“So you’re telling us that you’re male?” Twilight asked for the umpteenth time.

Durin sighed deeply. “Yes. Yes I am.”

“Sorry, it’s just…” Twilight shook her head.

“...Hard to believe a male is the one who saved us,” Applejack finished for her.

Durin crossed his arms. “Well, you’re welcome.”

All around them, relief efforts were underway. Roads and homes were being rebuilt, wounded were being treated or hauled off to the hospital, and Guards were all over, helping and managing said efforts.

“A’ight, we fuckin’ done playin’ twenty questions, or d’ya need t’ ask him if he has a cock again?” Tora asked irritably, fur ruffled and expression cross yet still slightly glazed as she looked between the gathered mares. “An’ fer th’ damn record, so fuckin’ wot if’n he’s a bloke? Doesn’t mean he’s any less capable o’ savin’ yer arses, dick or no. I mean, fuck, that l’il dragon bloke was th’ one who saved that fancy-ass kingdom up north last I heard, so th’ hell ya so surprised about?”

“Yes, well, Spike is another matter entire-” Rarity began, but Tora interrupted her.

“And that Shining Armor bloke saved yer arses from th’ King Chamberlain or whateva when y’ came in, or so th’ papers said. An’ Abe saved yer arses, too, not even a fuckin’ hour ago,” the tigress rattled off, counting on her claws. “Then there was Star Swirl, Flash Magnus, Rockhoof, an’ all o’ them from wot I heard. All males, an’ yet y’ don’t fuckin’ find that weird, so maybe it’s cuz they’re ponies or your mates or somethin’, innit?”

“They are exceptions,” Rarity argued, eyes narrowing.

“And besides, we’re not saying it’s a bad thing,” Pinkie added. “We’ve got no problem with males saving others. Right, girls?” She looked to her friends.

The mares all nodded.

Durin sighed. “Just let it be, Tora.” He turned around and began walking off. “I’m gonna go check on Vinyl and Octavia. If any of you have anymore questions, I’ll be at their place.” He looked back to Tora. “Tora? Mind showing me the way?”

“Sure, but...they ain’t there. They weren’t there when th’ screamin’ started, an’ there was an undead beastie in their room...couldn’t find ‘em afterwards,” Tora said, limping past him and making sure not to bump her bound arm into him as she walked by. “But if’n we’re lucky, they’ll have returned there or they’ll be at th’ clinic or somethin’.”

The mares watched them go with a mixture of sadness and frustration.

“Well, he seems just as rude as the reports made him out to be,” Rarity mused, primping her hair.

“No kidding,” Rainbow agreed from her spot nearby, a doctor seeing to her wounds next to her. “Big guy was yelling at me half the time we fought together.”

“Maybe he’s just upset?” Fluttershy ventured, peeking out of her mane.

“He sure seemed like it,” Pinkie concurred. She gained a thoughtful look. “Hmm, do you think a party might help?”

“Ah dunno, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, tipping her hat up.

“I have to agree with Applejack on this one. I think he just needs some time,” Twilight pointed out, watching the man and feline go with sad eyes. “Still...I get the feeling it’s all our fault…”

Durin was silent during the walk, gaze locked straight ahead. His eyes sparked with thoughts, but he never voiced them. ‘First they hunt me down like a damn animal, and now they seem to think it’s all okay, just because I saved them?’ He clenched his fists. ‘Fucking hypocrites.’ His features softened. Or, rather, soured. ‘...Still can’t shake that feeling, though.’ He glanced behind him, in the general direction of the Banshee’s corpse. ‘...Robin...that face is gonna haunt me for a few nights, I know it.’

“Hey, mate, you’re lookin’ all angry an’ shit. Jus’ forget about th’ dumb cunts, eh? Their opinions don’t need t’ mean shit to ya,” Tora piped up from beside him, her amber eyes looking at him in concern even as she hobbled along. “An’ if it’s ‘bout th’ ghostie bitch...wotever she showed ya, it wasn’t real an’...it wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame y’self fer somethin’ y’ couldn’t control.”

Durin looked to her for a time, but didn’t answer as he looked away. He only frowned. When he did speak up, it was with a tired voice, and only one word. “...Thanks.”

