Four months later – Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner; 9:00am

The winter season has come as the first signs of snow start to drift down upon the streets of Ponyville; while today is a light amount of snowflakes, the cold wind has kept many of its inhabitants to stay indoors. Inside Sugarcube Corner, all of Twilight’s friends and some of their siblings – Applebloom and two other fillies – celebrate her nineteenth birthday of December 3, with treats, games, and a cake prepared by Pinkie and the Cakes. The group of friends began to sing the happy birthday song to Twilight until she blow the candles from her cake.

“Haaappy birthday, tooooo youuuu!” said everyone, singing.

“Blow your cake Twilight!” said Spike. Soon the unicorn blew all nineteen candles, as everyone celebrated her coming of age. While not many were invited to the party, all of Twilight’s friends were present, and that was good enough for the bookworm of a pony.

“Thank you guys for celebrating my birthday… Sometimes it’s just me and Spike,” said Twilight. Twilight wore a party hat as well as everyone else.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way darling,” said Rarity. “But why isn’t Zen here to celebrate?”

Twilight had the same thoughts; while Zen was somewhat more secluded than any other pony – even her – the idea of him not coming for her birthday… was an odd thought. In the past he was unable to come due to his existence being kept secret… but with everypony knowing him through the news, him not here for her birthday was odd. The months had been… interesting to say the least; there was that sleepover with her friends Rarity and Applejack, the Running of the Leaves event she was a part of, and she even heard that Applebloom became friends with Rarity’s sister and Rainbow’s number one fan – Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo if that was her names.

Maybe I should see if he’s not busy. “How about we go visit him real quick,” said Twilight.

“Yeah, I still want to hear those awesome stories of his – he hadn’t finished telling that one time he fought a dragon!” Rainbow was about to go, but Applejack stopped her.

“Now Rainbow, don’t go hurrying so soon, we could even move the party over there too.” Applejack started to move some of the party treats, with Pinkie helping to move some of her party games as well.

“Yeah! I still wanna see more of his home still – that cool machine of his looks neat!”

“And his garden looks so peaceful...” said Fluttershy, smiling gently.

“Then its settled – time to do my party at Zen’s!” With that, the girls started to pack their things and head over to Zen’s compound for the rest of the day. While the girls prepared to bring the games and treats, from outside, a shadowy creature watches from one of the buildings’ roofs, then disappearing through a rip in space.

Zen’s Compound; 9:25am

Zen sat under the shade of a tree near his compound, meditating as the natural sounds of the cold winds and thin layer of snow began to pile on him. Nothing seemed to bother or distract him, as he reminisced about a moment in his life – a vision to come, that has haunted him to days end.

The lands were shrouded in darkness, the sun was gone, the moon destroyed, and the stars blinked from existence. Mountains were scorched to molten rock, great grasslands were wiped of all life, forests died and withered away, the sea became empty basins of ash, and deserts turned to black glass. Cities became ruins, the skies burned a permanent red and the great north was wasted away to nothing; the lives of many have been crushed and wasted by the forces of an ancient being.

Atop a pile of bodies, skulls, and once lively loved ones… was an image of true terror – the being who brings despair when all has reach the bottom; the wrathful incarnate form of a deity, he who devours life and births death. Zen has asked himself what his purpose was, why he was here… who was he really… This vision first appeared the day Zen lost one of his closest friends during the war between the minotaurs and ponies… it was the same day that Zen truly went crazy and lost his sense of morality; it was the day Zen was born to be a killer.

The prophecy found by Mess, the return of Nightmare Moon and Luna being fulfilled… and now the coming signs of the spirit of chaos… I don’t believe in coincidences, the prophecy will come true and while it may take years maybe… A choice must and will be made – I die… or this world is consumed to nothing.

The end of the vision was coming close, as a demented and corrupted form stood above Celestia’s throne in Canterlot, both arms outstretched, his maw gaped wide with teeth – serrated, twisted, and gnarled into a hideous snarl – made of metal, his armor poked out and was full of endless spikes. Two prong-like claws came out both of the creature’s gauntlets, while two long blades were extended out until both blades clashed onto one another to create a loud bang. The creature began to laugh a menacing laughter, the sound echoing throughout the dead city, the creature’s eyes were full of the eyes of something that lost any form of good will, an eternal typhoon of madness and blood-lust.

