What.

No seriously. What the heck?

I just got in here and it’s empty. Drake is just sitting at a console mashing buttons.

“The hell? How’d you get here before me?” I inquired. “And where are all the gryphons?”

“I have items for each hero. I simply exchanged for speed boost items. Plus Poison Nova really clears a room” Drake said as he kept mashing buttons. “As for the griffons, I believe they cleared it out when we came crashing in like the Dukes for fucking Hazards to kill us” he explained. He looked over at me “Also I am mashing these buttons because of a lack of an instruction manual!”

“Oh.” I said. “Wait…. did you say it was already empty?” Please let me have misheard him……

Drake looked back over at me. “Yes…. why?”

Oh no…. Hopefully I’m wrong…..

I looked around the windows in the bridge. Sure enough, another blimp had a cannon pointed right at us.

“Crap.” I said. “GET DOWN!”

Drake looked over just as the cannon fired as he got sent flying into a console, groaning.

Now, I pretty much thought of this guy as my friend. And I remembered something when I remembered the show……

I protect my friends.

Although, I should have fixed what that means. ‘Cause just as the blimp started to fire the next volley of canons, I jumped in the path of it.

Let me just say this once: You don’t know pain until you’ve been hit by a cannon and lived.

What I saw next was black.

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I woke up in the treehouse.

“Ugh.” I groaned. “How long have I been out?”

“About two hours” a voice said. As I turned my head I saw purple smart sitting next to me in a chair. Odd thing was, only her and that dragon were in the treehouse with me. “You were carried in after the blimp crashed into the lake.”

“Where’s Drake?” I asked. “Did he make it out okay?”

She sighed “He did, but before I could get to healing his wounds, he ran back out to fight the Griffons and Diamond Dogs. I swear he is more stubborn than a minotaur sometimes.”

“Oh.” I said. “Well, I guess I should be doing the same.” I got up and proceeded to the door.

Outside, the battle raged on as more griffons dropped from the sky. Right outside the door, Drake was standing, arms crossed, as if waiting for something. Probably something bad.

“Yo, what’s up?” I questioned. “You okay man?”

Drake looked back at me. “I… kinda called out the leaders of the Griffon and Diamond Dogs to a duel and am probably going to die for a simple reason” he said with a nervous chuckle.

I swatted him upside the head and said, “You have got to be the biggest moron I’ve ever met. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?”

“Ending this skirmish early. The deal is simple. If they beat me I go with them, if I win they leave. Easiest way to end this without losing more lives” Drake said in a oddly serious tone.

“And if they take you up on that?” I questioned.

“Then I am fucked because I have no magic” Drake said as he shows his gauntlet. The gem in it was a dull grey.

“Okay then….” I said. “Don’t look now, but you’re fucked.”

“Fuck” Drake said softly “I thought they would not show up knowing my power…. fuck fuck fuck…. you got magic?” he asked me.

“I don’t know!” I said. I felt around myself for anything that could help. I found a vail on my bandolier. The vial had some kind of rainbow liquid.

Why does that seem so familiar…..

And the d20 is glowing again. I guess I should take it out and roll it…. again…..

13? Why is that number giving me a bad feeling?

Oh well.

“Would this work?” I asked as I handed the vial to Drake.

When Drake reached for the vial though, I could feel something…. strange. I could feel the cold fingers of his gauntlet touch my hand as I felt something get pulled out of me. When he let go, his gauntlet had a weird bright glow about it and with him gripping it as if in pain.

I decided to ignore it as I watched the two leaders arrive. The Griffon came flying down from a blimp. He was wearing what looked like armor that belonged on a Roman Centurion, what with the red plume on his helmet. The Diamond Dog leader came barreling at us in a weird cartoonish mound of dirt. When he got about a meter away from us he popped out of the ground. To say that he was large would have been an understatement.

“I call the Roman looking guy.” I whispered to Drake. “That’s if we have to fight….”

Drake just kept holding his gauntlet as he looked over at me “Hey… just a warning, but I think my gauntlet is overcharged and that’s not a good thing” he warned me.

“Okay, well…. fix it I guess.” I said.

