With grace most ponies practiced to perfect, Fluttershy withdrew her head from the portal, white misted object in hoof.

It was huge.

Compared to even Fawkes, the Super Mutant, the object was large and bulky. Even through the white mist, the object appeared to be everything but light in weight. It was long, it was tall, and it was wide.

But not a single pony or warrior focused on it.

Compared to all of her friends, Fluttershy was by far the kindest hearted, gentle, caring, and compassionate pony among them. She never strayed away from a friend in need. She made sure that every animal in Ponyville was fed and cared for. Even in times of sorrow, she made sure to be kind to everypony around her. But because of all of her kindness, she was sensitive, nervous, and unsure of most of the decisions she made.

That is why it surprised none, but worried all, when Fluttershy rose from the portal in tears.

She wasn’t sobbing in hysterics or moaning in pain, but a steady stream of tears descended from her bright blue eyes nonetheless. Carefully, she took slow trots backwards, leading the mist-covered object from the Portal of Souls in a manner similar to guiding baby ducks to the pond. From the neck down, she looked no different, not even worried or scared.

From the neck up, her face was the image of sorrow.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight Sparkle was beside her friend almost before the name left her throat. The pegasus barely responded to her.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” She spoke again, nudging her side gently, trying to get any kind of motion out of the pegasus. But none came. She seemed so lost, so… distant. Did something happen in the portal? Did she lose her mind?

“I’m alright Twilight.”

The suddenness of the voice almost made her jump, but the words brought her an undeniable sense of relief.

“That was quite the scare.” Gandalf noted, a wrinkled hand to his chest. He was not the only one in the room to worry. Each of the Elements were gathered around the mare, stopping or slowing their approach only now when the realized their friend was alright. Link and Fawkes watched nervously from a distance, both at opposite ends of the hall. The worry was clear on Link’s face whereas the preparedness to act was clear from Fawkes’s position. Jack was slowly releasing the hilt of his blade, slight paranoia still creeping through his young form. The mind of an elder in the body of a young warrior.

“Geez girl,” Applejack spoke as she trotted at a pace half that of just a few moments prior. “You ‘bout gave me a hear’ attack right there.” Her voice slowly fell into a more caring tone as the still falling tears met her green eyes. “Why are ya’ cryin’ suga’cube?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wait… you mean your crying, just to cry?” Dash asked with hesitation from above her friends, eyeing her fellow pegasus carefully.

“Maybe.” Fluttershy may have spoken her well being, but from his distant remarks, and lack of motion, the idea was becoming more and more unlikely.

“Hey now Fluttershy!” One excited pink pony shouted from beside her. “There’s no reason to frown or cry. You just pulled out a whopper! You beat my record by at least six stones. That’s something you gotta celebrate!” No one noticed the green Super Mutant raise a hand to his lower chest in thought.

“I’m okay Pinkie, I promise.”

“Nu uh!” The Element of Laughter argued. “You aren’t happy unless your smiling. And from where I’m standing on my four hooves, you gotta pouty face on. We can’t have you be sad now, that makes every pony else sad! C’mon Fluttershy, let’s so smile.” With her demand, Pinkie Pie placed herself between Fluttershy and the still white-misted figure she drew from the portal. Eye contact lost from her catch, the canary mare was forced to look into her friend’s gaze.

“But…” She began weakly, “I-I really am okay, honest. Oh, I, um, I-I just felt like crying a little, not much, just some. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Okey dokey, apology forgiven, but,” Pinkie spoke before Fluttershy could shy away. “I’m still not moving until I get a smile!” The ears on the pegasi fell flat on her head.

“Oh, but… Pinkie…”

“Gotta smile.” The pink pony simply responded.

“I-I don’t think now is-”

“Gotta smile.”

“-a good time because, oh-” Fluttershy was taking nervous trots backwards.

“Gotta smile.”

“Pinkie Pie!” That wasn’t Fluttershy.

The pink pony flew into the air as the voice ripped through her concentration like a well placed party cannon. Landing on the ground, she quickly turned to see Twilight looking at her, except something was wrong. When her unicorn friend shouted like that, it usually meant she was angry, or disappointed about something.

Instead she looked afraid.

“Aw, you too?” Pinkie Pie asked obviously. “I know Fluttershy is a little mopey dopey right now, but making ponies smile is my special talent Twilight, just give me a minute and-” She never finished.

The lavender unicorn had picked her up with her violet magic.

“Whoa! This is even more fun the third time!” Without waiting for any retort, the party pony began to eagerly spin herself in circles, enjoying the feeling of anti-gravity for all it was worth. Her vision grew blurred as her rotations grew faster and faster, nothing to slow her increasing speed. But then she saw something that was odd, even to her.

The white mist… It was moving.

Immediately, Pinkie Pie pushed her hooves outwards, one of them catching the tiled floor.

“Wha… What is…” Rarity couldn’t finish her thought. Her mind was enraptured, entranced, and all at once, mortified by the shifting mist Fluttershy had pulled from the Portal of Souls.

“Ah don’t know, but stand back darlin’,” Applejack spoke as she pushed the alabaster mare away, emerald eyes sharp on the dissipating mist. “Wha’ever Fluttershy pulled from tha’ darn hole ain’t down for the coun’ or waitin’ for an invitation.”

A small cry of surprise came from high up, only for glancing eyes to see Rainbow Dash lifting Twilight away from the shape as well. The unicorn’s only protest was the small cry. After that, she held onto the cyan hooves like Smarty Pants in a thunderstorm.

“P-Please don’t worry.” Fluttershy spoke her loudest. “I-It’s probably just scared and frightened. It’s lost, and constrained, and, oh, it must be in pain.” Her face grew more and more worried with every word she spoke. With only a small shake of hesitance, the pegasus trotted towards the still shifting ball of mist.

“Just let me-”

A black wing erupted from the cocoon.

“Get back!” A powerful voice boomed from behind the ponies. Fluttershy didn’t need to be told twice. She darted as fast as her hooves would take, looking for the safety of the nearest object she could trust. Anything large, anything strong, anything that was anything!

She settled with the arms of Link. The pegasus felt herself in his embrace before she could even think, huddling close with terrified shivers.

What had she done? What did she do? Did she bring a monster into Equestria? Was she going to be the only pony of her friends that thought of something evil? Was she evil? The thoughts began to make her quietly sob, shaking from self-torture and horror. She felt the rough hand of link slowly pet down her back, soothing her. She muttered nor squeaked not a word.

The wing, however, was not all that belonged the creature.

The mist quickly began to evaporate and return to nothingness as the leathery appendage flailed from the small opening it forced. More and more of the creature quickly came into view. Every detail only made the ponies and warriors more and more awry.

Black scales that rivaled the night. Sharp talons of piercing strength. A large tail of solid muscle. The finally, deadly green eyes of slit vision, looking with predatory ambitions around itself. The creature was unlike any soul in the room had ever seen. But all at once, they almost immediately knew what it was. It was alien, but then, only too familiar.

