Looking down over all the playing ponies, I swiftly took stock of their supplies and found that they were indeed good. Food was plentiful, if a little plain, and consisted mainly of mushrooms, berries, or edible grasses. Building materials also weren't exactly super common, but they had enough for the moment so it wasn't a pressing issue.

Which meant I could ignore those concerns, for the most part, putting those little problems off for later. The prayer I had received, however, was busy rolling around in my stony skull, dashing aside all such minor considerations. Save, of course, for rescuing whoever had uttered that desperate incantation from somewhere within the valley.

I paused for a moment and considered telling the ponies to pause their descent deeper into the earth but brushed it aside. They weren't about to start building or being productive today anyway, so that didn't matter one bit. With the last of my worries placed in a box and put aside, I focused on making a new body, one different from the others.

Those last ones had been reactions, built out of necessity and without any real consideration or thought put into them. I had simply been grabbing what lay around the crystal, gathering it together, and shaping it into a vaguely humanoid shape. That would not do this time, as I needed something that could be quick, but was still strong and resilient.

As I thought about what exactly I wanted, I sent out a continuous wave of pings, searching the surrounding area. Sure enough, I was able to locate a deposit of what felt almost like metal, yet not exactly. Gathering up my energy, I held in mind an image of a feminine-shaped human who didn't stand quite so tall as the other bodies I had built.

With that thought firmly in mind, I pushed my essence into the crystal and pulled hard at the surrounding metal deposit. I felt the same wave of vertigo as before, but it was more brief, and far less intense than usual. Then I was complete, my body having been constructed from a hard rock and a good amount of iron.

Despite my increased power, I was still forced to punch my way out of the earth, my body having been built a good distance underground. Thankfully the upper layers of rock were easy enough to knock aside, allowing me to easily escape my earthly prison. Emerging out into the open air once more, I looked around to find that I was a little ways from my primary avatar.

The western side of the mountain lay before me, while behind me there was a small rocky outcropping. The rest of the area wasn't really of note, so I brushed any thought of inspecting it from my mind. Focusing instead on the task before me, I strode quickly back in the direction of my little ponies, stopping once I located a group of them.

“Greetings my children,” I began, kneeling down in front of the family of four. “Would you assist me in delivering a message? An urgent concern popped up which I must attend to immediately.”

“Of course,” replied a tall, lanky stallion. “What would you have us tell the others?”

“Inform them that I have gone to check on an errant soul and might not be back for a little while. However,” I paused and held up a metallic finger. “Do this only if I do not return by sundown. I do not wish to ruin the revelry.”

“It will be done, mother,” exclaimed the male, who ducked into a low bow.

The rest of his family all mimicked the gesture, which I waved off before making my way in the direction of the forest. Sprinting as quickly as possible I found that my top speed was far, far greater than the last time. No longer was I some massive hunk of stone held together by a little magic and my willpower.

This time I was a carefully constructed mostly rocky creature that had a far more slim physique. Yes, I was still a good three times as tall as a pony, but I wasn't quite so blocky, nor were my limbs as cumbersome. As I ran I got the sense that this form was every bit as compact as I had hoped it would be, with a dense interior protecting my crystal core.

I also got the feeling that my shape was slightly different though I couldn't be certain of that right away. Seeking out a small pond of water gathering in one of the many shallow divots that littered the area, I gazed down. And beheld that I did indeed have a more armored exterior than the last times I had built a body for myself.

My outer layer was covered in what may have looked like armored plates to most, the crude ore I found having fused together. It was still rough, and only covered random sections of my body but it was better than nothing at least. I also sported two glowing blue gems for eyes which had not noticed or intended on for that matter.

I didn't quite have the weight of most of my previous forms, but I was faster, more agile, and probably tougher. All in all, exactly as I had been intending.

Pushing that thought from my mind, I recalled the prayer, and from where I felt it originate. Only when I did so, I felt my internal compass begin to spin, turning one way and then the other. It was as if I was standing atop the north pole and looking for north only I knew I was nowhere close.