“Its not that simple man. When my gauntlet is overcharged then I end up getting a feedback when I transform…. which is the only way to get rid of this charge. Just so you know, I won’t be in control. The hero will be” Drake explained as he made a fist out of his gauntlet. The colors all came out, but like a raging ocean as they collided, mixed, and rushed around him. Soon enough, the red took over as he yelled in what sounds like agony as I could see him grow, grow to a good six foot seven inches, his skin turning as red as blood and eyes a golden color. The problem was, that he also had some weird marks on his arms and were covered in muscles. His hands were gripped tight around a red scythe as his attire looked like that of a bandit. Before I could say anything, the new hero spoke “Axe! Reporting for duty!”

“Again, you’re not Ben Ten.” I said.

“Who is this Ben Ten you speak of? Axe will cut Ben down!” Axe yelled as he looked around before looking at the Dog and Griffon. He raised the axe as he pointed at the dog. “Axe reports that you will be Axe’s bitch!” he yelled.

“Ooookay…” I said. The way he was talking was kind of strange, but I just brushed it off and looked at the griffon. “I’ll be your opponent, griffon guy.”

“I demand respect!” the griffon said. “I came here to fight that….. thing,” he said as he pointed at Drake/Axe, “Not you. I will be paid proper respect, knave.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I said. “Can we just get this over with?”

“That’s it!” He shouted.

The griffon glared as he raised his sword and took off into the sky, ready to dive bomb at me, just from how his wings were spread and from that predatory look in his eyes.

I reached for my sword to defend myself… only to notice that it was gone…..

DAMN IT! I must have lost it when the cannons fired at me and Drake!

Well, at least I have a knife and a bow…. I’m so screwed.

I refocused myself just as the griffon brought himself down to strike me. I rolled out of the way and unsheathed my knife. I charged the griffon in an attempt to stab him. Unfortunately, the griffon raised his shield and blocked my knife as the sword spun in his talon before going to bring it down towards my neck. “Such a weak fighter, no respect for killing such a creature” he said with a scoff.

Dear god, what a prick. I blocked his attack with my knife, but the second I brought my knife off his shield he bashed me in the face with it, sending me back a few feet. How strong was this guy? Jeeze. I seriously wish I had my sword right now! Where the hell was it?

Know what…. Screw it. Desperate times call for desperate measures….. and memes…..

I resheathed my knife, giving the griffon enough time to say, “What? Giving up so easily, little bug.” before taking out my bow.

Ya know, he’s getting what he deserves. Prick. Also, Skyrim fans, avert your eyes to the next line.

I shot him in the knee, then shouted, “ADVENTURE NO MORE!”

Somewhere in the multiverse, you could hear a million people facepalming at once.

The griffon though groaned at the arrow stuck in the joint of its armor. He relied now on his wings to keep him moving to strike at its opponent, being me. Honestly this battle was getting a bit tedious, if only I could stop its wings. If only I had my sword. Then I could even out this battle!

“Where is my sword?!” I shouted at no one.

Well, I guess the old saying is right, ask and you shall receive. Why do I say that? Because just as I said that, it fell right into the skull of the griffon, killing him. Why am I so lucky today?.....

And now I feel like I just jinxed myself. Crap.

As I turned my head, I could see Drake/Axe caved in the skull of the Diamond Dog with his scythe as he laughed, “Axe reports, you have been Axed!” as he ripped his weapon out of its head.

Wow. What got into him?

He turned towards me and narrowed his eyes, as if sizing me up.

“Yo, buddy.” I said. “Calm down, fight’s over.”

…. He didn’t take it that well….

“Fight is not over according to Axe! Enemy still lives! Axe will turn them all into rugs!” he yelled as he hoisted his scythe over his head. He definitely seems different. Why is he so aggressive all of a sudden?

“Drake!” I yelled. “We won! You made a deal, remember? They’re going to leave!”

“Who is this Drake you speak of? I am Axe!” he yelled. From behind I felt something tap my shoulder. It was Twilight.

“Oh Celestia, is he suffering another Magic Feedback?” she asked worried.

“Magic what now?” I asked right before Drake/Axe slammed into me, sending me flying.

“You assist enemies! Axe will mount you as a trophy!” Drake/Axe yelled. Before he could charge again, a purple barrier popped up, separating us as Twilight ran up to me.

“If you read the research, it’s an effect that occurs with Drake when he either switches too often, or his gauntlet holds too much magic. It happened once before during a test run and he went around robbing food. It wore off in a few minutes, but this one seems more…. violent” she explained.

“Well, we both know he hasn’t been switching too much…..” I said. “But where’d he get enough magic to overload?”

….. Wait…. Oh no… I just remembered what that vial had in it.

