, it was a fairly good impersonation.

I shook the confusion away and began leading the others towards the outskirts of the town. We quickly left town and strode through the field of lush green. The sun still beaming down on us from the skies above, the wind lightly pushing against our backs, pushing us closer to our destination that much faster. It was only roughly an hour later when we finally arrived at the awaited destination. Zecora’s trail route. Now, it was time to play the waiting game until our friend Lucky Clover showed up.

The skies began to darken and we had set up a small camp just outside the trail as we waited for the stallion to show, but from the absence of his presence, I was beginning to suspect that he didn’t wish to trade out his orb. It was quite convenient for him to slip away, since no one had any idea as to where he stationed himself within the Everfree. Unfortunately for him, Zecora seems to know everything that happens within the chaos that is the Everfree. So if we had any chance of finding this stallion, she was our only hope. 

“Seems like Clover is a no show. We’ll rest here for tonight, but in the morning, we’re going to Zecora’s hut to see if she has any knowledge about where Clover lives.”

“Alright” said Terra. “I need a bit of sleep as well, so.” 

“Same here.”

Everyone bunked down and began to fall asleep. As each of them drifted into slumber, once again, I was left awake. I stared into the night sky blankly, watching as the moon slowly rose its way into the dark sheet of night, coated in small specks of light here and there. The night filled me with an inner sense of happiness. I couldn’t explain it, the sudden feeling left a stupid smile plastered across my face. I just couldn’t seem to get rid of it, but then again, I didn’t want to. It had been so long since I’d slept in a field, surrounded by the unexpected. The feeling of the cold night air against your skin, the dark of the night, and the small sounds that rung from every which direction. Everything at that moment, seemed utterly perfect. Seemed.

I heard a rustling from the forest and I quickly planted my hands against the ground and pushed my legs up, as my lower half jumped into the air, my hands pushed off the solid ground and I landed on my feet. I quickly grasped the hilt of my sword and glared into the brush of the forest, searching for any sign of movement. As I stared into the dark spaces between leaves, I noticed them once again. Those dark glowing green eyes. Those eyes that I had seen from the forest all those months ago.

I unsheathed my sword and slowly paced towards it, readying myself for anything. Should it leap at me, its life would be over within a moments notice. I lowered my voice as to not wake anyone. “Come on, what are you waiting for?” I stared closer at the eyes and they seemed to be signalling me to follow it somewhere. I thought to myself for a moment,‘Why should I follow this thing? It could be a trap.’ but that’s when a voice called out to me, in thought.

‘There is no need to fear me, for I do not wish to harm you. I only wish to show you something.’ The voice said with a relaxed voice.

‘If I’m going to follow you, I’m bringing the others.’ I told the glowing emerald pair of eyes.

‘You and you alone may only see. Should you bring them, they won’t be able to follow. They’ll get lost within the darkness of the woods. I mean you no harm, I just wish for you to follow, young one.’

I thought about it for a moment, contemplating its offer. If I were to wake them, and they did manage to get lost in the Everfree. Most of them had wings, so they could easily fly out. Intell does have wings, but from what he had told me, they weren’t good for flight, they mainly served for protection from attacks and for gliding. Axton on the other hand could use his magic to create a light source that could help him navigate the forest, but as for navigation, I’m not sure how well that would work.

‘When would I be back, and how long should it take?” I asked the voice.

It looked away for a moment, then quickly returned with an answer,“It will not take long. And I shall guide you back here once I have finished my task.’

I charged up a inferno spell and held it. ‘I’ll follow. but should you try anything, I’ve turn you to ash, do you understand?’ I asked the voice.

He quickly began to laugh. It sounded strange, though the laugh itself wasn’t exactly evil. ‘I’d like to ask you a question. Say you were to set me ablaze. As of that moment, I’m running around the forest, on fire, setting every other thing I come in contact with to alight as well. What does one do after that?’ He asked. I thought about it for a moment. I could plainly see my obvious miscalculation and dropped the charge, but quickly changed out for a frost spell.

‘Right then, I’ll freeze you in place and shatter you to pieces, how does that sound?’ I gazed at him, sword in one hand and spell in the other. He looked away once again, and shortly returned with an answer.

‘Sounds about right, quickly now. I haven’t all night.’ I quickly stepped into the dark of the woods and followed the eyes deep within the clutch of the lingering darkness. As I followed them closely, I thought that I had lost them. I looked around but I could find no trace of them.

‘It’s a trap, how could I have not noticed this earlier..’ I thought to myself, but I was quickly interrupted by a light emanating to the left of me. As I turned, I had found a glowing tree. I looked closer, and I had notice that the eyes were right beside it. I quickly shot up to them, and as I came closer, the eyes moved. As it passed by a tree, it seemed to glow. Tree after tree,I followed him closer and closer and soon they lead me to a clearing within the Everfree.

‘This is my resting spot. As I have told you, I will not harm you. For I can’t, but nor do I wish to. I only wish to give you something, a gem. It’s small and useful. I wish for you to take it from my body, though only use it once your adventure is over. For the gem houses my memories. I wish to give them to you, for we are joined by blood. The blood of the guild. What remains of me is there.” The eyes floated their way over to the middle of the clearing. As I found his remains, I found as the item he spoke of. A small emerald with a gold ring wrapped around it. I took hold of it and it gave off a warming sensation.

‘Take it, use it once you can. I only wished that we could have done better, maybe we could have saved many more lives before the war came. My knowledge will help you, Darkmoon. Son of Dreadheart, guardian of the Wandering Plains. You are to be my student now, but I must part for now. Farewell.’ And with that, the eyes faded into thin air, but that was when a thought popped into mind.

I called out to the voice,“Hey! I don’t know where the hell I am, you told me you were going to take me back!” Just as I finished, the trees began to light, though its eyes weren’t anywhere in sight. Before I set out to follow the trees back to camp, I slide the gem into my pack. Time took its toll, but I had finally arrived back at the campsite  after nearly ten minutes of constant walking. “How long did it take for me to follow? It shouldn’t have taken me that long.” I set those thoughts to the side and laid down in my makeshift bed, my little adventure left me tired, so sleep wasn’t hard to achieve.

After a good nights sleep, we all got ourselves prepared for the travel ahead. The sun was just rising in the field’s horizon. I pulled my hood over and signalled for the group to head in. As we pushed through thick brush and morning dew covered leaves, we slowly began to enter the winding woods of the Everfree forest. We stuck to the trail leading us in the direction of Zecora’s hut. With the dampness and darkness of the woods in the morning, the forest felt as warm as a frozen tundra. We pressed on forward, ignoring the cold and looking to the destination ahead. Within a good half hour, we finally managed to reach the one we’d been searching for. We stood in front of Zecora’s front door and I knocked as loud as I could. I could hear nothing from the other side of the door, and knocked again.

“Alright! Alright! Can’t you tell I’ve been up all night?!” I heard a familiar voice call from upstairs. Slowly and draughedly, I could hear Zecora stumble her way down the stairs. “I’ll be there, just hold your hooves, I’m pushing my body as fast as it moves!” We waited for a moment, and then I heard the door unlock. “Come on in, I don’t wish to fight, so just keep it down, I’ve been drinking all night...” I quietly opened the door and poked my head through, I saw Zecora slowly edging herself down onto the couch in the living room. I pulled my head back and looked to the others.

“Alright, you heard the lady. Just keep the noise down and don’t act like asses, got it?” I looked to Pyro and then Archimedes. “You two especially keep it down.”

They slouched their heads and looked to the ground as they slowly drug their hooves through the dirt,“Alright...”

“Good. Now let’s go.” I turned around and we all entered the hut. Zecora slowly looked over and saw her guests. “Hello Zecora. It’s been some time, eh?”

The mare picked herself off the couch and tried to straighten herself out. “Oh Dark, it is good you are here, to have been forgotten I was beginning to fear.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a nice long hug.

“It’s good to see you too Zecora, I see that you’re as inebriated as much as the first time we met.” I gave her a grand smile and she signalled for me to follow her into the potions room. We all entered the room and it looked the same as the last time I had seen it. The walls were coated in bottles, dried herbs, masks and many other strange and interesting things. “Potions and other tonics I see.”

“Yes, I’ve been working on a special brew, brewed especially for me and you. Though I know of the queen of the hive, but I have enough to share with the one plus five.” She walked up to the cauldron and picked up seven empty bowls off the ground that were rested down beside it. With each bowl, she dunked each one in and handed one to everyone. Most took it with caution, but as I took mine, I already knew what to expect.

I took a sip of the tonic and wiped my mouth,“It’s smooth, I should get you to make a good batch for the hive. I’d love to see their reactions to this. Not only that, but Chrysalis’ too.. but that’ll have to wait for the time being.” I gave a small laugh and took another sip.

“So Dark...” Axton asked with a worried tone. “This liquid would be?”

“Yeah, it looks kinda funny..” Pyro eyed his bowl, watching the tonic swirl around within.

I looked to them and smiled,“It’s alright guys, it’s just alcohol. But, it’s Zecora’s brand. So expect a bit of a punch.”

In unison, they all looked to one another. Slowly, they lifted their bowls towards their lips. I took another sip. Their bowls made contact with the tips of the lips and once they each took in a mouthful...

“Holy Crap!” Axton spat out his mouthful,“Me bloody mouth is burning!”

Intell dropped the bowl and grasped his stomach in pain,“What have you done to me? Why would you do this to us?” Intell pleaded as he held himself, rocking back and forth to calm his stomach. 

