The Masked Face of Fear

by rikusorasephiroth

First published 9th of February, 2014

When the world was young and gods and monsters roamed the land, he was already old. I just look like him and have his power...in Equestria. How fun.

A human arrives in Equestria.
They almost welcomed him with open arms.
Almost.

Few of them expected him to be as evil and corrupting as he turned out to be.
Even less expected him to return.
But ALL knew and recognised his face... Or more accurately, his mask.

This fic was inspired by the group, League of Humans Acting Villainous

Featured on May 2nd, 2014

And so the story begins...

"It's about fucking time!"

Hard to believe those were the exact words that got me into this technicolour yawn of a world I'm imprisoned in.

You see, I'd finally gotten the the parcel containing last piece I needed for the outfit I was wearing to the Supanova pop-culture convention.
I'd decided since I had never been to any convention, that from the date the previous year's Supanova finished, I was gonna get together, piece by piece, an epic cosplay for this year's, and I finally got it.
A full scale replica of the sword and the hip-masks for my costume.

As I made my way into the lounge-room my six foot six' room-mate walked in from the kitchen.

"Finally here, is it, mate?" he asks, already wearing most of his own.
Shooting him a look that blatantly questioned his intellect, I answered, "And it took 'em bloody long enough!"

Now it was his turn to give me the look.
"I'm not the idiot who ordered their costume one part at a time."
"Yes, but in doing so, I've got a much better quality outfit."
"True, but you also only have ten minutes to get it on before we head out."

With a steady stream of "Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit," I tore open the package, grabbed out the masks and blade and ran to get changed while my room-mate pissed himself laughing.

Pulling on the crimson top and trousers, spiked gauntlets, boots and finally the cloak, I ran back out and shouted, "Get you're bloody hood up and let's go!"

I was almost out the door when I heard him say, "Hold it."

As I looked around the corner at him, he threw an amulet at me, which I caught, absently.
"It was in the box. You must've missed it."
"Thanks, now let's move it! You're driving."

Over the course of the drive into the city, I took a closer look at the amulet.

I noted that while a unicorn head and wings seemed a bit... off, it certainly did look evil enough for the character I was cosplaying, and decided I'd wear it anyway.

Now before we go any further with this, I'm going to be very clear. I have nothing against Bronies, but I will NEVER tolerate someone pushing something at me.
Unfortunately, that was how I interpretted a particular encounter at the convention.

When we got there, we both grabbed our blades off the back seat and added the finer touches to our costumes. I put on the hip-masks, face mask, pulled up the cowl and put on the amulet which was surprisingly warm.

Just as I finished working the clasp, his girlfriend parked beside us and got out, dressed in a costume to go beside his.

With a back-handed tap on the arm, he pointed at her and said, "Now there's a real angel."

Looking up at him, I replied, "How in the hell you got a girlfriend that hot, who was willing to dress as an angel from Darksiders, is beyond me."

After awkwardly listening to the two of them gush over each other for ten minutes, while I slid the hooked blades and claw-weapons into their hidden sheaths, we finally headed in and started checking things out.

Eventually, we made our way to the area where the food was sold, and as the designated wallet for the day, I was waiting in line get hot chips and gravy for them.

While I was waiting in line some random from off to the side comes over and says to me, "Nice Alicorn Amulet. I didn't peg you as one of us until I saw it."

Now, given that I'm not entirely happy with my current crop of friends, I didn't exactly intend to make any new ones, so I dismissed him with, "I don't know what you're on about."

Still, the random insisted. "The Alicorn Amulet from My Little Pony. You know, 'Join the herd'?"

Turning back to him, I warned him, "Listen, I don't care about you bronies, but if you don't get the fuck away from me, I'm going to hurt you."

Having seen me start to lose it, my room-mate came over and said, "Hey mate, take it easy. You're gonna get us kicked out."

"Stay out of this. I'm not gonna do anything stupid," I told him and lightly pushed him with my arm that wasn't holding the blade.

Now remember he's 6' 6' and he's also built large enough to cosplay as War and look the part, so you can imagine my surprise when my light push put him on his arse.

Before I could help him up, the shit-head who started the whole mess shoves in and tries to shove me away, so I turned on him and shouted, "I said, piss off!" and shoved him with my open hand.

Now, at a guess, I would say the guy flew back around three feet, but I can't say for sure, because as soon as I touched him, the amulet felt like it was melting and getting tighter.
Before he even touched the ground, I saw the full colour spectrum flash in my eyes and felt like I was falling and then everything went black.

When I regained conciousness, I opened my eyes slowly. As the blurriness faded, I noted that I was no longer at the exhibition grounds where the convention was held, but rather some sort of clearing in a forest.

Slowly pushing myself into a sitting position, I felt around my neck for the amulet only to find it wasn't there.
Worried it had fallen off, I quickly pulled away the collar of the costume and looked down at my chest and neck only to find a large scar in the shape and position it was in.

"What the fu- What the fuck's wrong with my voice?!" I thought aloud.
My voice was deeper and much more... sinister than it was supposed to be.
In fact I sounded exactly like... 'No. I couldn't possibly... could I?'

Getting up after a mild panic attack, I grabbed my blade, which was just beside me, and started walking, because I knew I wouldn't find any answers by just sitting there so I started along a path that I could see just outside of the clearing.

After what felt like a couple hours of walking, the path stopped as a seemingly still river had apparently cut its way through the middle of it.
Giving a wide berth to the end of the tail on the bank on my side I slid into the water and moved as quietly through it as I could.

Upon reaching the other bank, I returned to the trail and looked back at the tail, followed it's general path to the snoring head of a luminescent water serpent.
...
With a moustache to make Murgo jealous.
...
A fucking moustache.
...
'Why the moustache? I'm beginning to think this place needs a fucking rock troll.'

Ignoring the newly designated River Lord Stache, I hurried along the path into a particularly dark patch of trees where I proceeded to have another panic attack, which I'm not going to get into the details of, because I assure you it was rather generic, as far as panic attacks go.

Calming down yet again, I resumed my trek through the eerie woods until I came across a particularly dense area with the silhouette of a sleeping creature up ahead.

As I got closer I started to make out details such as a thick lion's mane, leathery wings and a god damned scorpion tail.

'You've got to be shitting me. A fucking ma- Fuck it. I don't care any more,' I thought with a tired sigh.

By the grace of some god, or several, I managed to sneak past without waking it.
...
As it turns out the gods hated me.
I know this, because I almost slipped, but still managed to kick a pebble into the manticore's nose, causing it to wake with a sneeze.

With a now awake, and angry, I might add, manticore glaring at me, I did the one thing any sane person would do and ran.

How I maintained my grip on my sword is beyond me, but I was ever thankful to have it when the beast leapt over me.

I stopped dead as it landed and thrust its tail.

Acting on pure instinct, I moved what was meant to be a blunt replica, but miscalculated as I made contact behind the first segment of its tail, too distracted to care that instead of pushing the stinger aside, as it should have, it sliced through, causing the tip of the stinger to scrape along my left gauntlet as I subconsciously brought my arm across my chest.

As it roared in pain, I seized my advantage and swung the now glowing blade down, easily slicing through the flesh and bone of the skull, leaving only a vertical line down its face and growing pool on the ground as evidence of the attack.
Distracted as I was by this, I almost missed the little green orbs of light that vanished when they touched me, making me feel stronger as they did.

Realising that I truly possessed the powers I suspected, I placed the blade along my back, disinterested with how it stayed suspended when I let go, and with a heavy breath said, "Thus is the power of the Sword of Aeons."

What came next I could never have expected.
Right behind me a soft voice choked out a sob and whispered, "How could you?" before suddenly screaming, "How could you?!"

With a snarl, I turned and lashed out with an open hand, backhanding the being behind me as I turned.

I looked it up and down and it seemed roughly equine in shape, but far too small to be a horse. It actually looked like, 'A mother fucking pony.'
The small, grey pony before me had a pair of wings that looked too small to lift its weight, but given its height it would have had to have been flying when I hit it.
It was whimpering slightly as it nursed its muzzle with its fore-hooves.

It took all of my self control not to just flip my shit at the sight of the small creature nursing its face.

Instead, I walked over to her, muttering, "Pitiful creature," placed my palm on its bottom jaw and forcefully lifted its gaze to meet my own.

As I glared at her, I assumed it was female from her voice, I noted that one of the spikes on my gauntle must have scraped along her muzzle, because while there was no blood, the was a bright red line beneath on of her eyes.

As I thought over everything that had happened so far, I decided that if this world was going to change me into the character, I had nothing to lose by becoming the character.

I told her, "Do not assume you can intimidate ME. The only reason you are alive right now is because you are not worth the effort it would take to lift my blade."

With that, I roughly shoved her back down and forcefully said, "Now tell me, who are your leaders and where?"

Afraid, it looked to the ground and didn't respond
"If you value your life, you will answer me."

"Princesses Celestia and Luna," it sniffed.
"The castle of the Royal Pony Sisters is that way," She continued and pointed along the path with her hoof.

Turning towards the path I took a few steps before willing my new energy into my body and slowly rose into the air and drifted in the direction she pointed.

I'd only made it a few metres before I heard her shout, "Wait!"

Half turning, I looked back through the corner of my eye as she asked, "Who are you?"

Turning away once again, I gave her my answer.

"I am Jack of Blades"

Whispers and lies

Author's Notes:

HOLY CRAP!!!
How in the name of god did this get over 150 favourites?!
Thank you to everyone who is supporting this fic.
I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I wrote this as a second chapter mostly because I didn't want to include a time switch in the first and to answer a few questions.

A thousand years I've been sitting here.
A thousand years cut off from all other life.
A thousand years without beautiful, sweet chocolate.
Perfectly blended, not too sweet, with a nice caramel and biscuit center.
...
SHUT UP! We all have our vices!

What was I saying again?
Oh right.

I've been imprisoned by the queen bitch herself for a thousand years in a pocket dimension located between the planes of life and death with a massive portion of my power stripped from me.

Both of which I can understand.

But at the very least, Celestia could have at least had the decency to make it more than one metre, by one metre.

Again, I digress.

I would go into details about what I've done while imprisoned, but I can sum it up in a few sentences.

A few decades yelling at the top of my lungs for freedom.
A century or two practising what little magic I had left.
The rest spent meditating, so I can sense and occasionally see into the land of the living.

Long ago, during my meditations, I had accepted that I could remember nothing of my old life beyond the events of my arrival, not even my name.

But, it was in one of the few moments where I could actually SEE the living world that I saw the means of my return.

A light blue unicorn challenged Celestia's latest pet while wearing an amulet, my amulet.
At the sight of it, I instinctively ran two fingers along my collarbone, where the scar used to be.

I watched the events unfold as the princess' prized pupil was defeated and banished, but I was more interested in the one with my amulet.
She seemed... odd. She was making cruel and irrational decisions, such as banning wheels and demanding to be pulled along on a chariot.

Even I, in all my terrible glory had never been so unusually cruel.
I may have maimed, burned and massacred, but I never did anything so stupid.

Unable to do anything about her idiocy, I watched as she was challenged to a re-match only to fall prey to petty parlour tricks.

Still following my amulet, I saw the pupil write a letter, presumably to the princess.
When the reply came, and what I can safely assume to be a spell, she prepared to banish the amulet.

Be it by fate, coincidence, or sheer, blind luck, she reopened the pocket I was in and closed it as soon as she released the amulet.

Putting my amulet back on, I screamed at the familiar, painful heat and tightness as it once again became a part of me.

I immediately felt my power grow. Not quite to what it was before, but enough to magically feel the walls of my prison.

Searching for the weakest point between here and the land of the living, I let out a dark chuckle.

"Soon, Celestia, I'll be back. And we'll see if the world has forgotten true fear in a thousand years."

The moment I was able to excuse myself from the Saddle Arabian ambassadors, I returned to the place where I banished him, having earlier received a letter from Twilight about her encounter with his amulet.

As I looked upon the stone building where we had faced off, I had to steel myself, for the destroyed and overgrown town had a lingering coldness, like it didn't approve of living beings.

Entering the only standing building, I looked at everything.

Nothing had ever changed every time I visited. The tapestries had flames along their bottoms and up their sides, but never went out or spread.
The balcony looked like it was about to collapse, but never did.
Hundreds of subtle reminders of everything that happened, never changing from the moment I cast him out.

Eventually I approached the statue of him I had made and placed over the exact position where he stood before entering his prison.

looking into the empty eyes of the carving, I remembered that day.

