Corporal Nonymous - Super Anonymous 2: Two Worlds (Part II)

Previously:

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>The sight makes you want to vomit. You fly away as her piercing laughter rings in your ears, joined by a chorus of chanting, chittering changelings that take up chase of you.

>Sweetie Belle is crying into your side as the sounds of the winged monstrocities grows louder as they grow nearer.

>Focusing every last bit of your will into speed, you blast forth, trailing a purple cone of light behind you as you leave them all behind, heading towards the darker half of the sky.

>Your mind races almost as fast as your body. How could Chrysalis survive such a thing? How can you beat something like that?

>Spike might know. Or Anon. You need your friends. You need to regroup and come up with a plan. Your only hope is to travel to Canterlot. You remember that Twilight, Trixie and the Wonderbolts are travelling there, as are Spike and Shining Armor.

>A thought occurs to you. What if the guards accompanying Spike and Shining Armor were changelings themselves?

>Shining Armor had to have been with the fake Cadance for some time... What if he was replaced? What if the Shining Armor with Spike wasn't actually him at all?

>What if Spike...

>You close your eyes and keep going forward, holding tightly onto your sister.

>You hope nothing bad has happened to him...

 

 

>ANOTHER CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE, THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY...

 

>You are Ironos Greyhorn, of Clan Greyhorn. But most know you as the Iron Will, an unbreakable bastion of strength, resolve and determination.

>And you are broken. Your battle brothers scattered and dead. Your blood brother, a betrayer.

>You strain as you try to recall what happened.

>A terrible darkness swept over the land. You were sent out to explore the surrounding regions to see if you could find out why.

>Your party was ambushed by demons. Foul creatures from the Abyss itself, summoned to the mortal plane, bloodthirsty and ready for battle.

>As they cut you and your warriors down, they chanted a name...

>Baphomet. The Horned King, Ruler of the Endless Maze, the Trampler, the Prince of Beasts, and the title you loathe the most, the Minotaur Lord.

>For centuries, your kind has battled against itself, waging a war between primal and civil nature. The howling blades, leaders of the Temple of Ire, hold true to the more ancient ways of minotaur culture; raiding, pillaging and raping.

>They revel in blood, carnage and life's simplest pleasures.

>Yet, this has made very few friends for the minotaur people. The other half believes in moving beyond the barbaric lifestyle of old, citing the successes of the civilizations of other races as evidence that there are better ways of thinking.

>This caused a split, dividing many of the minotaur clans into one of the two groups. You thought yours was on the side of civility, until today...

>Your brother. Sutrusk. He has sold himself to the Horned King, and revealed your party's position. Demons swarmed over you, killing your battle brothers, among them some of your closest friends.

>You grit your teeth as you try to rise from whatever bed you are in. You try to think about how you got here. You slaughtered the demons, and then there was another...

 

>A strange form, feminine, with devilish hooves, wings and a tail. Her skin as red as blood, and eyes as black as the Abyss, burning with green fire.

>Her power was great, far greater than your own. She blasted you with waves of hellfire, forcing you to flee, to leave the bodies of your brothers behind.

>You ran through the forest, broke through a clearing, and then---

>"Don't get up," you hear a soothing voice tell you. You feel a soft, small hand upon your chest, urging you to lie down.

>You want to defy her, but something about her voice tells you that she can be trusted.

>You manage to open an eye to behold your savior.

>A human? She wears a soft, spring-yellow dress covered in small vines and flowers. Her hair, a flowing light pink, hides half of a pretty face. Caring blue eyes and a smile decorate her face.

>She looks like a druid. An earthen staff of wood and plant lies next to her.

>"Can you speak?" she asks in a soft tone.

"Yes," you whisper, barely able to choke out a response.

>She nods. "Good. My name is Fluttershy, and I am not going to harm you. I want to help you. You are hurt. May I help you?"

>Odd. Surely she must know the reputation of your kind? Is she not afraid? Your instinct tells you not to trust her. This may be a trap. Historically, humans and minotaurs are not friends, so why would this one help?

>Yet, there's something odd about her that puts you at ease. Against your better judgment, you nod, giving her your consent. You're not in much of a state to do much else, with your wounds and burns.

>With a smile, she takes hold of the staff and begins working her druidic magic, casting soothing spells of healing and warmth.

>You close your eyes, allowing the healing magic to cleanse your muscles of their soreness and your burns of their sting.

 

>You groan in pain as some of your deeper wounds seal up. Then, you hear a sound, low and melodic, which grows in pitch.

>Is she... singing?

>"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head, hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."

>Is that a lullaby? You haven't been sung to like this since you were but a babe, resting in your mother's arms.

>Part of you should find this insulting. A warrior, proud and strong, being tended to and sung to like a child.

>But again, there's a strange part of you that welcomes it. It feels comforting, and in a dire time like this, you could use comfort.

>Then, an instrument begins playing subdued notes to go along with her lullaby. Opening your other eye, you look over to see another human. This one is dressed like a bard, with an instrument to match. Her fluffy, erratic hot pink hair sticks out in almost every direction and she wears a happy, carefree grin on her face.

>Bardic and druidic magic works together to heal you as you feel your strength returning. Your blood is pumping through your veins. You clench your hands and unclench them.

>Together, these two humans have saved you, healing your wounds to the point where no evidence of them ever having been there remains.

>You open your eyes and sit up. The druid stops singing and the bard stops playing.

>Fluttershy scoots close to you. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much," you reply, and then you regard her with some scrutiny. You roll your tongue around in your mouth---you haven't had to speak human dialect in a long time. "But why help me?"

>"Why would I not?" she asks, and not a single hint of sarcasm do you detect in her voice.

"What if I had been a howling blade?"

>"I'm afraid I don't know what that is," she says.

>"Is that like a singing and dancing sword?" the other asks.

 

>You cock a brow upwards at her odd comment.

"Surely you know of the barbarism that minotaurs are capable of."

>"Well, no, not really," Fluttershy shakes her head. "I just saw someone who was hurt and needed help."

>Now this is truly surprising. They know nothing of your kind, but are willing to help what must look, to them, like a monster?

"What a strange thing to find in the forest: a being guided by kindness..."

>She smiles. "Everything deserves a little kindness, don't you think?"

"I don't always have the luxury of affording kindness," you reply, moving to stand on your hooved feet.

>"How'd you get so mangled?" the other, more pink one asks.

"My friends, my fellow warriors, slaughtered by demons that were brought upon us by brotherly betrayal."

>Fluttershy stands and puts a hand to her mouth. "That's horrible! Are you alright? I mean, your spirit must be so terribly wounded by a loss such as this!"

Your close your eyes. "I will grieve when the battle is done and justice is dealt. There was another among them that burned me, but my brother's treachery stings the most. I must return to my home and save my clan. I must warn my father."

>The pink one bounces next to you. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go kick some minotaur butt!"

>You look down at her with a fiery glare, causing her to back away. "Well... present company excluded, naturally!"

"I am in debt to you both. But you cannot come with me. I won't allow it."

>Fluttershy daringly takes hold of your large hand. "But, why? Surely you don't intend to return alone!"

"This is an internal matter. One of honor. My brother's hands are stained with the blood of many of my clan's finest warriors and I must make him pay."

>You sigh and close your eyes.

"Though it pains me for we share blood, I must slay him. There is no other way for him to atone, for he is now in the Horned King's fold."

 

>You kneel and take your greataxe from the ground, hoisting it over one shoulder. You turn back to look at your two allies.

>The young druid's eyes are full of concern. "But, we can help you. We've both magic, and we're apart of this now as well."

"No, you aren't," you tell her. "You've healed me and given me the chance to make what is wrong, right. For that I am grateful, but I cannot repay my debt until I have done what I must do. Please. Every second I waste is a second lost."

>Your firm stance causes her to let go and nod. "Alright," she says, saddened. "But I never got your name."

