Father and son, the two dreaded their way through the Everfree. The forced themselves deeper and deeper in to the unknown. The terrain was new to Sun Strike, and it was Midnight's first time into the Everfree. They traveled for a long time, neither speaking, their only companion was the sound of the forest. After roughly two hours or so they noticed something very odd.

Things were silent. In the middle of the forest. There was no sound. No birds chirped, no bugs crawled, no critters scurried. The wind didn't even blow through the trees. It was as if nature itself, even the abnormal nature of the Everfree, had abandoned the area.

A low rumble shook the forest. For a few moments, it was as if there was an earthquake. The rumble and the shacking earth were similar. But anypony could feel that this was no earthquake. It felt wrong. Vile. As if the world was mad. They began to tread as lightly as possible. Midnight kept to a low hover to not make the sound of hoofsteps. The heard a growl, an angry spite filled growl.

They entered a clearing, about the size of hoofball field. In the center was a rather large boulder protruding out of the earth. It was surrounded by forest, but the light of the setting sun shined through in beams into the clearing. Soft moist grass and small hedges and other greens grew beautifully. The boulder had a good amount of green vines and moss growing on it, competing for the better spots. The two traded a quick glance before making their way across. The ground around the boulder looked... disturbed somehow once they got closer.

“WHO. DARES. DISTURB. ME.” an unbelievably low voice rumbled throughout the clearing.

The two jumped back, staring at the boulder, the source of the sound. Their eyes widened as the boulder that already stood three ponies tall decided to stand up. With legs as thick tree trunks, it rose. The Metal.

It slightly resembled a bear, that is in shape only. It's actual body looked exactly like a boulder, as did its legs, but at its ankles, the stone like flesh changed. Its back legs became paws, like that of a hound. It's front legs transformed into large, pony sized talons. It had a very long tail, it whipped around the air behind it. One could see the bladed edge of the appendage. I was like a giant, thick, bladed, whip. It's head protruded out like a boar, but resembled the head of snake, only furry, and with eyes like boiling metal, and large tusks... and antlers that shot out like a stag. Only the hunch of it's back had been visible through the surface of soil. It was massive. It was at least the size of a large building. Only with more claws, teeth, and tusks.

“Well sir”- Midnight began -“you can call us da grim reaper, cause were haulin' yer ass back ta hell.”

“YOU. MEAN. TO. END. ME?”

“Eeyup, we gotta a world to save, and that means you gotta die.” Midnight replied. The Metal let out a rumble they assumed to be a laugh

“THE. NAIVETY. OF. YOUTH.”

“How can you talk? Better yet how do you speak our language?” Sun asked, while drawing Radiance. He could feel The Metal's eyes on the blade.

“I. HAVE. BEEN. MUCH. LONGER. THEN. YOU. SUNFALL.”

“I guess that makes sense, but if you know the Sunfall, then you know you could die here.”

“THE. LAST. SUNFALL. FELL. TO. ME... SHALL. YOU. SHARE. HIS. FATE? SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!” The Metal exploded with a stomp that knocked Sun off his hooves. Midnight was off the ground, didn't feel it. The ground however felt The Metal. The earth shook from the stomp, but the earth under it's feet dented deeply, the ground even sank as it began to move forward.

Sun was on his hooves again in an instant, he pulled out his .44 while dashing back to try to put distance between him and the Metal. His father, while still in flight, pulled out a .357 magnum. Both fired as much as they could at it's face. Another of the Metal's “laughs” shook Sun Strike. The only notification that they even hit their target was the sound of the bullets hitting it's stone flesh.

The two tried to reload, but for such a massive creature, it moved horribly fast. The giant talons swiped at Sun, who dodged with all his force. He could feel the pressure behind the swipe, even though it missed. As he began to stand up he saw The Metal's tail flick. He jumped back and ducked at the same time. The tail barely missed. Slicing a small cut on his neck.

“YOU. HAVE. SKILL.”

Sun decided that being this close to The Metal wasn't smart. So he began to gallop as fast as he could away from it. Bending it's knees slightly, the Metal waited a moment then lunged clear over Sun and into his path, then with a breath, opened it's mouth, letting out a plume of lava. Sun stopped in his tracks and turned. The molten rock was only inches away. He felt the heat. It seared his coat slightly. He ran. He ran for his life. For a moment he thought he was at safe enough distance to look back. As he galloped away, he turned his head to look at the Metal again. He got lucky.

