This dimension looked exactly like they have expected.Cloudy skies without a sign of sun, big fires, mad thieves and drunk ponies. The usual suspects.

The group was standing on a top of a hill. Nearby there was a little village and a forest on fire. On the horizon, 7 high peaks could be seen. This was a valley, where the tyrans and the evil ruled and there was no such thing as order.

" That's  a deeeep hole. " Pinkie spoke

" Huh? " the group went to Pinkie. There was really a deep hole in the hill. It's bottom couldn't be seen.

" I got this. " Hawk fired a flaming arrow in the pit. Everypony looked down. The arrow went further,and further, and further.

" There is no bottom? " Twilight was confused

" Guys, please step away from the pit, Djarvis detected movement. " Stark spoke. The Iron Patriot and the Mark XLII's masks went down. Everypony took a batle position. Something hidious got out of the hole.

" Celestia, what is that? " Dash spoke.

" Fire! " Thor commanded

Everypony attacked the thing. But it was immune to everything - from arrows and punches to lightnings and unbeams. It roared.

" We're doomed. " Stark spoke

Hase stood in front of everypony. The beast was angry at him. The stalion laughed at it and threw rocks at the monster. he taunted. And the monster attacked. But he was quick. Before the monster ever reached it, it turned to shadows and vanished.

" Mind over matter! " he spoke

" Impressive. Few could handle such a beast. " a voice spoke behind them.

When they turned around, there was another group of ponies. A big pony with a red mane and beard, with a sledgehammer, which levitated around him, a smaller pony, again with a red mane, with a little flame on the top of his horn, a black maned unicorn mare, holding blades with her magic, a blonde stalion with clever eyes, holding a sword, and the last mare, which looked very much like Twilight.  She neared Twilight. Twilight neared her. They were like twins, the only difference was, that the other mare had an auburn coat.

" Interesting, Mayday. " the smaller red- maned spoke. " She looks like your twin. "

" She's probably just my other dimensional self. " the mare replied " So let's meet. I am May Day. "

" Twilight Sparkle. " Twilight replied

" Vocal Resemblance Detected. Have you been cloning yourself, young heroine? " the smaller red- haired spoke again, this time with a robotic voice.

" Oh, shut up, Loky! " the mare with the blades replied.

" I didn't say anything! " Loky wondered why did they mention his name.

" Oh, so they brought another Loky. Perfect. " the black haired mare said ironically. The bigger red- haired laughed.

" Forge. Just Forge. " he introduced himself

" Forge... a good hammer you have there. " Thor was interrested by the sledgehammer.

" It's Mjolnir! " the red- haired raised it and yelled.

" My hammer? " Thor still didn't believe his eyes. The Mjolnir didn't belong to the Pre- Equestrian Thor?

" Perhaps you're confused. I need to explain. When the skies closed... " he began.

" Ah... rewind that a second back and say it again! " the Equestrian god of mischief interrupted him.

" By " the skies closed " I mean those clouds, " the smith nodded at the clouds " , they aren't just clouds. They are magically enhanced clouds, that block the Horsegardians from aiding us in any way. Back than, the only Horsegardians, that were still here, were Thorse and Loky. They helped us fight the forces of Sabredance, but we were still outnumbered. We lost and Thor got killed. The last thing he did was to entrust me his hammer Mjolnir and to advise me to use it well. "

Soon the groups knew each other. The black maned unicorn mare with the grey coat and the blades was Crescent. Her parents were the greatest fighters in the valley, but they died by the hoof of Sabredance. So she was orphaned when she was only five. She was raised up by a mysterious monk. The next year, when Sabredance striked again, the monk went back to his monastery, together with Crescent. This monastery wasn't just a normal monastery, it's monks worshiped the spirits of the nature. They protected several mysterious magic relics from being stolen and used unproperly. Thus they were masters in unarmed and armed close quarters combat.

Though the monastery was only for stalions, the monks let Crescent among them and trained her to become a guardian. She certainly had a gift, at the end she was better than anypony else in the monastery. But once, an old friend of hers tried to sneak in the monastery and steal the locked relics. At first she was with him, but than she realized, that by betraying the monks she's betraying her family, and than the mare tried to stop him. The stalion tried to fool her by telling how good they could live together, after they give the relics to Sabredance. The fact, that her friend works for the killer of her parents ended her doubting and she fought him, leaving a deep scar on his left cheek. He didn't return anymore. But for her loyalty she was awarded with one of the relics, that her friend tried to steal: the Crescent Moon Amulet.

" It is a mysterious object. " Crescent's melodical voice described the necklace.

" A small crescent moon on the end of a silver chain. Ordinary at first sight, but really powerful. And it's legend is my favourite story... I always went asleep after the monk told it to me. All the relics in the monastery had their stories.

