Author's Notes:

I've rearranged some scenes. I'm trying to refine this story so that I can possibly add another part finally. It's no guarantee yet, but you will know something for sure by October 31st.

Title: The Reason For A Name

It all started 15 years into the reign of Discord.

Sombra was was refining the plans of his invasion of the Crystal Empire. Our current base at the time was an eimlaq airship called, the Aljahim. I had arrived to receive a new mission, and though I had already heard that I would be getting an ally during this mission, which was already annoying, I was willing to serve.

I always enjoyed working for Sombra, he always sent me on the hardest missions and even offered the occasional advice. Which is why I thought it was strange when I heard that it was his idea to have me work with an ally, especially ….

******

I entered the room Sombra was in. He was sitting at a table looking through a map. Sitting beside him was the one who had raised me, the always intimidating Emperor Grogar, though I called him my grandfather. He was sitting on a throne offering advice to Sombra since Sombra was his student in the dark arts. I walked over quietly so as to not disturb them. However, this didn’t go as planned, since suddenly everything told me to move, now!

I backflipped several times to dodge a large amount of knives that had been sent at me from above. As the knives stopped falling, I pulled out my two chained kopises, getting ready for whatever came next.

Soon my attacker dropped down at me, with more knives ready in hand. I knocked them back with my kopises. Afterward, I charged at him head on, determined to brutally take off some limbs. But as I got close he went with his own backflips. He kept flipping until he reached the table. Using the edge of it, he jumped clear over me. As he reached the other side of me, he tried to slice my back, but I quickly turned around and sliced his hand clean off.

“What are you going to do now with one arm?” I gloated. I was starting to have fun with this attacker. However, that was soon cut short as Sombra spoke up.

“Okay, the battle is over. I assume you have seen enough, No. 001.”

“... Of course,” My attacker retracted and stood up straight.

My eyes widened at this. The one standing in front of me, the one who had attacked me, was No. 001. No. 001 was the one I had been told about. The one I would be working with.

“Damn it. Sombra I wished you had warned me who he was before I cut off his hand,” I complained. However, my complaints were stopped dead in it’s tracks as No. 001 showed that his hand was back. “How? I cut that off,” I whined.

“You did,” he pointed down. At that, I looked to the ground to see a small pile of ash in the shape of his hand. This just confused me even more.

I looked closely upon him as he walked over to Sombra. He stood slightly taller than me. His coat looked rotting white in color and his mane was dark green. He had reptilian like eyes, that were devoid of all color. He wore a bright neon yellow sleeved hooded cape. I tried not to blush at his well-carved physique, as under the cape he wore nothing but a pair of pants. Though, the strangest choice of his clothing was the white handkerchief over his mouth.

Sombra spoke as he arrived beside him, “No. 001 is an artificial creature that has been lent to us by Hollow Prince."

At that moment I noticed, No. 001's fists tighten at the word artificial. I thought it was strange at first, but afterward, I tuned it out as I heard the name, Hollow Prince. My eyes widened at that name. “But Hollow Prince is the adopted son of Redsting, your mortal enemy.”

“I know, and considering I killed Redsting, I find it strange too. But Hollow Prince want some sort of alliance and offered No. 001 to us as a peace offering, so I suggest we use him to our advantage. As for his hand, well, No. 001 has the uncanny ability to regenerate his limbs much like a reptile. Now your mission is to hunt down and bring in a former ally of Grogar’s, Zeb Zecobra.”

“Sounds easy to me,” I gloated.

“Well, he is not. The zebra is a master of dru--”

I tuned out the rest, knowing full well this would be easy like the other ones. I get the reason for Sombra being concerned, after all, I was just a filly. Most would consider this to be a tough mission for a mere filly, but for me, I considered it to be fun.

Soon I tuned back in as I saw that he was to finish.

“--Zeb was last seen at these coordinates.” he showed a point on the map. I walked over and looked upon it. It seemed this Zeb was very mobile, there were several targets on the map. The nearest and last one was in Yakyakistan.

“Still seems easy enough,” I joked.

“I’m serious about this,” he shot back.

Eventually, I let up and took the mission on. Though as No. 001 and I took our leave, I was called back. As No. 001 went to the exit, I went back for just a moment. Grogar wanted to say something.

“Yes, grandfather? What is it?”

“My little princess,” my eyes narrowed at that nickname he had for me. “I suspect that No. 001 was sent to spy on us. We don’t know how well Hollow Prince designed him, or even how, so to ensure that Hollow Prince doesn’t figure out what you really are, I suggest holding back your full power, unless you die again, in which case you know what to do.”

“Of course grandfather. Don’t worry, I refuse to die.”

******

We arrived at the first coordinates. The first ones led to a small town in Yakyakistan. After getting some intel, through the usual means of torture, we arrived at a small building in the center of town.

As we entered, No. 001 suddenly flew up to the ceiling. “Huh, you have wings,” I noted on his moth-like wings that pulled out of his cape.

He looked at me strangely. “What? They weren’t noticeable?”

“Well not while you’re in that sexy cape.”

He seemed to almost ignore that comment. I was a little taken back by that but decided to continue walking forward. Eventually I saw several zebra gangsters charge at me. I pulled out my chained kopises and went to swinging. Quite quickly, they started dropping. It was always fun to see the blood, guts and limbs flying around.

Eventually, there was none left. I looked up to the ceiling to see where No. 001 was. “Where in Tartarus did he go?”