I flew into the town as it burned. The smell of cooking flesh present even above the smoke. Bodies of ponies, griffons and the occasional minotaur littered the bloodied ground.
The deeper I ventured, the more I saw. A trail of death left by the creature that had whispered into my sister's ear.
Dispelling a few fires that impeded my progress I made my way towards the center of town, when I saw him through the flames.
He held the town's guard captain against a wall by his throat with the tip of his small, curved blade just piercing below the captain's jaw as his hooves flailed uselessly. He turned his head as if sensing my presence and looked at me with laughing eyes.
I was forced to look away as the blaze separating us flared and when I looked back he was gone and the captain was on the ground, a shining pool growing beneath him.
Clearing the flames between us, I hurried over, hoping to help, but in my heart I knew I was too late.
Stepping back from the captain's body and looked for Jack, only to find something that proved him to be a monster.
A young griffon impaled in a spear sticking vertically out of the ground, showing he truly showed no mercy for anything.
Turning away, so as to avoid making myself sick, I saw a single building still intact.
The town hall.
As I stormed in, he just stood there with his back to me, and spoke, his voice coming from all around me.
"I am surprised it took you so long to act."
He turned to face me and a wavering red aura covered the doorway.
"Still, you came. You're as predictable as I thought"
As he drew his massive blade, I ignited my magic, bringing forth the Elements of Harmony.
Focusing my magic, I used the elements on the ground beneath him, opening a bright hole into a prison even I did not understand.
As his legs fell from under him, he dropped the larger weapon, accidentally sending it sliding out of his reach, grabbed his smaller ones and jammed them into the ground, in an attempt to keep himself from falling the rest of the way in.
My heart raced as he started to pull himself out, but as his claw-weapons came loose, I knew he had lost.
When his grip on the hooked blade finally gave out, he did not yell or make a last, defiant threat. He simply looked at me with a terrible anger and an unspoken promise of vengeance.
As he slipped into his prison, the elements sealed it for what I hoped would be eternity.
When the light cleared, where he stood was his mask and an Amulet that vanished the instant my magic touched it, teleporting it far away.
The mask however didn't disappear. When I levitated it, a thousand, thousand voices emanated from it.
It wanted to be worn, but I could feel that as long as its master lived, it would slowly destroy any other wearer.
And finally his weapons. The claws and small blade were plain, but so finely made, I doubted anything would ever marr or tarnish them, but the large blade was another matter entirely, as it seemed to glow with raw power, but was not innately evil.
Then and there, I decide I would separate them all.

I looked at the statue I'd had crafted around the mask and said, "Even if you ever return, you'll never get the chance to regain your previous power."

Before I turned and left, I reached into the statue with my magic and felt just how much the mask's power had dimmed.
It was barely a fraction of what it was when he was imprisoned.

Even as my magic felt for the weakness, I cast my mind out in search of my mask, finding it where she imprisoned me, albeit much weaker than it used to be.

'This changes nothing. I will make them know fear again.'

As these thoughts left me I let my thoughts drift back to the princesses and the reason I was in this mess.

'Had she not jumped to conclusions, I would never have resorted to such drastic measures. I just hope... No. That seems unlikely.'

A different light

I continued to levitate in the direction the pony had given until A castle came into view.

'How... generic.'

Stopping my levitation in favor of walking the rest of the distance, I found myself hearing a faint noise. A constant, dull droning not dis-similar to a persistent insect, only the noise did not seem to be coming from anything I could see.

Shaking my head I ignored it and steadily continued forward, eventually sighting a rather unsteady looking bridge with two ponies wearing armour on either side of it.

As I came into their view, they immediately reacted, lowering previously unnoticed spears and pointing them in my general direction as they seeming grew more and more tense as I got closer.

Now that I was close enough, I could see differences between the two.
The one on the right, MY right, was a white unicorn in bright golden armour, where as the one on the left, as a dark grey pegasus in darkened armour, but what surprised me most of all was that the pegasus had leathery wings, very different to the pegasus that I scared half to death earlier, and on top of it he had the faintest signs of fangs, FANGS, peeking out from under his top lip.

"Halt, creature," they said in near perfect unison.

Looking down at them, I asked, "Why should I?"

"Because we ordered thou to," they replied, pushing their spears ever so slightly closer.

I smirked behind my mask. "I'm not part of your command structure. I'm not even a denizen of this nation. So again, why should I?"

"Because if thou dost not halt we shall take thee into custody."

Grabbing the hilt of my small blade, I told them, "Do not think me some easy target that will go willingly. Now put your toys away before you hurt yourselves."

At this, they immediately thrust forward with their spears in an attempt to run me through. As they did, I drew my blade, slashed of the heads of their spears and re-sheathed it faster than the eye could follow, stunning myself in the process.

My surprise was cut short as they jabbed me with, now flat ended, sticks.

Grabbing the shafts out of their grips, I whacked them up the sides of their heads and demanded, "Take me to your princesses, now!"

They backed up slightly before once again attempting to stand their ground.
"We will die before we let a monster like thee near our princesses," the unicorn declared.

Casually walking over, I looked him in the eye and grabbed him by his horn and squeezed it to the point where I could feel the faintest of cracks starting.
"Are you so eager to throw away your life?"

Do it! End it! End him!

When the unicorn started grunting in pain, his counterpart stepped forward and said, "Stop. If thou let him go, I'll take thee to Princess Luna after she's raised the moon."

Turning my attention to the pegasus, I could tell he was honest in his attempt at negotiating.

Without taking my eyes off his, I nodded, saying, "Very well."

I let go of the horn, but before my hand was more than a few inches away, I punched the unicorn across the muzzle, knocking him to the ground.

As he glared up at me I pushed my face to a hair's breadth away from his and said, "Never call me a monster. I'm far worse than anything you have or ever will see."

As I stepped back, the world around us grew noticeably darker as the sun descended rapidly, before the world took on a ghostly appearance with the moon rising to replace it.

Looking to the pegasus, who seemed a bit more at ease in the night, I gave him an impatiently expectant look, or at least as close a one I could manage behind a mask.

Somehow reading my expression, he quickly said, "Follow me. I'll escort thee to the princess," and started along the bridge, with me following closely.

When we entered the castle foyer, he said, "The princess will be in the throne room shortly for night court. I must ask thee to wait here as I announce thee."

After nodding my approval, he left through a side door.

I was approaching the throne room to open night court, when I was approached by my guard captain, Half Light, who quickly bowed at the sight of me.

Raising a brow, I queried, "Captain, wouldst thou kindly explain why thou art not at thine post?"

Rising, he explained the situation of how a mysterious creature, one he had not ever heard of, was awaiting my audience.

Looking to the doors, I said, "We are glad with the decision thou hast made. Very well then, we shall hear this being's plea. Thou shall show this being in when we hath taken to our throne."

"Yes your highness," he said, opening the doors to the throne room for me.

I leaned against a wall as I waited to be seen by the princess, and watched as ponies in gaudy 'noble' clothes made their way into the foyer, gave their names to a guard on the side and took seats as they waited, all while only ever seeing me in a passing glance.
Whether or not they failed to see me or simply ignored me, I didn't care.

When the fourth or so pony entered, the guard who brought me returned and said, "Princess Luna will see thee now."

Stepping away from the wall, I followed as the first pony who arrived, a unicorn and obviously a part of the upper nobility, got up and started to whine at the name-taking guard.
Before the doors shut behind me, I heard him argue, "Why in Celestia's name is a beastly minotaur, and a poor one at that, as its attire and build suggest, being seen before ME?!"

Smiling behind my mask at his childishness, I directed my attention towards the large pony on the throne before me.

We sized each other up as the guard said, "I present thee to her highness, Princess Luna, dream watcher and princess of the night."

He then turned to the princess and said, "Your highness, I present... err?"

Glancing at the guard, I answered, "Jack of Blades."

Watching me suspiciously, she said, "T'is a pleasure to make thy acquaintance. Pray tell, why have thou sought our audience?"

"I seek a means to-," was all I got out before the doors burst open, drawing both our attention, and the noble from earlier stormed in, shouting at any and all guards present, "This is an outrage! I shall not be seen second to a lesser creature!" before looking at me saying, "I demand satisfaction! I hereby challenge thee to a duel!"

Turning back to the princess, I simply said, "No."

From the look on the look on her face, I could only guess what the noble's own expression was like as he screamed, "No?! Thou will not deny ME! I DEMAND satisfaction!!"

Still facing Luna, I replied, "If you insist. When and where?"

A loud clop resonated as the pony presumably stamped his hoof. "Here and now. I will teach thee whom thy better is!"

Chuckling, I faced him, forgoing the Sword of Aeons for my hooked dagger, saying, "Then draw your blade."

In response, the pony took on a punch-ably smug expression. "My blade? Truly, thou art of an uncivilised and inferior nature if thou know not of magic."

"So be it."
I sheathed my dagger.

The pony quickly separated his forelegs, lowered his head and released a bolt of magic at me, which I side-stepped, letting the blast hit the wall to the left of Luna.
As more knowledge of Will flooded into me, I lazily flicked my left hand at him, sending a tennis ball sized orb of blueish white energy racing at him.
When it made contact with the stallions chest, he was sent flying backwards into the closed door, causing him to cry out.

Walking over, I lifted him by his throat and asked, "Have you had your satisfaction?" eliciting a weak nod.

Opening the door once again, I roughly threw him back into the foyer and slammed it.

When I turned back, I saw Luna had made her way near me, saying, "We apologise for the rash actions of our subject. As an apology, we offer the use of a guest room within the castle and we shall see if we can meet thy request in the morn."

Bowing my head, I answered, "You have no need to apologise for another's actions, but I will accept your generous offer."

"Then we shall have Captain Half Light show thee to a room," She said, nodding towards the guard whom I had been following earlier.

After being silently led through several corridors, I was finally in a room.

Sitting on the bed, put my hands to my mask and removed it.
For some reason, it was as if there was a resistance as I pulled, and as it came away the myriad of whispering voices I'd been hearing had ceased.

Curious, I ran my fingers over its surface.
Despite having been worn for hours on end, it was cool to the touch and had an unusual texture unlike anything I had ever felt.
It certainly wasn't plaster, plastic or even metal.

dismissing my suspicions, I put it down an a set of drawers beside the bed and lay down, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

My eyes snapped open.

Two years of searching and I'd finally found the weak point between my prison and the living world.
Two years since I'd had a portion of my power return to me.

Grinning, I pushed my magic through the weakness, a hole forming in its place.

When it was large enough, I slipped through into a clearing, much like the one from when I first arrived.

Again calling on my magic, I shrouded my face behind red shadows and made
a declaration to life itself.

"Jack is back!"

Author's Notes:

Hopefully this chapter clears up a few of the questions I've been asked.
If it doesn't answer a question of yours, feel free to ask in the comments.

Filler: Let them call

I looked up into the night sky from the clearing and began to recall the many friends I had made in the many universes before my banishment.

With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and hoped that I was not the only one to have endured a millenia.
As I got deeper into my meditations and cast my mind out, I felt them all...and more!

The old Knight of the Sun.
The two stoner Lunatics.
The sideways talking Riddle Twins.
The vengeful Huntsman.

All of my former associates from before my imprisonment were alive and well.
'I guess I was not the only one to be imprisoned, then.'

Hoping for one in particular, I reached into the closest parallel and I found her. My best lunatic.
'I will see you again soon.'

Smiling, I tapped into my Will and started ending out Orbs by the dozens.
As they flew out, they formed into a blue-white meteor shower.

When my last Orb flew out and the night sky returned to its former, still image, I found my thoughts drifting back to her.

Back to the only being with a bloodlust and penchant of destruction on par with my own.

'Alice'

Author's Notes:

I release this filler chapter both as a plot point for those who wish to use Jack and as a means of informing you of some bad and good news.

First, the bad news.
A few days ago, my washing machine broke and flooded the house and unfortunately my laptop I write on was fried from getting soaked, so I will not be updating for a while. I'm writing this on my Xbox 360's internet, and am hating every second of it.

The good news.
The laptop was covered in the house insurance and will be replaced.

Plot info.
For anyone wanting to use Jack, I would ak you to kindly mention the meteor shower and summon him via Orb. The way this will work is simple. The Orb looks translucent with a painted image of Jack's mask in the middle, which will feel solid.
Pushing the image will take the character to Jack's universe, whilst pulling it will bring him into the character's.

If you have any questions, please ask in the comments.

Rising fears

Looking to the night sky I located the few consistent stars Luna didn't shift at night and quickly found my bearings
With a sigh, I turned South East and made for Border-Town, the place of my downfall.

Thankfully I was only a few kilometres away.

I watched from my balcony as dozens of stars appeared in the sky simply to shoot away.

My dear little sister always did have an exquisite eye for beauty.

Heading back inside I figured she would appreciate me telling her what I thought of her display.

In a flash of magic I was outside a side door to the throne room.
Pushing it open, I saw a clearly unhappy Luna dealing with my repulsive nephew, Blueblood.
Having not noticed Me enter, she responded to whatever whiny excuse I'd missed with, "Why did you stop going to my sister's court and come to mine to bother ME with your petty complaints?"

Stepping back, offended, he whined, "How could you call the exuberant cost of theatre admission 'petty'?"

