Same Old Fight

Chapter 2

Mirror

A pained groan escaped Dano’s throat as his consciousness slowly returned to his body. A dull throb filled his skull causing his thoughts to jumble and collide with every beat of his heart. Behind closed eyes memories began to bleed into Dano’s mind’s eye, and the images of home appeared in no special order. The visions of a happy Echo, Jenna, Fluttershy and every other person the survivor called a friend mingled together, but were soon replaced by the horror of Nightmare Moon’s arrival. The memories of the sights, smells and sounds all culminated in the dulled feeling of Dano’s own death.  

With a gasp Dano opened his eyes as he shot up from his prone position into a sitting one. His hands frantically patted his chest where his enemy had stabbed him, but he found nothing but dried blood and his clothing. A sigh of relief exited the survivor’s mouth as he realized he was alive and not bleeding. His pulse did spike once again when his eyes rose from his body and he took in his surroundings, for as far as Dano could see was a white void with no discernible end or landmarks. The scene reminded the survivor of an empty canvas or a blank piece of paper. Worry and fear wormed its way into Dano’s mind as the answer to his location constantly eluded him.

With a grunt Dano rose to his feet. His muscles felt stiff as if he had been static for quite a while, and once standing he found it hard not to feel tired from the simple movement. The survivor did not find it difficult to rouse his mind however, and his brain ran a million miles a minute to try and figure out where on earth he was. With a quick stomp Dano found out that the “floor” was something solid like concrete from the sound his rubber sole made when it collided with the ground.

With a sigh and absolutely no clue where he was Dano decided that the only way out was forward, but as he took a step a familiar feminine voice entered his ears from directly behind him.

“Glad to see you are awake.”

Dano spun on his heals while reaching for his M9, but found only air inside of his hand. With a mental curse the survivor’s eyes finally fell on where the voice had emanated. He found an almost glowing white horse that blended in extremely well with the abyss behind it. What looked like large wings were pulled tightly against its back, and a long horn jutted from the horse’s forehead. Surrounding the horn and blowing as if it was in a breeze was a long mane made up of equal parts light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue and pale heliotrope. The equines tail matched its mane in both movement and color. To finish off the horse’s appearance was a golden tiara studded with a single purple jewel, a large matching necklace, four golden boots shaped like the Fleur de Lis that seemed to work like horseshoes and what appeared to be a tattoo of a sun on both of its flanks.

Dano gave the horse a cautious look before leaning a bit to see around the animal for whoever had spoken. The equine looked behind it as well in a curious fashion before looking back at the survivor with large deep magenta eyes.

“What are you looking for Daniel?”

Dano was shocked as he saw the horse speak, and he felt his jaw drop from the strange sight.

“D-did you just talk?”

The faint sound of laughter came from the horse.

“I did.”

Dano’s mind did a back flip as it was sent into overdrive.

“You are a horse.”

The equine nodded a bit.

“And you are talking.”

Again the horse nodded slightly.

Dano blinked as his brain finally caught up to what he was seeing. Without anything else to do he began to chuckle from the pure insanity of his situation. Starting small and building into a booming roar the survivor’s laugh echoed through the white abyss he resided in. The equine chuckled along with the human, and after a good few minutes Dano calmed down enough to speak.

“Pardon my manors ma’am, my name is Daniel.” Dano said with a massive amount of sarcasm in his voice before mumbling to himself. “I’m talking to a horse.”

“My name is Celestia.”

Dano’s features immediately hardened.

“You mean the Celestia?”

Celestia nodded after a short chuckle.

With a sudden realization by the utterance of one name Dano’s understanding of his location rapidly changed. He finally grasped that he wasn’t in some coma or afterlife, but some place crafted by magic and forces he did not understand or could not control.

“You seem to have changed from the last time I saw you.”

Dano indicated Celestia’s body with a hand before crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one side.

“If you are referencing my avatar then yes I have changed, but this is my true form.”

Dano remembered the whole speech he was given when Celestia and Luna had told them of their true identity. They were avatars created by some very powerful beings to combat Discord who had shifted from one world to the next after his defeat in his original universe. The avatar’s job was to watch over the town of Ponyville while spreading their brand of magical harmony. They told Dano that they were but a small fraction of their creator’s power, and the thought that those magicians were in fact horses with wings and horns was weird even for him. Despite this he continued on.

“Where am I?”

Celestia’s warm tone reminded Dano of her avatar as she spoke.

