I awoke with a slight headache, but overall felt much better and clearer of mind. I knew that I couldn’t have have saved another reality’s Changelings, still made me feel like crap though.

I sighed and got out of bed, get dressed and strolled out into the halls, making sure to avoid any trace of natural light, occasionally coming across a Changeling letting out a hungover groan. Eventually I got to the throne room and pushed my way inside, seeing Wisp slouched on her throne wearing my sunglasses. Honestly, it was kind of adorable.

I raised an eyebrow, “Enjoying them?”

She groaned, “They’re making life bearable.” She squinted, “How the fuck aren’t you hungover?”

I laughed, “I am! But I am what you call, a lucky fucker! My hangovers consist of a slight headache...so long as I don’t see natural sunlight, if that happens my eyeballs decide to fucking explode.”

She threw a cushion at me, “You lucky bastard!”

“And yet, I’m still jealous of those bastards that don’t get hungover whatsoever.”

“Yeah, fuck those guys.” She laughed.

“Alright, Wisp, I’m assuming you have your duties, so I’ll leave you be, see you at the party tonight.”

“Don’t get fondled too much!” She shouted as I left.

“Don’t choke on dragon dick!” I shot back.

“Not again, I won’t!” She shouted as the door shut. Wait, what?

I headed back to the dining area and grabbed some cereal. As I finished up the bowl, lifting the bowl to my face and slurping down the milk because I’m not a fucking Neanderthal, I let out a content sigh. I was ready to just relax and have a lazy day. So, of course, there was flash above my head and a small Jolly Roger flag fell down in front of me.

“If you need use of a magnificent pirate captain to come fight by the side of freedom in all forms, if you have some ships in need of boarding or have rum that needs drinking, then call upon me and you’ll have the magnificent Captain Ebony Sabre by your side, for the thrill of the fight and to plunger riches to our heart’s content!”

I hesitated. The last time I’d called on a Displaced, I’d had a fight on my hands. But...I couldn’t decline a chance to talk to another human, I simply had to be on guard until I knew if they could be trusted or not. Actually was a pirate captain the best choice to summon? Or maybe I should stop summoning every Displaced I come across?

I shrugged, “Ah, fuck it.” I threw the flag onto the ground and covered my eyes as the Token exploded into light.

When the light faded a tall, black unicorn was stood before me. She stood as tall as me and clothed in a white shirt, a leather coat, a red bandana wrapped around her head, a few strands of dark purple hair spilling out, her horn just poking through the cloth and a pair of black pants with a short, dark purple tail jutting out, four flintlock pistols hanging from her chest and a sheathed cutlass hanging from a belt.

She shook her head. “Whoa, I’ll never get used to that.” She muttered before looking at me and grinning, “Well, this is new, a human that looks...well, human!”

“The name’s Blood.” It was then I noticed that she looked exactly like how I’d been told Luna had looked when she tried to take over Equestria, just minus the armour and in its place the pirate garb. “Wait...you’re Nightmare Moon.”

She shrugged, “That’s what those idiots called me, but I’m Ebony Sabre, greatest pirate captain to sail the seas!”

I laughed, grabbing a bottle from the nearby bar, “And what’s a pirate without rum?” Hey, it was never to early to be merry with a drink! You know, in moderation.

“Too true!” She snatched the bottle out of my hand and took a swig. “So what’s your story? How’d a human land themselves in Equestria?”

I shrugged, “Not much, just got struck by lightning at a costume party.”

She choked on the rum, “You fucking got struck by lightning?! That shit hurts me with magic running through me, how the fuck did you survive?!”

I shrugged again, “I didn’t, I think. It wasn’t a fun experience. The next thing I knew I was dressed in my normal clothes and not long after, I was being escorted to Celestia in her Everfree castle.” I frowned at the memory, “One thing led to another and I punched her across the face and was a fugitive since that day on. I went on the run for four years and only just woke up from a seven hundred and fifty year stone imprisonment.”