Pyro tried wiping the base of his tongue dry with his hands, trying to wipe away the taste. “My throat, my tongue! Why?! Everything is pain!”

Archimedes fell over in and continuously took deep breath,“Feelin’ Dizzy.”

The one I was second most surprised at was Terra. He swung his body left and right, he must have drunk the mouthful. And after a moment of constant swaying, he toppled over and fell into deep slumber. The most surprising reaction I saw was that of Night Strife. He took small sips of the tonic and swished it around his mouth. “Tastes good.” He gave a small smirk and nodded his head. He looked to the others and watched them blankly. “I.. I mean.. oh... it’s soo gross..” He gave a slight cough and took another sip.

“Ooh, I like that one.” Zecora said with a smile as she took a sip from her bowl. “So John... wait, you go by Dark now, do you not?”

“That’s me.” I said with a nod.

“Ah, so why have you come to these lonely woods of mine? Did you say something wrong to the queen and have finally crossed the line?” She asked. I shook my head and she turned to thought. “Alright then, so it must be something you need, doesn’t the love you give not suffice the changling’s feed?” She gave a smirk and threw a wink my way. Once again, I shook my head. “Then tell me please, the locks to your questions I do not have the keys.” 

“Well Zecora” I took another sip. “We need to find someone, and he’s hiding here in the woods. He goes by the name Lucky Clover, and we were supposed to meet just outside your trail through the woods, but he was a no show. Since he’s out here in the woods, I thought that you might have some ideas as to where he is.”

“hmm.” She paced over to a table and grabbed a few plants and a couple of bottles filled with other strange liquids. She placed them down beside the cauldron and began dumping them in one by one. Me and Strife watched as she stirred the mix around, and after she downed the rest of her bowl, she dunked it in the new concoction. She strode up to me and the blue stallion and ordered us to down ours as well. As instructed, we followed her orders to the letter without hesitation. She took our bowls and dunked them back in and handed them to us after they were filled. “Here.”

I took the bowl and took a mouthful, while Strife eyed the new brew. “So, this is going to show us where Clover is, or give us some kind of “Sensing” ability...” He trailed off with a slight slur.

“Oh, no. It will not. It’s just another brew from my pot.” She gave a smile and turned to me. “Well Dark, this pony you’re searching for. I know of who you speak. But he is far passed the deep woods creek. Beyond the clearing and through the tree, over the cliff and living care free.” She took a sip of the drink. “Some evil within the forest, you might have to stomp, but once you’ve passed through the forest, you’ll arrive at the swamp. He lives within a cottage within that murky place, trying to stay hidden, just in case. They say he holds an orb like no other, with the power of royals, the sun he could smother.”

“so you’re saying that he’s dangerous.. hmm..” I trailed off into my thoughts, should things go sour with Clover, an extremely tough fight would be definitely expected. “Can you lead us to Clover?” I asked. This travel would be much quicker if she lead the expedition, but she had other things to attend to.

“Dark, I am sorry, but the adventure you seek is your own story. I wish to just stay here and work with my potions, though the exercise would be good, but ah... too many motions.” She gazed over to Strife and gave him a wink. “But I could still use some exercise..”

I gave a powerful laugh as I watched Strife’s cheeks turn plump cherry red as the words reached his ears. Once I had finally composed myself, I spoke. “I’m sorry Zecora, but I still need him for now, but then again, that’s just for now...” I looked over to Strife and scratched my chin in thought. Maybe he’d like to be with Zecora, but then again it was entirely his decision. “What do you think brother?”

The blue stallion looked to me with wide eyes and slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry... but it’s just.. I don’t know.. um.. I can’t..” He looked to Zecora and she smiled at him sweetly. Quicker than lightning, he downed the rest of his bowl and sprinted out of the potions room, distancing himself in the safety of the living room.

Zecora looked to me with a puzzled expression,“I know I’m strange to a certain degree, but am I that strange as to make him flee?”

I rested a calming hand on her shoulder and said,“Of course not, Zecora. I bet it’s just his shyness factor. He hasn’t told me much about his past marefriends, I’m not even sure if he’s ever had one, but he’s always lost in the stars.”

“So... your saying I still have a chance with him... nice.” She rose her bowl to her lips and took a slow sip.

“Maybe, but you’ll have to earn his trust. Thankfully, you’ve already found the easiest way to his heart.” I told her with a smile. She turned to me with a confused expression.

“What? I have? What was it?” She seemed to be frantic to find the answer, but I just shrugged them off.

“Hey, I can’t answer all of your questions. You’ll have to find the hidden gem yourself.” She stomped on the ground in frustration, silently whispering curses towards me. “Well Zecora, we should be off...” but I trailed off as I turned around and found that Pyro, Axton, Arch and Intell were still trying to rid themselves of the taste of the mystical brew. Terra was still firmly planted on the floor. “...In a couple of hours that is.”

An hour had passed and we still had a couple to go. Terra was sleeping silently on the couch in the living room, while most of the others slept in the potions room. They must have passed out from the drink as well. Strife and I sat on the front doorstep, talking about what had happened and why he reacted that way. It turns out I was right all along, he hadn’t any experience in terms of the opposite gender and he always panicked like that when he had gotten himself  stuck into that kind of situation.

“I just can’t Dark, it’s hopeless.” He told me.

I looked to him as I sat beside the stallion, wrapping my arm around his shoulder and leant against him. “Well my dear Night Strife. I’d be lying if I didn’t say you were quite the catch. And Zecora seems to think the same way, but never go into a relationship, or a one night stand, blind. Zecora’s been giving you those bedroom eyes the whole time we’ve been here and.. you’d be crazy not to consider the option. I can tell when she finds someone attractive, and brother, you’ve got it.”

“And pray tell, how would you know this exactly?”

“I’ve got a quick story for you. When I first arrived in this world, I woke up in this very forest, it was dark even though you could see the light breaking through the cracks of the leaves above. I was trying to find my way out of the forest and down to Ponyville but Zecora found me and brought me back to her hut. After a timberwolf chase and a close catch, you could say by the tip of the nose..” I gave a quick chuckle. “We finally made it back to her hut, night began to set and we sat there talking to each other for a good long while with a few drinks inside us. One thing lead to another and..”

“You.. her.. what? What about the queen? Does she know about this?” Asked Strife with a bit of worry. 

“No need to fret, Strife. This was back when I first came here, I didn’t even know Chrysalis at the time. Hell, I barely knew my way around. So it’s just a thing of the past, and we’re just good friends. But she’s been giving you the eyes that fell upon me that very night. So, the options there, you just have to choose.”

Strife placed his head on his hands and groaned. “I got to think about it. I don’t know right now. Let’s just finish the mission before I consider anything.”

“Alright, well let’s go wake these kids up, shall we?” I stood up and held out my hand to help the blue pegasus up to his hooves. He took it and quickly stood up and turned towards the door with a grin.

“Let’s.”

After we had woken everyone and strode out into the thick of the forest after saying goodbye to Zecora, we were finally on our way towards Clover’s hideout. First, we had to cross the clearing. I knew exactly where it was, for as we reached it, I noticed in the middle of the field, I could see the spot I had found the night before. I could feel a slight chill run up my spine as I felt a cold wind on my neck. 

“You guys feel that?” Asked Pyro. Everyone stopped for a moment and looked around as they nodded. “I knew it wasn’t just me.” I kept on walking, but rested my hand against my pouch, remembering the emerald I had gotten. The pouch felt cold but it gave my hand a warm sensation through it. “Dark, didn’t you feel it?” He asked as I continued on walking.

After he finished speaking, I stopped in my tracks. “Each time we stop, I’m going to make you all do two hundred push-ups before bed, starting now.” I pushed forward and everyone quickly caught up. We soon passed the clearing and begun working our way through the winding trees of the Everfree once again.

“Have I already told you guys that I hate the Everfree?” Pyro said as he pushed leaves away as he walked closely behind Terra. As Terra moved a large leaf out of his way, it shot back and whipped Pyro in the muzzle.

“Yes, we get it, ya’ hate the forest. This has been the eighth time yah’ve said it!” Yelled Axton. Obviously he had heard enough of the fiery maned stallion’s complaints.

“Hey! You did that on purpose!” Pyro yelled at Terra as he rubbed his muzzle. He turned to Axton and grumbled,“Well can you blame me? Sure, it’s got warmth on it’s side and that’s awesome, but we’re constantly having to push through all the crap!”

“That’s two hundred.” I said plainly.

Pyro took a moment to process my words and cried out,“Damn it!”

Axton began to laugh as he stood in place holding his stomach. “You’re just havin’ the worst of luck, mate!”

Intell, Terra, and Strife continued to push on with me and I called out to the mechanic,“Two hundred for you too.”

“Wait, what?” He looked to Pyro and he shrugged. Pyro looked to him with a lopsided smile and laughed. “What’d I do?” He asked.

“Well, what are your hooves not doing?” Pyro pointed down to Axton’s hooves. He quickly looked up to the mechanic’s face and grinned. “You stopped, so you’re with me... Happy two hundred.”

After Pyro and Axton caught up with us, we soon came to the cliff divide within the Everfree, nearly falling off. I looked left and right to see the quickest way around. The gash across the forest looked to stretch on for miles, but this problem wasn’t difficult at all. “Terra, pick up Intell.”

“Wait, what now?” Asked Intell with a bit of worry. He was quickly lifted into the air and was held within one of Terra’s huge hands. “What are you guys doing?!” He cried out, trying to wiggle free.

