Chapter 6

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For the second time since his arrival, Derek awoke confused, covered in sweat, and once again, shirtless. His eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to figure out what was going on, and where he was. His senses slowly returned, allowing him to realize that there was something new to this. He was tied to the bed with chains.

He pulled on the chains, but quickly gathered that they would not give. Giving up to retain his energy, he set to his mind to remembering what had happened that led to his current predicament. It didn't take long.

Memories of blood and violence flashed through his brain. He closed his eyes as the memories took hold, and he allowed them to surge unbothered through is mind. His muscles surged as the bloodlust once again began to take hold, and he could feel the power coursing through his veins.

No a voice in his head said, and instantly, almost as if someone had hit a switch, the power ceased. Panting, Derek blinked the sweat away from his eyes, and waited for his breath to return fully. When it did, he noticed that he was no longer alone in the room.

Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, watching him curiously. She stood there, her head slightly tilted as if she didn't know what to make of Derek, even though he'd been her student for practically two months.

"Um, Twilight, do you mind telling me why I'm tied up? And where the hell is my shirt?" Derek spoke the words forcefully, the taste of that power still fresh on his tongue.

"To make sure you don't go crazy and kill everypony."

Derek stared at Twilight, the surprise clear on his face.

"Kill everypony? Twilight, why would I do that?"

Twilight continued her weird stare, her eyes boring deep into Derek's.

"Sorry, Derek, but after last night, I don't know what to think of you."

"Don't know what to think of me? I was protecting Rainbow Dash…I think."

"You slaughtered those things, Derek. You didn't just protect Rainbow, you ripped them into pieces! I'm sorry, but we have to be cautious. Don't worry though, the princess said she would explain everything to you when she got here."

Derek snorted. "Tell me Twilight, where exactly is here, cause we're obviously not in Fluttershy's cottage!"

Twilight nodded. "No, we're not. We're in my library."

Derek laughed sarcastically. Maybe it was the tiredness, maybe it was the fact that he was tied to a bedpost, but he just felt extremely mean today.

"You want to be cautious, so you take the vicious killer to the center of town. Sorry Twilight, but I just don't see where this whole cautious thing comes in. After all, I could rip these things in half if I wanted to!"

This time it was Twilight's turn to laugh.

"You're forgetting Derek. I'm a powerful unicorn who has been studying magic all her life. You don't even know what your magic can do! Hay, I'm not even sure what your magic can do!"

Derek and Twilight sat in silence for what seemed like forever. The only sound that broke the barrier was the awkward hoof shuffling of Twilight. Thankfully, a large crash from outside ended the awkward moment.

"Oh, that must be the princess!" Twilight said, before rushing out of the room.

Well that was fun Derek thought to himself.

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Derek, Twilight, and Princess Celestia sat in the main room of Twilight's library. The room was silent as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Derek sat there, rubbing his sore wrists and glaring at Twilight, who returned the look.

There was a knock at the door, and a few seconds later the other five ponies were gathered in the room. There was some mild chatter between the ponies, as they greeted each other and sat down, though Derek noticed that all of them seemed to be keeping their distance from him.

Princess Celestia cleared her throat, and the noise subsided. She gazed at each one of the ponies, before beginning to speak.

"I have gathered you all here to address the events which occurred last night. I know Twilight and Rainbow Dash have filled you all in, but there is more to this than meets the eye."

Celestia looked directly at Derek, who fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"The first thing that needs to be cleared up is those creatures that attacked Derek and Rainbow Dash. They are called gargoyles, and they're quite a violent species."

Fluttershy raised her hoof uncertainly. The princess smiled, and pointed at her, which seemed to make the yellow pegasus even more uncomfortable.

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath.

"Princess, I was just wondering, but, um, I know just about ever creature and critter in Equestria, and I've never heard or seen of gargoyles… but, you know, I could be wrong…"

Fluttershy trailed off, her brief confidence evaporated. Princess Celestia smiled once again at the shy pony, as she felt the need to suddenly give her a hug. Dismissing the feeling, she spoke.

"You're right Fluttershy. Gargoyles aren't from Equestria. In fact, they're not even from this dimension."

"Wait, hold on a second." Derek was the speaker this time. "If they're not from this dimension, how did they get here?" He paused, a disturbing thought entering his mind.

"Did I bring them here?" He said this quietly, his eyes locked on the princess.

Celestia shook her head. "No, Derek, you didn't, at least not directly." She sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that the gravity of what she was about to tell the human could deeply affect him.

"They were brought here by the creature that destroyed your dimension."

The air was sucked out of the room in a collective gasp. Derek blinked a few times, his mind racing as it tried to understand what she had just said.

"Wh-what?" he stuttered.

