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Dovahkiin Ponyborn

by RunicDragons

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Unbelievable Facts

PROLOGUE


Where do I begin?

I guess I’ll have to start off by introducing myself. My name is Drake, and I’m just a normal 22 year old guy... wait, normal isn’t right. In fact, I’m far from being normal.

You may or you may not believe it, I don’t really care, but it seems like Bethesda didn’t make a game based on ideas and fictions alone. They created a game based on true events, a game that everypony-- Uh... sorry. I mean, everybody. I’ll get to that later. Ahem, where was I? Ah yes. A game that everyone thought was made up by some dudes with a lot of energy drinks and some epic imaginations. That’s not entirely true. What I’m trying to say is that they knew something. Something that nobody else knew apparently. They had made a game that... damn, I really don't know how to put it. Let's just say that Skyrim was based on true events although that's not entirely correct, but it's the best way I can describe it. It may well be that they didn't know anything and if that's the case, they were damn close of making a game about something that actually happened. Maybe they somehow found out about my fantasy life and tailored a story out of it from their point of view; edited here and there and made a successful video game out of it. But then, how would they know about my life if it happened after the game was released? Time travel maybe? I don't know. Things such as time travel are a normal thing to me now. There is pretty much nothing that can surprise me nowadays.

You should probably see your faces right now. Thinking I am crazy or something. But I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t believe me either. And the fact that millions of people are playing that game and not a single one has a clue that it is, in fact, partly based on true events, is just sad. But at the same time I'm utterly relieved.

Why am I talking about Skyrim and how do I know these things? The answer is simple. I am the Dragonborn and the purpose of my life is to slay a dragon. Not on Earth, but... ah, fuck it. You wouldn't believe me anyways. Just let me tell my story.

Before I start, I'd also like to point out one other thing I wanted to tell you. I'm also... not a human anymore. Now, I'm some kind of an alien; a pony... a cartoon pony, if you wish. Like the ones from the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV series. And to be completely honest, I have no idea how or why. Well, I kind of know why, but I'll explain that later.

I don't know anything about Earth's situation; whether things have gone better or worse. And I don’t really know anything about how much time has passed in your world either. But what I do know is that I'm still alive.  

I'm talking too much again. I'll just get right on to it.

Chapter 1: The Unbelievable Facts

Just a normal day. Wake up, eat, work, sleep. Always the same routine day by day. What a life, huh? Something I didn't imagine life to be as a kid.

Like so many others, I lived a pretty boring and an unsatisfying life. I was 21 years old back then and I was already bored of what this world had to offer. In fact, I've always been tired of this world. So dark, so cruel, so... lifeless. I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere. Even when I was a kid I felt left out of everything. That's why I always looked forward to growing up and moving away from home. But now I wish I could take that all back and just enjoy being a kid when I was. At least life was easier back then and I didn't have to worry about anything. I got free housing, free food, free clothes and lots of entertainment. That was the sweet life. Now I didn't have time for anything.

I sighed as I walked home from work on that dark, cloudy evening. I'll never forget that evening.

The evening I figured out who I was. That evening when everything had turned upside down and gave my shitty life some purpose.

I whistled and walked at the same speed the entire time. The streets were dark, lifeless and boring as usual. The skies were graced by dark clouds and the sound of thunders were starting to come into the picture.

I know I'm sounding like I was depressed, but that's just how I felt back then in that dying world. And when I say "world", I'm not talking about Earth; I'm talking about humanity. I didn't hate Earth, but I did and still do dislike humanity overall. All the cruelty, all the unnecessary violence, all the poverty and so on. Why can't humans just get along and try to fix this situation instead of bombing each other in unnecessary wars? But of course, some wars were necessary. But don't take me wrong. I didn't hate anyone. One of the sole things that made me happy was making other people happy. And seeing good people doing alright always made my day.

As I came home I threw my shoes somewhere over the small messy apartment and turned on my laptop. My apartment wasn't really the best place to live in but it was more than fine to me. In fact, I was actually pretty wealthy but I preferred living in a small apartment instead of in a mansion. At one point I even considered giving away all the money I inherited to a charity or something, but eventually decided to keep it if I'd lose my job. I'd considered quitting my job and travel around the world but eventually gave that idea up too.

A new My Little Pony episode had recently been aired and I hadn't had time to check it out. And since I was allowed to leave work earlier due to being an hard working man, I decided to watch it. Besides, I didn't have anything better to do anyways.

I went to the kitchen as my laptop loaded and powered up and opened the small fridge, only to see that there wasn't anything in it. I sighed sharply as my stomach growled and closed the fridge again in disappointment.

“I guess I'll have to order something to eat. A pizza will do.” I muttered to myself as I grabbed my phone and typed the only number I knew. That pizza restaurant.

Yes, that's the only number I knew. I wasn't very social to be honest and the sad part about it was that I was perfectly fine by it. In fact, I kind of preferred to be left alone. Especially after certain events in the past.

"Drake. The usual." I said to the telephone. I was a regular customer there and the employees already knew me by name. Hell, I've ordered from them so many times I practically had a conversation with one of the workers the other day.

I sat down on the wooden chair facing my laptop after I hung up. But by the time I touched my computer mouse, something went wrong. Just out of the blue I started feeling strong pains in my brain; hearing voices. Slithering voices whispering things to me. I didn't quite analyze the words, but whatever was happening couldn't be good.

"Dir, Jul... Ahmik... Dovahkiin... Aav!" were the only words I could make out of it. There were loads of more words like it was some kind of speech, but those were the only ones clear to me. Or at least what I thought was clear to me.

On it went for some time before I felt like something was choking me...blocking my windpipe. I started gagging and I found myself fighting for air. I didn't see very clearly either, and the only feeling I felt for was like somebody or something was holding me. Like something as a mysterious force trying to pull me; slowly ripping me apart. I fell to the ground and yelled and screamed in great agony. I felt like my body was burning in the depths of hell itself. I didn't know what was happening to me, but it was rather obvious that I was in critical danger. I thought I was going to die, just like that.

I tried to reach the phone to call an ambulance. But my body refused to obey. I screamed again as I tried everything in my power to reach that phone. My determination payed off in the end.

"Help! Something...wrong! Help me!" I shouted at the telephone. I felt for my heart rating increasing and increasing with each second.

"Sir! Where are you located?" the person on the other end of the line asked. I tried to answer but my voice wouldn't obey. I let out a big agonizing scream again as my blood started to boil within my veins. "Sir?!"

All of a sudden I felt for my heart slowing down. I panted lightly as I waited for my mysterious death. I realized that this was the end for me. My life would come to an end right there and I didn't know the reason. But, somehow, I was completely fine with it. I didn't have much to live for anyways. Maybe... maybe I'd see my family again.

"Aus... Kiin... Bron...Dovahkiin... In Do Dovah!"

I closed my eyes when my heart failed me and softly exhaled my last breath.


I woke up to strange noises. I felt that I was moving, like I was being carried in some carriage or something. I didn't open my eyes yet, but I could feel for the summer breeze caressing my body. I could hear birds singing beautifully. However, I had a massive headache and my body felt, and was very weak. I also felt for my wrists being tied with a rope or something. At last I quickly opened my eyes and gasped, but didn't see anything. Everything was blurred, and the sunlight entering my pupils hurt my weak eyes.

“Easy there.” A deep male voice said.

“W-Where am I, where are you taking me?” I asked in panic, blinking my eyes to adjust my sight. I also got a bit startled with my unrecognizable voice. "What is wrong with my voice? Why don't I sound like myself?" I blurted out. I didn't see anything yet, but judging by the singing of the birds and the rustle of leaves, I bet I was located somewhere in a beautiful environment. Too bad I couldn't see my surroundings yet. How I got here remained a mystery, though.

"Your voice sounds pretty normal to me."

"W-Who are you?"

“Relax. I'm in the same situation as you're in. I'm your ally. Probably your last one at that.” he replied with a deep, slow giggle. He had a thick accent. A Nordic one.

“W-What do you mean?” I asked confusedly, trying to touch anything in my reach. I slowly began to regain my sight, and the first thing I noticed was the beautiful environment. The green grass, the tall trees and the clear blue sky.

But what surprised me the most was the clean air that I was breathing in. I wasn't used to it at all, and all that freshness made me cough.

Before he could reply I turned around to see that he wasn't quite how I imagined him to be. He was a... pony. He was a brown Earth pony with brown eyes and had a black colored mane. It scared the shit out of me. I then noticed that I had hooves and wings of my own. For what seemed a long while, I just stared. I wasn't thinking about anything, I just stared at my foreign body limbs with my blank mind.

“What the fuck is going on?!” I yelled in confusion the second I regained my consciousness. I panted tremendously in excitement.

“Shut up there, you criminal scum!” One of the guards spat at me. "Or we'll put you down right here!"

“Where am I?! What is happening?!” I asked, still in a panic, and shook my head several times just to be sure I wasn't dreaming.

“We are arriving to Helgen. I don't know what you've done to deserve this, but they're going to execute us.”

“EXECUTE?!” I gasped. I noticed that the friendly pony wasn't very amused. I sounded like a coward, and if I had to take a wild guess, I bet he wasn't too fond of cowardice. After all, he was as relaxed as I would've been in a steam bath.

“Yes, my friend. Sovereign awaits us all.”

“Wait, why? What do you mean? What's--”

“Because we're criminals, that's why! And please, do not try to reason with the guards. It's a waste of time, and they won't listen to you. They also tend to hate whiners, just like me.”

“But I haven't done anything wrong!” I growled. He didn't deserve that, but in the situation I was in, I had every reason to be shocked and angry.

“Neither have I.” He replied with a sarcasm, smirking.

“And who's that on my right?” I asked to change the subject. I wanted to take my mind off the whole execution subject for a bit.

“The one and only Stormcloak leader; Ulfric. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him.”

“And why is that cloth gagging him?”

“Are you new around here? Or have you been living under a rock?” he asked me with a questionable look.

I looked at my shaking hooves and nodded. “Yes. Yes I'm definitely new here.” I replied, still gazing at my hooves and my tied up wings. My wings and hooves were cyan colored... which meant that the rest of my body was probably cyan colored, too. I didn't notice the color at first, since I was too surprised to wake up not as a human anymore, but as an animal. It didn't even make any sense to me.