“A dragon!” Pinkie Pie shouted from her now precarious position on top of Princess Luna. The monarch objected little, too focused on the new creature in her and her sister’s shared hall.

“That’s unreal.” Dash’s words were objected little to.

“I… must say…” Celestia spoke as if she had flown a country mile. “I did not expect the kind and gentle Fluttershy to summon such a… dangerous creature.” Said pegasus only shivered deeper into the embrace of the Hero of Time.

The dark winged beast looked around itself violently. Its wings flapped in sharp bursts, flexing the appendages close to its body before violently shooting them outwards. It gave a wide berth to where it lay. Its tail had curled up around itself as well. Dual dark fins fanned themselves at the limb's end, providing small futile cover for its otherwise very large body.

“They can be dangerous creatures.” Jack spoke more to himself than the others. His form was hunched over with one hand on the hilt of his holy blade. Despite the situation, he couldn’t repress the happy thought of his ability to do so again, at least with this much ease.

“At least it is one similarity our worlds share.” Gandalf noted as well. He had his blade drawn again, though no pony thought any less of him now for it.

No pony, no warrior, and not even the dragon dared to move. They all carefully regarded the creature with caution, neither taking a step forward nor trots back.

“RAGH!”

All eyes stared in shock as Rainbow Dash flew screaming towards the black dragon.

She stopped just in front of it, hooves held and with a fierce a look as possible on her features. For a very small moment, the dragon shirked back under the sudden presence, shocked by the audacity and sudden appearance of the mare.

That changed quickly.

“ROAR!” The black beast bellowed in return, neck stretching towards the aerial pegasus with a wide jaw and sharp teeth. The vocal return shocked Dash to her core, freezing her in place.

She moved regardless.

Before the mare could think twice, she found herself being pulled out of the air by a familiar magical force. The lavender hued aura surrounding spoke enough to let her know who had saved her. She was quickly placed on the ground, four hooves firm on the stone tile beneath her. Looking up, she saw the mare who saved her. Said mare was not giving Dash a kind look.

“What the buck were thinking?!” Twilight yelled to her cyan friend, completely oblivious of her language in the presence of the princess. “First you drop me like a stone, then charge at a dragon. A DRAGON!” Dash shivered meekly beneath the unicorn’s near flaming gaze.

“H-Hey, I had and idea.” Her argument was as weak as her legs felt.

“Really? What?”

“I thought I could scare him away.” Speaking it out loud, it really didn’t sound all that great of a plan anymore.

“Scare it? Scare a dragon! Are you insane!?” Dash didn’t both to reply, fixing her gaze on the stone floor instead. “If it tried to attack I don’t think any of us could have acted fast enough to save you!”

“Why didn’t it though?”

“Yeah, why… wait what?” Twilight questioned as her concentration shattered under the question. Dash had focused her vision on the unicorn again, the steel of her will hardening behind her eyes. The lavender mare knew that look, she knew it well. It was the gaze she gave a script of paper, a vial of chemicals, or even one of her friends, when she was in the middle of an investigation.

Rainbow Dash was in deep thought.

“Why didn’t it come after me?” Turning back towards the black winged creature, they saw it still laying across the stone floor, curled around itself, wings flapping dangerously, and gaze harder than a mountain’s core. “I’ve been around Fluttershy’s animals long enough to know that if you scare a big one, they’ll definitely try and catch you. Why didn’t it?”

“It is hoarding something.” The pair of ponies looked up to see Celestia approaching, her own gaze focused on the dragon as well. “Dragons will only keep still guarding objects they hold possession over. It is neither in its cave nor any area of its own territory, so it holds still to protect whatever lies beneath it.”

“Then, would should we do?” Rarity asked aloud. “It’s not as if we can simply dismiss it, and I dare to think Dash’s little antic may have given it reason to hate us.” The cyan mare in question grumbled under her breath.

“It is a good question that I do not know the answer to.” Celestia spoke as her mind already began to wander, her fellow ponies doing the same. “Honestly, I hope for a solution that earns the dragon’s trust.  I see little reason there to a conflict between us.”

The alabaster alicorn shut her in heavy concentration, breathing deeply as her aged mind began to conjure an idea. There existed neither time nor patience to find a way to force the dragon to move, and with little information about it, it was impossible to tell what it would consider an even trade for the object it was hoarding. Furthermore, based on it’s size, it most likely did not possess the aptitude for speech.

The feral dragons of the wild did little for communication until they reached the adult stages of their life. Spike was raised by ponies in a civil society, so he was exposed to the desire and need for communication much earlier. For dragons, who spend majority of their time in solitude, speech was not a thing to concern themselves highly with.

“What… uh, is Fluttercry doing?”

Though the first words to enter Celestia’s mind were quick reminders for Fawkes’s misspeaking of her subject’s name, for the third time, those words quickly died as her eyes fell on the pegasus in question. She was no longer curled in Link’s arms. She was no longer crying in for mysterious reasons.

Fluttershy was approaching the dragon.

“Whoa!” Dash spoke as she flared her wings. “Fluttershy! Get ba-” She lurched backwards as a lavender hued aura surrounded her for a second time. Her pink eyes found Twilight’s looking back at hers. However, they didn’t contain the fire of disappointment. Instead, they held silent caution. It took a moment for the rainbow mare to process it, but it made sense fairly quickly.

If she spooked the dragon again, Fluttershy might not be so lucky.

She had to remain calm, she had to believe in her friend. She was  loyalty and Fluttershy was kindness. What kind of dragon would attack a defenseless mare like her?

Many, actually.

“Please,” The canary pegasus spoke in a tone far calmer than most would expect for the given situation. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”

Her words were fluid, sound, and mesmerizing. Almost as much as they demanding gaze of her eyes. The dragon watched stiffly. His muscles continued to flex around whatever object it held close, but no longer did it snarl or bite at the approaching pony. The small trots of Fluttershy did not slow, and the black dragon did not bite.

“Here,” Fluttershy spoke when she stood a hoof’s length away from the large draconic figure. “We are only going to help you. I promise.” Her yellow coated foreleg extended forward, brushing across the creature’s own foreleg.

Much to the relief of the stoic onlookers, the dark dragon slowly retracted his leg, revealing the prize he hoarded so selfishly from the others. The object reached Fluttershy’s eyes first, and it made her give a quiet gasp.

The tension returned with force.

“Fluttershy, what is it?” Princess Celestia asked from afar looking to her kind subject. “What does the dragon horde?” The soft blue eyes of the pegasus looked back to those of her ruler, and a soft mumble came from mouth, unheard by the ponies around her.

“What did she say?” Gandalf asked curiously, gnarled staff still in hand.

“I don’t know,” the alabaster alicorn admitted. “Please Fluttershy, what is it?” But for every word the poor pegasus tried to speak, the lower and lower her voice went.

“I don’t know what it is, but it must be a terrible sight.” Jack noted aloud. His blade slowly drew itself from his sheath, stance prepared for whatever the dragon may yet attempt.

