Rain streamed down my face. It soaked my body with it's sensational cold touch. My clothes were tattered. 'Heh... first time Evan left me with tattered clothes,' I thought silently to myself. I took note it should be later in the day, not still nighttime. Even though it was raining it seemed drastically cold for a summer day and far too dark for comfort.

“Evan?” I asked, wondering where in blue blazes that fool was. Usually he called upon me during the day when things went awry. I got no answer. “EVAN?” I called out louder. Still no answer. “EVAN!?” I boomed, nearly as loud as the thunder itself.

I was left in silence. I stood to my full height and noticed myself in a crater. The water fountain nearby was overflowing from the excess water of the storm's downpour. A few houses nearby had been ravaged, possibly by the storm. Looking around, I realized nopony was around.

Was there some sort of storm advisory? Didn't the pegasus control the weather? Why did everything look like it did? Why was nopony around?

“What the hell happened?” I asked in a murmur, still getting my bearings together. As I stood there, hazy, vague memories flooded into my mind, recalling visions of Evan getting brutally beaten by a group of dark pegasi.

“GUH! NUGH! EVAN?!” I roared out just as the visions left my mind. I clenched my fists, my body tensing. My hands tightened so hard that my fingernails began to cut into my palm, blood seeping out between my fingers and washed away into the rain.

Letting out a howl of anguish, I fell to my knees with a roar. I sat like that for a good long while, facing the sky above and letting the cold rain wash down on me. As time progressed a shinning glint caught my eyes. My previously damaged eye seemed to be working fine for now, but I wasn't sure why. Standing up, I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the gleaming object that seemed to shine despite there being a lack of modest light sources to reflect.

I walked over to the glinting object. “Belladonna...” I whispered to myself as I knelt down. It was Evan's pistol... huh... ha, pistol... hand cannon more like it. I picked up the cannon and held it tightly. He always did love his novelty guns... even if he could use them effectively.

As I held it, the slide glowed, the inscriptions shining. I furrowed my brows. As fogged and separated as my mind was, I had enough knowledge of what had happened. Some dickhead pegasi had somehow turned everypony to stone, and Evan only managed to kill one of them.

I'd need new clothes, this was gonna be a long night...

'When we first arrived to this world we were one, our minds tightly bound to each other. I couldn't let him out on his own. He was too fragile and innocent. Both our personalities were spliced together, though we mostly acted on my impulse. Sometimes I'd let him act on his own but that usually ended oddly... like the time he was jerking off with that red stallion.

I never liked this world to begin with. It was strange... silly. Everypony loved, cherished, smiled... nothing seemed to be wrong. It was like a fairy tale. I strived to find us a way home, to the darkness. To the violence that I lived for. It was where we belonged.

However, in times of need when I'd take full control I was no longer simply a different mindset. No, it was even more. The body, for reasons I have yet to understand, changes. It mutates. It grows to accustom my personality.

Soon after that I started to become attached to this world. I found the darker places, the undergrounds. On top of that, why would I want to go back to a world where I was just an extra mindset? Not even considered physically real. A hindrance. At least in this world I had physical appearance.

As time went on, he yearned for love. As cold hearted as I was... as I still am, it is his body regardless if it changes for me in this world. I can't deprive him of that. I let our minds drift further apart and as they did, he settled into this world. He even has a mother... or something.

He walks through the planes of daylight. He loves. He cherishes. He is like one of them, even accepted and part of their lives.

I walk my own path by night. Just a shadow in the darkness. Even so, as our minds drift apart, he insists that I meet his friends, still believing the two of us are two separate entities... just like he still believes that mare to be his mother...'

I walked along, the rain still pouring down on me. Now however, I was dressed far better and more suited to the elements.

I was still lacking key pieces for the puzzle but I had a feeling that things were going to get hairy. I walked back to the town's water fountain, where Evan had fallen. Stepping up to the crater where he last stood, I took a knee.

The thigh holster on my leg was a little restrictive but it was constructed for Evan, not for my body. It housed his legendary hand cannon, which I hoped would aid me in my journey. I set my hand down into the burnt surface of the crater.

“This is the place where Evan died... and I was born... farewell my friend.” I gave my condolences before standing. I needed to see the princesses, if they were even still alive. For whatever reason, the moon was locked in the sky.

The climate was starting to change. Pretty soon flora would start dying and the lakes, seas and oceans would freeze over. If I was to do at least one heroic thing in life, it was going to be this...

'I'm not a hero. I never was. And like hell I never want to become one either. If you think either myself or Evan are perfect, you need a therapist. I'm a brute, with the personality to match.

Evan... he's kind, he's gentle, he's loving, but he's screwed up in the head. His mental balance is so offset by... goddess only knows what. Childhood mental traumas, motherly abandonment issues... everything. His current state rests on a thin thread so delicate that just about anything could threaten to upset it.

What I'm about to do would probably be considered by most to be unjustifiable. Cruel. Evil. Inhumane. But that's what I do. I am evil's greatest fear. An equalizer who doesn't falter on the morality of his choices...'

* * *

I stood in the rain for the better part of an hour, just soaking it in. The idea that Evan... my long term soul mate in a way, was gone forever. We were always together, our spirits twined with one another by an inseparable bond. And now... just like that. He was gone, and I was left to venture the world alone.

Funny... most of the time I found him aggravating... his voice. How he was so childish at heart. He could be a fierce warrior but at the end of the day he always reverted to a loving, caring man. I hated that about him.

And now that he's gone I miss him more than anything else in the world. I repressed the thoughts and got to the task at hand. Crouching low, I let my mind go blank, focusing on only one thing. Canterlot.

Red dust fumed at my feet and began to whirlwind around me as my body tensed. I pounced and my body went airborne at speeds I couldn't even begin to fathom. I sped through the thundering stormy skies and in seconds found myself diving down to the streets of Canterlot.

I managed a graceful landing. I had never flown before but I think for a first time that was pretty good. I didn't think humans were capable of flying but I suppose you learn things everyday.

My black trench coat draped around my crouched figure, camouflaging me into the darkness of the streets. I stood to my full height and observed the royal castle. It was still... motionless... without life. A gust of wind fluttered my trench coat flaps.

I brought Belladonna to my right hand and walked through the ever dark streets. Once bustling with lively ponies... now reduced to empty streets that only flowed with water that rained from the skies. Lightning would flash from time to time, illuminating the empty shadows of the big city.

I made my way to the castle, the guards at the doors frozen in posture. As much as I used to hate seeing these damned technicolor horses... if I ever saw a regular one again...

I went through the front doors and straight to the royal throne room. The hallways and corridors were eerie and dark, the torches and lamps in most of the hallways having gone out. Finally reaching the throne room, I stood before the massive doors. I blinked and let the feeling sink in. Taking a step back I booted the heavy throne doors open and steadied the cannon downrange, figuring anything but something good was waiting for me.

As I scanned the area, I found my assumption to be correct, though it sent me into further confusion. Evan had been physically attacked and turned to stone thereafter... so these pegasi must really get around if they encased everypony in stone... especially if some are stuck in regular everyday poses, like the guards. 'How the hell'd they do it?'

I rushed forwards to the stone statue of Celestia, slowing to a walk when I was within a few strides of her. Holstering Belladonna, I reached out and stroked the side of Celestia's smooth stone cheek. “How did this happen?” I asked, not expecting to get an answer.

As I touched her face however, a burning vision flashed in my mind, one that was so brief I couldn't recall it. My hand jerked back when the image struck me but when I placed my hand on her cheek once more nothing happened.

Something big had went down. So big that it even consumed the princesses... “Luna?” I called out, having not seen the stone imprisonment of the second princess. I did however spot Discord, also turned to stone. 'Why is he here? Usually he's at Flutterhy's...'

I walked over to the dragon goat, running my hand along his stone body. “How did they ever get you, old friend?” I asked, wondering just how exactly a group of pegasi renegades managed to get not only the entire population but also the princesses AND Discord.

A very talented unicorn with powers over the immediate environment once bested Discord and myself... but this... this was a whole new level. “Maybe these pegasi are better than I thought...” I whispered.

I left the stone titans to their imprisonment for the time being, deciding to check Luna's chambers.