The creature had three eyes, each wilder than the other, all three eyes stared at random directions until it stared toward the sky. With one deep breath, it inhaled an inferno of toxic flame that consumed all the air in the area – the laugh continued to echo, it was both taunting and daunting.

Zen soon snapped from his dream-like vision; soon Zen noticed a few things – a big layer of snow was around him, he was out for nearly half an hour, and standing at his front door was Twilight and the others. Hmmm, now what are they doing here? Zen stood up and approached the group; the ponies were talking with one another when they spotted Zen approaching them from behind.

“Oh hey Zen, we thought you weren’t home. What are you doing out here in this weather?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah, isn’t it cold Mr Zen?” asked Applebloom. The filly was wearing a cute winter outfit to keep herself warm, with her were her two friends who also wore their own winter garments, as well as the other girls and Spike.

“I was meditating for sometime, though I may have snoozed off...”

“You were sleeping… out here,” said Rainbow, skeptically.

“It wouldn’t be the first time he did something like this – half the time Zen would black out and be back in the middle of a conversation like nothing happen,” said Spike. “There was this one time that some guards were talking to Zen, when he stood there silent – it took a few minutes for the guards to realize he was out of it, and thought he was giving them the silent treatment.”

Twilight remembered that memory, it was during when Twilight brought Spike with her to see Zen when they saw him speaking to two Night Guards – the pair of night guards were new to the guard and never met Zen, and they assumed he was an intruder, their supervisor reprimanded them for talking back to a superior officer.

“Hate to interrupt, but we should head in, it is getting a little chilly for my tastes.” Soon, everyone entered inside, and removed their snow-covered clothes and hung them at some convenient coat racks near some heaters.

“You can bring your things into the living room, I need to do something quick.” Zen went upstairs and took the right staircase, disappearing beyond the hallways upstairs. The group made their way to the living room and brought the games and party food onto the table there. The living room had a cozy feeling to it with the classic fireplace, some bookshelves lining by the fireplace, two couches and two arm chairs with a table that can be dissembled to be bigger or smaller at a moment’s notice. The wall behind one of the couches was one massive see-through wall, enabling them to see outside, however when they were outside they only saw a solid wall.

“Hey how does Zen have a window here, I didn’t see one when we came inside?” Pinkie stared outside and looked at the impossible wall.

“Oh about that… Zen… is actually the most advanced being in the world,” said Twilight.

“Meaning?” asked Rainbow.

“He… has the most advanced technology in the world, any technology after the sixteenth century most likely originated from him in some form of manner. He was also involved in helping with the setting and creation of the railway system, and even improved a lot of today’s medicine tenfold without the need for magic. There were moments Celestia wanted him to share this tech of his… but from the various science-fiction books I read and stories that involve the downfalls for a civilization advancing too quickly… it doesn’t go well.”

“So your telling me Zen is the most advanced being in the whole world, and practically invented half thing stuff we use nowadays!”

“Not everyday stuff no – things like modern medicine, transportation by train, and some agricultural techniques were given to us by Zen – he also owns a majority of known companies. You could say he’s one of the few billionaires too from the many resources and wealth he’s gathered through the centuries.”

Everyone was gaping their mouth open, not knowing Zen was in reality a big benefactor to Equestria’s progression as a race. “Hold on, if he is this advanced, how come nopony has attempted to… I don’t know, buy his tech or even heck, Princess Celestia could order him to share this awesome stuff.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Rainbow,” said Fluttershy. “Princess Celestia wouldn’t make someone she sees as family to do something that bad… I don’t think we need the things Zen uses.”

“Fluttershy shares a good point; Zen has told me that a similar race to ours advanced their tech so quickly, they did some damaged to their own ecosystem. Equestria is pretty stable, and much of the tech Zen uses requires some resources that are super rare and can only be found and made by him alone. If Equestria or any of the other races were to gain this technology, it’ll do some irreversible damage, and not only that but we’d attract some bad company – other races would become jealous, and this will create some conflict with one another.”

Everyone saw the downsides to using Zen’s technology… but there was something that still didn’t make sense. “Then how come he shared this other stuff then?” asked Applejack.