Stepping into view I interjected, "You may want to go home and rethink that argument, dear nephew."

After looking between the two of us, his expression became a foalish pout before he stormed off.

When the door to the throne room had stopped echoing from being slammed, Luna looked to me, asking, "How is that...that FOAL, related to us exactly."

Shaking my head I released a heavy sigh. "I can't remember, but I have no doubt HE knows."

Grumbling incoherently, she looked back towards the door.

"If it makes you feel any better, your display tonight was beautiful."

Her brow furrowed and she turned back to me. "What display?"

Raising an eyebrow, I said, "The collective of shooting stars. What else?"

Her expression went from confused to concerned and she answered, "Tia, I didn't make any such display tonight. Are you sure you are not just tired?"

Before I could respond a letter popped into existence in front of her.

As she finished reading it, she said, "I am unsure of what you and Princess Twilight saw tonight, but I believe it should be investigated."

Shooting me a deathly serious look, she continued, "If somepony has been playing with my night I will find them and put a stop to it."

As I strode through the ruins of Border-Town, I was mildly surprised that it wasn't rebuilt.

Making my way through the overgrown and crumbling town by memory alone I eventually reached the Town Hall.

Stepping inside I saw it had been somehow preserved.

Disinterested in the magic involved I continued to the only thing I cared about.
The statue of me in the centre of the room.

As I approached, I cast my mind towards it, feeling my mask inside.

Walking around to the back, where the stone was thinnest, I struck the statue with the armoured part of my fore-arm, causing a large segment to fall off the statue.
Seeing my mask in the space I'd created, I reached in and pulled, feeling more resistance than I had anticipated.

When it finally came free, I felt the relief of the countless souls within.

Running my thumb over the patterns on its surface, I almost put it on immediately, but stopped myself as a thought occurred to me.

Placing the mask over the statue's face, I opened the top of my clothes slightly and started grunting in pain as I forcefully rejected the amulet.
Dizzy from the pain, I quickly removed it and paused to catch my breath.

I looked down at the amulet and recalled all the times when its interference had near gotten me killed.

When I'd recovered, I grabbed my mask off the statue and pressed the 'jaw' of it against the amulet.

With a brief flash of crimson, the effect was almost instant.
The bright red of the amulet faded as if it had been left in the sun for weeks on end, the black took on a dull steel-grey appearance and spots of rust surfaced.

While I had long ago fallen to the corruption of the artefacts, no longer would they be tearing my mind in two as they fought for dominant control.
Now the mask held the power and the amulet was little more than a trinket.

Letting go, the amulet broke as it hit the ground.

With both hands, I turned the mask and slowly put it on, involuntarily shuddering as its power washed through me.

Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I smiled, only to have my moment ruined by the crashing sound of the indoor balcony falling from its long held position.

Looking around, I saw all the destruction that had been paused for over a thousand years had finally continued its intended course.
The tapestries burned, supports cracked and with a little Will, there was a single area where segments of the roof and ceiling didn't fall after I left.

As I left the long dead town, I cast my thoughts to my weapons. I doubted the ponies, or any other race for that matter, knew how to destroy Old Kingdom weapons, so Sun Bitch would probably have them either stashed away somewhere or several somewheres.

But there was one weapon she couldn't have gotten. I'd left my long sword at my home the day I razed Border-Town, and the only way to reach it was through the Cullis Gates I'd left across the land, and the only way to use a Cullis Gate was to use Will. They didn't respond to pony magic of any kind.

I recalled there was one not too far from here.

I only hoped my home was still in one piece.

It had been hours since Celestia had brought the shooting stars to my attention, and my searches through the dreamscape had come up empty. Nopony had the power to shift them besides me, not even my dear sister. She could bring them forth, but lacked the fine control to move more than one or two in a night.

From what I could recall, there was only one thing even remotely similar, but what it implied was terrifying

"We wonder if there are any other worlds out there," I thought aloud.
A low chuckle from behind startled me, so I quickly got my hooves beneath me and wheeled around to see Jack standing there.
He had been here a little over three months and while generally charming, he was easily angered and very aggressive at times.

He casually strode over and sat with his legs over the edge of the roof we were on.

Still chuckling, he said, "My dear Luna, of course there are."

returning to my original lying position, I asked, "How doth thou know?"

"I've seen them. Been to them. Came from one."

I looked at him, shocked. "WHAT!?"

He started chuckling again. "Did you honestly assume I came from this world? No, there are many worlds out there and an infinite number of variations of them. Parallels, if you will."

Thinking this a boast I challenged, "Can thou prove it?"

Pulling his legs up from the edge, he stood and channelled his magic, Will, I'd heard him call it, and he became surrounded by a few dozen little spheres, each with a miniature image of his mask.

"These Orbs, as they are known, will make their way to variations of this world, so that any who so choose may either call me to their variant, or offer to temporarily join me in this one," he said before raising an arm, sending the Orbs skyward, where they gathered briefly before shooting away with contrails that made them seem similar to my own shooting stars.

By the time I had finished my recollection, I had reached the tower to lower the moon.

Proceeding with my duty, I then made my way to the grand hall where I already found Celestia with no less than a baker's dozen pancakes dripping with her unholy mixture of maple syrup, Golden Syrup, honey and, surprise surprise, sugar.

It gave me a toothache just thinking about it and, if I recalled correctly, the last non-alicorn to eat it was hospitalised.

Attempting to redirect my attention from the diabetes on a plate I said, "Good morning Tia. I believe I have figured out who was behind what you saw last night."

"Oh, and who might that be?" she asked with a forkful inches away from her mouth. I swear the tablecloth hissed as her mixture dripped onto it.

With a heavy sigh, I looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm afraid, Tia."

She resumed eating. "Why Lulu? You can tell me anything."

"I believe it was...him."

"Him? Who, Discord? You and I both know he wouldn't dream of angering you. Wait a minute," She said before suddenly taking on a truly disturbing smile and continuing, "I know that look. Who is the stallion and did you let him make-"

"JACK, Tia!" I interrupted.

After her eyes briefly flashed with what was either fear or anger, she became serious and asked, "What was that?"

"I think it was Jack."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

Having apparently lost her appetite, she pushed her plate away saying, "For both our sakes, I hope you're wrong."

It took me near on an hour to find the bloody thing, but I did it.

While most of the surrounding structure had deteriorated over time, the large, circular gold plate was untarnished.

Placing a hand on one of the stones, I felt it had near completely run out of power.

Channelling my Will into it, a soft glowing mist slowly started to form on the base-plate and grow into a small column.
When it had absorbed enough power, the mist was a little taller than me.

Stepping into it I Felt the expected disorientation that was associated with spacial displacement.

Stepping out of the receiving Cullis Gate into my home beneath the Badlands I stopped dead with my right eye twitching.

"What in the world?"

Author's Notes:

Ah, it's good to be back.
I'm surprised to see the faves didn't stop rolling in, but I'm sure as hell not gonna complain.

I apologise to you all for taking so long, even after I got a new laptop replaced by insurance.
I've been trying to work out how to operate Windows 8.

So far, it's been touch and go.

Anyways, I hope you all like the new chapter, despite it being a bit...gentler than the previous ones, but I assure you, that will change with the next chapter.
Speaking of which, I would like to know if I should change the tag from 'teen' to 'mature' for gore. Sex will still be references and double entendres.

Unexpected discoveries

"What in the world?"

I had anticipated my... I suppose 'palace' is most the most appropriate word, would have been discovered in my time imprisoned, and possibly ransacked by explorers, archaeologists, treasure hunters and so on, but I never expected it to have what I saw happen.

The entrance hall I had come into was well lit, far more so than how I had left it, making the changes that much easier to notice.

The once plain columns that held the ceiling had been carved into statues of my likeness in various poses, some with weapons, but each holding a hand out with flames in the palm.
The empty walls had murals and paintings of me.
But the most jarring was the twenty foot tall statue of me with arcs of coloured magic flying into and around my mask, which was held a few inches away from the statues face, which appeared to be uncarved.

When I'd finished taking in these details, I started hearing a loud droning and chattering, from the other side of the doorsat the opposite end of the hall.

Approaching the door cautiously, I opened it enough to look in and saw yet more art of me, but what drew my attention were the two hundred some black pony-like creatures with insect wings and jagged horns that were in there moving about with purpose, occasionally stopping to speak with another.

Stepping back, I pushed the doors open with as much strength as I could without ripping them off their hinges, sending several of the creatures rolling or skidding across the floor as the opening doors hit them.

Striding through them, I saw they all wore dumbstruck expressions, but a few were quick to snap out of it and either ran or flew off into other rooms.

Looking past them all I eyed the many doors and stairways before going to a large triangular door with no apparent means of opening it.

Before I got there one of the insect-ponies landed in front of me and hissed, showing its large fangs very clearly in what was probably an attempt at a threatening gesture.

I bitch-slapped the idiot.

It quickly fell to the side as small shard of its facial exo-skeleton broke away, causing a small trickle of metallic green ooze, which I assumed was its blood, to run down along its jaw.

Stepping over the whimpering creature I placed a palm on the door and sent a small pulse of Will into it.

A rumbling soon filled the room as the door slid upwards into the wall, revealing a descending stairwell.

It wasn't particularly deep, just enough so that the room at the bottom couldn't be sees from the top.

Stepping into the small rotunda, I looked around at the three life-size statues of me that I had made when I claimed this place.

One with it's hands in front of it, gripping an absent sword, the next with one hand out just a little and the other close to the chest, again with the weapons absent, and the third, standing aggressively, preparing to swing the black and gold sword in its right hand.

Sliding the blade up out of the statues grip, I placed the flat of the sword on the armoured part of my left arm and dragged it across, sending a small shower of sparks to fly in front of me before I placed it on my back.

Turning to go back out I stopped as one of the insect-ponies blocked my path, only this one was easily as tall as Princess Celestia and much more noticeable feminine features than the smaller ones.

I slowly started to reach or the blade when she whispered, "It's you," causing me to stop.

She stepped forward, looking almost fearful. "It's really you."

Narrowing my eyes, I asked, "What are you talking about?"

Clearly startled, she bowed, revealing the holes in her legs, and said, "We have waited, my lord," with her voice echoing on itself, now that she had stopped whispering.

Lowering my arm, I asked, "Lord?"

She looked up. "We have waited for over a thousand years for your return."

"Why?"

"To lead us."

"Why would you need me to- Oh, just stand up straight! It's ridiculous talking to you while you bow to me!"

Standing, she said, "Thank you, my lord."

"And address me as Jack or not at all."

"Yes, my-... Yes."

"Now then, who and what are you?"

"I am Chrysalis, queen of the Changelings and Ruler of the Badlands," she answered with a touch of pride.

"And where do I fit into your 'kingdom'?"

She lowered her head again, but thankfully didn't bow. "You are our deity. Our god. When a changeling returns with a large amount of love, we feed some of the power to the statue, and as a result, keep the lights that move around it from going out."

"Why would you and your kind see me as a god?"

"Because you can take the souls of others, just as we Changelings take the love of others. To us, yours is the ultimate power."

Again, my eyes narrowed, but this time I drew my blade and held its edge to Chrysalis' throat. "How did you know I can capture souls?"

Suddenly fearful, she quickly answered, "I was there when you killed the Forest Prince. I was young, but I remember when he threw me aside as you came to face him. I would not be alive, had you not been there."

Returning my blade to my back, I asked one last question. "And what makes you think your kind is of any use to me?"

"We can take on the appearance of anypony and anything. I, myself, once impersonated and replaced Princess Mi Amore Cadenza at her own wedding."

"Ah, yes. I caught glimpses of that little affair from my prison. I suppose I could use your skills," I said before stepping past and going back up the stairs, Chrysalis following soon after.

Reaching the top I looked out at the changelings who had ALL gathered, and a collective of gasps and hushed whispers spread out among them at the sight of me.

Looking out over them, I raised my voice so they all would hear. "I am Jack of Blades. I know you all know of me."

Many of them nodded in acknowledgement when I said this.

"When I was imprisoned by Princess Celestia of Equestria over a thousand years ago, I lost my weapons. I am certain that she would not have kept them together as a precaution. I am entrusting Chrysalis, your queen, to select the best and brightest among you to find them for me. Should you be one of those selected, you are under no circumstances to retrieve them, should you find one. You are to report back immediately and wait for me. That is all."

Gesturing for Chrysalis to follow, I headed to another descending stairway.

When we were alone, I told her, "I have no doubt Princess Sweet-tooth would have had my weapons sent to different nations, but send your very best to the capitol to infiltrate the Royal Archives, the Royal Treasury and any museums, in case she decided to keep a closer eye on them."

She nodded, saying, "of course. And what will you be doing in the mean time?"

Stopping before the colossal metal doors, I answered, "That is something you need not concern yourself with."