He turned his head perfectly. The Metal's long tail was swiping at him. Had he not turned his head, it would have slashed clean through the back of his neck, paralyzing him from the neck down. Instead, everything on his right side went dark. He had a gash across his face, but his right eye was cut clear in half. Blood poured from his face and eye. He cried blood. He let out a long terrible howl of pure miserable pain. Unable to focus due to the bits of his eye crawling down his face, he fell. Hitting the moist grass so hard he dug up some dirt, which quickly mixed with his blood.

Sun couldn't think. He was in such pain that, instead of trying to get up, he just laid there, clutching at the hole that used to be his eye socket. He kept screaming. Howling. Howling with pain. He writhed in agony. The Metal shook the earth with another laugh, it slowly began to make it's way toward Sun Strike. Who was in such a state, that he could not even feel the ground shaking. He realized two things at that moment however. One, losing an eye really, really hurts. A lot. And two, that tail was much longer then it seemed.

The Metal's tail dipped into the lava, Turning read hot... then made it's way toward Sun Strike. Ready to plunge into him.

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Radiant Sunset sat at a window. Looking into the sky. It was a beautiful sunny day. She looked to her stomach, she was pregnant. Due sometime very soon. The baby was kicking quite hard. She grinned slightly. Looking back to the beautiful day. The home was peaceful. The nursery was a sky blue. The baby's crib sat empty, anxious to house a child again. The ceiling fan was decorated with tiny moon crescents. The door behind her creaked open. Midnight looked to her. The innocence was still in his voice and eyes. The years of seeking, drinking, smoking, and fighting had yet to scar him.

“What are ya doing Sunset? Everythin' alright?” he asked. His voice was clear, not nearly as gruff. He had yet to take up smoking.

“Of course! Everything's fine Midnight. Hey feel! He's kicking again!” Sunset beamed. Midnight just shied away.

“Ah umm.... well Ah don't want to hurt it.” Midnight said with a blush his color hid.

“Relax, c'mon!”- She took his hoof and pressed it to feel the kicking. -”He's a little fighter this one, fell that! He's gunna be an Ultimate Hoof Fighter!” She spoke with her heavenly voice, and a bit of a laugh.. Midnight just grinned as he felt the baby. Careful not to disturb the bundle.

“Oh by the way Midnight, I was thinking...”

“Not about any of those.... monster's right?”

“What? No! Silly, I was thinking about our little fighter's name! Sheesh, even if it was a monster, I could totally kill it while super pregnant! Hiya!” She let out a number of hoof jabs, then grinned at Midnight, who just wore a worried expression.

“Take it easy, you got life in ya remember.” he scolded.

“OK,OK, relax mister grumpy puss! Everything is going to be fine...” She gave him a loving look. Midnight let out a small smile and trotted closer to her.

“I'm glad...” he spoke softly.

“Remind me why I married you, Mr. Melancholy.” He answered with a passionate kiss... “Oh yeah....”
After a moment. Midnight sat beside her.

“So, ya still think it's going to be a boy huh?” Midnight asked taking in the nursery again,

“Obviously! Oh, and how do you like “Sun Strike” for a name?” she asked looking to her stomach.

“Sun Strike? Why?”

“You don't like it?” She asked with a dramatic frown.

“No, no! It's great, Ahm curious is all.”

“Well, I have to keep to the Sunfall legacy, but can't you feel it?! This little guy is meant for great things! He is going to change the world! I know it. He's gunna be a fighter! A real scrapper! I can feel it! He gunna strike hard!”

“He's gunna be tough huh.... wow.... Ghost Walk and Sun Strike....” he grinned.

“Midnight.... I love you....” She told him before giving him another passionate kiss.

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Midnight held in his hooves a rock. Not just any rock. A large rock that looked a lot like a stalactite. He had left for a moment to find the largest, sharpest rock in the area. He was high, he was over the Metal. Who was laughing as his son began to scream. He waited... waiting for the perfect moment. Then let go.

