Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony.

Not sure if I should increase the rating to M due to blood and violence. Tell me what you all think.

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"Princess Celestia, what happened to Twilight?" Apple Jack asked. She was the first to arrive after the princess and she was looking up from Rainbow Dash's side with concern.

"I-I don't know," Celestia answered, her voice soft and confused.

"Sister!" Luna called. From behind her the other ponies came rushing to Dash's side. Luna looked around and asked, "Where is Twilight Sparkle?"

"She should be right here," the white pegasus unicorn indicated a spot right in front of her. She stared at the ground, confused and scared about the many possabilities that could have happened to her young student.

Luna looked at Celestia and said bluntly, "Clearly, she's not, dear sister."

"What could have happened?" Celestia asked aloud. "I had the magic targeting calculation correct, otherwise she wouldn't have vanished, and I've run over the location algorithm four times already. I've come up with the same calculation each time so this just doesn't make sense, she should be here."

"Could you have put too much magical energy into the spell and not have noticed it due to fear?" Luna asked.

"I'm not a novice when it comes to magic," Celestia said boldly, "I know to not let my emotions affect the amount of energy I put into a spell." She sighed and continued, "It just doesn't make sense, she should be right here." She stomped her hoof for added effect and to help relieve her growing frustration.

"Did you teleport Rainbow Dash at the same time?"

Celestia shook her head, "No, Twilight teleported her up."

"Why didn't she teleport the both of them?"

"Well, it would take a larger amount of magical power to teleport the both of them and given time she might have been able to do it. But she and Dash were falling, so time wasn't a luxury she had." She thought for a second and nodded as she said, "She calculated that it would be faster to teleport Dash and then teleport herself and the calculation was right. "

"So, she tried to teleport at the same time that you teleported her," Luna concluded. "But would that wouldn't effect the algorithms."

"It would if her magic was of a similar nature as mine."

"But only family have that similar of magic."

"Don't forget that Twilight has been my student since she was very young. It wouldn't be surprising that her magic has naturally started to mimic mine in property due to the amount of time we have spent together, especially around the time her magic was maturing. If that is the case then her magic would affect the calculations."

Apple Jack walked in front of the two princesses and asked, "Does that mean you know where Twi is?"

"Magic is a tricky thing and can sometimes have a mind of it's own. Also, her magic may have affected my calculations without me factoring that change in," Princess Celestia answered.

"So, do you know where she is?"

"I'm afraid the answer is no, Apple Jack. I have no idea where she is."

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Twilight looked around the alleyway she was in. The ground was made from a smooth grey stone that was cracked and had seen better days. The buildings that surrounded her were made from wood and grey bricks. She knew from her previous exploration that the alley she was in was a dead end and that it let out into an equally dirty under kept road that went in front of the surrounding buildings.

She hadn't ventured out onto the road for fear of the unknown. She was in a strange place that she had no knowledge of, she didn't know how she got there, and to top it all off she had a bad feeling rising in her gut. It was almost like it was telling her something. To move or to be ready to defend herself.

She shook her head and said to herself, "You have to do something Twilight. The first thing you need to do is find out where you are. Then you can worry about everything else."

With that thought in mind she took her first step out from the alley. The faces of the buildings were decrepit and each of them look exactly alike in design. There was no individuality only cold efficiency.

She looked both ways and when that didn't give her any new information she decided to go to the right and follow the road, maybe she could find someone she could talk to or something. like that. The road curved gently to the left with a graceful arc and eventually she found a new road on her left that lead to what she thought was a marketplace of some sort.

She walked slowly, taking everything in, and she saw things that she never would have imagined possible. She saw some strange creature with green skin and large tusks coming out of it's mouth talking in a gruff and growling language that she didn't understand. The creature was talking to another thing with blue skin and an ethereal like presence. The second creature replied in the same language but when the words came from it's mouth the words were beautiful, flowing, and poetic in a sense. The really strange thing though was that both of these creatures were standing on just their back hoofs and at the end of their front hoof were strange appendages. The green one had five large cylinder things and the blue being had four similar ones but were far longer and skinnier.

She stared, mesmerized by the being. It must have noticed her because it turned it's slightly glowing eyes to her and said something. She looked around to see who or what it was talking too but stopped when it said something again and then pointed at her.