I looked to the mechanical stallion and smiled. “Your wings won’t elevate you enough for you to simply fly over, so Terra’s gonna help you.” I flung my arm forward towards the other side of the divide with a pointed finger and yelled,“Fire!” Instantly, Terra launched the stallion into the air. With the help of his wings, Intell easily glided to the otherside. Together, Pyro Strife, and Arch al flew over and landed beside Intell. Me and Terra grabbed onto Axton’s arms and floated the unicorn over with ease.

Once we touched down on the other side, Axton said,“Thanks.”

“Not a problem, now let’s move.”

We walked for about an hour, and the evening was just threatening to descend upon the forest. With only a couple hours of light left, we needed to find Clover’s cottage quickly or we’d be fresh out of luck in finding him within the dark of the woods. We frantically searched until we heard Pyro calling out to us,“Hey! I’ve found the place!” We quickly darted over to the fiery maned stallion and poked our heads over the brush after we pushed the large leaves out of the way. There we found the small cottage beside a small swamp. “Isn’t this froggy bottom bog?” Asked Pyro.

“Either way, we’re here and Clover is as well. Come on, let’s get this over with.” I pushed through the leaves and pressed on towards the small building. Each one of my party members cautiously strode up with their weapons at the ready, as if expecting something to happen, though nothing did.

We approached the house and found that the door had been kicked off its hinges, the small cottage looked as if it were ransacked by bandits, and their was no trace of Lucky Clover. Pyro slowly spoke. “I’m beginning to think this is probably why he didn’t show up at the camp...” We all looked to him and held blank expressions. “What?”

“Alright everyone, try to search for anything that could help us find Clover, he may be in trouble.” Intell, Strife and I rummaged through the house in search of any form of a clue that could lead us to Clover, while Pyro,Arch, Axton and Terra searched the outside area. As I searched through his small work office, I found countless assortments of ancient tomes, rare books and old fragmented scrolls. A pair of broken reading glasses were lying bent and cracked on the ground, surrounded by scattered papers and letters. From this, I could deduce that he was a scholar of some sort. I inspected closer and noticed that the books were all of different types of magic. One that caught my eye out of the whole was a small leather bound book, held closed by a strap with a golden lock. I pulled it off the shelf and looked to the cover. Inscribed into the front was a dark shield with some form of magic wrapping around it. The title of the book was far too faded to read, but I could make out what appeared to be the words,‘The’ and ‘Price’.

“The.. price?” I tried to open the lock but it refused to open. I turned to the others and called out their names. “Intell. Strife. Come here for a moment.” Quickly they dashed to the office and looked at me, I showed them the book and asked them if they had seen any like it before. They shook their heads and asked what it was called. “I can’t really make out the letters, but all I can see is two words. One of the words is ‘The’ and the other is ‘Price’. The title begins with the first word and seems to end with the last. Do you know any books with that kind of title?” I asked, once again, they shook their heads. They walked off and returned to searching, and I placed the book down on the desk table and continued looking throughout the office.

I turned to the other books and tried to study the area, seeing if I could find any hidden piece of knowledge or secret passage. After a moment or two of studying the shelves, I heard Strife calling out to me. I was just about to exit the office, but I looked back to the leather bound book I had set down. I don’t know what it was, or what drove me to do it, but I felt something whisper to me to take the book. I strode over to the desk and picked it up and quickly placed within the safety of my pouch. I turned back to the door and sprinted over to where I assumed Strife had called from. I heard his voice calling from the cellar and hurried my way down the stairs and found Strife standing quietly, eyeing some sort of stand.

“What are you doing?” I asked the stallion, he turned to me for about a moment but didn’t respond. I looked to the stand as well. It was a fairly large stand and it looked as if it were meant to hold a globe or something. The stand itself was made of chiseled stone. “Do you think..” I trailed off but Strife soon finished my question.

“That this was the stand for the orb? I think so. If it is, it’s a huge one.” He said as he scratched his head. “Maybe... maybe someone came and took the orb and Clover. That’s why he’s not here and why the orbs gone.”

“Can’t be.”

“Why not?” Asked Strife.

“It’d have to be more. Considering the size of this orb, being made of pure diamond and having also having to kidnap someone at the same time would take more than just one guy.” I pulled my hood down and ran my fingers through my hair. “Great, more work.”

I heard hoofsteps coming down the steps and I turned to see that it was Intell. He looked to have been putting some kind of blueprint type of paper within his pack, he quickly spoke,“Strife, Dark, you guys might want to come see this.”

He lead us out of the cottage and into the murky waters of the swamp, where the others seemed to be standing around with their heads bowed down in sadness. “What’s going on here?” Asked Strife.

Intell signalled for us to move on and we walked up to something floating within the water. And from that moment, I realized what was happening. “We were too late.” Intell said with a touch of sorrow.

We strode our way out into the swamp and the murky waters came up to our knees. We pushed through, slowly but surely. Once we finally arrived beside the others, there he lay, face down in the water. I reached in and slowly flipped him over. He must have been there for a few days, but with the help of the swamp, our unlucky friend’s cheek was in the process of decaying. I took hold of his underarms and drug him to shore. Gliding him peacefully through the waters below. Once we had reached the shore, Axton noticed something within his front pocket. I’d never take anything off a dead man’s being, but if it helped us find the murderers, I’d do it only to bring him some peace in the afterlife. I slowly wedged my hand into his wet pocket and pulled out a soggy piece of paper. It had been folded in half and stored into his pocket, as if he were rushing, trying to hurry. I didn’t want to open the note, in fear of tearing our only clue, but Axton took hold of the wet parchment with his magic and slowly begun to open it.

After some type of spell, Axton handed me back the note and it was completely dry. “There ya go mate.”

“Thanks.” I looked down to the note and it read aloud for everyone to hear:

They’re coming for me, I know it! I’ve tried to to switch out the orb for another, a much weaker stone, but the princess is saying that she needs Darkmoon’s Crescent’s help with this. I’m not sure if it’s that difficult, but if she see’s that he may be of help protecting the orb from them, I can wait. But I can’t hold them back, I can hardly see them. They’re there for a moment, and gone without a trace the next. 

They’ve been watching me, they’ve been taking my family one by one. Slowly picking us off. My brother Four leaf was trying to go to Ponyville the other day, to go get some more supplies for the house. He hasn’t come back yet. It’s been a week since he left. I can’t hold out here by myself much longer. I’m running out of food, and I can hear them scratching on the walls. I thought that one night, I’d be able to get a good night’s sleep if I’d slept in the attic... but the scratches just got louder. They can see me through the walls. I’m not sure how, maybe some spell, or.. maybe they’re just monsters. Either way, I’m not gonna make it another day at this rate. 

As I’m writing this moment, they are pounding on the front door. I tried to barricade myself inside; but the spells aren’t working like they used to. I’ve tried to hide the cellar as best I could, but if they can see me, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they can see the orb too. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t take it. The sounds and screams, it’s just too much to handle. They are demons, and they seek my family’s orb. This orb is a curse, but its helped my family for generations. I’m not gonna make it. 

Mom, Dad. If you’re reading this, I sorry. I should have listened earlier when you told me to move back, maybe Four leaf would still be alive. Maybe this would have never happened. If you’re a stranger, or the group I was supposed to meet with and somehow found my house, I ask that you give something to my mother in Stalliongrad. There is a small trinket in my office inside a hidden slot within the desk. She’ll know what it means, and hopefully the beasts haven’t taken it and its still there. I’m sorry. I really am.

The poundings getting louder. I can’t take it anymore. I tried to keep it safe, but they’ve found me. And they are going to take it, but I’m not sure what they’re going to do to me. I’ve had this ring on my horn to help with the magic overflow, to help sap it for all these years.. and now, I finally have a reason to take it off. I don’t know if they’ll kill me once they get their dark hands on it, but if they don’t and they get it, we’re all good as dead.

I’d like nothing more than to end madness that is my life, they constantly torment me, my thoughts, and they’ve taken my brother. I’m ending this here. This is where I make my final stand against these beasts. They’ll most likely have to carry the orb out, even with their wings and they’re countless numbers, they’ll have to walk that thing back to their home. Should you be the group, I ask that you find them, and end them. They follow someone cruel. He is sick, he is powerful, and he has an army. Follow them. End them. Bring safety to this land, even if it’s only for a short time. I bid you farewell.

~Yours truly, Lucky Clover.

I looked down to the fallen unicorn laying on the ground before me, motionless and emotionless. His once green coat and forest green mane were now tattered and battle weary versions of their previous selves. The limiter ring he spoke of in the letter wasn’t on his horn, he was a brave pony. Terra took him by the feet and I hooked my arms underneath his shoulders and we carried him over to the front of his cottage. We set Lucky down and began to dig. After ten minutes, we slowly edged him down the hole and covered him in a thick blanket of dirt. With his grave covered, we set stones upon the loose dirt and stood in silence. After a few minutes, we readied ourselves to travel, but Terra had one final offering for the stallion. With a light breath of blue fire, the stone slowly turned into glass cover.

“A grave fit for a king.” Terra bowed to the fallen stallion and turned away. 

I entered the house and went into the office. I searched through the desk and found the trinket. I gripped it in my hand and placed it into my pouch.

As I exited the residence, I found that they were all searching for any markings in the dirt and mud in hopes to track down the beasts. After a few minutes of searching, Intell called out from within the brush.

“I’ve found something!” We all quickly made our way towards Intell and he had found exactly what we had been searching for, hoofprints.