She whistled, “And I thought I had it rough.”

“What happened to you?”

She shrugged, “Went to bed and saw a shooting star, which was odd considering the light pollution, made a half arsed wish for my life to be more exciting and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning like this and was arrested by some guards and got punched in the face. Found myself being shipped to Celestia when pirates attacked and I joined their crew. Eventually got my own brig and I’ve been pillaging ever since.”

I grinned, “Heh. Sounds like a hell of a tale.”

“So, why’d you call me here? You have a fight coming?”

I shook my head, “Nah, I just wanted to talk to some humans, former or otherwise. Maybe have a drink or two.”

She let out a laugh, “I’m down for that!” She looked around, “So. Changelings, huh?” She said, looking them over, while filling a nearby glass with rum.

I frowned, reaching for Roxy, remembering the last Displaced I’d dealt with, “That going to be a problem?”

She snorted and downed her glass, “Nah! I had a couple of Changelings in my crew from time to time, hell, I might still have some that’re hiding. I got no problems with them.” She showed no effect from downing a drinking glass full of rum.

I dropped my hand and smiled, “Good. Because these people are mine. I am one of them, they have always accepted me as family and never judged me. So do right by them and you’ll do right by me.” I dropped my smile and got serious, “But if you hurt them then there is no force across the dimensions that will stop me from vengeance.”

She laughed, “You know, you’re really talkative when you get going, aren’t you?”

I shrugged and went to get my own bottle of rum and two shot glasses. When I got back I found that she had half the bottle drunk already and had a small crowd of Changelings drinking with her. I raised an eyebrow, “How exactly are you not falling over?”

She laughed, “Alicorn metabolism apparently. It takes four or five bottles before I get anything more than a buzz. It’s a pain, but an easy way to win money at a bar!”

I snorted and poured myself a shot. “You the sort who likes the quiet, or do you have to be talking all the time to enjoy company?”

“I enjoy chatting as much as the next guy, but it’s good to enjoy the quiet, you know?” She sighed. “It’s like some people aren’t satisfied unless they’re telling their life story to some random stranger.”

“Like we were doing before?” I smirked as I downed a shot.

Ebony snorted and raised her bottle, “To hypocrites like us! To the world gone mad! And to madmen like us that try to just fucking survive day to day! And most importantly...to the loot and booze!”

There was a cheer from the room and we all drank. After a few drinks I noticed that her jacket didn’t exactly leave any room for wings. “How’d you fit your wings under there? Some spell?”

She winced, “Not...exactly.”

I paused, “What do you mean?”

She hesitated before taking off her jacket and shirt and turning around. My blood ran cold when I saw the two nubs where her wings should have been.

“We couldn’t go around with me looking like an Alicorn, someone would have sent word to Celestia, so they gave me a choice. My wings or my horn. Magic was more useful than flying in my situation.” She pulled her clothes back on, “I just wish they’d had some anesthesia.”

“You...you had your wings cut off,” I stammered, “While you were awake…?”

She shrugged, “After they got the first one off I fell unconscious, but...it was the months afterwards that were painful.”

I raised my glass, “You’re a fucking badass. A toast to your fallen wings!”

“A TOAST!” The room of repeated, the Changelings all raising their glasses in respect.

Ebony chuckled, “You sure know how to make a gal feel welcome!” She raised her glass, “And a toast to you welcoming bunch! Never before has a pirate captain felt more welcome than right now! Other than when among her own, but that’s besides the point! A toast to your hospitality!”

The room cheered and glasses clinked together. “Ebony, my friend, I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.” I chuckled.

She laughed and downed her glass, “So long as you’re a respectable type without being a complete snob we’ll be fine!”

“Not so sure about ‘respectable’, but I’m no douchebag.” I scoffed, taking my drink easy, I was in no mood to even get buzzed, but enjoying the taste of a drink was different.

She burst out laughing, “Man, fuck douchebags! I’ve had way to many give me shit for liking pussy!”