"I am Ironos, the Iron Will. Thank you Fluttershy and... Pink Bard."

>"Pinkie Pie!" she proudly introduces herself.

You nod. "Very well. Once more I thank you for your help, and I will find you when I have finished my task."

>You leave the two of them behind, venturing out into the dark forest. You know these lands like the back of your hand. You'll make it home in no time.

>Your brother waits there.

>An hour into your journey, you are halted. As you step out into a large field, several pillars of fire emerge from the ground.

>Shadows form within them, humanoid and canine forms. When the spiraling flames disperse, the moonlight shines down upon your foes: a pack of demons. Evistros, canoloths and, to your dismay, a bloodseep demon.

 

>The evistro. The carnage demon. In many ways, one of the simplest of creatures that the Abyss can birth. It resembles an orc with no skin, only red tissue and veins atop powerful muscles. Its arms and feet end in claws. They howl and prepare for battle, the only reason for their existence.

>The canoloth. Hunting hounds of the Abyss. These fleshy, hairless dogs have plate armor stamped into their flesh. Their heads have no eyes, no nose and no ears; only a large, circular tooth-filled maw from which emerges a long, dripping, spiked tongue. Like evistros, they hunger for flesh and attack in groups.

>But their leader, the bloodseep demon, is the one you know you must be truly wary of. It stands tall as a man, hunched over and its back covered in boney spikes. Its poisonous weeps and spurts from its white, cracking body. Four arms, each ending in claws, drip with the same poison. Its large mouth twists into an odd parody of a smile as it commands its demonic brethren to charge at you, then it teleports away within a wisp of white smoke.

>The first carnage demon to reach you howls as it splays out its claws, bringing them from up high.

>With your greataxe in both hands, you charge forward and duck your head down low, impaling him upon your horns. You knock two more aside as you clear their group.

>The demon on your head makes some kind of guttural cry of pain as you stop and use your axe to push him off of your horns. Demon blood runs down into your hair as you lift your axe up high and sever his head from his body.

>You turn just in time to knock aside one of the hounds. The canoloth leaps into the air. You bring your axe up and use it like a shield, diverting it and knocking it into the earth.

>Hefting your axe up, you prepare to swing it down when you feel the lash of one of the hound's tongues upon your back, drawing blood. It howls to the others, who get excited that first mortal blood has been drawn.

 

>Focusing, you bring the axe down and cleave the dog in half. Spinning around, you use your hoof to knock the other aside, its round body rolling away.

>Looking up, you see two carnage demons coming close, with their bloodseap leader behind them.

>With a low swing, you chop off one of their legs, but the other escapes without a wound, nicking you on the arm with its claws.

>Another canoloth strikes your thigh with its barbed tongue, forcing you onto a knee. Then, a third shoots its long tongue out and wraps it around one of your arms, holding you in place.

>Roaring with fury, you stand and pull against the hound, grabbing hold of its tongue and hoisting it upwards.

>Like a flail, you swing it around in a wide arc, knocking it against its demonic allies. The barbs on the tongue dig into your hand but you care not.

>Once the demons are all knocked aside, you bring the hound up high and slam him into the ground. You do this three more times; splattering the demon until only a fleshy pulp of armor, organs and bone remains. You cast it aside.

>The bloodseep demon teleports behind you, digging its poisonous claws into your back before you can react. You grunt in pain as the poison enters your body. You try to shake him off, but again he vanishes, allowing the four claw wounds on your back to spill fresh blood.

>Three of the evistros surround you now. You feel the poison burning in your veins, and your vision is swimming.

>One of the canoloths howls, and the unearthly howl rings in your soul, rattling your brain.

>But you are the Iron Will, and you will not fall prey to such a howl. With rage building in your body, you stand and spiral, holding your axe out.

>The three carnage demons have hardly any time to react as your whirlwind attack hacks them down, lopping off limbs and heads and cutting torsos in half.

 

>As you slow, a canoloth hound leaps up and wraps its tongue around your leg, cutting into it and dragging it towards its maw of teeth.

>Another carnage demon manages to hack at your stomach, drawing more blood.

>In the outer ring, you see the bloodseep leader, using his blood to heal the wounds on his allies. Upon you, it is poison. Upon them, it is a healing paste, sealing wounds and reattaching limbs.

>Another canoloth strikes out, its tongue wrapping around the handle of your greataxe. It is trying to wrestle it from your grasp.

>You grunt and pull back, unable to stop from shouting in pain as another carnage demon leaves a large, terrible gash along your shoulder.

>When last you fought a pack like this, you had friends with you. They died to demon claws and teeth. You swore to them that you would avenge them.

>It seems that it may not come to pass.

>You always knew you would die in battle.

>You see the bloodseep demon approaching, its claws ready to pump you full of another dose of its poison.

>Closing your eyes, you prepare for what is to come.

>A roar, one vastly different from the demons, emerges from the forest. The trees and plants part as a monster charges through. A winged lion with a spiked tail---a manticore!

>And upon its back ride the druid who saved your life, Fluttershy!

>The manticore roars as it leaps into the air, its impressive wingspan allowing it to glide across the field, right onto a carnage demon.

>The demon squeals as the manticore opens its jaws and crushes its skull between them.

>Then, its spikes tail swings to the side, lobbing three spikes into one of the canoloths, sticking it like a pig.

 

>The bard, Pinkie Pie, bursts through the forest behind them, playing some kind of guitar. She throws her head back and shouts, "HERE WE ARE! Born to be kings, we're the princes of the universe!" She slams her fingers down on the strings, blasting the demons with lyrical energy. "HERE WE BELONG! Fighting to survive in a world with the darkest powers!"

>She continues to play and sing, sapping the demons of their resolve.

>Fluttershy leaps from the manticore's back, holding her staff. She commands vines to emerge from the ground, pulling against the two hounds that are latched onto you.

>The one on your axe lets go, allowing you to turn and hack the tongue holding onto your leg clean off.

>The now-tongueless hound rolls back, blood pouring from its maw. You bring up a hoof and slam it down onto its side, crushing it.

>Now, you turn and look at the bloodseep demon. You point your greataxe at him and roar a challenge.

>Holding its four arms out, it roars its acceptance and you both charge each other.

>Fluttershy commands a rock buried in the earth to break the surface, tripping the demon.

>You smile as you bring your axe up and use all of its weight and your muscles to bring it down upon his head, splitting it in two.

>Pinkie Pie and the manticore settle the rest as Fluttershy walks up to you. You sit, catching your breath as you feel the poison burn within you.

>"I'm going to heal you," she says, readying her spells.

"I did not tell you to follow me," you say slightly grudgingly.

>She gets a determined look on her face. "Now listen here. We helped you once, and we're not going to take 'no' for an answer again. This darkness is making things too dangerous for any of us to go alone. You should know this."

 

>You look into her eyes, seeing her fierce determination. It reminds you of your own strong will, in a way.

You chuckle a bit. "Alright, human. We'll play this your way. But when it comes time to face my brother, I will face him alone."

>"I understand," she replies, beginning to cast her healing magic. "But we'll still be behind you when it happens, ready to intervene."

"I'll not come to rely on you," you swear.

>"I always rely on my friends. Because I know that they're relying on me. I know how to end all of this darkness, Ironos. I'd like your help. If I help you solve your problem, will you join us and stop Nightmare Moon?"

"Who is Nightmare Moon?"

>"The one who brought this darkness that has unbalanced nature. Animals, trees and spirits are in disarray from the change. We must stop her."

>It sounds even more severe than you thought. And now, you can return to your home and tell them of why the darkness has come.

"I will help you," you tell her as you feel the magic dispel the poison from your body and seal your wounds. "And... Thank you, Fluttershy."

>She smiles warmly. A friendly smile. "You're welcome."

 

>You are Fluttershy, and recently, you came to possess the power of nature through an enchanted earthen staff. This was after you and your closest friends were hurled into a fantasy world created by some strange god of chaos from the imagination of your friend Anon.