I walked through the corridors once more, the odd torch still left burning while the rest had been extinguished. Finally reaching Luna's private chambers I entered without knocking. I was slightly confused, but not much more than I already was, as I gazed upon Luna's body that lay on her bed.

Her frozen expression looked to be one of frightened terror, one that looked as though all her worst nightmares had come true. I stood there for a good long while, just puzzling to myself. I had no idea what to think.

Slowly, I took a seat beside the stone princess, resting a hand on her cold shoulder. I was speechless and couldn't think of anything to say at first.

Time seemed to pass by at a bizarre pace. Before I knew it, hours had passed that I had just sat on Luna's bedside, silent. I stroked the side of her cheek. “I'm gonna find out what happened... and I'm gonna ask them pretty damn hard... and after I find out, I'm gonna get to the very bottom of it... and then I'm gonna bring you back... I'm gonna bring everypony back.”

I sat there for a few minutes more before standing to my full height. My trench coat flaps dangled in the gentle breeze. This mare had seen things in my dreams nopony should see. But she still saw them non the less, and the memories are no doubt the toughest battlefield she has to contend with.

I stepped out her balcony door, taking a leap off the tall castle and heading off. Those bastards were going to pay, but first they were going to give me answers...

'In times of extreme circumstance, situations arise in which the law cannot be relied upon to enact justice. The police and lawbringers become inadequate and order falls. In these bleak times only a select few types of people can restore peace. These people are called the necessary evil.

If you want peace, prepare to fight to your dying moment for it.

In order to restore peace though, you must act outside the law, think outside the box. Set your sights for justice and don't let a single goddamn thing stand in your way. Select a motivation for that justice.

Revenge is not a motivation, it's an emotional impulse. A natural reaction. This wasn't going to be for revenge. This was going to be for punishment, their punishment...

Third person...

Starry Skies sat back on her couch, wrapped in a nice plush robe with a glass of fine wine. Having just taken a bath in the nearby river, due to the power being out, she felt rather refreshed. It was a little chilly but at least she felt clean.

Her wine was bitter at first but had a sweet lingering aftertaste. Having been an aristocrat most of her life, she was accustomed to fine wine and fancy foods, along with plush furniture of apparel.

As she sipped her wine, her balcony door blustered open with the wind, rain pouring in with the storm. The doors clacked and shuttered from the violent storm. She cursed to herself, quickly setting her glass of wine aside and rushing to close the door before the rain tarnished her soft carpet.

Closing the door and locking it, she turned around only to be mortified in shock by the presence of a dark looming figure standing by her couch side. “Pretty eyes...” the figure said before looking up, a flash of lightning revealing his heavily scarred features, which made him all the more terrifying to the mare. “Too bad I'm gonna rip 'em out...”

'She didn't have much say. Was kinda surprised to see me more than anything. Didn't take much to make her talk, just a few steps towards her and she was pleading for her life. Said she was just following orders and didn't know more than that.

The rain cleanses the blood still lingering on my trench coat and hands, washing it away and diluting it into the streams that have formed in the streets. I made her death quick. She wasn't fully involved in the beating of my friend but irregardless she was involved in this... this genocide of sorts, making her guilty to a fault...'

Charger sat lonesome with himself, a glass of heavy bourbon swishing in his hoof. “Wish she had at least left some mares around...” the stallion muttered to himself. As much as he tried not to think about it, his mind kept reverting back to the death of his comrade.

Leaning back in his seat, he sighed before pounding back the beverage in one go. “Oooh... what I'd give to have a go at him again... then I'd show him,” he commented to himself. He briefly contemplated going to the man's final resting place and smashing his body into pieces but as quickly as he contemplated it, disregarded the thought.

“Dammit! With goddess as my witness... I swear I'm gonna find a way to break him in half... I promise you that much Blitz,” Charger said before retrieving a bottle of vodka and taking a swig straight from the bottle.

Before his lips parted with the neck of the bottle, the lights flickered on along with the television, which only displayed a test pattern. With a smirk, Charger smiled. “Guess lady luck is smiling on me,” he commented as he went to reach for the beer tap.

He stopped just as a cold voice called out. “Or perhaps giving you the finger...”

Charger swung around on his bar stool, presented by the sight of someone who only made him smile deeper. “Tell me what I want to know, or there will be... trouble,” the man said in a deep voice. Charger snickered.

“Oooh... tough choice. But... I think given the circumstances I'll chose the latter,” he laughed before cracking his front hooves. “Shoulda stayed under whatever rock you crawled outta... woulda been less painful,” Charger said as he began to trot boldly towards the man who merely stood expressionless as he spoke.

“For you...”

'He was a half decent fighter, knew how to throw a good jab. But nothing could have saved him from me, not after what he's done.

The fight only lasted a few seconds after which he gave the names of his buddies, most of whom were dead already. He didn't know much more than the last one did, other than the orders were given directly to his leader. He was telling the truth, I made sure of it.

Even now in the rain, bits of him wash off my trench coat as I walk along in the stormy downpour. I'm still no closer to finding out what I need to know, and the list is running short...'

Stratus sat with himself over just a glass of water. He sat silently for the most part, watching the ice cubes melt and create condensation on the exterior of his glass. The room was dark, barely illuminating his facial features.

Rather gently, he stroked a hoof down the texture of the scar that resided on his face. Closing his eyes, he let out a sighing exhale before taking a sip of the ice cold water. Having chosen this lifestyle, he would never go back on it, but wondered from time to time what life would be like if things were different.

Not so much his own actions changing things, but those of others. He put a damp cloth against the back of his neck and left it there, exhaling peacefully as he took another sip of cold water.

A crack of thunder jolted him up and he spun to the door which had been busted down. Rain water splashed in and in the doorway stood a menacing figure who was obscured by the darkness.

Stratus stood up, finishing his glass of water and tossing aside the damp cloth on his neck. With an angry twitch of his lip, he tossed the empty glass which smashed in the corner. “Shoulda stayed down for the count,” Stratus commented.

Lightning flashed, a white skull on the man's undershirt flashing bright with the storm's lightning. Heavy scars worse that Stratus's own illuminated across the man's face. The big, dark white stallion gasped, deterring slightly and taking a step back. “You're... y-you-you're not...” the stallion hissed to himself, realizing this wasn't the same man as before.

The man opened his eye, the other covered by an eye patch. His deep brown eye flashed and sent icy shivers down to Stratus's very core. “Tell yah what...” the man said, holding up a fist. “I'll give you three more scars just like that one,” the man said, just as three bony claws emerged from between his knuckles.

Stratus took yet another step back before taking a bold stand. The man twisted his wrist slightly just as more lightning flashed, the blood on the man's claws shining. “Whatta yah say?”

'He was a good fight. Way better than the other stallion. Maybe it was because he wasn't intoxicated. Cold water. Healthy choice. It didn't do him any good though.

He did however, despite his tough exterior attitude, squeal like a canary... that was off course after I started showing him pieces of himself... pieces ponies usually shouldn't see of themselves.

Told me everything he knew, everything. His boss, named Nightshade, gave everypony the orders. She had gotten those orders from her boss whom he didn't have a name for, saying that only Shade knew her name and the rest just called her 'The Moon'... he also mentioned that this... Moon character was the most frightening pony he's ever met, and that she'd kill the whole crew if any of them disobeyed her orders.

Their orders were to beat Evan to a pulp and make him fear something. After that their task would be complete and they had the world as their playground. Just Evan. Nopony else was around at that point. I'm hoping his leader, Nightshade, can bring me up to speed on everything else...'

Nightshade sat with herself and nopony else, enjoying the silence that had been brought unto the world. The day, or rather the last few hours, had been long and tiresome, even if she hadn't exerted herself all that much.

Finally getting a moment to herself, she laid back against the plush cushions of her couch and relaxed. Letting out a sigh, she whispered to herself how nice the silence sounded.

Without her knowledge, a large lumbering foe leaned on the back of her couch, looming over her body. “Is that so?” he asked in a deep voice. Shade went to jump up but was tackled to the ground mid-flight.

Derreck pinned her to the floor with ease, his body mass nearly two hundred pounds more than her own. His knees sat just past her shoulders, restricting her forelegs from moving. His left hand held her throat, keeping her head down.