We followed those markings for hours, dragging long into the night and they lead us all the way to Ghastly Gorge. They passed through the bottom of the deep gorge and thanks to the mud tracks they left behind, we were able to follow them without the slightest problem. They stopped within a cave, and the tracks seemed to have stopped there. From what I could guess is that once they stopped for the night, they cleaned off their hooves. But, since they were coming this way, they were most definitely leaving the other side. 

Though the boys asked to stop, I knew that would only give them more time to get away. I wasn’t about to let that happen. We pressed on and worked our way out of the far side of the rocky gorge. It brought us out into the San Palomino Desert, the sand was still warm, but the night was filling the air with a deep chill.

After what felt like an eternity of marching through the shifting sand, we finally found a shining light in the distance. Axton pulled a small telescope out of his pack and gazed through it. He was silent for a couple seconds but quickly spoke up,“It’s definitely them, but there only seems to be four there. I can’t be entirely sure though, some might be hiding behind the dunes.”

“Alright men, ready yourselves for the unexpected. This could be a ploy for an ambush.” I told the others, but Pyro went into thought for a moment.

“Well, when you think about it, we’re the ambush. So, what happens when the ambush gets ambushed?” He placed his hand to his chin, awaiting an answer.

Terra rolled his eyes and said in a drone tone,“Fight like hell and hope for the best.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Pyro gave a shrug and we slowly edged our way towards the camp. Dune after dune, the camp drew nearer by the footstep. Their small camp housed only a small campfire and a few backpacks. Four ponies sat there, but something seemed off about them, normally, gathered ponies wouldn’t just sit there silently amongst others, they would be talking at least. But that’s all they did. They sat perfectly still and watched the roaring fire before them. I slide down the sand and rolled into their camp, quickly followed by the others.

I unsheathed my sword and aimed the tip towards them,“Where is it? Where is the orb?” I demanded. Still, they didn’t react. “Speak damn you!” I picked one off the ground and looked into his eyes, and that’s when it hit me. These weren’t ponies. He hissed at me and kicked me in the chest, launching himself out of my grip and creating a distance between us. “What are doing?!” I shouted at the creature. The green within his eyes shone bright as he glared at me. “Tell me now, before I do something... that I won’t regret.”

The ploy had been seen through and the creature dropped his little game. He dropped his disguise and his costume charred away and fell to the ground in a smouldering heap. His exoskeleton revealed itself, along with his torn and tattered body. The light from that emanated off the moon shone against his dark skin, and I could feel my rage building to an all time high.

“Does this surprise you Dark? That we’re here? Yes, we’re. You’re not in charge anymore, you never were. You were a joke.” He gave a few laughs and his comrades around the fire shed their disguises as well. “You’re out manned. Just lay down and die. Your time is done, so sleep. I’ll remember to show the queen exactly what I think of your future children. She’s useless now, just like you.” He paced his way around me, but I still had my weapon in hand, and a spell in the other. “Alright, I see how you want to play it. Well then, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He stood by the fire and gave me a sinister grin. Out of nowhere, he yelled into the night sky and within that moment, hordes of changling’s drug themselves out from the very sands around us. They slowly tried to encase us, but we all stood back to back, watching each other and hoping and wishing for the best. 

“Hold!” I called out to the others.

“Attack!” Cried the changling leader. With a thundering pounding against the ground, the changling’s stormed across the dunes and charged towards us. I readied myself and waited. Terra held his warhammer within his mighty grasp and took deep breaths. Archimedes took some stretches and cracked his knuckles, readying himself. Pyro and Intell jumped around, working themselves up for the fight before us. Axton and Strife processed the best way to handle the fight to come, preparing magical runes to protect the group and using Strife’s swift movement to place the runes.

With ourselves completely surrounded, we waited. Death could have been a huge factor, and I didn’t wish to see my family die. But I couldn’t do anything, so we waited. I watched as they poured over the last dune and charged straight at us, but just as the first changling stepped across the connected runes, the desert was instantly lit up with walls of fire that surrounded us. As pile upon pile of changling came in constant with the flames, they burst into fire and fell to charred remains of their former selves. The numbers quickly began to thin as they stumbled backwards, trying to escape the push of those behind them. Even though the death count was high, they kept going, trying to somehow break the wall. They started in the hundreds, but were quickly cut down to around fifty or so. Those left, smart enough not to touch the wall, waited as well.

“Dark, these runes are goin’ to quit on us soon, they’re not gonna hold much longa.” he said with a twinge of worry. I looked to him and smiled. 

“It’s alright Axton, just stick with Terra and he’ll watch your back. Now let’s fight till the last man!” I shouted to the changlings and my brothers joined me in the chorus of our battle cry. The walls faded and I charged forward, spell at the ready as well as my weapon. I took changling after changling, slicing and dicing my way through their bony bodies.

“Watch it!” Terra cried as he slammed his hammer down on a changling as it tried to pounce onto Axton. In one fluid motion, as his hammer crushed the changling, his tail swatted two others away. He raised his head into the air and a growling sound could be heard coming from his throat. Just as he opened his mouth, he leant forward and turned his enemies into ash as he incinerated them with his fire breath. Axton took hold of a changling and froze him solid then launched him at another. He quickly reached into his pack and threw a small metal ball at a clustered group and it stuck to one of the ebony insects. It viciously tried to take it off but by the time he rested his hands upon it, it exploded and covered the nearby areas in a thick sheet of ice. “The hell was that?” asked Terra.

“I’m a mechanic, I work with enchantments. I make things, weapons are one those things!” He called out as he charged up a few spells and launched them at his enemies.

Strife quickly dashed across the sands, sliding through and under changling after changling flawlessly. As he passed, he’d slice and cut his way with his edged daggers. Everything was easy for him until he met his match, one slim insect dashed up and tried ramming his blade into his stomach, but it was quickly blocked by Strife. They swung, spun and battled for dominance at incredible speeds, fighting for their very lives. They clashed blades and held it for a moment,“Just give up. You’re dying here tonight.” The changling stated with a wicked grin plastered across his face as he panted.

“You shouldn’t say such things, you still have some chance!” Strife gave a small chuckle through quick breaths. “Well, Let’s see if you can match this.” He quickly planted his hoof against the changling’s chest and launched him backwards. “You can thank Pyro for that!” He dove back into the fight. 

“Why is it..” Intell grunted as he launched projectiles at his foes. “Why is it I’m always stuck with you?” He quickly glanced over to Pyro. The fiery maned stallion shrugged after retrieving his hatchet from the shoulder of a changling, booting them off the blade.

“What can I say? We’re just a good mix, I guess!” He gave a loud laugh but was quickly silenced as a changling tackled him to the ground, slamming punches into his face. Immediately, Intell dashed over to Pyro of ripped the ebony insect off, launching him into one of his comrades. Pyro pounced up to his hooves and readied himself once more. 

“Had you watched your surroundings instead of talking, maybe that wouldn’t have happened!” Intell yelled as he slammed his fist against a changling’s muzzle.

“Again, what can I say?”

        Archimedes flew around swifty, striking the changlings with his bare fists. I thought it was stupid thing to do, but he managed to take on six changlings at once single handedly. He spun and danced his way across the sand with grace and precision. Only striking as they attacked, countering and knocking them unconscious.
 
I had a frost spell fully charged and ran the end of my blade through the gut of a changling, and as quick as I could, I slammed my clenched fist against his head and cast the spell. As soon as my fist made contact with his cheek, his head instantly froze solid and shattered on contact. I placed the end of my boot against his chest and slid him off my blade. I turned to some other changlings and readied myself for more. I let out a powerful yell and they all took off to the skies in terror. ‘That went better than expected.’ I thought to myself. I looked around the field of battle and noticed that as the bodies dropped, more and more left the sands and flead for their lives, taking their unconscious soldiers with them.

With only the few daring changlings left, I strode up to them with sword at the ready. I let out a loud battle cry and I was soon joined by my brothers as they shouted to the night skies above. With the battle lost, the remaining changlings bolted away, all except one. Strife constantly fought for dominance with his familiar foe, clashing steel and pounding each other with their fists. Strife looked to been struggling at one point but he quickly managed to wrap his hand around the changlings wrist, twisting and bending his arm, snapping the bone within. The changling cried out in pain as his bone stabbed through his skin, causing him to fall to his knee as he held his arm. 

I dashed towards the changling and just as Strife was about to stab his knife into his foes throat, I grabbed his hand and stopped him mid-swing. “Hold it!” I let go of Strife and picked the changling up by his broken arm, watching as his face cringed at the pain. “Who is the one you’re group is following? I know it’s not Chrysalis, so who is it?” I yelled at him. He looked to me with pain ridden eyes and smiled as he spat in my face.

AsI wiped his spit away, he spoke,“You haven’t got the slightest clue, and you never will.” He let out a laugh and tears slowly rolled down his cheek.“Kill me, it doesn’t matter. He needs the orb and we’ve failed. Even if I went back now, I’d be killed on the spot for failing.” He began to quietly sob between laughter. “I’ve failed in bringing him the orb, but you and your friends have failed as well. I’m not going to break, and I’d rather remain a hero to my people, to my pact than surrender my glorious leader.” He used his tongue and broke off one of his teeth. He swallowed his tooth and his mouth began to foam, gargling and twitches were the only things he did as he he slunk into the sand and died.

“Damn it! A Cyanide pill!” I flung my hands into the air in frustration. “Who the hell is this “Glorious leader”? And Why are changlings following him?” I was yelling at my own family because of my frustration, and I noticed this by the looks on their faces. “I’m... I’m sorry. It’s just that.. this wasn’t supposed to happen.” I slowly trudged my way over to the still roaring campfire and sat and stared into it, thinking about what had just happened. “This guy probably has the orb, and it’s only a matter of time before shit hits the fan.” I placed my hand against the bridge of my nose. ‘Come on Dark, think. Where could it be?’ Pyro sat himself next to the fire but shied away.