Stopping, I made a wide circle of my current position and found that I was unable to seek the prayer’s exact location. Then I pulled back, and instead of looking for the person exactly, I focused on the vague direction of their location. That seemed to do the trick as I could feel that they were deep in the forest, probably near its very heart.

With that thought in mind, I began to run once more, my pounding feet shaking the ground with every step. I remembered their plea well, the mention of a ‘dark one’ and being worked implied that they were enslaved to some foul creature. Work could mean many things, but within a forest, the most obvious conclusion was logging, or perhaps mining though that was less likely.

Either way, they didn't seem to much enjoy being made to work, so whatever task was unlikely to be a pleasant one. With that bit of righteous anger burning hot in my breast, I stomped into the forest and proceeded towards my target. Predictably, nothing tried to stop the multi-ton mass of stone and iron running through their midst.

Forest animals kept a wide berth, and even the larger predators eyed me warily, keeping their distance. I ignored them all, bounding over small creeks, fallen logs, and any stray boulders that stuck out from the ground. No obstacle was too large to either be leaped over or swiftly maneuvered around in little time.

Minutes ticked by, and I was starting to become a little anxious when I suddenly felt as though I was near. Again, I got the feeling that something was trying to obfuscate where exactly the prayer’s origin was but I could also tell that I was close. I saw that nearby there was a short cliff, the top of which sported several trees with pink buds growing from them.

That was my target, so with a running leap I gripped the ledge, hoisted myself up, and immediately got confused. The trees before me bore no pink at all, and stranger still, the ledge behind me was completely gone, as if it had never been there. I leaned down and tried to inspect my footprints but was only more baffled when I found them.

They simply… appeared, as if I had been teleported without my knowledge. I didn't know anything about magic, but it felt like there should be something, like a bang, or a strange sensation. Instead, I had been standing in one place, and then I was in another having been transported somewhere else by someone or something.

Thankfully I didn't feel as though I was too far from where I had been a second earlier, so I continued once more toward my target. Again the forest stilled around me, its inhabitants hiding from the great thundering creature sprinting through their midst. Birds stopped chirping, squirrels ran back into their trees, and a stray manticore made a swift exit.

Within only a few minutes I was once more close to my target, only this time I was on the other side of a small creek. I took a step back before sprinting towards the edge and leaping the expanse in a single mighty bound. At about the midway point the world shifted, and when I landed there was no body of water present at all, only a confused-looking bear staring up from its meal of berries.

Face plastered with smooshed fruit, the creature blinked owlishly up at me.

I patted it atop its head before turning and walking away, my mind already whirling with possibilities. Possibilities that were interrupted by the sound of something falling over, prompting me to glance over my shoulder, where I found that the bear had fainted.

I guess drama queens can be any species. I thought to myself.

With that somewhat amusing thought in mind, I began to wander around aimlessly, thinking about what I could do. I was stopped by a distant boom, and I looked up to find that rainclouds had begun to gather above my head. Though they had yet to release their watery payload, I knew it wouldn't be long until that changed.

“Maybe I should just go back,” I thought aloud. “Perhaps the others know more about whatever magic is obstructing me from reaching them.”

Without anything better to do, I wandered back in the direction of home, though I didn't make it far. A scream accompanied by the clang of metal on metal echoed through the trees, alerting me to what sounded like a struggle. That was at least a sort of lead though, so I changed directions and jogged hastily that way.

As I grew closer I could make out more of the voices and shouting that had been inaudible until that point. One side had deeper, growly voices while the other was more of a hiss, though there were a few exceptions to this. The distinct timbre of a pony in trouble could be picked out in the midst of both sides, complicating matters.

I picked up the pace and soon arrived at a rocky outcropping overlooking a deep ravine stained red with blood. In the middle, near a crossing were two groups, one dominated by doglike creatures who stood upright on two legs. While the other was composed mainly of two-legged dragons of varying color, size, and shape.