“Huh... like Rainbow Dash”. I thought to myself and smiled. After all, she was my favorite pony of the mane 6. I gasped when I thought about it, but what if they were all here? What if they now existed?

“He killed the High King Torygg.”

“Wow... am I sitting next to a king murderer?” As soon as I said that I felt for Ulfric's cold eyes fixed on me. It made me gulp.

I decided to ignore him. Instead I went back to fearfully admiring my new body and wings. I didn't get a good look at it, but I could definitely see a part of the wings and my arms. But that was it.

“Yes... and do you know what he used to kill the king?”

I expected a blade or a weapon, or whatever ponies used. I shook my head in disbelieve. Whatever was going on, I was probably dreaming. I must have. It wouldn't make any sense to just wake up in a moving cart and-- I stopped thinking about it. I decided to go with the flow and just do something. After all, I was convinced that I was just having a very strange dream. And why not enjoy it while it lasted?

“He used his voice to tear him apart!” the mysterious stallion laughed with a grin.

“Wait... what?” I laughed with him. “No, seriously. What's the real reason?”

I noticed that the stallion wasn't amused... not at all. He just frowned and stared at me like he was talking to an ignorant child.

“You're serious.” I said to myself, but it sounded more like a question.

“Indeed I am.” he replied somewhat offended.

It took some time, but at last the carriage stopped. I looked around to see ponies everywhere in this peaceful, but dirty little village. I noticed one stallion ordering his colt to go into the house. The colt didn't obey, but that changed when I looked at him as he looked back at me. I gave him a slow nod; A nod that indicated that he should follow his father's orders. The colt nodded back and went straight inside. I noticed that the father nodded back to me respectfully. Probably thanking me.

The guards cut us loose, but one prisoner was stupid enough to try to escape. He met the consequences as he was shot down with an arrow. Yes, I know it sounds silly, and I haven't got a clue about how he could use a bow with his hooves.

“Please line up!” an angry gray colored Unicorn mare yelled at us. “Or you'll all end up like him or worse!” she threatened us, furiously pacing around the place. She looked at us with disgust and seemed to want nothing more than seeing us dead.

We obeyed without hesitating. I had some trouble walking, since I'd never walked on four legs before. Maybe jumping would be better? I tried to jump, but stopped it immediately after I got everyone's attention..

A priest spoke: "Since the beginning of time, a--" but before he could continue, a white Earth-Stallion walked dramatically, yet determinedly up to them with a frown. "For gods' sake, let's just get this over with!" he interrupted, not in his best mood. He clearly didn't lack the courage and he certainly wasn't afraid of death. Maybe he believed what waited for him was better for him anyways.

He walked by himself up to the tree stump and placed his neck on it; waiting impatiently to be executed. "Sovngard awaits."

I thought to myself that I would probably wake up when it was my turn. It always happened to me. Always when something was about to happen, I woke up.

I just witnessed as the executioner snapped the stallion's head clean off with his huge and sharp looking ax. Blood sprayed out of his throat and painted the tree stump and around it red. I had an urge to puke, but I managed to keep it down.

“What the fuck?” I thought out loud, turning my head away. I closed my eyes firmly and swallowed hard.

Everyone turned their attention to me again.

“You! Step forward!" she ordered me, looking into my eyes with her cold, sharp eyes. I didn't dare do anything else but to obey her. "What's your name, scum?” The mare spat out, pacing towards me. "What is your bucking name!

I jumped a bit and widened my eyes in startle. She definitely wasn't a very patient pony.

“M-My name is Drake.” I replied in confusion; still clueless about what was going on. "I think there's a misunderstanding here."

The mare took her time to verify the list despite of being so impatient. “Hmm... it seems like you're not on the list.” she muttered to herself, ignoring me as she double checked it.

“Does that mean I can go?” I asked, relieved, hoping she would release me without any trouble.

“Of course not!” she replied with her spiky voice. “You'll be executed anyways!”

“You can't do that! I'm not on that fucking list of yours and I didn't do anything wrong! Now let me go, you cunt!” I yelled at her furiously, taking a step forward. My legs almost failed me, but I still managed to keep my legs steady.

Two guards suddenly got a grip on me and dragged me towards the bloodied stump, forcing me to lay down where the stallion was executed. The blood from the dead stallion was all over that tree stump. But I didn't have the energy to fight them, or resist. I closed my eyes firmly and waited for my imminent death.

All of a sudden we all heard a distant roar and everybody else heard it, too.

“W-What was that?” asked one of the terrified guards.

“Everypony calm down. It's probably nothing.” The mare answered without any kind of fear.

The priest spoke again; reading a poem from an old book or something. Blessing my soul or whatever before I'd die.

“...although your body will be buried here in Equestria, your soul will rest in peace somewhere else. A place where...”

Did I hear right? Did he say Equestria? Now I was really starting to get confused, but yet very excited. What if this wasn't a dream? What if I really was here? Was there a reason for me being here? So many questions I wanted to get answered. But they wouldn't matter since I was about to be executed for something I didn't even do.

For the second time, that priest was interrupted with a roar, now louder and clearer than before. And before anyone could even react, a dragon landed on one of the roofs in that small village. Everypony panicked as it roared and summoned black clouds and thunders to cover the cyan colored sky. Then, it started burning the village down and killing everything on sight with its extremely powerful fire breath.

That made the executioner, as well as everybody else, run away for their lives. And just like that I was free.

“Hey! Over here!” someone yelled towards me.

I looked around but didn't see who called for me. I tried to spot the person, but before I could even turn around, someone grabbed and pulled me inside a house.

“If you want to live, follow me.” he ordered. It was the same stallion that I'd been talking to on the carriage.

At last. We had escaped the village that was doomed to die. I felt sorry for those who were trapped in there, but I had to move on. The other stallion and I had gone our separate ways, but before he set off he promised to meet me again later in the future.

I'd never seen anything as beautiful as this before. I kept exploring the trees and the green grass. All the flowers and all the plants. The sound of the water flowing, and the wind licking my...mane. And I even saw a deer in peace from afar.

I slowly walked with difficulties and tried my best to adjust walking on four legs. It was weird and very difficult; something I wasn't used to at all. But I didn't give up. I really didn't have any choice anyways.

That reminded me... I needed to check into a mirror, or into the water to see my reflection. I was very curious about my appearance.

I walked down a steep hill but as I was heading towards the lake, I noticed three stones that got my attention.

On one of those stones was carved: Magic. For the unicorns willing to learn more about the element of magic.

I walked up to the next stone. On it was carved: Physical Strength. Most efficient for the Earth Ponies. The blessings of this stone will grant you more strength and better endurance.

As I walked up to the next stone, I read: Speed. For the Pegasi. The blessings of this stone will grant you better agility, better performance from your wings, and better sneaking.

I placed two of my hooves on magical slots on that third stone and it resulted in a big blast; shooting some kind of a vertical light straight into the heavens. I could sense the power coming from it, and it felt good.

Now that that has been dealt with, I rushed down to the lake. I tried using my wings, but I immediately crashed to the ground.

“'Better performance from your wings', my ass...” I muttered. I had some difficulties standing up, but I managed to do it in the end.

When I came up to the lake, I could see the reflection of myself on the water and I couldn't believe my eyes.

The first thing I noticed were those big red irises in my eyes. Not glowing or demonic, just simple red.

I had seen some photos of Vinyl Scratch in my computer back at home, and apparently she had red eyes according to the fans. My eyes are very similar to those eyes. Hell, they are practically the same. I didn't know much about it though. Like I said before, I'd been working my ass off for the past months and I hadn't had any time for My Little Pony lately. I just tend to have a good memory, especially of things that interest me.

The next thing I noticed was my mane and body. That black, short mane and my cyan colored body. My mane style was like Doctor Whooves' style.

My wings; I really liked them, but it was such a strange feeling. I haven't felt like this ever before. Stretching them was like stretching your back when you woke up, or after a long day's work.

My cutie mark was a symbol of a dragon's head being pierced by a sword. What did that mean? Was I a dragon slayer? That didn't make any sense. “Like everything else at the moment.” I rolled my eyes.

Probably around fifteen minutes flew by and I still couldn't stop admiring myself in front of that lake. But I couldn't get a clear visual on myself.

Why was this happening to me? What was going on? Was I dreaming, or was this actually happening? “That priest said that we were in Equestria...” I told myself. “That means....no, no. I'm just having a strange dream. This can't be happening. This makes no sense!”

As I went further down the road, I saw a small town, making me sigh in relief. After all, it was getting dark and I was getting really tired. There must have been a place I could stay during the night.

It took some time, but finally after I could manage to walk up to the entrance of the town I felt for some kind of numbness. My vision mysteriously started to blur and my body got all weakened again. I fell to the ground as I lost the last of my energy and closed my eyes. Fortunately, I could hear someone approach.

“Co...here... Spi...” I couldn't hear properly, but I was glad that someone noticed me collapsing. “Mu... get him... safety...” The voice was very familiar, even though my hearing had worsened. I swear I'd heard that voice somewhere before. Before I even realized, someone grabbed me pretty harshly.

“It's going...alright.” Yes, now I was sure that I definitely recognized that voice.

“Twilight? No, that can't be!” I managed to think to myself, even though my head was fucking with me at that moment. So much pressure. It resulted in me losing my consciousness... again.

Chapter 2: Dragonborn's Origin

I want to thank Nazidash for his interest in helping me out, and for his great job in editing this chapter. Thanks!

I slowly woke up lying in a soft bed or mattress... No, I was definitely in a bed.

The air was pure and refreshing, cooling the room a bit.

“I forgot to close the windows again.” I thought to myself as I kept my eyes closed. I was soaked in my sweat even though the air was cool. I also felt very dizzy and my massive headache didn't help.

“Shh now.” I heard a friendly, smooth voice say. The person was wiping the sweat off my forehead with a blanket.

“Mom, is that you?” I asked with my weak voice. I felt like shit; like I had a really bad fever.

“It's alright. You're safe now.” she replied and continued wiping the sweat off my face gently.

I coughed a bit and sighed. I felt like I was lying naked in snow, yet also like I was being cooked in an oven.

“I...I had a nightmare, mom. I woke up in some carriage on my way to be executed. But I wasn't myself. I was a...a…”

“You're safe and sound now, here in Ponyville.” she interrupted.