“Well… from what the princess told me, she said – ‘Zen feels responsible for this world, and made it his duty to do whatever he can to help while not interfering with the lives of the masses.’ – and he done this by using his authority as the leader of the Thestrals and founder of the Night Guard to covertly send plans to certain individuals through time. Many great inventors and philosophers would find strange blueprints and tomes at their doors from a mysterious figure. The one who invented the cure for feather-blight received a theorized cure, and after testing it, improved upon. By doing this, Zen has been giving small clues and nudges to guide Equestria into the country it is today; of course Celestia knew of this, but she was happy that Zen still helped out all these years.”

“Wow… Zen just became even more awesome, like… super awesome.”

“Nopony is as awesome as you Rainbow though!” Scootaloo stood on both her rear-hooves as she leaned against the couch Rainbow was laying on. Rainbow picked up the young pegasus and began to noogie her playfully.

“Yep Scoots, though it is cool of Zen to be helping us out… Though isn’t it a bit… thankless?”

“Indeed, something like this should be congratulated don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t recommend that; if the world were to know what all the greatest accomplishments of our time happened because of Zen… it would seem Zen – and Celestia – has been manipulating the ponies from the shadows.”

The girls nodded in agreement; during their conversation, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom examined some photographs laid on a cabinet. The various photos showed of some ponies and other beings like griffons, zebras, minotuars, diamond dogs, and a dragon with Celestia, a few groups photos, or some single photos. There was however no photographs of Zen… but… there was a drawing of him – it was made of ink, and had this morose atmosphere too it; the background however was colored which didn’t fit with the gloomy looking Zen in such a colorful atmosphere.

“Hey… who made this?” asked Applebloom, pointing at the drawing.

Twilight went to take a closer examination; she has been here a few times and has seen some of the compound, and recognized some of it looked similar to Zen’s place at the castle back at Canterlot… but there were still things she didn’t knew about.

“I don’t know… never seen this drawing before-”

“It was my first birthday gift.” Everyone turned to see Zen – and he had something around his arm – who came back down the stairs, but surprisingly unnoticed for someone wearing what was practically a block of metal that was twice the weight of a boulder. “I received it on the day after we managed to liberate Trottingham from the minotaur army… I got it from one of the most talented artist I met at that city.”

“Wait ‘liberate’, when was Trottingham under minotaur control?!” asked Rainbow, interested in this story.

“You mean the Great Minotaur War back in 501AN to 505AN; the Minos Empire had a rebellion as the king was overthrown and the general of the army tried invading Equestria with his sons. One of the first places they took over was Trottingham; Trottingham would be the first step to invading the Minos Empire… but I don’t remember you being present in that war?”

“I was actually the one to start the war – you see, when the minotaurs tried to invade Canterlot during my appearance in Equestria, I became the minotaurs main focus. Celestia made me the general of all her forces, managing them until we retook Trottingham and strike back at Minos… a friend of mine – a local of Trottingham – wanted to give her thanks to me… it was also my birthday.”

“Wait, I thought you lost your memory when you came to Equestria, you told me and Twilight that when we were young,” said Spike.

“I did, which is why Celestia made the day I first arrived in Canterlot my birthday – August 6,” said Zen.

“YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS ON AUGUST 6!” shouted Pinkie.

“Pinkie, calm down, you can prepare for Zen’s birthday next year,” said Applejack.

Pinkie was hyperventilating but managed to calm down; after the sudden yell from their bubbly friend, Zen continued his memory of the day. “Well… it started off on August 6, 501AD; we just finished the Battle of Trottingham and watched the remaining minotaur army retreating on their boats back to their homeland...”

Aug 6, 501AD – Trottingham; 4:55pm

Zen gazed at the retreating silhouettes of the minotaur army’s boats of varying sizes, sitting on a hill that overlooked the beach with the city of Trottingham behind him. Fires were being put out and rubble moved to look for surviving, as the remaining Equestrian army healed both the injured and survivors. Their losses weren’t a lot but the lost of life still brought a depressing atmosphere to all, but the victory of the battle was still known and it would be good news to bring back to the capital.

On Zen’s mini-map, he saw a blue blip approaching him from behind; a pegasus mare with a white coat and light purple mane and tail climbed the rest of the steep hill, the tip of her wings were tinted red, same with the end of fur near the hooves. Her were teal with a little gold mixed in, and she smiled as she approached with a saddlebag around her barrel.