The instant I finished speaking, the doors cracked open with a loud echoing boom before only opening far enough for me to pass through into the pitch black beyond.

Looking to the stunned Changeling beside me, I said, "Do not follow me in there. When you have need of me, knock once," before disappearing into the darkness.

"I still don't get why we need to go to some back-wood town."

I suppressed the urge to face-hoof at the comment. While bringing my friends to Border-Town, I had endured questions ranging from why Princess Celestia thought it was urgent, what kind of animals are in the area, if the ponies there are friendly and whether they could have a unique style of clothing.

I didn't have the heart to tell them that we were visiting ruins just yet. I'd been to Border-Town once, back before Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville.

"I've already said Princess Celestia wasn't clear. She just said that we are to check on the area and if we get into any trouble, we are to run away," I explained to my hovering friend.

Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry at that, saying, "Yeah right. There's no way I'd ever run away from ANYTHING."

"Rainbow, Ah Don' think the Princess woulda told us ta run fer no good reason," Applejack said, much to my relief.

"Oh, come on! It's not like the town was destroyed!"

"Actually, Rainbow," I interjected as we rounded the last bend and town came into view, "that's exactly the case."

The girls let out a collective gasp as they saw the overgrown remains of the town.

As we slowly made our way into the town, Rarity asked, "Twilight dear, I don't suppose you might know what happened here, would you?"

I sighed. "Not exactly, no. When I came here with the Princess years ago she wouldn't tell me everything that happened. Only that it was done by an individual she thought she knew."

"There ain't no way one pony did this kind o' damage," Applejack said, stopping to look at a semi-intact wall.

"I said much the same to Princess Celestia back then, but she insisted it was an individual."

Surprisingly slowly for her, Rainbow was hovering from building to building and asked, "Do you think Daring Do would be interested in this place?"

"No Rainbow, she wouldn't. There's nothing here. The only building still standing is the town... hall."

I was so shocked to see the huge pile of fresh rubble.

The girls gathered behind me.
In my shocked state, I wasn't sure which, but one of them asked, "That was it, wasn't it?"

I didn't say anything. I just started climbing over everything to look for clues.

Some of the rubble shifted and Pinkie stuck her head out and held out something in her hoof, asking, "Hey Twilight, doesn't this kinda, sorta, maybe look like the Alicorn Amulet Trixie had a while back?"

The second my magic touched it, I felt it the very same magic within this broken amulet, albeit MUCH weaker.

"Pinkie, I think this is, or rather WAS, the Alicorn Amulet."

Knowing it was somehow connected, I placed it in my saddlebags to take to Celestia, when we got back.

"Excuse me, um, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, "Would you, um, happen to know what that statue is, over there?"

Looking to where she was pointing, I saw a large circular void in the debris with an unusual statue standing in the centre.

Climbing over to it, I squinted as I looked at the base, but it was too worn to read.

"I don't know, Fluttershy, but this," I said circling my hoof to gesture to the clear area, "is not normal. I think we should head back."

As the five others agreed we started to leave, but I stopped for a moment to look back at the strange statue, trying to figure out how it fit into all of this.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I hurried to catch up with the girls as we started our journey home.

Author's Notes:

Okay, where do I go from here...
I've made a few half-hearted attempts at humour.
I thought I'd break away from the hive-mind thing people are so very fond of doing to changelings, just to be a little different.
I've added a character to Jack's past, and would appreciate name suggestions.
For a general idea of what I'm going for, he'll be an alicorn, with Blueblood's attitude of superiority and the power to control any and all plant-life.

What can we expect from the next chapter?
More on his past.
Beyond that I'mma just wing it.

Past conflict: instigation

I opened my eyes, feeling as though I had simply blinked rather than slept, despite the light that was filtering through the window in the room I was residing in.

Sitting up and swinging my legs off the bed, my feet hit the ground with a metallic thud, bringing my attention to the fact I had slept in the clothes I wore before my arrival at the castle, which, while the actual clothes were nothing to mention, having done this i the past, I was mildly surprised I had slept in the armoured gauntlets and boots.

Quickly moving on from the thought, my attention was drawn to the mask on the drawers beside me.
Picking it up, I contemplated leaving it off for the day.

No! You'll need it. The power. You'll need the power.

I had no idea how those thoughts had come up, but I put the mask on again, regardless and was immediately besieged with the same droning I heard yesterday, only it seemed quieter and... quicker.

Dismissing it as nothing, I opened my door to step out, but stopped as a hornless and wingless mare stumbled forward, almost bumping me with her nose.

Looking up into the confused look in my eyes, she quickly bowed and stammered an apology. "P-p-please f-forgive me. I-I did not intend to d-disturb thee."

Chuckling, I put a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze, say, "There is no need to apologise. Simply tell me why you were at my door."

Calming slightly, she shakily replied, "I was requested to bring thee to the princess, so thou might break thy fast with them."

Giving her my affirmative, I fell into step behind her as she led me through the castle and into the grand dining hall, Where both princesses sat at opposite ends of the table with a sizable crowd of ponies between them.

As I entered, Luna noticed and silenced the current conversations by raising her hoof slightly.
Pushing herself off of the chair she was on, which I still haven't found a reason for why these quadrupeds need them, she said, "T'would seem our last guest hath arrived. Please, come sit and dine with us, Jack of Blades," at an absurd volume, that visibly distorted the air, which I soon came to understand to be the 'Royal Canterlot Voice'.

For the third time since appearing in this land, I suddenly gained an understand of how to use some of my Will.

Using this new knowledge, I made my voice seem to come from everywhere in the room at once, and said, "Thank you for the invitation, princess," and took a seat immediately to the left of a very familiar stallion who had his gaudy clothes open at the front, revealing bandages around barrel.

'Pathetic,' I thought as I noticed his behaviour become tense and a scowl cross his features.

After a few seconds, conversation returned to those gathered, but most of it was hushed and included glances in my general direction

"Jack, was it?" a motherly voice asked in a normal tone, bringing my attention to the white pony princess. "Forgive us, but pray tell, what, precisely, art thou? We have never before seen a being such as thee."

Interlacing my fingers, I kept my eyes with hers and rested my elbows on the table, stating, "I'm afraid that is a question for another time, princess."

An indignant huff from my right snapped my attention to the pony beside me for a brief moment, before I returned my attention to the princess, continuing, "Suffice to say, I doubt you will encounter another of my kind any time soon."

"Woulds't thou be willing to share how earned thy title?"

Calling on my knowledge, I answered, "It is the title I held as a member of The Court when we ruled over the denizens of Albion."

Before she could ask another question, I interjected, "My apologies, but I seem to have missed your name, Princess...?"

"Celestia."

"Thank you."

No sooner had I said that, several door opened and ponies dressed in simpler clothes than the 'nobles' came out carrying trays of food, which they quickly placed in the centre of the table.

I hadn't expected to see foods such as pancakes and waffles, yet they were all there.
But what shocked me the most was when Celestia had taken a large plate of pancakes, a pony with a cloth tied around its muzzle came appeared, carrying a small jug of sorts that smelled sweet beyond description, and Celestia poured it onto her breakfast.

Despite being surrounded by ponies who were all eating what would normally be considered irresistible food, I found myself surprisingly uninterested in any of it and didn't feel even the slightest bit hungry.

Pouring myself a cup of tea, from one of the many elegant pots provided, I left it steep a bit after adding a slice of lemon.

This did not go unnoticed, however, because Celestia soon noticed. "Why dost thou not partake in the foods provided? Thou art welcome to."

I lifted he bottom of my mask away just far enough to take a sip of my tea before answering. "I do not find myself hungry, princess."

This was the last straw, apparently, for the stallion beside me, because he slammed his fore-hooves on the table and started. "Thou art an ungrateful-!"

He was cut off as my right elbow caught him between the eyes with enough force to topple his seat backwards, sending him sprawling.

Quickly getting his legs under him, he magically grabbed the sword of one of the present guards and swung it at me.
twisting out of my chair, I stopped the blade with the armoured part of my left forearm and grabbed it's hilt with my right hand.

When I held the blade in front of me, a red aura quickly covered the blade.
I looked at it in shock as the aura grew larger and less transparent until it appeared as though I was holding a piece of thick, red smoke.

As the aura vanished the room was filled with gasps as what was once a steel shortsword, by my standards, became a longsword with two separate sections, one black and the other gold.
As I held it, I knew straight away that this was an Old Kingdom weapon.

Looking back at the noble, I said, "Count yourself lucky I dare not taint this blade with blood as pathetic as yours," and reached over my shoulder, letting it hang alongside the Sword of Aeons.

As I let go of the hilt, I was once again graced with the Royal Canterlot Voice, this time from Celestia. "Jack of Blades, wouldst thou kindly refrain from assaulting our subjects?"

Turning to face her, I noted the only slightly irritated expression she wore and said, "I am sorry. I meant no disrespect. The same cannot be said for him," and gestured the stallion who was glaring at me for all he was worth.

"We are aware of the challenge thou received. We apologise for-"

"No," I interrupted, "You should not apologise for the actions of another."

She was about to make a rebuttal, but closed her mouth with the tiniest of smiles, before her horn lit for the briefest moment and the simply-dressed ponies returned and took away the many plates and tray on the table.

When it was cleared the nobles left, except for a single mare who approached and said, "I thank thee for teaching him a lesson," gesturing to the noble I had struck, before. "Mine brother is most unpleasant," she added before turning and leaving.

As I watched the mare leave, princess Celestia made her way beside me.
"We understand thou came here with a request?" she asked as the doors closed with a resounding boom.

"I did," I answered, keeping my eyes on the door.

"We must prepare for the day court. If thou wishes, we would be willing to hear thine plea and see if we can help."

"Your assistance would be most appreciated," I said, turning to face her.

"Excellent! Our day court is not for yet another hour, so, wouldst thou like to see the royal gardens?"

"I have no reason not to."

"Then we shall escort thee ourselves and send somepony to inform thee when we are prepared."

"Very well then."

As she led me though the castle, she made numerous attempts at small talk, but was constantly blocked when I gave her one word answers.

When we arrived at the gardens, she said her goodbyes for the moment and re-entered the castle.

As I left Jack in the gardens, I started thinking about his presence.

It was unlike anything I had ever known. Dark and ambitious.
And his casual attitude towards violence was startling, to say the least.

Then there was his magic.
'How can he even use it? He doesn't have a horn.'

The raw power that had transformed the blade was something very ponderous indeed.

'Mayhaps, I shall go to the library after day court and see what I can find out.'

With the princess gone, I took to wandering around the grounds until I came face to face with the nuisance of a noble that apparently had something against me and I did not like the smug smile he had.

"Thou hast irked me for the last time, beast!" he said. "Thou shalt not walk away from this."

When he finished speaking, around a dozen rough looking ponies stepped out of the bushes, armed with blades ranging from daggers to claymores, all sized to a pony's requirements.

Reaching up, I grabbed the hilt of the Sword of Aeons and held it with one hand, saying, "This is hardly a fair fight. You should stand down while you can."

The mercenaries all laughed when I said it. One of them stepped forward and said, "WE should stand down? HA! Thou art outnumbered! When we have slain thee, I shall keep thy head as a trophy!"

Knowing that money had clearly dulled their common sense, I held my weapon ready. A thin blue aura appeared long the forward edge as power flowed through it and I waited for them to make the first move.

Author's Notes:

Cliffhanger!!!

I am truly sorry about leaving you all on it, but I measure out my chapters on how much data they take up, and the maximum I allow is 10KB, with a 1KB leeway for if I get caught up in it or get overly tired.

Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter, but after the next, I'm going to have to ask whether or not I should switch to the 'mature' tag, for gore.

Also, any major conflicts and their build ups will be named 'Past conflict: ???' or 'Present Conflict: ???'

Finally, I have five of the names for my upcoming(but not for a while) alicorn antagonist.
Please comment the one you prefer, and I'll tally them before the next chapter and let you know the winner.
Here's the names:
1) Cernunnos
2) Sucellus
3) Malpighiales
4) Gaia (I was hoping to avoid this one and its obviousness)
5) Terrace

Past conflict: raw power

They were staring at me with as much intensity as I was them as both sides waited for the other to make the first move. After a few tense moments, a brash young pegasus, armed with a sword, rushed me, only to have the side of his neck opened up in three parallel sections by my hook-blades as I sidestepped and swiped with my seemingly-open left hand.

The rest of his group looked on in shock as he pressed a hoof to the wounds in a futile attempt to stem the blood running down his left.

As he collapsed, another pegasus let out an anguished yell and also rushed me, only to ragdoll across the garden when his jaw was met with the pommel of the Sword of Aeons.

The other mercenaries snapped out of their daze and a small cluster broke off to try and overpower me. As we clashed, I failed to notice the guard running back to the castle's doors.

I was about to open the day court with my adviser, Lady Lapis, sister to the insufferable buffoon Jack had struck earlier, when an out of breath guard burst in through the side doors.