“In Ponyville?” I shouted and opened my eyes. I couldn't believe at who I was looking at. I shrieked a bit and gasped in surprise. “T-T..” I tried to say her name, but she interrupted me again.

“Relax. Don't be afraid. I'm a friend. I'm here to help you.”

There was something about her hypnotizing voice that made me a lot calmer. I kept staring into her eyes and swallowed in nervousness. But despite the fact that I'd been calmed down a bit, I still panted in disbelief and excitement.

Shit. I'm still dreaming. Dreaming within a dream. I hate when that happens. I thought to myself and swallowed again.

I already knew where I was. It was a very familiar place, and I was sure I'd seen it before. There were a lot of books everywhere, very well organized on bookshelves from A-Z. I also noticed a nice and cozy fireplace with a big horseshoe on it in the center of the living room wall. I was in the bedroom or guestroom on the second floor at that moment. Yes. There was no doubt that I was in Twilight Sparkle's home.

“So, what's your name?” she asked me curiously and with a hint of a smile on her face.

“I..uh...”

“Yes?” She added in impatience and fluttered her eyes a couple of times.

“N-Name's Drake.” I said and nodded twice rapidly as I looked for a way out of the house. I needed to get out of there fast. I had a feeling she was going to ask me questions. Questions I didn't have answers to. I noticed the big red door downstairs and immediately realized that it was the exit. But I couldn't just make a run for it. Not yet. “Th-Thank you for your hospitality, but I really must get going.” I added and quickly turned around. But by the time I turned around, she was already standing in front of me staring deep into my eyes. I gulped. How did she do that? I thought to myself nervously and a bit terrifyingly.

“What's the hurry? Don't you want to sit down for a moment and have some tea? I'm sure you'll feel better.” she suggested kindly and didn't even give me a moment to object by pushing me gently towards the kitchen.

“W-Why did you take me to your place?” I asked her as soon as I was seated down by her kitchen table. She didn't waste any time and immediately started preparing our tea. I didn't even drink tea, but I decided not to turn it down. Simply because I was confused and sick. I figured a cup of tea could help me calm down a bit.

“I couldn't just leave you. You fainted in front of me and I had to do something.”

“Fair enough. I just wanted to thank you.” I said respectively and a bit awkwardly, but nodded quickly. She nodded back.

“I've been studying on some medical matters lately, and since you fainted for no particular reason, I thought that I could use that knowledge to help you.” She pointed out with her closed eyes and a smile.

“There's nothing wrong with me.” I hissed coldly. I didn't intend to, but the situation was overwhelming me and I was both scared and worried.

“Oh, I see.” she replied. “So, you fainted just like that. No reason for it. Just collapsed there in front of me without an explanation?”

“Yeah... pretty much.” I replied without thinking. She gave me a weird look but then finally nodded quickly. She then came up to me with her horn glowing.

“Stay still.” The purple unicorn ordered.

“Hey, what the...” but before I could finish the sentence she hit me with her magic. The impact of the magic on me felt great! I'd never felt anything like it before. The power flowing through me was simply an amazing feeling. I felt much better. My energy had been replenished and the headache was mysteriously gone. My illness just vanished in a blink of an eye. “Wow... thank you, whatever you did! I can feel the energy flowing through me. It feels great! I feel stronger; healthier.” Twilight chuckled and told me that it wasn't a problem. “No you don't understand. I haven't felt this great for a long time.” I explained with a big smile on my face.She didn't respond, but smiled right back at me.

Some time passed and it was getting a little awkward. However, Twilight broke the silence, thank god.

“So, may I ask you. Where are you from?” Alright, maybe I'd prefer the silence instead. I didn't know what to say, as I didn't have a clue where I was from. I couldn't just say that I was a human in pony form. That wouldn't make any sense and I had no urge to explain everything that would probably take a whole night. So instead I decided to lie. It was a terrible option to choose, but it was the most practical one.

“I.. I don't really live anywhere. I am a traveler and an adventurer. So my only home is pretty much a tent.”

Fuck... I shouldn't have said I lived in a tent. Now she'd ask me where my things were. But I hoped for the best. Fortunately, she believed me and didn't ask me about what happened to my things.

“That's nice. Is this your first time in Ponyville?”

“Nah, I've been here before. A long time ago though.” I lied again. Although, I suppose it wasn’t a complete lie as I’d seen it before on my television.

“Have you met Rainbow Dash? She's another Pegasus and a friend of mine.” She asked me with a thoughtful facial expression. Why would she ask me if I'd seen her? Was there something about me that reminded her of Rainbow? Or simply because I was a cyan colored Pegasus as well? I answered with a simple no. “I should introduce you to her. You two would get along just fine. I guarantee that.”

“Why?” I asked curiously. I wanted to know what she had in mind.

“Oh, because... I don't know. There's something about you that I think she would appreciate; seeing as you’re an adventurer, traveling dangerous roads. Living in a tent.” she chuckled.

“So she's the adventurer type?” I asked and pretended I didn't know anything about her.

She chuckled again and stared at me for a couple of seconds. “I think you should see for yourself.”

I didn't answer her, but simply nodded back with a clumsy smile.

“Anyways, I've always wanted to travel. But I couldn't as I...I don't want to sound too cocky or anything, but I'm working for the Princess.” she announced with pride and a wide smile.

I knew all about it, of course. So I had to fake an impression. “Really? Wow, that must be a big responsibility.”

“Yes. It is.” she said and couldn't help but to blush a bit.

I walked around the living room and examined her things. To my surprise, I didn't have any difficulty in walking anymore. Whatever Twilight did to me with her magic, it seemed to do more than just replenish me energy. I wondered if they also affected my wings...

But it felt so weird to be actually inside her house instead of just looking at it in front of the computer screen. There was so much detail I'd never seen before and everything was so bright and colorful.

But all of a sudden I heard Twilight gasping. I turned around and asked her what was wrong.

“Your cutie mark. It's so... spectacular.” she uttered in awe.

“Uhh...” was all I could come up with. I didn't really know what to say.

“I'm sure I've read about that cutie mark somewhere before!” she almost yelled and quickly jumped over to her bookcase and searched through her books.

“Where is it... where is it... where is it-- SPIIIIIIIIIKE!” she yelled again and in a few seconds he appeared by her side.

“Yes?” he asked and got himself prepared for whatever task he was about to receive.

“Do you remember the book I was reading the other day?”

Spike facepalmed. “You've read about 14 books this week!” he stated in annoyance.

Twilight sighed. “You know, the big coal black book? I remember seeing that cutie mark in there. I didn't actually read the book itself, but I remember showing it to you. Just look at our guest's cutie mark.”

“Did you just say... guest?” Spike didn't move. It seemed like he hadn't noticed me and that he had forgotten about bringing me back to Twilight's place. He turned his head slowly. As soon as he saw me he shrieked and jumped into a pile of books.

“Spike...” Twilight said and facehooved.

He stuck his head out of the pile and started shaking. But after a few seconds he calmed down.

“I'm sorry. He's always like that when he meets new ponies.” Twilight excused on Spike's behalf and giggled awkwardly.

“That's alright.” I replied and smiled like an idiot.

Spike slowly walked towards me and looked at my flank. I guess he didn't like what he saw, as his claws grew larger and his spikes became sharper. How could I blame him? My cutie mark was a dragon's head with a sword through it. Of course he should be surprised. After all, he's a dragon himself.

He didn't say anything, but slowly walked over to Twilight, still staring into my eyes. I felt like he was staring into my very soul and it was getting pretty uncomfortable. Finally he turned around to face Twilight. “Has he... has he slain a dragon?” he whispered to her. I know he didn't want to be rude, but I could still hear him.

“Have you ever slain a dragon?” Twilight turned around excitedly and asked me, forcing herself to stay calm.

The level of comfort was getting increasingly small as they waited for my answer. “N-No, I haven't.” I responded confusedly. I had no idea what was going on but I didn't want to find out either. The only thing on my mind was to getting somewhere I could be alone. Somewhere where I could isolate myself from everyone and just wrap my head around a few things. But I couldn't. I didn't know where to go or what to do. So I stuck around and decided to gather more info about my situation via Twilight. I just had to be subtle about it for now.

At last, Twilight turned around again to face Spike again. “Spike. Do you know where the book is?”

“Yes. It's right here.” he said and ran off to get it.

After a matter of seconds he came back with a big black book, almost the size of him. The book was huge and had a picture of some symbol of a dragon on it. At least it looked like a dragon. There was something about that book that reminded me of something. Of course! It was on the cover of the video game; Skyrim. I had never played it before, nor did I know much about it. But I remember looking at the cover once.

“The Book of the Dragonborn.” Twilight gasped. “No, it can't be!”

She used her magic with her horn to turn the pages until she reached a certain page.

She looked intently at her book and said: “Here it is, ‘The Dragonborn's tale: A long time ago, there was a major war. Ponies against the Dragons. Some said that there was no way the ponies could win. Some even changed sides and worshiped the dragons instead for fear of losing their lives, thus abandoning everypony they loved for their own selfishness. The darkness consumed these ponies and they turned into something pure evil. The Dragon Priests.’” She swallowed before continuing. “The dragons weren't afraid of anything and their only goal and purpose was to destroy and kill everything on sight. But there was one they feared. In their tongue, he's 'Dovahkiin’, or ‘Dragonborn' in the pony language.” she inhaled again before continuing. “Many had fallen in that war, both ponies and dragons. But in the end, the ponies prevailed. There were many battles. Some were won, and some were lost. But the war didn't end until the Dragonborn himself slayed the mighty dragon's leader, who is known as Alduin.” She continued reading in her mind while I patiently waited for her to come with something. “No... no.... not here...Aha! ‘There has been several Dragonborns since the beginning of time, but the difference between them and the ponies was that they didn't get their cutie mark after a specific event had occurred, but before. Every Dragonborn had the same cutie mark though, one of which was spectacular. It was a mark nopony else had or could get: a symbol of a dragon's head being pierced by a sword.’”

She looked back and forth, from her book to my flank, three consecutive times. Her eyes widened and she started shaking in disbelief. “I can't believe it.” She uttered with her jaw almost falling off her. "No... this can't be!"

“What? What is going on?” I asked a little worried. Was something bad about to happen to me?

