Despite what narrative rule would have you believe, you don't always wake up with a sudden start. Sometimes, you wake up quite peacefully. Other times, you wake up like a yo-yo, constantly passing in and out of consciousness until your brain just can't take any more crap and decides to be 'up'.

This was firmly the former. Not sure why though, as I still had plenty left over on my metaphorical plate, and I should have been a freaking wreck. However, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth; if my brain wanted to award me with a good night's sleep, I was all over that.

But that didn't make me feel any better about myself when I actually did wake up, though.

With a wide yawn, I sat up and stretched, taking a second to glance around at my new surroundings. The last thing I remembered was being slung over Celestia's back like a sack of potatoes and arguing with her over... heroes? Or maybe it was bean curds, I dunno.

At any rate, I distinctly remember her telling me that I needed my rest, so she must have taken me someplace to ensure that that happened. The room looked like one of those hospital rooms back during World War II, though this one was considerably smaller, and obviously only made to house one occupant.

As I examined the room, though, I quickly noticed a feature that never appeared in any of the World War II fics that I had watched, one that instantly set off alarm bells in my head.

Slowly, I got up to approach the black pane of glass, though this act quickly made me realize that my clothes had been removed sometime during my sleep and had been replaced with a green hospital smock. A quick glance around the room allowed me to locate them, which I noticed had been freshly laundered and repaired. Which was good, since miss crazy had put quite a few holes in them when she had tossed me around like a rag doll.

“Hello?” I asked cautiously as I quickly got dressed. It was a little more difficult than I thought it'd be, since I not only had an additional limb, but also a cast covering one of my legs. It didn't take me too long to figure out, though, since my tail still seemed to be quite obedient to my control, despite the fact that moving the darn thing still freaked me out quite a bit.

After I got dressed, I got up and limped to the door next to the glass. Since no one had popped out of the woodworks, I figured that I would just make my own way out, seeing as how there was nothing interesting going on around here.

Now, conventional logic would dictate that the door should have been locked, based purely on cop shows, or science-gone-wrong movies. These ponies have shown that they trusted me, though, seeing as how they had left my weapons in the same room with me at the hospital. They didn't do that this time, but that didn't stop me from reaching out and checking the door.

Sure enough, the door easily swung open, allowing me into the observation room beyond. This was empty too, though that didn't surprise me since no one came when I first woke up. However, what did surprise me was the empty lab on the other side of the exit door.

Well, maybe empty was too strong of a word for the lab's current state: It clearly had all the fixings for a fully functional lab, but only if that lab belonged to a mad scientist or wizard, if the obvious magic circles were any indication of that kind of thing. What I meant when I said it was empty was that it was completely devoid of any living thing besides me.

As you can imagine, this confused me to no end, especially since my gear was all here, as if they were just waiting for me to show up. I wasn't going to pick them up at first, but I thought better about it when I noticed that The Mistress's dagger was here as well, briefly reminding me of what I faced. I might be guilty of some terrible things, but the psychos running amok had absolutely no qualms about murdering anything that got in their way, and that alone was reason enough for me to belt my sword around my waist again.

I started to make my way out of the room after equipping myself, but stopped when I heard a voice come from the presumed empty room.

“Why are you here?” a Russian female voice asked.

Now, I don't know if this is stereotyping, or racist, or whatever you want to call it, but I've always found the Russian accent on a girl really, really attractive. I don't even know why that is, all I know is that it sends shivers up my spine and lodges itself into my brain, rooting itself there and forcing me to take notice of whomever is speaking in it.

Despite this, though, it still freaked me the heck out hearing her voice in a seemingly empty room, causing me to spin around and try to locate its source. “Who said that?” I said as I slung my spear into my hands.

“Relax, can't hurt now, not good fight,” the voice said from somewhere near the table with the dented helmet.

“Well, forgive me for not believing you. The last two 'surprises' I've met nearly killed me,” I said as I tightened my grip on my spear and slowly edged forward.

“I know, happen me too. Which is why I wonder, what you plan? You must have reason for breaking rules, otherwise you not do so. Breaking rules get you killed,” the voice said in a thoughtful tone of voice.