After hastily bowing to me, he immediately approached my vizier, saying, "Lady Lapis, I regret to inform thee that thine brother has brought no less than a dozen sell-swords onto the castle grounds and is attacking the guest."
He then looked to me, and continued, "Last I saw, two of the assailants were down, but I can not be sure how much longer he will last."

Standing, I ordered, "Go to the barracks, have a squad of guards join us in the gardens and then get some rest. Thou hast earned it."

As I broke into a full sprint, I noticed Lady Lapis following, and asked, "Why dost thou wish to follow us, Lady Lapis? Thou could become harmed in the conflict."

Catching up, she said, "Thy concern is welcome, your highness, however, this is grounds for discussion between myself and mine brother."

With that we both continued towards the gardens.

The group of four split apart and surrounding me as they tried to gain the upper hand, or upper hoof in this case.

As they got into position, I considered my options for fighting and when they charged, I reversed my grip on the sword, raised it in front of me and stabbed it into the ground, channelling Will through it.

The moment the four reached me the ground burst open in a multitude of glowing red splits that sent the stallions tumbling away and cast up a cloud of smoke that concealed me as I started hovering.

When the smoke cleared, the remaining six ponies, their employer having run off while the smoke was thick, looked up at me in awe and fear.

Just like the people of Albion.

Horizontally slicing the air in front of me, the blade let out a curved wave of blue energy that hit one of the ponies and clipped another.

The one that took the full force was thrown back with a massive gash along his 'chest' open enough to see bone and crimson tissue briefly, before it was hidden behind a mass of blood.
The one who took a glancing hit from the magical attack was thrown onto his side with an ear missing, while he screamed bloody murder.

Of the remaining four, one ran, two took wider stances and held their weapons and the last, a pegasus backed away a few paces.

The two charged and moved their swords with an experienced ease. One swung high, the other, low, but because of the greater length of the Sword of Aeons, I was able to force one back and avoid the other.
It went on like this for a few more moments, until one got overconfident and attacked alone.

Swinging as hard as I could, my sword severed the hilt from the blade and sent both flying out of the magical grasp of the unicorn.
It was no more than a second before his friend thrust his own blade towards my unguarded back.

Pivoting on my heel, I used the flat of my blade to push his into position, making his momentum drive his blade into his friends throat.

Realising what he had just done, he let go of his weapon and turned to flee, but stopped as I punched him unconscious with my sword still in hand.

"Jack!" I heard celestia's voice shout.
AS I turned to face her, I felt a pull on the corner of my cloak as a crossbow bolt shot past and buried itself in the leg of the mare that had thanked me that morning, eliciting a pained scream.

Turning slowly, I looked to the pegasus who had backed away from the fight, fumbling with a crossbow.

Slowly making my way over to him, I had set such a terror into the pony that he couldn't even finish reloading his crossbow.
When I reached him, I grabbed his shoulder and lifted him to eye level and told him, "The gods and demons you fear and worship are insignificant fleas, compared to my power."
The pony was shaking at this point and his whimpers were the most pathetic thing I had ever heard.

I was faintly aware of Celestia in the background, fussing over the injured mare, while I said, "Let me show you where I am from."

With a pulse of Will, I opened a crimson portal to the Void on the ground beneath the pony.

"I wonder how long you'll last," I told him, before dropping him in as he let out a blood-curdling scream that cut off as the portal closed.

I sat there, meditating in the heat of my sanctuary. Magically linked from my home, the place known only as Beyond the Bronze Gate was once a castle built in a remote mountain range, but in the time I'd been away, had become a near replica of the one in Albion.

As I sat there listening to the explosions of the distant volcanoes, I kept my view through the mindscape fixed on the opposite side of the magical gap.

Feeling Chrysalis approach, my eyes snapped open and I made my way back through in time for her to see the colossal gates shut behind me.

Striding over to her, I made no attempt at subtlety as I asked, "What did they find and where is it?"

Clearly startled by my blunt inquiry, she paused a bit before answering. "We have reports of a sword, located within the Everfree forest-"

"Let me guess," I cut her off, "At the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters?"

A look of confusion crossed her face. "How-"

"It is somewhat of a cliché, for an object of power to be kept in a ruins, would you not agree?" I asked as I walked past her.

After navigating my way to the Cullis Gate, I felt through it with Will, to be surprised as I found the gate ar said castle to be active and operational.

Coming out of the Cullis Gate at the apparently repaired castle, I made my way inside and stared searching with the mindscape to find my long lost weapon.

I was in there no more than five minutes before I heard voices in the building.

"-derstand why she sent us here."

"Ah thought ya said ya were listenin' to the princesses this time."

I hid behind a column and waited for them to pass, sneaking a glance at them.
I had seen enough of these two during my imprisonment to know who they were.

Jacqueline Apple, or Applejack as she prefers, the former Element of Honesty and Rainbow Dash, the former Element of Loyalty.

Killing them then and there would have drawn attention, which I didn't want until I had gathered my remaining weapons, so I let them pass and remained unseen as they continued to argue about Spectrum Head's attentiveness.

Maintaining my stealthy approach to the situation, I continued through a few more rooms until I reached a doorway guarded by the living embodiment of diabetes, Pinkie Pie, and her friend Rarity, or as I liked to know her, Lady Muck of Turd Island.

I smiled behind my mask at the thought.

Distracting them was a simple matter. All I had to do was create an imitation Wisp with a bit of my power and send it flying down a side-corridor and the perplexing pink pony chased it and in turn was chased by Rarity, who was making a vain attempt to get Pinkie to return to her post.

As I went through, I found myself standing in the old throne room.

'Of course she'd hide it in here,' I thought to myself.

I had barely made it three paces when a voice just to my left made itsef known.

"Um, e-excuse me."

Raising an unseen eyebrow, I looked down at a pony so meek, I had actually mistaken it for a part of my surroundings.

Internally, I was debating whether or not Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness, or the Element of Adorableness.

When she noticed me looking at her she tried to make herself even smaller and said, "I w-was wondering, um, if y-you could maybe, um, c-c-come with me to P-princess Twilight, um, if it's not t-too much trouble?"

Temporarily ignoring her request, I reached down and scratched her behind the ear for a few seconds, eventually sending her to sleep.

Pulling my hand away, I finally answered her, "No," and continued to the old throne of Luna.

Why 'Tia hid my sword in her sister's throne, I neither knew nor cared.

Lifting the throne, I revealed a rusted steel lid to what was supposed to be a hidden compartment.

Punching the lock off like it was nothing, I reached down and grabbed it by the blade.

when I had fully revealed the weapon, I took the hilt in my right hand and felt the power flow back into me.

With a relieved sigh, I used my Will to teleport to the old gardens, now overgrown with weeds and other wild plants.

I was only there for a few seconds before I felt a 'pull'.

Curious, I resisted for a second before letting myself get taken by it and felt myself de-materialise as a bright glow surrounded me.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the delay.
Between Easter last week and ANZAC Day today, I've been either running myself ragged, cooking, or eating and had next to no time to get anything done
But I managed it!
So here.

Also, the end is the start of a collab chapter I did with Thadius0 on his fic , Golden Grace, Headless Headaches

I recommend it and it's preluding fic to anyone who hasn't read them yet.

Demonic reflections

I could feel myself return to my Equestria before any of my other senses registered. Slowly the returned with my sight being last, in time to see the last traces of white light fade away.
Taking in a comforting breath of air, enjoying the familiar, unique ‘taste’ of my Equestria and its magic, I teleported back to my home not too far from the Cullis Gate.
I quickly made my way through to my personal quarters, located in one of the rooms with a door that responded to Will, rather than conventional magic.
Almost as soon as I reached it, I felt the Void... ‘shift’.
I knew another was soon to come to my Equestria, and within an instant, I used my connection to the void to find where.
Hurrying back through the corridors to the Cullis Gate, I sent myself though to the one outside the Border-Town ruins and waited, keeping an eye out for my ‘visitor’.

The Void, the Rift, the Space between, these words all speak of a place that is home for Demons as much as any netherworld. A universal constant demons exist across all worlds and as such can use that knowledge to travel the Rift as if it was just an afternoon stroll. Though this also meant that for token wielders a demon would appear where it chose unless convenience said otherwise.
“Hmm… the mana here is thick with raw power. Definitely a sign that whoever left that orb’s got gas to spare.” I said from my perch upon a wayward cloud high above the town of Ponyville, chosen simply for its central location in relevance to all the potential areas the orb’s creator could possibly be.
Nocturne’s ears twitch twice as he looks towards the everfree. “Hmm, well that’s odd. Foreign magic near the old prude’s castle? Bet that’s a clue if I’ve ever seen one.” He said as he pulled the weapon from his back and allowed his wings to unfurl from their hidden space in his cape. Soon taking flight for the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.
As he flew though he felt a tug from the energy that brought him here and simply let himself go, to answer the tug and allowed himself to travel to it’s creator as he vanished in specks of crimson light via teleportation, he was being a rude guest after all.

I could feel the shift in the air around me.
My guest had arrived, but I ‘couldn't recognise this one’s energy.
Moving from my position near the Cullis Gate I walked slowly towards the centre of the ruins,keeping a hand on the hilt of my sword.
Despite having a clear awareness of the presence of the other, I couldn’t see him, or her around, and they most definitely weren’t underground, the town had been built almost directly over a field of bed-rock.
That left me with one solution: up.
Closing my eyes, I entered the mindscape and found him, apparently, on a cloud almost directly above me.
“I consider it discourteous to not know the face of a being I’m playing host to. If you would be so kind?” I said, gesturing to the ground in front of me.
“Yeah, be right down.” The figure replied as he slipped off the cloud and landed in a position that put him on one knee in a symbol of respect. He looked young, very young. His long red hair was the color of blood and framed his face well, he wore a suit and cape that fit well with his role as a high class demon Overlord, based on the medal on his suit’s vest.
Shifting into a straighter position, I tightened my grip on the Sword of Aeons and asked, “Tell me, since you are quite clearly an entity of a less-than-holy disposition, exactly what you are doing here?”

“Answering your summons, sir.” He said with little hesitation or without breaking eye contact, his blood red eyes staring deeply into the amber-eyed mask. “You called me with that orb of yours.”

Still maintaining my straightened posture, I lowered my arm.
“I see. You seem to have found one of MANY Orbs in the multiverse. But that does not interest me. What does is what YOUR world is like. I would rather not find myself in other-worldly conflicts, yet again, for some time as of now.”

“The world I come from is peaceful, it’s inhabitants kind. Mainly due to my species being their guard-dogs in a way. Unlike most demons you would have heard of, my kind does not murder and kill without reason, and as we rely on magic’s base component for sustenance we have become protectors for the Ponykind. Even if they shun us for our… less than idyllic methods of doing so,” he explained without hesitation.
Fully relaxing my posture, I asked two last questions. “Can you contact your home, and how many of you are there?”

I blinked twice at that, he wanted to know that? Of all things? Well, it couldn’t hurt. “I can, as long as I have a reflective surface the size of a full bodied mirror, and to answer your second question, we are ever growing in population in response to Demonkind being born and fed on magic. Until that energy fades completely, we shall continue to expand and seek it.”

After a few tense seconds he said, “If you would be so kind as to follow me, I may have use of you for the moment,” and started walking away.
I couldn’t help thinking how creepy this guy was. Then again I remembered that Auric said that a few of the people that were brought here weren’t exactly… sane anymore.
“Alright, after you sir,” I said as I stood and followed him, my boots leaving little to no evidence I had even walked behind him.
He led me to what appeared to be a cluster of small stone columns, some crumbling, in a semi-circle around a slightly convex gold plate.
With the smallest of motions, he gestured for me to step on the plate, roughly two feet in diameter.
I was a bit nervous about what he wanted but, as I was summoned to do what he required by the orb’s pull I moved onto the plate with light and careful steps.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he said as his hands started to glow, soon followed by a glowing mist rising from the plate.
I felt nervous, this was definitely some kind of teleportation, or… gate like construct but, it felt… wrong. Like there wasn’t magic fueling it, or anything there at all. Like a nothingness permeated the air as the device began to come to life.
The feeling of nothingness soon became physical and started spreading up my body following the mist, which was rising at an alarming rate.
My eyes widened as I felt the sensation nearing my waist, the mist starting to obscure my vision as I was practically bathed in it, “H-Hey what’re you doing?!” I couldn’t help but, call out in panic.
He never answered, but as soon as my vision was completely obscured, I felt the comfortable familiarity of solid ground beneath my feet and was soon followed by the pressure on them from their adjoining limbs.
To say I was confused as to what had occurred would have been an understatement, moments ago I felt as if my body was being pulled from existence and now I’m just here… wherever here is.
As the rest of my body became ‘whole’ again and the mist cleared, I saw I was in an average sized room standing on another of those gold plates, which I quickly stepped off of, not wanting to experience the feeling of becoming nothing again anytime soon.
Not long after doing so, my host appeared in a flash of light on the very same plate, and casually stepped off, like it was as common as going into your own kitchen.
“What was that?” were the first words out of my mouth, though honestly I doubt many wouldn’t be tempted to say the same had they just experienced that for the first time.
With barely a glance at me, he said, “That was a Cullis Gate, as was used in the Old Kingdom of Albion,” and continued straight past to a set of double-doors.
Pushing them open he announced, “And THIS is my home.”

I quickly fell in step behind him and gawked at the sight before me, I’d never seen a place like this before, and doubted I ever would again unless dealing with this figure once more..
His ‘home’ was practically a temple. A temple devoted to him, I might add. There was an omnipresent buzzing noise that my large ears picked up, perhaps belonging to whoever worshipped this masked man beside me. As the statues and idols appeared to be reverently maintained, and showed no sign of wearing through the ages.

My eyes caught several shapes flittering too and fro as I watched someone or something maintain a statue. “Okay… I really have to ask this and forgive me for not doing so earlier. But, I believe I need to know your name before we proceed any further.”

There was a slight pause as he stopped a few paces ahead and turned to face me.
“I am Jack of Blades. Wielder of the Sword of Aeons, also known as the blade of Power to those who know of the four Weapons of Madness. And now I believe I am at a loss, Lord...”

“Nocturne, Overlord of the Netherworld Tartarus. It is an honour to meet you Jack of Blades.”

‘Overlord? I would have expected someone taller,’ I thought to myself as I gestured for him to follow again.
I struggled to accept that someone who was at least five inches shorter than me was the all-damned Overlord.
I led him through the main hall towards the weapons room and down into it, before gesturing to the flat, polished metal that broke the curve of the rotunda.
Nocturne walked quickly towards the polished metal and pressed his right hand flat to it’s surface, the reflection of his body seeming to waver and distort like when a rock was tossed into a completely still pond. He then spoke a few imperceptible words to the reflective surface and was rewarded with a feminine voice that seemed to fill the entire room.
“At once my lord, Master Jack of Blades has now been recognised as a summoner and shall have access to our ranks whenever he chooses.”

As Nocturne spoke his affirmative and turned back, I said, “I have a favour to ask of you and your… underlings.”

Nocturne shook his head. “No sir, they aren’t my underlings. Every Demon is a member of my family, even if they are not by blood. That is why they follow me unconditionally. Because I treat them well and keep them healthy,” he smiled as he said those words.
With a short wave of my hand to dismiss the tangent, I said, “My apologies for the misunderstanding, but nonetheless, I require some help.”

The female voice spoke from behind the metal wall once more, “Of course, simply name your request and we shall dispatch the demons you require with all haste.”

Looking between both the metal and Nocturne, I explained, “Over a thousand years ago, when Princess Celestia imprisoned me between the planes of Life, Death and the Void, I lost my weapons. Each one contains a small portion of my power, and I know she had them scattered. I need help finding them.”

Nocturne looked at me for a moment before nodding. “Well that’s not that bad, I think we could handle that easy given enough time. Though we will need a sample of your power to work our tracking magics on, can’t find something without knowing where to go right?” his voice was filled with confidence that he and his kin could succeed.
“Before I do, you must know, the weapons I seek are a small curved dagger, and three, wire thin bladed hooks.”

The female voice spoke up once again. “I’ve added the description of our objective to our records and we shall begin searching as soon as we have our tracking magics running.”

Releasing a small sigh, I said, “Very well then. If you are confident in their abilities,” and held an armoured hand out, palm up and channelled a bit of will to form another Orb.
“More than confident, it may take a while but, we’ve never failed an objective given to us.” Nocturne said with a smile as he moved over to gently grasp the Orb, seeming to absorb it as he did so. “And that’s the sample we needed.” He spoke once more with that same grin etched on his face.
Bringing my hands closer together, I said, “I’m sure the Changelings will find the help invaluable,” and created another Orb.
Nocturne blinked twice. “Um, what’s this one for?” he asked confused before adopting a slightly shock expression as I crushed it between my hands, only to reveal a tiny, metallic object that re-shaped itself into a key.
“While there are many ways to reach me here, there are very few valid for me to reach others,” I explained and offered him the key.
“So, this is your summon token then I take it?” He asked as he gently grasped the key and placed it in his coat pocket before reaching into his chest and pulling free a bloody medallion which he offered in exchange.
Extending my hand to closer examine the medallion, I answered, “Indeed. One of the only two way I might be called to other worlds.”

The medallion had a symbol of a trio of musical notes in the shape of bats dancing about in front of the moon for the face, while the reverse had the symbol for a Hel the currency of the netherworld which showed that every dealing with demons usually resulted in a deal being made.
“That’s pretty cool, thank you Jack. I’ll be sure to call you only if it’s extremely important, you sound like quite the busy man,” Nocturne said with his seemingly trademark grin.
Reaching in under my cloak, I dropped the medallion into the pouch I had hidden.
“If you do summon me, I would prefer there be a fight. I find it interesting to see how the varying versions have their ponies and such taught different styles of combat.”
“That’s definitely a request I plan to honour. Seeing as summoning you for anything less seems like a disservice.” He said with a smile as he spread his wings and started to float backwards into the reflective metal of the wall, seeming to sink into it as if slowly submerging himself in water.
“May your blades find their sheaths in your enemies, Overlord Nocturne,” I said, bowing my head slightly.

Nocturne smiled and bowed. “And may the grip of the Netherworld never find you, Jack of Blades.” And with that he vanished into the reflective metal, it’s rippling calming to show no trace he had ever been there to begin with.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a crossover with Camilio and his fic So, I'm supposed to be an overlord now?

I hope you all enjoy our combined efforts.
Now if you'll all excuse me, it's 2:30 AM and I have to pass out now.

Clearing headspace

I continued to stare at the reflective surface, thinking of the allies and associates I have come across, both past and present.

Turning away and walking out of the room, I began contemplating my next move.

Celestia couldn't attack me, because she didn't know how to operate the Cullis Gates. Chrysalis and her kind only knew how to do so because they were zealots devoted to me. Luna...

'She could prove useful, provided I can get here alone.'

I'd called back Twilight and her friends after three days of them patrolling the old castle and was now listening as they each gave a statement on what had happened.

Five accounts and I was beginning to feel like my worries were over nothing and that the spell preserving the town hall in Border-Town had simply worn off.

Then I noticed Fluttershy.

She was nervous, or rather more nervous than she usually was in my presence.

Slowly approaching, I lowered myself to her level and asked, "What's the matter?"

I had my hand on the 'forehead' of my mask in the universal sign of frustration at stupidity.
...
Not my own, you cockbite.

No, about twenty minutes ago, I had left my home and started wandering out of boredom, eventually came across a seemingly abandoned quarry before finally meeting the cause of my rising headache.

Diamond Dogs.

They were idiots a thousand years ago, and they're idiots today.

Some things just don't change.

I mean, really, it takes a moron to go up to an armed and armoured being, literally pulsing with power and demand they work as slaves, but even sentient cactus wouldn't manage to impale itself on the being's sword while it was being pointed at it.

Shifting from a face palm, to just rubbing my closed eyes, I sighed and looked at the pitiful creature.
...
'It's still alive,' I thought as I watched it cough up blood and try to push itself off the Sword of Aeons. 'How is it still alive'

Looking past it, I noted its companions were equally frustrated at the stupidity shown, if their slowly shaking heads were anything to go by.
Turning my attention back to the should-be-dead, I narrowed my eyes and sent a pulse of Will through the blade, but never expected the end result.

I expected it to electrocute the dog, or burn it or something along those lines.
But for it to pop? No.

As the energy went through the blade, the dogs face twisted in pain for a few seconds, then it topped bleeding and a half-second later it went boom-splat.
That was actually the sound it made, 'boom-splat'.
Just picture the sound of a balloon popping and in the nano-second that follows the sound of a watermelon exploding.

Yet, I was more surprised none of the... I would say the only applicable term is 'matter', touched me.
There was a three-hundred and fifteen degree 'blast zone' with me in the tiny clean space.

With the poor sod's friends mimicking stunned mullets, I turned to leave, when I felt something give slightly under my foot.

Checking, it turned out to be an eye.

How did I know it was an eye? Because it still had a tendon connected to the OTHER eye, which was identifiable by the small patch of white and iris.

Scraping it off on a rock, I continued along my original path, despite the sound of more fluid hitting the groud. I think it was the other dogs vomiting, but I can't say for sure.

Before long, a small town came into view, one I was not familiar with.

I know I'd seen it while watching Sun-bitch's student through the Mind-scape, but I was never aware of its position, size or anything really until now.

The crystalline structure in the middle of town was definitely familiar.

Not daring show myself before possessing my full arsenal and power, I moved into the shade of the everfree and found a secluded spot, out of view if on looked from beyond the edge of the forest.

Rolling my shoulders to loosen them, I reversed my grip on the Sword of Aeons and put my other hand on the hilt before placing the tips of the blade on the ground.

In a manner similar to my attack, I pushed the blade into the ground while channelling Will through it, albeit much slower.

When the guard was level with my waist, I stopped and the ground started rumbling as stone columns rose up about three feet way from me in a slightly curving shape.

When they reached roughly eight feet in height, I started pulling the sword out and as the tips left the ground, a large golden disk appeared, completing the new Cullis Gate.

It was a relatively calm day in Ponyville, all things considered.

The most interesting occurrences for the past week have been the former bearers of the Elements of Harmony rushing off to meet with Princess Celestia, them rushing to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and this morning, when Discord started using magic in his sleep and woke up wrapped around on of Rarity's ponnequins with a cupcake impaled on his deer horn while hanging upside-down from the bottom of Rainbow Dash's house.

That said, the ground suddenly vibrating beneath their hooves for just over a minute was cause for little more than confusion and mild annoyance.

As I re-entered my home, I was immediately approached by Chrysalis, who in her excitement, tripped over her own legs when she saw me.

"What is it?" I asked as she came to a stop in front of me.

"We've found one," she answered.

Slightly taken aback, I demanded, "Which one, and where?"

"One of the small hooks. It was found in a small town, not much larger than Ponyville, a fair way out from the capitol."

I began planning my next move and gestured for Chrysalis to follow, as I headed towards the Bronze Gate.

Near half-way there, I asked, "How many Changelings are under your command?"

Frowning in confusion, she said, A little under a thousand."

"And how many can fight?"

Her frown shifted to concern. "Around four hundred."

"And how many do you think would be needed to raid this town?"

"No more than a hundred or two."

It wasn't much longer before we reached the Bronze Gate

I chuckled darkly and told her, "Send all the fighters. Bring my weapon back and level the town, but try to keep casualties low. We're going to send Celestia a message and the residents will be the messengers."

With that I went through, began meditating and entered the mindscape.

I was galloping through the halls, leaving almost immediately after hearing Fluttershy's account of what happened, with Twilight flying behind me, desperately asking what was wrong.

Slowing down I eventually arrived at my destination, an old wooden door set in a frame marked with so many runes it appeared as nothing more than intricate carvings of fancy swirls.

Before I could open the door, Twilight finally caught up and begged me, "Princess Celestia, please. Tell me what's wrong."

With a heavy sigh, I turned to her and asked, "Twilight, do you remember when I took you to Border-town a few years ago?"

I couldn't see her confusion as she answered, "Yes."

"Do you remember what I told you about it?"

"It was a symbolic town, signifying the union between Ponies, Griffons and Minotaur, bringing together some of the best aspects of each culture to a single place, so it could be shared. It was almost a hundred years old when it was destroyed, which was just after you had to banish Nightmare Moon."

"What did I say about how it was destroyed?"

Her worry soon surpassed her confusion. "It was done by an individual. But Princess, the only ones with enough power to do that are you, Princess Luna, who was banished, and Discord and Tirek who were both imprisoned."

Looking back at the door, I said, barely audibly, "His name is Jack."

And the confusion return, "Jack?"

"Jack of Blades appeared to us not long before Tirek and his brother set their sights on Equestria."

"But I always thought Jack of Blades was just a story told to foals to make them be good, like the boogeymare and such."

"No Twilight. Like Nightmare Moon, Jack of Blades is very much real. At first he seemed nice enough, despite holding less than no regard for the lives of those who attacked him, but before long, he revealed his true nature.
He said he came from the Void."

"But that's impossible!" Twilight blurted out, before regaining her composure.

"At first we didn't believe him either, thinking it was mere bravado and embellishment, but when he'd vanished before our eyes and summoned others like him, we knew he was serious.
But his true nature came to light when a pony attacked him out of fear. Jack showed no mercy or pity and when we confronted him, we realised he saw us all as little more than pieces on a board, and himself as the one with the dice.
Eventually, he forged himself a new identity from a wayward traveller, to an icon of fear.
He, himself once said that he would ensure he would always be remembered, and he was right.
He'll always be remembered as the face of fear."

I looked back to see Twilight stunned silent, so I gestured with a wing for her to come closer, almost surprising me when she did.

Lighting my horn, the door opened, some of the runes around it glowing, and we walked into the room beyond to see its content.

Twilight approached it, saying, "I've seen one of these before, near Border-town, only it wasn't glowing. Princess Celestia, what are these things?"

It was a few seconds before I could answer her. "They are called Cullis Gates, Twilight, and they are how Jack can teleport anywhere in the land. They glow with mist like that when active."

Author's Notes:

Hello everyone.
I would like to first apologise for the colossal delay in releasing this.
After my last chapter, there was a wedding I didn't want to attend, my twentieth birthday on the 26th, looking for a new semi-acoustic guitar and then I got caught up in a bunch of different videogames including AC IV: Black Flag, Elder Scrolls Online and Saints Row IV.

Anyways, my poll on the name for my alicorn I'm creating, for the express purpose of killing, is still going, so please, vote.

All that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I'm going to be slowing down on typing as it gets colder.
For any who don't already know, I'm an Australian and we're just about to hit winter here.
...
...
...
I should probably get gloves without fingertips.

Fear and Power

As I sat there in the Mindscape, something… shifted. I couldn’t tell what it was quite yet, but I knew something was off.
Then the Mindscape faded. Like I was no longer connected to the land of Equestria.
Opening my eyes I looked around and noted the thick fog surrounding me and immediately stood, reaching up and touching the hilt of the Sword of Aeons with my fingertips.
I took a cautious step forward and as soon as my foot came down, the low-lying fog cleared, revealing damp grass beneath my feet.
Taking another step, the surrounding fog pushed back a little.
The more steps I took, the more the fog pushed back, revealing more of my empty surroundings.
Soon, the fog reached a radius of roughly three metres and revealed a sign.
The sign was most reminiscent to that of a town sign, but it was more gussied up then most I remember. As I walked closer to the sign the words came into view, but even then they were still faded.
The words said thus: Welcome to Silent Hill.
I frowned at the name.
‘So familiar, but not at the same time’

As I glared at the offending words, I almost missed the town coming into view behind it.
“It’s not everyday we get visitors here...,” a voice said behind me.
Without turning, I answered, “I don’t imagine it’s the easiest place to find,” my unnaturally deep voice resonating around us.
“Oh,” he said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t say it’s that hard. We get people all the time, except they’re not visitors. Name’s Howard Blackwood, mailman. You?”

“Jack,” I answered, not wanting to give any more than absolutely necessary to the inhabitants of this… realm.
He stared and hummed in thought. “You remind me a lot of that Pendleton boy, always silent, only giving his name…” He looked up with old, tired eyes. “Always running from something.”

“Tell me, old man,” I asked, “Where exactly are we, beyond the obvious?”

“I can’t go saying that, otherwise that’ll spoil the events to come.” He said with what I assumed to be a smile. I finally turned to confront the old man, but he was not there any-longer.
With a chuckle, I thought aloud, “Chesty would find this place agreeable, I’m sure,” and headed closer to the town itself.
The town was what you would find in a normal, suburban town, which only made it seem all the more unorthodox. Trees growing from sidewalk gardens, main streets stretched down ways, but something about the little town seemed… off, even by my standards. Every house was boarded up, the restaurants were closed and the metal gates were welded shut, and on top of that, not a single soul could be found.
The more I moved through the town, the more tense I grew, along with the general feeling of wrongness.
I pulled the Sword of Aeons from its place and continued, keeping an eye and ear out for anything that changed.
The feeling wasn’t just seeming either, it was the air, slowly growing thicker, heavier almost.
I knew I didn’t belong, but it seemed as if my very presence was a subject of a sort of hatred from the nature of the area itself.
As the feelings grew stronger, so did my grip on my weapon.
It wasn’t out of fear though.
Having come from the Void itself, there was little to nothing, in any world, that scared me.
No, my grip grew tighter, from the feeling of company. Unwelcome company.
A piercing screech filled the air as I turned around at the sound. Some...thing was lying on the ground, twitching violently, like it had been struck. Not naive enough to approach, I thrust my unarmed hand in its general direction, sending a translucent, glowing blade to strike it.
A small roar came from the beast as it picked itself up off the ground and began rushing towards me.
Unmoving from where I stood, I swung my blade, releasing an arc of energy that bisected the abomination. A small spurt of its blood got onto my robes before I heard a distinct hissing sound. Looking down at the blood spurt, my eyes narrowed in annoyance.
Its blood was acid. Pure acid that burned through most anything and everything, stopping only when it reached the armour beneath, forged within the Void itself. The creature was by far one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen in since before Albion’s beginning. I could only guess what its purpose was…

Moving over to the being, I thrust my blade into it, letting the power of the Void reach, and ultimately, destroy, it. I wasn’t entirely certain at the time, but as I channeled the power, it almost seemed as if the tiniest details, such as the bark on the trees, of the world grew hazy for less than half a second. As I began walking away from the beast, a soothing, aetherial voice called to me.
“Lost one, so small and frail, what are you doing in my domain?”

“Frail?” I asked, looking around in a brief attempt to find the speaker, stopping soon after as I realised it was not from a physical being. “I am almost insulted you would make such a… bold, accusation.”

“Oh, please, take it not insultingly, but rather befitting… considering where you are…”

“It would help if I knew where I was to begin with, above ‘Beyond the Void’.”

“Why, Silent Hill of course. Have you not heard of disappearances in the fog? Or strange sightings of inhuman like creatures?”

“I’ve made inhuman creatures, and brought balverines, trolls and Hollow-Men to the realm where I reside. Disappearances in the fog are not beyond explanation.”

“Ah, that may be true, but have you not considered the fact of...hmmm… What’s this now?” I felt something brush past me. “A weapon… A weapon of Madness… The Vorpal Blade… The Great Knife… and The Sword of Aeons… Draks, the circle of Draks is almost complete…”

“‘Weapon of Madness’? That is what you call it?”

“It’s what all the Gods call them. Only a select few are allowed to even so much as peek at one… Father! Come here at once!” The air suddenly shifted more drastically than before.
As the voice faded, there came a grating sound. One of something metal and heavy being dragged lazily.
Looking into the fog I saw nothing and soon turned rapidly, checking all directions.
The sound stopped too suddenly, and I turned once more to find ‘Father’ standing in front of me.
Looking at… him, I suppose, I wasn’t intimidated. he had an impressive helmet, but was generally lanky compared to some other beings I had seen.
But I didn’t let my guard lower.
I watched, waiting for him to make the first move. He looked down at me, then my weapon, and pointed at himself. I was… confused by the action to say the least. A warped chuckle echoed through the town and he pointed his blade at me. He held up his hand and signaled at me.
In response, I channeled Will into my body, enough to create a clear, red aura that curled like flames, before sinking slightly into a slightly more aggressive stance.
I could tell, despite his appearance, he was not one to take lightly. The metal head came rushing forward, still dragging the blade on the ground before lifting it over his head and smashing down where I stood mere moments ago as I used my Will to shift behind him. I heard him groan in confusion before shifting his grip and swinging horizontally, only to have his blade stopped by my own.
His blade, on closer inspection, was chipped and somewhat jagged. It looked like it had seen better days if the stains were anything to go by.
‘By the gods, he’s strong,’ I thought as our locked blades reached a stalemate.
He suddenly reached out grabbing my robes and tossed me to the side. I landed on my feet, but I saw him once again charge at me.
Gathering my Will, I thrust my open hand forward, sending an orb of energy towards him, only for him to block it with his blade.
The attack made him stumble, but ultimately did not achieve the purpose the spell was for.
“I think you arrogant that something like that could harm me, let alone touch me,” He said with a warped voice. The blade he carried was something I haven’t seen before, and looked similar to that of an old KABAR knife, just supersized. What I’m trying to figure out is how he can lift it with ease… It has to be more than brute strength alone…

“You assume it was directly harmful to begin with?” I asked, letting Will cause my voice to amplify and echo from all around.
“Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups,” I said, before I used the same technique I did earlier and shifted where I was, only instead of appearing behind him, I appeared directly in front and slammed my blade into his again, further throwing his guard, before holding the flat of my blade parallel to the ground and thrusting forward. His hand shot out of its idle position and a bright red light emanated from it. He drew some kind of circle with it and pulled out a spear, probably 15 feet long.
“Arrogant and insolent. My, you have much to learn…”

As he swept me away with his pole-arm, sparks flew as it made contact with my armour. Rolling on the ground I stood quickly and channeled will to levitate so my boots were roughly level to where I believed his eyes would be beneath his helmet. Thrusting his spear at me, he let the shaft slide through his hand, increasing its reach enough to catch me in the chest, sending me further away.
Steadying myself, I landed again.
“One does not live as long as I and not grow accustomed to dominance in battle,” I said calmly. “I imagine you are not unfamiliar with this state of mind?”

“Aye. I am well aware of the power struggle for one to get the upper hand against another. Are you also aware of the eventual outcome of two equal powers?”

“Should an unstoppable force meet an immovable object, the force simply passes through and the object loses mass, but neither’s status of power changes.” If he could, he gave me all the signs of a blank look. “No you idiot, we both die. Should a force equal to another force clash together, said forces cancel each other out, and if two people with the same strength and power clash together, pfft! GONE! DEAD! You don’t exist, I don’t exist!”

As he finished his monologue, I broke into a low chuckle, building into a full laugh, before abruptly stopping to shout, “FOOL! I am more than just another being of power! I will be reborn, should this body fail, and when the time comes, it shall be recreated! I am Jack of Blades! Second of the Court, slayer of gods and demons, alike, and Master of the Void!”

As the last echo of my own monologue died out he started again. “And I am Pyramid Head, Fear given form, and Terror incarnate! I am the bane of sinners, the master pain, those who would be punished COWER at my mention alone! I am wielder of not one, but FOUR weapons of madness, and I! AM! THE KING OF SILENT HILL!”

At that, we rushed each other, him attempting an overhead swing, and myself going for a rising thrust.
As we made contact, the entire area surrounding us blurred and his blade slid down the gap running through mine.
When the hilts met, there was a… pulse, that resonated beyond either of us could comprehend, before we were blasted away from each other, and both losing our hold on our weapons.

The Crawler moved, as there were no specific motions applicable to it’s locomotion, towards the other god in the room. “What is the meaning of this Alessa?! I made it quite clear I wanted NO outside influences or interference!”

Alessa only lied on her bed, watching as their blades interlocked. “Crawler, look at this. Did they just--”

To say the Crawler’s eyes widened at the sight would be inaccurate, but he did express his thoughts as he made an effort to keep her from avoiding his question. “While that could not possibly bode anything but ill toward us, I want to know why you deliberately ignored me in my desire to keep MY selected away from the other Wielders.”

Alessa had heard him. She was prepared to give him a lecture, but what just happened in front of her… It just couldn’t bring her argument forth. “...No that’s not possible. No. It’s just not.”

The Crawler barely glanced down at the image, before answering her unspoken question. “Did it not occur to you that there may have been a reason why I specifically told YOU not to interfere?” Gesturing with an appendage, it continued, “They’re much too alike to be placed into a hostile scenario without… incidents.”

Alessa continued to stare as a hot blush formed on her face. “Gyaaa! THEIR SWORDS ARE PERVERTS!”

“That makes no sense.”

“Crawler, I have a question for you. The Madness weapons have… a sort of spirit in them, and it is defined by the way the sword is shaped. So, what would you say the gender of the spirit in Jack’s sword is?”

“The Blades of Madness’ spirits are both and neither, simultaneously. They have spirits, yes, but were crafted as entrapments to them at the same time. The shape is merely coincidental to your perception.”

“Well… take into consideration that the spirits could be either or. Well, in this case Pyramid Head’s sword is the male in the relationship…”

The Crawler looked for a moment before turning to her and sighing. “Any perversion you see there is of your own devising. The Sword of Aeons you see there is not the original forged by the Queen of Blades. It is… more… stronger… The words fail me.”

“They pulsed Crawler. The Great Knife and The Sword of Aeons… pulsed.”

“You forget that Jack channels power from the Void itself. When it’s energy met the… terror energy of Silent Hill, they acted in a manner--”

“Stop denying the truth Crawler… The blades have… coupled…”

“You are truly perverted, Alessa. The blades have no minds. Just get Jack out of there, before he causes Silent Hill to collapse into itself,” the Crawler said before leaving.
“...Okay...but my argument still stands…”

As my vision cleared, I slowly grew aware of my surroundings.
I was still in Silent Hill, but something was different.
Pushing myself to my hands and knees, there was a clatter beneath me and I realised what it was.
I wasn’t Jack anymore.
I was, but I wasn’t.
I had lost my own identity long ago, so all that remained was Jack, but now that was... separate.
Getting my feet beneath me, I picked up the mask, fully acknowledging that it was all I had left to call an identity.
Looking up from the mask, I saw another person. A normal man wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans, and had a big, scruffy beard. He put on his glasses and looked at me.
“Jack?”

As he said it, I looked at my hands and realised, unlike him, I was still dressed as Jack, but with the hood up, my face was hidden.
“No,” I answered, holding the mask so he could see it’s face. “This is Jack. I’m… ”

I stopped as I didn’t know how to actually continue that sentence, before letting out a woeful chuckle.
“I don’t even remember who I was. I guess I’m nobody.”

“Nah, everyone always knows their name, you just gotta find it. Here, do this. Close your eyes, and count to ten. If you can’t remember by the time you get to ten, try again.”

Looking down I did as he suggested, only to be met with disappointment. I tried another four times, and with nothing to show for it, I looked back up at him and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have nothing left. Nothing besides Jack.”

He hummed in thought and placed a hand on my head. The ring on his finger glowed a soothing red before he stepped away. “Okay, now try.”

I did, and was yet again met with no results. I shook my head.
“I became Jack, and lost who I was. That’s all there is.”

His ring glowed in a pattern, and he looked down at it. “Oh? Is that what it is? Damn it.”

I looked up, my frown hidden. “Since I can’t give my name, can I at least know yours?”

“Scott Visk, at yer service.” He said with an over pronounced bow. “...And this is The Butcher, the Bogeyman, and Pyramid Head!” He said as he pointed behind him-- Oh shit when did they get there?!
Behind him stood the one I faced in its literal form and what appeared to be… variants.
I opened my mouth to speak and ask questions, but was cut off as a whistling permeated the air and steadily grew louder.
We both reached the same conclusion at the same time and looked up as our weapons plummeted towards us. As I jumped out of the way, Pyramid Head on his side quickly ran up and caught the blade mid air before it hit him. The Butcher and the Bogeyman both gave a thumbs up.
I was surprised, when ‘my’ weapon stopped before it hit the ground and simply hovered, mere inches from my face.
“Hey… what happened when the weapons got locked together anyway?” Visk asked as he rode on Pyramid Head’s shoulder.
I looked at him, grabbing my blade as I did, and asked, “You mean you don’t know?”

“Well… No I don’t. To be honest, I felt the blade… Shiver?” He looked down at Pyramid Head. “Is that the right word?” Pyramid Head only shrugged, as did the other two.
I smirked and looked at the mask I was still holding. “A mystery we will take to our graves then,” before reaching up and placing it on my face again.
As the energies within the mask returned to me, I said, “I had best be leaving. I think I’ve meddled in your affairs long enough,” before turning to leave only to stop after about five paces and turning back.
“I don’t suppose you can show me the way to go home?
He stared at me for some time thinking. “Hmm, Let’s try… this.” he said before snapping his fingers, creating a warp hole. He peeked his head and immediately brought it back. “NOPE, NOT THAT ONE!” He tried again, and stuck his head inside and looked around. “You’re the one who the Changelings worship right?”

I quickly nodded.
“Then this one is yours! And before you ask what was in the other one… Just don’t. I’ll give you this though: Titanic. Spiders.”

My eye twitched behind my mask, and headed through the portal, muttering, “Spiders. Always spiders. Never giant centipedes or any other insect. Always bloody spiders.”

The moment I fully cleared the portal, my body shifted And I felt myself returning to the Mindscape.
Snapping out of my meditative position, I thought, ‘That was a unique experience.’

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a crossover with SCP Pinkamena's LoHAV fic, A Thousand Tortured Souls Scream My Name.
I won't be supplying links right now.
It's five am and I need sleep.

Lest we forget

I stormed through room after room of my palace, searching for Chrysalis.
After the hundred-something-odd, I gave up and grabbed the nearest Changeling Drone and demanded it direct me to her.
Being led back through the palace , to no more than a couple of rooms before the one I started at I walked up to Chrysalis and asked her, "Bug Queen, do we have a bugle?" prompting what was easily the most confused expression I had seen in my vast lifetime.

"Wh-why would you want a bugle?" She stammered.

"I'll not answer any questions now. Do we have one?!"

"I-uh... I think we do."

"You. THINK. we do?" I asked, stepping closer with each word, causing her to cower slightly.

"We definitely do!" she answered quickly. Frightfully.

I took a small step back. "And is there any changelings able to play it?"

"I'll bring one and the bugle to you immediately," she quickly said before moving to leave.

"And have the rest of the changeling gather at the main hall!" I shouted after her as she disappeared from sight.

Atop a podium, overlooking all the gathered changelings, a light chattering and buzzing coming from the crowd, I stood, waiting for Chrysalis, the bugle and Changeling.

As they rushed up to join me, I stepped past her, placed a hand of the forehead of the changeling and channelled some knowledge into it.

When I lifted my hand away it stumbled a bit as a thin line of green slowly leaked from one of its nostrils.

After letting it gather its senses, I turned and addressed the changelings.
"Attention, all of you! I have gathered you here today, for special reasons I would like to keep to myself. I ask you all to give a minutes silence, and you may go about your duties as you were."

When complete silence was achieved, I gestured to the changeling by me on the podium, and watched as he lifted the bugle and played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAM3tU6WEY8

As I finished, the innumerable changelings looked up at me.
"You may return to your duties now," I said, before leaving.

Upon reaching the Bronze Gate, Chrysalis found me and asked, "Jack, what was that, why did you do it?"

Without even looking at her, I answered, "That was a remnant of my past, one of the few remaining aspects of who I was before who I am. As for why I did it? I simply needed to. There is no more answer than that."

As a stunned expression crossed her face, I opened the Gate and left her.

Wandering Minds

A month had passed since the conflict in the gardens and in that time I had introduced Luna to the concept of the multiverse, endured several more attempted assaults and my knowledge of Will had increased by a vast amount.

Today would present a new form of opposition.

I sat in front of a small, decimated squad of griffins, who had been sent as an assassination unit for either princess. The last one, barely able to be considered an adult and most likely only intended to be a lookout, was holding his sword in front of him, quaking so hard he couldn't have been less of a threat if he was a bunny.

However meek though, I knew better than to leave him alive. Too much could go wrong if I did.

I drove my blade through the back of his neck, ending him instantly, and as the tip of the Sword of Aeons pierced the ground, my Will leapt into it without my direction, and in mere moments a Cullis Gate had risen before me, born in the blood of the fallen.

I watched it for a few moments, but without a reaction from it, I dismissed it as, for the moment, useless as it was very probably the only one in existence so far.

Returning to the castle, I was stopped at the door.
While all the guard knew who I was and where I was staying, there were a great deal who had never interacted with me, and this was one of them.

As he stepped in my way, he said, " Thou shalt not enter. Our princesses art in a meeting with a relation and wish not to be disturbed."

His partner, who had encountered me before, simply shook his head as I gently my hand on the side of the blocking guard's head and slammed his head into the archway we were under with just enough force to not render him unconscious.

The other guard simply stood where he was and watched me pass before checking his associate.

As I entered the throne room, the one meeting the princesses, another alicorn, this one the same generic brown as the tree trunks of the forest and with a mane fashioned similar to the katana swordsmen of Samarkand* and tied with what appeared to be vines.

Fixing me a glare, the newcomer said, "Hast thou no sense? A closed door means we wish not to be disturbed, knave."

Returning his glare, I responded, "I'll be sure to take that into consideration, whelp."

Before he could react to what I don't doubt he considered insolence, Celestia interrupted. "Brother, calm thyself. We allowed him here."

Wheeling to face her, he continued, "So thou hast summoned this lesser creature as an insult. Mine subjects will not take this without consequence."

"No, you simpleton," I continued, "She allows it because she couldn't stop me anyway."

After a deep breath, he spoke a calmer, but deadly serious tone. "Very well then. Celestia, Luna, mine sisters, Thou shalt receive no assistance from us or our ponies until thou come to thine senses and rid yourselves of this thing. I bid thee good day."

And with that he left, giving me a sidelong glare as he passed, the vines tying his mane growing thorns as he did so.

As the doors slammed shut behind him, I said to myself, "This could be a problem."

"Indeed," Princess Celestia said, drawing my attention.

"Our brother never was inclined to help us and our ponies, favouring his little Leprecorns** over those we care for," Luna added. "Thou should not take offence to Terrace though, for he hath always been this way."

In response, I simply grunted ambiguously and turned to the door, thinking.

"Princess!" came the cry of an exhausted sounding guard as he burst into the dining room, interrupting breakfast and earning an indignant exclamation for my repulsive 'nephew'.

"What is it?" I asked, lowering my teacup.

Catching his breath, he saluted and answered, "A messenger-pony!"

"Messenger?"

"Yes Princess. She came from Raven Rock, saying it's being attacked."

As I heard the name I paused, trying to recall why it felt important, missing the expression and the fidgeting of the guard standing near my seat. I moved on, asking, "Who or what is attacking?"

"Changelings," he spat, a scowl crossing his features, "What are your orders, Princess?"

I thought it over, subconsciously standing and pacing, but ultimately, I couldn't think of any course of action.

What could changelings possibly gain by destroying a town? Especially a small one?

"We do nothing," I said.

This time I noticed the guard by my seat as he took a wider stance and gasped angrily, but before he could speak, I said, "We'll wait and see if this was an isolated incident. If they attack again, we'll respond."

The guard who delivered the message simply nodded his head and left, headed for the barracks to rest, while the guard beside me spoke up.
"Princess, please permit me to go to Raven Rock. I need to help defend against this threat."

Looking over, I noted the recklessly angry expression he held. "Denied, Commander," I told him, "I'll not have you throw your life away when we may have a far greater threat looming over us very soon."

"You would have me do nothing while my home town gets destroyed?!"

In as soothing a tone as I could, I said, "Calm down, Commander Xerces. You're thinking rashly. Why don't you turn in early tonight and think things over, before you do something you'll regret later on?"

Inhaling shakily, the Commander walked out, but didn't withhold from slamming the door.

'Perhaps a few days leave is in order,' I thought to myself before pondering the significance of Raven Rock.

While generally a rather forgettable little town, it held great significance to the current situation.

But this attack could ONLY be a coincidence. Changelings, as a species, were not known to ponies until several centuries after Jack's imprisonment.
Even if he'd allied with them only recently, there's no way he'd have enough authority to direct them with as precision as this.

Something wasn't right.

I furiously dug through my old diaries and journals, thankful that Celestia had kept them after my banishment, desperately trying to recall something Jack had once said.
Something that troubled me greatly.

Page after page and book after book, I tore through them, looking for that particular passage.

In my nervous state, I almost missed it.

I was speaking with Jack again today when he told me something most curious. He explained that after witnessing my dream-walking that he possessed something similar, that not only reached far and wide, allowing him to reach, and furthermore, locate, more than half the population of the land, no matter his location, but also extended into his ever elusive 'Void', which he still refuses to allow me into.

This 'Mindscape', as he called it, is supposedly infinitely large across an unknowable number of realms, and that as he further understands how it works, the more he can reach. He even went to demonstrate, but stopped not long after and left, saying, "They are like mosquitoes. Drawn to the bright light of the flame that will be their inevitable demise."

After he was gone from my sight, I made my way to the throne room to join 'Tia.
Our brother was to come by, yet for some reason, 'Tia's worried about it.

I slammed the book shut and sat down quickly, the revelation stunning me.
Celestia probably never knew, and for the moment it was probably best to keep it that way.

He'd had over a thousand years. How much stronger could his connection to the Mindscape have gotten?
How far did it reach?

I opened my eyess slowly as I left the Mindscape and came to my physical senses, chuckling darkly.

I'd felt her fear. Her despair.
I noticed that sliver of dark temptation worm its way back into little Luna.

*To those unfamiliar with the Fable series, Smarkand is a desert wasteland far off the West coast of Albion, the main country in the series.

**Leprecorns: a race of tiny ponies with stubby horns and strong magical connections to plants and animals. While they generally try to avoid the various other races of the world, they have somehow become acknowledged as the mischeivous and short-tempered.
A fully grown leprecorn stallion is, at tallest, the size of a Pegasus filly around the age where their cutie mark appears. Leprecorn mares stand at around muzzle level of their male counterparts.
Leprecorns, despite their size (or perhaps, because of it) do NOT like being picked up off the ground by any means, magical or mundane, and will become extremely agitated and aggressive if they are.

Author's Notes:

I apologise for the increasing lateness of my new chapters.

Due to a horrendous combination of new books, new games, RL dramas and general procrastination, these are coming out, for the foreseeable future, at a slow crawl.

That said, I hope you enjoyed this one and please leave any comments.

Also, should you find any grammar errors, please point them out, because I do most of my typing between 11pm and 4am, so I've very probably missed a LOT.