“SPIKE!” she shouted again. “It's urgent that I report this to the princess right away!” Spike suddenly appeared with a scroll and a quill in his hands. “Dear Princess Celestia. It's urgent that we meet right away. I have something to report and I must introduce you to a special pony I think you'll be quite interested in--”

“Wait, wait, wait. What the fuck is going on?” I asked confusedly.

Twilight looked at me with a certain look on her face. I didn't know if she was terrified, or just confused at the unfamiliar word. Better watch my tongue. She might start asking questions.

“It's urgent that we meet the princess right away.” she simply answered with a calm voice.

What the hell was going on? First I woke up in Equestria as a pony, about to be executed. Then a dragon appeared and started killing everyone on sight. Later I activated a magical stone of speed and felt for it's effectiveness. Then I fainted and woke up at Twilight Sparkle's home in Ponyville. After that she tells me that I have to meet Celestia because she believes I'm a 'Dragonborn'. It was almost too much to cope with.

‘What's next?’ I wondered, would I have to slay a dragon and absorb it's soul? (yes, although I didn't play the game, I did know what it was about.) Will I become the champion of Equestria?

But the more time that passed, the more I was sure that I wasn't dreaming. In fact, I was starting to believe I was really a pony in Equestria and the Dragonborn. Hell, it even sounded silly in my own head. But, come to think of it... isn't this what I've always wanted and what I've dreamed about anyways? I admit, I often dreamed about being a resident of Ponyville, because it seemed so peaceful, beautiful and so... simple. MLP was one of the few things that kept me happy. After all, I didn't have an inspiring or interesting life.

There were only two things that inspired me. Those were MLP and the music I listened to. I mostly listened to music that calmed me down, but once in a while I tended to listen to all kinds of genres, such as; Metal, rock, electro, dubstep... name it.

But only now I was starting to realize that this was a great opportunity. If it was happening for real, I should just enjoy it instead of trying to get back home. There wasn't anything I cared about at home anyways. My family died in a car crash, there was no girl in my life, and the job was just awful. Semi-well payed, but depressing and boring.

“What are you talking about? What is going on?” I asked and tried my best to calm her down.

“You're...you're...” she stuttered. After a couple of attempts to speak, she finally calmed down. She took a deep breath. “I believe you're the prophecy we've been waiting for.” she simply explained. And she wasn't fucking around. In fact, she was dead serious, judging by how she looked at me.

“W-What do you mean. I don't understand!”

“You'll get your questions answered when we meet Celestia. She will tell you everything, I promise.” She said and hesitantly walked up to me and started examining me closely.

“Uhh... alright.” I answered and nodded quickly.

Another dead, awkward silence. And this time for couple of minutes. Wait, it wasn't completely silent. The clock was audible. Tick-tock-tick-tock...

And the most uncomfortable feeling about it was that Twilight was staring at me the whole time. I didn't dare to look back at her, nor did I try to move. I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to say something. Even though I hesitated at first.

“So...uhh...”

“Yeah?”

“About that tea...”

“Sure! Sorry, I forgot. Come, it's ready.” she demanded and chuckled awkwardly.

I tried to smile, but my body didn't obey me. The whole situation I was in was just too surprising for me to do anything without an hesitation. Even a little smile could get challenging.

All of a sudden Spike burped and out of the green flame appeared a scroll. He cleared his throat before reading:

"Dear Twilight, my faithful student. I have received your letter and what you've said sounds important. I will pay you a visit in a matter of minutes--” Before he could continue, he was interrupted with a knock.

“Celestia!” Twilight said in surprise. She opened the door, only to find out that it wasn't her.

“Twilight. Such a pleasure to see you again. It has been a couple of days since I last saw you, so I decided to pay you a little visit.” said another familiar voice. I couldn't see the pony, since I was in the kitchen. I didn't know if I should check out who it was or just stay in the kitchen. But the curiosity got the better of me.

“Rarity. It's good to see you too.” Twilight said very surprised and forced out a fake laughter.

“Are you busy? Are you perhaps 'hitting' the books?”

“Uh--”

“Of course not, you wouldn't even open the door for me if you were.” She said and chuckled fancily before she finally noticed me: standing there like an idiot. She stared at me with her big gracious eyes.

“Who... who's that?” she asked, still staring into my eyes like Spike did earlier. Why did everyone do that? It's not like I would stare into somebody's eyes like that if I'd meet a new person. But I wasn't on Earth anymore. “I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is... Rarity." she said her name like it was holy. "I am a top designer for--”

“Making clothes and dresses...” I muttered accidentally as I looked away uninterested. Shit!

“Wait, what did you say?” she gasped curiously with her eyes wide open.

“I, uhh...” I quickly tried to find a good comeback. But I didn't know anything what to say.

“That must mean one thing... I'm starting to get more recognized in other towns, not just in Ponyville!” she said thrilled. I swear, she behaved like her dreams had come true. Actually, that was probably the case.

“Eh...yeah!” I replied with relief.

“I'm sorry Rarity, but as you can see, I have a guest. I don't want to sound rude or anything but I'm going to have to ask you to leave.” Twilight finally said and pointed out the big red door.

“But... but...” Rarity said, but decided to let it go. She sighed and walked slowly towards the door with her head and ears lowered.

“No, don't go. I'd like to know more about you, if that's OK, Twilight.” I said, but regretted it immediately. I did want to know more about them and I was getting a little curious about the life here in Ponyville. But I had to be careful with what I was going to say, because Rarity would probably ask a lot of questions. About where I came from or where I lived. Yes... definitely that.

“Fine...” Twilight replied in small defeat and let out a small annoyed moan.

Rarity turned around and stared at me with her big blue eyes and with a wide smirk on her face. It looked like she was touched to hear that I was interested in talking to her.

“Thank you Twilight.” she said with her fancy voice.


Now it seems like I know everything about her. She even told me her whole life story. I was fortunate enough to get away with telling mine.

But her story was much more interesting than I thought. She told me of an extended version of how she got her cutie mark. I already knew how she got it, but hearing her say that with my own ears was something else. And, surprisingly, there was more to it than that. There was more than that sudden magic that drew her towards that big rock; loaded with diamonds and all kinds of gems.

Her version of the story on how she got her cutie mark was also significantly darker than the one I saw on TV. She had a hard life with her parents as a filly because they were heavy drinkers. She always went hungry to bed in her dark and dirty room, her father hit her regularly, and the only one she actually cared about was her little sister that could barely even talk. She did everything she could to make her little sister's life happy and bright. But despite the difficulties she went through, she always looked at the positive ways of life. In her free time, which was almost never, she tried to create something from the little materials she had in her room. She also used the little free time she had to practice her magics, but to little avail. Magic wasn't her strongest subject.

But with each day that passed, her parents became more and more aggressive and cruel towards Rarity. They became more violent.

One day she couldn't take it anymore, so she ran away from home with little Sweetie Belle. But her sister couldn't make that journey, so she had to ride Rarity. They ran and ran for hours in the heavy rain until they finally reached a friendly little town called Ponyville.

To make a long story short from there; they were taken into a family that loved them both very much. They fed them properly, raised them up like the parents they never had and made sure they were happy.

Furthermore, Rarity went to school. There was this school's event; a big traditional show that was held annually, and Rarity was appointed to making the costumes. But nobody really appreciated the ones she had made for the class. They demanded new ones and time was almost up.

She worked hard, but wasn't satisfied with her new costumes, either. That's why she was about to give up. But out of the blue, her magics suddenly began to kick in. It led her to a big rock outside of Ponyville, and after that, a loud boom interrupted the peace. The sky was graced with colors from an explosion of some sort from afar. It resulted in the rock cracking open. And that trip clearly payed off, because the rock was loaded with all kinds of colorful gems.

So, she returned with them and put them on the costumes. Everybody admired them and the show was a success. From that day forth, she understood that this was what she wanted to work with forever. Making costumes, dresses, uniforms were her destiny. And poof! Cutie mark.

But at last. Another knock on the door. That had to be Celestia, and now I'd finally get all my questions answered. Twilight rushed at the door and quickly opened it. I was right. There she was, standing gracefully with two personal bodyguards on each side.

Celestia was bigger than I thought. Sure, I've seen her before, but she seemed slightly smaller in the show. And her bluish glowing mane was even brighter than I expected. You could say that she was the very definition of 'Light'. I even noticed a fainted aura of light around her.

Twilight bowed, as did we, and then she indicated that we should stand up.

“Twilight, my faithful student. May I come in?” she asked with her calm voice.

“Of course, Princess! It's so good to see you again!” she said before nuzzling her. Celestia returned that nuzzle.

Celestia then ordered the body guards to stay outside, and the body guards simply nodded.

“It's good you're here, Princess.” Twilight said and smiled.

“It's good to see you too, dear...” she hesitated when she saw my cutie mark. “Oh my...”

“Do you now see why this is important?” Twilight asked her, but with respect.

She nodded and kept staring at my cutie mark.

Some time passed until she finally noticed Rarity, who sat there quietly, was also surprised and gasping like she had found a giant gem. That reminded me of the first two episodes of season two. When they had all been hypnotized by Discord, and when Rarity carried...what was the name of the rock again...Tom?

But I guess she hadn't seen my cutie mark until that moment.

It was a little awkward, like that whole day had been. God, I hate awkwardness. Why couldn't they just leave me alone?

“Oh, Rarity.” The princess said a little shocked.

“Princess?” Rarity responded and nodded respectfully to her.

“Could you please excuse us?” The princess asked with her sweet and friendly voice.

“Certainly, my princess.”

As she walked towards the exit, she turned around and winked me, which put me off guard. Did she just... wink me?

After several seconds, she was gone and the Princess walked slowly towards me. It was a little threatening to be honest, but the way she walked up to me told me that she was friendly.

“This is bigger than I thought.” she said and walked around me in circles, never taking her eyes off my cutie mark.

“So, can you confirm it, Princess? Is he the One?” Twilight Sparkle asked nervously.

Celestia looked at Twilight and simply nodded. “I believe he is.” She turned back to me like she was about to ask me a question, which she did. “What's your name?”

“My name is Drake, your highness.” I announced. After all, she was a princess.

“I want to know everything.” Celestia requested.

I looked at Twilight who indicated that I should obey. “I thought I was going to get some questions answered.”

“You will, but first I need to know everything about you. Who you are, what you've done, where you came from; everything. I'm sorry, but I need to know more about you if you want my help. You just have to trust me. Can you do that?” She asked me with her hypnotizing voice.