Soon I heard a scream. I smiled, just hearing the sound of torture was a true delight. It seemed he found some fun. I ran towards the sound of the screams and found a small room. As I entered I saw No. 001 cutting off a stallion’s fingers one at a time. Certainly seemed like fun, but dull fun, as I had done this on way too many occasions. It’s not that his move was a bad idea, it just needed more of a kick to it.

“Hey, you left me in there on my own.” I nearly yelled at him as I walked into the room. “What are you doing anyway?” I jokingly questioned.

“Getting intel.”

“Through the slowest way possible.” I moped. I walked up to him and pushed him out of the way.

“And you know a simpler way?” he questioned.

“No, a more fun way.” I walked behind the stallion and leaned down ever so slowly.

“According to record, seduction isn’t going to work even with your ample bust size--”

I stopped his train of thought as I pulled back the stallion’s head and dug my fangs deep into his neck. No. 001 looked with wide eyes as I drank and drank so much blood. The stallion twitched uncontrollably as my mind filled with joy with each large gulp of blood that went down my throat. I continued to drain him like an orange. Sucking all the blood out until he was nothing but a husk of flesh.

After I finally finished I pulled back and licked my lips of the blood. That was good. “Wow, Blood type A+, that is always the most delicious.”

“Interesting, using his blood the gathered intel using memory magic. Usually only a hair is needed but this ways works too. Are you done?” No. 001 asked with no emotion in his voice.

“No, not yet.” At that, I pulled at the stallion’s neck at just the right angle and swiftly removed his spine. Hmm, he will make a fine trophy. “Okay, now I’m done. Zeb was seen here a few days ago, but then he left.”

“Where to?”

“The Galloping Ridge,” I jumped for joy.

“But that’s at the edge of Discord’s domain.” he spoke with strangely no fear in his voice despite the trembling I could hear in his legs.

My smile became greater, “I know isn’t it going to be fun?”

“Well let’s go,” His trembling abruptly stopped and he walked ahead me.

I took offense at that point. He continued to show no interest or even gave an expression of any kind around me. He just seemed to be getting more annoying.

******

We arrived at the Galloping Ridge. It was a sheer drop on one side. Once we got out of the small airship we borrowed, we set up camp to rest.

“So, how old are you?” he questioned as we sat up our own tents.

“Fifthteen. Why?”

“You don’t look it.”

My eyes widened, “Are you saying I look old?!”

“I’m just saying, that you should be older with that bust size.”

My eyes widened greater at those words, and my face turned bright red. I pulled my arms over my chest and yelled at him. “By Tartarus! You don’t ask a mare or filly that, damn it!!”

He turned his head slightly and kept a calm expression. “Was that question wrong?”

At that, I got so mad I grabbed one of my kopises and swung at him. He, of course, being the meany he was, jumped back. “I know you can regenerate, damn it. So don’t test me, or I’ll see if I can get away with cutting your head off.” After that, I turned away from him and looked to my tent.

“Okay, how about a different question? What are your parents like?”

Suddenly my face went white in horror. How dare he ask that question. How dare he. “That's it!!” At that I turned and threw one of my chained kopises at his head, taking it clean off his shoulders. Blood spattered everywhere as his hood fell and I pulled my chained kopises back. I grabbed my mouth instantly, as he fell to the ground, “Oh shit, oh shit.”

I ran over and saw the head fall to the ground and turned to ash. Quickly I ran back over to the body and lifted it up. “Oh damn it, you better not be dead.”

Suddenly his head grew back and I jumped back in fear. Though my fear wasn’t from his head growing back. “What in Tartarus?” I pointed towards his jaws, or should I say…. mandibles.

He quickly ran over and grabbed his handkerchief and covered his mouth back up as well as pulling his hood back on. “Don’t scream,” he said with no emotion, though he was trembling again. I instantly covered my mouth, realizing the wrong I just did.

After a moment he sat down by his unfinished tent and stopped trembling. I smiled and jumped over beside him. “You know they're not actually scary, I just didn't expect to see those things on you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really I just thought you were covering a giant mole,” I joked. “I actually think it’s pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool? Those words I never heard before used in such a way.”

“What? You never heard of cool, awesome, or incredible.”

“No…. do you consider me something like one of those words?”

I smiled and patted him on the back, “No, not even close. You're proving to be too annoying.”

“Oh.” His voice drifted.

“How did you get them anyway?” I questioned, being the curious one now.

He lifted his hand to his jaw, “From my creator, Hollow Prince. I guess you could say he is the closest thing I have to a father.”

My face deadpanned at the father.

“Do you… have a father?” He questioned.

My eyes widened and my jaw fell as I felt my legs pulled inward. I wrapped my arms around me. Damn it, why did he ask that? I’m sure he eventually noticed I wasn’t answering him.

“Is Sombra your--”

“No?!” I laughed aloud. “He just a student of my grandfather. Sombra keeps me close, because of a prophecy he’s curious about.”

“And what is it?”

I smiled greatly, “On the day I was born, there was a prophecy that stated that one day I would witness the death of the Moon.” I laughed, “Though I’m not sure how. Will I see the Moon die, or will I kill it myself? I’m unsure, but I know it’s my destiny.”

“I guess it's good to have a destiny... I failed mine.”

I looked at him confusingly, “What?”

He turned away from me and looked over to the edge. I could see trembles all over his shoulders. He spoke no more and we eventually went back to setting our tents.

******

Later while No. 001 left to get some firewood to keep us warm, I looked over to the crazy world that was Discord’s domain. From the chocolate rain to the candy cane roads, it looked pretty dang crazy, especially, the constantly flipping night and day cycle.

Eventually, I got bored like any pony would, so I cheerfully walked over to the edge of the drop. I cheerfully skipping along the edge in my bladed high heels without a second thought of fear at all. What's wrong with that? I found it to be all kinds of fun.