She shook her head, hoping that it might understand that she couldn't understand. It tilted its head at her and said something again. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't understand what you're saying."

The thing gave her a strange look, it seemed to be a mix of confusion and curiosity. It looked like a face a pony made when they were working on a puzzle and was stuck at a part. The blue being casted its front hoof up at her and the strange appendages flayed out. A blue light flowed off them like a mist and wafted toward her.

Twilight had was familiar with the feeling of magic working on her and and while this blue light-mist felt a bit different than what she was used too she knew that it could only be magic. The light-mist floated to her head on unfelt breaths of wind and soon circled her head. The light-mist slowly disappeared and she started to hear random, alien words unscramble and begin to make sense.

"I believe that will better help you and I communicate, my lady," the blue bing said.

Twilight's eyes widened and she muttered, "I can understand you. Wait...I can understand you? But that's not possible. I mean, I've never heard of a spell that can change language or is it changing my language. Maybe-"

"If I might interject," the being said softly. "The spell that I placed on you simply gave you the knowledge of a few common languages. I noticed your confusion and assumed that you are new to the city. The fact that you didn't know several of the common languages supported that conclusion. Now," the being bent it's back hoofs and lowered itself so that she didn't have to peer up at it so heavily, "how can I be of assistance to you?"

It was easier for Twilight to see the thing's face and she saw that it was slim, long, and strangely flat. There was no hair on the being's face at all but on its head was a flowing white mane that went down to its neck. She thought that this person was a stallion due to the masculine voice but since she had never seen its like before she couldn't be sure.

"Where am I?" she asked peering around.

"You are located in the city of Monolith," he answered. He must have noticed the look that came over her face and clarified, "Monolith is a holt-city for the Human Imperium. Built in the Octavian Region, it is the closest holt-city to the orc lands in the south. Its main form of commerce is trade."

Twilight nodded and a sinking feeling welled up in her. She had no idea where she was and no idea on how to get back to her home and friends. She had managed to repress the feelings of dread and despair but now that she knew she was truly lost, she couldn't help it. Tears started to run down her snout.

The blue male squinted it's glowing eyes and asked in a soft voice, "Are you alright, my lady? Have I done something to sadden you?"

Twilight was about to answer when a male tenor called out, "Sister! I've found you."

Twilight looked behind her and found relief and hope in the form of a unicorn. The unicorn was a stallion, slightly larger than her, and had a beautifully well kept grey coat. His mane was red with streaks of black running through it and Twilight couldn't help but to blush a little. She had lived in ponyville for so long that she had gotten used to all the stallions running around but this one was exotic...new...enticing.

The unicorn walked smoothly over to her side and addressed the blue being. "Thank you, Master Kinarithi, for finding my sister," he said. His tenor was graceful and Twilight ached to hear him speak more.

"It was my pleasure, sir," Master Kinarithi said. "I hope you have a great day and do try to not get lost again, my lady."

Twilight nodded and followed the stallion as he walked away. When they were out of hearing range of Master Kinarithi the male unicorn looked at her and said, "Name's Blaze Thunderhoof."

"Twilight Sparkle. Why did you...I mean...umm...Master Kiniarithi was helping me, why did you call me your sister?"

Blaze quirked an eyebrow and said in confusion, "Master Kinarithi?" He then started laughing and said, "You're new here aren't you?"

"How could you tell?"

"You called that kinarithi, Master Kinarithi, as if it was his name."

"It isn't?"

Blaze shook his head, his mane flowing to and fro, and said, "No. He is a kinarithi, obviously, but for his name," he shrugged his shoulders, "I've never met him before so I don't know."

Twilight nodded slowly. "What about that green creature?"

"That was an orc, a beastly race. They control almost every slave market from the Red Desert in the south to the Icefang Mountains in the north."

"Slave market?" she asked. She hadn't heard of the word 'slave' before and didn't understand what the orcs were involved in.

Blaze gave her a look and asked, "Where are you from, Twilight?"

"Equestria."

Balze stopped walked and looked at her in shock. "That's not possible."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't be from Equestria because of a massive magical field that surrounds that place. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can get through it. The Kinarithi have tried and failed to breach it, by the gods, they don't even understand it. Bloody urgaks, Benthilly magi have even tried and couldn't do anything to it."