“Screw anyone who gives anyone shot for being gay!” I spat. I’d seen shit like that too many times.

“I’m not gay.” She said. “Well...I am. But not really? Back on Earth I was a guy, so...I’m still straight...kinda? I don’t know how this works.” She sighed.

“Shit sounds complicated. But...you’re you in the end, yeah? So just be yourself and fuck people who try and judge you.” I shrugged.

“You don’t let this shit phase you, do you?”

I shrugged, “When you’ve had to cut your way out of a Hydra’s gut you realise that most problems are kinda petty.”

She just stared at me. “Excuse me, what the fuck? Don’t Hydras have really bad acid in their stomachs? Like, enough to dissolve a Manticore in a few minutes?”

I grinned, “Yeah, they do.” I lifted my shirt and showed her the burn across the bottom right of my body. “Bastard burned through a full set of Minotaur crafted armour and my favourite shirt. Afterwards those Minotaurs rewarded me with metal plates sewn into my jacket, pretty much impenetrable.” Barring a few threads I should really sew up, if they get cut then all the metal plates would end up just slipping out.

“Shit. That’s fucked, man. Stomach acid is no fucking joke. Me last quartermaster was dunked in a pool of the stuff by some pirate hunters. She took off her hat, “I’ll never forget those screams.”

I winced at the memories that came back, particularly of the time I threw a stallion, whose only crime was trying to defend his town from me, into a pit that had venomous snakes at the bottom. I was a terror. I deserved worse than what I got. “Yeah...let’s move on to happier topics, okay?”

“Fair enough.” She shrugged, “So, you live here?”

I snorted, “Nah. I don’t live anywhere. I’m a traveler, seeing new sights, exploring new places, maybe even coming across some lost cities, that’s what I am. I’ll always have a home with the Changelings...but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to just settle down.” I smiled, “The world’s got too much to see.”

There was a sudden scream out in the hallway and I paused for a second before leaping to my feet and running for the door. “Wait for me!” Ebony yelled pulling a flintlock pistol from her chest by magic. We charged into the hallway and I froze.

It was the armoured fucker that had appeared after the battle in Endless, and at his feet was the corpses of several Changelings. I felt anger flooding through me as I ripped Roxy off my back with a loud snarl and charged with a wordless scream.

There was a gunshot as I went and sparks flew from his helmet. He turned his head and stared at me. “Yeah, fuck this.” Ebony muttered, running off. She was a coward, but I had a target to slaughter. I’d have words with her later.

I swung Roxy down at his head, but he had already moved and I caught his elbow in my face. As I staggered back I ducked beneath a punch and I followed up with throwing a punch to his helmet, but before I could connect his foot slammed into the side of my knee, sending me sprawling into the ground and sending Roxy flying out of my hands and back into the dining area. I watched as he slowly pulled out a black sword, still covered in Changeling blood, his eyes glowing a sinister red through his helmet.

As he lifted the sword I slipped out a dagger and stabbed at his knee, where there were gaps in the armour. Without so much as a glance in my direction he blocked my thrust before disarming me and throwing my dagger away.

I raised my arms up as he swung his sword at me. After a few seconds I blinked and looked down. Instead of slicing me apart he’d cut my jacket at the one weak point, the part I’d kept telling myself I’d fix, and the metal plates that were stitched inside slipped out and clattered to the ground.

I stared. He knew! There was no other explanation! There was no visible fraying or weakness on the jacket, there was no way to guess it was weak! He should have tried to slash at my head or body! Just who was this guy?!

As I was distracted he picked me up and threw me into the dining area and my back smacked against a table. As I slowly got to my feet he marched up to me. I threw a punch at him and he simply deflected me and pushed me behind him. I grinned as his back was turned to me and pulled out my remaining dagger and threw it at him.