I thought about what I was going to say. It would involve lots of lies though. I nodded several times and said “Alright.”

“You can start off by telling me why you're here in Twilight's home.”

“I... I fainted just outside of Ponyville and she was kind enough to take me to her home. I woke up in a bed. She took care of me and I shall forever be in her debt.” I said and looked at Twilight who was starting to blush.  “I'm serious.” I added and nodded with respect to her, resulting in her giggling and blushing even more.

“It was the least I could do.” she pointed out and smiled.

“I see...yet another reason why Twilight is my personal student.” she said and smiled upon her. Twilight was now blushing more than ever.

“That's strange. You just blacked out?”

“Yes, I have no idea why.”

Suddenly I remembered the dragon that attacked Helgen. It would probably be for the best if I'd tell her about that if she didn't already know. “Princess, there's one thing I'd like to say.”

“Yes?” she asked curiously.

“You've probably heard about it, but Helgen was attacked by a dragon.”

“Yes, I know about that. Such a tragedy. Wait... were you there?” she asked me surprised. “And you lived?”

“Yes. Some random stallion and I got out of there alive.”

“What's his name?”

“He never told me his name, sorry.”

Celestia walked around the living room and looked like she was thinking about the situation. “Alright. Now, tell me more about yourself.” she requested.

I didn't dare to deny her, even though I wanted to. I had no urge to fake up a rushed identity. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Ugh...this was going to be a long day.

I told her everything she wanted to know. But a lot of lies were involved. I hoped she wouldn’t get angry when she realizes that I'd been lying. It was only a matter of time before she'd figure it out. That I knew. But maybe it would be easier to explain then.

“Alright... I've told you everything about me. Now, would you please answer my questions?” Celestia nodded and waited patiently for a question. “What is happening to me? Why do you say I'm this Dragonborn?”

“You have the Dragonborn's cutie mark.’

“How can you be sure? Maybe I got it by coincidence--”

“No. You see, a normal pony cannot get that cutie mark. You, however, aren't normal. You are more than just a pony. You also have a soul of a dragon. The power of the dragon is flowing in your blood.”

“This doesn't make any sense to me. Please clarify.” I asked. I really liked the idea of 'having the power of a dragon in my blood' but it was just too weird and confusing to be true.

“There hasn't been a Dragonborn in centuries. And the scrolls said that another Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin would come to this world. The scrolls also said that when that happens, we'd know that dark times of dragons would rise again.”

“Wait, so what you're trying to say is that...”

“Your destiny is to save Equestria from the evil dragon lord that has risen. Alduin.”

“Alduin?!” Twilight shrieked. “But I thought he was slayed!”

“It isn't entirely true, though I cannot reveal more at the moment. I'm reminding you to stay alert. Do not talk about this under any circumstances until you've heard more from me. Is that clear?”

“Yes, princess.” Me and Twilight said simultaneously.

“I also suggest you, Dragonborn, to stay in Ponyville for now. Twilight here will show you around. I suggest you stay together for now, and if it helps, try to make some friends around here. It shouldn't be hard. Everypony in Ponyville are excellent and very nice ponies.” Twilight nodded and smiled in confident.

“You can count on us.”

“Yes, princess. But I'm still confused...” I said with a slight hope for more answers.

“So am I.” she replied and smirked. “I should take my leave. I need to consult my dear sister, Luna. We will talk about this situation and do some researches. Goodbye, my little ponies."

I quickly opened the door for her in appreciation for what she'd done for me. At least she explained who I was.

The princess suggested to stay with Twilight. I had no problem with that, and she didn't either I imagined. Did that mean I was about to meet the rest of the mane six? I hoped so.

When the princess was gone, Twilight turned to me and gave me a big smile. “The Princess ordered me to show you around town. We can go check on my friends if you'd like. You've already seen Rarity. Uhh... but it's your choice.”

“No, of course! I'd love to meet your friends.” I said excitedly. I was about to meet the ponies that has brightened my life on Earth. I hadn’t felt happier in years.

Chapter 3: An Unquenchable Thirst for Speed

I want to thank Nazidash for editing the chapter! Thanks!

A beautiful day. Yes, a beautiful day indeed. I never thought I would ever combine the words 'beautiful' and 'day' in a same sentence. But hey, I never thought I would ever be the Dragonborn or a pony in Equestria either. I tried to take my mind off it and just enjoy being in this beautiful and colorful world. Even if it were a dream, it was better than home. Speaking of home, I’d only been in Equestria for a day, but I already felt like it was the home I never had. That one day had made me happier than I've ever felt since I was a kid. And it was only going to get better.

The sun was shining and the birds were singing. Everypony were doing their jobs outside with wide smiles on their faces. I even recognized some of them from the show.

Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi were all helping each other out. It was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen. Everybody working together in peace, joy, and most importantly, will. Something that humans lacked.

It seemed like the more time I spent in Ponyville; the more I cared about it. I was starting to realize that I actually felt happy here, and I was getting pretty appreciative that the mysterious force had pulled me into this world. The only thing I missed from Earth was the music. Music has been very important in my life and it was one of the few things that kept me sane.

Twilight and I walked through the town and she showed me around before we'd met the rest of her friends.  

“You remember Rarity. This is her carousel boutique. I don't think you'll need to visit that place very often, but if you need clothes, remember that this is the place you're looking for.”

I nodded, but didn’t focus on her. I was too busy looking around, looking at the environment and the pegasi clearing the sky.

“Alright.” I said with no interest. I didn't even have to be interested. I already knew this place and that presentation of hers was totally pointless.

“I actually remember being here the last time, so I don't think a presentation is necessary.”

“Oh...” Twilight said and seemed a little disappointed. “Then I should probably introduce you to my friends?” she asked and looked at me like I had a choice. We both knew that there wasn't any choice. The princess had ordered me to make new friends, which was an odd order. But she had her reasons.

I remember when Twilight first came to Ponyville. Celestia had also ordered her to make some new friends because she knew that with friendship they would be able to defeat Nightmare Moon. Was this the case too? Did she know something bad was going to happen? Is that perhaps the reason why I have to make new friends, I wondered. Because I won’t be able to overcome whatever will be in my way if I don't have any friends? Was friendship going to help me, or even save my life in the future? So many question unanswered.

But an order from a princess was an order and I would gladly obey. In fact, what she had ordered me to do was quite an easy task anyways.

“Sure. Lead the way.” I said still thinking about the situation I was in, and about my future.

Twilight nodded and started walking. I followed her quietly.

Even though all the ponies around here were nice and very friendly, I still noticed that some of them were staring at my cutie mark. I understood that this was new to them, and I understood that they've never seen anything like it before, but it was getting a little uncomfortable.

I sighed. I really needed to stop being so insecure and easily disturbed.

“So, where are we heading?”

“I figured that we should just go by the alphabet. Let's start with Applejack.”

“Alright, lead the way.”

After maybe five minutes of walk I saw Pinkie Pie. She was having fun as usual; smelling flowers, rolling on the ground, giggling and laughing, hopping around... the usual.

She didn't notice me though, and I somehow wanted to keep it that way. I was in no mood for a party. I knew that she wouldn't recognize me and that she would gasp and go prepare a welcome party for me. I just knew that by the end of the day I would be partying in one of her parties, even though I had no urge to.

I was correct. She gasped and paused in mid-air when she noticed me,(like she did when she first saw Twilight), and rushed away. That pony sure could run...

“That was Pinkie Pie. I'll introduce you to her later.”

“Yeah...” I said not surprised by Pinkie's actions.

“Let's get going, we're almost there.”

She led me out of the town, up a small hill and into a beautiful green forest. There were apple trees everywhere. I saw two ponies apple bucking. It looked tiring, but they kept bucking those trees without showing any kind of exhaustion.

At last we reached Sweet Apple Acres.

We walked up to the barn, and Twilight knocked.

“Applejack?” she called.

“Ah'll be right with ya in just a minute Twi.” a voice said. It came from the barn.

“Applejack, there's someone I'd like you to meet.” Twilight yelled and waited patiently for Applejack to open the door.

All of a sudden she opened the door and stepped outside. I was certain she would also be surprised to see me, like everypony else. But I was wrong.

“Well, howdy there pardner! Never seen ya before. Ya new 'round here?” she asked me with her strong accent and without showing any kind of surprise like everyone else.

“Not really. I payed Ponyville a visit a couple of years ago, or so.” I answered. Wow... I was talking to Applejack. God, that felt weird; surrealistic. But it also felt quite awesome.  

“Name's Applejack.” she said and grabbed my hoof firmly and shook it very fast. It was kind of expected though.

“I'm Drake. A pleasure to meet you.” I replied and nodded with a smile.

“He's an old friend of mine. I just wanted to introduce you to him.”

“Alright. Ah'm really busy at the moment, but ah guess ah'll meet ya two in the evenin'. If ya know what ah mean.” she said and winked, more pointing that to Twilight than me. Twilight got the hint and smirked with her eyes closed.

“Yeah... we'll see you around.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about... 'Pinkie's party'.

As we headed back to town, I got a feeling like someone was watching me. I didn't know if I was just imagining things or if someone was actually following us. I didn't know what was better or worse. But it kind of disturbed me. Twilight didn't seem to notice anything though. She just kept walking with a smile on her face and I just silently followed.

Eventually I heard a noise. “Whoa!” I heard, but I didn't know where it was coming from. “Watch out!” The voice added, and I looked in all directions. All but up.

Somepony crashed into me and it hurt like hell. The unexpectedness completely worsened it. I wasn't ready for it. “Heh... sorry.” apologized the mysterious pony with an awkward giggle. I didn't see who it was at first because I was so dizzy due to the impact.

“Rainbow...” Twilight muttered as she facehooved, “Were you following us?”

“No! Well... maybe, but...” Rainbow uttered and tried to find an excuse. But we could clearly see through her attempted lies.

“How did you manage to crash into us? You can walk on clouds and you have wings.” Twilight pointed out in confusion.

Rainbow Dash seemed offended in an awkward way. “Oh, please...I didn't crash into you! I simply... I just... I just know how to make an entrance!” she excused herself lousily and chuckled nervously.

“At least you're here. I wanted to introduce you to my very special friend here.” Twilight said and helped me get up. My legs felt numb and shaky. But the fact that my favorite pony crashed into me made me forget all about it instantly. I was excited to get to talk to her. I was completely stunned at first, but also a bit terrified.