"But that's where I'm from, all of my friends are there."

Blaze studied her face and said, "As crazy as it sounds, I believe you."

"Will you help me return to Equestria?" she asked with hope in her heart.

Blaze sighed and said, "You do realize that If I say yes that we would have to figure out a way to open a hole in something that has been considered impenetrable since it was first discovered?"

Twilight nodded slowly. What choice did she have? If opening a hole was the only way to return home than she would do it. Besides, she had something that everyone else didn't. She was trained in magic by Princess Celestia and Twilight was positive that it was the Princess that set up that field.

"I realize that," she said, "but what other option do I have? I don't know how I got here and I don't know anything about this place. I don't even know where Equestria is from here."

"Alright, fine. I'll help you," Blaze conceded.

"You will?"

"I just said I would," he said in a deadpanned voice.

Twilight jumped into the air and started saying 'thank you' as fast as she could. Hope rocketed in her heart and she looked forward to the future.

Blaze smiled and said, "First, I have to go get something. You want to come with me or wait here?"

"I'll come," she said happily.

Blaze turned down a road that lead away from the market. Twilight half mindedly noted that it was the same road that she had come from but was so happy that it didn't fully register. She hummed to herself cheerfully, turned once more, and went down another road.

This is great. Blaze will help me get to Equestria, then I'll figure out how to contact Princess Celestia, and finally I can introduce Blaze to my friends. she thought happily.

The blue sky began to darken and Twilight's sore hooves told her that they had been walking a long time. "Blaze," she asked, "are we almost there?"

He glanced over his shoulder, his red eyes calm and beautiful, and said. "We're almost there. Sorry about the long walk but my place was clear across town."

Twilight nodded and turned with him down another road. She took a few steps and then noticed that instead of it being a road it was actually a dead end alley.

"Blaze," she asked in confusion, "did you take a wrong turn or something?" She turned and saw him at the opening of the alley.

"No wrong turn," he said, his smooth voice lightly touching her ears. "You're right where I want you."

When he said that a creature stepped into view behind him. The creature must have been 9 hooves taller than Blaze's 11 hooves (1 hoof=4 inches) and it literally towered over him. It had a black mane that covered the top of it's head and most of its face while the rest of it was covered in some sort of hard brown cloth the likes of which she had never seen before.

Twilight backed away from Blaze and the large creature slowly and stuttered, "What's going on?"

The large creature spoke and Twilight could feel that rumble from the deep voice in her chest, "What do you want to do with her, Blaze?"

Blace smiled maliciously and said, "Oh, I've got a few ideas. After I'm done with her we'll set her up on a corner. We'll be able to charge an unheard of price for this one. She's a looker like I haven't seen in a long time and claims to be from Equestria. She'll bring in a fortune."

The big thing smiled, showing yellow and brown teeth, and said, "I don't care as long as I get a turn."

Terror filled Twilight. Never once had she heard of anything one doing what they were talking about. She may be naive when it came to some things but she was smart and caught onto things faster than most and what these monsters were talking about horrified her in such a way that she struggled to breath.

She turned and bolted to the wall and searched frantically for a way out but only saw the grey rock and dark brown wood that made up the buildings around her. She looked back and saw that Blaze and his companion had started down the alley. Their eyes were focused on her and she could feel a foreign emotion rolling off of them. It revolted her and she backed herself to the wall.

"There's nowhere to run," Blaze said slowly. "Just give in. It will be enjoyable for the both of us."

She shook her head and started to call out for help. She screamed and screamed but there was only silence in return.

"No one will come," Blaze snickered. "This type of thing happens all the time in this area of Monolith and people have learned to keep to themselves."

Fear dominated her and she couldn't stop her body from trembling as she tried with all she had to think of a way out. The answer hit her like a sack of bricks.

Magic!

Her horn started to glow and she forced her magic around her for a teleportation spell.

Blaze cursed and his crimson red horn started to glow with a blood colored glow.