For a brief few seconds, her wings flapped madly as she grunted whilst trying to escape the brutish man. “I'M GONNA KILL YOU! YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW YOU HEAR ME?!” Nightshade screamed as Derreck reached over with his free hand and retrieved a bottle of liquor.

As Nightshade squirmed and yelled, Derreck's left hand grabbed her snout and pried her mouth wide open while his right dumped a good mouthful of liquor down her throat. “Drink up,” Derreck mused as the mare coughed and gagged.

Derreck took the bottle away, alleviating his grip on her head as well. The mare beneath him continued to choke and gag before beginning a threat. “You stupid colt! You don't realize how...” she trailed off as she glared to the figure, only then to have her eyes widen slightly. “Wait... no, wait... you're supposed to be...”

She was cut short as a crack of thunder and lightning boomed nearby, illuminating his face along with the white skull on his shirt's chest. “Dead?” Derreck amused himself. “A lot of your crew said the same thing... that is... well, until I showed them otherwise,” he mentioned but Shade just spat at him.

“You wish. My crew would mop the floor with a weakling like you,” she challenged and Derreck rose a brow.

“Maybe together... but alone... well, let's just say...” Derreck reached into the duffle bag he had strapped to his back and retrieved Stratus's head. Slamming the mutilated head down beside the mare, she screamed in horror.

“Took a rather nasty trip through a wood jointer, courtesy of yours truly,” he replied with a smile before putting the head away. “So... with your whole squad dead... and none of them having told me what's really going on... mind telling me what's going on?” he asked.

Nightshade began to squirm under his weight but to no avail. In a flash motion, Derreck swung his hand near her face and the mare flinched, gasping painfully as a small wound slit open on her cheek. “AHH! What the hay?!” she gasped painfully before looking up to see the man clenching his fist, three bloody claws protruding from between his knuckles.

“Interesting huh? Dunno why or how I got 'em but they come in handy... tell yah what. Tell me what I want to know and I won't turn you into a...” He looked behind himself and to her lower region. “Shit eh...” he said, turning back to her.

“You know... it's hard to threaten mares since you can't necessarily tell them you'll cut off parts of their body and turn them into the other gender... so tell yah what...” he said, crossing his forearms over her throat and leaning in close.

“Tell me what I wanna know and I won't uhh... do horrible unspeakable things to your body with my claws... deal?” He offered her his hand. Even if she had wanted to shake his hand, she was pinned beneath him and barely able to move. “Hmm... not the formal type huh? That's okay. I can work with that.”

Leaning back, he sat on her chest and rubbed his chin. “SooooOOOOoooo... I guess the most pressing question is how did you get everypony... turn them to stone like you did my friend?” Derreck asked.

At first Nightshade didn't answer. Derreck sighed. “Okay... I guess I'll inscentivize this,” he said as he grabbed a bottle of fine liquor. “Enlighten me to what I want to know, and you'll get a drink... don't, and I'll...” he trailed off and swiped his hand near her face again, giving her another tiny slit on her cheek, making her wince.

“Deal?” Derreck asked.

“We didn't...” Shade replied regretfully, to which Derreck rose a brow. “We didn't turn everypony to stone. That was our boss. I'm not sure how she did it but she turned ponies to stone using their fears or something... she didn't really fill me in on the whole thing. She hired us because your friend couldn't be turned to stone through nightmares or daydreams. He needed to be beaten down physically... that's where we came in,” she mentioned.

Derreck rubbed his chin. “So... you didn't... oh where are my manners, here,” he offered her a small glass of liquor.

“I wouldn't mind being able to hold it myself,” she suggested. Derreck lifted one of his knees to let her take hold of the beverage. She took her reward and downed it, not once trying to use her free hoof to escape.

“Not gonna try to beat me off? Punch me in the groin? Anything?” Derreck asked. Nightshade scoffed at the remark.

“How exactly would I get you off? You weigh a ton,” she commented and he giggled.

“Yeah... I put on weight recently,” he laughed as he sat back, making diligent not to press all his weight on her belly. “So... if you didn't turn them all to stone, who did?” he asked.

“My boss, our employer,” she replied, leaving the name in the dark for now.

“Well... I guess that counts but I was looking more for a name,” Derreck mentioned.

“Fine... her name is-” but Derreck cut her short.

“Woah, woah, woah, WOAH! SHE?!” He asked and Nightshade rose an unimpressed brow.

“What's wrong with that?” she asked.

“The criminal mastermind who's frozen the entire world to stone, imprisoned everypony and... is a she?!” he asked.

“And... your point is? The crew who took down your almighty friend, who couldn't be bested by my boss's world ending spell, was lead by a mare...” Nightshade informed him to which Derreck just rubbed his chin.

“Yeah... I guess I can give yah that one,” Derreck replied.

“Well in that case, you mind getting off me?” she suggested. Derreck sat for a moment then shrugged, getting off the mare and standing up, offering her help which she refused. With a stretch of her back she scoffed to herself.

“Sweet Celestia, you gotta lose some weight tubby,” she mentioned.

“Muscle weighs more than fat kid... now, about your boss's name?” he asked.

“You really want that information?” she asked and he dangled the bottle of liquor, the incentive reward for her cooperation. “My boss... is none other than... Nightmare Moon,” she commented and Derreck stifled a snicker.

“Come on... trying to give me crap like that.” He scoffed but she shook her head.

“None else. You can either believe me, or go to that ancient, abandoned castle in the Everfree and see for yourself... your choice,” she offered. Offering her the bottle, she took it and poured herself a drink. “Want some?” she offered and he rose a brow.

“You're free... completely. Yet, rather than try to get away or beat me down or kill me to avenge your friends's deaths... you offer me a drink?” he asked and she shrugged.

“You're obviously faster and stronger than your friend if you managed to kill off my entire squad in less then a few hours... as much as I hate you for it, I can only respect you for it as well. If you could take Stratus head to head and kill him than you'd probably wipe the floor with me too in a stand up fight.” She took a second glass and offered it to the man.

“Clever girl...” Derreck mused then smirked. “It takes a great warrior to respect their enemy... so... Nightmare Moon? But how?” he asked curiously to which the mare only shrugged, taking back the drink Derreck hadn't taken and downing it herself.

“That... is a question you'd have to ask her yourself,” she said before taking a sip of her beverage. Derreck nodded and walked towards the door. “So that's it?” she asked and the man nodded solemnly. “You're not gonna kill me after what we did to your friend?” she asked out of curiosity.

Derreck closed his eye and felt the rain water splashing against his face. “That'd be vengeful,” he replied and she nodded.

“One day I'm going to take my revenge upon you... don't you have an inner feeling of vengeance for what we did to your comrade?” she asked and he nodded.

“But revenge is not a valid motivation... it's an emotional response. My motivation is punishment. Punishment to those who truly deserve it... I've killed your entire squad for their sins, and you yourself realize your power pales in comparison to my own. You can't do a damn thing to avenge your friends's deaths... You're going to have to live with that fact for the rest of your life... and that... will be your punishment,” Derreck said, red smoke fuming at his feet before quickly taking off at hyper sonic speeds.

Nightshade sat down, cursing to herself whilst pouring herself another drink.

'The more I think about it, the more I start to like the idea of it all. Nightmare Moon, resurrected from the dead, subsequently turns everypony... everyone, to stone. Somehow, someway, I of all ponies... whatever, am left alive for one last ultimate showdown with her.

With nopony around for collateral, there will be nothing holding either of us back. I can go at her with everything I got. For the first time ever I'll be able to unleash my full potential... it's even a full moon out tonight, what luck.

As I walk through a random deserted town, I come across a statue of Luna, prior to her banishment. In the pouring rain, her features are only ever illuminated when a flash of lightning strikes in the distance.

I come before her great statue and fall to my knees. What if I'm not enough? What if I can't beat her? Then what?

The world's population will be left to her and Nightshade...

But I won't let it come to that. No, I can't let it come to that. Not after everything that's happened.

My hand pulls on the handle of Belladonna and I draw the sights upon Luna's statue and put one right between her eyes, just like I'm gonna do to Nightmare...'

Derreck's perspective...

Juggernaut, I picked her up on my way through Ponyville, ripped through the ridiculous forest jungle at a mediocre pace. The instrument panel readout said everything was running at optimal performance, for now.