“Hey there, guy! What's up? Name's Rainbow Dash.” she announced with a proud smile and pointed her head slightly up into the air with her eyes closed as she fixed her mane with her right hoof.

“H-Hello there! M-m-m-my n-name is--”

“There’s a reason why I am called Rainbow and Dash, ya know.” she interrupted me and spoke with high confidence. I smirked and chuckled awkwardly, but silently. She's exactly as I remembered her.

“I-I can see that. After all, your mane is multicolored like a...a Rainbow. But... my name is--”

“Do you really think everypony calls me Rainbow and Dash because of my mane? Well, that could be the explanation for 'Rainbow', but I'm also 'Dash'. Do you know why? Because I'm the best and fastest flier in whole of Equestria! I can clear the skies in ten-seconds-flat!” she pointed out in a challenging tone. I didn't like where this was heading and I was sure she was gonna challenge me to a race... or something. But she didn't challenge me. She simply heaved herself from the ground and floated in mid-air by flapping her wings.

“I have no doubt of that, Rainbow. But I've been trying to tell you my name. I'm...”

“Hey! Since you're a Pegasus too, we could have a little race! Right now!” She suggested very excitedly, like she hadn't had any better ideas before. "What do ya say? Wanna stretch those wings of yours and--"

“Rainbow!” Twilight yelled to her friend as an interruption.

“Huh? Yes, Twilight?” Rainbow asked and scratched her head confusedly with her right hoof, still in midair.

“He's been trying to tell you his name, but you keep interrupting him.” Twilight pointed out and exhaled like she was annoyed and exhausted.

Rainbow Dash quickly landed and turned to me in a shameful way. “Oh... sorry. I thought... I thought I was... you was... you know.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Doesn't matter. What's your name?” she asked me and suddenly changed into a whole new Rainbow Dash. Now she was calm, interested and smiling.

“N-Name's Drake. Pleased to meet you.” I introduced myself with a clumsy grin and reached out to give her a hoofshake.

She refused it; instead deciding to launch herself at me and give me a big hug. I hesitantly returned it. The first time hugging a pony and it was a very surprising, yet a very good feeling. I didn't expect that from Rainbow Dash. What I was expecting from her was maybe a brohoof or something similar. But there was something about her hug that made me feel confident. It certainly was different than the few other hugs I'd received over the past. It made me feel like someone finally cared about me again.

“I don't do hoofshakes.” she whispered into my left ear, still hugging me like I was a teddy bear. Finally she let go of me. “How about that race?” She asked very excitedly and stabbed me with her hopeful eyes. That stare really made me feel uncomfortable.

“M-Maybe another time.” I replied and let out an awkward chuckle again.

“Oh... I see. Alright.” she muttered in disappointment and let out a sad sigh.

“I'm sorry, but I just got here and I'd rather not spend all my energy in a race at the moment.”

Rainbow nodded to me, again in disappointment and gazed sadly down at the ground. “I understand.”  

I felt really bad for rejecting her. I didn't know it meant so much to her, but I just couldn't do it. I've never used my wings before and I wasn't even sure if Twilight's magic improved them like it did with my legs. I couldn't take that chance. And besides, I still wasn't completely used to my new body. I needed some time to adapt to it.

“Maybe next time.” I suggested and tried to cheer her up. But then I realized one thing... Next time we'd meet was in Pinkie's party and Rainbow Dash knew it. I facehooved and let out a sharp sigh.

Her attitude changed completely. She had a very subtle smile on her face. “You're on!” She shouted in a victory like shout and flew off in an incredible speed. I guess she didn't want to give me an opportunity to back off.

But much to my surprise, she came back. She didn't land though, she just flapped those wings and floated in mid-air like before.

“You know what? I like you. I think we'll get along just fine.” she pointed out with an appreciated smile and prepared herself to leave once again. “You better go prepare for the race... and hey, one other thing. I really like your cutie mark. See ya guys later!” She took off. I was relieved that she didn't ask me how I got it, or any other questions related to it.

I looked at Twilight who was laughing softly. “I knew you guys would get along.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Not really sure if I'm up for the task though. I mean, racing her.” I replied and chuckled.

“Heh. You don't have to race her.” she reassured me and gave me a pat on the back. “Come on, our next stop is at Fluttershy's.”

Fluttershy's house was beautiful. It was graced with flowers and all kinds of plants and herbs, not to mention all the critters. Her house was located on the edge of Ponyville, where nopony else lived.

Twilight knocked on Fluttershy's house gently, so she wouldn't scare off the critters surrounding the house.

“Fluttershy?” She asked quietly, yet loudly enough for her to hear.

Loud noises came from the door, like she was unlocking it. After what seemed like five minutes she finally opened the door, and like everypony else, she didn't notice me at first. “Come in, Twilight. Come in.” she said with her smooth and adorable voice.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. We will only stop by for five minutes or so.” Twilight pointed out and stepped inside the house. I quietly followed her.

“W-We? What are you talking about?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Well, this is Drake and he is an old friend of mine.”

“Hi there.” I said awkwardly just to say something.

Fluttershy squeaked when she saw me and ran into her house.

“Don't worry, Drake. She's just shy.” Twilight explained, like she was defending her honor or something.

“That's all right.” I replied and smiled. How could I not smile? Fluttershy was the most adorable pony ever.

I followed Twilight as she stepped inside and I closed the door behind me. It smelled like flowers. The house was very warm and lovely. Very clean as well. Maybe the coziest house I'd ever been into.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “Where are you? He's friendly, and he's not going to be mean to you like Gilda.”

I remembered that bitch Gilda. She roared at Fluttershy, that poor pony that simply minded her own business, and peacefully leading a duck and her ducklings through the town safely.

I hoped to see that bitch again so I could punch the shit out of her. Nobody gets away with such a thing!

“Please, Twilight. Do not speak of her in my house, please.” Fluttershy begged, but we didn't know from where her voice came from since she was hiding.

“I promise. And he's not a griffon, he's just a pony. Like you and me.” Twilight tried to convince Fluttershy to come out of hiding.

“A-Alright, Twilight.” she muttered hesitantly in defeat and slowly came out of cover.

“Hi, my name is Drake. You must be Fluttershy?” I tried to say with the most friendliest voice possible. She was fragile and I had to respect that. I don't even know how Gilda managed to be so mean to her. Just look at her! You aren't going to find a more adorable and cuter pony than her!

“Y-yes. Sorry for being scared of you. Y-you're probably very friendly and a good pony, but I just can't help it.” she explained and bowed her head.

“That's no problem at all. I just came to Ponyville, and my friend here, Twilight, is showing me around. It's really been a pleasure meeting you.” I said very smoothly and very friendly.

I noticed that Fluttershy was cracking up a small smile and looked at me with those big and adorable eyes. It seemed like she was starting to approve of me. “Thank you.” she responded, still a little scared of me. Like I said before, I knew she was fragile and I knew she needed time. And I respected that.

“I just wanted to introduce you to him. But we must get going.” Twilight added and opened the door.

“Oh, if you say so, Twilight. I guess I'll meet you at the part...”

“Yes!” Twilight interrupted so she couldn't finish that sentence. I guess she wanted my party to be a surprise. I appreciated the thought, I really did. But I already knew about it.

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Fluttershy said barely audibly when she got Twilight's clue.

“Farewell Fluttershy. You have a beautiful house, by the way.” I pointed out and nodded to her as we walked away from her house. I swear I saw another smile on her face. She also blushed a bit. But then she quickly vanished back inside and closed the door.

Twilight really appreciated for my kindness towards Fluttershy, I could just tell on the look she gave me. “Thank you.” she said with a small smirk.

“For what?” I asked and pretended I didn't know anything.

“For being so friendly to Fluttershy. She's so fragile.” she explained.

“You don't need to thank me for being friendly.” I pointed out seriously, yet not harshly.

“You're right. I'm sorry.” she added and cracked another approved smile at me.

We walked along the yellow road towards Ponyville, but neither of us said anything for some time. I don't know about her, but I didn't find it awkward at all, since I was too busy gazing at the beautiful environment. The green grass, the tall trees, the birds singing. Not to mention the fresh air. No contamination in it. No pollution of any kind. Just by breathing made me happier, but also a bit saddened as it showed how horrid humanity could be.

Twilight broke the silence eventually though. “You know what?”

“What?” I asked and turned my attention from the environment to her.

“I'm glad I took you into my home. You're a really nice guy, and introducing you to my friends has been much easier than I expected. I admit, I thought it would get a little awkward for both of us at first. I also wanted you to know that if you ever need a place to crash, you're more than welcome to stay. Just say the word.”

I didn't know what to say. Nobody had ever offered me anything before. I've always been the ignored one for no particular reason in school and in work. As far as I could tell, there's nothing wrong with me, but life on Earth was tough and very unfair. It's completely the opposite here though, and I planned to make the best of it instead of dwelling in the past.

“T-Thank you.” I said and smirked very happily.

“Everypony around here are very friendly. You could also just ask any of my other friends. I'm sure they'd take you in for the night.” she said again very confident.

“Thank you for you kindness. It has been wonderful meeting your friends. You're lucky to have them. I unfortunately haven't been so lucky myself in friendship. I've been alone my whole life. Maybe that's why I haven't talked much, nor did say much to your friends. I hope you understand.”

I said and tried my best to sound dramatic.

“I do understand. I was a much closed pony before I moved to Ponyville. The only thing I did was reading books. My only friends were my dragon, who you've met before, Spike, and my big brother Shining Armor. But it all changed when I moved to this peaceful town. But you don't ever have to be friendless again. As far as I can tell, you've already made five new friends today. We've yet to meet Pinkie Pie... but I'm sure you'll like her.”

"Wait... you have a big brother?" I asked both surprised and interested. I didn't have a clue she had a brother and it got me very curious.

"Yeah! He's my B.B.B.F.F!" she stated with her closed eyes; full of pride. I looked strangely at Twilight and waited for an explanation. I twitched my right eyebrow and indicated that I didn't quite catch that. She sighed, rolled her eyes and added: "Big brother, best friends forever? But I haven't really heard anything from him lately. In fact, I haven't seen him for a whole year, or so."

"I'm sure he misses you." I replied reassuringly and smiled to her.