“Here is the space between universes, the gap between realities. I have brought you here in order to preserve your body as well as prepare you for your next mission.”

Dano shifted his weight a bit in frustration.

“What missions? Ponyville is gone.”

Celestia’s motherly smile shrunk a bit.

“Your Ponyville may be gone, but mine is still struggling.”

Dano remained silent to force Celestia into explaining.

“After your defeat Nightmare Moon used the residual connection of the portal between our planes of existence to come to mine. My avatar spent the last of her life force to try and warn me of this event, but she was too late. Nightmare Moon stepped into my castle with five others of your species and began to lay waste to everything that moved.”

Remorse now made a home on Celestia’s face.

“Luna and I were taken completely by surprise and we tried out best to save our ponies, but we were overwhelmed when Nightmare Moon broke Discord from his prison. Unable to do anything my sister and I could only watch as chaos overtook our ponies and lands. I managed to slip back into the portal to try and retrieve you while Luna stayed to set up some sort of resistance. When I arrived on your plane I found you dead, but the magic my avatar imbued in you managed to hold complete death at bay. I took you back into the portal where it was safe to revive you and let you recuperate.”

Dano let a small sigh exit his mouth. He was, once again, being pushed into another fight.

“Who else came with Nightmare Moon?”

Celestia’s features changed from remorseful to  neutral at the mention of their common enemy.

“I do not know, but they were aggressive to the point of being blood thirsty.”

Dano rubbed his chin a bit as he tried to think of anyone he knew who would fit that profile. Sadly he could not recall anyone like that, and those he could were dead. He did however have a question, which had been uttered before, begging to be asked.  

“How long was I out?”

Celestia’s smile retuned quickly.

“Three years.”

Dano pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the extremely overpowering feeling of nostalgia.

“What do I need to do?”

Celestia let out a small sigh as if she was holding her breath before smiling even more.

“You need to save my world like you did yours. This time however, many more lives depend on you. You must not fail.”

With that Celestia turned to leave, but Dano was not satisfied with his new cause.

“What about my home? I have people to bury.”

Dano’s voice became harsh at the mention of the dead. Images of home flashed in his head, but he held his temper and feelings in check. Celestia turned back around to face Dano. Her smile had faded into a shadow of itself.

“We do not have time Dano. Let the earth reclaim what is hers.”

With that Celestia turned and began to walk away. Dano moved to protest once more, but as he opened his mouth to speak a wave of intense fatigue washed over him. The survivor collapsed to his knees as his muscles failed him. His eye lids became heavy, and the urge to sleep over powered Dano. With little more than a whimper the survivor slipped into a deep slumber as he fell to his side. The last images that entered his mind were of Celestia walking into the nothing that surrounded the two beings.

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The smell of crushed pine needles entered Dano’s nose as the feeling of a soft wind caressed his face. With a quick inhale the survivor’s eyes shot open to reveal a pristine night sky covered in bright stars framed with large pine trees. Dano’s eyes moved in their sockets as they tried to document everything around him, but all he could see was more night and trees. With a deep breath Dano forced himself into a sitting position.

The survivor’s view didn’t change much from before. Instead of a night sky he found a seemingly endless pine forest stretch off into the darkness. Internally Dano let out a sigh of relief as he recognized an environment he could survive in. Externally his body was coiled like a spring, eyes shifting. He was prepared to launch himself at anything that exited the night to harm him, but as he sat for what felt like an eternity nothing came forth.

Believing he was safe Dano rose to his feet, and the familiar feeling of fatigue filled his muscles. This time however his body recuperated much faster than before. Once upright the survivor checked himself over. He vaguely remembered his struggle with Nightmare Moon and meeting with Celestia so his first check was his weapons. He knew he had lost his rifle and pistol, but when he reached for his blade it was in its sheath. He guessed it was there since his hand was on the knife when he fell.

Along with the eight inch blade Dano had in his possession his Magnum, a pocket full of rounds for the revolver, an empty canteen on his left hip, some small bandages and binoculars in his fanny pack and several pistol clips. Dano knew the bullets in the clips were useless to him, but he could use the powder inside to light a fire or something of that nature.

Once Dano had the knowledge of every tool on him he began to look into his surroundings a bit more. He forced himself to look hard and listen carefully, and after a few moments he could make out the sound of moving water through the calm of the night. Knowing he needed the liquid to live the survivor decided that his first course of action would be to find the source of the sound.