>With it, you have powers and abilities unlike that which you have ever dreamed. The trees speak to you, as do the animals. You feel the pulse of the world and are one with it.

>And right now, the world suffers. A terrible blight has been brought upon it, an unnatural darkness cast by Nightmare Moon, formerly Princess Luna, driven mad by jealousy and rage at her sister Celestia's news of her bearing Anon's child.

>While that itself deserves quite a bit of investigation, you're currently far from Canterlot, deep in the woods.

>You've met a minotaur, a proud warrior named Ironos, the Iron Will. You saved him from death---twice, actually. The first time, he was near death. The second time, he was attacked by a pack of demons.

>You rode in on your new friend, Mr. Whiskers, along with the bardic Pinkie Pie and helped him slay all of the demons.

>Mr. Whiskers, of course, being a ferocious-looking manticore, a winged lion with a barbed tail. But he's really nice, once you got to know him.

>You ride upon him still, alongside Ironos and Pinkie, as the minotaur leads you towards his home. He has sworn to help your cause and stop Nightmare Moon, but he must first save his people and his family from the treachery of his brother, Sutrusk.

>He has remained mostly silent. Pinkie Pie, however, has not.

>"So, are all minotaurs as big as you? 'Cause you're really, really tall! I bet all minotaur doors must be super-duper big to fit everyone through them!"

>"Some are," he answered rather bluntly.

"How do you know where we're going?" you ask him. "You seem so certain of your path."

>He looked up into the night sky. "The stars are guiding me. We're not far from my home."

 

>Pinkie smiles. "I wish I could read the stars. I picked out a star once and it was my favoritest star in the whole wide universe, but then I forgot where it was, so I just pretend to find it again and again each night! It's a lot of fun trying to find it, though!"

>Ironos leans over to you. "Must she prattle on unceasingly like this?"

You giggle softly. "It's just her way."

>Just as Pinkie is about to say something else, Ironos stops you both and holds up his hand. "Shhhh," he says, kneeling low. His bovine eyes peer through the dark woods.

>You squint in the same direction. You begin to see a fire, and as you listen more intently, you hear the soft beating of drums. Mr. Whiskers growls faintly beneath you.

>"That is my village. I must go to them. But... I fear something is wrong. I wish for you to remain at the ready, should something go wrong."

>"Maybe you should give us a signal!" Pinkie whispered almost loudly enough for it to be considered normal conversation.

>Ironos nods. "Very well. I shall simply shout, 'Now!' if I need your help."

>Pinkie seems sad. "Awwww. Can't it be something cool? Like, 'Caw-caaaawwww' or a loud, sharp whistle or something?"

>Ironos blinks a few times as he stares blankly at her. She gives a bashful smile and shies away.

>He turns back to you. "Be prepared."

>You nod and hold aloft your druidic staff, preparing a spell. You cast a fog over yourself, Pinkie and your manticore friend, to obscure any outside vision. It's a magical mask that makes you three appear as little more than dense foliage, perfectly blending in with the surrounding.

>The minotaur moves up, breaking through the clearing. Many of his kind note his approach and grow silent as he strides through the camp.

>You make your way around the side, sticking to the forest but keeping him in sight. His tribal home is a collection of many tents and huts, with large fires and many minotaurs. They're a very simple folk, but strong and hardy-looking.

 

>Ironos makes his way to the largest of the tents, where a large, old grey minotaur sits, with pale eyes and a thick robe. He resembles a chieftain or shaman of some kind.

>He says something in his native tongue that gets the old cow's attention. You realize that you've no idea what he is saying. Pinkie Pie nudges you and asks if you know what he said.

>Holding your staff and careful as to not attract any attention, you cast upon yourselves a spell of linguistic comprehension. As you do so, Ironos' words slowly change midsentence into a form you can recognize.

>"Futor, gu-unt tarro shey va'ha, toor guoah shutori na brother has done something horrible. He has betrayed me and my battle brothers to demons. I watched him consulting with a devilish whore who granted him the power to summon these creatures."

>The old figure, presumably his father, looks up at him with discerning eyes. "These are extremely bold claims. You believe him to have forsaken everything he holds dear, including his own family?"

>"I have seen it!" Ironos shouts. "My flesh has tasted the claws and teeth of demons he himself summoned! I demand he show himself. I demand the right of kanly. Bring him forth to meet my challenge, that I may avenge my battle brothers!"

>"Your right is denied," a voice calls out. Many of the minotaurs assembled, including Ironos, turn to view its source. A minotaur with dark grey hair, darker than Ironos', with his chest and mouth painted with blood emerges from the shadows and looks at his brother with hateful eyes.

>"You are no longer recognized as a member of the Greyhorn clan. You do not have the right to declare kanly." Sutrusk folds his arms across his chest and stares Ironos down.

>Ironos points at his murderous traitor of a brother. "You lack any such authority to back up such a damnable claim! You are not the warchief!"

>"It is true, he is not," their father says, standing as he does so. "But I am. And I am the one who made the decision."

 

>Ironos' eyes widen. "Father! You cannot tell me you share in the madness that has taken over my brother's soul! Whatever lies he has told you, they are false!"

>"He hasn't shown me lies. He has shown me truth. The griffons were planning an invasion of our lands. We have been given a chance to finally wipe out this menace once and for all and conquer the territory they took from us so long ago."

>Ironos stomps his hoof into the earth. "This isn't our way! We swore that we would seek out a route of peace, to prosper! That we would break free from the endless cycle of violence that has kept our species in the darkness of barbarism for so long!"

>Sutrusk laughs. "Did you really think that such a path could be found, brother? With the haughty griffons making an alliance with the humans and the dragons? They meant to wipe us out, you pathetic fool. Finally, we have a chance to not only destroy their kind, but offer the greatest sacrifice to Baphomet in generations: that of a thousand griffons."

>Ironos' eye burn with a fury greater than any you have ever seen. "Do not speak that name here! We do not pay tribute to that false king, that mad demon lord! We are not the howling blades! We do not stand with him!"

>"Wrong," his father cuts him off. "You do not. You and the warriors we killed. You are all that remains, now."

>Ironos looks around, seeking help from his people. He finds only cold stares, unsympathetic and cruel. You see the despair and desperation creeping into his visage when he realizes he is alone.

>Sutrusk laughs once more. "You are the last of a dying breed, Ironos. The great misguided idealists will all be purged from our grand minotaur kingdom, drowned in a river of their own blood, burned in the fires of a hundred villages and their screams will be blocked out by the beating of the drums of war!"

 

>Ironos hefts his greataxe into his hands and roars in defiance, charging towards his brother. You're about to jump in to help him when he is suddenly blasted by a gout of green flame emerging from the ground.

>The fires knock him backwards, flat onto the ground. He shakes his head and tries to get back up, but suddenly a whip cracks and wraps around his neck, pulling tightly.

>You gasp as the night sky lights up with a sudden burst of green fire as an all-too familiar figure appears, flapping her red, devilish wings.

>Sunset Shimmer holds onto the other end of the whip, strangling him. Her face is twisted into a malevolent smile, enjoying the pain she is giving the creature.

>"We need to help him!" Pinkie says, but you hold her back. You're desperately seeking an opening of some kind.

>Her grip tightens as she cackles and speaks in her otherworldly voice, "And here I thought I had killed you the first time with my hellfire. Seems that if you want something burnt to death, you had better remain to ensure that it stays burnt."

>Ironos tries choking something out, but cannot say it.

>Sunset's smile grows as she floats down to the ground, planting her cloven hooves into the dirt. The minotaurs around her fall to their knees and kneel before her fiendish glory. She revels in the attention for a moment before turning back to the rebellious warrior.

>"You stupid, weak cow," she mocks him. "Did you really think you could come here on your own and stop what I have set in motion?"