“Um… what rules?” I asked as I moved closer. “No one told me there were rules. Probably would have broken them anyway, but still...”

“No one tell rules?” the voice asked, a bit surprised at what I had said. “Come, we both champions, you not have to lie to me, like you did pony princesses.”

“No, I really don't know what your talking about. The person that sent me here literally dropped me here without telling me anything,” I said, but then paused as a thought came to me. “Well, maybe not anything. She did tell me that I was supposed to serve as her champion, and that I wasn't going as myself. But that's it, I swear!”

The voice fell silent at that, almost as if she were contemplating what I had said. “Well, if you're telling the truth, then I can't really tell you any more, because that might be breaking the rules,” she said in a whisper.

“Look, would you just come out in the open already? I'm really hating talking to someone I can't see, it makes me feel like I'm going crazy,” I told her impatiently.

“That makes two of us. But I can't, not now. Now, ponies need you,” she said. She then paused for a bit, as if contemplating what to say next, before speaking again. “I do not know details, but something happen that drew away princesses and their unicorn aid. It is why no one but me is here to greet you. I would help if could, but…”

“But what?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow ridge at her approximate location. “Are you out of juice or something?”

“No, my body is somewhere else,” she said.

“So, what, are you a ghost or something?” I asked nervously.

“No, I am helmet.”

This caused me to jump back in alarm, only for me to scoop up the helmet a second later as a look of pure wonder crossed my face. “Cool… you're just like Alphonse...” I said as I carefully examined her.

“Do you mind?” she asked indignantly.

“Oh, sorry,” I said as I quickly set her down again. “How did you get like that? And where is your body?”

“I ran afoul Sandman while helping Luna, but that not important. You need to go, help them, before is too late. Guard say something about several attacks when he arrive. Princesses run off, and I fear not able to take on by themselves.”

I thought about that for a second, then tilted my head to the side as I studied her. “Several attacks at the same time? That doesn't sit right with me, especially since it’s happening right after the last couple of attacks.”

“I concur. I would help, but sadly- Hey! what are you doing!?” she exclaimed as I picked her up again.

“You might not be able to help me in any physical sense,” I answered as I searched through the drawers and tables in front of me for some string. Upon finding some, I began to attach her to my belt. “But you’ve been at this far longer than I have. If I’m going to fight another one of those things, I’m going to want a little advice.”

“W-Why do you even trust me enough to give decent advice? I could betray you!”

I heard what she said, but ignored her at first, choosing to instead concentrate on finishing my knot. “You could, but I know you won't.”

“How can you be certain?”

“First off, a traitor would never openly suggest that he might betray another,” I told her as I made my way to the door out of the lab. “Secondly, if you betray me from where you are, you’ll get hit in the crossfire.”

She seemed to think about this for a bit, then sigh in defeat. “I suppose you’re right. But please, be careful. You’re fighting for both of us now.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing… I think…” I said as I opened the door and exited the room.

“Your confidence is very reassuring.”

The castle and city of Canterlot jutted out of the side of a mountain. This was a well established fact that everypony who was a citizen of Equestria knew, as well as many who weren’t knew as well.

However, most did not even think about what this fact implied, mainly because of how very little actual combat the Equestrians saw. At least, that was the case, up until about a year ago, when Princess Mi Amore Cadenza married the Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor.

What most people did not understand or remember was that Canterlot Castle was a fortress. From the ground, there really was only one avenue of attack: through the train tunnels that were the only method of actually entering the city from the ground.

That way was suicide, though, simply because of the narrowness of the tunnels and the fact that they could easily be collapsed to prevent invasion. A smart attacker would come from the air, but still would find quite a few problems with that strategy. For starters, they would have to contend with the city’s nigh impregnable shield, produced by Captain Armor or, since his departure to help rule the Crystal Empire, one of the Solar Diarch.

This was the main reason why the city of Canterlot had such a small garrison in the past. Even after receiving some… disturbing intel on an imminent invasion during the royal wedding, the Diarch had only seen fit to double the guard in Canterlot, and spread their remaining forces across Equestria in an attempt to protect their ponies from whatever dark forces were threatening their lands.