Without waiting any longer Dano moved into the night toward the noise of flowing water. Occasionally he had to halt in order to point himself in the right direction, but he made good time. Soon the survivor pushed through the sparse brush into a clearing dominated by a large river. Now out in the open Dano could see the moon, and he was slightly astonished at the size of the celestial object. It was much larger and brighter than the survivor remembered. Dano pushed the questions that arose away quickly, and moved towards the river.

Dano took a knee next to the black water that flowed by while pulling out his canteen. Hoping that the movement of the water kept algae and other debris out of the liquid the survivor dipped the plastic container into the river. The water began to flow into the small opening of the canteen, and filled quickly. Just before the container was full Dano heard the staccato snap of a stick echo in the night behind him. The survivor turned his head to try and find the origin of the noise, but as soon as his eyes reached the forest behind him a shadow leapt from the woods.

Dano reacted with pure instinct as he dove to the side releasing his canteen simultaneously. The dive was anything but pretty, and the survivor found himself on his side scrambling to rise and fight. Once standing Dano’s eyes fell on his attacker while it turned to its prey. The shadow gained features as it stood in the moonlight, and a very big-cat like growl emanated from its maw.

At first Dano recognized a lion from the brown coat and large red mane the beast was sporting, but once his eyes fell on the large, red bat like wings and red scorpion tail the survivor realized he wasn’t fighting a normal lion. The beast did not care for Dano’s slight confusion, and advanced like any large cat would on its next meal. Dano began to take small steps backwards as his foe moved forwards.

The big-cat and the survivor continued to move backwards away from the river, with the predator making short gains on its prey for a few seconds before Dano came to a sudden halt. He realized with a bit of shock that he had backed into a tree. The beast also realized that his quarry was now trapped, and with reckless abandon leapt into the air with a massive claw raised to eviscerate its latest victim. Dano reacted once again on pure instinct as his hand flew to his Magnum. The survivor managed to get the revolver out and pointed at the beast just as it cleared the small distance between them.

A single shot echoed through the night as Dano’s Magnum spewed a single round from its barrel. The bullet flew the short distance between the weapon and the beast to slam into the big-cat. Despite being a large round the impact did not force the animal to shift directions, but it did release a pained roar as it collided with Dano. The two combatants slammed into the tree behind them before crumpling into a heap.  

Dano fought desperately to get out from under the big-cat to get back on his feet, and after a few moments of struggling he succeeded in this endeavor. While gasping for breath and riding the high brought on by adrenalin the survivor pointed his revolver at his foe, but the animal lay still. For a few seconds Dano kept his weapon trained on the beast just in case. It didn’t move the entire time.

Satisfied that he was safe once again Dano holstered his weapon only to notice a faint green glow emanating from downstream. The sight was accompanied by the sounds of voices in the distance, and it forced the survivor to move even deeper into the forest behind him for cover. As Dano peaked around one of the large trees the glow grew in intensity until it could be made out in the dark. To the survivors astonishment the glow emanated from a horn attached to what appeared to be a small horse or pony that stood a good four foot tall at the shoulder.

With the moon’s rays and the flare’s glow working in concert Dano could make out that the horn’s owner had a light grey coat, a short, bright blonde tail and dark yellow eyes. Over the equines natural fur it wore a yellow cloak that was tied together over its chest and supported a hood around its neck. Over that was a set of dark grey overlapping armor plates that wrapped around its flanks in the back and ended in stylized curves in the front. Over the equines hooves was dark grey metal boots that looked like a Fleur de Lis in the front and tapered around his lower leg. To complete the pony’s ensemble a helmet with large cheek guards, a visor and a crest that appeared to be made of its own hair covered its head. The head gear was held in place with brown straps around its snout and one under its chin, and holes were cut for the equines ears and horn.

The single grey pony was not alone, but accompanied by two others. These other equines sported deep grey coats, long tails that were striped navy blue and purple and yellow, cat like eyes. Like their comrade the two extras wore what looked like armor over their coats, but theirs, while also consisting of overlapping metal strips and a stylized front, was a deep purple and pointed at the end of the strips. What looked like purple bat wings stuck out of holes in the armor and rested on the equine’s back. Purple metal boots that matched the grey pony’s in shape covered the two extra’s hooves. Attached to each side of the equine’s front boots appeared to be a blade that could fold out, and the four short weapons were arched like talons. Like their comrade the two others wore helmets held on by three straps, but they lacked the cheek guards and visor. Instead they helmet attached to a metal skirt that went partially down the pony’s neck and came to a point over its snout. A crest that looked like the equine’s “wings” ran down the helmet to a messy mane that matched their tails.