As the truck trudged along, I drove towards an old acquaintance's place. I had a hinting suspicion she too was turned to stone but in the back of my head, I had this hunch... this feeling, she must still be alive. She had to be. There was noway she could be taken.

The truck pulled into a fairly large clearing, and at one end rested a large cargo plane. “Hmm... wonder if she's in a peaceful mood...” I spoke aloud. The truck pulled towards the plane at a peaceful pace. If I went bombing towards her she'd no doubt unload on me.

As the truck got closer and closer, I kept getting a worsening feeling in my gut. I pulled the truck up to the small encampment near the plane and stepped out of the still running Juggernaut, just in case I needed a quick getaway.

I stood near the driver door of the truck for several minutes, figuring at the least somepony would hear me. However after a good five minutes I decided to investigate. I went tent to tent, each one giving me a chill as I spotted a stone imprisoned pony. Finally reaching the last tent, I took a deep breath then yanked on the curtains and entered, gasping as I lay my sight upon the interior.

There was nothing, save a work bench and a little science lab do-hickey. “UGH! Where is she?!” I gasped, having not yet found Kianna. I stormed out of the tent and looked around, not once sensing her presence.

I made my way to the cargo plane's open rear cargo door. As I let myself inside, I covered my eye with a hand while I sighed. Kianna lay inside, sprawled out on the floor and turned completely to stone. 'How the hell'd they get her?' I wondered to myself as I crept past her.

This just didn't add up. 'Maybe I didn't ask Nightshade hard enough...' I thought to myself. 'HA! Nightmare Moon my ass. Bet she isn't even alive. Bet it was all just a lie. She played me like a damn fiddle!' I thought to myself.

Just as I was about to come to terms with that thought, I felt a trembling in the ground, like an earthquake rippling the planet's surface. Rushing back outside, I looked to the distance where an ominous dark blue light was shining up from the surface. It was almost like a fissure had been cracked open and was letting out some hellish creature from the underworld.

The ground continued to shake and tremble and I watched in fascination as a spindly tower was quickly erected, reaching over two hundred feet into the air, almost as tall as the Canterlot royal castle.

I looked in awe as my thoughts continued to wander. 'Maybe she wasn't lying...' I rushed back inside the cargo plane. 'Too bad this wasn't the gunship model... bah, wouldn't matter. I don't even have a gunner...' I kept thinking random thoughts as I began to take out a couple rifles from her stash.

The majority of her stash was cold war Soviet and American weapons, with only a few select weapons being WWII era or FN weaponry. I grabbed a dozen AKMs and stripped them all down, sorting through the selection for the best parts. Most of them were in pretty rough shape, a lot of the barrels being pitted or rusty from careless lack of maintenance.

Going through the firearms, I ended up grabbing another batch of AKMs just so I could find the finest quality parts. After the better part of an hour, I finally cobbled together a fine AKM that operated like butter. The action was smooth, the trigger pull was crisp and gun didn't look beat up.

I put the other guns back together in courtesy of the fact I was taking a freebie. I had a hunching suspicion it wouldn't matter in the end anyways, but just in case. As I was putting the other battered rifles away, I came across the sight of a rather rare firearm. I picked up the completely black rifle.

It's fairly unique and rather hideous muzzle break made me snicker as I closely observed the firearm. It's magazine was angled slightly to the side to allocate the needed space for the odd recoil system. Though of Russian design, it was rather futuristic in its own little world.

I removed the magazine and checked the load. Rocking the magazine back into the gun, I racked back on the bolt and charged the weapon. My thumb naturally pivoted the fire selector and flipped the gun into its infamous burst mode.

Aiming out the cargo door, I quickly tapped on the trigger several times, ripping off the entire magazine's capacity in breathtaking time. It felt as though the gun only fired a dozen or so times, but in reality it did double that.

Though an ugly gun... and a little more complicated than the Kalashnikov series, I decided to take the gun along with me. I grabbed several extra magazine's for each gun, along with extra ammunition for the AN-94. I already had the ammo for the AKM due to Evan's SKS habit.

I turned to Kianna and drew Belladonna's sights on her. “For the unspeakable things you've done...” I trailed off as my finger deterred on the trigger. As much as I should kill her... as much as I wanted to kill her... I also wanted her alive so I could finish her in proper combat. “One day... one day we'll have our battle, and when we do, the world will stop to watch...”

As I slung the rifles over my shoulders and went to leave, I caught sight of a somewhat... very novelty gun. A smile came across my face...

* * *

I parked Juggernaut to the side of the path and turned her off. This was as far as she could go. I grabbed the extremely heavy bag and slapped the bandolier across my chest before putting a big pack on my back. I stepped out of the truck, the bag and pack nearly yanked my entire body down to the ground. Sweet Celestia it was heavy.

I shut the door behind myself and looked to the bridge that led to the massive, newly erected, castle. “Nice digs...” I muttered to myself as I crossed the bridge in a calm fashion. The rickety board and rope bridge swayed to and fro as I made my way across.

As I neared the castle gates, I noticed the beautiful stained glass portraits that probably told some kind of story or was in honor of somepony. Crouching low, I pounced into the air, flying higher than I ever though possible and landing on a balcony perch of the castle.

Walking along, I neared the exterior of the glass portrait that double acted as a window. The portrait portrayed The Shadowbolts defeating my friend. A plain expression came across my face as I dropped the big bag to the floor and unzipped it.

Pulling out the extensively heavy M134 machine gun that had been crafted and customized for handheld use, I jammed a power cable into the gun, linking it to the power source on my back. The gun, the battery pack on my back and the bag of ammunition that ran to the gun through a feed belt, was probably bordering three hundred pounds. Goddess I could barely move. 'How did I make that jump?' I thought to myself, looking down to the impossible gap that I somehow was able to make, especially considering the massive bulwark of novelty crap I was carrying.

I gripped the front handle with my left and the joystick looking handle with my right. 'Ooooh, I feel like Arnold now... Or maybe Ventura...' I thought as I walked up to the window panel. Swinging the heavy gun barrels, I smashed apart the window and peered down to the throne room.

Below were wonderfully crafted statues that were painted. Each one stood across from another down a long carpeted path, each statue evenly spaced. I thumbed on the joystick, activating the spin sequence of the gun.

As the gun reached optimal speed, my index finger deterred on the trigger. I had about one thousand rounds of ammunition. At four thousand rounds per minute, that was about fifteen seconds of ammunition.

I leveled the gun and fired a quick burst at some stained glass across from me. The gun shook and vibrated in my hands, taking me by surprise. For an electronically operated gun that wasn't gas operated, it had some kick.

Setting myself into a better stance, I gripped the gun tightly and sprayed a wide arc across the throne room, smashing apart the wonderfully crafted glass panels. The constant muzzle flash unleashed a backlash of force that fluttered my trench coat flaps. The bright illumination produced by the buzzing gun lit up my features, the white skull on my shirt reflecting the light of the muzzle flash.

I held back on the trigger and mowed down several statues that burst into crumbling debris as they were struck with dozens of jacketed bullets. Bullets chewed bits of the floor up along with the carpet. Pieces of glass lay across the ground and chunks of stone debris from the statues cluttered across the ground.

I'd stop for brief seconds to move my point of aim, just to conserve the ammunition that extra bit longer. The gun continued to shake, recoil and vibrate in my hands. Each stream of of bullets chewed apart its target, spewing more and more debris across the once pristine castle floor. Within seconds, the gun ran dry and simply whirled loudly. I was nearly deaf.

'Huh... so much for that,' I thought as I tossed the gun aside along with the heavy battery pack.

Reaching into the bag, I retrieved the single shot M79 grenade launcher and pushed a live shell into the chamber. With a flick of my wrist, I latched shut the breach loaded gun before aiming it downrange with just one hand. 'Oh goddess, Evan would've loved to see this,' I thought to myself as I triggered the gun.

The recoil hurt my wrist, but I kept my stance. The grenade round was propelled down range and burst apart a stone statue. Thumbing the latch, I loaded another shell but this time fired between two statues, taking out two with one shot.