“...Y’ ever need t’ gab t’ someone ‘bout yer troubles...y’ have me, y’ bastard,” Tora said, giving him a small smile before it curled into a pained wince as she barely managed to stop herself from tripping on a dead batfuck. “Shit-fuckin’- these bloody ponies need t’ fuckin’ move th’ damn corpses outta th’ damn streets!”

Durin silently offered her his arm.

“...This don’t mean nothin’, y’ hear? This is only fer support, nothin’ romantic, y’ dig?” the maned tigress narrowed her eyes at him as she hooked her good arm through the crook of his.

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it.” He paused, then added, “And...thanks again. Maybe I’ll talk later. Right now, though…” His eyes hardened. “...I just wanna make sure my friends are okay.”

“Aye, good point. I’m worried ‘bout th’ sheilas, too,” Tora sighed, brows furrowed in worry as she looked ahead of them. “Hope they made it t’ safety…”

‘Me too.’ Durin thought to himself. Why he didn’t say it aloud, he wasn’t sure. ‘Pride, I guess. The others always did say I had too much faith in my image.’ Durin’s frown deepened. ‘...They always told me I didn’t have to put up such an act just to make them feel safe. Robin especially.’ His gaze fell briefly to the earth below. ‘...Maybe I should do something for her. Always tried to visit her grave every year. Can’t do that here, so…’ His free hand clenched a little more tightly. ‘...Yeah. Let’s do that. I want to honor her, even if it’s not in the same dimension.’

“INCOMIN’!”

“DURIIIIN!” came a familiar tomboyish voice ahead of them before Durin was bowled over by a flying white unicorn.

“Gah!” Durin cried, falling flat on his back along with Tora, thanks to them having been linked by the arms.

“M’ FUCKING LEEEG AN’ RIIIIBS!” Tora yowled in major discomfort and/or pain.

“Vinyl!” came the voice of Octavia, pulling her friend off the two. “Read the situation! Tora is obviously hurt!”

Vinyl looked to the groaning Tora and winced, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “E-eheh, sorry Torry.”

The fluffy-necked tigress glared at Vinyl, “I took an axe t’ th’ fuckin’ gut not even an hour or two ago, an’ m’ leg is kinda banged up, an’ here you are, makin’ me all fuckin’ worried ‘bout you an’ yer fillyfoolin’ girlfriend after a fuckin’ ZOMBO was in yer roo-”

The tigress stopped and took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled, “...I’m checkin’ on Fountain an’ Curt. Join me if y’ like, or not. Don’t matter t’ me.”

Tora pushed herself back to her feet, then hobbled off in the direction of the makeshift outdoor hospital near Sugarcube Corner.

Durin sighed deeply, sitting up as he looked to the two mares. “Come on,” he said, standing up. “Might as well check on her friends too. They did get thrown into a building.”

Vinyl and Octavia winced, but nodded and followed after him and Tora. “So...What was last night?” Octavia asked.

Vinyl nodded. “I’ve never seen the moon turn red like that. Much less so many monsters in one place.” Vinyl shuddered.

Durin didn’t respond for a moment, but eventually he sighed. “...I’ll tell you guys once everyone is gathered. I don’t have the strength to tell everyone I talk to individually.” Vinyl and Octavia frowned, but he continued before they could, looking to them. “You two look oddly unhurt. I mean, I’m glad you aren’t, but...what happened?”

“We uh...locked and barricaded ourselves in Tora’s room in the basement,” Vinyl admitted. “We waited out the whole thing until the guards found us.”

Octavia sighed. “And because of that, all of our equipment is now essentially useless.”

Durin winced. “Sorry to hear that.”

Tora merely grunted as she hobbled along ahead of them, eyes kept straight forward as the makeshift field hospital grew closer.

Soon enough they reached it, and found hundreds if not thousands of ponies being treated...or laid to rest. A large, makeshift tent made up the bulk of the field hospital, two guards standing outside it while many more either laid in beds within it, or helped carry other patients around, be they dead, dying, or living. Doctors littered the scene just as much, however, treating the wounded.