"I hope so, because I miss him a lot." she answered with a small sadness in her voice. Dead silence took over again, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. But she eventually shook her head and looked at me. "Anyway, where were we? Ah yes. I just wanted to let you know that you're always welcome to my home."

That touched me. Although I knew all about her past (except the fact that she had a brother), it felt very good to actually hear her talk briefly about it. And the fact that she was trying to comfort me just made me feel even better. The best thing about it was that she said I had made five new friends today.

“I don't know what to say. I've been going through a lot lately, and I appreciate any help you can provide me. I'm grateful.”

She didn't say anything back, but grinned at me instead. I really was starting to see her as my friend. She's been very kind and very patient. I'd been nothing but a burden to her and didn't show her the respect she deserved. Well, not anymore.

At last we came back into town. It was getting dark, and we both decided to just go to her place. To my surprise, there weren't anyone on the streets. It seemed like the town had just died or something. But then it hit me. They were all at Pinkie's party.

After five minutes of walking we reached Twilight's house. We both expected to be greeted with a party. Twilight thought I didn't know anything about it though.

“After you.” she said and opened the door for me. I sighed without objecting and walked inside.

The room was dark. Very dark. I couldn't see a thing, but I knew that everypony were inside in that very room. I just waited patiently for Pinkie Pie to appear and yell 'Surprise!' at my face.

Before I could even utter a single word, the lights were turned on, and it blinded me for a second. But what a surprise... as soon as I regained my sight back, I saw a banner. On it was written: Welcome to Ponyville!

“SURPRIIIIIISE!” Pinkie appeared out of nowhere and took me down to the floor.

“Were you surprised? Were you? Huh? Huh? Huh?” she said very fast. Wow, that pony was the very definition of hyper.

“Yes, wow. A party just for me.” I said and tried to sound as surprised as I could. I watched out for not overdoing it though.

Everypony gathered around me and started to throw me up in the air and catch me before I landed; happy as always that a new face was in town.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!!” Pinkie Pie said very loudly. “We have fun and games and cupcakes and games and more fun!” she added with the widest grin ever.

I felt like an important person. I smiled at everypony to show them that I was very appreciated for their warm welcome.

I also noticed Twilight laughing softly at the situation.

When everypony calmed down a bit and stopped tossing me around the room, came Pinkie Pie hopping up to me.

“Do you like my party? We have food and games!” she repeated herself and smiled like I've never seen before.

“Yes, it's a very nice party!” I answered to make her feel accomplished.

“Everypony knows that I throw the best parties. Oh sorry!” she giggled before continuing. “Where are my manners? My name is Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Don't you think that's exciting? Because I think it's exciting, and if you don't find it exciting--”

“Easy there Pinkie. My name is Drake. And don't worry. I really like your party.”

“Of course you like my party, silly! I throw the best parties!” she giggled and laughed like she'd never heard a funnier thing. She was just Pinkie being Pinkie and I somehow understood that... OK, maybe not. I didn't understand Pinkie Pie at all, nor did anyone else.

I watched as Pinkie Pie hopped away from me.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't the newcomer...” A voice came from behind me. “I hope you prepared yourself.”

It was Rainbow Dash and the rest of the mane 6. I turned around and giggled softly.

“Oh, Rainbow. You know you're going down.” I said full of confidence. I wanted to give her the taste of her own medicine, and I didn't care if my wings would fail me. I just needed to shut her up and beat her little game.

“Oh yeah?” she asked me while squinting her eyes at me. “Everypony knows that I am the best flier of Equestria. You don't want to mess with me.”

“We'll see about that. See you at the finishing line!” I nearly shouted at her. I don't know what happened to me, but at that moment, I was full of confidence and eagerness to beat her. I just had to. I felt like the world depended on it. That feeling... I didn't know what was causing it. But I liked it.

Rainbow stared at me in surprise and opened her mouth a bit in disbelief before frowning at me. “I-I really like your attitude, but I'm going to leave you disappointed. You can still back out if you want to.” she pointed out, but I sensed a little fear in her. She wasn't as confident as before. Maybe that was her weapon all along. Maybe she kept winning everyone she challenged because she was so confident of herself. What if I used that against her? I decided to give it a shot.

“Oh yeah? The only one being disappointed at the end of the race is going to be you! I will never back down, and I will never give up, if this race is the last thing I do!” I stated loudly, confident as I could be, and took a step forward towards her. I honestly didn't know what I was doing. Rainbow Dash was able to do a Sonic Rainboom. Nopony else had done that before. I know speed's her passion, and I've never even used my wings before.

Rainbow Dash seemed very confused. She just stared at me with her big magenta colored eyes.

“We'll... we'll see about that!” she muttered surprised. She wasn't as confident anymore. That's exactly what I was hoping for. That is, breaking down her eagerness; her spirit.

We walked out of the house and I determinedly followed Rainbow Dash to the track's destination.

“C’mon everypony! Witness the race between the new pony, Drake and Dashie! You don't want to miss this!” Pinkie Pie announced, making everyone storm out and follow us. I didn't expect it to be a show, and that made me a bit worried. I was about to make a fool out of myself in front of everyone. But my thoughts about everything being a dream influenced me. It shot up my courage and willingness to race her.

We walked for about five minutes before we arrived. The track was huge, and it was made of clouds.

“I had everything planned. I got some help from another pony to build a track for us. I don't know anything about the track itself, or how it was built, so that makes the race fair.” Rainbow Dash had thought of everything. I was glad that she had the decency of letting another pony build the track for us. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. But it kind of surprised me that she let someone else build it, seeing as she wasn't afraid of cheating.

“Pfft... is that all? No problem.” I mocked confidently. I noticed that Rainbow Dash was getting a little worried. She was gulping nervously and carefully analyzing the track. It looked like she was planning how to make it to the finishing line before me. The funny thing is that I wasn't even nervous at all, and I've never even used my wings before. I knew I was going to lose, but as I said before, I wanted to make my arrival here enjoyable and fun. I have decided to stop living in the past and just go on with life.

“You nervous?” I asked her and tried to sound as critical as possible. I wanted to break her down. I know that sounds evil, but I was just giving her a piece of her own medicine.

“Me? N-Nervous? Please, have you any idea who you're dealing with?” she asked and tried to sound as confident as before, but she failed.

“That's good. I hope I don't beat you too badly.” I responded and grinned to her.

Although anypony else would probably throw a fit at my behavior, she simply smirked at me in approval.

“You know what? We are more alike than I thought.” she pointed out interestingly and smiled even wider.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that just because we're both cyan colored or...?” I asked and laughed softly. She joined me in the laughter.

“Your attitude. I've never met a Pegasus like you before. So confident, just like me. I like that.” She pointed out and stared into my eyes. “You know what? I don't even care who wins this race anymore.”

“You're backing down?” I asked with a subtle grin and tried my best to mock her.

“Hah! Never!” she yelled, again in approval, and got herself prepared. “See you at the finishing line.”

I gave her a wide smirk, nodded and got into position.

Everybody at the party gathered around and found a place to sit while Pinkie Pie bounced around with a big speaker.

“FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS, MARES AND STALLIONS!” She yelled. “You're about to witness the greatest race in history! Well... maybe not! But the greatest race of TODAY! Get yourselves comfortable! The race will start in approximately 5 minutes!”

Everything was blocked out of my head. My heart was starting to pump faster despite the fact that I was only racing her for fun. Well, that is what I originally intended. But seeing as how important this was to Rainbow, I decided to take it a bit more seriously. And now that I thought about it... it would be super awkward to fail so terribly in the race after everything I've said to her.

I slowly turned my head and looked at Rainbow Dash who was eager to start. She looked back at me and gave me another awkward smile before turning her head away from me in a hurry. I noticed she was gnawing her teeth in nervousness.

Just remember. Flap those wings and get to the finish line before her. We were both ready, and we were both waiting for Pinkie to start the countdown. We both snapped opened our wings when we heard that Pinkie was starting the countdown.

“THE RACE WILL START IN 5...4...3...2...1... GO!” she yelled.

We both took off with incredible speed, much to my surprise. I couldn't believe it! I was flying at the same speed as Rainbow Dash and I'd never even used my wings before. That means the magical stone of speed and Twilight's magic did effect on me and my wings.

It was a wonderful feeling! I now understood why Rainbow loved flying. The wind in my hai... I mean my mane, the freedom. It was great!

We both followed the path we were supposed to follow. Rainbow Dash really seemed surprised to see that I was keeping up with her. She tried to go faster. She panted and panted and really pushed it to the limits. I did the same, but it wasn't as tiring as I thought it would be.

How could this be? Yesterday I was just a boring human that was about to watch 'My Little Pony' in my laptop after a long day of work, and today I was a Pegasus and the Dragonborn, racing Rainbow Dash! Was that perhaps the reason why I was as fast as her? Me being the Dragonborn?

After ten minutes of flying, we could both see the finishing line, which was directly below us. It seemed very far away, and there were many obstacles in the way.

Rainbow Dash was a little ahead of me. She moved swiftly as she dodged the cloudy obstacles. I thought I would crash into them, but fortunately, I didn't.

I noticed Pinkie Pie down there jumping around in excitement and the rest of the ponies gasping in shock.

Rainbow Dash really pushed it to the limits this time. She did not want to lose to a random pony.

I noticed that she decided to go for the Sonic Rainboom, and that she was about to break the sound barrier.

“Not this time!” I yelled and really pushed myself forward. We were closing in on the finishing line, and Rainbow Dash was still a little ahead of me.

I screamed in both pain and exhaustion when I tried to fly faster, but I managed to catch up with her.

I saw Rainbow's tear fall off her cheeks as she tried to break the sound barrier.

I didn't want to let her win, and I realized that I had to make a sacrifice. I knew what must be done.

I screamed in pain again as I used the very last of my energy into my wings. I did the impossible. Without even trying, I was also going for the boom. In fact, I had almost broken the barrier myself.

I knew I would crash into the ground. I knew that I wouldn't have enough energy to land, but that was the sacrifice I was about to make. I just needed to show Rainbow who was the boss.

But the more I thought about it, the more I began to see the real reason. I didn't want to admit it at all, but from the bottom of my heart, I realized that I just wanted to...impress her.

That sounds so, so wrong. Yet it was also exactly what I meant.

We were really closing in on the finishing line, and I was a little ahead of Rainbow now. I didn't stop pushing myself.