“How is it this cold in the Desert? Normally it isn’t so cold at night that the fire doesn’t warm you up..” He said as he reached into the sand and found one of the runes and held it in his hands, “Oh yeah, still warm.” Then it hit me.

‘The fire’s not giving off heat? What?’ I thought to myself as I placed my hand closer to the flame, it gave off a cold sensation as I ran my hand over it. ‘The hell..’ I quickly pushed the firewood out of the way with my feet and smothered the fire as the burnt wood rolled across the sand. In the spot where the flames once sat, I dug with my hands through the sands as fast as I could, the cold sensation getting stronger as I dug. I must have caught the attention of the others as they soon came to watch me dig through the sand. That’s when my hands touched something, it was solid and it made a ‘clunking’ sound as my finger struck against it. “Is it...” I leapt into the hole that I created and wiped the excess sand from across the top of the object. I couldn’t exactly make out as to what it was, so I charged up a inferno spell and used my spell as a source of light. A huge smile plastered across my face as I dropped the spell and grabbed the sides of the object. I couldn’t lift it on my own so I called out to the others,“Hey! Help me out here!”

With the combined efforts of Axton, Terra, Intell, Strife, Archimedes, Pyro and my own, we managed to lift the stone out of the ground. I was huge, roughly around the size of a globe. Strife was the first to speak while we all panted for breath,“Ha!.. I.. knew.. it was... a stand...” He toppled over and panted between laughs “I’m smart, you all got nothin’ on me.” He smiled as he laid in the sand with his hands rested behind his head. 

“We got the diamond, and things aren’t as bad as I thought.” I mentally fist pumped at our huge victory. “Hell yeah!”

“Don’t crack open the champagne yet Dark.” Terra gave a huge sigh and slouched. “We still have to roll this damnable ball all the way back to Canterlot. This’ll be a lifetime and a half.” 

Even with his discouraging words, I still couldn’t help but smile. We managed to recover the Diamond orb, and stopped some leader’s evil plans. Not to mention kick a lot of ass.

Now, it’s time to return home, and receive a heroes welcome. ‘We saved the world for another day, may not have been mine but the thought still counts. So, it’s safe to say that I can check that off my “To Do” list.’ The grin wouldn’t leave my face, and it continued to plague everyone elses the entire way back.

> Tell Her, For Me.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As we returned from the long trudge back through the San Palomino desert, Ghastly gorge and finally through the Everfree forest, we still had to make our way down passed the fields to Ponyville’s train station. When we first began our way back to the small town, the sun was just touching the horizon, once we arrived at the outskirts of the town, the sun had long since set and it was drawing towards midnight. An entire day and a half was the length of time we needed to return, and it was a good place to rest for the night. We rolled the giant, heavy orb over towards the only place that I knew that could house us and knocked on the front door. As I looked to Arch, he slouched his neck and tried to hide his face as the door slowly opened.

“Hello?” called the voice, she poked her head out of the door and looked around and laid her eyes upon us. “Oh! Welcome everybody! Come on in, welcome to my ‘new’ home.” Rarity quickly lead us inside, unaware of Arch’s presence. The large stallion slowly trudged behind the rest of us as we entered the homestead. His head hung in a shameful manner.

I looked to Rarity and offered her a smile and asked her a simple favor. “Hello, Rarity. Would it be too much of a favor to ask you for shelter? Me and the boys are back from our “Adventure” and you’re the only one I know that would be up at this hour, so what do you say?” I said with a smirk.

She thought about it for a moment and quickly nodded as she turned to face the others,“Care for something to drink? Eat? I wouldn’t be much of a host if I...” She trailed off as she laid her eyes upon the large white stallion as he cowered behind Terra. “...you..” I could see the anger rising in her eyes so I stood between the mare and Arch to offer some distance before anything got too out of hand.

“Rarity, he’s with us. Should he mess up the place or cause any form of disturbance towards you, then he’ll be cleaning the place from top to bottom, just as you instruct.” I turned from the violet maned mare and looked to Arch. “Isn’t that right, rook?” He didn’t respond verbally but only with a simple nod. I turned back to Rarity and watched as the once growing tension was slowly subsiding. “Alright, now that this is settled. I’ll go grab us some drinks.” I placed my pack down and rested it against the back wall of the room.

“I thought that I was the one retrieving the drinks and food for your visit?” Asked the mare. I looked to her and smiled as I made my way towards the front door.

“That would be mighty fine of you, but the drinks we need are much stronger than tea and coffee.” I closed the door behind me as I made my way into the dark night, walking onto the pathways that lined the streets of Ponyville. After searching the town for an open tavern or bar, I finally managed to get my hands on some brew and returned back to the house. I was greeted by Rarity as I returned, with a slight twitch in her eye. “Is something wrong?” I asked her.

“If you’re all going to be intoxicated, I would like it if you drank Archimedes share as well. He gets a little.. actually, quite sloppy. So no drinks for him, and everything will be fine.” After a enjoyable night and a slightly grumpy Archimedes from Rarity’s decision, we all fell asleep around three o’clock. Once the morning light broke through the windows and shone into the living room, blinding and stirring everyone from their slumber, I pulled myself off the soft armchair and stumbled over to the kitchen.

“So hungry..” I could hear someone whispering from the living room.

“Same here..” I was confused by someone else’s presence. I turned to see who it was and I found it to be Axton. Holding his stomach while it grumbled and roared as he opened Rarity’s fridge door, scanning for food. “What?” He asked as he set his gaze upon me, noticing my staring.

“Nothing, just confused is all. Come on, let’s get the others up and go out to eat instead of clearing out Lady Rarity’s fridge and cupboards like I know you all will.” I wrapped my arm around Axton’s shoulders, closed the fridge door and lead him towards the living room once more.

Once everyone was ready, and I had left a note with some bits behind for the lavender maned mare, we all set out for some breakfast. I had an idea as to where to eat, and kinda hoped that it was still there. A part of me thought that since they were a traveling couple, maybe they’d left already, but I hoped for the best as I left for their shop.

“There it is, feels like forever since I came here. Hell, it was one of the first places I came to, Delight and Sight.” I felt just a little nostalgic seeing the building there.

“Delight and Sight? Kind of a lame name, but whatever.” Voiced Pyro. I looked to him and smiled.

“That’s what I thought. Now let’s get some food.” We paraded down the street and entered the small cafe. Almost instantly I was greeted by the calm and relaxed stallion known as Flim. He quickly approached us with a warm smile and an arm full of menus. He handed them out to us as we pulled up a seat at the nearest stall.

“Welcome to Delight and Sight.” He said as he looked to the others. “And welcome back John. But it’s Darkmoon now right? You’ve come a long way since you first came here, wouldn’t you say?”

I looked to him with a grin,“Yeah, from just a regular guy looking for a bite to eat, to being a guardian. Wait a minute...” I reached into my pouch and took out eight bits and handed them over to him. “I’m not sure if I paid you back for the meal between Dash, Lela and I. So, here you are.”

He looked to me and smiled,“I’m pretty sure you paid me back, but the thought is nice either way.” He slipped the money into his apron pocket and took out a small notepad and a pencil. “So, what can I get you all this morning?” He asked as he gazed down to the pad, pencil at the ready.

“I’ll have something tasty, how about a nice lettuce and tomato sandwich with a bagel with some blueberry cream cheese on the side? Yeah... that sounds about good.” Voiced the fiery maned stallion. Flim wrote down his order and looked towards the others and once everyone ordered their food, he turned to me with a raised eyebrow. I thought for a moment, but I couldn’t think of anything.

“I’ll just get a cup of black coffee. Not really hungry at the moment.” I handed him my menu, which was soon followed by the others. Once all the menus were collected, Flim turned away and called out to his cook.

“Better get up! We got orders!” We quickly paced his way into the kitchen and left eyeshot. I turned to the others and we began chatting.

“So, let’s talk about something, interesting hopefully.” I looked to Axton and raised an eyebrow. “You must have a story. Come on, let’s hear one.” Axton closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his hands across his face. He held them there for a moment and then placed his hands down onto the table.

“Alright. I have of a story, and its a true one so you know it’s good. Dark, you’re not the only one that’s had to deal with interdimensional travel. When we first met, I didn’t recognise you for two reasons. One, because of the damned hood. Two, when I first met you, you weren’t exactly... human.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, intrigued by his offer for a story.

“Alright, well. Back in “My” world, I was a pretty big deal but this was many years ago when I was just a young pup...” We sat there for a while as we waited for our food to come, and even when it did and we dug into our food, the storytelling continued. “...When we first met, you were a little tyke much like I and we met during one of my adventures into a cave of relative importance. In our party were the CMC, my friend Defensive, and me. We were just about to enter the cave when we heard the sound of rushing hooves from behind. We turned around and found a small dark chocolate brown unicorn covered from head to toe in equipment. Various hooks and packs lining his body, underneath his cloak. When he took off his hood, he told us his name. I’m assuming you can already piece together who he was.”

“I was a.. pony? And a unicorn. That sounds... strange, but strange is good. It keeps things interesting.” I told the hazelnut unicorn.

“You were an energetic one, it was pretty strange considering...”