While doubling the guard sounds impressive, it really isn’t once you consider the fact that the previous garrison was only one hundred strong. Two hundred guards was enough to easily repel most invasion forces, so long as the shield around Canterlot remained intact.

However, due to the events of the wedding, The Solar Diarch as well as the upper echelon of the Equestrian Military seriously reviewed their defenses, and found them lacking. Equestria was just too large for a military of their size to patrol and defend. Due to the long, thousand year peace, Equestria’s military had become lax. Their numbers had significantly dropped, and their training was not up to par for what was widely considered to be one of the strongest nations in all of Equis. The soldiers had become little more than a peacekeeping force, able to handle petty crime, or even a riot, but not a full blown war.

Needless to say, the Changeling coup had opened their eyes. Recruitment was now at an all time high, training for new guards had undergone a serious overhaul, and all levels of the guard had been weeded for corruption and laziness. Everypony underwent the new training as well, not to mention that the few guards that had shown bravery during the invasion had been promoted to positions where they could do the greatest good.

Despite all of their preparations, however, Lieutenant Feather couldn’t help but feel completely unprepared as she watched the robed, emaciated, minotaur-like thing exit the train tunnel, its arms folded in front of it, and its face shadowed by the hood it wore.

To call it a minotaur would have been a gross inaccuracy, however, since the only trait it seemed to share with that proud people was the fact that it was bipedal. It had no horns, and it was far too scrawny to pass for even an emaciated minotaur.

“That’s as far as you go, stranger!” Lieutenant Feather ordered as she and her troops aimed their weapons at the unassuming figure. “State your name and business!”

“...My name, it asks?” the creature drawled. “Not only that, but it seeks my business. I have time, though. They will be busy for many days, so I can play with this one for a spell.”

“What are you talking about?” Lieutenant Feather demanded.

“It may call me Orcas, though for how long remains to be seen,” the creature said, ignoring the Solar Guard’s confusion. “As for why I am here, it may know that I seek the six who used to wield The Elements of Harmony.”

This instantly set every single guard there on even higher alert. “Why are you looking for them? You monsters already took the Elements, what possible reason could you have for taking the Bearers as well?”

Orcas just tilted his head to the side, almost as if he were curious at Lieutenant Feather’s question. “It assumes that I, not The Thief, took the Elements. No, Thief owns the gems, I seek those that command their power. If I have them, they will reveal where Thief hid them, and in turn, I might take them from him.”

“Well, you can’t see the Bearers right now. Maybe if you make an appointment, we can put you in for ‘never’,” Lieutenant Feather said blandly as her tail whipped back and forth.

“It presumes too much. I did not request an audience, I have come to take them from it,” the creature said as he raised an arm, his sleeve falling away to reveal a skeletal hand wreathed in black flames.

In that instant, all the ponies present fired their weapons. Arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, javelins and spell blasts all streaked towards the skeletal figure, their intent clear in making sure that the stranger could never make threats like that again.

None of them reached their intended target, however. As the wall of death came lancing from the walls that the defenders stood upon, a wave of horrors surged out of the tunnel, quickly moving to shield the hooded figure from the pony’s ammunition.

Lieutenant Feather gasped in shock at what he was seeing. The abominations that surrounded the stranger were ponies, albeit in various stages of decay and rot. Many were nothing but skeletons, their eye sockets glowing with an unholy flame as they stared hatefully at the defenders. Those that still had flesh on their bones had a different look in their eyes, one of ravenous hunger that could not be sated.

Many of the monstrosities fell from the sheer amount of fire that had been sent their way, but there were still more right behind them, charging at the defensive walls of the train station as they let out unholy screams of rage. A few of the guards stationed at the wall turned and ran at that point, though far more bravely held their posts against the swarms of the undead.

“Blow the charges!” Lieutenant Feather ordered as she charged her horn for another strike.

“But ma’am, won’t that-”

“You blow those charges now, or we’ll be overrun!” Lieutenant Feather screamed as wave after wave of undead ponies poured from the tunnel. Many fell to the arrows and spells of the defenders, but still more came, piling themselves up against the walls of the train station as they made a macabre ramp to allow access to the city beyond.