However next thing I knew I went for a drop. Feeling the air go past me as I fell, I almost cheered. Yet the cheer was stopped as I felt the hand of No. 001 grabbing me. “Wow, that was fast,” I joked as he was holding my hand while hanging halfway off the cliff.

“Well let’s get you back up.”

I instantly frowned at his calmness. What is wrong with this colt? Crack a smile, or frown, by Tartarus, yell at me like Sombra, or do something. He just continued to annoy me, with his passe attitude. It’s no fun if he doesn’t react.

Suddenly a smile grew on my face. “Hey? Want to know a secret?”

“... sure.” Despite the slow answering that would gave some sign of reaction there was still no reaction on his face.

“Bye.” On that I chopped of his hand again. I turned away from him and looked down toward the ground where a bed of spikes was waiting for me. My smile got bigger and i closed my eyes and waited for the fun.

Yet, nothing happened. Damn it I wanted to at least feel the edge of the spike before pulling them out, no pain, no fun… “Wait a minute I didn’t pull them out.” I thought aloud. I opened my eyes and instantly frowned to see that I was being saved by No. 001 again. Big meany, ruining all my fun. “Oh, why did you save me?”

“Oh. You wanted to keep falling.” On that, he dropped me. However as soon as he did, the bed of spikes turned into a giant pile of fluff.

“Thank you!” I shouted in annoyance as I landed.

As I laid there in the fluff annoyed again, I looked up to him as he flew back up to the top of the cliff to get the airship and bring it down. Luckily we didn’t have to worry about the airship randomly transforming or us getting noticed by Discord himself as I had placed a protection spell over us before we arrived. This made us unnoticeable among the crazy stuff of this land.

I looked away and noticed a small fire, a few hundred meters away. Pulling out my binoculars, I saw what looked like several zebras and tents, clearly, Zeb had to be there.

Once No. 001 landed the ship and got out I yelled to him, “Hey look, I found something to hunt.”

******

As we moved in quietly, I noticed something beside one of the tents, “Wait, we’ve got trouble,” I whispered as I pointed to an all too familiar weapon.

“What is that?” he questioned,

“It's a gattling horn. See you take about a hundred removed unicorn horns and attach them to a turret. Afterward, add some magic and spin the turret, and voila, you have instant rapid fire.”

“How many can you see?”

I looked around, as we continued to sneak over, “About three. What? You’ve got something planned?” I smiled.

No. 001 grabbed out one of his knives and asked me to fill it with magic. I covered it in a winter blue glow, and he threw it towards the tent that was furthest from us. It hit the gattling horn, knocking it to one side and causing it to fire erratically into the air. Several zebras left their tents to see what happened.

“Well it’s not brutal but it works, I’ll give you that much.”

Seeing our chance, we moved to the main tent, assuming Zeb had to be there. However inside we found a white stallion with an overly puffy light purple mane that hung in his face.

“Who are you two?” he questioned.

“I have no name,” I spat back, “While this is No. 001. We are here to capture Zeb. Who are you?”

“The name is Nightshade, and I have important business with Zeb.” His name seemed familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. We walked close to the table behind him.

“Well, do you know where he might be?” I questioned Nightshade.

“I don’t know, all I was told was to meet with him here.”

We got to the table and there was a map, however before we could get close enough to grab it, Nightshade suddenly took in a deep breath. And that’s when I realized it. Nightshade, wait a minute, Nightshade the Siren. I quickly turned to No. 001, “Cover your ears and get down.”

At that moment Nightshade unleashed a loud painful screech. It was so loud that it ripped apart the tent, and warned the zebras of our presence. Once he stopped he got ready to pull another one out. Luckily I manage to stop him by throwing one of my chained kopises at him. He jumped back at this and lost his breath.

Meanwhile, No. 001 grabbed the map, “I’ve got it, let’s go.”

Barely being able to hear him, I followed after him while pulling my weapon back. But as soon as we got out in the open, several zebras surrounded us. This was not good. What made things worse was now Nightshade had a full breath once more. “Well shit, how could this get any crazier?” I questioned.

“How could this get any crazier?” suddenly a new voice spoke with a distinct chuckle as pink clouds filled the sky.

“Oh great,” I pouted at that voice.

The voice continued, “After all this is my domain and craziness is my forte.”

On that the entire ground began to shake, as candy canes rose up and surrounded me and No. 001, separating us from the zebras and Nightshade. The land that we were on began to rise into the air while the ground they were on transformed into chewing gum. With them now trapped, the owner of the voice decided to show himself to us in a puff of smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal Discord.

“Well hello, Spirit of Chaos here. What can I do for you two?” Discord questioned as he flew around us.

“We are looking for a zebra called Zeb--”

“Zeb Zecobra,” he stopped flying at that moment. “You mean to tell me, that annoying drug lord is here in my domain.”

“Yes?” I confusingly looked at him. "Damn it, I knew I should've paid more attention to what Sombra was telling me."

"Wait, you know Sombra?" he questioned.

Soon our conversation was interrupted by a loud screech. I covered my ears and looked down to see Nightshade using his banshee screams to slowly break free from the chewing gum ground. “Look Discord.”

He looked down to see Nightshade. “Oh no you don’t,” at that Discord snapped his fingers and Nightshade's mouth was zipped shut. “Looks like it might be time to go.” He snapped his fingers again and before I could protest, we were gone.

******

Soon we appeared far from there. I was about to complain, when without warning me and No. 001 fell from the sky, for about a moment. Discord quickly caught us on his back and started flying us around.