The three ponies wandered down the river bank with ever shifting eyes. The two with “wings” seemed to be faring better in the dark then their comrade, and it wasn’t long before they found the body of the beast Dano had killed. The three armored equines moved away from the water and looked down at the dead animal with a bit of shock present on their faces. Little did they know that the survivor was no more than four feet from them with a hand on his Magnum.

Dano watched as the grey pony pushed the dead beast with one of its armored hooves, and then whistled loudly.

“Whatever that sound was it killed this Manticore real quick.”

Dano quickly pegged the grey guard as a male by his deep voice.

“I don’t even see any signs of combat” continued the pony, “and I don’t want to know who could have done this magic.”

One of the guards in purple elbowed the one in grey.

“No time for gawking, we need to secure the area.”

The raspy voice of the one pony in purple also carried a deep tone, and Dano guessed he was also male.

The three ponies fanned out a bit before heading into the forest. Dano stifled his own breathing, dropped to a knee and pressed himself against the tree he was using as cover to try and shrink his silhouette. He knew that no matter how much he tried he was still visible if those ponies passed his tree, and his hand gripped his Magnum tightly in preparation for the coming fight. The survivor did not know who his enemy was in this realm, and for all he knew the three equines were there to capture or kill him.

Using his sense of hearing the survivor listened to the ever approaching ponies, but just as one of the leading purple clad equines poked his nose around the tree Dano was behind the sound of another pony approaching quickly washed over the clearing. The encroaching equines turned to see the intruder before dashing off towards the river. Dano let out a soft sigh when the danger of being heard disappeared, and leaned out from behind his tree once again to observe the three ponies he had been hiding from kneeling before another.

The new pony looked much more like a horse, and towered over those who bowed at its feet. Its dark sapphire blue coat blended in with the night behind it, and its long moderate cobalt blue mane and tail was dotted with white star like spots. The long hair moved on its own as if a strong breeze flowed through the quiet forest. The equine sported a long horn as well as wings, which bore a striking resemblance to the Celestia Dano had seen in his “dream”. The horse also wore cyan metal boots like the ones at its feet, a small black tiara and a large, black cloth necklace adorned with a waxing crescent moon. The same moon appeared on the horse’s flank, but was surrounded by a black, amorphous blob.

“Princess Luna! What brings you this far from Sanctuary?” The horned pony asked without rising.

Dano blinked as he observed the true form of Luna. Confusion made a home in the survivor’s mind as he struggled with his next move. He could believe the Celestia in his “dream” and trust this Luna. Or this Luna’s appearance was a trap, and she had allied with her avatar. Both scenarios seemed feasible to Dano, and he remained still as he debated with himself.

“Do you not feel that Guardsmen?”

Luna’s voice was soft and cool like the night she embodied.

“W-what?” The pony in question seemed shocked by the question.

“Be silent, and open your senses.”

The three ponies seemed confused from Luna’s curtness, but she did not notice. Her moderate cyan eyes scanned the forest for whatever she was referencing.

“Do you not feel that void in the world? An unnatural hole?”

Even more confusion made its way onto the three pony’s faces, but Dano knew what Luna was talking about. Humans naturally produced chaotic magic from their mere presence. Luna was sensing the survivor, and with a sigh he realized he could no longer hide.

Dano rose from his cover and walked slowly into the clearing. The sound of his footsteps were enough to draw the attention of the four equines by the river, and when all eight eyes fell on the human emerging from the woods a wall of tension formed. The three armored ponies quickly turned, stood shoulder to shoulder and formed a wall of flesh between Dano and Luna. Feeling he had come far enough the survivor stopped a few paces out of the forest to leave a good seven yard gap between the two parties.

“Who goes there?!” One of the purple clad ponies challenged.

Dano ignored the three equines blocking Luna, and instead stared at the horse with a neutral expression. Luna returned the gaze with her own flat features.

“I said who goes there?!” The same pony challenged.

“Stand down Guardsmen.”

Luna’s order seemed to confuse the armored ponies, but they followed the order none the less and moved out of their athletic stances.

“You know who I am then?”

Dano kept his voice calm.

“You are Daniel, yes?”

Dano nodded.