Celestia shook her head. "It arrived here a short time after you. It followed the trail left by your magic into this dimension. I felt it the moment it came here, and managed to hurt it. This creature, it's not used to fighting magic, and while I couldn't destroy it, I took away its ability to destroy worlds in one blow."

The princess stood tall, her eyes passionate and fiery.

"That doesn't mean that it's defeated. It can still open up portals to other dimensions, and that is what it is doing. It's building an army, one of gargoyles. If my assumptions are correct, it will try and destroy all of Equestria so that it can absorb the magic and return to full strength."

Celestia smiled grimly at the group gathered before her.

"Tomorrow, I will announce the situation to all of Equestria. I have already told the news to the griffons, as well as the dragons, and they have been preparing themselves for war. Tomorrow, we shall join in the preparations."

Rarity stood up, worry in her voice.

"Princess, I trust your judgment completely, but do you really believe that we can fight these beasts? I'm no history master, but there hasn't been a war for a very long time if I'm not mistaken!"

"You are not, Rarity. The last major war was a thousand years ago, between Nightmare Moon and I. However, I truly do believe that we can rise above this threat and defeat it. Besides, when we do engage this creature in battle, it won't just be Ponykind fighting it, it will be every being in this world going up against it. The last time such an allegiance was formed was during the Discordian War, and I do believe those turned out quite well."

The princess continued her speech, confidence shining in her voice.

"That brings me to the other important issue I must address, which is you all. Each on of you, save for Spike and Derek, represent an Element of Harmony, which means that in this war, you must lead our forces."

Applejack let loose a surprised yell.

"Wait just a second ther, princess. Ah respect ya n' all, but why in Granny Smith do we have to lead?"

The princess looked at Applejack curiously.

"That is one of the duties of the bearers of the elements. I know it's not exactly fair, but you must do it. Besides, the world recognizes you all as the defeaters of Nightmare Moon. Seeing their heroes on the front lines would be a huge moral booster. I would know."

Spike, who had been strangely silent for the entire time, finally spoke.

"So what will Derek and I do?"

"Derek will also be leading our forces, as he has proven that he is a capable fighter, even if he does need some training. As for you, it all depends on your size. After all, you are still a baby dragon."

Princess Celestia looked over all of them, her presence demanding attention. Each one of them were surprised by Celestia's demeanor, for she was acting entirely different thatn what they were used to.

"Are there any questions?"

Silence answered her.

"Good. Tomorrow, you all will begin training, physically, mentally, and in some cases, magically. I will send a carriage around noon, and you shall depart for Canterlot, where your training will take place. Also, go ahead and inform our family and friends of what I have told you. They deserve to be warned. Now, I must go and prepare for tomorrow."

The princess turned to leave, but paused, and looked back.

"Oh, and Applejack?"

The earth pony looked at the princess.

"Try and convince your brother to enlist. He could be very useful."

Applejack snorted. "Princess, it be impossible to convince him not to."

Celestia nodded, than resumed her walk outside. Derek stood, and quickly followed her, a question burning in his mind. He caught her just as she was preparing to take off for Canterlot.

"Princess!" he shouted.

Hearing him, she turned around.

"Hello Derek." she said calmly. "What is it?"

"You know more about my magic than you let on. Heck, you know more about it than I do!"

Celestia nodded. "And I assume you want me to tell you about it."

"Yes"

The princess sighed. "I do really have to go, but I can give you a quick rundown of it. Basically, your magic is much different that the magic in Equestria. Our magic is made of harmony and care, and while it can be used in battle, that is not its main purpose. That is, however, the purpose of your magic."

"Go on"

"Your magic is made for hunting, for fighting. It's the magic of survival, the type of magic required in a world such as yours. While it can do some of the thing's Equestrian magic can, such as levitate objects and create things, its primary use is as a weapon in battle."

Derek began to pace, curiosity burning in his mind.

"But, why did I lose control?"

"Because you have so much of that magic in you. Your magic will lash out at anything it perceives as a threat. That is why you need to train. So you can get it under control, and wield it. Now, I really do have to depart. Farewell, Derek."

With a flap of her wings, Celestia launched into the air, and disappeared.

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Tears flowed the next day as the group said goodbye to their family and friends. Twilight made Spike stay and watch the library, though every fiber in her being wanted him to come along. She openly cried as she gave him one last hug, and though Spike didn't want to admit it, he shed a tear or two.

Pinkie Pie, normally extremely peppy and happy, wiped tears off her face as she said goodbye to the Cakes. They were as close to parents as she could get, and she didn't know when she was going to see them again.

Rarity, being the drama queen that she was, balled as she kissed Sweetie Bell on the head, her tears dripping into her younger sister's face.

Applejack gave Granny Smith a gentle hug, went over to Big Macintosh, who had wholeheartedly agreed to the princess' request, and gave him a big bear hug. Then she went and picked up Apple Bloom off the ground, locking her sister in a tight embrace.