“So where to?” he questioned. I looked at him confusingly. “I know one of you has a map.”

At that No. 001 grabbed out the map. “Hmm strange, I can’t quite read this.”

“Wait what? Let me see it.” I grabbed it from his hand and took a look at it for myself. “What the? This looks like gibberish.” Discord grabbed it out of my hand and took his own look.

“This isn’t gibberish, this is the language of the light alicorns.”

“Can you read it?” questioned No. 001.

“Of course, I studied it for centuries before becoming the Spirit of Chaos.”

“Why are you even helping us?” I questioned.

“Because I have never liked Zeb and his twisted drugs. So the sooner you find him, the sooner I can get him out of my domain.” he bousted. "Plus you said you're allies of Sombra, and he's an old friend of mine."

He looked closely into the map. At one point phasing his head through it. “Hmm, well this is going to take a few hours for you to reach him.”

“What?! A few hours! Can’t you just poof us there?”

“No, because according to the map, he’s going to meet with somepony in a Chaos proof area, hidden deep in a cave. Now I could poof you two as close as possible, but then you two might end up being buried underground.”

My heart ached at the idea. “There's no way I’m getting buried again,” I whined. No. 001 looked right at me.

I looked away from him and huffed. “Just get us as close as possible without burring us.”

On that, he snapped his fingers and we found ourselves near a cave. “This is as far as I can take you.”

We got down from his back and looked at the cave. I could feel my fear rising. “How do we know we will be going the right way?”

Discord dropped the map to our feet, “I translated the map into normal language.”

“Okay,” No. 001 picked up the map. He walked over and grabbed my hand. No. 001 walked me into the cave, seemingly not noticing my fear rising.

Soon we entered the cave, and as we got deep, I started to breathe heavily as flashbacks began to hit me. I quickly pulled away from No. 001 and moved a few feet back. On that, he stopped moving. He turned back to me, looking curiously. “Something wrong--”

At that moment, I heard no more as I fell to the ground and blacked out.

******

I found myself floating in black space, all the fear twitching in me. Soon I saw a light. Eventually, I found myself in a hospital room as a baby that had just been born. I looked to see my mother. She was holding me in her arms. Her mane, was just the same color mine use to be before I started dying it red. She looked scared at my face. I saw tears fall from her face in a torrent of emotion. I was confused. What happened?

Soon I got my answer as I heard a stallion’s voice speak, “I’m sorry we couldn’t save this one.”

It was at that moment she held me close with more tears. letting out all her pain and sorrow. As she did I looked around and didn’t see my father anywhere. Why was he not here too?

However, that answer soon came, as my mother spoke, “First I lost him, now I lose you.”

Eventually the whole area changed, and I found her putting me in the wooden box. A horrible wooden box. I tried to scream to her, “I’m not dead. Please mother, don’t put me in there I’m not dead!!” yet she couldn't hear me. I saw the lid closing as I screamed louder. “I’m not dead!! I’m not dead!!”

As the lid fully closed, the black space returned. I continued to scream in vain. Over and over I screamed a loud and nopony could hear me at all. I started to kick at the wooden box. Dirt filled the box with each kick. I struggled and continued to kick. Eventually, the dirt covered my face. Soon silence was all that could be heard as I laid there for what felt like years, unable to move at all.

However, through the silence, I began to hear a voice. “Selena Moondie, wake up.”

I fought toward the voice and through the dirt that was covering me. I found my way and began to climb out of the dirt. Soon I reached the surface and saw a faint image of my grandfather standing at the foot of a grave that had my original name, before waking up.

******

I jumped up as I woke. I looked around, Who had been calling me Selena Moondie? I wondered. Suddenly I saw that I was still underground. This brought panic out of me. However, that instantly stopped as I felt No. 001 holding me down.

Soon I calmed down and he let go. “Are you okay now?” he questioned with the calmest face.

I grabbed my head, as it ached, “Yeah. How long was I out?”

“Three hours.”

“Three hours!”

“Don’t worry I carried you while you were out, so we wouldn't lose time.”

“Oh,”

I got up and looked around. We were in a round area of the cave. I still felt the fear trying to crawl over me. No. 001 noticed that I was trembling, so he walked back over and grabbed my hands. “Are you going to faint again?” he questioned.

My eyes widened at that. In that moment I pushed back his hands and said, “No, I will not.”

“So are we going then?”

On that, I fell to my knees, “I’m not moving. This mission is just too hard,”

“What?!” he looked with great confusion. “I was told that you have taken on many missions. Most deemed too dangerous for one so young. And now this is too hard.”

“Well, I’m not so special. Unlike you. Born perfect right?”

He pulled back at those words. “But I’m not special. I failed. I’m not perfect.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes, I was artificially created, through splicing the DNA of several different creatures in a liquid tank. But here are twenty more like me back at Hollow Prince’s base, maybe more. The only thing that separates me from those is the fact that I can kill without remorse. And so can you.” He kneeled down to meet my eyes. “In you sleep you mention three words over and over.”

“What?” I wanted to back away from him but I found myself standing still.

“Let me out. You kept say it over and over.” He looked down almost like he was trying… trying to emote. I don’t know why but it look like he was struggling. “I think you say it because you never want to give up.”

I looked down at those words but soon smiled, “Yeah. I guess you're right.”

He got up at that point and held out his hand. “Now let’s go capture this zebra and bring him back to Sombra.”

I hesitated for only a moment before grabbing his hand. “Let’s go.”

