>Fucking hell your head hurts.
>”Stay still, pain is to be expected.”
“Ugh, my head…”
>”You’ve come quite a ways. Just try and stay calm.”
“W- What happened to me? I was- sitting on my couch- and there was a light.”
>”We can explain everything in time. Please rest.”
>You can’t rest. It’s not in your nature to do nothing.
>”What is your name?”
>You struggle to your feet.
“Anon.”
 
>”Hydra’s Piss!”
>”Silence!”
>There’s more than one of them.
>You’re slowly getting your vision back.
>”You really should sit down.”
>She rests a hoof on your chest and-
“Hoof?”
>”Oh my… please stay calm.”
>You step back and rub your eyes.
“You’re a- pony?!”
 
>She’s a bit smaller than you and a vibrant pink.
>She also has a pair of wings and a horn on her head.
“Pegasus? Unicorn? Where the fuck am I?!”
>”Please remain calm.”
“How the hell can I remain calm when I get kidnapped by a fucking mystical creature?!”
>It’s not just her either, there’s a dozen other unicorns and pegasi about.
>”My name is Cadence, I wish we could’ve met in better circumstances.
“You think?”
>”I will explain everything in time, just let me.”
>Okay Anon, calm your dick down.
“Fine…”
 
>She leads you off of some kind of altar, the guards keeping a close eye on you.
“Exactly why am I here?”
>”We brought you here.”
“So you did this? Why?”
>”Because Equestria needs a hero right now, and you’re it.”
>Hero? That’s just rich, what are they going to think of next.
>”This is no laughing matter. Things have gone to Tartarus and back.”
“Don’t mean to disappoint you, but I’m not a hero. I was barely an athlete.”
>”A hero transcends the physical, Anon. We know this well.”
>The two of you enter a great hall, pictures etched into the stone walls.
>”You are not the first to come.”
 
>”When the Griffon tribes united against us, a hero rose to fight them.”
>”When the Dragon Migration threatened our existence, a hero rose to sway them.”
>”When the Gates of Tartarus broke open, a hero rose to send them back.”
>She turns to the last picture at the end of the hall.
>”When chaos tore its way across the land, a hero rose to bring peace. You are that hero.”
“You may not know this, but I’m not exactly from around here.”
>”Neither were they.”
>She places her hoof on the wall.
>”They were like you, human.”
“Bullshit.”
 
“I’m a nobody, literally. It’s in my god damn name.”
>”You’re the hero Equestria needs. Please…”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
>She bows her head in defeat.
>”Then he has won.”
>A minotaur bursts through the doors wielding a giant axe.
>Thank god you said no.
>”Iron Will, what’s wrong?”
>”The gate’s have been breached. He’s coming here, now.”
>”Not this soon, we aren’t ready yet.”
“What’s not ready?”
 
>”Take him, get him and as many others out as you can.”
>”Understood Princess.”
>Cadence escorts you back to the main chamber.
“Princess? Something you want to tell me?”
>”I am royalty no longer. Not since he arose.”
“He?”
>”The god of Chaos… Discord.”
>The doors to the chamber throb as they block the oncoming horde.
>”I promised to give you an explanation as to why you’re here, but for now I need you to follow Iron Will.”
“This conversation isn’t over.”
 
>The minotaur grabs you by the collar and drags you back.
>”It is for you boy.”
>Your struggles are useless against him.
>”When things are at their darkest, do not give in to temptation.”
“What does that even mean?”
>”It means you’ll figure it out later when the plot needs you to.”
“Did you just-“
>”Shut up.”
>Iron Will grinds open a hidden tunnel, a line of ponies swarming inside.
>”It’s been an honor Ma’am.”
>”Keep him safe.”
 
>He nods, the last of the ponies through.
>He replaces the stone wall, blocking you off from Cadence.
>Wood shatters from the main room, a familiar hiss cutting through the air.
>”Ripley, down girl.”
>That must be Discord. You can hear the evil within him.
>”Cadence my dear, such an honor to finally meet you.”
>”Do not think you can sway me like the others.”
>”If I wanted to, you’d be kissing my feet like a good little slave, but I’m in a good mood today. Your little resistance has finally come to an end.”
>She chuckles, “You are too late, he has already returned.”
>”And you think some hero can stop me? Didn’t you learn anything from before?”
 