“Fluttershy.” Princess Luna spoke to the canary pegasus. “Please, come back to us, you have done e-” She was silenced by a piece of parchment being shoved in front of her vision. It nearly made her back pedal in fright. Her wide eyes quickly followed the paper’s holder, looking from the hand that held it to the face it belonged to.

“Sir Link!” The lunar princess shouted in small shock as the perpetrator came before her vision. “What is it?” Of course, he didn’t speak. The Hero of Time merely shook the paper in front of himself again. Refocusing, the Princess of the Moon began to read his hastily scribbled words.

“It’s a man.”

All eyes returned to Fluttershy. Her head was nodding with frantic speed.

“How… is that possible?” Twilight spoke from her still hovering position, Dash refusing to let the mare go.

“How is what possible?” Gandalf questioned in return. “How your subject was able to draw two bodies from the portal? How Link was able to hear her near toneless words? Or maybe it isn’t a how. Maybe you meant to ask ‘why’, as in, ‘why is it protecting a man and not gold or other possessions.”

“All of those.” Celestia spoke more confidently now than since the dragon’s appearance. “There are many questions we both have, but none of them shall be answered until the man awakes. I can only presume that he will not awaken the same as Samurai Jack or Link.”

“And why is that?” The wizard returned.

“Because,” she spoke with a motion of her wing. “If having that beast on top of him, roaring and scraping at the stones with such force, does not wake him, I have little doubt that it is now a requirement of my magic to awaken him.” The alabaster princess turned her vision back to the pegasus. Said mare was standing closer to the dark dragon, looking at it with eyes no longer containing the power and force of The Stare. The dragon, in return, did little more than look back.

“Fluttershy.” The mare gave a small squeak as her ruler addressed her. “I must awaken the man the dragon guards. Do you think you can allow me access to him?” If possible, it almost appeared as if the color drained from the pony’s coat.

“Oh,” she began with obvious trepidation. “That would him angry a-and I don’t want to upset him. I-I mean, he’s not a bad dragon, but, um, oh, h-he’s just scared for friend.”

“Friend?” Gandalf now question, forcing the pegasus to shirk and hide under her mane beneath the still unfamiliar voice. “How do you know the dragon thinks of the man in such a way?” Seeing that the old wizard was one with patience, Fluttershy slowly moved her jaw to answer.

“B-Because of the way he’s holding him. The man is so small, looks so fragile, and the dragon is using its legs to… to stay up, keeping himself propped above him. He’s making sure not to crush him. Really he, oh, I’m sorry, but he thinks us as a threat.”

“Ah can’t say Ah can blame the poor soul.” Applejack spoke from her side of the room, appearing now far calmer than a few moments before. “It ain’t that much different than the rest of the fellas we had ta pull out.”

“Can you not communicate with him?” Luna asked the canary pegasus. She received a fierce shake of the pink mane.

“N-No. Most dragons eventually learn how to talk so… so I don’t know how to talk with them. A-And the only dragon I’ve ever spoke to is Spike, but, oh, I’m sorry, he’s just a baby.”

“Believe me Fluttershy, we understand.” Twilight spoke to her friend, nothing but honestly lacing her voice. “It would just help if we had another way of communicating with it.” With the keen eye for detail, Twilight did not miss the subtle look of recognition that swept across the canary mare’s face. “Wait… you do have an idea, don’t you?” The nerves returned with force to the small pegasus.

“W-Well… yes.” She clicked her fore hooves together, but didn’t voice a single word of what she thought of.

“Please Mrs. Fluttershy.” Luna spoke from behind her. “We already believe your idea will have merit.” For another quick moment, the pegasus played with her hooves.

“H-He doesn’t understand me, but, um, he reads my actions well.” She bit her lips slightly, giving a small motion of her head towards the dark beast. “I-I might be able to convince him to let you get close, maybe, but I’m so sorry if I can’t.”

Oddly enough, it took no more convincing for the pegasus to turn back towards the black dragon, blue orbs meeting green as she conveyed all the emotions of her heart. It was endearing, watching a friend they all knew to be fearful of dragons, doing all that she could to help him. The Element of Kindness indeed.

“We want to help you.” She softly towards the creature. It eyed her carefully. “We know he’s hurt, but we can help. I promise.” She lowered herself to her knees, making herself as small as possible before the mighty beast. It followed her down, head lowering lower and lower until it rested on the cool white stone.

“I promise, we can help him.” Fluttershy turned her gaze towards Princess Celestia slowly, deliberately. The dragon followed her eyes, landing on the tall alicorn with a different emotion. It wasn’t anger or violence, but caution, defense. He wasn’t going to attempt to harm them, the princess knew, not unless they tried to harm him.

“Y-You can try now your majesty.” Without any more pause, Celestia approached.

Celestia approached with her wings drawn in, doing her utmost to appear as small as possible before the creature. It was not an easy task. The dragon did not bite or bark at her, but she could see the muscles of his legs and wing flex the closer she approached. It did value the being in its grasp.

With hesitance that was understood, the dragon slowly revealed the man he had claimed as his charge.

Man was too generous a term.

Compared to the beings labeled as such before, this man was far smaller, in height and weight. Dots marked his face, spotting him like flecks of dirt on a pony after a Running of the Leaves competition. He appeared to be lacking muscle on nearly all of his limbs that she could see. He was garbed in thin clothing around his entire form, aside from large thick boots and a vest of sorts across his chest. Everything about him was light.

“It’s a boy, a child.” Gandalf spoke from behind her. She wished to turn and thank him, but was still cautious of the dragon before her. She did not wish to insult the creature.

“Thank you.” Celestia spoke to the black beast. “I promise to be gentle.” She did not know if the dragon understood her or not, but he made no motion to attack her. He only kept his hard gaze on the alicorn, watching her like a tiger watches a fawn. She swayed little under the powerful gaze.

Everything afterwards proceeded as it had twice before.

Magic of bright white gathered at the end of the alicorn’s horn again. Slowly it balled together into a single mass, bright and brilliant as the sun the alabaster ruler controlled. The ball of light slowly descended into the boy’s petite form, disappearing beneath the lining of his clothes. Just as with Kratos and Fawkes, he stood still for only a moment.

Then he woke up.

The boy awoke with a loud gasp, chest rising as if pulled. He immediately rolled onto his side, coughing harshly onto the stone floor. His hands braced themselves across his torso, holding his form as he racked it with heavy, most likely painful, coughs.

Celestia quickly backed away as the dragon displayed his possession over the boy again. A black wing drew itself over the smaller form while green eyes stared at her. It wasn’t threatening or dark, but neither was it empty or hollow. The large eyes fell upon her more with caution than anything. Thankful, but still wary.

“Are you well?” She spoke the question carefully, making sure it was loud enough for the figure to hear.

The dragon looked down to his own wing, watching it move without his own will. Doubtlessly, the creature beneath heard her. It was left to answer still if it understood her, however.

“Just… Just tired.”