******

Soon we arrived at the spot where Zeb would be at. At that spot was a tent. We quickly and quietly walked inside, only to find Zeb asleep. I gave the maddest face. After all, we had gone through only to find him sleeping. I got so angry that I walked over and punched him in the gut, hard.

“What the? Why did you punch me?” he spoke in a heavy jamacian accent.

“This is what you have been doing, sleeping!!” I yelled.

“What can I say? I like to sleep.”

I grabbed him by the neck of his fluffy magenta cobra skin hood and pulled him up. “Well, no more sleeping. We are leaving.”

“Wait how did you even find me?”

“With this map,” answered No. 001.

He suddenly looked in confusion, “Wait a minute, this isn’t mine, mine’s right beside me.” He pointed to the map beside his bed.

At that moment the tent was ripped out of the ground by a minotaur. We jumped back at that moment and quickly moved away from the spot we were in while dragging Zeb with us.

As soon as we were far enough away, I kicked him out of the way. “Stay here and out of our way.” Afterward, I and No 001 walked over to them slowly. “Look, what do you want with Zeb?”

The minotaur smiled at that. Soon several stallions walked out from behind him. “Well stallions, you know what we are here for?”

Well that gave us no answers. I thought as they charged at us.

As four of them went after me, I quickly pulled my kopises out and threw them, stabbing one, while the other dodged. As the one that had dodge got close to me, I backflipped and pulled on my chains pulling one of the kopises to me. I smiled as the kopis stabbed into the stallion’s shoulder. Blood splattered everywhere as I laughed, landed and walked over. As the other looked in shock I pulled out my kopis and began to beat the weapon into his chest, “Die, die, die,” I laughed aloud.

However, my laugh was cut short as another stallion grabbed me from behind, trapping me. Soon the other one charged at me with a sword ready. Obviously, he was going to stab me right through. There was no way I was going to let that happen as I looked to the stallion behind me. Using him as leverage I lifted my legs into the air and stabbed the charging stallion in the throat with my bladed high heels. Pulling back just right, I brutally ripped his head off.

Though I had killed that one, there still was the other one that was holding me. I struggled as I dropped my legs to the ground. “Let me go, you mean ass,” I whined. I looked down as he ignored me.

As he held me I looked to see No. 001 fighting off some other stallions. He worked so well and efficiently at taking down way more stallions than I just did. I wondered maybe there was more to this calm style of fighting he used. I decided to try it. I calmed myself with deep breaths. “What is this? Is the filly giving up?” I heard the stallion question.

Once I was calm enough, I knew what to do. “No, I’m not giving up. I’m getting hungry.” At that, I spanned around and bit down into the stallion’s neck, and began feasting on his blood. It was just as delicious as I expected as it went down my throat, filling my mind with so much joy. However as soon as I pulled back and he let go, my mind was hit with an unexpected memory.

******

The minotaur’s group was talking with Nightshade and a being of pure light. “How is this going to go?” said the minotaur.

“The map I placed should lead them here,” said Nightshade.

“Remember the target is not Zeb or the filly, but No. 001,” said the being of pure light.

******

At that moment I looked towards the minotaur that was leading them. Time seem to almost slow as I saw him charging toward No. 001 with horns ready to skewer. My mind went on autopilot and next thing I knew I found myself running over and knocking No. 001 out of the way at the right moment.

It was certainly the right moment to save No. 001, though I had no idea why I would even try to save him. However I knew right there, everything went to shit, as the horns impaled through my chest instead.

The minotaur swung me around and then threw me to the side. As I fell to the ground, No. 001 caught me in his arms, “No Selena Moondie!”

I looked up at him. What? It was you who called me that name?

I continued to look at him, as time seem to stand still. He is still so calm. Damn it, he makes no sense. Frown, crack a smile, do something. Suddenly I felt his arms trembling. “Hey, don’t be scared, Cult Race.” I didn’t even know why I said such a thing. Where did I come up with such a terrible name? And why? His original name seemed okay enough.

His eyes widened at that, “Why did you call me that?”

“Because--”

******

The filly said no more as she lost consciousness. The minotaur laughed as No 001 placed the filly far from the battle and then moved back. “Wow, I can’t believe I hit the wrong target,” the minotaur facepalmed, before getting ready to finish the battle. “Now let's try this again,” he charged. As he did the being of pure light looked down from above them all.

‘That fool. Looks like I will have to reverse time to save the filly,’ he lifted his hand to do so. However, he stopped as he saw something near impossible happen. His eyes widened as the minotaur hit nothing.

“Where did he go--” Instantly the minotaur was interrupted as No. 001 appeared behind him, grabbed his arm and brutally ripped it off, shoulder blade included.

The rest of the group backed away as they saw the blood fly. The being of pure light looked intrigued with this new development. ‘Hmm, looks like I was right about this one.’ On that, he took his leave.

No. 001 then took the arm and swung it like an axe. Using the shoulder blade he hit the minotaur in the stomach. Pulling back just right, he ripped the minotaur’s stomach wide open, spilling his guts all over the ground. As the minotaur fell, No. 001 began to beat the arm into him over and over.

The others ran, only to be suddenly cut down by an unexpected attacker. A scythe dropped down and sliced their heads clean off. The attacker revealed himself to be King Sombra. As he finished he looked to No. 001, seeing him still hacking at the dead body of the minotaur.

He walked over to No. 001, stopping him, “No. 001, the battle is over.”

No. 001 stopped, yet he was still trembling. “He killed Selena Moondie.”

This wording confused Sombra. That is until he realized who No. 001 meant. He looked at the filly, “You know that’s not her real name.”

“She said she had no name, so I had to call her something.”