The brothers, spirits of the Sun and the Moon, took turns on the sky for decades. But once, out of the complete darkness, a dark cloud emerged. It covered the sun during the day and the moon during the night. No sun fed the plants and joyed the ponies. And no moon lit up the way of the strangers or revealed the horrible crimes with it's weak light. It was catastrophic. The two brothers fought the cloud, but they didn't achieve anything, the cloud just became bigger and bigger. They went all the way up to the stars to ask the Horsegardians, protectors of peace and order in all of the 9 realms. They knew nothing. Luckily, when they returned, a small snake told them, that they should look for help in the mortal world. Because the same way a snake can sometimes give them a better advice than the Horsegardians, the same way a mortal can help them with their problem.

And so, disguised, the brothers entered the village. Back than, before the rebellion fight, ponies were more hostile and lacked faith. Only two orphan sisters gave them shelter. Days after days, they lived together. Eventually the cloud covered the whole sky. They revealed who they really are to the village, but the village ponies didn't believe it and threw rotten tomatoes at the spirits. But again the two orphan mares trusted them and together with them went to the cloud. With their faith they kicked away the cloud. And they were awarded: the brothers entrusted them two mystical amulets. They didn't make them powerful as the spirits themselves, but still had magic in them: the elder sister received the Sundisk amulet.

Since the sun knows everything, the bearer of the Amulet, if the mare is worthy, can see what bothers the ponies, what they feel, and lighten up the way back . I forgot to mention, but only mares can use this amulet. Mares with faith, that they can change the world. Except this it also boosts the bearer's strength. It gifts both physical and mental powers. Sadly, this amulet is lost from generations and it won't probably be found again.

The younger mare wasn't as confident as her sister, but stll believed, that she can change the world. So she received the Crescent Amulet. Since the Moon doesn't leave darkness hide the villains, that attack at night, the mare, that carries the medalion around her neck, can feel when anything bad or evil nearby, and she can also say when somepony lies. The physical part... it boosts the mare's agility.

But there are also differences between the both Amulets. They both make the mares more powerful, when the symbol of the Amulet is on the sky. So there isn't any way to defeat two bearers together during the day or the night, they can only be defeated during sunrise and sunset. But the younger brother, responcible for the moon, made the medalion adjusted to the younger sister. It takes great controll to learn to use that amulet. As the moon grows, the medalion's powers also grow. It isn't wise to keep the Crescent Amulet on my neck after the moon reaches half of it's size. Not one or two mares went insane from such power. But I am trained for it by the monks. That medalion is stranger than the Sundisk Amulet, because it was also ment to stop the original unsure sister from holding back her powers. Altough it looks weaker, the Crescent Amulet can still be as powerful as the Sundisk Amulet, but requires great controll. One, that even I haven't achieved yet.

Because... we were interrupted. During the last attack, I was in the village together with Forge to protect it. But after the battle ended, there was no home to return to. " the mare wipped off a tear, that ran down her cheek " The soldiers had incinerated the monastery . Sabredance left me an orphan... again. But this time I swore I would have my vengeance. " the black maned finished the story by throwing a small blade at a nearby tree.

" I warn you, my origin story isn't half as thrilling as Crescent's. It is also not that long. " the stalion with the coat, the clever eyes and the sword looked at the two Lokys and Pinkie, who were eating popcorn.

" Go... on. " Pinkie replied between two popcorns.

" My name... is Twister. Perhaps you'll think I summon tornadoes?  No. My name comes from that, that when I was young, I enjoyed spinning on the roundabouts. " Spinner " didn't sound well to my father, who was one of Sabredance' generals, so he chose Twister. He thought I'd eventually stop spinning. I did. But I still am pretty nimble in battles. So now comes the story: it was the last attack. I had excellent fencing skills, because I was trained by the best since I could carry a sword. Untill than I didn't want to participate in battles and wasn't old enough anyways. But when I grew, my father insisted, that I will take part in this battle, " the last stand of the rebellion " .

It really was their last stand and no villager, armed whatever with a sword, axe or shield, was match for my jumping and spinning technnique. How could it be that easy? And than I saw, that nopony had it hard. And I also saw the wizard.

That made me mad. My father sometimes called me " the young Sabredance " and planned to ask him for a second sword, a privillege, that only few had, only the ponies, proven themselves excellent in one sword combats. But my dignity told me to make the fight fair. I went to the magician, a short and ugly pony with a hood and slew him as he stood. The battle was now far more interesting, because the ponies proved a real challenge, if not for me, at least for the soldiers.

The night, when we were in the camp, my father was furious. He swore to destroy the whole village, because they have slain his most skillful wizard. But one soldier, fearing the general's rage, told him who really killed the wizard. My dad " went nuts " , as some might say. He challenged me to a fight. I accepted.