The statues burst apart and the lighter pieces were propelled over a dozen yards away. I kept the stone cold expressionless look on my face as I pumped another round into the chest of a statue. The grenade round burst apart the depiction of whom I presumed to be Nightmare Moon, blasting the pieces of her across the throne room. The explosions started to leave heated pieces of shrapnel in several places, some of which ignited the carpet and set it ablaze.

Looking to the throne, I loaded another shell and leveled the gun's sights on the throne chair. Firing the gun, I watched in satisfaction as the throne was blown to smithereens. However, despite my satisfaction, I kept my joy to myself, still keeping the expressionless look.

I dropped the grenade launcher beside the Gatling gun and hopped down through the busted window. Landing in a crouched position, I slowly stood up to my full height. A drop like that would've killed a regular person... but then again, this was a mystical world of magic and ponies so I wasn't about to ask why I could do what I'm now able to do.

“Hmm... quite an entrance,” spoke a voice. I causally turned to face the owner of the voice. I could make out a figure in the darkness. She, judging by the voice, was tall and rather slender. Wings were folded at her side and a pointy horn protruded from her head. Her eyes glowed white and her mane and tail were but a fuming mist in the darkness.

My thoughts escaped me as I was left slightly slack jawed. “Nightmare Moon.” My words were but a whisper yet somehow she heard them.

“Yes indeed. And here I was on the premonition that all of Celestia's subjects had been turned to stone. I even had to send my henchmare and her group after... you. But... you're not you, are you?” she asked.

I let a few mumbles leave my mouth. I was never really sure what to expect from Nightmare Moon, but she had a terrifying presence about her. Just being near her was... ominous. “How? How'd you do it?!” I ordered and she laughed.

“You're not really in the position to be making demands but... I'll offer a trade off. You answer my question and I'll answer yours.” Her offer was difficult, mostly because I didn't know how to answer it.

“I don't know. I'm not my friend, the one you sent your goons after... yet, I am in a way,” I replied.

She gave me a glare. “How is that so?” she asked.

“You first. I answered your question as best I could. Now, how did you do it?” I demanded and she laughed before speaking.

“I'm not satisfied with your answer. Tell me how it is that you're still alive. I felt it. Nopony else was left living. You were turned to stone but now... here you are standing before me,” she stated.

“I'm no more my friend than you are Luna,” I stated and she scowled angrily.

“I AM NOT LUNA! I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, GODDESS OF THE NIGHT! THE MARE IN THE MOON!” She shouted so loud it nearly shook the ground beneath me.

“I answered your question, now answer mine!” I demanded. She looked to me with a risen brow. Stepping forwards and out of the darkness, her features were illuminated under the moon's gaze.

Her eyes were no longer glowing and her pupils showed. Her fur was jet black and her frame was just as slender as it had been in the darkness. She was breath taking. I readied myself for the fight but she just laughed. “I am not interested in fighting you... at least, not yet.” She circled around me as I just stood there, stationary. “Hmm... indeed you are not your former self. You are... different. You are... stronger... faster... better,” she whispered the last part into my ear and I took a sharp inhale.

She walked around to my front side and smiled. “Very well... what shall I call you than?” she asked.

“Parker... Derreck Parker...” I replied valiantly.

She smiled. “Indeed... Well than Derreck... I suppose you answered more than one question, so I guess I owe you. As you may know I was destroyed by the elements of harmony, at least my entity was destroyed... Luna remained,” she snarled the last part before continuing.

“I found myself in the darkness of what mortals would consider death, banished for what would be eternity. However, as luck would have it, Celestia ordered her sister Luna to invade your dreams. A decision she lived to regret. During those years she spent with you in that war, her fear... the terror of what she saw began to consume her. I was recreated. A manifestation of that fear, slowly building up inside of her. A fear that followed her back to the real world. When she was told it was false, but a dream, it started to turn to anger and hatred and I was completed once again. Though I made diligent to separate myself from Luna so that I would not be hindered by a second mind once again. Finally I will forever and fully be Nightmare Moon. No longer will I conflict with a second entity. Luna was the first...” she told me.

“I've heard of weirder circumstances...” I arched my brow. “So... how'd you do it? The ponies to stone?” I asked.

“I once... felt, the energy of another who nearly brought Equestria to its knees. He had a dark power that could ensnare you into your worst fears, make it feel like reality itself. I learned and harnessed that great power for myself, and turned it into something much darker. I could bring myself to a pony's thoughts, almost like a daydream, and put you through your worst fears. If that fear proved true, your body would turn to stone, much like the powerful stare of a cockatrice. However, your... friend, was the only one in all Equestria not to give into his fears mentally. His willpower was immense. He needed to be physically coaxed into his fears, which is where my henchmare and her group came in handy. So you see? It was the dreams, the nightmares, that turned everypony to stone.” I stood there for a moment and took it all in.

“The legends said you were angry because everypony loved the day... and not the night. So why enslave everypony into stone statues? Now there's nopony around...” I mentioned.

“It was Luna's dream! Her derailed vision to have ponies love the night. I wished to conquer and rule all of Equestria!” She boomed.

“But why rule something if there's nothing to rule?” I asked and she shot me a glare.

“I will not be bested by anypony. The last time I underestimated these puny foals, I was defeated. This time will be perfect. Nothing will stop me if there's nothing to be stopped by!” She proclaimed. I stepped towards her.

“Hmph... well, you disregarded the most dangerous factor of all,” I stated and she looked to me with a curious stare.

“And what would that be?” she asked.

“Me!” I stated in a deep voice. She laughed and cackled, almost as if it were a joke.

“Oh please! What humor. I think I shall keep you around as my jester. I never knew humor could be so exhilarating!” she howled in laughter. I widened my stance and grunted, my muscles flexing and bulging to new sizes. I let out a prolonged grunt as my body was covered in a dark blue glow, a powerful aura of equal color flashing around me.

“Indeed... an interesting trick. However, you've just sealed your fate. I could've thought of a million uses for you, some of which you may have even enjoyed. But, if this is the path you choose, I will grant you the death you obviously wish for!” She shouted as she zipped forwards at blinding speeds.

Jumping into the air, she performed a flip and drove a kick into the side of my neck. I kept my stance rigid and held my ground. The force transmitted itself through my nearly stationary body and into the ground, creating a gaping pit beneath me. She gasped as her eyes went wide.

“Th-that... that should have killed you!” she snarled. Her body was motionless, still in the posture of kicking the side of my neck. I slowly reached up and grabbed her leg.

“The key word there is 'should'.” I pivoted, still holding her leg as I swung her body and slammed her into the ground, creating another crater in the floor. I released her leg and stepped back. “You underestimate your opponents,” I told her as she stood back up to her full height.

“You are still no match for me!” Lowering her stance, her horn glowed and emitted a powerful blast that sent me hurtling through the air. Mid flight, I rearranged my body and cupped my hands together, palms facing her.

A bright radiance shone in my palms, the illuminating glow shining through the cracks between my fingers. With fierce recoil, the energy blasted towards Nightmare and collided perfectly square with her chest.

The resulting eruption shook the throne room. I flipped in the air and landed on my feet, still sliding backwards on the tips of my feet. Coming to a stop, I looked to the smoldering cloud where my blast had struck Nightmare.

Out of the corner of my vision, even with one eye bundled up beneath an eye patch, I caught glimpse of a figure blurring towards me. I brought my forearm up in a defensive position and blocked the mare's strike.

She let out a stifled gasp as I blocked her attack perfectly. “You... you...”

“Me?” I asked innocently as I used my free hand to plow a punch into her chest and send her crashing through a wall. I felt a sensation wash over me as the moon shone upon my body. I felt as though my body's strength, speed and overall power was boosted dramatically.

I grunted as my body flexed further. My muscles didn't really enlarge any further but grew incredibly tense, veins bulging from beneath my skin. My powerful aura began to flush outwards rather than stream parallel with my figure.

The increased power output from my aura blew off my eye patch and I could physically feel my eye change. My pupil came into view and my vision was enhanced. I could see everything as though it was daytime yet again. As though the very sun itself was shining upon me.

I looked to the moon. It was as though it was shining brighter than the sun itself. Looking to the moon, I tried to let out a powerful roar that ended up becoming a howl. The claws that resided inside my arm extended out from between my knuckles like they always did.