Sombra walked over to her smiled. “She has never liked her real name. So, half the time I didn’t know what to call her. And to think her parents had put so much work into that name. I knew them well. I told them I would keep an eye on her, knowing that Grogar could not be trusted. Sometimes as I watch her, I see her as my own child.”

“Doesn’t matter, she’s dead,” he said with a strangely calm and empty voice.

Sombra smiled at that, “No she's not. She refuses to die. It’s her nature gift.”

This only confused No. 001 even more as he walked over. Sombra used his magic to bring over all the dead bodies around the filly. “I’m sorry about this.”

“About what--”

At that moment Sombra knocked No. 001 out cold. “That. Okay, Selena Moondie is it, he is out, you can wake up now.”

On that word the dead bodies began to glow maroon and lift into the air. Sombra lifted his scythe and threw it. Without warning, it grabbed Zeb and pulled him over.

“Let me go, mon,” he complain.

“No, Grogar wants to see you.”

Zeb looked scared as he could be at Sombra. However soon something else sent, even more, shivers down his spine, as he began to hear screams all around him. “What is that noise?”

“Oh, that would be Selena Moondie returning back from the afterlife. Luckily her wounds were small, or she would have needed more bodies.”

“What is she doing?” Zeb questioned.

“So you haven’t noticed her cutie mark yet, have you?”

“No?” he trembled even more as he soon saw the most grotesque things happening to the bodies around them.

“She received it on the day she tore herself out of that coffin. It means soul eater.”

******

<No. 001 POV>

I woke up hours later in a bed, in what I assume must have been Sombra’s base. I saw Selena Moondie resting in a chair beside the bed I was on. I sat up quietly so as not to disturb her. I looked at her, I noticed that this was the perfect time to analyze her. Mind report, though I have still no conclusion as to what species she is, I have noticed that she is very powerful. She has a gray coat and a short red mane that seems to hang in front of her eyes. She seems to prefer wearing a dark purple turban, and a blood stained dark purple cape, as well as a bright red arabian robe. Once I was done making my report, I decided to wake her. “Selena Moondie, time to wake up. I saw you die.”

“Like Sombra said, I refuse to die,” she timidly opened her winter blue eyes.

“This is impossible. You just can’t refuse to die.” I found her words very illogical.

“Like it matters Cult Race. Come on, get up. Hollow Prince has sent another doppelganger here to pick you up,” she got up from her chair as I got up from the bed. “By the way, I heard that you ripped off that minotaur's arm and started using it like a makeshift axe.”

“You did. Did you find it to be awesome?” I questioned, hoping I was using the wording right.

“Well,” she turned her head away from me. I could have swore that I had saw a little red on her face as she turned her head. “Yeah, it was brutally cool.”

I looked confusingly at her. This wording was strange, I would still have to take more time to get used to it before I could use it right.

Soon she turned her head back, “Look, I’m sorry about being so complaining about your calm style. It really helped me out during that last battle. By Tartarus, if I hadn’t drank that stallion’s blood then I wouldn’t have ever known about their plan. Though I'm still confused about that being of pure light that he was talking to in the memory.”

“A being of pure light?” I looked confusingly. “I wonder if this is the same being of pure light that Hollow Prince mentioned to me one time.”

“Huh, are you saying that Hollow Prince knows what that being was?”

“I don’t know, but he has mentioned his plans involving some being of pure light that was mentioned in some myths. The myths speak of a being of pure light that has command over all light and time.” I didn’t know why I was suddenly giving away such classified intel to her. This was the second time I had done this. And yet I still didn’t know why. Why her? Did I… trust her?

“You mean like an Ideal God?”

My eyes widened at that. I was trying to keep that part hidden, but somehow she already knew of such beings as Ideal gods. “How did you know their proper term?”

“Well, I shouldn’t let this slip, but my grandfather, Grogar is an Ideal God. So I know they aren’t myth.”

“Hmm, interesting. Could you tell me more?”

“Sorry Cult Race, but I already let too much slip. My grandfather will be really mad at me if I gave too much of our own classified intel,” she winked at me, almost knowing that I was hiding stuff as well.

Soon we left the room. I was curious on why she was calling me Cult Race. “Why that name?” I questioned as we walked down the hallway.

“Because I heard what you said. You gave me a new name, I thought I would do the same. Plus it’s better than calling you by a number.”

“But what does it mean?”

“Simple, you were created by a cult that was racing to perfection. So Cult Race. Why did you call me Selena Moondie?"

"You said you have no name, so I had to call you something. I thought back to your origins and the prophecy and the words just came to my mind."

"Oh sure, that explains the Moondie part. But why Selena?"

"It means the Moon."

This seemed to annoy her. "What?! So you're calling me after that Princess Luna I hear so much about from Sombra."

"No, it fits well with the prophecy. You said it would lead to you either witnessing the death of the Moon or you making it happen. So odds are, you are eternally connected to the Moon, just like the princess. And I think it sounds.... cute on you. Yeah, I think that's the word." I wasn't for sure that that was the word I was looking for at all. I just felt for some reason this wording would make her not be annoyed. Though instead she seemed even more annoyed as she punched me in the arm and then turned her face away as it became slightly red again. Why does her face keep turning red? It never did that before. Well except for that one time, though I think that was mostly me making her angry. Is she angry with me now? No, she is smiling. What is it then?

Eventually, we got to the room where Sombra was at. As we walked in I noticed one of my sibling doppelgangers No. 021 waiting for me. I walked over to him, as he turned to Sombra, “We will take our leave now.”