The voice was young, the kind she would expect from a colt entering the awkward stage before entering a stallion’s life. High in pitch, but with the occasional squeak that detailed the thickening of his vocal cords. Celestia bit her lip quickly as the next question entered her mind. She knew it would do little but instill sudden terror in the child, but she could think of few other ways to calmly introduce the boy to Equestria.

“Do you know where you are?” The black webbed wing instantly froze.

That was before a hand roughly latched onto the end of appendage, pulling it away so large green orbs could stare into the princess’s own pink gaze.

A scream of fright quickly followed.

“Whoa!” The small figure shouted close to her muzzle, backing into the dragon’s muscled form. “What in the name of Hell are you!?” A thin finger pointed at her accusingly, an gesture she had only recently become acquainted with, one that she was also quickly losing taste for. She kept her gaze cool, however, beneath the boy’s rude question. The eyes of the dragon still watched her cautiously, but now she saw a flicker of rage jump behind the green slit irises.

“Please, calm yourself,” she attempted to speak soothingly, lowering her head to match his height. “Neither I nor any of my subjects mean you harm.” Looking back on it now, she may have revealed too early to him how surrounded he was.

“Subjects? There are more of you?” His agitated gaze looked left and right sharply, landing on every colorful pony in the room, all giving their own expressions of pity and surprise. His frantic motions were doing a number on both himself and his draconic companion. The more weight he pressed into the black scaled body of his friend, the more fearsome the gaze of the beast grew. It was only a matter of time before the thing thought it best to defend his charge.

Celestia could not let that happen.

“Please, be at ease,” she spoke in as soft a voice as she could manage. It successfully drew the attention of the boy, but did little to calm his clearly agitated nerves. “I understand your fright, more than you know. But please listen to me.” His breath slowed some, but his eyes relaxed not in the slightest.

“You were brought here by forces beyond your control. I do not know the workings of your world, nor the moment you last experienced, but I can presume this much.” With a slow closing her eyes and obvious intake of breath, Celestia delivered the news.

“You were in a battle of some great intensity. During it, you were killed.”

His breathing stopped.

Shock over took the small child again. The thin legs beneath him grew weak as he fell to the floor beneath his draconic friend. A large black wing slowly began to surround him, shielding him from the vision of the others present. The dragon gave a soft look to the boy before turning a far colder gaze towards the alicorn. Celestia hid her emotions well from the sharp green eyes.

“Okay,” she heard the high voice speak. “Okay, yeah, alright.” Despite the words that usually meant an acceptance to circumstance, the tone they were spoken in implied everything but such. The large head of the dragon swerved to look inside of his webbed appendage again, no doubt making eye contact with the charge beneath.

“Do you know where we are bud?” Honestly, Celestia expected the dragon to do one of many things. Scoff and turn away, look back towards the voice with a curious look, maybe even breath fire on the creature that spoke like an equal to it. Such things were in the nature of the dragons, dotting the landscape of her land.

What she did not expect was the dragon to shake his head, in response.

So Fluttershy didn’t just summon a dragon, she brought in the boy that had befriended it.

“No, huh?” The voice answered back. “Yeah, didn’t expect you to. No worries. Hey!” The strength of the final word was clearly meant to capture her attention. Clearly, he didn’t expect her to listen to his words. “Um, yeah, okay, Toothless can you let me up now?”

“Toothless?” Celestia spoke as a question. That was a state of physical being, usually implying early infancy or extreme oral damage. Spoken like a name, it felt right that it was meant to imply some kind of unnecessary dominance over something. Using a title in such a way seemed, doubtlessly, to be cruel. How had Fluttershy brought in such a creature, she, the kindest of all the Elements?

Her pondering would have to wait, as the webbed appendage opened wide, revealing the small boy beneath. By appearance alone, he looked far less frightened, but by no means at peace, oh no. Not nearly yet.

“So what,” he began hand scratching at the dirty brown mane on his head. “Is this supposed to be Valhalla? Cause I don’t see any Valkyries or Gods, and I’m pretty sure Odin would want a word with Toothless.” Like Gandalf before him, Celestia understood only the smallest portions of the words he spoke. The meanings washed over her like the wind in her mane.

“You are not in Valhalla.” She spoke in her regal tone. “You are in my kingdom, the land of Equestria. I do now know where you hail from or what position you hold, but here I am Princess Celestia, the Princess of the Sun, Guardian of the Day.” A part of her wished to fan her wings, show the small man her form. But she did not. The dragon was not trusting of her. If she did anything threatening, she doubted it would not attack.

“Okay, yeah, right, that makes sense.” Celestia raised a brow. He was either far too accepting, or still caught in disbelief. “And I’m Hiccup Haddock the III, destroyer of worlds, and warlord of of Berk.” Disbelief it was.

“I do not jest when I tell you my name.” Celestia began coolly. It earned a cautious gaze from the boy, Hiccup if he truthfully spoke his name. “I understand if you find this situation unorthodox, impossible even. Were it just a day ago I would think the same thing. But a terror the likes of which the mind strains to imagine has attacked my kingdom.” The cautious gaze slowly melded into one of curiosity. She would have to indulge if she meant to earn his trust.

“He is named Discord, a master, a god even, of chaos.” Now the curious gaze grew wide again, his jaw twitching ever slightly in shock. He believed her at least. “It was by his magic, his powers, that you have been brought into my realm. Though I confess, it was by our will.” Curiosity again.

“Wait, wait.” He held up a hand towards her. She silenced herself as requested. “How did he get me here? Or you get me here? Or anyone, thing?” A bit more trusting maybe, Celestia noted, but still lost and confused. Nothing she wasn’t expecting.

“You did die.” The alicorn paused, not for effect, but to allow the truth to sink in once more. It was a crucial fact. “The workings of Discord summoned your soul to my realm. From what little he cryptically told us, you “pieced” yourself back together.”

“And Toothless?” He spoke the question as his green eyes looked up to the large black creature still wrapped protectively, possessively, around him. She watched their gazes met, and was silently astonished as the dragon’s own eyes softened into almost peaceful orbs. “I doubt he died, so how did he get here?”

“I do not know.” Celestia hated admitting such things. But truthfully, she hated lying even more. “Truthfully I do not.”

“Okay, yeah, so, um, how do I get back?” He did seem rather eager to leave.

“Until Discord is defeated, I fear you cannot.” She expected horror, surprise, most likely some anger.

This boy did not appear to a warrior like the beings that had drawn before. His muscles were weak, is form still growing, and nothing on him to be used for defense. If Discord spoke the truth, any warrior would have brought with them the weapon they had used their entire lives. The Hero of Time and Gandalf were testament enough to that. But he brought nothing, nothing at all.

Except for his dragon.

“Alright.” The alicorn watched him rise to his two legs, still standing barely higher than her chest. At his tallest, he most likely matched the heights of her little ponies, perhaps a few fractions of hooves taller.

“Alright?”

