It had been a week into the journey to Klugetown and Twilight had learned a few techniques during that time such as the Lightning Storm Strike and the Flaming Burst.

Steel smiled “Are you enjoying the books.”

Twilight smiled “Yes although I wish there was some on magic.”

Steel grinned “There are quite a few ancient tomes in Klugetown, although no-one can read them. Maybe you could buy them after doing a little work around Klugetown.”

Twilight smiled “I think I’ll do just that.”

Steel stopped quickly as he heard noises, Twilight shouted “What’s going on?!”

Steel frowned as he looked at the desert around him “Danger probably.” Steel looked around, this was not bandit’s work who were clumsy and obvious. This was skilled work, he grimaced as he felt a small cut across one leg.

He scowled as an illusion broke revealing thirty pony cultists wearing black clothes bearing dark crystals symbols on the back. The head cultist grinned “Hand over the bearer of magic.”

Steel shouted “Never!”

The cultist laughed “Well you don’t really have a choice.” Steel felt his legs buckle beneath him he looked to see the cultist holding a bottle filled with liquid, the cultist’s grin widened “You need this medicine or else you will die.” Steel grimaced as he saw the knife lying on the ground, it was coated in a strange liquid.

Twilight who was listening in grabbed a scabbard and put it on her side. She jumped out of the wagon, Steel shouted “Get back inside Twilight!”

Twilight glared at the head cultist “I won’t let you die!” A pop and a flash of light later the head cultist’s head rolled along the ground, Twilight was standing on her hind legs holding a bloody sword, she caught the medicine and teleported back giving it to him, he chugged the medicine but still couldn’t find the strength to stand. She then turned to the rest of them, they roared as they charged at the pair.

Twilight’s blade flicked with lightning, she rushed forward Steel watched as her lightning charged slashes tore through the crowd of cultists. Twilight panted as her sword dripped with blood, she trotted over to her friend. Steel blinked “Are you okay Twilight?”

Twilight frowned “No, I’m not I just killed 30 ponies. I would be crying or panicking right now but I’m too hyped up on my own adrenaline right now. Tomorrow I’ll be crying but for now I’ll need to clean my sword and sleep.”

Steel nodded “I could use some rest myself.” Steel woke the next morning bright and early, he saw Twilight lying there peacefully. He began to cook some eggs for breakfast. He stopped when he heard wailing coming from the wagon. He jumped back in to see Twilight sobbing on the floor.

He trotted over to her and lightly wrapped his hooves around her, she cried “I killed them, I have blood on my hooves!”

Steel pulled her muzzle up to his own, he looked into her crying eyes “As do I, as long as you don’t use it hurt the innocent it’s fine. Protecting yourself or others is not wrong.”

Twilight whimpered “But but…”

Steel smiled warmly “Cry it out, come on.” Twilight cried in his forelegs, he grabbed a story for young foals and began reading as Twilight cried herself to sleep.

Steel left the sleeping mare, he stepped into the middle of the corpses. He growled as he looked at the mark on the back “Sombran Cultists, damn Sombra worshipping bastards.”

He grumbled as he hitched himself to the cart “Better get going before more turn up.” He grimaced as he began pulling the cart.

Author's Notes:

Twilight 's journey will get a lot more bloody in the future.