>”If you think you have a chance against me hero, think again. This is not my first rodeo.”
>You listen at the wall, Iron Will waiting for you.
>”I think it’s time you met an old friend.”
>Cadence screams in agony.
>”You hear that hero? You’re next.”
>”Stop! I’m begging you!”
>You can hear the smugness in his voice, “Ok…”
>A sickening crack rings out, followed by a heavy thud.
>”Twilight tear this castle about until you find that man, and bring me the prisoners, I want them alive!”
 
>Iron Will pulls you away and down the corridor.
>She stayed back… she could’ve betrayed you to him.
>But she didn’t. She was the better man, manlier than you.
>You follow the group through the caverns eventually finding the way out.
>The cold air chills your body, but it’s nothing you haven’t felt before.
“Where are we?”
>”The Shoh mountains, our last home.”
>Snow drifts down from the sky, coating the brute with a small white layer.
>”We are broken.”
 
>This is all that’s left of them.
>A group of around thirty, cast out from their home.
>You get a good look at where you were, the castle ablaze in an inferno.
>An army stretches out from the gates, a sea of evil and death.
>And you’re supposed to stop that?
>Fucking hell, you’re beyond screwed.
>Your group makes camp for the night.
>You sit by the fire, shivering as the ice begins to wear on you.
>A blanket is wrapped around your shoulders.
>”Thought you could use this.”
 
>A unicorn sits next to you, her mane white as snow, with the snow atop snow.
>Snowception.
“Thanks.”
>She smiles and holds her hooves in front of the fire.
>The fire shimmers against her shades, her cobalt hair swaying slightly.
>”So you’re the big hero we were expecting…”
“You could say that.”
>You. A Hero. A pipe dream at its finest.
“How long have you been at war? It can’t have been easy.”
>”Two and half years if I recall, not that it matters anymore.”
>You can’t even comprehend fighting for that long. It doesn’t seem possible.
 
“Where to next?”
>”There is no next. We left our last home behind. For now, we run and we survive.”
“That’s no way to live.”
>”Nop0ny said it was living.”
>You slip into an uncomfortable silence between the two of you.
>You pull the blanket around her as well.
“My name’s Anon.”
>”Vinyl.”
>The two of you watch the fire burn away.
“Nice to meet you Vinyl.”
 
>You wake up on the ground next to Vinyl.
>A good night’s sleep is supposed to get rid of your problems.
>Whoever said that was a liar.
>You wrap the blanket around her and walk around camp.
>Most of the ponies are still asleep, though a few are attending to their effects.
>They look up at you with hazy eyes.
>They’ve gone for so long fighting a losing battle.
>They’re tired of fighting. They just want it to end.
>A sizzling sound flutters to you, drawing you in.
>Nothing smells quite as good as bacon in the morning.
 
>You find Iron Will sitting at the edge of camp, holding a skillet over his own fire.
>He’s cooking some eggs and bacon. Delicious.
“Mind if I join you?”
>”Not at all.”
>You clear a spot of snow and sit beside him.
>”Care for some breakfast?”
“Never turn down bacon.”
>He laughs a little, slipping you a few slices.
“Thankya kindly.”
>”We’re in this together. To the End.”
 
>”Tell me a little about yourself.”
“Nothing much to tell. Just a regular guy, making his way through life.”
>”Any family?”
“Nah, they passed by the time I got out of College, and I haven’t seen my brother in ages.”
>”Sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past now.”
>You savor your meal, knowing the picking are going to get scarce.
>Out of all the people in your world, they picked you.
>Not a soldier, or a politician, or a doctor.
>A run of the mill guy.
>Why?
 
>Iron Will slurps down his eggs, getting on his hooves.
>”We got a long day ahead of us.”
>He whistles, one of the stallions approaching fast.
>”Yes sir?”
>”Get everyone ready to move. We can’t afford to be sitting around.”
>”Aye aye.”
>He rushes off, stirring up the rest of your group.
“We have a place in mind?”
>”We’re going to regroup with one of our scouting parties that was caught outside when they struck.”
“Strength in numbers right?”
>”I’d rather us be together.”
 