Sun held his face, ignorant to his coming doom. The Metal just laughed. Then just stopped. The pointed stalactite hit perfectly. Midnight pierced the Metal, at the perfect spot. Where the tail and stone flesh met. Where rock became thick leathery meat. It pierced perfectly. Midnight zoomed down, lading on the Metals back, slicing the bits of soft meat underneath the surface with a knife. The Metal's tail fell off. It roared in pain.Yet there was no blood. The Metal reacted, quickly it began to stand on it's hind legs, vomiting a plume of lave down it's back. It cauterized it's wound and nearly cauterized Midnight as well. The tip of his tail burned. It's attention now on Midnight, it began to lash and claw at the bat pony. Who was just barely dodging the angry attacks, even while airborne. No matter where he flew, he was in range of an attack. Anywhere near it's head made him a target for tusks, fangs, and antlers. Anywhere lower and he could get shredded by talons. Any farther away and he became a target for projectile lava vomit. The Metal chased Midnight around for a while, ignoring the bloodcurdling scream Sun Strike let out.

However this was perfect. The Metal was focusing on Midnight, It hadn't realized that not only was Sun back up, but he was doing something. The two had just wordlessly began to set up a plan, or a play. And the Metal was far from noticing. Unfortunately, Midnight was not exactly young... he began to slow down. The Metal swatted him down hard. Midnight bounced off the dirt. But after getting to his hooves, instantly took off again. Much slower the Metal was having a much easier time getting to him, Midnight felt the wind pass him every time he dodged an attack.

After a few more minutes of this, then Midnight swooped down. By the Metal's feet. He picked up one end of The Metal's tail.The blade slashing his mouth as he flew with it. The Metal tried to follow him, but then noticed the stalactite pointing upward now. Then noticed the bit of it's tail jammed underneath it.... Looking down, it saw it's tail wrapped around one of it's back feet. On the ankle, where stone turned to fur. A weak point. Midnight soared upward. Th tail tightened, cutting into it's flesh. The Metal tried to pull away, but only tightened the tail, slicing off one of it's own back paws. It fell perfectly, toward the upward stalactite. However the Metal adjusted and missed being impaled.

It glared at Sun Strike. His face stopped bleeding. His face wore a grin. The gash on his face was burned badly. He lifted Radiance. The rapier was red hot. Heated by lava, he had cauterized his wound. However, rapiers are thin blades, and the process was... slow. His breathing was labored and heavy. He was in pain. Breathing hurt. His eye hurt. His face hurt. The Metal grinned back. It hadn't been a battle like this in a long time. Standing up, the Metal laughed again. Smashing the rock with a slam of its talon claw, and setting itself into a fighting position. Even with the lack of a back foot.

Sun was injured badly. He was missing a lot of blood. And an eye. The horrible burning on his face was far from pleasant. The cool air touching his self inflicted burns stung bitterly. Midnight was exhausted. His wings and back ached and burned, just like his chest and lungs. He could feel his heart beat in his chest so hard that with every pulse, a stab of pain shot out from his growing headache. He could feel a rib jab into his body, bouncing off the ground did some serious damage to him. The Metal seemed unphased.

The two gave each other a quick look and nodded. Midnight flew above, Sun began to gallop away. The Metal chased after Sun. Tearing apart the ground with each step. It didn't have to go very fast. It's size meant it caught up with Sun very quickly. It took a breath, opening wide, preparing to let out a wave of molten rock. Then Sun acted.

He lunged forward. Stabbing the still red hot Radiance into the Metal's gaping maw. Blood squirted out on him, the blood however was boiling hot, it scolded him where he was sprayed. Midnight rushed by, taking Sun in his hooves, flying out of the Metal's range. Sun held on to Radiance.

The Metal stood up on a stump and a paw. It stood up, searching for the two, but as soon as it looked up, it saw Sun holding Radiance. He was thrusting it downwards. With a bit on aim, Sun plunged Radiance perfectly in The Metal's right eye.

“HOW DO YOU LIKE FUCKER.” he roared as he galloped up the creature's body. This time he left the blade in. The Metal groaned. Moving it's talons close, trying to pull out the rapier Sun had left in it's eye. Midnight flew around it's wrists quickly, wrapping them in the razor sharp tail. His own legs now gashed due to holding it. Realizing the plan, the Metal slammed it's talons down, to the ground, pulling them apart, it shattered the tail into pieces. But in turn sliced it's wrists open. Boiling hot blood began to pour from the wounds.