The dog creatures wore heavier armor and stayed grouped in a tight wedge formation on the closer side of the ravine. Taller than a pony by about two feet, these bestial creatures had oversized arms, prominent canines, and short, stubby tails. Their equipment was rugged and looked heavier than necessary as if they had the skill to make shape the metal but not to do so with any amount of finesse.

Their opponents were a different story altogether, as they were mostly physically larger, and were short dragon-like creatures. Their height and builds had a bit more variation to them, as some had wings, while others were barely as large as a pony. They were also mostly red and various shades thereof, though there were a few black and green ones in their midst.

Their equipment was also much more slapdash, with some wearing finely made but poorly fitted plate mail suits. While others had whatever was handy strapped to their body like tree bark, or random hunks of armor they had likely scavenged. Their weapons followed a similar story, with the dragons wielding everything from professionally made weapons to small trees they were using as clubs. The dog creatures were far more standardized and had halberds across the board with short blades as a backup.

All in all, it looked like a pack of marauders and bandits vs a formal military, but there was one caveat to it all. That being, the ponies amongst them, some of whom fought directly, while most cast spells, or simply waited at the sidelines. Those on the dog's side were almost all unicorns and seemed to be aiding them from the backlines with their magic.

The ones on the dragon’s side were a completely different story.

Where the dog’s ponies were at least lightly armored, and only slightly injured, the other ponies had been given nothing. Nude save for collars, or muzzles, they bore obvious signs of having been enslaved. Whip marks, untreated wounds, and worst all, brands marking them as the property of various dragons. Used as shields, or healers, these ponies were abused, desperate, and clearly wished to escape.

I knew what I needed to do, though I couldn't be certain if the dog creatures weren't also in the same enslavement boat. Either way, they were at least being treated better and didn't flee even with no dogs in striking range to ensure they didn't run. There were clearly some minor signs of coercion, but I could sense that there was more to the story that I was missing.

I couldn't wait any longer, as a large black dragon wielding a massive slab of metal in the shape of a sword was approaching the dogs. With a sweep of the blade, he knocked aside a pair of the armored creatures, sending them flying through the air. With their formation broken, the other dragons were swift to push in on their sides, with two slipping through to the ponies in the back.

I took a few steps back, lowered my body, and did a quick mental calculation. After determining my plan wasn't completely insane, I sprinted towards the edge of the cliff and put all my strength into a jump. For a moment I was airborne, my metal and stone body flying towards the two dragons reaching for the ponies.

“What the heck is-”

Was all the dragon was able to mutter before I landed atop him with a thunderous crash, his body turned to pulp. Before his friend even had a chance to realize what had happened I leaped out of the small crater I had created and uppercut his head from his body. The dragon’s arms flailed randomly, and his legs continued walking a few paces before his headless corpse toppled to the ground.

I didn't stay to watch the grim display as I was already sprinting towards the confused mass of soldiers. Dog and dragon alike paused their grim melee, a wave of panic rolling over them. The dogs reacted first, with their leader barking an order, and getting them to group back up.

They seemed to be preparing to defend themselves against me, but they weren't my target so I ignored them. The dragons, rather predictably, weren't interested in coordination, or group tactics, with some fleeing while others stayed to fight. The first brave fool I encountered hefted a large cleaver and tried to strike at my legs with a sideways swipe.

An ax chop from my right hand cleaved through his scales, clavicle, and into his chest cavity, stopping there. The dragon toppled to the side, his eyes wide with confusion bordering on panic. His closest ally tried to fly away rather than help, and I rewarded his cowardice by gripping his legs. I then pivoted my body and threw him with all the force I could muster into the nearest tree. His scales and slapdash armor proved little help and like a bag filled with wet meat, he exploded across the towering oak.

This all occurred within mere seconds, but it had been enough that the rest of the dragons were utterly terrified. Even the largest dragon attempted to run, the towering male shouting to retrieve the slaves they had tied up nearby. I wasn't about to let this happen, and I sprinted towards him, using one of his now squished minions as a springboard.