Without another word of protest, Sergeant Fire closed his eyes and lit his horn. Instantly the entire mountainside shook, and a blast of stone, dust and rotten body parts shot from the opening of the tunnel as the entire thing collapsed on Orcas’s minions.

This didn’t seem to faze the remaining undead, however, as they just continued to blindly charge the walls, completely oblivious that they had been cut off from their reinforcements. They were quickly swept from the area, leaving the area oddly quiet after the pitched battle. Lieutenant Feather looked over the kill zone for any sign of the strange monster that had attacked them, but could not spot the robed figure, either among the fallen, or still standing.

“Did… did we get him?” Sergeant Fire asked after a little bit of a breather.

“I don’t think so, sergeant,” Lieutenant Feather said after a few seconds. “I want Pegasus patrols to sweep the entire mountain, as well as tighter security throughout the city.”

“But lieutenant, isn’t it over? we repelled them…” Sergeant Fire asked uneasily.

“Sergeant, while the only other way up the mountain is dangerous to even the most careful of climbers, this is the undead we’re talking about here. They won’t care if they lose some on the way up, all they care about is achieving their objective,” Lieutenant Feather said as she took off her helmet to let her golden mane breath for a little bit. “This battle isn’t over, not by a long shot. We have to take out the necromancer responsible for them, or they’ll overwhelm us with sheer numbers.”

“So, we just have to hold out until the Princesses get back?” Sergeant Fire asked hopefully.

Lieutenant Feather gave an uneasy smile at that. “We can only hope. Get Captain Star Blaze on the radio, he’ll want to know what happened so he can plan our defense.”

“Ma’am, Princess Celestia took Captain Blaze with her when she went to deal with the monster that called itself the Necroking,” Sergeant Fire reminded her.

Lieutenant Feather struck the wall in front of her at these words. “Blast, and Captain Dark Seeker is with Princess Luna right now on a similar assignment. That means that…”

“You’re in charge of our defenses, yes,” the sergeant said with a salute.

“No, it means I’m in charge until reinforcements arrive,” Lieutenant Feather corrected. “Get on the radio and send out a cry for help. Any and all troops within range are to get over here to provide relief as soon as possible. Hopefully some of our reinforcements will have a captain among them...”

“Yes ma’am!” the sergeant said with another salute.

The Hidden gave a low whistle as he watched the move that The Defiler just made. “Holy… where on earth did you find that psychopath?”

“Riverview Psychiatric Center. He’s a smart one. Clever, calculating, but he had the delightful tendency to want to see how everyone looked like with their insides on the outside,” The Defiler answered. “He was only caught because one of his intended victims not only didn’t drink her drink, but also was quite skilled in kenpo.”

The Hidden leaned back as he studied the board a little more. “You really want those Elements, don’t you?” he asked flatly.

“Of course he wants the Elements!” The Storm of Storms answered. “Defiler’s entire plan revolves around them. But since your first move was to steal them, he has to come up with an entirely different strategy to get them.”

“Why do you think I went through all of that trouble in the first place?” The Hidden said slowly. “They may be powerful, but are susceptible to corruption if in the right hands. The whole point of that move was to ensure that none of you got a chance to use that game-winning move at the start.”

“It doesn’t matter. I will soon have the location of where you hid those Elements,” The Defiler said as he leaned forward. “I have spent too much time laying the groundwork for this. The Princesses will be tied up for days, and the defenders are insufficient to repel my forces for long. All they have done is to buy themselves a single day of respite.”

“You forget one thing, however,” Fate said as he pointed his cane over to where The Herald and The Lady sat conversing quietly with one another. “You have to contend with those two if you want to get your hands on the Elements.”

The Defiler just snorted at that, a cloud of toxic vapor billowing from his nostrils. “A crippled thief and a broken knight? They won't last two minutes against my horde.”

The Lady just looked up at this, her smile becoming predatory again. “We will see,” she said as she picked up the dice.

Author's Notes:

Well, sorry for the huge, huge wait, but here is the next chapter!

Again, I don't have an editor for this story, so please, forgive me if you find any problems.