I have defeated numerous fencing teachers, so this should of been easy. But it wasn't. My father didn't ever study fencing. And they say " the master doesn't fear the other masters, he fears the beginner, because he'll do something unexpected and the master will fall " . The same case. My father played dirty. It was easy to dodge his swiping sword attacks, but he also used his hooves to make me fall on the ground. I was unprepared for such a dirty duel and I lost.

" Battles aren't fought by rules, son. " he told me, after he made me that scar. Twister lifted his mane. Two long scars, on the two sides of his horn, went all the way down to his eyebrows, crossing like the letter " v " .

It is the stamp of the losers in the army. I was kicked out of the camp. The losers didn't deserve to sleep in there. So I chose a place to sleep. The pain from my scar didn't let me sleep, so I instead took a walk. There was still light, so the view shook me. Hundreds of bodies, just scattered all over the field.  Hundreds of vultures were making circles in the sky. I went across the field, horrified. On the end next to the village, there was a pony I recognized. I thought I had killed him. But he was still alive.

" I wont let you to the vultures, pal. " I got him over my shoulder and walked to the village. There were still many ponies on the street. When they saw me, they rushed at me and took both me and the pony to the local healing room. There weren't many injured ponies in there - mostly because most of the injured were also killed. Just Forge and Crescent, who I didn't know yet. Forge had a large wound on his hindleg and Crescent was stabbed by a spear in the left shoulder. I didn't have any injuries, but the nurse insisted, that I stay there, at least so that she could call the relatives of the pony I brought.

" Sol..dier. " I heard a whisper. I turned around. The stalion was making signs. I came to his bed and heared more carefully. The stalion had found energy somewhere in his multiply stabbed body and this time spoke normally:

" Thank you, soldier. Now the last thing I see will be my wife and kids, instead of the vultures, feeding of my body. "

" Don't speak like that, you'll live. "

The pony smiled. He replied:

" I saw you in the battle. You are a good warrior. Do you really believe, that I can live? "

He was stabbed in the chest, in the hooves, in the shoulders, he only wasn't stabbed in the head, The chances weren't big. So I lied:

" I have seen ponies, stabbed twice as much as you. You will live to tell the tale. "

The stalion smiled again. A mare with dark mane ran into the room and hugged the pony. Two small fillies and a colt, a little bit older than his sisters, stood next to her.

This made me think. How many families like this have I left without a father? The mare and the stallion spoke for a minute, but than his eyes closed. Forever. The fillies cried, but the colt and the mare suceeded to hold in their tears. The mare looked at me. She took of her beaver furr coat and put it on me. It suited me perfectly and it was a little big for her. I tried to protest, but the mare put a hoof on my mouth.

" You deserve it... hero. "

This coat proved useful, because it hid my armour, that revealed, that I am a soldier of Sabredance. Forge, Crescent and the other ponies in the healing room have ignored it, but the others may of not.

I decided to end this massacre. I grabbed several viper venom beakers from the shelf of the healing room and took Forge together with me to his smithery. There he heated up the blade untill it went white and I poured the venom in it. It mixed with the metal and now I don't have to kill ponies -  I can just hurt them and avoid their attacks untill they get paralyzed.

On the second day I fought on the side of the villagers. Most of the ponies were surprised to see me battle. But eventually, I faced my father again.

" Traitor! Though my son, you shall pay for your betrayal! "

And we dueled for the second time. This time I played dirty too. My sword bounced off his armour, but eventually, I hurt him

.

" What did you put in this? " he asked, while his hind hooves were paralyzed.

After they saw their leader fall, the army fled. But on the next day he avoided me and the army took over the last stronghold of the rebellion. Now Sabredance rules whole of Prequestria. And he is also aiming for Horsegard. " the blonde stalion finished his story.

" And what about you? " Twilight asked May Day.

" Me? I am a daughter of Loky. I realized that, after Loky stopped me from joining the battle, in which Thor died. he trains me magic. He's the best in Prequestria. "

Wanda lifted an eyebrow.

" Perhaps you'll also want to learn from the Scarlet Witchmare? " she asked.

" I'll learn from anypony, as long as he is with me. " May Day replied, which left Wanda glad.

" OK, that's enough flattering and stories. It's getting dark. We need shelter. " Hase spoke " If you want to know our stories, we'll tell them to you. "

" Are you afraid of the dark? " a stalion with dark coat and multicoloured mane got out of the shadows.

" Father. " the pegasus stalion leader nodded.

" It's time to become worthy of your name . Use it or lose it, as your friend says. " the Emperor looked at the War Marechine. " Tommorrow, your lessons begin. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, I'll need your help. "

Both the alicorn princess and the armoured pegasus nodded.

Next Chapter: First Lessons Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 51 Minutes