Blood dripped down my hands as I turned to face Nightmare Moon whom was emerging from the rubble. “You'll pay for that!” she shouted, charging forwards and plowing into me with great force. She slammed my body through several walls before releasing me and letting me come to a crashing stop against a stone pillar.

I groaned as I came to my feet. “These will be your last moments... enjoy them!” she laughed as she flew forwards for another strike. I dodged to the side and drove a punch right up into her gut, my opposing force stopping her dead in flight. Her breath was taken away as she wheezed, the wind knocked out of lungs from the abrupt and rather violent stop.

I jumped into a flip and drove a kick into her back, slamming her into the ground before further crushing her into the crater as I drove my feet into her back rather brutishly. Stepping off her, I knelt down. “I'm still here...” I taunted.

“NOT FOR LONG!” She boomed, spinning on the ground and kicking my feet out from under me. Leaping into the air, she spun and flew down into my chest with all fours, crushing me into the unforgiving floor. I clenched my eyes shut as I grimaced painfully.

I felt her breath on my cheeks as she breathed calmly. I managed to crack my eyes open enough to see her. She had a devilish smile splayed across her face. “Hurt?” she asked before head butting me with extreme force. The power behind her strike had enough strength to crash me through the floor and slam my body into the depths below.

I crashed with enough momentum leftover to leave yet another cavity in the ground. I went to stand but she piled into me, crashing me through floor after floor after floor until I was finally driven into the planet's surface.

She went to strike me while I was down but I placed my palm to her gut and fired an energy blast that sent her catapulting into the air, a fuming trail of smoke following her path. I rolled backwards and to my feet, standing in a defensive position. We had a stand off briefly and I decided it was time to get serious. I took a moment to remove the trench coat and skull shirt, revealing my raw physique.

Deciding to take to the offensive, I darted forwards but came to a sudden stop as Nightmare Moon flew into me, lodging her horn through my gut. I gasped with a spurt of blood and she withdrew her horn.

Glowing brightly, and spurting globs of pure energy, her horn flashed and an eruption of magic blistered into me. The blast nearly tore my body apart. I could feel the heat burning my skin as it drove me back.

As the blast stopped I found myself barely able to stand. I had my eyes clenched shut but I could still feel my skin... feel myself bleeding. Not badly but still enough to trickle down my sides.

I spotted her charging for another strike and followed her lead. We both charged into each other and delivered a powerful strike to the other's cheek. Her punch was enough to cock my head to the side, but I could feel that my strike did the same to her.

Pushing against her strength, I cocked my head back towards her and smiled before booting her hard in the gut and sending her airborne. Extending my opened hand, a fury of energy blasts left my palm, zooming towards Nightmare Moon. With utmost precision and speed she managed to dodge every single blast.

“Your aim could use great improvement,” she mentioned and I smiled.

“So could your perception,” I countered back. She blinked, unsure of what I had meant, before looking around herself. Every single blast floated nearby, glowing ominously. I clenched my fist shut and as I did so, every orb of energy connected with Nightmare, resulting in a massive explosion.

Flying out from the explosion in a furious blur, the mare zipped towards me, horn glowing brightly. As she neared, she lowered her horn. I extended my hand once again, palm facing her. As she flew within a few feet of my position we both fired our respective attack that collided with with the other's.

The explosive force knocked us both back and spread us further apart. Clenching my fists, I charged forwards, as I knew she was undoubtedly doing as well. We met in the smoldering smoke and connected strikes with one another, knocking ourselves away yet again.

As I readied myself for another attack, a fury of energy shots flew at me. I returned fire with my own magical blasts. I had no idea where I was firing and some of our shots collided, resulting in an explosion that further masked our positions. Other shots missed our target completely and went off to cause further destruction to the structural integrity of the castle.

After a few brief moments both of us ceased fire. Her voice echoed through the building smoke. “You are definitely stronger than I first thought,” she commented. I crept through the smoke with a cautious pace. I couldn't sense her presence... she was probably sneaking around as well.

“You are a lot prettier than I thought,” I commented and I could hear her laugh.

“Trying to flirt with me in an attempt to have me spare your life?” she laughed.

“No... just speaking my mind freely. I was always fascinated by your chess piece appearance when Evan would play with his friend, Derpy.” The smoke didn't let up, and I wondered if perhaps we had started a fire. “I always thought you were kind of pretty... just never expected anypony to be this pretty.”

“I could swear you are trying to flirt with me,” she replied and I just chuckled, still making my way through the darkness.

“Maybe I am... or maybe I'm just wondering why it is a pony with your beauty chose such a dark path,” I replied, leaning up against a vertical surface that felt like stone. I heard her voice reply back.

“Perhaps you don't understand that very few ponies appreciate the beauty of night. They feel frightened and threatened by the darkness of eternal night,” she replied.

“Hmm... or maybe you don't understand the damage caused by such actions... without the sun's natural vitamins, plants start to die. Global climate change further kills off several other species. With temperatures declining further, the water starts to freeze and life further starts to decrease. The ecosystem would start to end on a planet that is so dependent upon the sun,” I told her.

“So you'd rather the day than night?” she asked and I smirked.

“No. As much as the planet depends upon the sun, it also requires the love of the moon. The moon controls the tides of the ocean. The darkness it brings allows nocturnal creatures to roam freely. The natural cycle of day and night is vital to the continuation of the living ecosystem. Without one, there cannot be the other...” I replied.

There was a long silence, and I had hinting suspicion we both knew the other was on the opposite side of the stone wall we were both leaning up against as we spoke. Breaking the silence, Nightmare Moon spoke. “So which are you? Day or night?” she asked.

“The moon gives me strength. It fills my body with a power I have yet to understand. With the night comes a darkness others cannot rightly see past, yet I can see as though it were brighter than the day sky.” I stood in silence and it was as though I could feel her smile.

“So in a way... I give you strength,” she commented and I chuckled lightly.

“I suppose if that's the way you like to look at it... yes. You give me strength,” I replied. There was a long silence that was quite peaceful. I looked to the moon and it was as though I could feel her looking back to me, like the moon was a mirror, reflecting her gaze back at me and vice-versa.

In that time of peace the smoke cleared. Nightmare spoke up. “Well... I suppose it's time to get back to it,” she suggested and I nodded.

“It's the way it has to be,” I replied back, propelling myself off the stone wall and firing an energy blast at it. Nightmare did the same and the resulting fiery explosions shook the castle. We both flew into the air, blasting several shots at one another in a fury of motion.

A lone shot came right at me. I stopped and cocked back my right hand before swatting it away like a fly. Several dozen more orbs of energy blasted towards me. In a blur, my hands moved with grace, swatting away each shot, the attacks redirected to the ground and blasting more craters into the surface.

“Hmm... impressive,” she praised and I nodded.

“I'm full of surprises,” I replied and she smiled.

“Is that so?” she asked as her horn glowed brilliantly, her body tensing. “In that case... SURPRISE ME!” She boomed, firing a large powerful beam of energy at me. I widened my stance and held my ground. As the beam neared me I held out both hands and caught the strike with my palms. The blast had enough force to plummet me to the ground but I still held strong, never once letting the blast leave my hands.

The energy had enough force to skid my rigid frame backwards but I never let up, my feet even digging a trench into the ground. Cocking my arms at the elbows, I exerted all the power I had and forced the blast back towards Nightmare.

Cocking my right arm all the way back, I swung as though to punch, tossing a powerful energy shot into the back of her own blast, sending it hurtling even fast towards her and not giving her a chance to react.

The explosion was immense and made me cover my face with my arms. As the explosion settled I looked upwards, arms falling to my sides. Nightmare fell from the air, smoking profusely. Launching myself into the air at great speeds, I caught her and brought her soundly back to the ground. Grunting to herself, she looked up at me with a confused expression.

“Surprise,” I replied before setting her back to all fours and readying myself in a combat stance. Our brows both furrowed with anger and we launched ourselves at each other, hammering a fury of blazing fast punches into the other. The resulting kinetic energy sent shock waves throughout the castle, even blowing away debris near our fight.

Each strike from her was like hell and the few minutes that our furious punching battle lasted felt like eternity. We both stopped and staggered back from one another, brutalized by our foolish attempt to simply over power the other in a show of pure strength and endurance.