“Then you must come with me. You three,” Luna’s gaze fell to the three in front of her “as you were.”

The three armored equines managed a slow, confused salute as Luna turned and began to move back the way she came. Dano moved to follow, but was blocked by the three ponies.

“I don’t know who you are, but I better not catch you around here again human.” The horned equine said with an emphasis on “human”. His words were joined by spit sent by one of the ponies in purple on his boot.

Dano chose to ignore the threat as he pushed passed the equines to join Luna downstream, and he found her waiting several dozen yards away from the group of armored ponies. As the survivor approached Luna hesitated so the two beings could meet before she matching Dano’s speed. The equine lead Dano through the dark by the river.

“I would apologize for my soldier’s crude behavior, but they have only seen the worst of your race.”

Dano grunted in response.

“They have yet to see the worst of my race.”

Luna gave Dano a somewhat worried look.

“I do not know what happened to your home, but know that whatever happened there has happened here.”

Dano grunted again.

“It doesn’t matter. Everyone is gone.”

Luna’s look only became even more worried, but she did not press.

“I am taking you back to the largest bastion we have. A place called Sanctuary. There you will meet with the heads of our military so you can begin your assistance.”

Dano nodded.

“Should I expect resistance from your commanders?”

Luna’s expression hardened.

“Without a doubt.”

Dano sighed. He was going to have to fight not only his enemy, but his allies as well.

The two beings moved through the night without another word spoken. They follow the river for a while before breaking off the water way to move through the dense pine forest. Dano had no idea where he was being led, but Luna seemed to know where they were going. Before long the equine and the survivor found themselves skirting the side of a mountain. Dano gawked at the sheer size of the formation as well as its steep incline. Luna pressed on none the less, and the two rounded the mountain to find a small red glow emanating from ahead.

The glow grew in intensity until Luna and Dano finally caught sight of its source. A lonely torch sat in a brazier attached to the side of the mountain. Below the small flame stood a single pony wielding a six foot long spear that was planted into the ground. The pony had a bright white coat, a short blonde tail and brilliant blue eyes. Over its coat he wore a chainmail cloak under gold segmented armor which had holes to allow a pair of white wings out from under the armor. A solid neck piece attached to the body armor and extended halfway up the equines throat. On its head rested a helmet with large cheek guards and a facemask that had been lifted to improve visibility. Atop the helm was a horizontal crest made of the pony’s mane, and its feet were covered by gold metal boots that matched both Luna’s and the other guards Dano had seen.

Luna moved past the guard without noticing the pony, and the small equine snapped to attention and saluted as its superior moved past. Dano followed Luna past the guard, and found a large cave entrance with another brazier and similar guard on the opposite side of the portal. Luna moved into the well-lit cave, and Dano followed without question.

The cave was massive. Standing a good ten feet at the height of the arch and a good twenty wide the formation appeared to be anything but natural. All along the walls were braziers placed to provide light, and upon a closer inspection the walls were covered in scratch marks. Dano guessed that this used to be a den for some sort of animal, but he kept his questions to himself as he moved even deeper into the mountain.

Luna led Dano farther and farther away from the entrance. Down smaller random corridors and past rooms filled with other ponies or animals the survivor could not name. Some of the small equines Dano walked past flinched at the sight of a human. Others gave him angry looks. Either way the survivor got the feeling that he wasn’t welcome. He did however pick up that females of the race seemed to only stand at three feet tall on average as well as have smaller snouts and more curvy bodies.

Luna ignored the stares that were directed Dano’s way, and after a few minutes of moving she passed through an arch covered by a simple blanket. Dano followed and found himself in a small room dominated by a large round table in the middle covered in maps and other cartography. Braziers that held no torch or other normal source of light were scattered around the room, and several small chairs and benches sat in the place they were last left. Standing around the table was three ponies each wearing the same uniform, but all drastically different.  

Luna advanced on the table while the three small equines bowed deeply. She ignored the salutes to her position and turned to Dano.

“These three are the leaders of our remaining military.”

Luna motioned with a hoof to a large grey stallion wearing what appeared to be a solid silver breastplate that covered his front half and silver metal boots. His short black mane and tail were groomed to perfection, and his silver eyes demanded respect from any who looked into them. He had a tattoo of two silver horseshoes locked together on each of his flanks, and he stood in what Dano could call an at ease stance.

“That is General Charger, the commander of all Earth Pony forces.”

