Oryx

A few hours have passed since Didact and I had saved the six from the Windigoes, an they were currently asleep as I looked up at the stars.

"Trying to take everything in?" Didact asked as he walked up beside me.

"Yes," I replied. "Not even a day ago we were still human. Now, we are in an anthro version of a little girl's show." I shook my head. "To think we have become that low."

"Maybe," Didact said. "But on the bright side, this version of it is practically putty in our hands, now, given how far back we landed. Shame Alad didn't land with us. He'd love it here."

I chuckled as I brought my vision back to the ground. "That he would. I wonder what happened to him."

"Who knows," Didact said. "Maybe he was sent to another version of this forsaken universe, and is having the time of his life right now. He did start glowing just be fore we were sent here, after all."

"Then we can only hope we come across his. . .what did he call those things displaced use to crossover? Tokens?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Then we can only hope we find his token in the future, assuming we do not find him here," I said. "Shame the only actual royalty here is an insult to that term, if what I remember from that forced marathon is any indication."

"Like we haven't done worse?" Didact asked.

"I think you mean the original versions of who we are now, but fair point," I replied. "So, what should we do when those six wake up?"

"I think that will epend on how they physically feel," Didact said. "But probably see if there are any heirs to the unicorn throne. If not, make Platinum think you'd be the best choice for next ruler. For me? Well, I'm a general, a higher rank than Commander, so I could probably use that for the pegasai. After that, we work on a treaty with the actual ponies."

I chuckled. "Any backup plans for that, my friend?"

"A few," Didact replied. "One being the cliche of killing them, returning to their home, and telling the others that we rescued the leaders from a tragic threat, but died from injuries, and appointed us as the next to lead. Honestly, that one has the lowest chances of working for I think obvious reasons."

"Any that do not involve killing them?"

"Does removing their wills count as killing?"

I looked at him in as much a deadpan as I could, to which he just held up his hands. "Joking," he said. "You know I have a very weird sense of humor."

"Yes," I replied. "But do not do that again. In al seriousness, though, backup plans that don't involve killing them?"

"I could try to brainwash them like the original Didact from the games did to the Covenant."

"What makes you think it was brainwashing?"

"The force mind trick handwave and the fact the Covenant just stopped fighting," he replied.

I was silent for a time. "I think it best if we improvise if the original plan fails."

"If you say so. You getting tired?"

"No," I replied. "The Darkness sustains me. You?"

"Armor systems handle basic body functions, meaning I don't need to or rarely have to sleep, and can even go without food for some time," he replied. "Gonna be a long night for us."

"Indeed it will be," I replied. "Other than your Scattershot, do you have any weapons?"

"Simply my mind and armor."

And from there, the two of us continued to talk about our circumstances until the sun began to rise, which brought a question to my mind. "I'm curious as to when that sun pony will appear."

"You mean Celestia?" Didact asked. "Who knows. Hopefully, though, she won't give us trouble."

"And if she does, I am quite certain we can defeat her," I replied, and we were in silence for a few more minutes before we heard groans behind us.

"Sounds like they're waking up," Didact commented. "Time to meet the other royalty, Oryx."

"Joy," I said sarcastically, and the two of us made our way to where we had set up temporary camp that the ponies were currently in. Just as we reached it, we heard shouts and pony racial slurs flying, including 'dirt horse', 'cloud brain', and an admittedly unexpected one. 'Horn whore.' Not really sure what that says about the unicorns of this time, considering the tension between the three races.

Anyway, we arrived in the camp area just as the three leaders started to come to blows. "On it," Didact said before raising his hand in a grabbing manner, which caused the three leaders to stop moving.

"Unless you wish for another ice storm that could exterminate your entire race," I said, getting their attention, "I suggest you stop fighting, and talk civilized."

"And why should we listen to you freaks!?" the pegasus asked.

"Because two reasons," Didact said. "My friend here just so happens to be a king, making him higher rank than the unicorn, and, given what we know of your society, on par with the earth pony. And I am a general. Thus, I am your superior, so I order you to stand down."

"Why should I list-" Hurricane began before he began to feel pressure squeezing him on each side.

"Because unlike you, I do not need to touch you to harm you," Didact said. "Now, either all three of you act civilized with the negotiations we are going to start, or we'll usurp you here and now."

I looked at him from the edge of my vision, but knew the threat wasn't going to happen, as it was Hurricane who, surprisingly, conceded first. "If you say so," he said before begrudgingly adding, "sir."

"Good," Didact said. "And of you two?"

"I don't see why we can't be civilized about this," Platinum said. "Assuming you uncultured-"

"One more word along those lines, and I'll take your throne," I said, having the edge of Willbreaker to her throat. I never liked characters like this archetype. I then looked at the other two. "The same goes for any of you. If you so much as even say an insult out of habit, you will lose your heads. Understood?"(1) They nodded. "Good. Release them, Didact."

"Right," he said. With that, he released them from his telekinetic grip, making the three of them drop to the ground as I brought Willbreaker back under my hands, the very bottom of the hilt under my right hand, which was under my left, the top of the blade digging into the ground. "So, then I believe this would best be started by making clear border lines for this land."

"Are you sure of that, Didact?" I asked. "Maybe it'd be better if they had no boundaries between the ponies, and only between other races, such as the griffons."

"You want us to be one nation with these-" Platinum started before I glared at her "-farmers and soldiers? The unicorns won't stand for it."

"And how do you know that, Princess?" Puddinghead asked. "I've talked with some of my ponies, and they'd actually be willing to make one nation if it meant your people would stop messing with the temperature."

"Actually," I said, heading off another argument before it could start, "it was creatures called Windigoes- creatures born from the mistrust and hate your three races gave off towards each other. And before you wish to exterminate the other two, that will bring even more, and they care not who they kill with their ice and cold."

This caused the three to look at me with surprise. "What happened, then, seeing as how the place isn't frozen?" Platinum asked.

"I killed them," I replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Then I suppose," the unicorn princess said, "you have my thanks."

"Mine, too," Hurricane begrudgingly said.

"Same," Puddinghead.

"And it seems you three can agree on something," Didact said. "That's an excellent step. But I believe there's something else that needs to be said."

A few seconds of silence passed. "And I thought Jake was stubborn," Didact muttered., talking about one of our old friends from before we came here.

"So, you three are not even going to try and bring peace, which in and of itself would stop the Windigoes from attacking?" I asked.

"Yeah, my soldiers aren't really going to like me saying we have to make a treaty with these two," Hurricane said. "Only way they'd be fine with it is if one of these two beat me in hand to hand combat. And I think we can agree that princess isn't one for fighting.

"In that, he's correct," Platinum said, which made me and Didact look at each other.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked him.

"Depends," he replied. "You thinking of challenging Hurricane to a fight that he loses on purpose after giving one hell of a show, which would make me the leader?"

"Exactly," I replied. I then looked at the princess. "And how would the unicorns feel about it?"

"They wouldn't bother trying to be nice to those two or their ponies," she replied. "And, much as I hate to admit it, if i instituted a rule saying they had to be nice, they'd overthrow me."

"I may have an idea for that," Didact said. "But I'll need a parchment, a quill, and a spell to make a document look old and faded." Yeah, I wasn't the only one who looked at him, wondering what he was planning.

"What are you planning?" I asked.

"Simple," Didact said. "Make you a long-lost, long lived king who is still alive."

Author's Notes:

1:Sometimes, you need to be tough to bring about peace.