The dragon wasn't completely without sense, however, and he pivoted at the last second, bringing his weapon up to block. The huge slab of metal shattered beneath my fist, which continued on into his chest, cracking his scales but stopping there. He was made of sterner stuff, however, and before I could continue my assault, he swung what was left of his weapon at me.

This turned out to be a wasted effort, as the shattered hunk of metal didn't even dent my dense exterior. A right hook knocked his jaw clean off his face, and a left caved in that side of his cheekbone, pulping his eyeball. I could tell that his gurgled scream was some plea for mercy, but I wasn't exactly in the listening mood at the moment.

So I leaped into the air, and brought the bottom of both fists down on his head, driving it into his neck like a stump into the earth. The crunch of bone, and crack of scales could probably be heard for miles, but I didn't give it any mind whatsoever. I simply looked for another target and found it in the form of three dragons who had scooped up their slaves.

Reaching down, I grabbed the dragon’s stump of a sword and whipped it at the first dragon. The spinning hunk of shattered steel slammed into his side and kept going, piercing his torso and pinning him to a tree. Where he lay gurgling, his allies sprinting into the woods along with their captives.

They didn't get far, however, as I was faster, catching up to them in only a few short seconds. Using my speed, I grabbed the next dragon's head and brought it down to the ground, dragging it across the earth. Scales, muscle, and bone went flying, and within an instant, I had ground his head into little more than a bloody pulp.

I turned and leaped up, ready to kill the final foe only to find that he had his short dagger pressed against the pony’s throat. That, for once, gave me pause, and I raised my hands in an effort to placate him for the moment.

“D-d-don't move!” he shouted, arm shaking so bad I thought he may slip. “J-just stay where you are!”

I eyed him carefully, observing the young female clasped in his arms. The pony was barely old enough to be considered an adult, though she had a steely expression on her scarred face. Her horn bore an iron ring that presumably disrupted magic, while a muzzle kept her from biting anyone. Whip marks, covered her sides, while a brand had replaced her cutie mark, further enraging me.

“L-let me go and n-n-noone has to get hurt!” he yelled.

As I was wondering how best to handle this creature, the unicorn mare lowered her head suddenly. She then brought it right back up, driving her horn into the dragon’s right eye and causing him to scream in pain. His clumsy swipe missed its mark as the pony had already scrambled out of the way.

Allowing me the chance to surge forward and grip the dragon by his arms and legs. With one set of limbs in each hand, I raised him above my head and pulled as hard as I could manage. The male barely managed a scream before he was in two separate piles of bloody viscera.

My immediate response was to comfort the pony, but I doubted my appearance would be very comforting. Plus I had dragons left to kill, so I sprinted back into the clearing and began searching for more enemies. The only ones I saw were a single winged one attempting to fly away and a rotund fellow making a break for the treeline.

I ripped a small tree from the ground, and with a swift set of chops, I removed the branches, and trunk. I then pulled my arm back, and with a heave, sent the enormous javelin into the flying dragon’s midsection. As he fell screaming from the sky, I turned to his final remaining ally and started to run towards him.

Along the way, I scooped up a large boulder, and upon reaching the ravine, I stopped. With my arm cocked back, I took aim before heaving the cottage-sized stone at my target. The huge rock flew unerringly to its target, who stopped briefly when the shadow fell over him. He had only a split second to look back before he turned into a fine bloody mist.

My immediate response was to begin searching for more enemies, but when I found none, I turned to the dogs. Who closed ranks and raised their halberds towards me, readying themselves for my presumed charge. That never happened, however, as I was busy doing a head count on the enemy dragons laying around me.

Between me and the dogs, we had managed to deal with nearly all of the cowardly dragons. Only one had managed to escape, though I had no idea where he had managed to get off to. A pulse through the ground brought up a single signature though it soon vanished past the strange teleportation barrier.

I stomped a foot in anger, and dearly wished I could grind my teeth, as it certainly felt appropriate. A young unicorn stallion armored like his canine allies interposed himself between me and the hairy beasts.

“Stop! They aren't your enemies,” he pleaded.

Right then. I thought to myself. Time for diplomacy.

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