When the group made it to the front, the guards stopped them, spears crossed in front of them. “Stand back-”

“Move or I have equine au boignon,” Tora snarled irritably, eye narrowing at the guards.

Surprisingly, they remained stalwart. “We’re sorry, ma’am, but we cannot let you pass-”

Durin stepped in. “We’re seeing two friends. Griffon and a pregnant mare.”

The guards looked to him, then Tora, then each other, before uncrossing their spears. “...Go right in, then.”

The tigress snorted and brushed past the guards without another word, tail lashing from side to side.

It was only then that the group heard the crying in the far corner of the tent.

Tora sighed and limped over to the source, already bracing herself for the worst. They soon arrived at a small bed where Fountain lay, crying into the embrace of her husband as a unicorn doctor watched them with sad eyes. He looked to the group. “Friends?”

“Yeah, we are. So...Fount, Curt? Wot’s wrong?” Tora softly asked the married couple, carefully kneeling down beside Fountain’s bed.

Curtis made to speak, but couldn’t get the words out. The doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses. “The good news is that the child is alive still.”

“...And the bad news?” Octavia asked slowly, concerned eyes turning from the crying mare to the doctor.

“...It will be a very sickly foal,” The doctor made to straighten up, but seemed to decide against it in the end, letting out another tired sigh. “It’s immune system is what seemed to take the brunt of the damage. As a result, it may never be able to enjoy the outdoors for very long before it gets terminally ill.”

“...Shite,” Tora cursed under her breath, giving Fountain’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Durin didn’t speak for a time, before he looked to Fountain, then the doctor. “I may be able to strengthen the kid’s immune system.”

“You could?!” Curtis cried, eyes locking on the mutant.

Fountain immediately stopped crying at that, shooting her head up to look straight at Durin.

“...Y’ can?” Tora asked simply, an unreadable expression on her face.

“I’d be surprised if you could, but the chances are-” The doctor began.

“-Slim, I know,” Durin willed a certain bottle to his hand, filled with blue, grainy looking liquid. “...To be honest I don’t know if it’ll be anything but temporary, but,” He looked to Fountain. “I have ways of making more of these, so, potentially, when the kid’s born, if he or she ever wants to go outside to play, you could just give him one of these and they’d be fine for a bit.” He jingled the potion in his hand for emphasis. “And, potentially, I could find a way to make their effects permanent. Dunno yet though. Only just got a way to reliably make them.”

The pegasus latched a hoof onto one of Durin’s hands, “P-please...help my baby.”

Durin looked down at her. “There’s only one problem.” He looked to the potion. “The potions I use are highly toxic. Just one of my weaker ones would kill a m- pony outright.” He willed another potion out into the hand she’d grabbed. It seemed to be filled with white, viscous liquid. It even smelled of honey. “Thankfully, I have one here that helps with that, but it’s still a slim chance. We’d have to give you a single drop of this to make sure the other potion’s effect doesn’t get canceled.”

“...Just do it. I can’t...I can’t lose our baby,” Fountain said, placing a hoof on her gravid stomach.

“I can’t say I fully approve of this,” The doctor started slowly, before looking to Durin. “But if it works, you’ll have my thanks as well.” He looked to Fountain, smiling at her. “The last thing I’d want is an old friend losing her baby.”

“Neither do I,” Tora chimed in, patting Fountain’s shoulder and then rising to her feet to give the mare some breathing room.

Durin sighed, then dismissed the items. “Give me time. Right now we only have a temporary solution. I never said it was permanent.” His gaze softened as he locked eyes with Fountain. “Just...let me know when the kiddo is gonna pop, and I’ll come by and hand you as much of these as I can carry.”

“A-alright...we’ll let you know. And...th-thank you,” Fountain said through teary eyes and a tired but warm smile.

Curtis smiled up at Durin as well. “You have my thanks as well.” He tightened his hold on Fountain.

Durin gave a weak smile in response. “You’re welcome.” He turned around, starting to walk off. “I’ll come and talk to you all again later. I have to go play diplomat now.” He waved, despite not turning around. “Wish me luck.” He said dryly.