He spun around and caught it a moment before it would have sunk into his neck. How?! He shouldn’t have heard it! He should have been hit by something I’d tried! He threw the dagger back towards me and I just managed to dodge it as it flew past me.

I took a step back before I realised what I was doing. I wasn’t intimidated for this fucker! “Fuck you, you cunt!” I roared, running towards him. I pulled out my sword and swung at him. He ducked beneath my sword and knocked the wind out of me with a punch.

As I struggled to breathe he ripped my sword away and threw it across the room. Damn it, he’d dodged every attack and disarmed me without any effort! Growling under my breath I tried to punch him and got a broken nose for my troubles. I used my anger to ignore most of the pain and went for a headbutt. Before I could connect he grabbed my head before kicking my knee out from under me and delivered blow after blow to my face.

After a good dozen punches he shoved me onto the ground and scoffed. I felt my blood pumping as he turned away from me. I looked up and found Roxy next to me. With a growl I picked her up and staggered unsteadily to my feet, my right eye starting to swell. “Who the fuck are you scoffing at?! I’ll kill you!” I bellowed, charging at him. I feigned a swing to his head and as he raised his blade to block I dropped Roxy lower to slice into his hip. Just as I was about to hit him he tilted and I stumbled passed him, I span and swung for the back of his head. He blocked with his sword, not even turning around. I swung a flurry of blows at his, but he again deflected them all. Without turning around.

“That...that’s not possible…” I whispered.

He responded by turning, kicking me in the stomach and smacking Roxy out of my hands.

It just wasn’t possible for him to just guess where I was going to strike! He knew! Somehow he knew!

“Who the fuck are you?!” I roared. He just raised his sword.

“Hey!” We both turned and saw Ebony stood there by a cannon, a smirk on her face. “Boom.” I noticed the lit fuse and dived out of the way just in time to see a cannonball crash into the armoured bastard’s chest and crush him against a wall. “Whoop! There you go!” Ebony blinked, “Is he still alive? Or should I go get a mop?”

“The hell...are you?!” The bastard snarled, finally speaking, as he pulled himself out of the wall, his armour only having a few scratches on it. “Nightmare Moon...is supposed to be...gone!” His voice was too deep to be natural, he was manipulating his voice, hiding what he sounded like.

“Newsflash!” She gave a shit eating grin, “Fuck you.” And she fired off a second cannon. So that’s where she was during the fight. She was smart.

I noticed my sword and a dagger were close by and used the opportunity to arm myself again. I waited for him to move. He just growled like an animal and pulled out a dagger before throwing it at a Changeling who only just managed to get out of the way in time.

Damn it. Unless I killed this bastard more Changelings were going to die. I couldn’t let that happen, even if it meant losing myself.

I took off my jacket and threw it away. “Fine.” I growled, throwing down my sword and drawing my dagger. “Then we’ll fight monster to monster.” I turned to Ebony, “Get Queen Wisp, she might be the only one who can snap me out of this.”

“What?” She looked confused.

“GO!” I roared, sinking the dagger into my shoulder before removing it and doing the same to the other shoulder.

“No! Stop!” The armoured figure yelled, sounding panicked. How did he know what I was doing?

I grinned as I threw the dagger to the ground, “Oh, so this scares you?” I laughed darkly as blood poured out of my wounds at an incredible rate, “Good.” I was overcome with blood. I felt myself slipping as the power overwhelmed me. I…

I was a god! And this lowly filth dared to try and harm me?! I was he whom brought devastation to the world! I was the source of death, the anger of all, the rightful ruler of all! And he dared to strike me?!

“You WORM!” I bellowed, my voice sounding as if I was speaking through water slightly, my voice was loud enough to be heard all the way to the deepest dungeons. “You dare fight A GOD?!”

I had once again ascended to my true form! I stood at a good ten feet tall, my body was made of impenetrable armour made of blood, protecting the useless sack of flesh within, and my head was covered by a spiked helmet with my glowing white eyes peering out. I laughed as my mouth ripped itself open leaving me with two rows of serrated teeth.

