For a time, all I saw and heard was nothing, a black void. Eventually, I heard a voice.

"Hello, Mau'ual," I heard the voice of the Tree say. "I did not expect you here so soon."

I had no body in this limbo state, but I did have a voice. "Where am I?" I asked. "And how are you here? You died at the tentacles, or whatever, of those vines.

"You are in your mind," the voice said. "As for the second question, when I gave you my power, I also put some of my conscious in it, so that we may speak at times when you are in danger, or circumstances like this, when you are asleep."

"And what do you want to talk about?"

"Your abilities," she replied. "You have already discovered two of the powers I gave you: One frees stallions of the Caribou's spell, and the other heals mares. But I sense you are curious about something else."

"Yeah, I am," I say. "Why and how did the second one give mares armor from my world, my people, and why did it give Fleur De Lis wings?"

"The first, I imagine because they were ones willing to join the rebellion, but did not have the courage to do so, for fear of invoking the Caribou's wrath. As for the second, that is my doing. When I first gave Celestia and Luna the Elements, I also gave them the ability to ascend ponies into alicorn-hood. Something that they gave out with little justification."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They did not do so with any pony before Luna's banishment, when there was one who was worthy of it," she said. "As for after, it was handed out with no justification. The first, Cadence, did save an entire town, yes, but any pony could have done the same. The threat was not that dangerous. The second, Twilight Sparkle, simply wrote a spell, nothing worthy of being deemed worthy of ascension, even if it was unfinished by the, quote unquote, "greatest mage who ever lived". There were even greater mages than Starswirl. He is simply the most known because of his relation to Celestia and Luna.

"As such, I have decided to decide who is ascended, and Fleur De Lis is indeed worthy. She has led her group for most of the resistance, and has always won, and was the first to discover what spells the Caribou armor countered. It is because of her that the resistance is still alive. One must not be adept in magic to be an alicron, they must simply make a large impact, and she has done that time and time again."(1)

"I guess that makes sense," I replied. "Now, when will I wake up?"

"Now."

"Wait, what?"

The first thing I felt was a splitting headache that felt like I had taken a Guardian Sniper round through my head and survived. I put a hand on my forehead, which made me realize I didn't have my helmet on. Not that I really cared right now. I tried to open my eyes, but closed them almost as soon as they were open, as they hadn't adjusted to the light, which meant I had been out for a while. Great. I then tried again, opening them slowly, and didn't feel like my eyes were burning this time. I leaned up, and the first thing I saw was that I was in a room that looked like it was part of a hospital. Thank god.

The next thing was a mirror, and I saw myself in it. I had the same, mole like face of a Cabal, but there were some human traits mixed in. I had human lips, as well as small ears. My nose was flat like a Cabal, and I had small eyes, and couldn't tell the color. I also noticed that I didn't have any armor on, only the black undersuit. I wasn't as fat as I thought Cabal were before I came here. Really, most of it was from armor or the under suit. I was pretty muscular, actually. Not body builder muscular, but professional boxer muscular. I still had the four fingers, but, as Fleur had pointed out to me before I came to Ponyville to rescue her, I was as tall as a human, and the tree or my travel here, I didn't know which, allowed me to survive in human standard pressure. I guess that's good. I need to eat to live, after all.

"Your awake," I heard a voice from the other side of the bed. I turned my head, and saw Silver, her arms crossed and armor on. "'Bout damn time."

"Well, someone's happy," I say sarcastically. How long was I out?"

"A day," she said. "I'm surprised you survived, given what you did."

"Which is what?" I say, getting up, nearly falling on my ass in the process.

"You channeled the power of the Tree of Harmony," she said. "That's what you found under the castle, isn't it? The Tree?"

"Yeah," I say. "But it died just after it gave me its power. How do you know of it?"

"An old legend and prophecy," Silver said. "The resistance found it about a year ago. The prophecy said "When Equestria is at its lowest, an alien champion will arrive, and make Equestria great one more. They will channel the power of the tree of Harmony, and be its champion". The whole thing goes on to talk about new alicorns being chosen, which we've seen with Fleur, who's currently getting a caravan going."

"Why?"

"Because, right now, just about everyone in Ponyville, which is where we are, wants to join us after seeing you kill seven of Dainn's enforcers, those Caribou and stallions with the armor. Applejack, one of the Element bearers and one of the strongest ponies alive, couldn't harm one, let alone kill seven of them. With little effort, to boot. Also helps that the one free alicorn is with us. Es- I mean, Celestia knows ponies look to the alicorns to much."

I raised what constituted an eyebrow. I found it interesting she said alicorn instead of princesses, as well as what she nearly said. Going to have to keep that in mind and pretend I'm an idiot pony and didn't notice.

"So just about everypony in Ponyville's decided to join? I asked.

"Yeah, though only a few in the actual army. Most just want to leave before the Caribou army gets here."

"I can see that," I say. "Where's my armor?"

"Out in the hall. We, meaning me and the rest of the group you saved earlier, had a hard time getting you here, Ponyville Hospital, with that on."

"You mind getting it in here?" I asked.

"I can't," Silver said. "Too damned heavy."

I rolled my eyes. "Would you at least help me get out there so I can put it on?"