“I. AM. IMMORTAL. NO. WHELPS. SHALL. BEST. ME.”

“I'M NO WHELP!” Sun yelled, dashing forward, jumping to the creatures largest protruding tusk, then using his .44 at point blank range, he began shooting the tusk's base. Midnight came down again, unloading his .357 it to the opposite side, causing large cracks to appear in the tusk. The Metal was still standing. It began to vomit out lava. The molten rock poured down it's face. Midnight grabbed Sun Strike before the lava did.

After the lava dripped off it's face it reopened it's eye. Immediately noticing that it's largest tusk was gone. Looking around it saw Midnight first. Instead of actually clawing at him. The Metal just flung it's claws limply in his direction. Its boiling blood burned. The Metal just let out a flurry of wild claw strikes. Slathering Midnight with hot blood. He couldn't take it, he hit his limit from the pain. Midnight roared in pain and fell. Hitting the ground hard, he laid still.

“ONE. DOWN.”

The Metal began to turn, looking for Sun. He sat still on the grass.

“GIVEN. UP?”

The Metal began to tread toward Sun. Sun just sat their unmoving.

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It was raining.

Midnight held a crying foal.

They were both soaked.

They were both crying.

They both wanted Radiant Sunset.

Neither would get what they want.

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The Metal moved slowly at Sun Strike. Who had yet to move. The beast laughed. Then so did Sun.

"LAUGHING. IN. THE. FACE. OF. DEATH?"

"I'm laughing at you! Do you know what the first thing I noticed about missing my eye?"

The Metal felt something slip. Something made it trip. A dried pile of it's own lava, cooled rapidly in the forest. The obsidian shattered. The Metal fell, it tried to catch itself but couldn't. That leg had no paw. It fell perfectly on the tusk. It pierced straight through the Metal's neck. Blood squirted out like a fountain. Sun Strike stood up, trotted over to the Metal, right to it's face, making sure to stay out of lava range. The immortal monster hadn't seen the trap. It was hidden on the creatures blind side. Sun just grinned.

"I'm missing a lot of my peripheral vision."

The Metal had been impaled through the throat, it let out a spray of blood. It's open bloody wrists had painted the field red. The missing leg was muddy and coated in filth. The Metal couldn't breath. There was a sharp tusk as thick as a tree in the way. It could only gag on nothingness. Gasping for air it couldn't get. The one eye was wide. In a last attack, Sun Strike was bashed by a talon from his right side. But he got back up anyway, if a bit woozily.

“I'm no whelp, I'm Sunfall.” Sun looked into the Metal's eye. The bright orange gave him a familiar sense of dread.

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The Beautiful Radiant Sunset was coated in blood, and was breathing heavily.

A large number of headless ponies corpses lay about the room. Their heads not far away.

She looked around, noticing the only survivor, curled up on the floor in a corner. She trotted to him.

"You alright?" she asked.

"N..N...No." Midnight Fire mumbled in shear disbelief that he was alive.

"Good!" She grinned. Midnight just looked up to her from the floor, giving her a confused and horrified look.

"Well if you were OK, you would have to like... be a serial killer dude. See all the headless corpses and blood. Oh look at me I'm covered in it!" she beamed complete unaffected by the scene around her.

"What.... are you?" Midnight asked in horror.

"A Seeker, those were vampires, real annoying, but light-weights. We Seekers, don't like vampires, so we kill them."

"Vampires? Vampires are real!?"

"Oh yeah, tons of shit is real... Hey you're kinda cute, this Seeker business always gets me craving like a pie or something, and you look pretty fucked up man. Sun is almost up, we can get the breakfast special at this joint not to far away. Wanna get some grub?"

"Umm... not really..." He stated looking at the room of beheaded corpses.

"Oh, whatever, C'mon let's go!" She grabbed him by a hoof and began to pull him out of the building. Before they exited however, She quickly lit and tossed a match. The building began to burn very quickly.

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Midnight awoke, he was laying under a tree in the grove. He could see the Metal's bloody corpse. The grove was dead. The grass had yellowed, the moistness was gone, now hard and dry. All the trees around them had turned black, and lost all of their leaves.