“What do you mean by that, am I not energetic enough?” I looked to him puzzled, slightly insulted by his comment.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. What I actually meant was.. here. Let me show you.” With his words spoken, his horn began to glow and a small image of a brown colt appeared on the table before us. “Now watch.” The small colt began to rush about, looking in every which direction. “From what I could guess back then, you were filled with this ever expanding surge of energy from your sense of adventure.”

I leant in and stared at the colt, bewildered by the sight. “I look so.. tiny. And I look like a regular pony, all hooves and no hands.”

“Yeah, to you it’s strange. But for me, it was my reality. I always used to walk around that way, but when I came here... I was considered somewhat of a weird guy because of the way I walked for the first few days of being here.”

“So, from what I understand is that back then and back there you were dating Applebloom right? Nice kid that one. She’s what? Seventeen now?” I looked to the others and they all shrugged. “I think she’s that old, when I first met her she was 16, young and fun loving. And you?” I looked to Axton. “Your age?”

“Well, eighteen if I remember correctly. And since we’re on the topic of dating, guess what Dark.”

“What?”

“You had your eyes set on someone very close to me, one of my best friends in fact.”

“And who would this be?” I asked, in all honesty, I didn’t think I could be with anyone other than Chrysalis, but the thought interested me a twinge.

“Her name was Iris Sapphire. Nice girl.” He leant back against the seat and his horn continued to glow and the image of a small filly appeared beside the colt.

“That’s almost really cute.” Strife voiced as he leant in closer towards the two figures.

I jumped in and brushed off the thought. “Different world, different thoughts, different people. I’m good with my wife, so I think it’d be best if you all kept this to yourselves.” I turned my head away and rubbed the back of my neck, slightly embarrassed. I signalled over to Flim for the last time and he came rushing over.

“Is there something else I can help you with?” He asked.

“I’d just like to pay for the food now, we’re all basically done...” I looked down to my coffee cup and frowned. “..sadly. Anyways, how much would that be?”

“In all, let’s just say fifteen bits.”

“Alright.” I reached into my pouch and pulled out some money. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.”

“So where’s that grumpy brother of yours? Flam, was it?”

“Oh, Flam. He figured he would try some work somewhere else instead of being in this comfy cafe. Since it was mine and his knowledge combined that created the cider squeezy 6000, he wanted to come up with other things of the sort.” He looked away in thought for a moment. “He told me the last thing he’d been working on was.. some kind of cannon. Something that you could shoot from anywhere at anytime, and being able to carry it around in your hands.” He looked to me with a bright look. “Fascinating stuff, isn’t it?” He asked with a bright expression.

I looked to him with a smile,“That’s some pretty ground breaking stuff, my friend. Let’s just hope nothing goes wrong with this project.” I looked to the others and signalled for us to begin our tread back to Rarity’s to retrieve the orb and head back to Canterlot. I looked back to Flim and grinned. “Later bud.”

“Come back soon.” He turned and headed back towards the kitchen. As we left the front doors, my expression dropped from that of a smile to a concerned expression. The others noticed this and began to ask questions.

“Something wrong Dark?” Asked Archimedes.

“Yeah, something’s going on, what’s up?” Asked Terra. I stopped just as we made our walk onto the sidewalk and turned to them.

“We’re going to have to build this guardian fortress sooner than later. From the way Flim was telling it, his grumpy brother is out there making these.” I grabbed onto my sawnoff and showed them. “But not fueled by magic, but bullets. In my world, they’re a pretty common thing, in the right hands, they can be used to protect. But in the wrong hands, they can be used to kill. If guns are becoming more of a reality by the day, so is the rising threat.” I let go of my gun and turned back down the street towards our destination. “So let’s get back to the castle and get this orb back to the royals.”

As we trekked down the street, the others began asking questions. “But if these guns are as effective as you speak, then that means we could use them ourselves to protect the land. This should be aiding our cause, but you seem to want to cast it aside, surely its not such a bad thing, is it?” Asked Terra.

I continued to walk down the street and didn’t speak. “Come on, you’re just being stubborn. They can’t be all that bad as you claim.” Called out Strife. I stopped and looked to him, a small bit of my heart sunk from hearing his words.

“Not you too Strife.”

“Come on, tell me. How can these guns be so bad? I know its bad when some people die because of things like these, but how are guns any different from any of our weapons? We’ve killed many others just following you into caves and your explorations of the land, but having something like a gun is more devastating? How? Are you worried that you’re not going to be special anymore, being the only one with that kind of item?” He asked. Intell looked to him and rolled his eyes. “Well, a hand carried one, not something that’s apart of you.” 

I looked to him sternly, the expression wouldn’t break. I never wished to have to look to him in such a way, but there is a time and place for such things from time to time. “You’re right, how can such small weapons be so harmful to a land that has known nothing but peace for many years. Tell me, how long before the greed starts to set in, how long you’ll wait to get rid of your miniscule enemies? And with this small weapon, with the simple pull of trigger, your problems are gone in the blink of an eye. Back on my world, because of these weapons, wars were fought. Men and women died fighting for their countries, all because of a petty squabble between governments. Imagine this Strife. How would you feel if you watched Axton take one of those guns and end up dying for his people, fighting another kingdom like the gryphons. How would you feel?”

He looked over to Axton and his eyes lowered and he stared down at the ground beneath him. “I’d... I’d wish that he didn’t.”

“Exactly. And these guns aren’t needed for anything here. Ponies don’t hunt for meat, they wouldn’t casually use them for anything! So why in the living hell would anyone need them here?!” My voice was rising and as was my anger. I began to notice a few passersby as they strolled through the streets, but I was too furious with Strife to care. “Guns are just bad news, for everyone! It’d just be best to lay this whole thing to a rest and after we get the orb back Celestia and luna, we find Flam and shut his operation down before it gets too out of hand.” I noticed that Strife’s gaze laid upon the ground and he didn’t speak after I’d stopped. “Look... I’m.. I’m sorry for getting angry, but guns are only the beginning of the problems. Lets just.. set this aside for now and just head back to the castle. Alright?” 

“Yeah.” I could barely make out his words for they were no louder than a whisper. We arrived back at the house and picked up the orb, rolled it all the way down to the train station and boarded the train. After a long train ride and an irritating task of rolling the orb uphill, we arrived at the front gates of the castle. Upon seeing us struggle, a group of nine guards came to take the orb from us and tried to roll it into the castle, but that plan quickly failed as we let go to give control over to the guards. Even with their numbers outweighing our own, they weren’t as strong as us.

“Ugh...” Voiced Terra as he saw the guards attempting to keep the orb from rolling back to the hill. “Let’s just roll this thing the rest of the way. Should be over, hopefully, soon.”

As the large drake finished speaking, Pyro jumped in and started knocking on the orb,“Knock on wood. You’re just asking for the universe to come crashing down on us like usual, aren’t you?” He let a smile come over his face as he took hold of the diamond once again. “Not on my watch, no sir.” We continued to roll the blasted thing the rest of the way and finally collapsed of exhaustion on the red carpet trailing inside the throne room. The snow white mare Celestia approached us as we lined the floor panting.

“It’s a.. lot bigger than I remember. It was just a small rock when I was able to give the diamond to their family to help with the mana problems, maybe six generations of storing excess magic will do that.” She leant against the orb and tried to push it. Like I had already assumed, the orb didn’t even attempt to move. “And a lot heavier than I remember.” She stood back up and looked to us. “At least you all only had to get it from the Everfree back to here. So at least it wasn’t too troublesome.” Celestia said with the always positive and heart warming voice of hers with that bright smile.

As I slowly pulled myself from the ground, I looked to her and began to chuckle. “You’d think right? But unfortunately, we had to roll his rock from the Sans Palomino Desert. A group of rogue changlings were trying to take it. Though, they didn’t take it so easily. When we arrived at the trail into the Everfree, Lucky Clover hadn’t shown. So when the sun came up, we left in search of him inside the forest, but when we finally found him, we were already too late.” Her expression dropped from a joyous expression to one of sadness. “They got to him before we could. They were playing sick games with the poor soul and drove him into madness. During our investigation around the house, we discovered that his parents are living in Stalliongrad and I think it’d be best if I give them his final wish.” I dug into my pouch and retrieved the small locket and showed the mare.

“That would be...” She gazed upon the trinket and frowned. “That would be for the best.”

“And when I found out Lucky had a brother named Four Leaf, I began to think. In the note that I found on his body, he mentioned that Four leaf was going to town to get supplies for the house, but on our travels to the cottage, we didn’t find a body. This means that there’s a chance that he’s still alive.” Her expression seemed to brighten at my thought, and I was glad that it helped.

“Good. I’m glad that he may still be alive! Maybe he’s visiting his parents, or somewhere else that... isn’t the other option.” She gulped and shook the thoughts from her mind. “Anyways. Here follow me please you all. It’s time you all got your just rewards.” We followed close behind and I noticed that Arch was cracking a smirk.

He spoke up,“We’ll my princess, I didn’t think that you thought about me that way, hell, I can’t blame you. I’m pretty amazing if I have to say mysel...” He stopped speaking as I gave him a glare.

“Archimedes... just.. just no.” I ran my hand across my face and looked to Celestia with an apologetic expression. She stopped and turned to Archimedes with a heart melting smile, wielding devastating bedroom eyes that would cause any man to go mad with desire.

She slowly swayed her hips as she made her way towards the stallion and spoke in a sweet voice. “Oh my.. you have no idea Archimedes. I’ve had my eyes set on you for some time.” She leant herself against him and lightly ran her finger down his chest, leading down towards his lower half. I looked to his face and he was gulping and looking unsure of what to do, then I was beginning to see what she was up to. Just before she reached his stomach, she paused and looked to him. She leant in closer, drawing her face and her lips closer to his. Her mouth slowly perched, and his eyes quickly widened. Just before her lips made contact, she stopped and turned back towards the throne.