Luna’s hoof moved to the next pony in line. From Dano’s observations she was a mare, and she wore the same silver breastplate and boots as her comrades save for the holes cut in it to provide access for her wings. She was dark blue with a long and free flowing sky blue mane and tail. Hey eyes matched her hair, and they took in Dano with a competitive feel. Her tattoo was of a single wing crossed with a spear, and she constantly flexed her wings as if they ached.

“That is General Sky Lance, the commander of all Pegasus forces.”

Luna’s hoof fell on the last in the row, and Dano saw a light brown stallion with a horn of matching color. His silver breastplate was decorated with a medal hanging around his neck that consisted of a thick blue band with two golden, crossed swords hanging from the suspension piece. His sliver boots also carried a small black gem in the top-middle section of the Fleur de Lis. This equines mane and tail was white whit hints of grey, and his green eyes coupled with the appearance of wrinkles on his face screamed old age. His tattoo was a single downward sword flanked by two gold five pointed stars.

“And this is General Monty Blade, the supreme commander of our remaining forces and the commander of all Unicorn forces.”

Luna returned her hoof to the floor before turning to the three commanders.

“Generals. This is Daniel.”

Dano made eye contact with the three ponies, and they returned the gaze with a stares ranging from contempt to outright rage.

“What is a human doing here?” Monty Blade spat in an accent that sounded English. “I thought we were fighting those abominations.”

Dano’s features remained neutral and his voice calm as he responded.

“I have been brought here by Celestia to fix your problem.”

Monty’s almost disgusted expression didn’t change.

“I doubt someone as regal as Princess Celestia would pick such a barbaric animal as you to do anything.”

Dano felt some anger start to boil inside of him, but he kept it in check.

“I wasn’t asked to be here.”

Sky Lance and Charger gave each other a nervous look.

“I think Monty is right,” Sky Lance interjected with a somewhat aggressive tone “the last time I checked humans were something we didn’t trust.”

The other two generals nodded.

“And if Princess Celestia went to get you where is she now?”

Charger’s deep voice didn’t surprise Dano in the slightest.

“I can vouch for him.”

Luna kept a calm expression as she tried to push her commanders to accept Dano.

“Even so Princess, his story has too many holes to trust him.”

Dano was about to launch his rebuttal to Monty’s comment, but as he opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted from inside his own head.

“Daniel. Brace yourself.”

Dano barely acknowledged the words before a pain spiked from the back of his head. Unable to contain the sheer burning sensation the survivor doubled over as he grit his teeth and slammed his eyes closed. The four equines in the room all took defensive steps back as Dano withered on the stone floor, and none made any attempt to help the human. The pain spread through the survivor until his entire body burned. When he felt he couldn’t take it anymore the pain subsided, but Dano felt like something was very wrong. His feeling was validated when he rose without moving any of his muscles, and he opened his eyes to see that he wasn’t in control of himself.

“Generals” Dano said without his own input “I beseech thee to listen to Daniel.”

Dano watched as the four equines in the room stared at him with looks of shock.

“S-sister? Is that you?”

Luna’s voice almost sounded sad.

“Yes Luna.”

Dano watched the gears turn in Luna’s head.

“Why aren’t you here?”

Luna seemed to be devolving into an emotional mess.

“For Daniel to come to our world he needed enough magical energy to get here. I gave him as much as he needed, but it was too much for me. I have taken refuge in Daniel’s body until I can recuperate.”

Luna’s jaw moved as she tried to process what was happening.

“When will you be able to come out?”

Dano felt sorrow permeate from Celestia’s conscience, and he couldn’t help but feel the same.

“I do not know Lulu, but I need you to be strong. Daniel will save our world if you let him.”

Dano knew the last sentence was more for the other three ponies in the room, and he watched as they slowly came to terms with what they were being told.

“I must go now Luna. Please be careful.”

With that Dano felt his muscles return to his control, and he collapsed as the toll of the possession overwhelmed him. After a few moments the survivor felt his ebbing strength return, and he rose back to his feet to see four equines still processing what they had seen.

“What happened?” Dano asked as he sucked in a deep breath.

“Y-your hair changed, and you had magical wings.” Sky Lane managed to get out thorough her own confusion.

“I looked like Celestia?”

Dano had experience with these types of transformations, but he had never grown wings before.

“Yes” Monty said as he regained his regular attitude.

“I suppose this is the proof we need.” Argued Sky Lance in a slightly less confident tone.

“I agree.”