>He lifts his axe over his shoulder and looks outwards.
>”Let’s get moving. We’re burning daylight.”
>Your group moves through the icy wastes.
>You stay up front with Iron Will, helping him clear a path forwards.
“So what exactly are we up against here? Dragons? Hydras?”
>”Kid, I’ve been fighting this war since the start and I still can’t answer that question.”
“How can you not know?”
>He sighs, his voice tired.
>”I’ve seen all of what Equestria has to offer, and they’re not it.”
 
“So they don’t exist in this world.”
>”You got it.”
>So you’re fighting things they haven’t even seen before.
>Iron Will stops, eying the peak of a nearby hill.
>”Something’s wrong.”
>He looks back to the group.
>”Prepare for battle.”
“There’s no one there, you’re just overreacting.”
>”Let’s go.”
 
>He charges up through the thickened snow and up the hill.
>You can hear the clanging of steel as you get closer.
>Fuck he was right.
>You get to the top and overlook the battle field.
>You’ve got ponies on one side and… that can’t be right.
>“Charge!”
>You’re left stunned as your group advances into the fray.
>They- They don’t exist. It’s not real.
>”You coming or what?”
>Vinyl pushes you downhill and into the war zone.
 
>A rush of heat hits you as the battle turns into a cluster-fuck.
>You can’t fight them. This is just…
>”Look out!”
>Vinyl pierces on of the creatures with her horn.
>It collapses, Vinyl beating it to a pulp.
“It’s not real…”
>”Better start believing, cause they know you are.”
>You reach into your pocket, finding your knife still there.
>You flip it open, standing back to back with Vinyl.
 
>One of the creatures lunges at you.
>You meet it with a knife to the neck.
>It gurgles as its blood oozes from its neck.
>You kick out its front legs and curbstomp that bitch.
>You stab it repeatedly in the skull, its blood spraying onto your face.
“Die you piece of shit!”
>You stab it in the eye socket, a few sparks shooting out.
>You breathe deeply and lean back.
“Fucking husks.”
 
>Adrenaline pumps through your veins.
>”Good job with that one.”
>But there’s more.
>You tackle a second husk landing on its back.
>You punch at its ribs, neck, skull, legs.
>Whatever you can.
>This thing doesn’t exist for a reason.
>Vinyl rushes over and breaks its spine with one buck.
>”You need to work on your form.”
 
>You want this to end.
>A deep metallic groan escapes from the crowd.
>You know what that is as well.
>”Show them that you rock!”
>You push your way over to Iron Will, standing face to face with a Black Knight.
>Your mind is so full of fuck right now.
>He lunges forward, striking it dead in the chestplate.
>The creature roars in pain, smacking him away with one hand.
>Fuck fuck fuck!
>It pulls the axe out of its chest, twirling it around with ease.
 
>You charge forward, the Knight’s axe raised. *clunk*
>You fall back on the ground, stars spinning around your head.
>The Knight looks at you, freezing.
>”Target Acquired.”
>He drops the axe, picking you up by the throat.
>”Hero…”
>You lay limp at his mercy.
>”Return to base.”
>He turns around, Iron Will picking up his axe.
>”Forget something?”
 
>He plunges the axe into the knight’s back.
>You fall to the floor as the knight wails.
>Its body disintegrates into ash, floating away.
>The axe however, keeps going, landing between your legs.
>Inches from your junk.
>You look up at the minotaur.
“The fuck man? You trying to kill me?”
>”Not yet anyways.”
>He drags the axe backwards, slicing another husk in half.
>He gets you back to your feet, though you’re still disoriented.
 
>With the Knight gone, the husks aren’t much of a threat.
>The group dispatches them one by one.
>You take a rain check while Iron Will protects you.
>That bump to the head really took it out of you.
>The last of them scurry off past the horizon.
>”Status report.”
>Vinyl gets back to you two.
>”Three casualties, seven wounded.”
>”And the others?”
 
>A pegasus lands beside her.
>”No casualties, though we’ve all taken some hits.”
>Iron Will nods, “Good to see you still kicking Soarin.”
>”Likewise big guy.”
>He looks at you warily.
>”Who’s the new recruit?”
>”He’s our last hope,” Iron Will replies.
>”So the ritual worked? This is great news, we may be able to turn things around.”
>He extends a hoof, “The name’s Soarin, Captain of the Wonderbolts.”
“Anon, pleased to-“
 
>”Anon.”
>He pulls his hoof away looking to Iron Will.
>”You playing a joke on me or what?”
>”It’s no joke.”
>He grunts and rolls his eyes.
“Was it something I said?”
>”You better be worth it.”
>He looks back to Iron Will.
>”Keep the guy at bay, or I will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
 
>Soarin trots away, only angering you further.
“I said, what the fuck is that supposed to mean!?”
>He bucks you as you try to follow, sending you on your rear.
>”Maybe you should put him on a leash?”
“Fuck you!”
>You stand up and dust yourself off, swatting Iron Will’s hand away.
>Vinyl pulls you away from him.
“I’m going to kill him.”
>”I think you need to calm down.”
>You’re as fucking calm as you can be right now.
 