“Good luck,” Fountain said earnestly, giving him a wave in kind. “Wish you the best.”

Octavia and Vinyl watched him go with frowns. “...Why do I get the feeling he’s more tired than he’s ever been?” Octavia whispered to Vinyl.

“That’s cuz he is, sheilas. Stay safe,” Tora whispered into their ears before she followed Durin out of the tent.

Durin stood before what felt to him like an assembly. And he wasn’t far off. Many of the most influential and powerful of ponies of Equestria stood before him now, followed closely by the most militarily experienced.

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight made up the royal section, sitting on makeshift thrones at the head of the table in the tent.

The Pillars of Equestria sat on either side, along with the Elements.

And finally, Tempest and the General of the Army, the General of the Air Force, and the Fleet Admiral of the Navy sat on either side of him.

‘...I feel a lot more tired now.’ He grumbled in his head.

“So,” Tempest began, looking up at him. “You are the creature that’s given us the slip so many times.” She scanned him up and down. “Durin, correct?”

“Yeah,” He replied simply.

“And you said you knew about the recent going’s on?” Celestia asked, her typical mask of stone firmly on her face.

“...Yeah,” Durin replied with less enthusiasm than before, if that was even possible.

“Inform us, then,” Luna urged with a hoof.

Durin paused, then sighed as if he was weighed down by the world itself. “So, I’m guessing you’ve been trying to figure the monsters that have popped up out, right?” He started. They all nodded. “Well, far as I know, they’re all from completely different worlds than this one. One group is from a world of aging Heroes, one is from a world full of more monsters than most can claim to have, and one is from a world that’s basically been doomed, saved, and remade hundreds of thousands of times.”

Silence followed that statement. He took that as a cue to continue. “I… Have a lot of experience fighting all of them. Fought them all for years, I guess you could say.”

“So...you are a Realm Hopper, then?” Star Swirl ventured.

Durin paused. “...Sort of.” He shook his head. “Point is, I know about most of these monsters.”

“‘Most?’” The General of the Army quirked a brow, crossing her forelegs over her barrel.

Durin grunted. “There are a lot of them that seem to have merged somehow, or changed entirely. Same goes for a lot of the items they leave behind.”

They all looked at each other, then back to him. “If you know as much as you say you do…” Twilight began. “It would be kind of-”

“-Stupid to be hunting him like we have been?” Pinkie finished for her.

Twilight winced. “...Yeeeah…”

Durin shot the pink mare a strange look. She tilted her head at him in response. “What?”

“...You know, I think I might like you,” he shook his head. “Anyways, if you want more info, that’s fine, but I want something in return.”

The Fleet Admiral frowned. “You aren’t exactly in a position to be asking us for things, you know that?”

Durin shot the grey stallion a withering glare. “Way I see it, I damn well do.” All eyes widened at the sudden amount of poison in his voice. “You ponies have hunted me down for months. Let that sink in for a bit. A guy new to a world gets hunted down for months. Months. No reason whatsoever as to why, at that.” Durin growled, clenching his fists hard. “You leave him scared, alone, and angry beyond belief. And yet still you hunt him down. Like a fucking animal.” He clenched his teeth. “Despite that, he still tries to help you all out, to keep your world safe, and what does he get?” He gestured harshly to the assembly. “A fucking interrogation! Like he’s some criminal who murdered a queen!” He slammed a fist down on the table. “And did he ever kill a fucking pony or civilian? Did he ever destroy property, or do anything illegal at all?! NO! HE FUCKING DID NOT!”

Durin removed his hand from the now broken in half table. “So maybe next time you get a visitor from another world, take the chance to fucking be courteous to him, yeah?” He turned around, marching towards the exit to the tent.

“Where are you going? We aren’t done-” Rainbow tried to say, but Durin shot a glare back at her that seemed to hold more promise of death than even Narinye’s eyes did.

“I’m done. That’s what matters,” He spat. Without any other words, he marched out of the tent.

Well, here's the new chapter finally! Damn did it take ages. Sorry folks!

But hey, it's here now at least, and that's what matters, right?

Right?

...Right?

-Timeless Lord Slayer

Please don't hurt us...