The sound of both Charger and Sky Lance backing Dano forced Monty’s hand.

“Very well. We will use you as an advisor and nothing more. You will not hold rank or any command whatsoever. Is that clear?”

Dano nodded.

“Good.”

Monty moved closer to the table.

“We will have to arm and armor you.”

To Dano’s surprise quills and paper began to float around the room. The survivor noticed they had a feint grey glow around them, and that Monty’s horn was also glowing the same color. Each quill worked on a single piece of paper before the pieces of parchment were rolled up together and sent through a tube in the wall.

“While they process those requisitions we may have a mission for you.”

Dano nodded as Monty’s attention shifted back to him.

“What needs to get done?”

A small smile spread over Monty’s features.

“Straight to the point. I like that.”

Dano kept his expression neutral, and Monty let out an awkward cough at the returning gaze.

“We have a crucial weapon in our fight against Nightmare Moon and her monsters. However, this weapon has been put out of commission due to a missing piece.”

Monty turned to a second brass tube next to the one he had just sent the papers up.

“Please send in the Elements of Harmony.”

Dano couldn’t make out the response, but he didn’t care much. If a weapon needed to be built he would help. The faster he was done here the faster he could go home.

The wait for the Elements of Harmony was thankfully a short one. An oppressive awkwardness had settled over the room. The three generals did not know how to react to a human with the soul of their princess in him, and Luna had remained quiet since Celestia’s appearance. When the Elements did arrive they drew the attention of everyone in the room as they pushed their way through the cloth door.

The first to come through was a unicorn mare with a lavender coat, long moderate sapphire blue mane and tail with a purple and pink streak and violet eyes. Her tattoo was a pink six pointed star being orbited by six small white six pointed stars. Following her came another unicorn mare. Her white coat and indigo mane and tail were well kept and stylized, and she walked with an air of respect. Her azure eyes were half lidded as pointed her nose upward, and her tattoo of three diamonds screamed pompous to Dano.

The next to enter was an orange mare wearing a Stetson hat over her long blond mane. Both her mane and tail were held together at the end with a red strap, and, compared to the pony that entered before her, was rather dirty. Three red apples made up her tattoo, and her green eyes were filled with an honesty that Dano could have sworn he had seen before. After her was a pegasus mare with a short rainbow mane and long rainbow tail made up of equal parts red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. She didn’t walk into the room, but instead hovered with her wings as she rubbed sleep from her light magenta eyes. Her light cyan coat and feathers were broken up with a tattoo of a cloud shooting a red, yellow and blue lightning bolt.

The last to enter was a canary yellow pegasus mare that slinked into the room. Her moderate cyan eyes shifted around the area to try and find any sort of threat. Her long pink hair and tail dragged on the ground a bit, and when she caught sight of Dano she leapt behind the orange mare after making a squeaking noise. This must have been normal seeing as everyone in the room didn’t seem to notice. Dano didn’t get a good look at the mare’s tattoo that appeared to be present on every one of the equine’s flanks, but he was too busy wondering why her eyes seemed so familiar.

“You called for us Generals?” The lavender mare said in a tone Dano could only call “willing to please”.

“Yes.” Monty responded without looking up from the maps he had been occupying himself with. “This human here is going to help you find Pinkie Pie.”

Dano snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Pinkie’s name.

“Who am I looking for?”

Monty looked up from his maps with a curious look on his face.

“Pinkie Pie.”

Dano shook his head.

“That can’t be right. Pinkie Pie is dead.”

Every equine in the room locked their eyes onto Dano.

“What y’all mean she’s dead?” The orange mare said with a bit of anger in her tone. “Twilight here said she could find her with magic!”

Dano blinked in confusion.

“T-Twilight?”

The equines in the room shot each other worried looks.

“Have you met them before Daniel?” Sky Lance said with a bit of confusion in her voice.

“Pinkie Pie?”

Dano receded into his mind as confusion mixed with grief. He was hearing names of people lost forever, and these ponies were talking as if they were still alive.

“D-Daniel? Are you okay?”

Dano looked up to see the yellow mare stepping out from behind the orange one, and when he caught a glimpse of her tattoo he could not tear his eyes away. It consisted of three butterflies with blue thoraxes and pink wings. Dano froze on the spot as he looked at the same exact symbol Fluttershy wore around her neck. With a sudden realization the survivor grasped the fact that he was looking at pony versions of his best friends and lover.

“This can be...”