“Well, Toothless and I can’t leave till this… Discord is gone, right?” She nodded once in agreement. “So we’ll help, I guess. I mean, if you wanted us dead, I’m pretty sure we could out fly you.”

She heard a vein pop in a pegasus not far behind her.

“Though not a record, you did accept your circumstances rather swiftly.” He chuckled at her comment, laughed. Celestia knew he would elaborate.

“Let me just summarize the last few weeks of my life.” He held up hand, raising a digit for every point he made. “I just got done fighting a dragon that was the size of a mountain. It could fly, blow fire hotter than Hell’s pits, and was commanding every dragon within a couples leagues of my home island to attack us. The last thing I remember is me and Toothless shooting it out of the sky.” That was not an easy feat, assuming no details were embellished in his story.

“Before that, I was the first Viking to ever capture a Night Fury, the first Viking ever to refuse to kill a dragon, and the first Viking to earn the trust of one. Then I spent weeks learning about Toothless, how he flies, how he breaths fire, and everything else about him. During all of this, I was becoming the greatest student in dragon killing by being peaceful with them.”

“This isn’t really, likely,” he said, motioning around himself. “But my life has been just a bunch of random impossible things for the past few weeks. This is just another day.”

What an odd boy.

“Yeah, okay, we’re friends now.” A rather eager voice spoke as she approached the pair. “But what’s this I hear about you out flying her?” Dash landed before the boy, raising a hoof towards the princess with pink eyes glaring forwards. “There’s no way any dragon could out fly Princess Celestia. Hay, I bet I could fly circles around you with my wings tied.”

“How could you fly with your wings tied?” He asked quickly in response. “Wait, no, why are you so colorful?” Hiccup’s hands reached out towards the rainbow mane of the fastest pegasus in Equestria.

“Hey!” She yelled, quickly slapping away his hand with her hoof. “You don’t get to mess with the mane. If you want respect, you gotta beat me in a race.” Oddly enough, the boy smiled in response.

“You don’t know Toothless then.” He spoke with pride, wrapping his arms around the neck of the black beast besides him. “He’s the fastest dragon in all of Berk, a Night Fury. We used to call them the children of lightning and death.” Something he said must have struck a nerve.

“Lightning, huh?” Dash spoke with a faint smile, confidence slowly crumbling under the admission. “Yeah, well… I can break the sound barrier with how fast I fly!”

“That’s enough, now.” A far more relaxed voice spoke over the pegasus. “We don’t need any kind of rivalry right now.” Before the pegasus could object, she found herself being lifted into the air, again, by a purple hue of her friend’s magic. “Seriously Rainbow, first you charge the dragon, now you pretty much threaten the human?”

“Uh, my name is Hiccup.” He spoke to the unicorn. “And my dragon has a name. It’s Toothless.” Said dragon lolled his tongue out of his mouth at the title. The unicorn looked towards the pair, releasing the pegasus from her ethereal grip.

“Twilight Sparkle, it’s a pleasure to meet you both.” She extended a hoof towards him. Looking at it for just a moment he opted to clench his fist into a ball and punch the outstretched limb. Twilight gave small yelp.

“Oh, sorry.” He quickly spoke sheepishly. “Kinda what we do back where I’m from. But… then again, we don’t have unicorns and pegasi… or horses at all.”

“Ponies,” Twilight corrected. “And that’s good to know, but actually, I was curious as to how you trained your dragon, and why you called him Toothless?” The unicorn’s gaze fell on said beast, lavender eyes full of curiosity, and emotion she would never have her fill of, not on a day like today.

“Train him?” Hiccup asked like the question was a joke. From his laugh, he took it as one. “I didn’t train anything. He actually helped me. All I had to do was realize how wrong I was.” A lot of words no answer.

“I… don’t think I understand.”

“Oh, um, well, my family hunts dragons, all the time.” So he did come from a violent world. Oddly enough though, for some reason, the unicorn found less to fear in hunting dragons then hunting much else. “I-It’s not a great story, but I… well I shot Toothless here down. I found him injured in a cove, one of his tail fins…” His voice trailed off, eyes falling to his best friend’s rear appendage.

His eyes bulged.

“Toothless!”

The sudden shout earned the attention of the ponies, beast, and men alike. The dragon looked to his charge before it’s large eyes settled on its own tail.

Its eyes bulged.

“Your tail!” Hiccup shouted with nothing else but joy. “It’s back! Your tail is back! You're healed!”

“W-Wait!” Twilight shouted above the pair. “I don’t understand, what happened!?”

“When I hit Toothless, he-Whoa!”

It was all Hiccup could let out as Toothless swiftly lifted him from his feet, placing the boy on his back. Any shock the boy had quickly left.

“You gotta warn me when you do that buddy.” He spoke playfully to the dragon, rubbing large circles around his neck. “Seriously next time I-AUGH!”

It was by pure luck he was close enough to grab hold of the dragon’s neck.

Toothless shot into the air with his own power, spinning like a twister as he went. With deft movements befitting a bird, he weaved through the high raptors of the grand hall, spinning and diving through the stone arcs like the great monuments of the Berk’s shore. He swiftly met the end of the hall, only to push off of it with all four of his large scaled legs. The force, combined with a few beats of his wings, sent the dragon to the other side of the hall before any pony present could blink.

It was fast.

“Toothless!” They heard the boy cry on the dragon’s back, more from excitement than fear, fear anybody or pony else would have on the beast’s back during his daring flight. “You’re flying again! By yourself!”

The dragon slid across the ground as it landed, happily jumping across the stone tiles, ignorant to the small amount of panic that had spread through the ponies around him. Hiccup was equally unaware. He jumped off the dragon’s back, wrapping his thin arms around the creature’s thick neck in a weak hug. The dragon, however, pulled his own forelegs around the boy as well. They looked so happy.

“W-what was all that about!?” Dash nearly screamed. “That thing just went off the guard rails and flew around this place like it was his play pen! Is it out of its mind?!” Neither Hiccup nor Toothless were perturbed by the pegasus’s words.

“When I first found Toothless, he was missing his tail fin.” The ponies’ eyes immediately went to the creature’s rear appendage, seeing nothing missing, but admiring the sleek set of scales and webbed wings behind it. “A downed dragon is a dead dragon, and Toothless couldn’t fly without his tail fin.” Looking at the unicorn from before, Hiccup beamed.

“So I made him one.” Twilight gawked.

“I made an artificial limb to help him fly. Trouble was I had to be on him for it to properly work. Unless I was riding him, Toothless couldn’t fly.”

“O-Oh.” A somber voice spoke from just behind them. Hiccup turned to see a small pegasus curled on the ground, looking up to him with sad blue eyes. It reminded him so quickly of a Terrible Terror, kicked and beaten in a cage.

“T-That was very kind of you.” It was more than clear she was uneasy around the pair. Whether it be from the dragon, the boy, herself, or a combination of all three, nopony could tell.