>Behind her, two massive pillars of fire rise, illuminating the entire region. Dark shapes begin to take form in them, and when the spiraling cyclones of flame disperse, two gigantic demons remain---goristro demons. They resemble minotaurs, only far more savage looking, with terrible horns and claws. Their hooves could easily crush and stomp you.

 

>One of them holds a cage. A bird cage, to be specific. You gasp once more as you realize that it contains the griffon you saw in Canterlot, the emissary from the Griffon Kingdoms---Gilda!

>She screeches and squawks to be released, but her cries are ignored.

>"Behold our key to victory, brother!" Sutrusk says. "With the griffon emissary as our prisoner, we will lure the leaders of their kingdoms out to a trap and slaughter them all!"

>Sunset looks down upon Ironos and loosens the whip around his neck. "Any final words?" she says with a sickeningly sweet voice.

>He takes a few deep breaths before he rears his head back and shouts, "Run!"

>You had expected him to give you the signal. Instead, he's telling you to run.

>No! You won't let him die!

>You command Mr. Whiskers to leap forward and you crash through the forest, dispelling your camouflage as he pounces upon a group of minotaurs, knocking them aside. He kicks his hind legs up, launching you from his back.

>With a shout, you command the earth to quake and shatter beneath you. The surprised minotaurs, Sunset and goristro demons fall back as the ground shakes and splits open.

>Behind you, Pinkie Pie charges out of the forest with a tambourine in hand, shaking it and shooting lightning bolts from it. You don't pause to question the strange powers her instrument allows her to wield.

>Landing next to Ironos, you summon a small rock from the ground, shape it to a keen, sharp point and use it to sever the whip around his neck.

>Unaffected by the quake thanks to your power, he reaches for his greataxe and picks it up. In a flash, he is ready to fight. You stand by his side, along with Mr. Whiskers and Pinkie Pie as the quake stops.

>Sunset Shimmer flies upwards, escaping the violent shaking. She looks down upon you with fury initially, but then it fades into a pleased expression.

 

>"Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie! How utterly delightful. You get to be the guests of honor at our feast tonight! Originally, I was only going to have minotaur steak... but human flesh tastes just as nice."

>You stand up to the girl who was once your high school bully, now a terrible demoness with command over a legion of bloodthirsty monsters.

"Give up now or die," you threaten her with words that are rather bold coming from your mouth.

>Finding the notion ridiculous, she slaps her knees as she laughs at you. "You’re surrounded, nature girl. Not even your new powers can save you now."

>All around you, the minotaurs ready themselves, equipping arms and armor. The goristros stand, growling menacingly, setting their red eyes upon you.

>Ironos looks down at you. "I told you to run."

You look up at him and reply, "I never leave my friends behind."

>Sunset laughs. "Oh yes, your friends. And what have they done for you? Here you are, about to die, and the only thing your friendship with them ever brought is your own destruction! But enough of this. Now, you---"

>"GOTCHA!"

>Rainbow Dash descends from the clouds above, wielding not only her magical sword but a second one as well. Her wings glow with a bright blue energy that trails behind her as she soars down and slices cleanly through both of Sunset Shimmer's wings with both swords.

>Sunset screams in agony as she falls to the ground, the stumps where her wings once were burning with a bright, nearly white fire.

>"Rainbow Dash!" you and Pinkie both shout in relief.

>"YEEEEEEEHAAAAWWWW!" a familiar cowgirl voice rings out. A golden lasso wraps around the horns of one of the goristro demons as Applejack appears atop its head, with a sword that matches the second one Rainbow wields in one hand and the end of her lasso in the other.

 

>The goristro violently shakes its head, but cannot rid itself of the super-powered cowgirl. "Woah there big fella! Ya ain't gonna get rid a'me that easily!" She yanks back on its horns, causing it to rear its head upwards. She leaps forward and embeds the sword right into the center of its skull, piecing its brain. Its minotaur-like eyes and mouth burn with a white fire as it dies, dropping the cage with Gilda in it.

>Thinking quickly, you command a nearby tree to shift its branches and softly catch the cage.

>Ironos roars and the battle properly begins. He wades into the throng of minotaurs who were once his kinsmen, hacking away at them. Pinkie Pie's tambourine transforms into a drum, and every time she beats upon it, it creates a resounding thunderous clap that knocks her enemies down.

>Rainbow Dash doubles back and flies low at the other goristro, slicing at its heel. This forces it down onto one knee. Mr. Whiskers leaps onto its face, clawing and tearing at it, lobbing spikes from his barbed tail into its flesh.

>Applejack leaps from the top of the falling demon that she felled, rolling as she hit the ground. The demon crashes into the earth behind her, crushing a few tents beneath its massive, hairy frame, along with Ironos' father. She's in the battle instantly, kicking aside a minotaur much larger than herself with her super strength, causing it to fly back and knock into three others.

>Another tries to bring an axe down upon her, but she instead catches the head of it in her hand, smiles at the dopey expression on the cow-man's face and breaks the metal in her fingertips before delivering an uppercut to his chin so hard that he flies ten feet into the air.

>All around you, the battle rages. You thrust your staff into the air, calling upon nature to come to your aid. The stars and the moon vanish as you form clouds overhead, and from them thunder rumbles.

 

>You point your staff at a minotaur and command lightning to strike it, which it does. The warrior falls over, charred and dead. You hate to be doing this, but they chose their path and you've chosen yours.

>Each bolt of lightning you bring down upon the minotaurs saps their morale. Soon, many of them are fleeing into the woods rather than face you and your friends.

>The still-living goristro tears Mr. Whiskers off of his face and flings him aside. He tries to stand, but Rainbow Dash is there in an instant, hacking away at his legs. Each slice from her new sword leaves burning white fire upon the demon's flesh, wracking it with pain and suffering. It falls onto its side.

>Applejack leaps atop its head, mentally commanding her lasso to wrap around the demon's neck. She pulls it tight, strangling it, before plunging her sword into the beast's neck. White fire pours out of the demon's mouth as its insides are ignited by the magic of the sword, and soon it too is dead, burned from within.

>Ironos hacks, hews and crashes his way through the fleeing minotaurs, seeking only one other person: his brother.

>But Sutrusk finds him first. The traitorous minotaur charges into his brother, knocking Ironos off of his feet.

>Sutrusk holds up a crystalline dagger, poised at his brother's heart. Ironos reaches up and blocks as the blade is thrust downwards, halting it just above his chest.

>The brothers grunt and growl as their stare into each other's eyes, their strength matched as they push against each other. You run to the top of the nearby hill to observe them. You very much want to help him, but you remember your promise to him: he would handle Sutrusk alone.

>Ironos gets a hoof on the ground and uses it to push upwards, unbalancing his brother. Now he is the one on top, and quickly stomps on Sutrusk's arm to get him to release the knife.

 

>Sutrusk brings up a fist and slams it into Ironos' face, but now the Iron Will has the knife. He stomps on his brother's chest, his hoof leaving an imprint upon it and knocking the wind from his lungs.

>He poises the knife and thrusts downwards at his opening, straight into Sutrusk's neck. It goes upwards, into his skull. Ironos holds it there until his brother stops moving.

>He stands up, panting heavily, covering in sweat and the blood of his family.

>"Kanly is done," he mutters. "May your soul forever burn in the hell you chose to go to, brother." He spits upon his corpse, leaving him with his blade implanted in his neck.

>Picking up his axe, he strides back into the ruined camp, finding you there waiting for him.

>"It's done, then?" he asks.

"You tell me," you reply.

>He looks around. "I was born here. It wounds me greatly to see my people reduced to this."

"But you're still alive," you tell him. "And you can return to this place and start something new when we are done. I can even help you... if you'd like."

>He looks at you with a curious expression. "A very strange, but... interesting proposition," he says, stroking his chin. "I still owe you my life. My axe is with your cause."