Sun sat leaning to a tree besides him. Midnight's body ached, and burned. He saw the makeshift wooden splint on his obviously broken leg. He couldn't stop feeling the burns he had gotten from the blood. He looked at Sun Strike. He didn't look well either. His face had a large gash across it., most of which had been seared shut poorly. The eye was held closed, blood had stained from it, giving him a look like he had been crying with too much red makeup on. He had several cuts and burn marks on his hide. He was breathing heavily, it was obvious he had been coughing blood.

“Why're you still here.” Midnight asked.

“You might have been an asshole, but you wouldn't leave me for dead, and with as many broken rips as I have, I aint carrying you.”

“We stop the end of the world?”

“Been thinking about that, and I think we fucked up...“When the Unrelenting Force meets the Unbreakable Wall.” Unrelenting, something without relent, an unstoppable force. Tell me, what is something that cannot be stopped? Something that anything alive must fear, even something that calls itself immortal feared it...."

“What? Ah aint gettin' it.” Midnight replied after a delay.

“I looked into his eyes as he died... The Metal I mean... our unbreakable wall.... It was scared, horrified to learn what happens next...” Midnight only looked to Sun Strike with a horrified expression.

“No......”

“Death.... It haunts everything. Always lurking.... Always waiting. Everything. An Unrelenting force that plagues us all.... The Metal, The Immortal being off ancient origins. The last of his kind... The wall that had not fallen....” Sun Spoke solemnly.

“That's... not possible.....”

“Short victory right?”

"I guess we have to play this by ear for a bit, we need to know if the world is safe or not."

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Fluttershy sat in her cottage. Reading calmly, the small rabbit Angel at her side, taking a nap. The evening was starting with the sun had fallen. There was a soft knock on the door. She placed her bookmark, and stood up, walking gingerly to the door. She opened it just a crack to see who was out there. She saw Sun's good eye and face looking at her, she could still see the beating he took.

“Now umm, I could use your medical help again.... Umm my father too.”

“Did you two get in a fight? What happened? Are you alright?” She asked, her worry thick, but her voice still small.

“Well we did fight, but not each other...”

Fluttershy just raised an eyebrow, then began to open the door fully for the two. But half way through, a hoof stopped the door.

“Little miss, you might want to brace yerself, we aint pretty.”

“I'm sure I'll be fine sir.”

The two walked in and she gasped in horror at the burns and cuts. Midnight hovered with his wings instead of walking. Sun looked to her and she saw the large burned gash on the side and front of his face. She stopped all at once, holding her breath. Sun apologized more, then opened the hole that used to hold an eye to her, unknown goo slid out. She immediately ran to a window and stuck her head out, vomiting. Turning back to them she look at the two for a moment, then stuck her head out the window to vomit again. After the third time, she let out a sheepish smile.

“It... doesn't look too bad....” she let out mildly.

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“I've failed you Princess, these “keys”... I..... I should be stopping them, not using them....”

“You have not failed Sunfall. You have avenged the untimely death of a large number of heroes.”

“I could bring the end of the world!”

“I have faith in you, faith that you can save us.”

“I have only failed... Tell your sister of me, let her end me, so that the keys will not be unlocked.”

“Sunfall... The keys, they are not just things, the exist not in reality, but in prophecy. These things are happening because it was predicted. I need you, if the die, then..... nopony can save us. “

“Surely you can, or your sister, you are gods!”

“We are merely royalty, our combat skills are nothing to a born warrior such as the
Sunfall. We need ponies like you. Do you know what would happen if the Goddesses told the public of the end of the world....there would be.... unrest.”

“Princess life in more valuable then unrest... But I see. I understand, but know.... know that my life is not worth the lives of the world.”

“Don't Worry, I am sure that your hooves can save us Sunfall...”

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The rain had stopped.

Midnight held a stern face.

He lifted his lover's Seeker Journal.

He cringed.

Tiny hoof steps entered the room.

A small Ghost Walk trotted in.

“I'm scared... where's mommy?”

“It's late, go back to bed.”

“But”

“I SAID BACK TO BED.”

With a thick sniffle, Ghost quietly trotted off.

Midnight cringed.

Ahm sorry, but you need to be tough, tougher then me. Stronger, better... That can't happen unless Ah treat them hard.... I wont let them die early like she did.... no... they are gunna be hard, tough. Brave. They are going to make their mother proud.

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