Once now standing at a certain angle before Zen, she removed some art tools and supplies and sat before him. The mare known as Talent Brush used her wings to draw and add the colors for this piece of hers, then after she was done picked up the finished drawing and hoofed it to Zen. The piece showed of Zen sitting over a hill, overlooking at the distance, oddly enough the piece’s background was vabrant coloring while Zen was given more darker tones, giving him an aura or cloak of energy around him, similar to how he use his Aura Vision on others and see a cloak of energy around them.

Can she see my aura?

“Thank you… You must be Sky Watch’s wife, correct?”

The mare nodded in response – just like Sky Watch, she and him didn’t talk much, and were really reserved when speaking. Talent stayed behind for two reasons, to make sure those who were Trottingham were treated well and safe by the minotaurs, and to make she her own daughter was alright. Sky Watch was the one to leave with Smooth Earth and Carnation Rose due to his extensive knowledge of the underground tunnels in Trottingham, which was helpful in retaking the city in the second siege.

“...Is this a gift?”

Talent nodded, and smiled; the mare soon left and went back to the city. Zen watched her leave and gazed at the drawing with mix feelings, but the most interesting detail from the drawing was the way she drew his eyes.

There was a saying that the eyes led to one’s soul… but the eyes of Zen were blank. “Blank… Just like when I’m fighting… but why?” Zen would still to this day never figure out why she drew it this way; Sky Watch would mention that her wife had a sixth sense, that she saw things that were unseen, which made her drawings very strange but gave it a certain charm to them.

Present time – Ponyville, Zen’s Compound; 10:00am

“It is the only drawing made of me; there are photographs of me, but they either have me in the background, are blurry, or are all burnt due to keeping my existence a secret at the time,” said Zen.

The story while somewhat short, was still interesting, not only did it show a little of Zen’s past but of the aftermath of a battle no less. Rainbow though was still bored by the lack of action, going for a yawn and stretching her body. “Boooring, tell us something where you fight some baddies or go on an adventure!”

“Rainbow, there’s no need to be rude, besides I thought that story was lovely,” said Rarity.

The friends talked with one another about the Zen’s retelling, but Twilight noticed something; Zen gazed with an almost tired gaze outside, watching the snow fall and pile onto the ground, making a perfect blanket of white. Zen then remembered why he went upstairs, as he had something for Twilight; turning around to her Zen got her attention and everyone else.

“Twilight, I have something for you, I made with the fabricator and thought you’d like it,” said Zen.

“Really! I mean… thank you for the gift Uncle Zenny,” said Twilight. Soon she took the gift and slowly unwrapped it gently as to not damage the wrapping or her gift. Once all the wrapping was done, Twilight gazed at the gift from Zen – it was a necklace with a black crystal wrapped around a strange see-through material, as it glowed a soft black and dark blue. “What is this?”

“A crystal with immense power, while a small fragment it can be used to improve your spells tenfold, but I recommend not removing it from the protection around it – while it looks harmless, it does have… adverse affects.”

“What kind of affects?” Suddenly Pinkie came bursting toward her and gave her a tackle hug.

“Well that’s enough story time, let’s get this party back on!” Soon everyone began to party and play some games with one another – Spike enjoyed some game of pin the tail on the donkey with the CMC.

While the group became distracted, Zen exited the living room and went back upstairs, going pass some guest rooms until he came upon the door to the Display Room. Entering inside was various artifacts and items of importance that Zen gathered throughout his journey – some of the pedestals were still empty, possibly for future items to be placed.

The items that were on some pedestals and frames were varying weapons from different kingdoms and lands, one pedestal held a shattered helm – the helm looks like it belonged to a minotaur – another held an ancient map of Equestria, with another pedestal having the bust of a griffon king. There was one final item of interest in the far back; the item itself while looking unremarkable… seemed to emanate a foul aura, one of malice, death, and insanity… it ebbed of dark powers… yet at the same time it seemed so familiar to Zen.

The object was a simple rusted broadsword, the hilt being of an ox – the weapon belonging to a standard soldier of the Minos army during the battle of Trottingham. Oddly enough the weapon wasn’t wielded by a minotaur for long… Zen’s memory of how he gain such a weapon was foggy, but he remembered losing his katana due an enemy ambush… he remember losing some of the thestrals under his command due to the ambush… and what he remembered what was going to happen to one of the female thestrals that was injured but survived…

...But he can’t remember the aftermath…

Aug 6, 501AD – Trottingham; 3:00am

The group of thestrals under Zen’s command – mostly all recruits – were cut down by the sudden volley of bolts, shredding through the inexperienced and the ones closer to the bolts. A few managed to survive the ambush but were injured; one young thestral mare had a bolt embedded in her front left leg, whimpering every time she moved. Soon the minotaurs came upon the survivors, and just when one large minotaur with a shield and broadsword came upon the defenseless mare, he gazed at her with a demented and lustful gaze.

