Abyss The Hedgehog here again, hi there, fellow bronies and pegasisters. So, since it seems to be a trend that FiM fanfics receive a number of sequels, prequels, midquels and spinoffs, I decided to join the fray with my sequel for „Good Old Times". Now, I know that Hasbro has released an official map of Equestria and that I omitted a number of things in the previous work, mostly because of my lack of Season 2 knowledge. I'm sticking to my map of Equestria though, to not add up to the confusion. Anyways, enjoy. :)

---

He lost track of time in this void.

Was it a week? A month? Year? Ten of them? He didn't really know. All that he remembered was the face of his Beloved Mistress who decided that he's better off dead.

She could save him from that... But something was off about her. He wasn't certain what. Did humans have that much of a power to charm, no, hypnotize her? Or did she just betray him?

Well, not that it mattered anyway. His body was buried in its human form in top secret on Canterlot graveyard and now forgotten. He could see it. The threat was over. There will be no war. No mad pony who will start it. That's how he was mentioned, if he was mentioned at all.

Not that it matters anyway.

Flintlock Knight sighed, watching over his grave from this unnameable place behind worlds. He was here alone, sitting there and observing. The one pony who even bothered to come here was the gravedigger. Gravedigger himself, named Grim Thorn, was quite an affable fellow, despite his name and profession. He even talked to the dead. Of course, not to dead themselves, but rather to their graves. Most of those were simple monologues about life, what happened in his today and the likes, but sometimes Thorn was complaining about the world. Flintlock could see that this old stallion is lonely in this cruel world, divorced with his wife and separated from his children.

Ex-agent of Princess Celestia would like to help him somehow. To be honest, he would like to do anything to attract his attention. Anything to escape this place. This... abyss.

"Anything, Mr. Knight?" The unknown voice snapped him out of thoughts. "Are you certain you can do anything?"

"In reasonable borders." He responded, not showing the surprise.

"And you're the one to said that? It seems death can change a pony." The voice, apart from being obviously masculine, was... cold. Calm and calculating. It couldn't belong to a pony or even a human.

It was... otherworldy.

"Cut to the chase, whoever you are." Flintlock said, turning around. Of course, there was no one to notice in this darkness.

"I must admit, you're a special pony, Mr. Knight. Most souls dissolve into nothingness in a span of several weeks, maybe months. You exist for four years already and it doesn't seem like you're going to give up soon."

"So, it was four years already... Amazing, how fast this time can travel."

"Indeed, but I'm going offtopic." The voice cleared its throat. "What would you say if I revived you?"

"You... what?" Flintlock blinked. Was this creature toying with him?

"Oh no, I'm not toying with you. I can read minds, just as a quick notice. But, going back, I can indeed revive you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you can prove useful for me and my plans, Mr. Knight. The fact that you survived so long in this place speaks volumes about the strength of your soul."

"So I'm going to be your puppet." Stallion's eyes shrank.

"Puppet? No, I will give you freedom in your deeds, of course, so long as you won't try to betray me. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd like to live again."

"Who doesn't want to have a second chance?" Flintlock retorted.

"Exactly, that's my point." The voice chuckled darkly. "You have some unfinished business in Ponyville, correct?"

"I wouldn't call it "unfinished business", especially now, when it doesn't matter. Even if I could get rid of tainted Elements, Beloved Mistress is still against me, allied with those... humans."

"Don't you feel betrayed, Mr. Knight? Don't you want to get even? On everyone and everypony?"

"Perhaps a little."

"Great. After all, because of the man known as Hieronimus Remington, you're here... So, how about we make a deal: You will receive your life back and get another elements of it after fulfilling respective parts of your task."

"Another elements of it?"

"Oh, I cannot let you run around happily in pony form. You will stay as a walking dead for now. A human skeleton. Then, after you're done, we can talk about... other rewards."

"Before I agree... What is your goal, creature?"

"Call me Abyss, Mr. Knight. As for my goal... I wish to let it stay secret for the time being. Once you're done, you will see."

"I understand. Since sitting in this place was starting to get boring... I suppose I can work with being a skeleton for now."

"This means yes?"

"Yes." Abyss' chuckle echoed through the dimension and this was the last Flintlock Knight has heard before some unknown force pulled him straight back to his remains.