Rainbow Dash, who didn't have any family in Ponyville, said goodbye to only Scootaloo. The two pegasai raced around Ponyville one last time, before Rainbow Dash, fighting back tears, had to say goodbye.

Fluttershy softly cried as she bade farewell to her animal friends, all the while instructing Angel Bunny on what to do and when to do it.

Derek, being the only human in Equestria and the only ponies he knew all that well were coming with him, sat in the outskirts of Ponyville by the carriage that had arrived almost five minutes ago. Gradually, the others joined him, still sniffing and wiping away sorrowful tears that had been leaked during their goodbyes.

The group boarded the carriage, and immediately took off for Canterlot.

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Derek and the rest of the group ran through the winding halls of the royal castle, desperately looking for a way to the courtyard. They had landed in Canterlot, and had been given barely enough time to find their rooms before being ordered to proceed to the courtyard to begin their training.

"Over here!" Twilight shouted, beckoning down a stairway.

They followed the purple unicorn, and a few seconds later, they were in the courtyard. A grey, stern looking pegasus with two swords crossed on a shield as a cutie mark stood n the center of the courtyard facing them. His eyes looked at each one of them coldly, assessing his new students.

"Attention!" He barked. "Line up!"

Everybody stared at the strange pony. Pinkie Pie, being herself, bounced over to him, a huge smile on her face.

"HI!" she shouted. "I'm Pinkie Pie!"

The pegasus stared at Pinkie, who kept smiling. He leaned forward until he was a few inches away from Pinkie's face, then he yelled in a somewhat southern accent:

"I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK WHO YOU ARE, NOW GET IN LINE NOW!"

Pinkie squeaked and backed off. Realizing that this pony meant business, the group formed a line quickly. It would have been perfectly straight had Fluttershy not been hiding behind Rainbow Dash.

The mean pegasus noticed this, and immediately descended upon her.

"JUST WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Fluttershy shrunk even further behind Rainbow Dash, who stepped up to face the grey pegasus.

"Hey, back off dude, you're scaring her!"

He rounded on Rainbow, rage in his eyes.

"I DON'T GIVE A MANTICORE'S FURRY NUTSACK IF IM SCARING HER! GET HER ASS UP AND GET HER IN LINE!"

Rainbow sighed, and nudged Fluttershy until the cowering pony stood in line with the rest of the group. Satisfied, the grey pegasus returned to the center of the courtyard, where he addressed the group.

"Welcome to Canterlot. I will be your drill instructor. I am not your friend, I am not your acquaintance, I'm not even your fucking enemy. I am your worst nightmare. I will make these next few months a personal hell for each and every one of you, even if that means I have to beat you with a stick. I do not give a damn if you are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, a creature from a different dimension, or a fucking Ursa Major, I will accomplish this goal."

Rainbow Dash, still annoyed at the pony for yelling at Fluttershy, spoke up.

"What do we call you?"

"My name is Sergeant Sprinkles. You will call me "sir" or "sergeant." Got that?"

Derek almost lost it. Sergeant Sprinkles? WTF, That's the name of the guy who wrote….oh shit. Despite the odd coincidence, Derek still snickered a bit, which the sergeant also noticed.

"Is there something wrong, human?"

Derek shook his head no.

"Good. Cause if there was, I'd take my back to hooves and buck your balls until they popped like pimples."

Derek audibly gulped.

"Now then, we shall begin with physical training. All of you who have wings, raise them high."

Rainbow Dash shot her wings into the air, and Fluttershy slowly followed. Derek took off his tank top, lifted his wings into reality once more, and raised them.

The sergeant paused at Derek's wings, before continuing.

"Alright, now all of you that can do magic, levitate some rocks."

Twilight spoke up.

"Excuse me sir, but why are we doing this? I mean, besides Derek it's obvious who can fly and who can do magic and who cant!"

The sergeant eyes locked into Twilight's, who instantly regretted her decision.

"We're doing this because I said so!" he growled. "Now levitate a fucking rock!"

Twilight whimpered, then turned her head and quickly levitated a rock off the ground. Rarity and Derek followed in suit.

Once again, the sergeant paused when he saw Derek do magic.

"Alright then. There will be flying lessons tomorrow for the flyers, magic lessons the next day, and the next day, there will be tech training. On Monday, there will be a classroom lesson! On this day every week, you all will be here for group training and exercises. If you are late, there will be dire consequences. Do you understand?"

A quiet murmur answered him.

"I swear by Princess Celestia if I do not get a "Yes Sir" loud enough to wake residence in Cloudsdale I will skull-fuck every one of you sorry excuses for a pony! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"

This time, a resounding "YES SIR!" answered his question.