“Tell me, No. 021 is it? Why couldn’t Hollow Prince himself show up?” Sombra questioned. “I mean, No. 001 is his creation, shouldn’t he be here? I have been dying to meet him. Honestly, it’s hard to keep a partnership with him not showing up. I don't even know what he looks like.”

It almost felt like Sombra was lying with that comment. But why? What is Sombra’s ploy? What is he after?

“Hollow Prince has much work to do. But he does send his regards, and hopes this alliance can continue.” On that, we turned to the exit.

“Goodbye, Cult Race.” Selena Moondie waved at me.

I looked back and saw her with a frown. This confused me. I had seen her happy, angry and annoyed, but she was frowning strangely. This strange frowning seemed different from her other frowning that clearly meant her being annoyed or angry. Was this new frown, sadness? These emotions ponies have are so confusing. I decided to wave back, “See you soon, Selena Moondie.”

******

A day later, we arrived back at the Túr solais, a tower that was ten stories tall. As we landed I noticed a storm beginning to brew a few miles from the tower. We got past guards and entered the base. Entering what looked like a normal office building on the inside, we walked down a long hallway filled with invisible scanners. After that, an opening at the end of the long hallway revealed itself. Beyond there was the main room.

Once we enter the main room, we were greeted by two blank doppelganger guards that had no faces or any other features. They took us through a disinfected hall. After getting sprayed they escorted us as far as the elevator. Grabbing out our hands, metal knives pulled out of the walls and took a blood sample from each of us. After giving our blood samples we entered the elevator as the doors opened, while the two blank doppelganger guards stayed behind.

The elevator took us five hundred stories deep underground. So far down, that not even the biggest explosive of the time could not get anywhere near us. As we exited, we entered a large clean room that a right up cylinder shape to it. Along the walls were several floors of tanks of liquid. Some had doppelgangers in them, and some didn’t. Some doppelgangers were blank slates, devoid of any features, while other doppelgangers were fully made with faces and all.

The room itself was mostly dark. The only light was from the green glow of the tanks. In the center was a floating throne, that somehow floated with a form of ancient technology. On the throne was my creator, Hollow Prince. It was too dark to see us or him, yet he knew we were there, as we knew he was there.

He did not need to see us, for he had not needed the light for a long time. “You may leave us, No. 021. I wish to talk to No. 001 alone.” On that my sibling walked over to the throne, pulled out a slit out of the back of his skull and held it out. Using his magic, Hollow Prince took the slit in a ghostly white aura, to which he brought the slit over to his hand.

Afterwards, No. 021 went back to his tank for sleep as Hollow Prince placed the slit in a hole in one of the arms of the throne. I looked curiously as he removed one of his gloves. Soon the arm of the throne, from before pushed out the slit and stabbed it into his exposed hand. The front arms of the throne glowed slightly, as the intel from the slit fed into Hollow Prince’s mind. “You like it?” he questioned me. “It’s the latest addition to my wonderful creations. It allows me to see what they see. Such a perfect blessing for such a being as myself. To see once again, even if it is with another's eyes. I just put it in the latest batch.” He hummed with delight as the feed continued. “Sometimes I miss being able to see what the world looks like to me.”

After a moment I got more curious as to why Hollow Prince wanted to talk to me. I tried to ask but then stopped. Soon he finished watching the feed of intel as indicated by the smell of Hollow Prince’s now bloody hand as he pulled it off the slit and the slit pulled itself back into the throne. “So tell me No. 001, what have you found out? What is she? What is this Selena Moondie?” he questioned as he cleaned off his now healed hand and placed his glove back on.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t able to find out a thing about her.” It was strange, I found myself lying, and I didn’t know why. “She is a confusion to me. She so emotional. It makes no sense. I can’t figure it out.”

“No surprise,” Hollow Prince chuckled. “No. 001, when I created you, you showed that you had no emotions. This is one of the reasons I wanted you to go on this mission. I had hoped she would spark something out of you, and you wouldn’t be a complete failure,” he waved his arms about, before dropping them. “But it seems I was wrong. You are still emotionless, completely broken. Enough for now, head back to your tank, No. 001. Maybe the next batch of doppelgangers will do better.”

Suddenly everything told me to ignore him. “No.”

“What?” He crossed his arms clearly in annoyance. “I command you No. 001 to go back to your tank.”

“No, my name is not No. 001.”

He laid his arms to rest on the arms of the throne. He remembered back to the feed he watched. “Then what is your name?”

“Cult Race."

"That's the name she called you. Why choose this name? Why not a proper name? If you want a different name, I could offer much better choices. One Eternal, Prima First, Uno Alpha, even Aon Star. Why such a fake name?"

Suddenly my eyes widened at those words. “Faker.”

He smiled, “Oh, that's right, you don’t like the word faker. What were those words my changeling scientists called you? Oh yes, Artificial Perfection. Or as you put it, before chopping them up, Faker Flawless.”

My fists clenched at that point. I began to tremble. "I choose the name Cult Race because she gave me that name, and I gave her, her new name as well.” Soon magic began to surge around me. This magic looked very different from other forms. This was the same type of magic that I used against the minotaur.

Hearing me trembling, he instantly knew what was happening. “Hmm, are you getting angry? Impossible since you have no emotions. You are a failed experiment. The only reason I didn’t dematerialise you beforehand was because of your killer instinct. I wanted the perfect being, but instead I got the perfect killer.” He noticed that I was still trembling. “Fine, enough. Cult Race head back to your tank”

“No, you say I have no emotions. Then tell me, why was I trembling when she nearly died in my arms? Tell me why am I trembling now? Tell me what is real emotions?" At that, everything told me to leave now. "I'm leaving."