He blunk numerous times before he came to terms with what just happened. “Wa.. Wait a minute! That’s not fair!” He cried.

“I didn’t say I was going to be.” She chuckled as she sat down on the throne beside her sister, who rolled her eyes as she watched her sisters acts.

“Really sister? Have some class.” Voiced Luna as she lightly sighed.

“You forget who taught you the things you know, or should I tell the tale of your first royal dinner all those years ago?” With her words spoken, Luna’s eyes shot open as she quickly shook her head in disagreement. Celestia smiled and turned back to us. “Alright, now for your rewards. Pyromancer. Step forth.”

The fiery maned stallion strode forward confidently and bowed down before the princess. He looked up and seen that she was retrieving something from a large case beside her throne. His face instantly brightened up after he had seen his prize.

“This belongs to you now, take very good care of it. This is an hatchet with the blade made of complete fire. I’ve come to know that you are extremely interested in items such as these, and from what you’ve accomplished here today, I believe you’ve earned this.” She handed him the axe and he graciously accepted it. He inspected the weapon and I could see that the grin that covered his face from when he first laid eyes on it still hadn’t attempted to fade, but had actually grown in size.

“I.. I don’t know how to.. Thank.. thank you princess. I will treasure this forever and protect me and the axe with my life. Thank you.” He turned and showed it to the rest of us. On closer inspection, I noticed it was more of a fireman's fire axe than a hatchet, but seemed be be light enough to carry with one hand. It does make sense with the metal edge replaced by fire. The handle was solid black with a bright red stripe going down from the top of the handle to the hilt.

He strode his way back to my side and stood there confidently, eyeing his newly acquired gear.

“Terra Firma. Step forth.” The large drake did as the princess requested and followed the same example as Pyro. As she brought his reward into view, a smile covered his face. “Is that what I...” He trailed off.

“Terra, I wish to bestow this onto you. You’re going to have to come and get it, it’s a tad heavy for me.” She stated as she struggled to keep it balanced on the floor. The drake quickly walked over to her and took the reward and gave it a look over. “I wish to give this to you, I know that you strive to be a guardian, and you served under the old guardian blacksmith Firefist for many years, so you are more than deserving to have his weapon of choice. Firefist’s war hammer. May his work and dedication continue through you.” As I watched him hold the monstrous war hammer within his grasp with little to no effort, he warmly smiled as he looked it over.

“Thank you my princess.” He looked to the warhammer and said,“I thought I’d never see you again.” He slowly made his way back over to the rest of us, his concentration fixated on his reward.

“Night Strife. Step forth.” I watched as the blue pegasus slowly made his way over to the princess and nervously bowed before her. “Night Strife, I heard that you’re quick on your feet and quite skilled with daggers. These are yours now.” She stepped down from her throne and handed them to him, giving him a wink as he took them cautiously. He looked over this new gear and a smile overcame his face.

“These are amazing, and they’re pretty badass looking.” He lightly placed the tip of his finger against the edge of the blade and stopped as a small dot of blood began to show. “A razor sharp edge, and if that wasn’t overkill, the base of the blade is made to look like a saw. A bit overkill, but then again, if I do need to use these, I’ll be fighting for my life.”

Pyro called out to him and chuckled,“Yeah, speak for yourself! I’m using this baby for everything!”

Strife turned back to Celestia after waving off Pyro with a smirk, shaking his head at his remark. “Thank you princess, I will treasure this always.” He took out his old daggers and replaced them in their sheaths, but that plan quickly failed as they sliced through and fell to the floor, stabbing into the marble flooring. “Umm.. do you have some sheaths for these?” He asked with a sheepish smile. She grinned and quickly handed him their holsters. Once he strapped his replacement sheaths on and the daggers within their grasp, he strode back to us and stood there, chest puffed out and confident. “I’m awesome.”

“Keen Intelligence. Step for...” She trailed off as she watched him shake his head in protest.

“I’m fine, I don’t need a reward, thank you anyways.” Intell rubbed the back of his neck, hoping as to not offend the princess.

“Very well, I shall respect your wishes. Axton Gears, Step forth.” Once again, he followed the others to the very point and got his reward. “I’ve heard that you’re a mechanic of sorts, so I find it more than fitting that you should receive this. This is a magically enchanted wrench that will aid you in your work, but it’s also fashioned to serve as a trusty weapon. The enchantment serves to grow and shrink the tool to any size that you please.”

“I know what he’s gonna use it for!” Called out Archimedes as he did some vulgar gestures, thrusting his hips forward, trying to look like he was holding something in front of him.

“Cut it out Arch, come on. You’ll get your turn soon enough so don’t get your panties in a knot, ok mate?” Voiced Axton as he looked back to the large stallion. “Thank you princess, I’ll be thinking of ya when I’m working on me next project, eh?” Celestia smiled at his remark and gave him a playful push. Axton quickly made his way over to us.

“Archimedes, Step forth.”

“Unless it’s your undying love for me, then I’m good my princess.” Called Arch.

“Alright, Darkmoon’s Cres..” She was quickly cut off as Arch spoke up.

“Again! Not fair. These mind games Celestia, I’m severely starting to think that our first date might be a bit weird now.” She rolled her eyes at his remark and continued her speech.

“Darkmoon’s Crescent, Step forth.” I slowly made my way to her and placed my arm across my chest and leant forward, bowing to her. I raised back up and looked to her. She smiled and her horn began to glow. With a large flash of light, three items came into view. “These aren’t really rewards but the return of what was rightfully yours. I know that your tasks may take up much of your time, so some of your gear is what I return. The first item is your father’s greaves, they are strong and hearty. They are enchanted to make the stress from falling from great heights less of a pain and generally more comfortable.” She handed the to me and I quickly strapped them on. They fit like a glove.. or more so, a boot. “The next item is your father’s shoulder pad. Having one pauldron is nice and dandy, but your other arm is open for attack at anytime. This should solve that problem.” I took it and strapped it around my upper arm, taking a quick stretch to see if everything fit comfortably, and gladly, they did. “Lastly, there is this. Forged by your grandfather, made for your father, and now in your hands and yours only. Your fathers treasured sword, Rokire. Blade of the guardian of the fields of Equestria. Now the treasured sword of Darkmoon’s Crescent, Guardian of Mystic Mountain. It is sharper than any blade, lighter than any steel, deadlier than any weapon.”

I looked over the blade and unsheathed the one from my belt, I set it down to the side for the moment. I quickly took my new sword and slid it into the sheath, and it clicked with a fine tone as it fit perfectly within its grasp. “Thank you Celest. I’m most grateful for this, although this means my attempts at finding my father’s hidden treasures are over.”

“Not exactly, there is one left, but my powers and my grasp can’t touch it. You must be the one to retrieve it, for I cannot. If my powers can’t reach its hold, then your father must have set it there for a reason, but as for the location its in, to me its a mystery. I can sense it’s out there, but not as to where.”

“Well, one last adventure, right? It’s all fine Celest. Thank you for the gifts.” I turned to look at Luna and seen that she was approaching me, with half lidded eyes. “Umm.. Luna?” My worry was quickly washed away as I felt something slide by me and I found that it was Shadow, my ever present brother. He quickly approached her and gave her a kiss and a hug.

“Hello love, I’ve missed you.” Shadow smiled.

“It’s been too long.” She said with a smile, glad about having her husband back. But his shadowy form didn’t last long and he began to transform, back into the form I once knew him in.

He turned around to face me and rolled his eyes, knowing that this would happen if he tried to leave the shadows. I knelt down and scratched under his chin. “D’aww. Who’s a cute foxy? Lela is. Yes he is!” I gave off a chuckle and was quickly tackled to the ground by the small pile of black fur. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop with the games, you little softy. Ha, softy... because of your fur.” I looked to Luna and she had a blank expression towards my joke. “It’s the best I could come up with on such short notice.”

“Anyways, if you two are done playing around, Shadow and I have some ‘forever dreamers’ to deal with in the Dream Realm.” I looked to her and asked if she’d seen Lucky Clover and she nodded. “He’s sorry he couldn’t meet with you, but.. you know the rest.”

“Tell him that I’m the one that’s sorry. I could’ve been there a lot sooner, and maybe we could have saved him.”

“I will. Come now Shadow.” The small fox jumped off my chest and sped over to Luna and stood by her. They walked towards the wall and just seemed to vanish into thin air.

“We should be doing the same as well.” I picked myself off the floor and turned to the others. I was about to leave when I remembered that Celestia needed to speak with me after the adventure. “On second thought, you all head on to the fortress, Arch, you get them practicing and get the recruits training as well as soon as you get back. I’m gonna stick here for a moment or two.” I told the large stallion.

“Alright, but don’t be too long. We’re all training, you’re no exception.” Voiced Pyro as he lead the others out of the throne room. Once they were gone, I looked to Celest and walked over to her. She took me by the hand and lead me towards the castles library. Once we were in, she looked to me and held a worried expression, a definite change from that of the happy faces she held earlier. 

“Is something wrong Celest?” I asked.

“Not really, but I was just worried is all. You’ve been spending more time over at the Hive with Chrysalis and Moon Shadow that you hardly have time to come and visit us at the castle anymore. We’re supposed to be like a family of sorts, have you forgotten about your family Dark?” She looked to me with worried eyes, ones I knew I’d have to calm.