By the night… somepony, please save us…

Just as the minotaur was about to reach down and grab her… time itself seemed to stop; few of the survivors were each in their own little predicament, either being ready to be cut down by the minotaurs or were slowly bleeding to death. A swift but deathly wind came by, and when the minotaur that loomed over the defenseless mare was about to grab her… he felt… cold.

Like that, his body burst with blood as various cuts and slashes covered his body as he became a puddle of viscera and gore. Standing over his body, covered in blood and guts, now wielding his weapon which was equally covered in blood, was Zen. His gaze was empty, his breathing was hoarse and sounded… beastly, but the aura he gave off… brought only despair and madness.

The other minotaurs stood there ground but were equally shocked at the sudden brutal execution of their comrade; one of the minotaurs – possibly the leader of the group – spoke up. “Who in the bloody balls are you!?”

Zen – or rather, the Zen lookalike due to the aura he gave off – stood motionless, but with one sudden raise of his head… they saw his eyes fully. Rather them being blank or simply pinpricks of a pupil… they were dilated with so much detail that… they looked real. Without warning, the loud noises of bones cracking and flesh tearing apart was heard, but nobody knew where it was coming from.

Soon they smelled something… it was a smell you only smelt when a body was found or visiting a grave site… Death. Zen once blank look changed from something monstrous as his armor morphed with the spikes looking more dread-looking and hellish, the gauntlets that were covered blood burst to fires of a crimson color, and finally… the most noticeable detail, was that Zen now had teeth – sharp, pristine… carnivorous.

The “thing” finally spoke, and its voice brought terror to both ally and enemy… and it brought the promise of eternal suffering.

“I am a monolith to your pain, your suffering, your anguish… I am… your despair… Let blood rain down my body, as I turn both your physical and spiritual forms into a feast for monsters. LET THE SLAUGHTERS COMMENCE!” Like a preacher, he raised both the stained gauntlet and the broadsword he held in the other hand to the air, and without any sign of warning… screams were only heard from the enemy side… and the demonic laughter of a beast of despair.

The survivors ran with what they could carry – mostly those unable to run – and ran back to an area they managed to capture from the minotaur army. News would spread of a monster rampaging through the city, killing the enemy forces, but there were near encounters with ally forces having to retreat in fear of being killed too, as the creature seemed interest to any who approach it.

Soon later, Zen would be found chasing off the enemy forces with his katana… but signs of the creature… would vanish, and the survivors who first spotted it… would be unable to remember what it looked like.

As if something… made them forget…

Present Time – Zen’s Compound, Display Room; 10:30am

Zen still couldn’t remember what happened that day… but he remembered waking up in a middle of ally clutching said weapon and sensing the immense despair it emanated and decided to hold onto for safe-keeping. He later found his katana and chased off the remaining enemy forces, and recaptured Trottingham… though he can’t remember what happened in between the beginning of the attack, to the ambush, and when he woke up in that alleyway…

Something told him his memories were tampered but it felt… as if the memories of that time weren’t his…

Like something was in control that time; and it wouldn’t be the first this occurred. Nor would it ever be the last either; Zen knew what happened that day but… he also knew he can’t come to terms of what it was that caused it… But when he does remember such incidents… he could feel a heartbeat.

His heartbeat… One that he never felt but only in times…

Of despair.

Author's Notes:

This chapter gave me problems as I wasn't what I wanted to write on this story; while I know it is important to show how the other characters are doing, this is the first arc of the story and I want to get to the part of the story where we get to the action and such, but at the same time not wanting to rush things. So I think showing at what point Zen started to give that vibe that he wasn't all there, that he wasn't as sane many believe him to be was a good theme for the chapter... as it was his birthday - for multiple things.

Anyway, on the next chapter: Zen goes to Rarity's - well was suggested by Twilight - to get an outfit from her fashion friend. Things go as well you may think.

Update (06-25-18): Opps, wrong song; this is the song I was going for the second flashback.

Thoughts: Twilight Sparkle
Zen