"What? I said go back to your tank. NOW!" he raised his hand to me. “That’s an order.”

Soon I felt the pull of his command over me. It was telling me to obey, but I didn’t want to. "No." The magic emanating from me swung at him. Unfortunately, he blocked it without a single movement. It was like the attack was nothing to him, but an annoyance.

“You seemed to have somehow gained access to some unusual magic. But you are no master at it.” At that moment he shot his own blast at me. I jumped back as he continued, “I, as your creator command you to obey and head back to your tank.”

Suddenly I no longer felt his pullover me. His command was now nothing at all. On that I walked to the door, ignoring his words. As I got to the door, Hollow Prince held his arm out to the tanks. Some of the tanks opened. “No. 024, No. 025, No. 014, No. 019. Take No. 001 back to his tank NOW!!”

I looked to see the other four charge at me. I quickly cut them down, without killing them. This seemed to confuse me and Hollow Prince. But I no longer thought any further as I chose to leave as quickly as possible.

Going up the elevator, I notice the speed decreasing. It was at that point I realized that Hollow Prince was stopping the elevator. I pulled out my wings and jumped to the ceiling. I ripped open a hole in the elevator. Afterward, I flew upwards through the shaft.

Soon the doppelgangers that I didn’t kill caught up with me. I flew up faster, trying to get away from them. As I got fifty floors up, the alarms suddenly went off.

“Intruder. Intruder. We have an intruder.” said the speakers.

“Is somepony breaking in, while I’m breaking out?”

Without warning, somepony ripped the top elevator door off and flung it down the shaft. I barely dodged it as it fell past me and hit the doppelgangers.

However with the alarms going off the bolt doors began to close below me. I flew faster to dodge them and not get trapped. But as I reached about half way, I was stopped by a door blocked.

I looked at my failure as I landed. Soon a stream could be seen on a nearby wall. “Look I don’t know how you pulled that off, but no doppelganger can fight my command!!” Hollow Prince yelled at me through the stream.

“I refuse to work for you anymore.”

“Oh really,” He smiled. “I’m turning off the alarm and sending my newest batch up there to kill you.” He began pressing buttons on his throne. “What is confusing me, though, is when did you plan this little breakout?”

This wording confused me. I didn’t plan any of it. I was going on impulse. But why? Suddenly I heard an explosion, followed by the power going out and the stream disappearing. After a moment I heard the sound of large amounts of metal being ripped apart.

“What is th--” I was stopped as something ripped through the bolt door above me. I looked in confusion to see a blade-like bone ripping through the metal.

Afterwards light poured through as the blade-like bone cut a large hole into the bolt door. “Hey, Cult Race is he gone?”

My eyes widened at that voice, “Yeah, the streamed stopped. Is that you Selena Moondie?”

“Yes it is,” she laughed as she dropped down

"How did you do that?" I looked confusingly at her.

"Sombra told me to sort of go ponynap you. It seems he likes your tactics and style. He wishes for you to join a league of assassins he is forming. He is going to be calling it, A.N.T.I.."

"Okay, that explains why you are here. But you didn't answer my question. How did you rip through solid metal and do that?" I pointed up.

She looked up, obviously noticing the same thing I was. The big holes in all the bolt doors, leading all the way to the top floor. She looked back at me, her face red again. "Because I wanted to show you something."

At that, she pulled up her blood stained dark purple cape for but a moment. This unveiled her little secret to me. On her back were two bone like limbs protruding from closed flesh, where wings would usually be. They were long, sharp and strong, yet lightweight and clearly built for speed as well as flight. "Hmm so that was what you were hiding. And this whole time I thought you were some sort of alicorn. It seems I was wrong."

“Yeah, these are my wings. I had them hidden through an invisibility spell. Now come on, hurry up and decide. I’m not sure how long the thunderstorm will keep Hollow Prince’s systems down. Will you join us?”

Everything I had heard told me not to. She was dangerous. She served the side of darkness. She served the stallion who killed my creator’s father. And everything right now inside me told me to give her an answer. Something, anything.

Soon she grabbed my hand, “Well Cult Race, what’s your answer?”

“Yes. Yes, I will join you, Selena Moondie.”

“Yeah,” she jumped up and down. Eventually, she stopped. “Sorry. Oh hold on a minute,” she pulled out a gem and used her magic on it. Soon a stream came up. “Hey, Uncle Arabus, you can turn off the thunderstorm now.”

“Argh, I hear you loud and clear.” spoke a distinct deep norse voice.

Once she was finished, she put away the gem. She then looked at me with a smile,

“I had wondered how the power went out,” I noted.

“Yeah, that was my uncle, the blizzard titan. Well, he’s not really my uncle, I just call him that…..” Her words began to drift as I noticed her leaning toward me strangely. “Shall we go?”

“Sure.”

******

As the two flew out of the tower, holding hands once more, the Ideal God of light and time watched them. "You are certainly a confusion, Cult Race. You unknowingly have a bloodlust, and you don't know how to quench it. I worry the longer you stay with her, the more vicious you will become. I worry for you, but I also worry for her. She has no idea how dangerous truly you are. And yet neither of you have yet to notice the connection that has been made. A connection that all started with a name. How simple can that be? I will continue to watch you. You're not quite ready to be given my offer, though that near lightning step you used in the battle showed that you are close. I’ll have to run more tests."

******

Back down in the at the bottom floor, Hollow Prince sat in his floating throat with his hands together. His mind wandered on what to do. Soon his mind came upon something. He pressed a button on his throne and spoke into an intercom, "D-Reaper, contact Chernabog. Tell him, I have a mission for him."

THE END.