Ya know how there are artifacts in D&D? Like, super prizes that have really special abilities? Well, that was one of them. Specifically, that was one that I gave to the players from the game of D&D that I played with my friends.

That was….. Dungeon Master essence…. Specifically the pure form….

What was it supposed to do? Basically make the person who drank it so powerful, that, normally, they would die after a few seconds.

….. It was also my champion’s blood….. but he’s immune to it…… just gets a healing factor…..

“I don’t know where it came from, but I do know he gets it from channeling magic into the gauntlet from others, like I am sure you saw or-” She gets interrupted as Drake/Axe’s scythe made cracks in the shield, yet Twilight simply made the shield stronger “Or by siphoning, a direct contact means of draining magic from something or somepony by his gauntlet” she finished and focused on the barrier.

Wait contact?...... oh hell…… his gauntlet touched my hand and the vial. Shit.

“I think it was me….” I said.

“Wait, what?” Twilight said, right before Drake/Axe broke through the barrier and body checked her.

“TWILIGHT!” I said. I glared at Drake/Axe. “She was innocent you prick!”

“Axe sees no innocents in battle! She helped a enemy’s ally and thus is a enemy. Now stand still so Axe may execute you! Axe will judge all by his blade!” Drake/Axe yelled as he jumps in the sky. His scythe glowing a sickening red as he yells out “Wheat before a scythe!” as it is aimed at my neck!

“GAH!” I screamed and jumped out of the way of the blow. “If that’s how you judge people, maybe we need to check your judgement!”

I swear, those last seven words sounded like a demon was talking…. Jeeze…

Anyways, I charged him with my sword and stabbed him in the chest, right before everything went black.

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The hell. This crap again?

Yep, there’s the little window thing. And in it is me stabbing Drake/Axe in the chest.

Wait…. he’s not moving either…. Why isn’t-

“Oh.” I said. “You’re here to.”

There he was, right before me. Floating in the abyss of black. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible restraints.

Why is all this familiar?......

OH YEAH! I remember! I remember doing this when one of the players took over the game of D&D I was playing that one time. It was meant to be some kind of finisher. I called it Judgement. It was meant to do damage, or other things, based upon the entity that was struck’s alignment.

“I guess I have to judge you.” I said. “But this is wrong…. You’re not you! Drake is a good person! You are just some chaotic moron!”

“Axe will chop your head off! Axe will end you with one swipe at your head!” he bellowed as he struggles against the invisible binds more. “Axe will gut you and turn you into a rug! Axe will kill you and dance on your grave you worthless maggot!” he just kept on yelling and yelling, insult after insult, never ending it seemed. Not to mention his struggling was getting annoying as well.

“Enough!” I yelled. “I can’t judge you for this. You’re not the one I’m after….”

I grabbed his face.

“No….. YOU DON’T BELONG!” I screamed as I ripped off his face. For some reason this caused him to go all Majora’s Mask on me and turn back into Drake. I looked at my hand to see a mask of Axe. “The hell.”

“Oh god this guy smells like sweat and testosterone and why are you holding Axe’s face?” Drake asked.

“You okay man?” I asked.

“Well considering I just killed a Diamond Dog, almost killed a new friend and my…. special friend, and went into a Magical Feedback…. I’m fucking peachy” Drake said the last line with obvious sarcasm.

“Yeah. You’re welcome.” I said.

The reality around us started fading and turning white.

“Huh, I guess I was supposed to judge Axe….” I said. I offered the mask to Drake. “You want this?”

Drake looked at it and back at his gauntlet. He seems to bring up the red pool as he sees Axe’s icon is missing. He grabbed the mask as the gauntlet absorbed it. “Have to. I’m the only one who knows the strengths and weaknesses of Axe. Anyone else and they lose complete control without a feedback effecting them….. still at least noone important got hurt” he said.

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The second we got back, Drake shifted into his normal self. Exactly five seconds after that, Twilight tackled him in a fierce hug.

“Careful Miss Purple, he might be a little woozy after what just happened.” I said.

Draked chuckled “I’ll be fine. Not the first time I went Feedback” he said. He holds Twilight closer, but the thing was though the hug seemed more than ‘simply friendly’. He let go as he looks at me “Thanks for…. well all this. You wanna know the funny thing though? I never got your name” he said.

“I…. I don’t remember it….” I explained. “I realized just before I came here… All I remember was going to Anime Expo to go and do a live action roleplay with my friends. I was there Dungeon Master.”