"Good! Now, we're going to start physical exercise! You will follow my orders as we take a sprint around the city! Go!"

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Each pony and human learned very quickly how fast they could get in shape and learn when there was a screaming, crazed pegasus blasting curse words and insults into their ears at every waking second.

The sergeant was present during every lesson, be it flying, magic, strength, speed, or classroom. He was always there, and he was always yelling.

Derek got the most of the sergeant, as he had to go through all the lessons. Every now and then, he would find himself thinking in that crazy, screaming voice.

After months of the intense and rigorous schedule, the group began to notice changes in themselves and the others, besides the obvious physical changes.

Derek, besides suddenly gaining large amounts of muscle and height, found himself becoming more in control of his magic, and began to think in strategy. When he would walk into a room, he would begin to plot an escape rout, just in case.

Twilight Sparkle's magical ability grew tenfold, as she received instruction from the greatest unicorns around the globe, as well as lessons with the princess, who was also giving lessons to Rarity and Derek.

Fluttershy, while still a loving and caring pony, became more demanding and confident. Maybe it was her newfound flying ability, maybe it was her new strength, but she felt good.

Rainbow Dash had one of the more noticeable changes. Gone were her lazy habits and cockiness, replaced by strict dedication and well earned self-confidence, all products of her increased skill. Had she elected to try out for the Wonderbolts, they would have made her captain within a few days.

Pinkie Pie's bright demeanor never faded, though she did go a little insane, but she did prove to be one of the sneakiest and resourceful ponies in one of the battle simulators, so much that the sergeant said that she was a natural assassin.

Applejack changed the least. Her hardworking no-nonsense attitude allowed her to deal with the sergeant the best, so much that he dubbed her a military-ready pony on the third day.

Rarity's magical skill increased greatly as well. She also became much more tolerant to dirt and other un-lady like things, though her forte was in technical design and planning.

The training went on for well over half a year. Time, which at first seemed to move so slowly, began to fly as they adjusted to their new lives. Training became a part of them, and soon they were used to the long sprints, the rain, the screaming, and just about everything else.

After one particularly intense session, Derek was walking past Applejack's room when he saw her sitting on her bed reading a letter. Concern filled him, since letters meant news and in these times news could be very bad.

He quietly approached Applejack, and sat down on the bed beside her. He watched as tears hit the paper, smudging the words.

"What is it, AJ?"

The earth pony sniffed, and looked up at Derek with tear filled eyes.

"Granny Smith passed away."

Derek let loose a breath of air.

"Oh god, AJ, I'm so sorry."

He reached over and pulled her into a big hug, holding her as she sobbed. After a while, the crying slowed, and Applejack spoke again.

"Tha thing is, is that she was watchin' Apple Bloom while Ah was here and Big Macintosh was in boot camp. Who the hay is gonna watch her now?"

Derek gave Applejack a sad smile.

"Listen, Ponyville is a very close community. Apple Bloom can stay with some of the other folks there for a few days, while we figure this out. I'm sure Celestia will help, after all, she did kind of force us here."

Applejack nodded, and gave Derek one more hug.

"Thanks, Derek."

"No problem, AJ. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to go sleep."

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Derek slept badly that night. His mind occasionally drifted to thoughts of his home, to his family and friends. He could see them, but when he'd get too close they'd disappear, fading into thin air. He cried out for them, but no one would answer.

Then he heard someone calling his name. Derek….Derek….the voice got louder, and soon Derek realized that it wasn't a dream

"Derek! Derek wake up!"

Derek shot out of his bed, almost slamming into Rainbow Dash who hovered above him. He rubbed his eyes, and shook his head to try and clear it.

"Rainbow, what the hell do you want?"

Rainbow Dash grabbed him and pulled him out of bed, much to his protest.

"Stop whining and get dressed!"

"Rainbow, what's going on?"

Rainbow Dash looked down at him, panic in her eyes.

"Gargoyles are attacking Ponyville!"

Derek snapped awake. He jumped up, threw some clothes on, and ran with Rainbow Dash to the front of the castle, where the others were waiting for him. As soon as he stopped running, he noticed that the other were covered in armor and had swords. He was about to protest, but then remembered that he had his magic.

Sergeant Sprinkles walked quickly out of the castle, and addressed the group.

"Listen Up! A group of 400 or so gargoyles are attacking Ponyville! We have dispatched the army, but we need you all to go in there and hold them off until the army arrives."

He looked at each of the beings gathered there.

"This is what you have been training for. This is the beginning of the war, and right now we can make a statement. Kill them all."

The group boarded the carriage, and within seconds they were on their way.

Derek sat watching the clouds go bye. He sighed, thinking about the upcoming battle and the war that was certainly starting.

This isn't the beginning of a war. Derek thought grimly. This is the beginning of hell.

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