“How do you expect me to react? Huh?! I was stolen away from my fucking home for a fight I don’t have a god damn stake in!”
>”Anon please-“ Iron Will starts to speak.
“No. I had a life, I had dreams and aspirations. And then you guys just said ‘NOPE! Chuck fucking Testa.’ You have RUINED my life.”
>You kick one of the corpses next to you.
“And don’t even get me started on these fucking guys! You metallic husk pieces of shit.”
>You pound the lifeless body with your shoe, only serving to tire you out.
>”So… you know what these things are?”
 
“Yeah I do,” you kick the husk in the skull, “These things are called husks. Basic infantry type units, weak as fuck.”
>”Do you know how to fight them?”
“I know how to pull the right trigger on my controller. This thing isn’t supposed to be fucking real.”
>It’s from a video game for god’s sake.
>”I don’t follow.”
“This thing doesn’t exist. It’s an idea, a fucking thought. This place entire place is one shitty nightmare.”
>Kicking the body one last time you storm off through the blooded battlefield.
 
>A frozen stream lies before you.
>You sit down and place your head in your hands.
>This seriously can’t be happening to you.
>You pick up a small stone and roll it in your hand.
>”Care if I sat next to you?”
“Kind of.”
>She sits regardless, “Good view you have here.”
“Shame the smell ruins the occasion.”
>You toss the stone onto the frozen water.
 
>”I know how you must feel.”
“No, you really, really don’t.”
>She lowers her shades, her dazzling red eyes shimmering.
>”Fair enough, but I do know what it’s like to lose a home.”
>She bows her head, “When the mane 6 fell, so did our hopes at salvation. Chaos spread like a plague, my home, Canterlot, was at the center.”
“How did you escape?”
>”I didn’t. I was in Ponyville at the time, one of the lucky ones I’ve been told.”
“No one is lucky in war.”
>”Only the dead can truly find peace.”
 
>”I know you don’t have a stake in this fight, but we do. Every day that passes, more of us fall to that tyrant who calls himself our leader. We need a hero, and you’re the closest thing we’ve got left.”
“And what if I can’t win? What if I can’t beat Discord?”
>She cocks her head, “Discord?”
“The tyrant. The guy who I’m supposed to stop. That’s his name right?”
>”Discord’s been dead for years. Didn’t the princess tell you this?”
>No she didn’t. She didn’t tell you anything.
>”Our hero slew the chaos god in Canterlot Castle, only to turn into something far worse.”
>You look back to the stream, gingerly getting back to your feet.
 
>”I thought they would’ve told you.”
“It doesn’t matter. Human or… whatever the fuck Discord was, he’s nothing more than a rabid dog. I’m just the vet who puts him down.”
>She joins in your walk back to the camp.
>”You had me worried back there you know. You almost sounded like Anonymous did.”
>You freeze, Vinyl not noticing until you speak up.
“What did you just say?”
>”I said you had me worried-“
“After that. Who did you say I sounded like?”
>”Anon you’re scaring me.”
 
“Please. Just… tell me his name.”
>It couldn’t be him. You were told he’d died.
>Could it though? No, it’s not possible.
>But neither were husks and black knights, and here they are.
>”His name…”
>You hold her and look her dead in the eye.
>”Is Anonymous.”
>You shiver, though not from the cold.
>But from something worse.
 
>His voice was different. Aged maybe?
>”Why’s his name so important?”
>Corrupted more like it.
“I knew this man… At least, I think I know him.”
>Could he have really changed so much, so fast?
>”You- really?”
>He wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t.
“Anonymous, Anon. We were always so close…”
>Your eyes drift back to the burning castle lying on the mountain’s edge.
“The man is my brother.”
>The bastard who left you…