I threw him against the ceiling with a satisfying bang, as he fell I slammed my arms against him and he crashed into the wall with a enjoyable scream of agony as his armour buckled, digging into his arm.

“Is the pathetic maggot in pain?” I mocked, plucking him out of the wall with a hand and slamming him on the ground. “Not nearly enough!” I snarled. I stomped on him a few times before plucking him up and squeezing him. “Beg for mercy! SCREAM FOR ME, MORTAL!”

He screamed as I slowly crushed him in my hand. Yes! Louder! He sunk his sword into my wrist and I let him drop and kicked him across the room while he was still in the air. With a dark laugh I grabbed a table and threw it at him. He rolled to the side, only just avoiding the table as it shattered into splinters.

“Enough of this.” He spat. “You are still too weak. I will return when you are stronger.” He waved a hand and disappeared.

“COWARD! GET BACK HERE AND DIE! YOU CANNOT DEFY ME!” I roared. “WEAKLING! PATHETIC, COWARDLY, MORTAL FILTH!”

As I was roaring Ebony ran back into the room, leading Wisp with her, along with a few children trailing behind. Wisp just stared up at me in awe, “Sweet Hive of the Ancients.” She muttered.

Ebony just laughed, “Now that’s a party trick! You alright up there, Blood?”

How dare they speak to me as if I was an equal?! “BE SILENT, YOU WORM! YOU WILL BOW BEFORE YOUR GOD!”

They shared a look, basking in my brilliance. “Blood?” Wisp asked slowly. “What’s wrong?”

I glared down at them, “I AM YOUR LORD AND MASTER! I AM BEYOND A SIMPLE MAN! I AM THE GOD OF THE LIFE BLOOD!”

“Oh, boy.” Ebony muttered, “He did say you might be able to snap him out of it. I...don’t think that’s the Blood we know in there.”

“Really? I thought it might be Darth Vader! In a tutu!” Wisp snapped.

Ebony gave her a look, “See, it’s shit like that, that makes me think you’re human.”

Wisp ignored her and turned to me, “Blood...come back to us.” She begged.

“Ha! Back?! Why would I go back?! I am a god! You are nothing but-“

“Come back to your people! To your family.”

I...no, I was...no. My mind rebelled against me, I was guilty, but I couldn’t be, I was resentful of her, yet I felt like filth for upsetting her, I wanted to give up, but I was a god! “NO, NO, NO! SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!” I panted, “I...I’m a god! I don’t need…” She was crying. I…

One of the children ran up, “Come back, Mister Blood!” They were crying.

I...My insides hurt. No! I was perfect! They…they shouldn’t be able…

“Blood. Remember who you are. You are not this beast, you are our saviour.” Wisp said, “Don’t you dare forget that!”

My mind snapped back. I looked down at them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you cry.” I said as my blood was sucked back into my body.

I opened my eyes, well, eye, the right one was swollen shut. I was me again. “Blood?” I looked up and saw Wisp offering me a hoof. “Are you…?”

I grasped her hoof and hauled myself up, “Yeah, I’m me again. I’m sorry about that.”

“No. No, you did what you had to.” She hesitated. She wanted to ask.

I sighed, “Go ahead.”

“What was...with proclaiming yourself a god?”

I rubbed my shoulder. It should heal up, but I might as well get it looked at. “I can’t explain. When I’m...that, I lose myself. The first time it happened I was already saying that stuff. There’s a reason I don’t use it, he would have killed you if you hadn’t snapped me out of it.”

“The old texts mentioned a bloody monster within you...but I thought it was someone being poetic about your rage. I never imagined…”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “I’m a real monster.”

Author's Notes:

Ebony Sabre is one of my own work’s in progress. I simply decided to throw her in to see how well I could bounce her off Blood.

Her own story, A Pirated Nightmare, will be linked here as soon as I finish the first chapter.

...Which, knowing me, may be a while.