You wave your hand. "Don't think that you're in my debt, please. You're my friend." You reach out and take hold of his large, surprisingly soft hand. "We're in this together now."

>He smiles warmly.

 

>"Hey!" Your moment is interrupted by a rather shrill, annoyed voice. "Will one of you fools get me out of this cage already?!"

>Gilda is struggling to escape. Rainbow Dash flies up and slices the lock with her sword, freeing the griffon. The catlike avian creature climbs out and looks at her.

>Rainbow stares rather awkwardly at her old friend, wondering if the creature before her remembers her at all. "Hey... Gilda. Sup?"

>"Don't think this changes anything between us, Dash," Gilda says, referring to some event that Rainbow clearly had no recollection of. "I don't owe you anything."

>"Um, sure?" Rainbow says uncertainly. Below them, Applejack is busy tying up Sunset Shimmer with her golden lasso.

>"Kill her!" Gilda shouts, landing next to the cowgirl. "She deserves nothing less for locking me up!"

>"Quiet, you," AJ replies, holding up her lasso. She takes the tiara off of Sunset's head, causing her to revert to human form. AJ places the tiara upon her belt.

>She looks up at you all with teary eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

>Rainbow shakes her head. "Oh yeah? How do we know you're telling the truth, huh?"

>AJ shoots a skeptical look at Dash. "Uh, Dash? Lasso of Honesty, remember?"

>"Oh... yeah..." Rainbow says with a blush, remembering well its effects.

You approach and kneel in front of Sunset, getting on eye-level with her. "Tell us what you know."

>"Discord. He's got something planned. I don't know what it is... he just set me and the other five loose and told us to wreak havoc. He pointed me in this direction... guided me to take over the minotaurs and demons... I had no choice! And all that time in the darkness of Luna's prison... Please, please don't send me back there! I beg you!"

>Applejack holds up the lasso. "Where's Nightmare Moon?"

 

>"She's on the moon. I... I don't know how to get there. But I know she has Celestia there, and that some kind of trap has been laid in Canterlot. Your friends... Anon, Rarity, Twilight and Trixie... they're all on their way there now."

>Dash's eyes light up. "We need to get there and stop them from falling into it!"

You ask, "But how? We don't have any way to get there fast enough!"

>Applejack smiles. "Oh, don't worry, we have a favor to call in from a... 'friend,' let's just say." She looks at Dash and nods.

>They both hold up their silver blades and cross them, fusing their energy together and creating some kind of bright portal.

>Sunset looks up. "But... but what about me?"

>AJ looks down on her with a sorrowful face. "Sorry, honey. But our success depends on handin' you over to the folks you made angry."

>Sunset's eyes open wide. "No! Not the archdevils! You can't do that to me!"

>Rainbow shrugs. "We already made the deal. How do you think we got these cool swords?"

>You almost have to look away as Sunset's tears flow even more freely. "Please! I'm sorry, it wasn't my fault!"

>AJ sighs. "We'll come back and get you when we're done. But you threw us into hell and made some powerful enemies, and I don't mean just us. You got some overdue punishment, and it's out of our hands." Lifting the girl up, she takes her to the portal and throws her in.

>Then, both she and Dash hold their swords up and toss them into the portal, which then closes.

>Pinkie scratches the back of her head. "Okay, is anyone else just as lost as I am here? What in the hay just happened, exactly? Not that I'm disappointed to see you both---Side note: YAY! I'm so glad you're alive!---but seriously, what's going on?"

>Applejack places her hands on her hips and explains, "Sunset threw me an' Dash into hell."

You bring your hand up to your mouth. "Hell? Oh, my..."

 

"Literally sent us to hell. We fought our way through three damn layers of that place before we were invited into the head honcho's house."

>Pinkie's face drains of color. "You mean... Satan?"

>"Well... He didn't call himself Satan. His name is Asmodeus. He gave us those demon-slaying weapons and explained to us that Sunset Shimmer was using demons, the thing that devils hate more than anything, to spread chaos. And who knew, devils hate chaos and like law, so they're on our side against Discord. Since Sunset herself was a devil, this subjected her to some kind of ancient set of rules they have in hell... She's going to be punished for breaking them."

>"Fitting," Ironos said.

>Rainbow excitedly added, "But now we can call in Asmo-whatever-his-name-is for a favor! Let's get to Canterlot immediately and save our friends!"

>As if on cue, a flaming hellgate emerged, startling all of you. It resembled a wide door, and beyond its fiery ring was Canterlot!

>"Let's go!" AJ says, running towards it.

>Dash, Gilda and Pinkie run up to it. You turn back and look at Mr. Whiskers.

"You stay here, Mr. Whiskers. Go on; go be with your family. Thank you so much for your help!" you say, rubbing his head. He purrs and licks your hand before turning and taking off into the night sky.

>Ironos looks down at you and smiles. "Shall we go save the world?"

With a determined look in your eyes, you smile and reply, "Absolutely!"

>With him and the rest of your friends at your side, you enter the hellgate and step onto the cold, dark streets of Canterlot.

>The next stage begins now.

 

>ONE FINAL CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE...

 

>You are Anonymous, and you are exhausted.

>Flying through what seemed like the entirety of the Underdark as a shapeless stream of fire was taxing.

>You found your exit, however, and now you lie upon the side of a volcano, panting as you look up into the night sky.

>The night sky... Luna. Nightmare Moon. Celestia. It all comes back to you in an instant.

>The events that led up to all of this... this madness.

>And Discord. Madness seems to be his game.

>The moment he crosses your mind, you think you see something in the night sky.

>A red light... like a star, growing. It's very distinct against the clear, cloudless sky.

>It's him.

>Whatever he is, whatever he's coming in, that's him. Somehow, on some primal level, you simply know that it's him and he's getting closer.

>You struggle and groan as you try to sit up. You hold out your hand, summoning the die.

>You don't roll it. For a moment, you simply observe it.

>Everything that has happened to you lately, both good and bad, is because of this.

>This strange, alien artifact. Born from the sacrifice of an alien you never met, forged from his soul and sent across the galaxy along with countless others.

>You've tried so hard to use it to be a force for good, after you got your childish kicks out of it.

>If what Celestia claimed was true, about her being pregnant, you're still paying for those "kicks."

>Despite your best efforts, it's brought more problems than solutions into your life.

>You almost wish you could chuck it away and be done with it... but it would just return to your hand when you willed it.

>And then there were Discord's words about it being a tool of chaos.

>It's what led him to you. You're the one who created the world you now find yourself trapped in.

>Has it done more good or bad? Do you control its influence on your life or does it control your influence on it?

 

>You sigh.

>Questions like this aren't going to accomplish anything beyond wasting time.

>Discord is on his way and you need to believe that you can stop him. Just need to stick to the plan.

>Which was...

"Canterlot!" you say aloud.

>That's the last place everyone was at. Logically, everyone would try to go back to it.

>And even if they don't, it's the best place to start.

>You look around, searching for a good place to roll the die on. A rock, jutting out from the side of the mountain, seems flat enough.

>Crawling towards it, you catch your breath one last time and roll the die upon its surface.

 

>The die rolls rather unevenly, but comes to a stop.

>37.

>Your old friend, technopathy. One of the first powers you ever received.

>But what could you possibly use it on that would be of any use to you in a world of fantasy and magic?

>You are about to roll again when you feel it. Your wrist console, the device you created the last time you had technopathy, suddenly activates.

>It's using your returned power as a way to boost its own functionality. Or are you doing this subconsciously?

>It lights up with a new signal. You look at the GPS screen, seeing that something is approaching your position.

>You look up into the night sky and squint, focusing on a bright light that grows larger. You hear the sound of turbines pierce through the quiet and reach your ears.

>No... It can't be... can it?

>Your eyes shoot open as Robbie soars down, his wheels converted into hover modules as his body turns to "park" in the air right next to you.