Twilight finished her necessary calculations and then forced her magic into action but Blaze's ripped like a knife into her magic and disrupted its flow. Her mind went into overtime trying to figure out what happened but Twilight didn't miss a beat as she instantly changed her location and she disappeared...only to reappear right behind her attackers but now she had a chance to run and her hooves didn't fail her.

She shot out of the alley and down the road as fast as her tired hooves would take her. Fear feed her new speed when she heard the pounding of hooves behind her and she chanced a glance to find that Blaze was right on her heels.

The fear in her caused her to whimper as she tried to go faster and faster but for all the motivation she had her body didn't respond. She started to slow due to her always bad endurance and she started to cry as the realization that she wouldn't be able to outrun Blaze came over her.

Blaze smashed into her harder than she thought possible and she when skidding onto the road. Her flank heaved with the effort to breath and her eyes were wide as Blaze marched toward her.

"You stupid mothak!" he yelled with a rage that made Twilight's blood run cold. "I wasn't planning on hurting you but now, oh now I am going to hurt you. Badly."

He stalked toward her and she kicked at the ground pathetically in an attempt to put off the inevitable. Blaze kicked her in the stomach hard enough to stun her and throw her into a coughing fit.

"To the urgaks," he muttered as he stepped over her. "I'm taking you right here and now."

Twilight closed her eyes and tried desperately to get the stallion off of her but it was all in vain. He put a hoof on her neck and added enough force to ensure that she would stop fighting and then sent he concentration back to her bottom half.

Tears flooded from her eyes and she pushed one final time against the stallion that was about to put her through a moment that no one should ever be put through. Amazingly his weight disappeared.

She opened her eyes in time to see Blaze have his face bashed into the side of a building with such force that his horn snapped. His face came away bloody and his eyes were dazed, unfocused.

She looked at the thing that held Blazed by his mane and jumped in fear. It looked exactly like the big thing that had been with Blaze before but when Twilight actually started to look she saw that this being was actually a different thing. It was smaller than the last but still much taller than her and was far less muscle heavy than the last. Its mane was a dark brown and was cut short of the top of its head. On its face was only a stumbling of a mane that gave the thing a rough look.

The thing that had saved her threw Blaze onto the ground and smashed its back hoof onto the stallion's neck. Blaze convulsed and kick with strange noises coming from his mouth and eventually stilled.

Twilight was disturbed beyond reason at the act of brutality and she started to fear her savior more than her attackers.

"Blaze?"

She looked up and saw the large thing from before come running down the road. It looked at Blaze's corpse and then at the other similar being.

The large one growled and said, "Ahh shit. You shouldn't have done that."

She looked between the similar beings and came to the conclusion that her savior was outmatched in a fight against the larger thing. It was obviously larger and more muscular and as such the smaller being had little chance of winning.

The large thing roared and charged the smaller being but instead of charging as well the smaller thing stayed where it was. It waited until the larger one got close and then ducked and side stepped. It struck out and hit the larger one in the side several times as the larger one passed.

"Stay still you little shit," the larger one said.

It charged again and Twilight realized that the larger one had no idea how to fight or at least not as well as the smaller one because yet again that smaller one out maneuvered the big one and made several more connections before retreating to a safe distance.

The fight continued this way, the larger attacking and the smalled using speed and agility to out maneuver it and strike. Wait. Move. Attack. Retreat. Repeat. It was so simple but effective.

The large one attacked again and finally fell to the road when the smaller being smashed a front hoof into its throat. This one didn't convulse or anything like that, it simply stopped moving.

Twilight looked at her savior with a mixture of horror and gratitude. It walked toward her but she didn't move in fear that it might attack her as well.

It knelt next to her and said in a rough voice that was, while not as deep as the other thing, was deeper than most ponies she had heard before, "You alright?"

She didn't trust her voice so she nodded instead.

It looked over her with dark green eyes and said, "That unicorn hit you pretty hard. Try to stand before deciding that."

She managed to get her hoofs under her but when she tried to pick herself up off the ground her side erupted in pain. She gasped and stopped the effort but the pain was there to stay.

"I thought so," he, judging from the voice, said. "I'll help you home, is that alright?"

Twilight gasped and said, "I don't live here."

"You have no place to go to?"

She shook her head in the negative.

Her savior was silent and when it next spoke it only said, "Well, fuck."