Although my healing factor kicked in, the lingering sting of pain from our battle rested in my body. I could still feel every place she'd struck. “If it's the moon that gives you power...” she trailed off as the moon slowly left the skies, leaving the planet in near complete darkness. I felt my body weaken and I nearly fell to my knees. Her eyes lit up in an ominous glow, the only real source of light for the time being. Even in my weakened state however, I could sense that the removal of the moon's presence had also taken a toll on her as well.

“Let's see how you fare now!” she boomed, charging at me and plowing my body through the walls of the castle, launching my body outside. I rolled and tumbled along the ground but soon caught my footing and propelled myself into the air.

I let my inner hatred begin to simmer. A dark fiery red glow began to encase my body. My pupil yet again shifted and was now left in a vertical slant as the iris of my damaged eye turned hellish red. I flexed, my body gaining muscle mass. The flushing power aura returned but this time with a red color scheme similar to that of my damaged eye. Red electrical currents began to stream around my body. Everything else seemed to fade away and my attention was drawn purely to Nightmare Moon, my every sense focused to her.

I was hardly half as strong as I was before, but I would make up for that loss of power with the burning fury inside of me. Besides, she had lost a majority of her power as well. “The moon isn't the only place I draw power from!” I shouted out as I let the fury inside of me boil over.

I thrust my hands straight up, unleashing all my hatred and rage. A nova of red energy began to form above the palms of my hands, almost like a small sun. The omitted heat from it nearly burned my hands, but I refrained from cringing and simply kept feeding my anger into the ball of fury.

Thunder crackled in the background, along with the constant flash of lightning. Taking my left hand away, I lurched my body forwards and thrust my right hand downwards, as though to throw a ball. My swing directed the mighty ball of fury and it slammed down into Nightmare, crushing her into the planet and erupting violently.

The blinding flash of the eruption made me cringe and the concussive force struck me as well. I was hit by the blast of my own strike, several burns and wounds scattering across my body.

In the aftermath of the explosion, I found myself laying on the ground flat on my back. I felt my healing factor start to kick in.

I stood up and looked at my left arm which was snapped the wrong way. Biting down on my lower lip, I grabbed my left forearm with my good hand and yanked it back into place with a loud groan of pain.

I felt the smooth embrace of the moon's gaze once more. My dark hellish aura left and was replaced by my cool moon blue aura, along with my pupil and iris. Nightmare Moon casually strode out from the ravaged and smoldering castle. “Perhaps I once again underestimated you,” she commented in an appraising tone.

“Like I said... lots of surprises.” I took a combat ready stance and she just laughed.

“HA! Do you really think you stand a chance against me? You silly foal!” she laughed and began to charge at me. In an instant my mind focused and I was teleported directly in front of the still charging mare. She gasped in shock as my fist drove itself into her gut. As she doubled over mid flight, I swiftly brought my right arm up high and drove my elbow into her back, slamming her into the ground.

Leaping back I let out a howl of rage, the ground beneath us vibrating as my inner self began to change. My muscles flexed and toned themselves accordingly. Veins along my arms and legs bulged as the powerful aura around me widened out even further, quickly accompanied by an electrical blue static that surrounded my body.

I could feel my body shaking, barely able to contain the new found strength I had attained. Nightmare Moon smirked with a chuckle. “I should keep you around. Who knows what other things you can do to amuse me,” she laughed before charging full speed towards me.

In an instant I closed the gap between us and drove a knee into her chest, knocking the wind out of her. With a wildly hard punch, I sent her hurtling backwards through the air. I zipped along faster than the eye could see and came up behind her, clenching both hands together and slamming them into her body, abruptly changing her flight path and sending her crashing straight down into the ground below.

Floating down, I postured myself accordingly nearby. She staggered to her hooves and looked over to me with a scowl. “Why you! I'm gonna kill you for sure now!” She charged at me, unleashing a fury of punches, kicks, elbows and energy blasts.

I followed suit and we both unloaded into each other with everything we had, each getting glorious shots upon the other. Leaping back from the proverbial ring, she lowered her horn and fired a mighty blast into my gut that sent me hurtling back.

Flipping several times in the air, I gained my posture and fired back but she dodged the blast with ease and slammed into me with immense force. She crashed our bodies back into the castle and down several more floors.

Squirming out from her grip I pounded several punches into her sides before leaping back and clenching my right fist obscenely hard. A bright blue glow encased my right forearm and I began to growl and snarl like a wild beast.

Charging forwards, I leapt into the air and thrust my right fist towards Nightmare Moon. The embodiment of the upper half of a wolf charged out, a stream of energy connecting it to my arm.

The wolf pierced straight through Nightmare's chest then looped around and engulfed her within it's jaws, erupting slightly afterwards in a bright flash. The strike had taken a lot out of me and I fell to my knees with a gasp.

Without much warning, Nightmare Moon rushed forwards and tackled me yet again through the floors of the castle, crashing me down to ground level. Reaching deep for strength, I booted her off my body.

I looked away, seeing the moon shine down through another hole we had put in the floors. The moon's illumination sparkled upon a beautiful sword that was jammed into the broadside of a boulder. I crawled over, groaning painfully as I did so. Even with my healing factor kicking in, I was still feeling a bit tender.

The blade, what little I could see of it, was wonderfully crafted though it was strange. It was a dual edged blade but in the middle it was separated into two color schemes.

One side was bright and had the glossy look of stainless steel, while the other side was dark blue like Nightmare's mane. The handle was a good two feet long but at the base it had four claws holding a yin yang orb. But this yin yang wasn't quite like the one from where I came from.

Rather than black and white it was blue and white, the dot inside the white half being that of Luna's cutie mark, the other dot inside the blue half being Celestia's. I rested my body against the firmly jammed sword, my body's weight all resting on the handle yet never moving it an inch. I made diligent not to touch the blade edges as they looked dangerously sharp.

“Don't even try it,” Nightmare laughed. I opened my eyes weakly to see her slowly trotting towards me. “That is the legendary Shadow Blade, forged from Shadow Steel. The strongest and most durable material known to ponies. That blade is made from the same material my armor is made from, but that sword was specially enchanted by Celestia and Luna together. Only a pony who is pure of heart and loyal to the moon may carry that blade. Only Luna was ever able to wield that sword,” she mentioned.

With great strength I heaved on the handle but it didn't even budge or wiggle. I grunted and groaned, even trying to pull it side to side to loosen it. But alas, it didn't give even a millimeter. The mare laughed at my futile attempts.

I collapsed, gasping for air as my whole body ached in pain, begging for me to stop. My eyes fluttered open and in the reflection of the blade, I saw the innocent smiling face of my friend. That smile... the one I'd never see again. My eyes squinted as my brows furrowed. His reflection beamed off the shiny part of the blade, while my own image reflected off the darker side. As I gripped the sword, I swear I could see the ghostly image of my friend standing on the opposite side of the sword, also gripping the handle.

The yin yang orb glowed brightly as did the blade. My hands clenched and without much effort I yanked on the handle, as did the ghostly image of Evan, and together we freed the blade that had sat here for over millennium. A rippling shaking in the ground rocked the remainder of the castle ruins as I brought the blade to bear.

Clenching even harder against the handle, the sword stormed with energy, the blade glowing blue with a mist similar to Luna's mane. Nightmare gasped in disbelief as she staggered back. “Im... impossible!” she gasped. I gripped harder on the sword, a powerful aura blistering outwards from the sword. A crater grew beneath my feet as I stood there wielding the mighty blade. I stood to my full height, the Shadow Blade gleaming in my grip. The blade itself nearly stood an additional six feet from the hilt, making the sword eight feet in total and taller than me.

I looked to her with a glare, then propelled myself towards her at blazing speeds, a flaming trail of electricity following me. I cocked back hard with the sword and swung it with all my might. The momentum alone from my strike could kill a pony.

As the blade struck her armor vicious sparks of lightning shot out from the collision while her shadow armor erupted into thousands of shards. The resulting force of the blow knocked us both back, hurtling us through the air. I lay on my back, barely able to cock my head up to see Nightmare Moon staggering painfully to her hooves. I looked to see the blade laying on the ground a few dozen feet away. At first I contemplated rushing to retrieve it but a warmth at the side of my thigh convinced me otherwise. I reached to the side of my leg and gripped the pearl handle of Belladonna.