>His silver coat and black windshield shine in the moonlight.

"Robbie!" you joyfully exclaim as you leap up to your feet and place your hands on the hood. "I don't believe it!"

>"I am here, Anon," Robbie replies in his calm voice. "I have been searching for you. Your homing beacon suddenly reactivated and I honed in on your position. I believe something wrong may have happened to the world."

"Understatement of the century," you reply, climbing into the driver's seat.

>Your technopathy allows you to link with Robbie's mind, in effect merging your organic brain with his AI by matching the frequency of his electromagnetic fields to synchronize with your neurological impulses.

 

>Doing this allows you to "become" Robbie in a way---accessing all of his impressive databanks, sensory information, scans of the world.

>You gain glimpses of portions of the real world, the one you came from, still remaining with this one, spliced together. Chaos resulted from this, as the wildly different inhabitants of the two worlds were forced to meet each other.

>But, more importantly, you also learn the location of Canterlot from studying his maps. Leaning back in the chair and buckling yourself in with your mind, you command Robbie to fly towards the city.

>The vehicle rears back and turns away from the mountainside, taking off in the direction you desire.

>Robbie accelerates to top speed, sensing your urgency. Like a silver streak of light, he races across the night sky.

>In the distance, Canterlot and the mountain upon which it sits looms.

>Robbie's sensors pick something up. A strange energy signature that has been previously encountered by the machine. The frequency matches the one put out by Flash Sentry's tech-armor.

'Spike?' you think to yourself.

>You turn to intercept it, as it is near Canterlot. Robbie's windshield interior changes to a heads-up display and zooms in.

>Several airships were there, lit up with battle. Flashes of green and purple, with dark creatures you don't recognize buzzing about the ships.

>Robbie focuses on the source of the signal and you see Spike, his new armor activated, locked in battle against... Shining Armor? Twilight's brother?

>Something is very wrong.

>You bring Robbie close and activate his battle mode, enhancing the transformation process with your technopathy.

 

>As the vehicle flies over the deck, it changes from its sleek body into a suit of powered armor, with plates shifting and disconnecting as the new form emerges. You are at its heart and the armor forms around you, creating first a mesh of interfacing material, then a subarmor before solid plates of a titanium alloy lock in.

>You are the suit now. It is as though a second skin, allowing you a mobility, strength and arsenal unmatched by any human.

>You land upon the deck, your robotic feet digging into the wood and metal. Spike and Shining Armor break from their combat as they behold your mechsuit.

>The chest of the armor parts, exposing yourself to them.

"What's going on?" you demand to know. Behind them, a purple paladin is attacked by two of the black humanoid insects and dragged over the edge.

>Spike is the first to speak. "Treachery! These changelings have taken Shining's mind and replaced half of his men!"

>"'Tis a lie!" Shining insists. "This dragonborn traitor has led the changelings right into the heart of the Crystal Empire and Canterlot in a scheme to gain power for the Draconic Dominion!"

"Oh come on, guys," you reply. "Don't play this game."

>Robbie's HUD lights up over the two of them and scans them. As Shining is human, it is able to compare him against normal human anatomical information.

>Robbie detects an extreme abnormality with the pattern his brainwaves. You close the hatch and raise your arm towards him, transforming the fist into a plasmic cannon.

"Come quietly or there will be... trouble."

>Shining's brow furrows as a look of uncontrollable rage paints his face. He roars and charges forward with his sword.

 

>You sidestep his swipe, punching out with your other hand. You don't nearly use full power, as you want to avoid damaging the brother of the woman you love.

>He blocks it with his shield, trying for a low stab. You step out of his reach again.

>This time, Spike belches forth a green fireball that he is forced to deflect with his shield. This gives you an opening to reach down and pick him up by the leg.

>He shouts for assistance and suddenly you are swarmed by five of the changelings, their black forms crawling all over your armor, biting and clawing at it, trying to find an opening.

>You drop Shining and turn your arm's cannon into a flamethrower, angling it to fire upon yourself.

>Trusting in a fire-resistance of the metal, you burn the changelings on your surface. They screech and cry out in pain as they fall off onto the deck, shifting into various forms as the flames cause their carapaces to crack; exposing the tender green flesh beneath that quickly shrivels up from the heat, leaving only hollow, smoking husks behind.

>Shining is back up on his feet and tries to stab at you from behind but is stopped by the head of Spike's spear.

>He spins around and tries hacking at the dragon's golden armor, but finds himself unable to cut it.

>You turn and curl your mech's free hand into a fist and conk him on the head, rendering him unconscious.

"Hope that works," you say to Spike as you turn, activating your jetboot thrusters and reigniting the flamethrower.

>You soar around the deck, burning the changelings out. Robbie has finished scanning them and can detect them even while disguised, allowing you to pick out who is truly who.

>Behind you, Spike engages the changelings on his own, stabbing them with his spear, burning them with his fiery breath or shooting them with his armor's own plasma cannon.

 

>Around all seven ships you fly, seeking them out. After the twelfth of them killed, they seem to get the idea and hastily form an organized retreat back towards Canterlot.

>You land upon the deck alongside Spike.

"Mind explaining what's going on?" you ask the dragonborn.

>"Rarity and I found ourselves lost in the frozen wastes of the north. We found refuge in a cave, then the Crystal Empire. I joined Shining Armor in what I believed was a strike force to retake Canterlot... but was merely a trap for these changelings."

"You think more of them are back at the Empire? And what about Rarity?"

>"She stayed behind. Her sister is there with her. The remaining Crystal Empire soldiers on these ships aren't as many as I had hoped. But with you here, I think we can still take back the city. We are closer to it than we are to the Crystal Empire."

"Alright. I've scanned the crew and no shapeshifters or changelings or whatever remain. Lead them to Canterlot and meet me there."

>"You mean to scout ahead?" Spike asks. You nod. "I should come with you."

"Lead these men and meet me there," you insist. "I have a feeling that we'll need their help and we can't have any of the ships turning back now. They've lost a lot of men from this trap. Inspire them and remind them what they're fighting for. Oh... and tie him up, in case knocking him out didn't work," you point at Shining Armor.

>Spike listens closely to your words and nods. "We will be there within the hour."

>You acknowledge him and take off from the deck, flying towards Canterlot. The darkness of night is thick around the city and the full moon shines overhead.

>The city is still impressive to behold, but now it is a shadow of its former self. Cracked wall, broken windows, fog in the streets. An evil has infested this city.

 

>You land in the center of one of its cobblestone streets, scanning the area for any signs of life.

>Nothing. Only shadows that treacherously move in the corner of your eye and fog.

>Walking down the street, you reach a large town square with an elaborate fountain in the center built around a statue depicting Celestia. You look up upon it, knowing that she is still captured, waiting for you to rescue her.

>Robbie's sensors detect some kind of noise. You turn, turning the suit's lights on, but find only thick fog.

>Your eyes narrow. Something in the fog is taking shape. It is tall, thin and gangly, with arms as long as its wispy body.

>Two white, soulless eyes materialize within the shadow-creature's head, staring at you. This is no ordinary creature of darkness.

>It raises its arms, each of its fingers long and boney. Robbie's sensors suddenly detect physical movement from behind it.

>Shambling, skulking forms emerge from behind the nightwalker. Pale, naked, with flesh resembling drained clay. Their heads were human in shape once, but were now stretched and narrow, with a mouth that hung perpetually open and deeply set, sunken black eyes and no nose to speak of, only thin slits of nostrils.

>These undead you know well from your old manuals of monsters. Bodaks, formed from the kills of nightwalkers like the shade that loomed over them.

>Some of them carried weapons. One of them, a child, carried a teddy bear in one hand.

>These people were dead. They had no hope for any peace beyond a merciful death. You raise your arm and turn it into the cannon, readying yourself for battle.

 

>Then, they are gone. They blink away into nothingness and you stand there, confused and on edge.