“Hey, thanks.” Hiccup responded gingerly, a touch of shyness of his own. The actions struck Celestia as odd. He didn’t seem to possess any kind of hindrance from speaking to her, bluntly no less. Perhaps it was the kind words spoken by Fluttershy. Compliments. A sad theory, but one that made sense.

“That was quite an impressive display.” Gandalf spoke as he approached the pair. Hiccup had a look of mild surprise on him as the wizard approached, but nothing scared or frightened. “I have seen many dragons in my days, but never a companionship such as yours.”

“Yeah, it’s a new thing I’m trying to start.” Hiccup spoke with a hand against the back of his head. Another action near identical to her ponies that shied away from attention.

He truly was new to compliments.

“Gotta say, that kinda monster ain’t what I expected Fluttershy ta rip outta tha’ portal.” Applejack spoke softly to the unicorn at her side.

“Oh I agree darling,” Rarity spoke in return. “But it does make a fair bit of sense as well.”

“Whatcha’ talkin about?”

“Well think about,” the seamstress began. “According to poor Hiccup, his entire species is meant to do nothing more than hunt dragons.”

“Yeah? That don’t sound too ‘kind’ ta me.” Applejack countered.

“Well of course that’s not, but rising above the social norm to start a companionship with one?” The earth pony let her jaw open slightly in realization. “Exactly. And more than that, Hiccup must have worked very hard to give the dragon back his flight. I can think of nothing more generous or kind. Giving some pony back the thing they hold most dear.”

“Very wise.” Both ponies turned to see the dark princess at their side. Rarity beamed with sparkling eyes at the alicorn’s compliment.

“Why thank you your majesty.”

“Mrs. Rarity.” Princess Luna spoke to the alabaster unicorn’s side, causing her to stiffen quickly. “While the dragon and boy become more acquainted with those of us here, would you like to take the next turn?”

“Your majesty?” Rarity spoke the title in question, unsure if she heard right. The princess wanted her to… sneak a use of the Portal?

“We fear time is running out,” The alicorn admitted almost nervously, almost. “If we wait for all parties to be introduced, then Discord shall use his magic again without us aware, or prepared.” The lunar princess turned her gaze towards the seamstress, earning her rapt attention.

“W… I trust you in this use of the Portal of Souls. You are careful, detailed, and by more than all else, generous.”

The unicorn bit her lip, eyes glancing from the new pair creatures to the misty white portal upon the ground.

“Well go on now Rare’, best be pickin’ while the pickin’s good!” The unicorn let out feminine laugh at her dear friend’s words.

“Yes, yes, alright.” Turning towards her royal monarch, the unicorn gave a small but noticed bow. “Thank you your majesty. I shall do you proud.”

Resolve hardening, she trotted over to the white portal upon the alabaster stone. That was when her thoughts began to flow.

‘What should I think of?’ The question was harder to answer than the unicorn gave credit for. ‘It would be too cliche to think of generous thoughts, too contaminated as well. I might ponder giving away a few of my lesser works and find a soul that embodies creativity… But would that be so bad either?’

Rarity bit her lip as the thoughts continued to dance through her mind. Applejack and Pinkie Pie hardly hesitated when they did this, but here she was working off of all the possible way she could make a mistake.

‘Honestly, I feel like Twilight right now.’ What was meant to be an inside turned into a spark of inspiration, straying little from how her own production line worked.

‘Twilight was nervous as well.’ The alabaster unicorn reminded herself. ‘Princess Celestia had to give the poor girl a few words of encouragement. But…’ Her mind continued to work. ‘But it was Sir Link who gave her the advice she needed. Now what was it again? Oh yes, “think of something that grants you peace.” Now what does grant me peace?’

A million and one thoughts ran through the seamstresses mind. Designing new clothing lines, preparing for social events, relaxing at the spa, having tea with Twilight, playing around with Applejack… Her purple mane shook almost violently to dislodge the last thought.

“You okay sugar cube?” So much for forgetting it.

“Quite alright, Applejack.” Rarity spoke evenly, but not unkindly. “Just having a bit of trouble focusing. This is like preparing a dress for Photo Finish, it must not be rushed.” A small wave of remorse flew through her as she saw her canary coated friend blush at the mention of the designer’s name.

‘I’m thinking on the wrong topics.’ She concluded, turning back to the Portal of Souls. ‘Fashion brings me happiness and joy, but most certainly not peace of mind. What does keep me down to Equestria? Why do I work so hard day in and sundown?’ When the answer came to her, she almost bucked herself.

‘Sweetie Bell.’

The name of her younger sister took over her mind as Rarity focused her hardest on the youngest member of her small family. Spontaneous but helpful, always willing to help out, even with things she wasn’t nearly qualified for. Wearing a brave face as she worked hard everyday to make her big sister, to make Rarity, proud of her. That was a rare kind of peace. The kind that made her heart melt with joy and relief. It was a feeling Rarity never wanted to let go of, but only did so knowing she would find it again.

Holding the memories of her sister close to her heart, Rarity pushed her well curled mane into the white portal.

Begin

“How long do you plan on laughing, Clare?” A tall woman asked with a voice free of malice. Her words were directed to a young girl by her side, no taller than the distance from her waist to the ground. The child was giggling beside herself, petite hands covering her lips as the spontaneous bouts of air fought against her.

“Well, that’s the first time I’ve seen you look like that, Teresa.” The child responded between her fitful laughter. “You looked so surprised when the people were rejoicing.” Her bright brown eyes looked up to the tall blonde woman she adored, a smile fit only for the youthful upon her face.

“Yeah, it was a first, to be thanked in that manner.” Teresa thought back upon her many encounters like the one she just fought through.

She had slain many beasts in many towns, saving the lives of the villagers with every visit she paid. But never once did they cheer for her, run up to her with thanks and praise. It was always fear that met her before, always the nervous words of thanks before the shivering bones of the townsfolk. Appreciated, maybe, but always feared.

“It did feel pretty good,” The tall blonde spoke again, this time earning a mildly confused look from her young companion. “To save people from Yoma without the idea of doing it as a job.”

Teresa felt the bed she sat on shift slightly, earning a glance of her attention. Her silver eyes fell onto her charge, still adorned in her red clothing and looking up to her with adoration indescribable. Silence hung between the two for a moment, but a moment neither could describe as unpleasant.

“Teresa, can I sleep with you?” Before the tall woman could voice a single word, the child curled onto her bed, resting her fragile head upon her muscled thigh, breathing a content sigh that many others would only give if resting on a cloud.

“Hmm?” The tall blonde questioned lightly to the child. “We have two beds. There’s no reason for you to squeeze in with me.” Her words slowly fell silent as she watched the child’s eyes close, her form lulling itself to sleep. No amount of training could suppress the smile that spread across her lips.

“She falls right asleep now that she’s on a comfortable bed.” Teresa spoke to herself, raising a callused hand to the child’s head, resting it on the thick red mane of hair. Her fingers weaved through the long strands, an act just as comforting to her as it was soothing to Clare, or so her content sighs of sleep portrayed.