Out of the corner of my vision I could see her glowing brightly. Drawing the pistol out, I gained a bead on Nightmare Moon. The golden inscriptions along Belladonna's side began to shine. 'Belladonna' and 'Thy lord shall set thee free'. The first shot recoiled hard in my grip and the shot slammed into Nightmare's shoulder, staggering her back as blood seeped from the wound.

I fired again, striking the broadside of her chest. Again into her chest followed by another. The forth shot struck her other shoulder. Time seemed to slow and focus for me. My aim went high on her chest and I pumped two nearly consecutive shots, both hammering their mark with immense force.

The kick was enough to pull her up to her hindlegs. My aim went low and to her exposed belly. Firing once more, I was awarded with the sight of a penetrating shot that kicked her onto her back with a painful scream.

Belladonna's slide cocked back and locked. She was empty. With a groan of pain I managed to load another magazine into Belladonna then crawl over to Nightmare Moon whom lay in a widening pool of her own blood. She gasped and gagged, blood coming up through her mouth as she withered there, gaping wounds all over her body. I was surprised she was still alive.

I crawled my upper half onto her chest and pressed the barrel of Belladonna between her eyes. “I... win!” I grunted and Nightmare Moon looked directly into my eyes. My finger began to squeeze back on the dangerously crisp trigger. As I looked into her eyes, I stopped.

I lay there for a moment before letting the handgun slip from my grip. My right hand traveled down her body, feeling the curvature of her body, every texture to her fur. My hand stopped at the wound on her belly and I gently pressed down.

She gasped in further pain and bit her lip. “What are you doing?! GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!” she yelled, begging for death. I felt my own energy begin to drain, and could feel the gaping wounds on her body seal shut. I looked into her eyes with a fiery gaze.

“I... beat... you...” I whispered before collapsing into darkness...

I felt the blissful cool feeling of the moon shining upon my body. My wounds began to seal though the soreness still remained. I felt enough life return to my body that I was able to open my eyes, finding myself staring into the stars and at the full moon, though my left eye was now shrouded in a foggy blur. Closing my left eye, I sighed.

On my chest lay Belladonna, not shining anymore but still having her regular glistening look. With what little strength I had, I grabbed the hand cannon and put her back into her holster. A voice startled me, but I didn't have enough power to act startled.

“Why did you do it?” she asked and I sighed.

“Even if I killed you, I doubt it would bring my friends back. Even if I killed you, I doubt the sun would come back. Even if I killed you... who's to say you won't just come back again. What's the point of killing you if it doesn't change anything? If I defeat you but leave you alive... you have to live eternity alone knowing you were bested, and there's nothing you can do to redeem yourself. Eternity knowing you'll always be second best. And that is the greatest punishment of all,” I said groggily. A crumpled pile of clothes was dropped beside me. It was my trench coat, skull shirt and eye patch.

“I found them in the rubble...” she trailed off. I sensed her presence get close to me, along with the rustling sound of her laying down.

She was resting right beside me, looking healthy and refreshed which was a whole lot better than what I undoubtedly looked like. Very slowly, I felt life start to return to all parts of my body. “How did you beat me? You were finished then... you just... the Shadow Blade does not give you strength nor power yet you managed to...” she trailed off and I managed a weak shrug.

“Determination... the love I have for my friends drives me to unthinkable abilities.” I continued to just lay there, staring at the moon. After a long silent while, I tilted my head so I was looking at her. Her helmet and armor were gone, destroyed by Shadow Blade, letting her mane flow freely and showing off her natural beauty. “You're very beautiful...” I mentioned.

She looked to me with a blush. Before she could say much, I spoke my mind. “I just... thought I'd say that. It's true,” I mentioned before flopping my head back and facing the stars once more.

“I can change things back... release everypony from their stone imprisonment,” she mentioned.

“And why would you do something like that?” I asked, still as weak as ever.

“Maybe I just feel like it,” she said mockingly.

“Smart ass...” I snickered. I could hear her sigh.

“When you... did what you did, I realized no matter how powerful I become, friendship... love... somehow, someway, it will always triumph over my power of hatred and anger. When you gave up what little life you had left to save me it... I lost the will to fight. How could it be that somepony... someone, whose power trumps over my own, would be so caring that he'd give what little he had left to a dying mare that threatened to destroy everything he held dear. It... destroyed me... how can... I just... you've beaten the fight out of me. I've lost.”

I lay there, her words not only sinking into me but into herself. “That's kinda what I was hoping would happen. I mean... I wasn't expecting to be alive at this point to hear it...” I trailed off.

“If I do this, than you won't be. You'll be back to the way you were before. A mere second. A slave to a master. Are you truly that selfless that you'd give up your freedom for another?” she asked. I didn't answer and that was all she needed.

“Derreck?” she asked and I looked towards her. She moved over and leaned her upper body over mine. “I guess I just wanted to...” she trailed off and placed her lips to mine. Our eyes closed as we embraced in the moment. Her lips were soft, wet... sensual.

Though most of my mind was focused on the kiss, in the back of my mind I could sense the others coming back, their stone imprisonment vanquished. The kiss ended too soon and she leaned back, still over top of me and looking down with those dreamy eyes of hers. 'Ha! Dreamy. The mare who just about killed me I'm calling dreamy... what next?'

“Wanted to do that,” she said, finishing the sentence she started before the kiss. “I'll give you a parting gift so I can always be with you in spirit... if you'd like,” she offered but didn't quite tell me what it was. I nodded and she placed her horn to my head. I felt a tingly sensation course through my body but it was rather brief and I wasn't sure what it did. Taking her horn away, she blinked away a tear before speaking.

“By daybreak you'll change back. After that everything will return to normal. When everypony returns, Luna will have no recognition of the dream she endured with you. I have kept those memories for myself... as a souvenir I suppose. But before that happens I guess there's one last thing you have to do...” she trailed off and I blinked. Her horn glowed and Belladonna was placed in my hand. Before I could speak it was levitated upwards and she placed the barrel near the center of her chest, pointed to wear her heart would be.

“What?!” I gasped.

“Face it. No matter what happens ponies will never except me into their community. It took them long enough to except Luna. Discord never really tried anything drastic and world shattering yet some still question his alliegence... no, this world isn't for me. Ponies wouldn't understand like you have.” She had a very saddened expression across her face. With teary eyes, she looked to me. “Besides, in the short time we've spent together, I've lived a lifetime's worth. And for that I thank you, Derreck Parker. But it's time...”

Evan's perspective...

I awoke with a yawn then gasped, jumping out of bed and feeling myself. Last I remembered I had... I was fighting... dark pegasi... the fountain...

Without much thought I rushed upstairs and nearly collided with my mother. We both started sputtering out random gibberish before stopping. I spoke first. “Uhh... you first,” I replied and Twilight grabbed me.

“Oh Evan, I had a horrible, terrible, awful dream that you disowned me and left, along with all my friends. Even Celestia said I was a disgrace and stripped my title away, saying all my achievements were for nothing,” she said shakily.

'Was my... was it a dream?' I asked myself. As I thought about it, I felt really heavy. Not in just a mental way but physically. I literally felt like I weighed a good three hundred and fifty, maybe four hundred pounds.

“What about you?” she asked, breaking my thoughts. I shook my head, brushing away the wonder about my weight.

“I... I... uhh...” I had no idea how to explain it. I mean... stone imprisonment, Shadowbolts... something about a sword... instead I just hugged her tightly. “I just wanted to say I love you,” I told her heartily. She was a little taken aback by the rather strange approach, considering I was rushing frantically just moments ago, but soon embraced the hug.

Leaning back from the hug, I smiled. “I just never want to disappoint you-” I began before being abruptly cut off by Lassie who crashed into us in a rushed scurry, knocking us all over.

“You guys wouldn't believe the crazy ass dream I just had!”

Author's Notes:

Yeah, sorry about the weight guys. My internet went down and I was going to post this Saturday night but then I got caught up in this problem with a friend who came over to my place in his parent's Sante Fe and crashed it (At which point is when I found out it belonged to his parents and he wasn't supposed to be driving it), which is somehow now backlashing on me? Dunno, idiotic people I guess.
Check it out...