>They reappear all around you very suddenly, using their fists and weaponry to slam into your armor. You back up, trying to shake them off as the bodaks swarm over you.

>Your shoulder opens and a weapon emerges; a rotating minigun. It spins around, locking onto their forms before spiraling into its active state and unleashing a concentrated hailstorm of bullets into their necrotized flesh.

>They tear away as your weapon sprays into them. You lift up your left arm and shake two of them off as you stomp onto another one, splitting it in half with your foot.

>Whipping around suddenly, you activate your kinetic rocket fist and punching through three of them. Your arm cannon is free and you blast five more as they crawl away from you.

>You reach up and take hold of one on your back and hold it out in front of you. You throw it at two more of them and then lob a grenade from your back-mounted mortar cannon, blasting all three of them into oblivion.

>The nightwalker appears before you, rising from the shadows of the cracks in the pavement. It sticks its long fingers into the spaces between your armored plating, desperately seeking your flesh.

>You know how to beat it. You turn on Robbie's headlights and pump them up to full power, blasting the shade with light. It howls a high-pitched cry as it falls back, trying to scale its way up the wall.

>You lift your arm up and turn the plasma cannon to maximum power and unleash a pure beam of blue light, burning into the monster's back. It dies almost instantly, dissolving into a fine, black mist.

>You step back to admire your handiwork before turning your attention to the city once more.

>Still no sign of any survivors. You worry that creatures like the nightwalker you just dispatched have taken all of the people in the city away.

 

>It is a despairing thought. But before you can linger upon it any more, Robbie's sensors begin to pick something up.

>"Anon. There is a vehicle approaching Canterlot. It is broadcasting on a military radio frequency."

"Patch into it," you reply, before remembering that you can mentally command him to do so with your technopathy.

>Tuning to the frequency, you begin to hear a faint voice, female, speaking. "This is Sky Wonder Whiskey-Sierra-Two-Two-Seven-Niner. We are on approach to target city Canterlot at heading one-three-four November echo. Requesting friendly contact, over."

>You recognize it. Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts!

Immediately, you speak. "Captain Spitfire, this is Anonymous! I'm in the city!"

>There is silence before the most wonderfully excited voice sings out over the radio. "Anon!? Is it you?"

It's Twilight. Your heart nearly jumps as you reply, "It's me, Twilight. I'm in the town square."

>"We'll come in for a landing," Spitfire says. "Clear the area of any civvies or hostiles, because we're touching down on your location."

"It's clear," you reply. A moment later, you see a jet of some kind streak across the sky and double back, slowing down as the turbines under its wings turn to control its descent.

>You open your armor and step out into the brisk night air as the jet touches down. A moment later, the back hatch opens and Twilight comes running out, leaping into your open arms.

>She throws her arms around your neck and holds on tight as you embrace her.

>Pulling back, she plants her lips on yours in a passionate, needy kiss that you eagerly return. Clearly, she's missed you as sorely as you've missed her.

>You stare into her purple eyes and see how she's nearly tearing over at the sight of you.

 

"Are you alright?" you ask. She nods. "Where did you get sent? Last I remember Trixie---"

>"Speak of the devil and she shall appear!" Trixie says with a flourish, appearing next to you. You almost get ready to defend yourself before Twilight holds you back.

>"It's alright, Anon," she assures you, "I freed her from Discord. She's with us."

"Oh... thank god," you reply, wiping the sweat from your brow. "For a minute there, I was worried I would have to fight her again."

>"Not anymore..." Trixie says with a seductive grin, wrapping her arms around your neck to join Twilight's. You look at her with a surprised, confused face before Twilight whispers into your ear.

>"Shhhh... It's alright, Anon. She's with US."

>Before you can reply, Trixie pulls you down into a kiss, pouring every last bit of her heart and soul into it.

>She breaks it off roughly, licking her lips. "What'd you think, stud?"

"I'm very confused..." you reply, looking to Twilight for some kind of reaction.

>She seems completely cool with it, making you wonder what the hell happened between these two.

>"Pardon me," you hear a voice call out. You look up to see Captain Spitfire and Lieutenant Soarin, both wearing their Wonderbolts uniforms, step off the jet and each sporting a pair of angelic wings behind their backs.

>And behind them was Daring Do! You haven't seen her since you defeated Ahuizotl in South America! What the hell is she doing here?

>"I can see you're confused," Twilight notes. "Perfectly understandable. There's a lot to explain."

>A blast of fire to the side makes everyone react as if a new enemy materialized. You watch as a fiery doorway opens through which streams light.

>Expecting a demon to walk through, you instead are surprised to see Applejack emerge!

>And following her are Rainbow Dash, Gilda the griffon, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and... a minotaur?

 

>The hellmouth closes behind them. "Twilight!" the four friends shout, running up to the two of you. Gilda and the minotaur hang back.

"Is that a minotaur?" you ask.

>"He's my friend," Fluttershy explains. "It's kind of a long story."

"Those are starting to stack up around here..." you deadpan. “Now all we're missing is---"

>Pinkie Pie bounces up. "Hey everybody, look! It's a bird! No, wait, it's a plane! No, wait, never mind. It's Rarity!" she shouts, pointing up into the sky.

>Turning, you see a beacon of purple light flying towards Canterlot. Thinking quickly, you disentangle yourself from the embrace of Twilight and Trixie and climb into your armor.

>After it closes back around you, you aim the plasma cannon up into the air and fire three times, the bright blue blasts acting like a flare gun.

>She sees them and turns towards the town square, nearly crashing into the group. She slows down just as she nears them, looking like a near wreck.

>Her clothing is slightly torn and she looks tired. When her feet touch the ground she falls to her knees, holding her sister Sweetie Belle in her arms.

>The girls quickly surround her, supporting her. Twilight takes Sweetie and holds her closely. Fluttershy immediately begins trying to restore some of Rarity's lost vitality.

>"It looks like she's been flying for at least a day," Rainbow says, touching Rarity's forehead. "She's a mess."

>Trixie kneels down and tries to help. Applejack nearly stops her but is held back by Twilight, who assures her that Trixie is back to normal.

>In your armor, you nearly let out a laugh. The irony of calling anything that's happening here "normal" is not lost on you.

>Your HUD blinks with another approaching signal. You turn to see Spike and several of the Crystal Empire guards approaching, alongside Shining Armor.

 

>You quickly scan Twilight's brother, just to be safe. The abnormalities present in his brainwaves that you detected earlier are gone.

>Feeling safe once more, you disengage the armor and step out of it. The entourage approaches and Spike immediately goes to Rarity when he sees that she is injured. Odd, you think.

>Twilight turns to see Shining Armor and runs up to him, careful to not disturb the sleeping Sweetie in her arms.

>"Shining! What are you doing here?" she asks.

>"I... I wish I knew, Twily," he replies.

"Sorry for the knock on the head," you tell him. "You weren't exactly yourself."

>"Anon?" Twilight says with a raised brow. "Care to explain?"

"I think he was under some kind of mind control."

>"Yes!" the suddenly-awake Rarity says. Spike helps her up to her feet and supports her along with Fluttershy and Trixie. "I came here as soon as I was attacked."

>"Who attacked you?" Spike growled.

>"The Crystal Empire has been taken over. Cadance isn't who we thought she was. She's some kind of dark shapeshifting queen..."

>"Chrysalis," Shining Armor nearly spits. "I should've known. This isn't the first time she's tried to take power through treachery."

>"The Changeling Queen," Spike mutters. "I've read about her."

"One of the elements of disharmony, I'd wager," you say.

>"Speakin' of which," Applejack says, holding up a golden, emerald-studded tiara, "Sunset Shimmer isn't a problem anymore."

"Sunset Shimmer. Flash Sentry. Trixie," you say as you look to her. She looks at Twilight, who produces the amulet that held her under mind control.

>"So that's three down, right?" Pinkie asks. "This meanie-queeny must be the next one!"