"Sure," Silver said, walking over to me. "Though it doesn't look like you need the help."

"Go to hell, I just woke up from a day long coma," I say as I put an arm around her.

"So? I was in a week long one," she said, and I could hear the cocky smile on her face.

"Like I said: go to hell."

She chuckled just as we got out of the room, and I saw my armor lying on the floor. "Before you start bitching, e couldn't find anything to hold it. Seriously, how do you wear that shit?"

"Power assisted," I say. "Now, mind giving me some room?"

"Sure," Silver said before she went down the hall.

Once she was far enough away, I made my way to the armor, and began putting it on, boots first. It looked like they were like Iron man boots, sealing once I put my feet in them. Following them, obviously, was the leg armor, then the chest and arms, which included my mauler and thruster jets and rocket pods, which simply left the helmet, which I decided to hold under my shoulder, for the time being.

I made my way to where Silver had walked. I saw her, still with armor on, I wonder why she wears it the entire time, talking with Fleur, who fidgeted uncomfortably, I imagine due to her new wings, and an orange mare with a familiar stetson hat who wore Legionary armor.

"Ah still don't see why y'all'd fallaw him," Applejack said. He went an' killed Spike, afta all."(1)

"Because he wished to die," I said as I walked up to the group. "And I did not yet know I could free a dragon from their greed and the Caribou. If I could have, I most certainly would have." I looked Applejack over. "It is an honor to meet the Element of Honesty," I say. "I've heard about you and your friends from the rest of Silver's group."

"So ya know how much ah hate killin'?"

"This is war, Applejack," I say. "Killing is an expectation. Do you not wish to free your friends, family, and the princesses? Then you'll need to get over the inborn hate towards killing. Others already have." I grinned. "Then again, you apples, like your food, are terrible at change." Best way to get through an Apple's head is to insult their food. Mwa. Ha. Ha.

"What's that 'bout mah family's farm and food?" she growled.

"You heard me. Though it is good to begin with, it is unable to change and adapt. One pony might say it is terrible, but you wouldn't change, you'd try to force the food down his throat until he said otherwise," I say. "Don't believe me, try me." She smirked. Well, time to see if Sweet Apple Acres live sup to its claim for fame.

"Well, jus' so happens ah brought an apple pie," she said, reaching over to a wrapped package on a chair and unwrapped it. "Try a slice."

"Any one got a knife," I ask.

"Here," Silver said, tossing me her utility knife.

I cut a part of the pie and took a hold of it, and put it in my mouth. And promptly spit it out. I wasn't doing this to prove a point. Mostly. It really did taste terrible to me, maybe because of an alien physiology, but still. "Like I said," I said. You didn't bother trying to make a new recipe. Did it occur to you I'm an alien, and thus what ponies find good, I'd find terrible? You are incapable of change. Just like your food."

I inwardly smiled as Applejack began to grind her teeth. "Y'all take that back."

"No," I say. "Not unless you can prove me wrong."

"Fine, then," she yelled. "I'll show ya that Apples, and our food, can change!"

"Then you'll be reporting directly to me," I say. "After you go through hell."

"Fine, then!" she yelled before her face went slack. "Aw, shoot!"

"Exactly," I say. "Now, do what ever you were doing before I got here, do it. We are leaving as soon as possible."

She grumbled, and began to walk down the hall. "Too easy," I say.

"You are so gonna regret that later," Silver said.

"Does it look like I give a shit?" I asked. "So, Fleur, how you taking, well. . ." I trailed off, gesturing towards the wings.

"Still adjusting," she said. "Makes it hard to get an itch there." That got a chuckle from me and Silver.

"You got one now?" I asked.

"Yeah, at the base," she said. "Why?"

I didn't respond, only reached a hand over and scratched that area. "Better?" I asked.

"Much," Fleur said, her tongue nearly hanging out. "It's been bothering me for an hour."

"Glad I could help," I say, pulling my hand away. "So, what happened after I blacked out?"

"Well, we, meaning the squad and the stallions you freed, followed you to Ponyville, and engaged the Caribou forces just after you went night-night."

"Explains the sound of metal on metal," I say.

"Yeah, and with Dainn's enforcers out, we were able to kill or run the other males out that tried to fight us. Mostly Caribou, but still."

"Good," I smiled. "How long until you're ready to pull out?"

"I think you mean 'we', Mau'ual," Fleur said. "One of the changelings with us is able to communicate with Queen Chrysalis, and I talked with her over it, and she, and this surprised me too, said that, because of what you did, she's giving you a battalion of your own. And you choose who's in it."

"That is surprising," I say. "And i believe I already know who I wish to have as my second in command," I say, turning to Fleur. "Val De Lis."

"And what is a Val," Silver asked.

"One rank under mine, which is to say Valus," I say. "I may be part of the rebellion, but my battalion will be using the command system of my people. If she has an issue, I hope she can take a mauler to the face."

"I'm starting to like you, Mau'ual," Silver said.

"I hope so, because you're also joining me, Val Silver. Now, make sure everypony is ready to move out," I say, putting my helmet on. "We leave tomorrow."

Author's Notes:

1:Because I know people are wonder why Fleur was made an alicorn.
2:I hate having to write for Applejack.