Dano began to take defensive steps backwards as several emotions fought for dominance in his head.

“This can’t be…”

The equines in the room began to show worry for Dano, but they were too late.

“THIS CANT BE!” Dano screamed as his mind broke from the stress.

“You are all dead! I saw you die!”

Dano began to point at the five confused and scared mares that had just entered the room.

“You are human and you are dead!”

Dano felt something on his shoulder, and he turned quickly to knock what appeared to be Luna’s hoof off of him.

“Daniel you need to calm down.”

Luna’s soothing voice was barely heard over the thoughts in Dano’s head, and he continued to back away from the equines in the room.

Eventually Dano couldn’t take it anymore, and his mind finally slipped into a primal state. His instincts told him to run, and so he did. Without much regard for anyone around him Dano turned and sprinted out of the room. The world became small and tunneled as adrenalin pushed its way through Dano’s blood stream, and he ran down corridor after corridor without putting any thought into the direction he was running. Somehow the survivor found the main entrance, and with every ounce of epinephrine charged strength he had Dano sprinted out of the underground base. The two surprised guards at the entrance didn’t give chase as the survivor powered into the dark forest.

For what felt like days Dano ran. He weaved through trees and leapt over obstacles with an ease reserved for a state of pure instinct. Eventually the adrenalin in the survivor’s veins drained out of him, and was replaced by massive amounts of grief and anguish. Unable to run any more Dano collapsed to his knees as tears began to flow. He was confused beyond belief. The people he was closest to and loved with all his being had appeared before him as animals. Dano let the tears flow, and his wails echoed through the night.

As the survivor vented a rage formed in his core. His brain came to the conclusion that he was dreaming. That Discord was screwing with him. Charged with anger Dano rose to his feet and began to look around through teary eyes.

“WHERE ARE YOU DISCORD!?”

Dano’s words boomed in the quiet forest.

“COME OUT AND FIGHT ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

Dano continued to rage as he scanned for his foe.

“Daniel. Calm yourself.”

Dano swiveled as he seethed with anger.

“Who said that?!”

“You must calm down Daniel.”

Dano continued to frantically search for whoever was talking, and his eyes eventually fell on a transparent Celestia that was walking out of the woods with a face of pure concern.

“You… you aren’t real!”

Dano pulled his Magnum out of its holster.

“This is a dream!”

Celestia stopped moving at the presence of the weapon that was shaking in Dano’s hand.

“Daniel. This is not a dream. You need to calm down.”

Dano kept the weapon pointed at the transparent equine as she spoke without moving her mouth.

“Then why are my friends here?”

Celestia’s face remained concerned as she maintained eye contact with the distraught Dano.

“They are not your friends Daniel. Your friends died three years ago. You must understand that the magic of harmony is complicated and uncontrollable.”

Dano let his revolver drop a bit.

“Are you saying that you have no idea how this happened?”

Celestia’s eyes dropped for a second before returning to Dano’s.

“No. I do know what happened, but you must understand that both my own and my sister’s intentions were not to cause you pain.”

Dano continued to stare at Celestia.

“When a child was born in your Ponyville the residual magic of harmony that seeped into the fetus would replace the child’s real personality and appearance with a pre-set one that mimicked a filly born in my world.”

Dano blinked as he tried to comprehend what he was being told.

“So Fluttershy was never really her?”

Celestia nodded.

“She was a copy. The real Fluttershy was born a pony.”

Dano felt his energy sap as he came to terms with what he was hearing.

“She never existed…”

Dano fell to his knees as he felt his heart fall into his stomach.

“She was never real…”

Once again tears began to form in Dano’s eyes, but he was too tired to stay up. With a soft thud the survivor fell onto his side to sob quietly into the night alone and cold. Unknowing to Dano Celestia simply faded into the wind as sleep came slowly to the distraught survivor. With a finial sob Dano slipped into a dreamless slumber where he escaped his woes under an indifferent moon.

*gives Author a dirty look*

what?

you took forever to get this chapter out!

*sigh* i know, but in my defense the summer time distracted me.

its true. Author is easily distracted when it comes to this stuff

not helping

darling i must ask you to stop talking to yourself. it is quite strange

i have been telling him that for years!

*whimpers*

im so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry this took so long.

the summer allowed me to do a bunch of stuff so i didnt get bored enough to turn on my muse.

please be gentle in your punishment.

also please comment and rate.

that is all

kthanxbai