“Rest well.” She whispered to the child, wishing with all that she had the child would sleep away the nightmares of her past. “We’ll be staying in this town for a while.” Carefully, she moved the petite head from her thigh onto one of the bed’s well-cushioned pillows. A small moan of protest was given, but Clare did little more than stir. Pulling the blanket over her form, Teresa watched pleasant dreams shift across the child’s features.

She stood to her fullest from the bed, stretching her thinly clothed arms above her head. The muscles stretched with only a small groan of pain before relaxing, filling them with relief. With an almost alien sense of peace, the silver-eyed woman looked out of the room’s window, watching the villagers walk by, each wearing their own expression of happiness. Somehow, knowing that she had a part in putting it there, without wish for pay or reimbursement, was… uplifting.

This… life. She enjoyed it.

Traveling from town to town, helping the townsfolk with the monsters, the Yoma, that walked in their midst. Saving their lives to receive their good graces. All the while taking care of Clare. Helping the young child grow in a dangerous world, keeping her safe from the threats that lingered in the dark corners. It was… relieving, peaceful. She could do this. It would be-

Teresa froze.

Her lithe body put itself against the wall just beside the window, looking out of the clear glass no longer with peace, but worry.

“I sense that three abnormal Yoki senses have entered this town.” She spoke to herself in a tone far colder than the soft words she whispered to Clare just moments before. The threat was obvious, Teresa recognized that. The next step was to figure out why it was a threat.

“Rule enforcers sent by the Organization?” The blonde woman muttered, “To get me for my betrayal.” It was hard not to scoff at the word. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to remind herself just why she was innocent, why the Organization was wrong, and why what she did was worth every drop of blood spilt.

Right now, she had to hide herself.

“Suppress my Yoki…” Teresa shut her eyes, focusing her mind in a way that came from only years of training.

“To the limits…” She felt her muscles grow weak, her senses dull, and body lax.

“So they can’t tell where I am…” That was the most important part. If she could her aura from being sensed, kept herself out of the third eye of her fellow warriors, then she and Clare would be safe, at least for another day.

“… but I don’t think they’re that stupid.” She knew it before she even spoke it.

Her, Teresa of the Faint Smile, one of the single most powerful warriors ever created by the Organization, would be hunted by nothing less than the very best they could throw at her. The Yoki suppression may work against the low ranking few, but against the single digits, it would do little more than make them chuckle.

Besides, there were already there.

“Oh well,” she spoke to herself, focusing on the auras already moving past the floor beneath her feet. “Can’t disappoint them.” The blonde woman pulled a chair from the far wall, moving in front of the bed her precious Clare rested on.

There was a fight coming, she didn’t doubt that at all. However, she also didn’t doubt her victory.

After all, she did have something more to fight for.

Her attention turned to the entrance of her room as the wooden door swung open. Metal clicked across the hardwood surface as the equally tall figure entered. She smiled pleasantly at the warrior.

“Yo,” Teresa replied calmly. The other woman was garbed similar to herself, wearing a suit of solid gray, covering her from neck to toe. However, she was also garbed in the protective armor plating that marked their status as warriors. Large solid steel pauldrons, thin well-trimmed faulds, and heavy metal boots, all dyed the same metallic gray. Other than that, the woman looked just like her, aside from one other physical detail.

Teresa’s hair was blonde. This woman’s was silver white.

“It’s been a while, Irene.” She spoke again, calm as ever. She knew this warrior well, from adolescence to the battlefield. They were old friends. “I’m happy you look so well.”

“I’m here for your head, Teresa.” Yep, true old friends. The silver haired woman even kept the same appearance of an emotionless ghost.

“You think you can do that?” It was a taunt, she knew, if she had ever given one before. But she had to see her friend strike first. Her entire battle strategy stemmed from it.

End

Thankfully, her baiting worked.

The wind seemed to vibrate for a moment in the air, chopping gusts of air pushing the odd furnishings of the room. It was subtle, soft, bust most definitely there.

Gashes started to grow across the room.

Large splinters of wood flew from left to right as the floor was torn apart, the ceiling ripped down, and the furniture turned to limbs. But nothing was visible. There were no marauders storming into the small confined area and wreaking havoc, no typhoon sweeping through the chamber. Nothing. Nothing but air.

“Go ahead and do your Quick Sword.” Teresa spoke boringly, despite the heavy destruction ripping through the room. “but don’t get the girl sleeping over there mixed in this.” Ever calm in the lethal environment, the tall blonde rose from her seat, looking towards the motionless silver-haired woman across from her. Despite the destruction around her, Irene had yet to move.

“Don’t worry. It will all be over by the time she wakes up.” Teresa couldn’t help but let her face be painted with a faint smile.

Her silver eyes watched the warrior, but her sense, her soul, something else. Despite how motionless Irene stood at the doorway, it was more than evident the destruction she was causing around her. To her eyes, it was an invisible force ripping through the air like a demon. To her soul, the silver-haired woman as swiping her blade through the air at speeds no eye could track.

It was how she earned her name. Quick-Sword Irene. A pity, really, against anyone else and she would outclass them by leagues.

But her foe was Teresa of the Faint Smile. The only warrior to predict movement of Yoki.

With a loud clang. The destruction ceased.

Irene gaped at Teresa.

The blonde warrior stood before her with her blade drawn, blocking the large claymore in the hand of the opposite warrior. The silver-haired warrior no longer stood at the door way, but now was hunched over near the center of the room. She was so close to hitting her target, to ending this without a moment’s hesitation.

Teresa didn’t even blink.

“What’s wrong?” The former number one mocked to her opponent. “If you're Quick Sword stops flashing, it’s useless.” Irene scowled at her opponent, jumping back before beginning her assault again. Teresa blocked every motion of the blade with all the ease of breathing.

“Well, it has improved a bit from before, but it’s still not quite enough.”

The two silver claymores danced through the air. One attempting to behead her target with every swing and the other casually, blocking every swipe. It was a mission to one, and a game for the other. But the end was the same for either victory. Teresa kept her senses moving, watching with vision beyond her eyes for every swipe of the sword that came her way.

That’s when she felt another blade

‘Below’

She quickly jumped back, flipping through the air as she avoided the blade from beneath the flooring.

“Teresa!” Clare called to her, now sitting up frightened in her bed. Any child would be. The warrior landed just behind her,  back to the window and senses trained on the opponent before her.

“Don’t move!” Her soul pushed outwards, sensing the yoki of Irene before her and the unknown warrior beneath her. “Stay still.”

‘Behind’

The window shattered behind them as third sword blew through the frame effortlessly. It never found its target, however. Teresa jumped out of the building, avoiding any danger the blade possessed, Clare ducted beneath her arm. She landed on the streets below, eyeing with her physical gaze the three warriors who had tried to kill her, all bearing similar armor, clothing, and weapons to her own.

All willing to kill.