“Hmm… I’ll just call you DM, cause you got dice and look like some kind of weird mage. Dice Mage” Drake said as he smiled.

I cracked up at that and cried. I was just too happy. I finally had something to call myself.

“Thanks man.” I said.

“Well… it’s either your name or a temporary till you get something more normal-ish. Either way, we got to get rebuilding. You can feel free to stay at my small base till…. whatever the hell brought you here returns”

“I brought myself here, I guess.” I said. “I just don’t know how to get back. I used a portal, but I don’t know how it works. I don’t even think I could open another.”

“Well… we got books on portals, this is a library. Or could do the same thing you did before that may have opened one” Twilight actually suggested this time.

“I never thought about that.” I said. I started feeling around like I did last time, just trying to find the weird edge that I was able to grab last time. In the end, I just looked like an idiot. “Nothing. I got nothing.”

“You mean that you really can’t feel anything of… whatever it is?” Drake asked me.

“Basically.” I said. “Last time, I was kind of just running from some ponies, and just kinda got fed up. Then a portal opened…. I guess it works differently here….. I don’t know.”

“Well you can read the library if you want…. or maybe you need something that has a lot of magic in it?” said Drake.

“I don’t think so.” I said.

“Well, let’s head out to my base and see if the location would do any difference” Drake suggested.

“Fine.” I said.

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Twists and turns, climbs and falls, and before long I found myself in some kind of damp cave following Drake to only God knows where. Ahead of me Drake was ripping down vines and going into a stone pathway that was lit by weird, ghostly blue flames. As I followed him down the path, I could feel something light…. but also something dark. The path felt like it went on for a few miles before stopping and seeing the so called base. It was a fountain of white and black stone, sharp pointed trees and living, healthy vines, both of which were intertwined around the fountain, like some kind of dance. The fountain itself had running water that made it feel alive, yet as we got closer, a strange sense came over me, as if it was…. healing me and reenergizing me.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“The main base of the heroes in my gauntlet. Enhanced regeneration, revitalization, and a small store for items…. problem is I got to buy them with bits that I get from odd jobs like apple picker, painter, etc.” Drake explained.

“Oh… Okay.” I said. “I mean, I do feel much better.”

Drake nods as he sits at the fountain edge “Feel anything?” he asked me.

“Eh?” I said. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Again, I went at it, trying to feel around for that weird edge. The same result…. Damn it.

“Nothing.” I said. “Absolutely nothing. I don’t even understand what I’m doing wrong. It’s like I used some kind of magic, and I don’t understand magic.”

I could see Drake rub his chin a bit as he looked at me and then at the fountain “Well…. I know of a few things we may try, though you may not like” he explained.

“If it involves more magic, then I’m pretty sure it won’t work.” I said. “Listen, I think before we try anything, I should get a better understanding of what I am now….”

At this point, I saw Drake’s eye go wide as if he had gotten an idea. “The changelings of course! Listen, I know of a changeling base runned by one Queen Chrysalis, however its location is unknown to me…. but probably not to Oracle. Either way it maybe a bit hard since well…. you may want to look” he said as he motions to the fountain.

I looked in and saw a pair of eyes looking back before Drake pulled my hood off and showed my face. I really was a pale, pointy eared nerd. I had white, almost silver, hair. I had a white left eye and a green right eye, which I found odd. Sadly, I had no facial hair. Darn, I loved my facial hair. Oh well, no harm, no foul.

“Your a changeling… well sorta. Problem is changelings are not pale like you, but black like obsidian in a way. Also have blue-green eyes.” Drake explained.

“Okay then.” I said. “How is this helping me find the changelings, exactly?”

“Well for one you know what they look like. As for where I say go to the Badlands or Everfree” Drake said as he pulled out a map of Equus. He marked down the two locations “Only two places a pony wouldn’t go out of fear. Also here,” Drake handed me a small scroll. “You can use it to summon me if you need help. Small warning, it takes about six and a half seconds to teleport me there” he explained to me.

“Thanks man.” I said. “I better get moving, I’ve got a long journey ahead of me.”

“No problem.” Drake said to me as I was left his base. “Also, be careful! Chrysalis is not friendly with strangers!” Draked yelled.

“Will do!” I called back.

Well, now I have an idea of what to do….

Next stop, the Everfree Forest.

Author's Notes:

That's the end of it for now.

What? I'm not leaving him in this Equestria. He'll go back later. But for now, expect another crossover later.

MUSICAL AUTHOR OUT!