I looked to her and smiled,“No. I could never forget about my family. And I have two new additions to that family on the way, you’re going to be a busy aunt Celest. The reason I’m spending so much time with Chrysalis and Moon is because of that very reason. Separation from your family is soul tearing, like your leaving half of who you are behind, but if it pleases you, I can bring them here from time to time for visits. Though, once it gets difficult for Chyrs to come on these trips, the visits will have to wait for a while.”

“She’s pregnant? When were you going to tell me? I thought that secrets weren’t kept to ourselves!” She fumed at me for a moment, but I stared at her with a hint of confusion.

“I thought Luna or Shadow would have told you by now, seeing as how they could see them before I even could. So I figured they would have told you, well, these kind of things happen from time to time I guess. Tell me Celest, how have you been since we last spoke?” I asked.

She turned her head and went into thought for a moment, when she collected her thoughts, she spoke,“For me, it’s been a bit lonely in all truth. My sister spends most of her time with Shadow it seems these days and you are either adventuring or at the hive with Chrysalis. Though I’m not entirely lonely all the time I suppose, given that I’ve been meeting up with my dearest student Twilight and her friends. We’ve been trying to solve a bit of a dilemma in that small town, at Sweet Apple Acres, there is a small “infestation”. So, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time out of the castle and staying at the library with Twilight for the past couple of days. When I got back, I got word that you and your group had just arrived at the front gates.”

“Infestation? Maybe I can get the guys to help out with that, though Jack might not like the offer...” My mind swayed when I thought about Pyro and his new toy, in fear of his words from before, to use it for everything. “Then again, she might like the idea of a little help, even though she’s not the most accepting in terms of help.”

“That would be quite nice.” She said with a smile.

I looked around the throne room and noticed the guards staring, so I pulled over my hood and looked back to Celestia. “Well Celest, I need to start heading to the fortress. I don’t want to leave but it’s my duty, so I bid you farewell for now pup.” I reached out my arms and pulled her into my embrace, holding her within my grasp for a moment to which she accepted with ease. “I’ll see you later.”

She was more than unwilling to let me go as I released my grip around her, but she slowly let go after a moment or two as we stood there as the guards continued to watch us. “Come back here more often Dark, also.. I have a question if I may.”

“Ask away” I told her.

She lightly brushed her hand across her waist and looked to my pouch,“Why is your pouch so cold? It’s warm out, so it seems a tad odd.” She continued to eye my pouch.

I reached in and pulled out the small gemstone wrapped in golden wires and held it out towards her. She took hold of the gem and looked over it, seeming to be fascinated with it. “When we were camping beside the Everfree, I was lead by a ghostly pair of green eyes deep within the forest and into a large clearing. The eyes lead me into the middle of the clearing and I found the remains of the untimely soul, and he gave this to me. He told me that it would help me with training and that I would become his student. Apparently, he used to be apart of the guardians of old, so that’s a plus on my part.”

“And what if he wasn’t and it’s an attempt in possession, deceiving you into believing such and then turning around to stab you in the back?” She asked with a look of concern as she handed the emerald back to me. I took it in hand and placed it back into the pouch, and thought for a moment. She was right to a point, it could be a trap that I’m not seeing, but there isn’t any proof saying it is one either.

“It’s just a chance I’m gonna have to take. Should something happen to me, I’m sure the guys will be able to restrain me until I find a way out of that kind of situation.”

“Alright, if you say so. Just promise me that you’ll be careful.”

I placed a clenched fist across my chest and over my heart, bowing to her. “I promise, farewell pup.”

After I left the castle, and with the help of my wings, I was able to catch up with the others. The walk back to the fort was a long and uneventful one, but once we arrived, we were all greeted by the hordes of recruits that Intell and Pyro managed to round up. Out of the overwhelming crowds, I managed to see a couple of familiar faces. One I could recognise was the stallion Skyler Blue, the other was Fire Dancer. They approached us and shook our hands and said that they were grateful for the opportunity to join, but there was one that I didn’t recognise as he approached me. He wore a fine coat with a interesting hat of sorts, from what I could clearly see was that he was a unicorn, his fur coat a mint green. His coat had the sleeves torn off from the elbow and his forearms were visible. They were covered in scars and marks and I could make out a tattoo on his right arm. A four leaf clover.

Once he approached us, I sent Arch to begin training with the recruits and the others to help Axton with the defences. I stood within the walls of the fortress speaking with Fire, Skyler, and the stranger.

He held out his hand and I took it in mine, giving it a firm shake,“Afternoon recruit, tell me. What’s your name?” He looked to me with a smile and removed his hat, which was blocking his face. I found a large torn scar across his face overtop his eye. He smiled and nodded.

“The names Four Leaf sir. Four Leaf Clover.”

“And why do you wish to join our guild, Four leaf.” I asked him. I felt kind of saddened once I found out he was Lucky’s brother, but I was joyful to discover that he was alive.

He let go of my hand and looked to his hooves for a moment,“Well sir, I used to live in the Everfree with my brother Lucky, and when I was going to get some supplies from town, I was attacked by a group of demons sir. I managed to barely make it out of there alive, but from the cries I heard coming from the forest when I was trying to return in hopes that they had left, I recognised the voice. The echo of my brother’s death cry still haunts me, so his death brought me here. If I can protect others in hopes of saving others from the same cruel fate, then I will. This is why I joined, to protect.”

Skyler and Fire listened to his story much like I, but Skyler was the first to speak,“That’s terrible, I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be, it wasn’t you that killed my brother, it was those demons. I know a changling when I see one, but they wouldn’t be working for the hive. They must have been rogues, working to only serve themselves.”

I looked to him and thought for a moment,“Tell me, do you wish to seek vengeance on these demons? Or would you only seek to protect others?”

“I only seek to protect. Even if I were to kill these creatures, it wouldn’t bring my brother back.” His expression filled with sadness but was soon ended as he looked back up to me with a smile. “As long as I’m protecting others, I believe he’s watching over me, feeling proud of what I’m doing.”

After a few minutes of chatting, I sent the three on their way towards the training grounds and I left towards the exit, but was soon followed by Intell. He called out to me just before I left,“Hey Dark, wait up.” Once he caught up, we exited the fortress and began heading down the mountain. I looked to him with a puzzled expression, and asked a question.

“Shouldn’t you be training with the others?” I asked. He tilted his head to the side and waved it off.

“I’ll start training once I get back, since I’m assuming that you’re heading down to the hive, I thought you could use a bit of company.” I smiled at his offer and welcomed it. We chatted about various things on our trek down the mountain and once we finally arrived at our destination, I was greeted by my wife and child. I knelt down and gave Moon a hug, even though she’s gotten older, and taller, she’ll still be the little kid I once knew. She gave me a kiss on the side of the cheek and turned around and started to head towards a small group of changling children. I watched as she scampered off, but once I turned around I noticed Chyrs giving me an odd stare.

“What’s wrong love?” I asked, she kept her eyes focused on me but she made barely noticeable gestures towards Intell. “Ah, sorry. Intell, this is my wife Chrysal..” I was cut off by Intell as he spoke up.

“I already know her, I just thought that she wouldn’t be here.” He just stared blankly at her.

The ebony queen said with a hint of derision ,“Come crawling back have we? Too late, nearly five years late.”

“What are you guys talking about?” I was lost in a fit of confusion, drowning in the ever rushing thoughts of possibilities of how they could have met before.

Intell looked to me with a sheepish grin and said,“Well, I used to work here before the whole Canterlot wedding scenario and I kinda... used to be.. umm.”

I came to the realization of what he was speaking of and I looked to him, unsure of the whole thing. “It’s a thing of the past, I wasn’t even here when it happened so.. it’s best if we forget it..” The whole scene was awkward and Intell thought it would be best if he left back to the fortress.

Months had passed and the fortress’ construction was finally complete, the recruits trained, their armor forged by Terra and everyone was fitted to protect. The guys were all trained, and I had managed to learn as much as I could from between both the gem’s memories and Archimedes. My book collection began to grow, as did my three children. Moon Shadow was getting taller and smarter, as did her brother Bluemoon’s Crescent, and her sister Horizon’s Shadow. They were twins and they were a couple weeks old.

As for the Apple family infestation problem, I had managed to get the others to help out, though as I already thought, Jack was less than willing to accept the help. As for Flam, we managed to persuade him so the construction of guns ceased, with the offer of a large amount of gold that is. We hadn’t heard anything about this glorious leader after we retrieved the orb, so I assumed with his plans left in ruins, that he slipped away into the darkness in defeat. Everything was running smoothly.

I now had a family of my own, I raised the guardians into something that could do great things for the lands, and I had become someone that my children could look up to. I was at an all time peak of my life and everything was fine. But then again, was.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

“Alright, we gotta get moving.” I told the alicorn next to me. Arch raised his head and we started heading our way away from the beach we had been sitting on for nearly a full two hours. He looked to me with a bit of confusion.

“What do you mean? That’s it? I have so many questions, and only a couple of them have been answered! The story can’t end there!” He yelled. I looked to him and nudged his side as I began to lead him through the field and over the hills towards my destination.

“Don’t worry, the story’s not done yet Archimedes, we just need to be heading out before the sun sets.” I looked to the sky and seen that the clouds had rolled over and it gave the sky a grey look, quickly followed by the light tapping of rain. I looked to Arch and he gazed back at me. “I’ll finish telling you once we make camp under some shelter. Tomorrow I need you to head to Canterlot and tell Celest that I’m going to be a while. So hopefully I can finish my story tonight before I need to head out.”