“No thanks for sending three annoying bitches.” She muttered as she counted them with her eyes, keeping track of their movements carefully. But their eyes weren’t focused on her, the warrior who was clearly their target. They were trained to her right, their left, at something else outside her vision. Teresa turned her head to see what they were looking at, and gasped.

It was another warrior.

“There was another one?” She was young in appearance, even by the eternal standards of warriors belonging to the Organization. No, she was new, brand new. Her hair was short and barely hanging past the top of her neck. She had a small face and large forehead. Inexperienced, most likely on her first hunting trip.

So why was Teresa so nervous about her?

‘Nothing’

“Impossible, I didn’t sense her presence at all.” The warrior stared at her blankly, claymore at her side with an expression as unreadable as her Yoki aura.

“Pleased to be making your acquaintance. I am Priscilla, the new Number Two who has recently received my symbol.” That statement truly threw Teresa off.

“Number two?”

“Please forgive my rudeness, but I am here for your head, Teresa.” She certainly was blunt, no denying that.

But she was also dangerous.

Teresa could not sense the Yoki in her body, the presence of her being. It was as unknown to her as the normal humans around her. She could only see they were there with her eyes, not her senses. This was going to be a difficult fight, and it was going to be a fight.

“Stay away from me, Clare.” The child gasped softly and looked up to her, clearly nervous and frightened about doing such a thing. It was their forced separation that had caused this entire mess in the first place. Turning around, Teresa smiled down to the red gowned child. “It’ll be okay, so don’t worry. Trust what I say. I’ve told you the same before, right?”

The child smiled brightly up towards her. That was all the motivation Teresa needed to fight on. Quickly as she could, Clare left her side, hiding in the alleys between the buildings.

“You don’t have to worry about the child.” Priscilla spoke to the blonde. “When we are finished, she will be taken to the Organization.” The blonde warrior scoffed harshly at the words.

“Truthfully, I had hoped to face you one on one, but my orders are to have me and my comrades take your head.” On cue, the three other warriors from before, Irene and the two mystery warriors, joined around her.

They had circled Teresa.

“I’m sorry Teresa. But you brought this on yourself!”

The air exploded.

The land beneath the four warriors slowly crumbled beneath the force of the released Yoki, the water of the river besides that splashing in waves under the unseen force. Buildings shook, windows cracked, and nearly every other sign of coming storm were present in the town on the cloudless day.

It was a Yoki aura that was indescribable beyond the destruction it could wreck. By appearance alone, the town was shaking. Used in the hands of well-trained warriors, these well-trained warriors, even the Abyssal Ones would be wary to face.

Teresa smiled.

This wasn’t a fair fight.

It wasn’t a fair fight, not at all.

That was the thought she kept in her mind as she stood over the youngest member of her four assassins. The three others lay in quivering pain around the now near ruined city. A pity really, the villagers didn’t do anything but cheer for her when she helped them earlier. But none were dead thankfully. No man, woman, child, or Claymore. The casualty list was zero.

It would end at one. Arguably, a child.

The silver blade in her hand shined with strength above the fallen form of the short haired girl beneath her. The unfathomable strength of Yoki from before was reduced to nothing a kindling flame. A flame doused by the blood and tears of the young child who possessed it.

At such a young age, with such little experience, the child was able to force her to work harder than she ever had before. Using skills and techniques independent of her near vital Yoki sensing capability, and with a sword craft that could match nearly any warrior to date.

In the future, she would doubtlessly be a threat. With some experience, with enough battles, she would outreach Teresa of the Faint Smile, becoming a foe the likes of which the Organization had never seen before.

It was as doubtless as the rising sun.

Priscilla would someday surpass her. When that day came, she would very likely lose her the only thing that gave her life purpose.

Raising her sword above her head, she pushed the greatest of her strength into her arms, preparing to deliver the deathblow. It would be quick, painless for both Teresa and Priscilla. It would keep the former number one safe; protect the child she had broken the rules to save.

But as she kept her blade in the air, a single image kept playing through her mind.

The face of a child in tears filled her mind, holding her tall form close as she sobbed without restraint.

“Damn.”

Teresa cursed herself as the large claymore was holstered in her back. This was the first time in all of her memories she had ever put her faithful weapon away before her foe was dead. But now here she was, disarming herself in the very presence of the only enemy to ever give her a slight moment of self-doubt.

“What’s wrong with me?” She muttered as her hand pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “I must be getting soft.”

“Teresa!” She heard a youthful voice call to her, and she was only too glad to meet the oncoming child. Seeing the youth garbed in red, the self-deprecating emotions fled her.

“Clare,” she spoke kindly as she lowered herself to one knee. “Are you alright?” The child smiled eagerly as she nodded her head towards the tall blonde. She felt a smile crawl onto her own face as well, already blissfully ignorant of the battle she had just survived.

“I’m glad. Can you do me a favor now?” Teresa had to suppress the laugh that was crawling up her face at the child’s eager face and starlit eyes. “I need to make sure these warriors don’t follow us. Can you please fetch our supplies from our room.”

“Yes!” With eagerness only a child could understand, Clare took off for their inn. It gave Teresa a feeling near impossible to describe.

“That child,” she began to speak, silver eyes turning back to Priscilla beneath her. “Is the very reason I have given away everything in my life this far. My ranking, my loyalty, and now, maybe even my self respect.” It was a joke, at least it was meant to be. But no one was laughing, not even herself.

“You killed humans.” The girl spoke in a surprisingly defiant voice, one the tall blonde would not expect from such an utterly defeated foe, especially such a young one.

“I did.” Teresa admitted it without hesitation. “I killed humans to save a human. I broke a rule to save a life.”

“You killed my papa.” That… wasn’t true.

The silver-eyed woman looked back to Priscilla again, wondering not for the first time just how young this woman was. Judging by the severe lapse in memory she just had, this must be close to her first fight.

“You killed my mama and papa.” Those words were quickly becoming disturbing to the former number one of the Organization.

“You must have me mistaken for someone else.” Her tone contained nothing but apathy for the fallen warrior. “Even if, by some chance, you had a relative in the bandits that I killed, I doubt I would feel any differently.”

“But… my mama and papa are dead…” It was quite clear now the child in a woman’s body was crying in the old memory. “A Yoma killed mama, and papa laid down on me as he died too. Why did they have to die? Why did you have to kill them?”

“You’ve lost your mind.” It wasn’t a question. It was clear now that warrior before her was a child in more ways than she originally thought. A novice on the battlefield, a beginner in the art of war, and an infant in the confines of her memories. Teresa drew her claymore at speeds only few could match, pointing the deadly tool at the pitiful form of Priscilla.

“I could end your life, here and now. But I have a reason to live. You cannot take that from me.”

“You took away mine.”

In a flash she couldn’t see, at a speed she couldn’t register, Priscilla was gone. There was nothing in front of Teresa, nothing but a cobblestone road layered with blood and tears. There was literally nothing in front of her.

Not even her blades and arms.

“What?” Confusion. It was so surprising… so odd.

She never felt the next swipe of the sword.

Next Chapter: The Racer Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 23 Minutes