I saw the ground closing in on me and I didn't slow down. The only thing I could do was to close my eyes and hope for the best. After all, I didn't think crashing into the ground would be all that bad, considering Rainbow always crashing herself in the show without any fatalities.

But on the last second before hitting the ground I figured out that I wasn't in the show. I was only in the universe, the same dimension, the same world. Not in the show itself... Oh shit...

Everything went to black as I crashed violently to the ground. I swear I could hear all my bones snap, a sound very much like when you take a pencil and snap it in half.

I lay on my stomach and I barely could analyze the sounds around me. I heard ponies screaming and panicking, even Pinkie Pie stopped laughing and started panicking. I couldn't open my eyes, even though I wanted to. I felt for something wet, and I immediately knew that it was my blood. It was a lot of my blood. My wings had been ripped to shreds and my body was completely broken.

All of a sudden I felt for someone shaking me and telling me to wake up. It was Rainbow Dash. Like I said, I could barely analyze any sound, but it seemed like she was crying. She was also kneeling next to me and I felt for a drop of her tear landing on my swollen face.

“Wake up... foal, wake up!” she ordered me and shook me again a bit more powerfully than before. It hurt like hell, but I couldn't do anything about it. All I could do was to lie on the floor and get ready for passing out again. “Wake up... WAKE UP! Please, don't die on me! This... this is all my fault! MY FAULT!” she added in a disappointing shout. She was starting to breathe faster and, eventually, lost control of herself. "What have I done?!" she added.

It took four strong stallion guards to take her down, but they couldn't calm her down, so they had to handcuff... hoofcuff her. Rainbow tried to free herself, but the cuffs were made of strong steel material she couldn't handle.

“What's going on!” I heard someone else yell in a panic. It was Twilight. She screamed as she approached me.

I felt for the life force leaving me, and I thought that was it. I was dying and the reason for that was because I wanted to win a stupid, pointless race that everybody would forget in a matter of minutes. Well, I made sure that this would be remembered forever.

But was it worth dying over? Of course not. I had to save the world from evil dragons and such. I knew that if I would die, this world would be lost and destroyed forever.

'I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry.' I managed to think to myself. I didn't even try to say those words.

At last I couldn't hear a thing but my own weak heartbeat and my own breathing. I felt for my heart failing, and I felt for extreme pain in my lungs, like someone was holding a torch below them. And what made the pain even worse was that I was as exhausted as a person who had just finished running a marathon without stopping, multiplied by 10.

But my lungs were just so damaged that I could barely breath. In a normal state, I'd pant and I'd try to catch my breath in exhaustion. But even how hard I tried, even how hard I fought for air, I just couldn't. I couldn't inhale the oxygen I needed and it was the most painful experience I've ever been through.

It was only a matter of time before my heart stopped beating and I caught my final breath. Everything went to total darkness as I died.

Chapter 4: The Return of the Dragonborn

I wake up with cold sweats screaming from a bad nightmare; still shaking and trembling. I cover my teary eyes with my hooves and pant. The nightmare was about that terrible race incident.

I wish I could take it all back. I wish I hadn't challenged him to a race in the first place. He'd still be alive if I hadn't been so damn arrogant and selfish. I feel like his death was all my fault and I was really starting to like that guy. Especially after I saw how determined he was to beat me. I hadn't known him for very long, but it still felt that way. I'd never met a pony as determined; as eager as him before, well...besides myself, but now he's dead.

His blood is on my hooves I think to myself as I shiver. I don't even know why I haven't been made an outlaw from both Cloudsdale and Ponyville. I killed Drake. I... I killed him.

“It's all my fault.” I sob. I hadn't stopped crying since I came home. “I'm so, so sorry.”

In the middle of my endless sorrow someone knocks on the door. At first I decide to ignore it. To just let that person go away for I am in no mood for a company. I want to dwell in my own misery alone.

“A message for Rainbow Dash.” a voice comes from the other side of the door. “Important.”

I sigh in relief. At least it isn't someone trying to comfort me. I guess I'll just take the letter and try to get some sleep or something.

I slowly fly up to the stiff door and open it.

“Here you go.” she hands me the letter. I give her some change as a tip.

“Thank you, Derpy.” I say, trying not to show my misery.

Derpy Hooves smiles at me and nods before flying away. I close the door and walk back inside my apartment, then sit down on my sofa and read the following:


“Dear Rainbow Dash.

I know you're blaming yourself for what happened yesterday and for that I don't judge you. It's only natural that you feel sad about what happened. But please; Don't let it control your life. You can't let this be your burden. You have to move on. I told you yesterday to go home and get some rest. Meanwhile when you were at home sleeping, the others and I moved Drake's body to Canterlot where there is still a slight hope for him to come back. We'll try our best to bring him back. But I repeat: This wasn't your fault and you can't dwell in the past. It was just an accident and there's nothing you could have done about it.

P.S: Expect more letters from me soon. In the meantime, try to stay calm at home. It'll make you feel better.

Your friend always,

Twilight Sparkle.”

I stare at the words; “Slight hope for him to come back.” Why would they try to bring him back? He's not the first pony to die. Why resurrect him, instead of anypony else? How was he different from them? Even though I want to believe that they are trying to bring him back, I don't buy it. Twilight's probably trying to cheer me up or something. I appreciate the thought, but I just killed a pony, and it's not something I can easily put aside.

I put the letter away and jump into the king sized bed. It took some time, but I finally manage to fall asleep.

________________________________________________________________________________

There has always been a debate on Earth about what happened after death. Many believed there was no life after death. Others believed that people who died with good deeds went to heaven whilst the criminals went to hell. Some believed in the resurrection. Either way, they're all wrong. Well, maybe they're right. But not here. Not here in Equestria. How do I know? Because I experienced death myself...

I woke up, lying on the ground in an unknown environment. The sky was dark blue and graced with beautiful and colorful Northern Lights. I was surrounded by tall mountains, trees and a lot of smoke. This wasn't Equestria, not at all. This was another place, and I didn't know how I got here. I didn't even remember what happened. Why did I wake up in this place? Where were my new friends? But then it hit me, and I remembered what happened. I was racing Rainbow Dash and I...I crashed into my brutal death because I wanted to win it. I died because I wanted to win a race! How lame was that? I didn't even know whether I won the race or not.

No... I can't be dead, I am the prophecy they'd been waiting for. I... I'm the Dragonborn and my destiny is to slay the evil dragon; Alduin. I can't be dead, I just can't, I thought to myself, and I hit the ground with my front hooves in disappointment.

In a faraway distance I saw him. I was certain that it was him. It was Alduin, flying there with his big and terrifying wings. He was as black as a shadow.

Even though he was very far away, I could still hear him roar. It was painful to listen to, much like the roars from the Nazguls in 'The Lord of the Rings'.

After what seemed like ten minutes, he disappeared from my sight. I stood up dizzily and tried to analyze the place a little better. I turned around to see a very tall palace. I used my wings to heave myself up from the ground. Why use legs when I have my wings?

I flew up to the entrance, but there was a pony guarding it. He was the largest and biggest pony I've ever seen. He could have been as big as Celestia. I walked up to him with hesitation. He looked at me like he was going to attack me. As I was about to ask him where I was, he spoke: “What brings you, wayfarer grim, to wander here, in Sovngarde, souls-end, Shor's gift to honor the dead?”

I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. Wander here in Sovngarde? Was I in a place called Sovngarde? What was he talking about? “Who are you? What is your name and where am I?”

“I'm Tsun. The guardian of the Hall of Valor. None shall pass without my approval.”

“I didn't say I wanted to enter, I just want to--”  It was of no use, so I decided it to be better to get into the palace and talk to someone with a little more sense. “Alright, can I enter the Hall of Valor?” I asked and hoped he would just let me pass without a trouble. He looked at me with a weird look, like I was fucking with him or something.

“By degree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge 'til I judge them worthy by the warrior's test.” he replied coldly. Then, without any warning, he drew his battleaxe out. I slowly backed away from him, but as I backed away, he started inhaling the air and shouted “Fus... Ro Dah!” at me. The force from that shout shoved me into the air and launched me far away from him. The impact from that force on me hurt, but I got wings, so I used them for my aid.

He was big, tall, merciless, and wielded a power I've never seen before. A powerful voice. But what surprised me more was how he could move despite wielding a two-hande...eh, I mean two-hooved weapon.

So the stallion, who told me about how Ulfric used the way of the voice to kill the king, didn't lie after all.

I didn't want to fight him. I panicked since I had no experience in fighting as a human, let alone a pony. But I had to. After all, I was the Dragonborn. And if my friends in Ponyville somehow managed to revive me and bring me back to them, I still had to kill Alduin sooner or later. So, Tsun was a good practice.

I carefully landed. I needed to use tactics against him. I needed to think of something!

I saw him running towards me, with his big rusty battleaxe. I found it pretty hilarious how he moved. That big battleaxe was in his way, yet he had no trouble moving. I didn't even know how that was possible. How could a pony wield two-hooved weapon?

I decided to wait until he was about to hit me with his battleaxe, but as soon as he went for the blow, I dodged it and flew straight up into the air. It looked like he was stunned by how quick and swift I was. That's it! I had to be quick and make him confused. When he'd be confused enough I would just hit him as hard as I could and knock him out.

I flew past him a couple of times. He tried to catch me, but to no avail. Then he tried to shout at me with his powerful voice, but I managed to dodge that too. At last I quickly flew past him again and up to his back without him even noticing. This was my chance. I tried to do what Applejack would do. Instead of punching, I kicked him as hard as I could.

I knocked him down to the ground, but he wasn't out yet. I flew up in the air and launched myself with great speed at him whilst he was still down.

I held him down with my body weight and started punching the shit out of his face. I must have punched him nonstop for something about 5 minutes or so. He finally managed to tell me to stop. “I yield! I yield.” he shouted.

Before I got off him, I punched him one more time. My hooves hurt like hell, but at least I was in better condition than he was in. He panted and wiped the blood off his face. But it wasn't swollen.

Did I really do that? His face looked like smashed tomatoes due to all the blood. It kind of surprised me that he still had blood. Wasn't he a ghost or something if this was the land of the dead? Why would he bleed? I thought about it for a while, but eventually let it be. After he had wiped all the blood off his face, he started laughing. