As I awoke the following morning with a stiff back, I felt something lying on my chest

“Wakey, wakey, my little devil” I smiled as Chilly Pepper rolled onto the ground, stretching as she awoke

“Hello handsome,” Pepper smirked “Have fun yesterday”

“Not half,” I exhaled sharply “Didn’t know you could do that, my Little Pepper”

“I can do anything your heart desires, Master Tesla” she winked flirtatiously at me

“Don’t toy with me” I deadpanned, quickly grinning like an idiot

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do” she smiled

“And thanks to that I have no feeling in my legs;” I laughed, changing to eon form “hop on”

“That I will” she smirked, leaping onto my back as Littlepip perched herself on the back of my neck

=-=

As we flew down to ponyville, Velvet Remedy also sat on my back, Snowdrop lay atop my head, and Blaze lay cradled in my arms, I heard someone screaming

Rushing toward the library, I burst through the front door, only to find Twilight sat on her haunches, staring in apparent horror at a large mess on the wall, the mess turned out to be thick, bold, blood red writing, which also looked like it was written in blood, reading out ‘I’ve had incest with my brother’

“Have you now?” I glanced toward the lavender mare, who looked at me with a look of meixed fear and terror plastered over her muzzle

“Well at least it can’t get worse, right?” Blaze and Chilli Pepper giggled nervously

“Who said that it couldn’t get worse?” I sighed, staring at one of the walls in the carousel boutique that was run by and owned by Rarity, the same blood-red letters appearing on the walls which read out, ‘I’ve watched my sister have coitus with my parents’

“I may have miscalculated” Blaze hummed, bounding up and taking a small sample of the crimson liquid, tasting it “Blood” she bit her lip “it’s actually blood”

“It’s appalling, that’s what it is!” Rarity snarled almost uncharacteristically

“Well I know it can’t get any worse at the farm, right?” Blaze giggled weakly

“Ok, Ok, I was wrong again” Blaze grumbled at the sight of snow-white fluid that trailed down the side of the barn at Sweet Apple acres that read; ‘I wish I could have him all to myself’

“Although this one isn’t as bad in context, it’s the stuff it’s possibly made of that makes it awful” Snowdrop observed

“Indeed”

I turned around, Cadance Celestia and Luna stood before me

“Now do you see why she needs to go back?” Celestia frowned

“Why, what’d you end up with?” Blaze smirked

“I’d rather not say” she raised an eyebrow “Although you yon the other hoof, Tesla, you got one that was rather, interesting”

“I already know, somewhat” I bit my lip “what if it’s a test, to see if people can see one-another’s worst parts, and still see if they can look past them?”

“Explain” her eyes narrowed

“A friend is someone who can see you for who you are and know what you’ve been through, and still tolerate you, maybe even love you for it, who’s to say that it’s actually happening now?”

“I see” Celestia slowly nodded “I’ll be in the town square in ten minutes, see you then”

“Well, what do ya’ll reckon?” Applejack stood by me with a bucket of paint and a brush

“If this is what Celestia and I think it is, it won’t come off, let alone be painted over” I hummed

“Aww come one, of course it’ll come off; we just have tah try!” she giggled, walking toward the wall, attempting to paint over the white writing,, only for it to fade instantly as it came into contact with the substance “Well Ah’ll be it doesn’t work!”

“Told you so” Blaze laughed “Cellsy said she was meeting everyone in ten minutes in the square, we should probably go”

“So what’s your message then?” Applejack smirked

“Probably something family-based” I mumbled

“And Rarity?” she nickered

“Apparently she’s watched her sister have coitus with her parents” Blaze bit her lip trying to stifle laughter

“And Twilight?” Applejack burst into a roar of laughter

“Apparently had sex with her brother” I chuckled

“Well that’d be the day” she rolled her eyes “Ah know he’s a right decent pony, but to go that far, when he’s her brother?”

As we reached the square, I was met with a rather frightened-looking Twilight, a rather annoyed Rainbow Dash, a dishevelled Rarity, and a flat-haired Pinkie Pie

“So what’d you get on your wall then?” Rainbow Dash suddenly grinned

“Dunno, I slept outside” I shrugged “I can imagine what it is though”

“Citizens of ponyville,” Celestia began, standing on the stage in front of the town hall “As most of you can tell, there is a dark force at work here, one who seeks to spread lies about each and every one of you, do not listen to it, for it is the voice of darkness, and as such, should and will be vanquished from our minds, and all of equestria”

“Wrong,” I mumbled “It’s not a lie the writing just shows our darkest secret, and the truth about who we are, friends are those of whom who accept that and the rest of who you are, and learn to live with it, perhaps even respect you and possibly love you for it,” I went on

“Say what you want, but the writing’s quite literally on the wall” Blaze finished for me, several pairs of ponies began to discuss amongst themselves about the writings

“And I suppose you have a better idea?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Never thought I’d get to say this oh-so accurately,” I sighed “get over yourself, if you let one tiny error in another being cloud your better judgement of them, then where will your s-called magic of friendship, love and tolerance be then, it’s a attest, don’t you see, it’s to see if you can truly live united under a single banner, or in this case, roof,” I smiled “if we let things like this get in our way then our bonds will never progress, let alone be forged at all, don’t let some pathetic writing in your home get in the way,” I went on “now, who’s going to attempt to get past this little blip?” a wave of hooves were raised as everyone present raised an arm

“Didn’t know you could manage to lead people whilst using an anime quote, brother” Blaze chortled “upcoming song?”

“Why not?” I gleamed, flying into the sky

“My best friend gave me the best advice

He said each day's a gift and not a given right

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind

And try to take the path less traveled by

That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have?

If today was your last day

Against the grain should be a way of life

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight

Every second counts 'cause there's no second try

So live like you'll never live it twice

Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have?

Would you call old friends you never see?

Reminisce old memories

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?

Swear up and down to God above

That you finally fall in love

If today was your last day

If today was your last day

Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?

You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars

Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes

'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life

Let nothin' stand in your way

Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day

And tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past

Donate every dime you have?

Would you call old friends you never see?

Reminisce old memories

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?

Swear up and down to God above

That you finally fall in love

If today was your last day” Blaze, Littlepip, Velvet Remedy, and I sang as a quartet as we landed down by the fountain

“You Truly are amazing” Celestia smiled “doing what I couldn’t, and just like that?”

“Age makes us loud, but also wise” I shrugged

“To paraphrase Norik” Blaze nodded

“Indeed it does” Celestia nodded sagely

Suddenly, as series of bursts of light, radiated from each and every building in Ponyville, beams of snow-white light erupting through the roofs, yet somehow not damaging them, all arcing down and hitting me with full force, forcing me to black out

=-=-=-=

As I awoke, I looked around the room, Littlepip, Velvet Remedy, Chilly Pepper, Twilight, her friends and the princesses were all stood there, softly smiling at me as I sat upright

“What happened?” I clicked my neck

“You were hit with an immense amount of magical energy; that of which had an opposite polarity to the magic that sustained the writing on the walls of everypony’s home in Equestria” Littlepip smiled “we didn’t know whether you’d wake up or not”

“Wait, all of Equestria,” I blinked, looking down at my former mechanical arm, only to find that it’d been returned to a normal flesh-and-blood appendage, as had my leg

“Yes, your limbs have been returned to their previous states due to the magic we’d managed to harness from the explosion,” Celestia smiled also “although we’ve only managed to ensnare a glimmer of what now courses through your veins, Tesla”

“A glimmer?” I blinked “I need to stop giving supposedly inspirational speeches”

“And you need to stop monologuing” Blaze smirked as she sat atop my shoulder

“So I do” I clicked my shoulders, followed by my back, and my wrists “So, when can I get out of here?”

“Wheatley said that you could leave as soon as you awoke” Littlepip pecked my cheek “So I guess we can leave”

When I got outside, there was an almighty cheer as what I’d guessed to be the entire town clapped their hooves as they applauded me

“What?” I blinked

“They consider you their hero, wear the title well, Teslakana” Luna smiled

“Tesla’s no hero” Blaze smirked “he is what he is, there isn’t any changing that, and trust me, almost everyone who’s met him has tried, al ending in a rather sour failure”

“You think that’s sour, try barbecue sauce” I grinned “just add vinegar, tomato ketchup, brown sauce, and a teaspoon of sugar”

“I’m not doing anything of the sort!” she grinned “your kitchen-wise concoctions nearly ended up with me in the hospital”

“You ended up with a bad case of ‘wind valley’” I rolled my eyes

“It felt like my bowels were going to explode!” she argued “how you can call that food is beyond me!”

“What’s ‘Wind valley’?” Twilight nickered

“It’s where you can’t help but pass wind, usually lasts a day or two” I explained, turning my attention back to the quilava on my shoulder “And my sausage rolls aren’t that bad, sister”

“Ah’m guessing that’s meat-based?” Applejack sighed; I nodded “How do you humans manage it?”

“I thought you were going to say stomach it, that would of made a pun worth sinking your teeth into” Blaze chortled

“Cringe-worthy puns at their best” I facepalmed, as did everyone else who was present

“Not sure how to digest that, are you?” she gleamed

“Ok, that’s enough” I mumbled

“Alright, I’ll stop” she sighed “But the memories of these puns will forever eat away at your sanity”

“I said stop” I growled

“Alright, that was the last one” she glanced at me awkwardly

“It’d better be” I shook my head

“Someone woke on the wrong side of the hospital bed” she smirked, looking up at the top of my head “Someone’s horny”

“What?” I felt the top of my head, only to find there were indeed horns there, I quickly glanced behind me, there was a third pair of wings tucked just under the other two

“It… it’s ‘Double Dragon Force’” I blinked

“Not Quite, young Eon” Celestia smiled “When you absorbed that energy, albeit with slight difficulty, you newfound power somehow became literally attached to your actual physical form, what happens when you use that ability again is anypony’s guess” she explained “In all fairness you should be feeling rather light in comparison to usual”

“Metsuryū Ogi Kai; Gia Sekando” Blaze chuckled

“Indeed” I smirked “how long was I out?”

“A month” Celestia hummed “we don’t know how much power you put into your attacks, but Discord’s still in the royal Canterlot hospital

“And now you see why you shouldn’t annoy a dragon slayer” Velvet Remedy smiled as Kiary perched herself between my horns “I guess the part of you that’s dragon has grown significantly larger”

“And so have your senses no doubt” Pepper smiled “And that’s not counting the ghost that’s been appearing in your room every night, watching over you like a guardian angel”

“Really?” I glanced toward Blaze, who nodded

“That things been with you since you went out like a m light, I think it might be related to the dragonsong” Blaze folded her arms “She hasn’t said much though”

“She?” I suddenly felt sick

“She’s a dragon, even more reason to suspect her as part of your legacy as an eon, Tesla” Cadance smiled as a ghostly figure of a brilliant emerald dragon faded into view before me, her golden underbelly scales, horns  and sapphire eyes gleaming in the sunlight

“Hello, Tesla” the dragon smiled

“You’re the dragon who’s been keeping an eye on me?” I tilted my head ever-so slightly

“I am,” she nodded “my name is Ember, as I was never able to conjure a proper Dragonflame worthy to be used in battle, so I stuck with it,” she went on “now, shall we?”

“Do what?” I blinked

“Practice our spirit combination” she rolled her eyes “I see you’re new to the whole concept about spirit unity?”

“A little” I grinned, placing a hand out before me as she morphed into a jade-coloured vortex that reshaped itself into a bright green orb, pressing said orb into my being, Kiary taking flight as I was overwhelmed with incredible energy “Now, we may fight and work as one” Ember and I grinned in perfect unison

“It’s actual spirit unity?” Twilight eyed me up and down as Ember’s ghostly form appeared above me “I’d read about it, but I didn’t think I’d ever see it in person, they’re completely merged now!?”

“Indeed” Celestia nodded “Tesla and Ember are fused now, in being, spirit, and all other attributes, even their heartbeat and breathing are as one”

“Tsuin tamashī, Ryū tamashī” Ember grinned down at me “Quite the ability, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’ve a feeling it only gets better from here on in” I gleamed

“Quite so, this ability is like mastering a ‘Lightning Flame Dragon mode’” she nodded

“What?” I blinked

“I may have failed to mention something, whilst I failed to master fire, I honed and perfected my powers with that of the thunderstorms that rage through the heavens” Ember smirked “Needless to say, that I am a Lightning Flame Dragon”

“Now that’s more like it,” Blaze glimmered “Elemental diversity for once”

“A ‘Lightning-Flame dragon?’” rainbow Dash stared at me, and then toward Ember

Twilight blinked “how is such a thing possible, Celestia?”

“It is possible, through great amounts of time and effort, for a dragon to use an element other than fire, it’s either that or they’re born with it” Celestia smiled “and it would appear that Ember is no different

“What kind of elements?”  Littlepip stood beside me alongside Velvet and Pepper

“there have been sightings and scenario’s where iron, lightning, poison, even the skies themselves have been used in dragon magic” Celestia’s eyes narrowed slightly

“And then there’s Crystagia, the Gem dragon” Blaze smirked

“Quite so” she nodded “Tesla’s foster mother, Crystagia, is a unique dragon, perhaps one in several generations, perhaps rarer still” she continued “to hear of a gem dragon, ironic as th title is, is legendary, the stuff of myths and folklore themselves, she’s a regal dragon, Tesla, you’re actually rather lucky”

“You know Crystagia?” Ember stared at me in apparent awe

“She’s my foster parent,” I beamed “do you know her, Ember?”

“She’s the one who let me hone my skills as a lightning flame dragon and she’s is the only dragon in existence thus far; who has mastered every possible element in dragon magic” Ember pondered “to think that you’re her son is nothing short of almost impossible!”

“And here I thought things couldn’t get any weirder” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as the party slowly picked itself up

“If you think it’s weird now, just wait,” I laughed “allow me to try something,” I raised my arm above my head, concentrating my energy into it, with an almost blinding glow the lower half had morphed into a large, silver-coloured drill, which set itself alight as I concentrated further, shortly followed by lightning bolts that encircled the flames

“Metsuryū Ogi, Ryu No Tamashī, Giga, doriru, burēkā!” I cheered charging into the sky as the drill began to spin at breakneck speeds soaring into the sky, creating an incredible explosion of rainbow-coloured flames

“Dragon slayer magic combined with spiral energy, that’s a new one” Blaze whistled as I landed before my friends and family, Kiary perching herself on my other shoulder as Snowdrop lay atop my head, as per usual

“So, you’re like a shaman, you command the spirit of the deceased?” Twilight gaped at me

“Two things, Twilight Sparkle, I do not ‘command’ anyone, no matter who they are or what the circumstances may be,” I frowned, then grinned like an idiot, again “and two, where on Equis do you get this information!?” I burst into a constant fit of laughter

“I read books of course,” she nickered “I do live in a library after all”

“So you do” I sighed “And here I thought I was going insane”

“As if you aren’t already?” Blaze raised a smug eyebrow

“Touché” I simpered, my arm now back to normal as it hung freely by my side

“How did you know that you’d kept your ability with your arm?” Twilight nickered

“I guessed” I shrugged as an unearthly rumbling escaped me

“What was that, an earthquake?” Cadance blinked

“More like my stomach” I stifled a laugh “What I wouldn’t give for Barbeque ribs right now…”

“How are these made exactly?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Don’t toy with me woman” I deadpanned, m she vanished for a moment, returning not five minutes later with a large amount of succulent-looking -what appeared to be- ham in her magical grasp, said ham was laced with what smelled like barbeque sauce

“Damn, she’s god at this;” Blaze smirked at me with a sly leer “isn’t she Tesla?” my stomach let out another rumble “I think that says it all, really”

“You can’t exactly blame me, I’ve been out for six months, seven including this one, and through all that I haven’t eaten anything whatsoever” I frowned

“Never get between a dragon and his next meal” Twilight sweat-dropped

“Basically” I nodded as Celestia handed me the meat, complete with leg bone sticking out of the end, beginning to eat away at it “Where’s this from?”

“The gryphon kingdoms, I take it you like it?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“They really do make a good ham” I smiled

“What’s ham?” Applejack blinked

“What’s this from?” I stopped, momentarily

“Pig,” Celestia raised the other eyebrow “Why?”

“Then it’s either ham or bacon, depending on how you make it” Blaze smirked

“Everything’s better with bacon” I nodded

“Amen” she nodded as I finished off the meat, disintegrating the bone with Dragonflame “So when do we start practice then?”

“On what?” I tilted my head slightly

“Our new octet, duh!” she lightly smacked me on the cheek “you really are dense aren’t you?”

“Depending on how one would define such a word, then maybe” I exhaled sharply

“So who can see you then?” I glanced up toward Ember

“All of them, but it appears that they’re transfixed on your party right now, only sharing a moments glance with me” Ember nickered, almost “T’would appear that I’m not the one who matters right now, Tesla”

“And, to quote Admiral Preston Jeremiah Cole, let me show you what one puny human can do!” Blaze grinned

“Too right” I smiled, walking toward the so-called ‘party’

“Yo Tesla, glad you could make it!” Vinyl trotted toward me alongside Vinyl “Who’s the dragon?”

“I’m Ember,” Ember smiled “Tesla’s guardian ghost”

“A ghost,” Vinyl blinked “you look real enough to me”

“That’s because I’m allowing others to see me for what I am” she let out a giggle

“Ok, but why’ve you got horns?” Vinyl stared at the top of my head

“I’m part dragon, it’s only fitting I have the scales, horns, wings and flame-based magic of one” I smirked

“That’s awesome!” she cheered

“So, we heard that you saved the town, more or less” Octavia nickered

“Did I?” I glanced toward Celestia, she smiled

“Learn something new every day, eh Tesla?” Blaze laughed

“So we do” I chuckled

-=-=-

As I flew around the area near Cloudsdale, I found a single, massive, stone pillar with a mansion built onto its annex, and it looked abandoned

“Is anyone in here?” I knocked on the door, only to have it swing open due to a sudden breeze as Littlepip and Velvet Remedy landed safely on the ground

“Apparently not,” I frowned, my nose twitching as I flew into what appeared to be the main lounge, finding three ponies’ bodies in a small pile, two female, one male, two adults, one fill, all a mild greyish colour with darkish-pale bluish manes and tails, the filly’s eyes opened, staring at me in awe

“Hello there” I smiled, putting on the softest voice I could manage

“Who are you?” the filly quivered I all-too obvious fear

“I’m Tesla”

“I’m Snowdrop” Snowdrop simpered

“Littlepip” Littlepip smiled

“Velvet Remedy” The charcoal-black unicorn mare beside me gave a soft smile

“Chilly Pepper” Pepper nickered

“And I’m Blaze, Tesla’s adorable little sister” Blaze laughed softly

“But you look nothing alike” the filly blinked her cat-like irises staring at me apparent curiosity

“I’m her adoptive brother, her family was killed by poachers” I sighed

“Oh,” the filly’s eyes lower to what I’d assumed to be her parent’s unmoving forms “Mommy and daddy aren’t breathing, are they going to be Ok?”

“They’ll be fine, as they’ll always be watching over you, no matter where you are,” I gave a weak smile

“What do you mean?” she gasped

“May I have a look at them, I promise on my honour as Luna’s knight not to do anything to them” I smiled, she nodded, I placed my head against the mares’ chest, then the stallions, shaking my head toward Velvet Remedy, who bit her lip

“I’m sorry” I avoided the filly’s gaze

“About what, they’re Ok aren’t they?” she had tears in her eyes

“They are, in a way, they’re watching over you, as they always have and always will, from heaven” I flinched

“NO!” the filly burst into tears, hitting my chest with all the force she could muster “they’re not dead, they’re not!” she cried, nuzzling into her parent’s bodies

“They’re hearts have stopped beating, and so has their breathing, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do”

“So what should I do?” she wept

“I do not know the answer to that, but you could either stay here, or you could come with me, I know it sounds awkward, but I’ll give you the best of what I can offer, knight’s honour” I saluted her

“Can I have minute to say goodbye to mommy and daddy?” she whimpered, wiping away her tears

“Take all the time you need” I bowed quickly, exiting the lounge, Blaze in my arms, Snowdrop atop my head, and Littlepip, Velvet Remedy alongside Pepper upon my back as I hovered at the entrance to the castle/mansion-like building, the filly eventually joining us, perching herself on my neck

“I’m ready, let’s go” there was no emotion in her voice

“Then we’re away” Blaze and I spoke in unison, nary a trace of neither happiness nor sadness on our voices

“Where are we going?” The filly whispered, monotonously

“To see Celestia and Luna” I frowned as I flew into the castle, knocking on the doors to the throne room

“Enter” a rather authoritative voice called from the other side of the large double doors

“And who is this?” Celestia raised an eyebrow as I entered the throne room

“I’m Gracy Gloom” the filly atop my neck mumbled “can you help me?”

“Where are your parents?” Celestia seemed shocked, to say the least

“Dead” she sniffled, Celestia glanced toward me

“I don’t know what happened to them, I just found her lying with them in the house” I explained

“We see, and who were thy parents?” Luna hummed

“Night Shade and Moon Heart” Gracy Gloom bit her lip

“Lieutenant Night Shade?” Celestia stared at the pair of us “I’ll send a letter to Shadow Swift as soon as I can, you needn’t worry Gloom”

“Thank you Princess” Gloom gave a very small, rather faint, smile

“And what of you, Tesla, now that you’ve brought her here, will you take care for her and love her as a father would?”

“I don’t know if I can,” I sighed “I want to make sure she’s safe, but I don’t know if I can take care of another”

“A difficult choice; that much is certain” Luna hummed “Thou could leave her here with us, our guard would take care of her like she was one of their own, and the maids and servants that work around the castle would act as her brothers and sisters, per se”

“‘Maids and servants,’” Blaze spat “Tesla and I prefer the term Nakama, that way; it doesn’t make us sound like power-hungry tyrannical scum-balls”

“I noticed,” Celestia smiled “shall you leave her with us, or take her with you?”

“What do you think Gloom?” I glanced toward the filly “Stay with me, or live with them?”

“I’ll go” Gloom glided down to the floor, standing between Celestia and Luna “Goodbye Uncle” she smiled s I lowered myself down to give her a hug, shortly followed by a peck on the gorehead

“I’ll see you later, Gloom” I smiled, turning around and gliding out of the room, raising a finger and thumb claw into an ‘L’ shape as I left, Blaze doing the same with her paws

==-=-==

“We had to do the salute,” Blaze laughed as we stood in the centre of Ponyville

“I thought it fitting, I’m a Fairy Tail wizard, she called me a family member, ergo, by the transitive property; she’s a fairy Tail member also” I shrugged

“That makes sense” Littlepip giggled

“So you’re her uncle now?” Pepper smiled

“If that’s what she wants me to be, then that’s what I’ll be” I smiled back

“And that’d make me her aunt” Blaze chuckled

“And me her sister” Snowdrop simpered

“Looks like, our little family just keeps on growing” she smirked

“So it does” Velvet Remedy nickered “you’re a noble eon, Tesla, even if you attempt to deny it, what you’ve just done will possible resonate throughout Equestria for generations, by saving one pony, you affect many, and they, in turn, could turn around and change the hearts of everypony” she went on “you’re a special eon, not because you’re one of the only two that I know, but because of what you’re like on the inside, and not your draconic legacy or your human originalities, I mean who you are in there,” she pointed toward my chest “your heart is that of gemstone, and your soul is that of diamond, your mind is like that of the sea, calm, crystal clear, and your form is that of the wind, ever-changing between your eon and human halves, I love you Tesla, as does Littlepip, and Possible Pepper also, and we[‘re proud of it, you say that it’s our choices that define us,, and I say you’ve made an excellent one, my love”

“That calls for a Carlsberg” Blaze laughed as I glanced around, noticing that Pinkie Pie had, somehow, set up another one of her apparently infamous parties throughout the large town, and that Twilight and her friends, save fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, were staring at me in apparent curiosity

“So it does” I smiled as Twilight and her friends trotted up to me

“What’d you do this time?” Applejack nickered

“Save a filly’s life” Snowdrop squee’d

“What?” Twilight blinked as Ember appeared above me

“Tesla travelled to a seemingly abandoned tower held in the sky by a pillar of stone, once there he found a lone filly, held by her parent’s bodies” Ember explained

“Where is she now?” Rainbow Dash blinked

“She’s with Celestia,” Pepper giggled “Tesla wanted her to be safe, and knew that he couldn’t take care of everyone he so happens to save, so he made an arrangement with the princesses, so she now lives in the castle, with the guard, maids and servants taking care of her”

“That’s noble of you” Twilight gleamed “how did they die?”

“Twilight,” Rarity gasped, apparently horrified that her friend could ask such a thing “that’s very rude you know, I’m sure the poor filly’s been scarred, possibly worse even!”

“Even so, it’s a fair question” Blaze shrugged “When we got there, it seemed like they were sleeping, even if it was in what appeared to be the lounge area, that’s when we found her, Gracy Gloom, tucked under her parents wings, as if they were trying to shield her from something”

“What if they were, and whatever kill them had returned?” I blinked “We need to move!” as soon as I’d finished talking I set off for the pillar of stone, which was an absolute bastard to find

“Here we are” I muttered, flying into the lounge, the corpses of Gloom’s parents hadn’t moved, naturally, I spotted a hooded figure take-off up the stairs, chasing after him as he made his way into one of the bedrooms

“Who are you?” I scowled; creating twin fireballs in either hand, the figure bristled

“I said,” I snarled, the fireballs doubling in size “who are you?”

“I am not important, I was only sent here to ensure the retrieval of an item,” the pony scoffed “and that’s all you get, for now” a quick dart of fiery magic removed the being’s hood, revealing a cyan, pony-like head with fangs and silvery eyes

“So, the plot thickens, now that you’ve seen who I am, but have no name to go with it, what will you do?”

“I can bring the house down, pillar, foundations and all, and I will if you don’t give me some answers” I snapped

“Very well, have your resolution” the cyan pony/.bug hybrid removed her cloak completely, revealing more of herself to me, she had insect-like wings with holes in them, her tail, and her legs

“What are you?” I frowned

“A new species, created to deal with any threat that my dear lord sees that could topple his hopes and dreams and turn his desires into mere ash” the being spoke haughtily “Well, aren’t you going to arrest me?”

“I’m a knight, not a guard” I tutted “And if this is a conspiracy theory, I must say it’s rather intriguing…?”

“Sapphire Star” the ‘new species’ winked “take me whilst you can, Tesla, but you just wait, everything you know will crumble before your eyes!” she went on “but I’m glad you think that of master’s plans, my little eon-!” I quickly knocked her unconscious with a swift chop to the back of her neck, my ears pull-ing me toward a drawer,

Opening said drawer, I found a rainbow-coloured, pearl necklace; each one of the pearls giving off a prismatic glow, I then carried the cyan being over my neck as I flew back to the castle once more

-=-

“And what is this being that you bring before us this time, Tesla?” Celestia smiled

“Blaze pointed out the theory that whatever killed Gloom’s parents might’ve returned, I went back and found her, looming around the upstairs area, searching for this” I held out the necklace I’d found, Celestia took it with her magic

“We remember this” Luna’s eyes narrowed as she studied the jewellery piece “We gave it to Night Shade and Moon Heart in hopes that they’d use it when the time came, now, however, it may never happen”

“What does it do?” Blaze smirked

“Vanquish evil using sacred light” Celestia smiled

“Cliché” she rolled her eyes

“Where am I?” the Sapphire Star steadily got to her haunches

“In my castle, in my kingdom,” Celestia spoke calmly, yet with the anger of a thunderstorm “you stand accused of the deaths of both Night Shade and Moon Heart, how do you plead?”

“Guilty” Sapphire gave a wicked smirk

“Explain thyself!” Luna glowered

“It’s simple, master is making way for a new, brighter, and better Equestria, and then the rest of Equis shall be liberated, none shall be left behind when our Great Journey begins, that is our lord’s promise, and it shall be fulfilled!”

“Either you start making sense, or I use what I’m assuming is your chitin to make a small set of light armour for Snowdrop and Blaze” I snarled

“It’s all rather easy,” Sapphire laughed manically, eventually calming down, if even a little “Once Master finally gets that necklace, he’ll be able to do the impossible, and make it all the more of a reality,” she continued “the liberation of Equestria is but a small step in his march to glory, do what you will with me, but rest assured, where one of us falls, another seven shall arise!” she chimed “don’t you see, this world is corrupt, we need a better leader, not just those with the ability to move the Celestial bodies, but those with the ability to shape the universe as they see fit”

“And you don’t care who gets hurt, maimed or worse on your little parade through hell?” I growled, picking her up, slamming her down to the floor by her neck “assuming we let you out alive; that of which I’m not really inclined to do at this point, just so you know, you can tell this oh-so high-and-mighty ‘lord’ and tell him that if even so much as flinches out of line, I will personally see to it that his remaining days, dreams and nightmares on this planet are those of fear, cowardice, weakness and anything else that he fears most, are we clear?”

“Yu think master fears death,” Sapphire burst into laughter “he lives for the kill, much like a wolf lives for the hunt, and when he doesn’t get what he wants, he too, will personally see to it that he gets his way”

“I’m not asking for thinks to go my way,” I glowered at her “I’m asking for things to go the right way”

“And so they shall,” she sighed with apparent amusement “you really are dense, aren’t you Tesla?”

“I’m also the one who’s contemplating whether to crush your thick skull or not” I raised an eyebrow

“Do what you will toward me,” she shrugged, almost “but, it’s as I said, you interrupt his plans and he’ll come down here himself to deal with you, can you really handle that, Eon?”

“I’ve defied gods and demons, and slain dragons bigger than your level of arrogance,” I laughed “I think I can handle a strange, bug-pony hybrid”

“Changeling” she smirked “or rather, Neo-Changeling”

“Call yourselves whatever you want, you’re all part hug, and they all burn the same” I shrugged, letting her go

“Now that you’re finally released from your otherwise humorous captivity, somewhat,” Celestia stifled a giggle, then frowned “Now, changeling, what do you want?”

“I want nothing more than for master’s plan to come to fruition” Sapphire rolled her eyes “”What you do with me is of your concern, not mine”

“Then it’s to the dungeons with you until I can find a better use for you” she spoke icily, the guards at either side of her throne quickly escorted Sapphire from the room

“Tesla,” she smiled “I believe we owe you a commendation”

“Simply doing what I can for my country” I shrugged, Littlepip, Velvet Remedy, and Chilly Pepper landing on all fours on the pristine floor as I reverted to human form

“Your country,” she raised an apparently amused eyebrow “Explain”

“Equestria’s my home now, has been for the past year,” I smiled “Can’t have conspiracies about a possible tyrant queen running about, can we?”

“Those words mean more to me than you could realise, Sir Teslakana” she bit her lip, as if trying to hold back tears of either sadness or joy, I knew not which

“By your word, Princesses” I bowed quickly, turning around and walking with Pepper, Littlepip and Velvet out of the room

“Oh, and Tesla,” Celestia called out from her rightful throne as I opened the door, I turned my head to face her “I love you”

“Noted” I winked as I left the throne room

-=-

“She loves you?” Blaze blinked, as if I pondering for a moment, before continuing, “I wonder how long she’s withheld that, or when it started”

“Probably the same time that Crystagia arrived,” I hummed “or the time when I mentioned her, think about it, a lone wanderer searching every place he can find in a quest to find his parents, just to see their smile again”

“It’s almost tragic,” Littlepip bit her lip

“Quite so,” I nodded

“I think her admiration, let’s call it’ of you only grew when you saved the town,” Velvet simpered “only then did she realise what she was feeling, in its purest of forms”

“Poetic, almost,” Chilly Pepper smiled “What’re you going to do about it?”

“Dignis Solis*” I shrugged

“So be it,” Blaze smirked “you cheesy ferret!”

“Is this another case of the pot calling the kettle black?”

“No it’s the pot calling the kettle a racist” she grinned from ear to ear

“Fair do’s” I shrugged

“Ahem?”

I turned around; Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Celestia, and Cadance were stood before me, eyebrows raised

“Blaze,” I sighed

“Yes brother?” the quilava smirked

“Thank you” I groaned

“No problem TK” she laughed

“Is there nothing wrong with love?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“We didn’t say there was” Blaze gave me a sly grin, I simply looked the other way

“Then you shouldn’t mind me doing this,” Celestia walked forward, standing within mere inches of me, placing her lips against mine, her lilac eyes staring into mine with the warmth and caring I’d come to expect from her, gradually parting “Well?” she raised an eyebrow,, smiling as I eventually raised gentle hand to her cheek, running my fingers through her somewhat ethereal mane, letting my hand rest by my side, pecking her cheek

“I must say that was rather relaxing,” she smiled as I slouched against a nearby tree, sitting against the trunk, lying next to me with her head in my lap, staring up at me with her bright pinkish eyes “you could get a job down at the spa, were it not for your musical career”

“Could do; but I’ve a family to take care of,” I smiled “Besides, how on earth did I get lucky enough to end up on Equis in the first place?”

“That’d be because of me,” she sat upright, staring right at me, a look of apparent concern in her eyes “when Discord said that I was responsible for everything in your life,  I was,” she flinched, as if expecting to be hit “I’m the one responsible for your reclusive nature, I alone am at fault for causing you to be the way you were” she bit her lip “I only wished for you to return here, to be with me, together forever” she finished

“Whilst I am annoyed that I had to go through that, I’m thinking it was worth it, after all,” I clicked my neck, each vertebrae making a loud cracking sound as I did so “without it, I wouldn’t have met any of you”

“You’re kind, considerate, and noble,” Velvet Remedy smiled “Tesla, I’m honoured to be with you”

“As am I” Littlepip pecked my cheek as she sat beside me, Chilly Pepper sat beside her as velvet Remedy curled up in my lap

“And me” Pepper smiled

“All of us in general” Kiary chimed as she sat upon my shoulder, Blaze

“And me, Daddy” Snowdrop smiled from atop my head, as per the usual

“I might as well join the bandwagon and agree with them” Blaze rolled her eyes

“So, how’d you manage it this time?” Rainbow Dash smirked

“Heck if I know, hell if I give a damn” I clicked my tongue

“Then you admit your love for me?” Celestia blinked

“I love all my friends” I smiled, again

“That’s not what I meant-!” I silenced her by pressing my lips against hers; she blinked “fair enough”

“Princess,” Shining Armour galloped out of the castle, running toward us, only to come to a screeching halt “I’ve received reports of an Ursa appearing in Ponyville, and that you’re to be summoned immediately!” he panted for breath, Velvet Remedy clambered to her hooves as she stood beside me as I pulled myself to my feet

“This should be interesting” Rainbow Dash grinned

-=-

As I glided down toward Ponyville, I quickly -and instantly-, noticed a large cobalt blue bear that appeared to be made of stars and the energy of the cosmos bound into a physical entity

Said entity was busy destroying the town

“Well like she said, let’s make this interesting!” I glimmered, my friends and family landed beside me along with the princesses as I reverted to human form, bursting into flames

“I believe this would be a good time to test our spirit unity” Ember appeared beside me in her usual ghostly form, gleaming

“Likewise” Celestia and I smiled, holding my hand out as Ember diminished in a miniature whirlwind, morphing into the same spherical shape as before, which I then implanted into my chest, a sudden burst of energy causing my wings to extend

“Modo Raien Ryū” with a second burst of energy I found myself encompassed in whitish-golden flames and golden-primrose lightning as I bolted toward the Ursa, firing Gatling-like punches once I was close enough “Raien Ryū no Hoseki-Ryū ken!” I boomed, striking the bear possible hundreds of times, maybe thousands even, forcing it to practically slide backwards along the ground away from Ponyville

“And now, the finisher” Ember and I smirked in unison as I generated a sphere of fire in one hand, and a sphere of lightning in the other, bringing the spheres down as they doubled in size, crashing them down onto the Ursa, creating an explosion fit for a battlefield of the gods “Raien Ryū no Gakkotsu!”**

The Ursa shone with a bright light as it seemingly exploded into millions upon millions of tiny star-like shards of what I assumed to be energy

“That was amazing!” Rainbow Dash gleamed as she and the rest of Twilight friends, the lavender mare herself included, galloped up to me, save Fluttershy, who stood in the crowd that burst into cheering as I landed before them, Ember de-fusing with me as I did so

“That was truly magnificent, such a brilliant display of your magical prowess,” Rarity glanced toward Twilight “no offense Twilight”

“None taken Rarity, I’m sure I couldn’t have done it myself like Tesla did” Twilight nickered

“But I didn’t,” I gestured toward Ember who was busy staring at something behind me

“Uh, Tesla, you might want to re0-check for damage” Ember pointed to the area behind me

Turning around, I saw a large crater on the edge of Ponyville, one which had arcs of lightning jolting from one area to the next

“It would appear that thou hath gone, how would thou say, ‘Overkill’?” Luna giggled as she, Celestia, and Cadance trotted toward us casually alongside my other friends and family

“Indeed,” Blaze smirked as she clambered up onto my shoulder “one does not simply use such a spell without causing large amounts of damage to the immediate vicinity”

“I’m just hoping I didn’t do any significant damage” I bit my lip

“None that I can see” Snowdrop smiled as she sat atop my head

“That’s good” I exhaled sharply, feeling a little numb

“I’d say our unity worked at approximately eighty-percent,” Ember ‘reported’  “The next time we use it, it should be at least ninety,” she smiled “any sign of numbness you may be feeling is due to your nerves being rebuilt in order to withstand the voltage”

“How can your own magic hurt you like that?” Twilight blinked “Lightning as it may be”

“Because the air around a thunderbolt burns at around forty-five-thousand degrees” I explained, sort of

“But I still don’t get why your nerves would be affected?” she tilted her head, Spike mimicking her as he sat atop her back

“Because the brain delivers messages via electromagnetic pulses to the nerves and the areas of the body, anywhere from the horn-point down,” I smiled “that’s why I’m feeling, well, actually, I can’t feel anything, physically speaking”

“So ya’ll are a Lightning Flame dragon now?” Applejack giggled “Ah thought dragons could only have one element”

“It is possible, although extremely rare, that, under certain criteria, a dragon can gain another element,” Celestia smiled

“Like Gajeel the Iron-shadow dragon slayer”

“He ate shadows?” Twilight blinked “How does that work?”

“Magic” I facepalmed

“And here we were told that she’s the element of it” Blaze slowly shook her head as she held it in her paws

“I don’t know everything!” Twilight frowned

“You don’t?!” Rainbow dash chortled

“Brother, I’m no longer surprised about why there’s a drinking game based on this series”

“Neither are we” Littlepip and I rolled our eyes

-=-

“Remind me why we’re out here again?” Velvet Remedy all-but staggered out of the train as we made it to what I’d been briefed as Appleoosa

“We’re here; ‘cause Mah cousin needs help with a few buffalo that’re causing a right ruckus around his orchard!” Applejack frowned

“And he thought it’d be a good idea to make a town in the middle of the desert?” Blaze grumbled “Not that I can feel the heat, nor can Tesla, and nor can Kiary” she gestured to me, and then to the dragon laid across my head like a rug

“What’s yer point?” Applejack scowled

“If someone were to so much as drop a lit hatch-head, the whole town would be reduced to ash, that’s how dry the air is” Blaze grunted “do they not teach you environmental and/or biological technicalities in pony-land?”

“Now wait just a minute!” she glowered at the quilava sat on my shoulder “That’s mah home ya’ll are talkin’ about!”

“And mine too, but I’m not going mental about it, and my life here means as much as anyone else’s should,” I glanced toward the orange pony “It’s not a problem if you don’t make it into one, AJ”

“Welcome to Appleoosa!” a yellowy-golden earth pony wearing a Stetson hat and a brown jacket, or so I thought, with a fiery golden mane gleamed at me from ear to ear

“Yer a sorry-looking bunch” he eyed me up and down “what in the hay are ya meant to be, some summoning spell gone wrong or somethin’?”

“See what I mean, not letting it affect me” I turned to face Applejack “I may be rambling about it but I’m not throwing a right hissy fit about it”

“He’s mah cousin” Applejack glared daggers at me

“Alrighty then” I slowly nodded

“Ah take it yer insulting me fer a reason?” the pony raised a dangerous by his standards- eyebrow

“Case in point” Littlepip laughed

“You said something about a buffalo problem?” I stifled a laugh

“They’ve been here a while now, longer than Ah have actually,” he deadpanned “why?”

“I help friends of my friends,” I shrugged “just tell me where they are and I’ll be on  my way to solve everything”

“Ya’ll think ya’ll are strong enough to deal with them?” he burst into a fit of laughter

“He beat the dragon king!” Kiary screamed the golden-yellow pony stopped

“Ya’ll are joking, right?” he blinked, I sighed, igniting both hands with a crimson flame “So ya aren’t, Mah bad, pardner, they’re due east of here, in the hills,” he gestured to the nearby hills on the outskirts of the desert village “Sorry fer doubting ya”

“I’m used to it” I clicked my knuckles, walking through the town, climbing up the steep slope, only to arrive on the edge of what looked like a native Indian encampment, complete with tepee’s  

“Who goes there?” a large, dark brownish buffalo stood before me, complete with Indian headdress and war-paint, and a dozen more surrounded, Velvet, Pepper, Littlepip and I as we entered the village

“We wish to negotiate peace with the natives of the village at the feet of these hills” I smiled, faintly

“We too have tried, but to no avail, tell their sheriff Silverstar that if he doesn’t move the trees by hoof, we’ll remove them with force” the ‘chief’ scowled

“I’ll pass on the notion, if anything” I nodded

When we got back to the village, my friends, alongside Applejack’s cousin, and a new, light-ish brown pony with a black Stetson and a silver marshal’s badge complete with a bandanna and jacket with a black moustache stood before me

“Well?” Applejack frowned

“He’s giving us the option of either we move the trees or he’ll apparently come down here and do it himself” I sighed

“We’ve already told him we can’t,” the newcomer stamped his hoof on the ground “we’d simply be doing it all for nothing

“Oh for crying out loud” I grumbled, flying into the sky, looking around the orchard, hovering above him, you can easily move the edge of trees from the left side over to the right, you wouldn’t be ruining anything, or is your earth pony pride thicker than your skull?”

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t have you arrested!?” he glowered at me as I landed

“Well for one, I’m a knight to the princesses, and two, I’m the only one here who can take care of them, properly” I pointed to the hills behind me with a thumb

“First ya‘ll claim to be strong enough to beat the buffalo, and now ya’ll are claiming to be one a knight?” the golden yellow pony spat “Don’t be ridiculous”

“Would you like for me to level everything within the vicinity to the ground as proof?” I grinned at him rather wickedly

“On second thought,” he gulped audibly “Ah’m Braeburn”

“Noted” I scoffed, turning to walk away “I suppose I’ll have to do this myself, Littlepip, Velvet, Blaze and Kiary, stay here,” I smiled toward the quilava on my shoulder “and should he try anything on either of the two, Blaze, you know what to do”

When I got back again, this time from roasting the buffalo tribe, I saw Braeburn standing awkwardly close to Littlepip, attempting to nuzzle into her, only for her to take a large step back as Velvet Remedy tried to intervene

“What on Earth do you think you’re doing!?” I bellowed as I soared toward them, kicking him in the jaw, sending him flying

“Ah told him what’d happen if he did somethin’ like that” Applejack sighed

“And yet you let him do it anyway?” Littlepip gritted her teeth, blinking as I crouched before her, stroking her mane “I’m sorry Tesla” she stood on her hind legs, draping her arms around my neck, placing her head on my shoulder

“You’ve nothing to apologize for, you haven’t done anything,” I glanced toward Blaze “and you, I thought I asked you to defend them!”

“I’m not that strong,” Blaze held up her paws defensively “and besides, we did say that the whole place could be reduced to ash at the drop of a match”

“So I did” I bit my lip

“Thank you Tesla” Littlepip gave a weak smile as she let me go, pecking my cheek as I pecked her horn “for being there when I needed you, cheesy as it might sound”

“If and when you need me, just ask, and I’ll be there, that’s a promise and/or guarantee o can give to all of my Nakama”

“That’s Mah cousin ya’ll just sent flying!” Applejack boomed

“I’ll defend those who I care about, with my life, mind, heart, body or soul, bet it a common pony or otherwise” I tutted as Braeburn came stumbling through the door of the building I’d sent him soaring through the window of, sitting on his haunches beside his cousin

“Why do you continue to act like that?” Littlepip bit her lip, I raised an eyebrow “I meant no offense, I’m simply curious to where you get the urge to fight as you do”

“I failed once; I refuse to do so again” I slowly shook my head

“That’s more than fair enough” she stared at me, unblinking as she wrapped her arms back around my neck “that’s far more than just fair, my little eon”

“My Littlepip” I draped my wings and arms around her, holding her close

-=-=-

On the day that’d been aptly called ‘Heart’s and Hooves day,’ I was, as per usual, sitting underneath the shade of a tree in the gardens, only for certain grey pony to sit on my lap, somehow changing to an anthro form, with a lavender dress, bunny ears and arms stockings that went just passed the elbow as she pecked my cheek, quickly removing her entire attire

“Fuck me, big boy” Octavia purred

-=+=-

Later that day, I staggered into the main hall of the castle

“Note to self,” I shuddered “when they want something, they’ll get it”

“I thought she nearly gelded you!” Velvet Remedy chuckled

“Who?” I turned around; Vinyl was stood there alongside Octavia, who winked at me with a devious grin, I raised an eyebrow

“No…!” Vinyl turned to face the silver mare “Tavi, why’d you do that?”

“Hey I’m not complaining,” I laughed “she just, and almost, lost control of herself, nearly”

“Who’s not complaining?” I turned around again, Celestia stood there alongside Twilight and her friends; save Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie

“Nice work brother, I think she heard you” Blaze chortled

“No, really,” I rolled my eyes

“I have to say your way of work is rather, interesting” Celestia smiled softly “I’m only wondering if you can do it again”

‘Fuck’

“Precisely” she giggled

‘Did you just-?’

“Read your mind?” she raised an eyebrow with a sly smirk “Our bond has been opened as far as it can go, my love”

“Don’t toy with me” I grinned

“Oh,” she smiled “what’re you going to do?”

“You’d be surprised,” I walked up to her, gently holding the sides of her face, placing my lips against hers “My little sunflower”

“My little eon” she nuzzled into me, changing to her anthro form, draping her arms around my neck, and her wings around my back as she placed her lips unto mine, slipping her tongue between my lips, intertwining it with my own, gradually parting “I love you so much, it’s unbelievable”

“Just take it easy, my little Dawnflower” I smiled

“That’s what we should be telling you” Vinyl burst out laughing

“Happy Heart’s and hooves day,” Twilight nickered “I’ve got something I’d like to say to you, Tesla”

“And what is it?” I smiled

“I envy you,” she blurted out, suddenly flinching “I’ve seen your power and abilities with magic, and I have to say, I admire you, for it, love you even”

“Loving someone for their abilities or status isn’t love,” Blaze snapped “if anything it’s a hope that you’ll be as good as them someday, right TK?”

“Depends on the circumstances,” I shrugged “right, I’m off to the theatre”

Once inside the theatre, Crystal having joined us on the way there, I stood with Littlepip, Velvet and the after-mentioned eon on stage as the audience began to filter in through the door, beginning to sing with Blaze and Kiary one ach shoulder, and Snowdrop lying atop my bead, situated between my horns

“I've been watching you stumble

Through the darkest night

Let me tell you

It's gonna be alright

I can see you've been trying but

Your wings got clipped

Been waiting in line but

Your turn got skipped” I began the serenade

“I'll be there when you need me

I'll be there when you call

Yeah I'll be there to catch you when you fall

Know that I'll never leave you

Out here on your own

I'll be the lights that guide you home” Snowdrop and Blaze sang together

“Been a long time coming

Feelings for you

My hearts been skippin' a beat

Maybe two

Right now you're weak but

But you'll be strong

I know where there's a place

That you belong” Littlepip chorused

“I'll be there when you need me

I'll be there when you call

Yeah I'll be there to catch you when you fall

Know that I'll never leave you

Out here on your own

I'll be the lights that guide you home” Velvet Remedy chimed with the voice of a thousand angels

“I don't know if you want me

or if you care

But even if you don't I'll be there

'Cuz when I'm beside you

my soul burns bright

Let me be the one

Let me be your light” Kiary sang her heart out from the perch that was my left shoulder

“I'll be there when you need me

I'll be there when you call

Yeah I'll be there to catch you when you fall

Know that I'll never leave you

Out here on your own

I'll be the lights that guide you home” Crystal, Littlepip Snowdrop and I sang as a quartet

“Now I know you've had problems

We could solve 'em

We could make it through

Tried and true

We could fight 'em off, all of 'em

We could make it through a brighter day, anyway

Gettin' by another way

So I guess I'm trying to say

I wanna be the lights guiding you through the night

When things get dark, when you don't know what's right

I wanna hold your hand, and tell you that you can

So don't worry, it's gonna be alright”  I sang, solo

“I'll be there when you need me

I'll be there when you call

Yeah I'll be there to catch you when you fall

Know that I'll never leave you

Out here on your own

I'll be the lights that guide you home” Crystal, Velvet Remedy, Littlepip, Snowdrop, Blaze, Kiary, Pepper and I sang as an octet

“Next song, from TGC” I chuckled

“Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere” I cooed beginning the second song

“Just a city boy

Born and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere” Littlepip winked at me, continuing the (sort of) serenade

“A singer in a smoky room

The smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on” Blaze and Snowdrop formed a duet, as usual

“Strangers waiting

Up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searchin' in the night” Velvet Remedy chorused

“Streetlight, people

Livin' just to find emotion

Hidin' somewhere in the night” we sang as  an octet for a second time

“Workin' hard to get my fill

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anythin' to roll the dice

Just one more time” Crystal sang with glee (pun not intended)

“Some will win, some will lose

Some are born to sing the blues

And now the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on” Littlepip Velvet Remedy and Pepper formed a trio, smiling at me as they sang

“Strangers waiting

Up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searchin' in the night

Streetlight, people

Livin' just to find emotion

Hidin' somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to that feelin'

Streetlight, people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to that feelin'

Streetlight, people

Don't stop!” we sang as an octet for a third time

“And now for something, completely different” I shuddered

“No, don’t you dare!” Blaze gasped, but snowdrop had already begun to sing

“Boy meets girl

You were my dream, my world

But I, was blind

You cheated on me from behind

So on my own

I feel so all alone

Though I know, it's true

I'm still in love with you” Snowdrop chimed

“I need a miracle,

I wanna be your girl,

Give me a chance to see,

That you are made for me,

I need a miracle,

Please let me be your girl,

One day you'll see,

It can happen to me” Littlepip went red in the face as she serenaded

“I need a miracle,

I wanna be your girl,

Give me a chance to see,

That you are made for me,

I need a miracle,

Please let me be your girl,

One day you'll see,

It can happen to me

It can happen to me

Miracle” Velvet Remedy smiled at me with a rather dreamy look plastered on her face

“Day, and night

I'm always by your side

Cause I know for sure

My love is real my feelings pure

So take a try

No need to ask me why

Cause I know it's true

I'm still in love with you” Crystal  smirked at me with a knowing grin

“I need a miracle,

I wanna be your girl,

Give me a chance to see,

That you are made for me,

I need a miracle,

Please let me be your girl,

One day you'll see,

It can happen to me

I need a miracle,

I wanna be your girl,

Give me a chance to see,

That you are made for me,

I need a miracle,

Please let me be your girl,

One day you'll see,

It can happen to me

It can happen to me

Miracle,

Miracle” Snowdrop, Littlepip, and Pepper sang with Velvet

“And continuing the apparent ‘spirit’ of Valentine’s Day,” I nodded toward Snowdrop

“And I'd give up forever to touch you,

Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be;

And I don't want to go home right now” I began to thong as a duet with Snowdrop

“And all I can taste is this moment,

And all I can breathe is your life,

And sooner or later it's over,

I just don't want to miss you tonight” Crystal sang with an apparent softness in her voice

“And I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am” Velvet Remedy chorused

“And you can’t fight the tears that ain't coming,

Or the moment of the truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies,

Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive” Littlepip sang with the voice of a dozen arch-angels

“And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am” I continued the song with Crystal and Blaze, the three of us singing to our hearts content

“And I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don’t think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am” Blaze, Littlepip, Velvet Remedy, Pepper, Crystal, Snowdrop, Kiary and I finished as another octet, bowing for the audience as they got to their feet/hooves, applauding us as we left the theatre via backstage

-=-=-

“Where on Equis did you get that third song?” Rainbow Dash gagged

“And here I thought you ponies liked these sorts of events and/or holidays” I blinked

“Too mushy” she shuddered

“At least you didn’t sing it, brother, that’d be hilarious” Blaze laughed

“That’s just as much of a love song as ‘Lights’ is” I frowned

“‘Lights,’” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“The first song I sang” I smiled

“That’s a love song,” Twilight smirked

“As is ‘Your guardian angel’ right Daddy?” Snowdrop giggled

“Which one of your songs is that?” Cadance nickered

“The one I sang with Crystal when I first got here” I sighed “Never a dull moment when we’re around, eh?”

“Too right,” Crystal chortled

“Alright, name one other love song that you can sing, right here and now” Cadance grinned

“Did you break your wings

When you fell from grace

When you came from heaven

To this darker place” I sang

“Did you watch me fall

From the clouds on high

See the glimmer of tears

Streaming from my eye” Littlepip added singing like a goddess

“I think I bruised my soul

Climbing back from hell

But if you're here to change me

Then it's just as well” I chorused with relative ease

“Your scars run deep

But darling they will fade

They told me to fear you

But I'm not afraid” Velvet Remedy smiled dreamily at me as she serenaded

“Don't hold back

We're here right now

There's nothing left here to keep us out, oh

As different as

The day and night

I'm starting to feel like this is right and

You're the memory I can't erase

You're the part of me I can't replace

You're the angel that loved me somehow

And you're the demon I can't live without” Snowdrop and Blaze formed yet another duet

“I'm the crossroads king

In this wretched land

You found me a mess

But I'm a better man” I sang, solo

“I could see it hidden

Right from the start

'Neath your jagged bones

Was a beating heart” Pepper serenaded, again

“And that heart is yours

Or what I have left

So take my secrets

Take them off my chest” I continued the song with almost apparent pride

“That's why I'm here

I've been broken too

So maybe you can fix me

And I'll fix you” Snowdrop chirped

“Don't hold back

We're here right now

There's nothing left here to keep us out, oh

As different as

The day and night

I'm starting to feel like this is right and

You're the memory I can't erase

You're the part of me I can't replace

You're the angel that loved me somehow

And you're the demon I can't live without” I sang with Crystal and Blaze as a trio

“Welcome to my universe

Touch me now and break my curse

You'll be mine and I'll be yours

So let's live life in reverse

Back to basics, back in time

Meet you halfway in the sky

Breaking mirrors, smashing through

I don't need luck when I'm with you” I sang, again, solo

“Don't hold back

We're here right now

There's nothing left here to keep us out, oh

As different as

The day and night

I'm starting to feel like this is right and

You're the memory I can't erase

You're the part of me I can't replace

You're the angel that loved me somehow

And you're the demon I can't live without” Littlepip and Velvet Remedy sang as the perfect duet

“Eternity can wait

You're my afterlife

For once in my existence

I see the light

We've got it all, we've got it all

Right here

We've got it all, we've got it all

Right here” Snowdrop and Pepper formed a third duet

“Don't hold back

We're here right now

There's nothing left here to keep us out, oh

As different as

The day and night

I'm starting to feel like this is right and

You're the memory I can't erase

You're the part of me I can't replace

You're the angel that loved me somehow

And you're the demon I can't live without” Littlepip, Velvet Remedy, Blaze, Snowdrop, Pepper, Crystal, Kiary and I formed one final octet for the day

“‘Angels and Demons,’ as sang by Feather and Aviators” Blaze chimed

=-=-=-=

“This should be fun” Crystal smirked as I stood in the arena, my family and friends, including Twilight, her friends, Spike, and the princesses stood alongside Faust sitting beside her as what seemed like an army of the royal guards best and brightest

“Live weaponry is allowed, only non-fatal blows permitted,” Celestia raised an eyebrow “begin” within a moment the archers drew back their bows, firing a wave of arrows toward me

“One against an army and that’s the best you can do,” I tilted my head, flapping my wings in order to create a sudden burst of wind, which, surprisingly, threw the arrows astray, and as the swords-ponies charged toward me, the archers redrew their bows “not bad” I smirked, drawing the twin Dawnbreaker swords, crossing them in front of me as I crouched

“Nitōryū Iai: Rashōmon!” one moment I was in front of the guards, the next, I was behind them, sheathing the twin enchanted blades  as a sudden wave of air gushed toward me from behind as a few dozen of the guards fell, unconscious, the rest turned back to face me, wounded by the attack, but not yet defeated

Now I just had the rest to deal with

“Where did you learn that?” Shining Armour frowned

“Nowhere important” I smirked as I turned to face him and the remaining portion of the army I was facing

“I’ll ask again when I beat you” he spat, charging at me, twin swords raised high, bringing them down

“Is that all you can do?” I yawned, stopping the twin swords with a single hand, the swords blocked between the index, ring, and middle fingers

“How,” he blinked, trying to move the swords, only to be met with failure as I threw them aside “How can you do that?”

“Gotta be strong if I am to keep the title of ‘Dragon Slayer’” I glimmered, the archers redrew their bows a second time, the unicorns that were present, Shining Armour included, set the arrowheads alight “that won’t work” I stifled a laugh, inhaling the flames from the arrows, exhaling a torrent of whitish-golden flames that encompassed the guards “Eigo Hoseki Ryu Hokou!”

“Is that all you’ve got?” Shining Armour steadily got to his feet, as did those who could, the rest seemingly unconscious

“If I were to do more, you’d be dead” I gave a deadpan stare

“Give it your best shot!” he yelled, staggering as he did so

“Metsuryū Ogi; Shiranui Gata,” I beamed with intent, crouching down and forming a circle around me with my arms, generating a large pillar of fire as I bolted upright again, and out of the pillar, came an enormous sphere of whitish-golden flames that partially resembled the sun “Dai Enkai; Ryu-Entei!*”

“That’s incredible!” Luna stared at me in awe

“But I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop you there,” Celestia smiled “we don’t know how much magic you put into that orb, so we can’t let this fight progress, ending it in a draw”

“Fair enough” Shining Armour gulped audibly, gawking at the massive fireball I held above me, which dissipated, causing a sudden rush of wind to burst in all directions

=-=

“How long have you been able to use that last attack?” Velvet Remedy smiled as lunch was served and we were sat around the dining table

“A few decades” I shrugged “I chose not to use it in the wastelands due to the highly irradiated and possible oxygenated air; that of which would’ve made the resulting explosion over more, well, explosive”

“Great Flame Commandment, Dragonflame emperor” Blaze whistled “Been a while since I’ve seen that go off in someone’s face”  

“Quite” I smirked

“I take it that it’s your strongest attack?” Cadance nuzzled into me

“It’s one of them,” I nodded “the others being Suishō hasu Karyu Ken, another being lightning flame dragon roar, and the other being twin dragon god’s brilliant flame”

“Why name it ‘twin dragon god’s brilliant flame’?” Luna blinked

“You and Celestia are, in all technicalities, gods, and I’m at least one-third dragon, so, put the two together” I raised an eyebrow

“Thou flatter us” she smiled “would thou be interested in coitus?”

“You don’t beat around the bush do you?” I stared at her

“Pun intended?” she nickered, I heard several ponies choke on their food as a few more did a spit-take

“Someone’s getting a little ballsy” Blaze chortled

“Stop dicking around” I slowly shook my head

“This is rather incon-seeded‎” Celestia nickered

“That’s a rather premature joke” Velvet Remedy laughed, all eyes were on us now that we’d started

“This is a rather lengthy line of puns, isn’t it?” I simpered

“It seems that quite a list of jokes has been erected” Celestia’s cheeks went a light pink tinge

“Thinking of these puns is getting rather hard” Pepper giggled

“I’ll bet it’s not the only thing” Crystal lightly punched my shoulder “you can run; you’ll just die tired”

“Really?” I sighed

“You started it” she shrugged

"Sort of” I tilted a hand

“Sort of?” she raised an eyebrow “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind,” I rolled my eyes

“Thought so” she grinned

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