The skull's eye holes lighted up with a toxic green glow, as the bony hand plowed right through the coffin and the gravestone, with its fist tightly clenched. Grim Thorn was looking at the miraculous event terrified. Was dead rising from their graves?! No... Only this one. Old gravedigger started thinking. "Who was buried in this certain grave?", he thought, observing the whole skeletal figure rising up from now devastated grave. It seemed to be a skeleton of a human, but its eye holes were glowing with an ominous green light.

"Greetings..." The creature greeted Grim Thorn with a slight bow. "Forgive me such an unexpected entrance. Believe me, I'm surprised too."

"What are you...?" The old stallion asked, trying his best to cover up his fear.

"Flintlock Knight. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thorn."

"A-and how do you know my name?!" Now gravedigger was visibly trembling.

"I have an invisible friend that reads minds, you know?" The skeleton who introduced himself as Flintlock Knight chuckled slightly. "But don't worry, I won't hurt you. In fact, I think I may need your help."

"H-help? In what?"

"Would you happen to know the way to Canterlot Royal Palace?"

---

Meanwhile, in Ponyville...

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Twilight was squealing enthusiastically, jumping around the room with a big glee on her face.

"Huh... Perhaps I will regret it, but... What's going on?" Hieronimus asked, looking at lavender pony from above the book.

"I'll be an aunt in three months!" Brown stallion blinked.

"You what?"

"Oh right, I never told you, did I?" Twilight asked, giving a slight smile. "I'm in royal family."

"Wha? As in, Celestia's and Luna's?" Lavender unicorn nodded enthusiastically.

"We got related through my brother some time ago. His name is Shining Armor and he's a Captain of Princess' Guard of Canterlot. I suppose you've noticed this spherical barrier that keeps surrounding the city."

"Yeah."

"My brother's duty is to keep it intact. This way he protects the castle from attacks."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain how the hay you've managed to be in royal family. Surely your brother didn't marry any of the Princesses?"

"Oh no, of course not." Twilight laughed heartily. "Niece of Princesses is his wife, her name's Cadance. She was also my foalsitter when I was still living in Canterlot."

"Oh."

"She and Shining are to rule Crystal Empire. Not sure where exactly this country is though... Somewhere in mountains, I think."

"Sounds like it... I suppose she's a nice pony."

"Of course she is. She was my foalsitter after all. And they will have a little foal as well! Oh gosh, I'm so excited! And she will visit Canterlot tomorrow as well!"

"Wait, she travels without your brother?"

"Yeah, Shining still has his duties as a shieldkeeper. He's training somepony on his place though, so they will be able to finally be together."

"Good to hear."

"Oh, Hier, how's it going with Radiant?" Remington frowned. His son was sick for some time. Nurse Redheart said that it's only a simple cold, but, as every average parent, he was quite nervous this entire time, concerned about Radiant Hope's well-being.

"Well, he still has a cold..." Stallion responded, closing his eyes for a while. "Fluttershy's freaking out, but it doesn't really seem like something serious. At least that's what Nurse Redheart says, but there's no reason to not believe her."

"I hope he'll be okay. He's pretty sickly, if you ask me..."

"Yeah, that's concerning..." Hier nodded. "But he will grow out of it, I'm sure of that."

---

The lone centaur-like silhouette was wandering through Ponyzona, trotting steadily.

He was on his way for a long time. Some entity of a great power called him in here. The message was simple and clear: The war is about to raze this land and leave a mark one couldn't erase. The war to end all wars... And this land by proxy.

He was enthusiastic. War was his job, his profession. Should he have a Cutie Mark, his barbed lance would be it. But he couldn't just start a war. He needed to wait for an existing one. According to this entity, it was on its way and was about to hit the road very, very soon.

Of course, there were rules he always kept: The Shadow of War needed to announce that the onslaught is coming to the ruler of this land in person. He still had a way to go, but he was in no rush.

The being known to some as Hecarim resumed his journey to Canterlot.

---

To be honest, I've no real idea for a prologue. And yes, it will be a minor MLP/LoL crossover, although the fic itself will still be in normal fics. Anyway, here you go for starters. Read, enjoy and review. :)