>"She wasn't alone," Rarity adds, finally catching her breath. "She was with a man. Some kind of dark, evil man with power over shadow and crystal."

>"Sombra!" Shining Armor shouts.

 

>Rarity nods. "That's the one!"

>Shining clenches his fist and grits his teeth. "This is horrible. If they've joined forces and taken the Crystal Empire... the damage they could do is catastrophic."

"How?" you ask. "If they're both elements of disharmony, what would their plan be to spread chaos?"

>"The Crystal Heart," Rarity tells you. "They've taken it, but I know not what it does."

>"I do," Shining says grimly. "The Crystal Heart is an ancient artifact of great power, said to unlock the path into the hearts of all mankind. As a tool for good, it can be used to spread love, peace and joy. But in their hands... despair, ruin and pain. What's more, if they can perform a ritual dark and terrible enough to forever taint the relic, it will forever stain the souls of all men and woman in darkness."

>Everyone is silent for a moment. Rainbow gulps. "Well, shit."

>The minotaur stomps his hoof. "Then our course is clear and we haven't time to lose! We must make haste to the Crystal Empire at once to stop them!"

"Wait," you call out, causing everyone to halt and look at you. "There's something I have to say, and I have to say it now before it's too late."

>Using your technopathy, you command Robbie to hold out his palm for you to step upon. He lifts you up in front of everyone so you can look them all in the eyes, each of them showing you something different. In some of them is strength and others have fear, uncertainty and hope. You close your eyes and take a deep breath, preparing yourself.

"Everyone... I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I'm the one who let Discord make things the way they are now. I'm the one who was weak and let his words poison my mind. Because of it, the entire world is in danger. I don't... I don't even know if the elements of disharmony exist. I don't know if we can stop Discord."

>They are all silent as they exchange nervous, uncertain glances.

 

But there is one thing I know for certain, and that is that I am alive. I look at all of you, and I see that even though you've been through hell---"

>"Literally!" Applejack interrupts you.

"---Even though you've been through hell, you haven't stopped fighting. Discord tried to separate us once, and we came together. All of us are here now and all of us are ready to fight. I might not know what comes next. We're facing a force that is fueled by chaos and is almost unpredictable.

"But if you'll stand by me and fight, never giving up hope that we'll win, never giving up on yourself or each other, then I promise you that I won't either. I'll stand by each and every one of you to the very end, whatever it may be. I'm sorry that I failed you, but we've been given more than a chance to atone for our mistakes. We've been given a chance to save our worlds and bring harmony back.

"And even if it's all a lie, even if we're barreling forwards towards an inevitable end, I'm not going to give up hope that it's possible we can beat him. Seeing you all here has given me more hope than before. We're going to shake the pillars of the earths, plant our feet in the ground and dare chaos to make us move. We'll stand against the tide and show him that we're not going to give up without one hell of a fight.

"Now... I'm sure I've wasted enough time. But I wanted you all to know how I felt. I hope you can forgive me and stand by my side against him."

>"Anon," Twilight calls up to you. "It was never a question. I was always going to stand by your side. All of us were."

>Everyone nods and Fluttershy adds, "It doesn't matter what mistakes you or anyone else has made, Anon. All that matters now is that we fight to get a chance to fix them."

>Rainbow Dash's face lights up with a cocky grin. "Yeah! And with a super-team like this, not even a god of chaos can stand in our way!"

 

"Then you all understand," you say with a smile. "No matter what happens... I'll be glad to have fought alongside you all. Even you, Gilda."

>The griffon puffs up. "Humph. As if I even had a choice in the matter..."

>You hop off Robbie's hand and look at them all.

"We've still several ships that can carry us all to the Crystal Empire. We'll need to get there as fast as possible to stop whatever they have planned with the Crystal Heart. Shining Armor, your men will fly those ships. Take them to top speed, no matter the cost."

>Shining nods and his men follow his lead.

You look at the female leader of the Wonderbolts. "Captain Spitfire, we'll need your jet to accompany us."

>"Consider it done," she says.

"We'll need everyone rested up and ready for what's ahead. Prepare yourselves on the ride over."

>"So what are we waiting for?" Rainbow says, flying upwards. "Let's go!"

>Your party all turns to head towards the skydocks the airships have been moored in. As you walk, Twilight paces herself alongside you and takes hold of your hand. "Are you really not certain that this will all work?" she asks in a hushed voice.

>You look into her violet eyes, seeing the worry within them.

"No. It will. It has to," you say with a smile.

>She gives you a warm smile and a hug.

>It's good to give her hope, to help her believe.

>Even if you don't fully believe it yourself.

 

>Your considerable party proceeds towards the airships. Overhead, the turbines of the VTOL flown by Captain Spitfire can be heard.

>You board one of the ships. With you is Trixie, Twilight and Shining Armor, who steps up behind the wheel. Robbie waits until the four of you are on board before boarding.

>Signaling to his men on the other ships, he pulls a lever and the ship begins pulling away from the Canterlot dock, drifting off into the open sky.

>He turns the wheel, pointing the ship northwards, and pushes the lever into a forward position.

>The other ships follow his actions, eventually forming a wedge pattern behind him, not unlike a flight of birds.

>You approach him.

"How does this thing fly?" you ask, rather curious about the mechanics of the magical ship.

>"A bound elemental," he replies. "Great wizard-engineers devised that fire is power, and a fire elemental is a source of fire that needs no fuel. They created a ritual to bind him into the engines of this ship, continually supplying it the power it needs to move and stay aloft."

"Neat," you comment.

>You aren't too surprised---after all, this is an element straight out of one of your D&D settings.

>Still, to actually be witnessing it in motion, to actually be seeing the magic functioning, it still staggers your mind.

>Shaking your head a bit, you look back at Twilight and Trixie, who stand next to each other at the railing, staring out at the dark landscape below.

>Trixie's kiss mere moments earlier, and Twilight's receptive, almost eager reaction to it has confused you, to say the least.

>After all, you believed that you and Twilight had a bit of an understanding. Clearly, she's made some amendments to that understanding.

>You need to get to the bottom of this.

>Approaching them, Twilight turns to greet you with

 

>Twilight wastes no time in closing the distance between her and yourself and wrapping her arms around your torso. She plants a very sweet kiss on your cheek.

>Trixie, apparently not to be outdone, takes your head in her hands and turns it to allow her to kiss you. Her skin flushes red and she inhales sharply as she does so, closing her eyes and even moaning a little.

>She breaks away and her eyes flutter open as she sets a half-lidded gaze upon you. Twilight, meanwhile, is still hugging you and hardly reacts to Trixie's action with anything more than a slight giggle.

You try to focus. "Girls, I think I deserve an explanation about... you know..."

>Twilight looks up. "Well, it's a bit of a story," she begins. "Trixie and I fought in a desert on the other side of the world."

>"A duel, magic against magic!" Trixie says rather dramatically, her old stage personality showing a bit.

>"And I was able to stop her and remove the amulet that Discord was using to control her."

>Trixie leans in close to your ear. "And then, we travelled, searching for you. We bonded over our mutual affection for you... and each other."

"Wait, what?"

>Trixie leans back and cocks an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. We got to know each other in many intimate ways."

>Twilight blushes and playfully pushes Trixie's shoulder. "No need to go into detail about it, I mean..."

>Trixie looks into your eyes. "Unless Anon wants to hear it, of course..."

>You blink a few times. Is this really happening? Is this going where you think it's going?

>"So, we decided that we would, um," Twilight twirls a piece of hair between her fingers, "share you."

>It hits you like a ton of bricks. You look between the two girls, waiting for one of them to break character and reveal the joke, but there is no joke to be revealed.

>They're serious.

>It's happening.

>Twilight gets closer. "Hey, Anon... is there somewhere on this ship more private where we can talk about this?"

>Trixie's eyes light up with a mischievous glint.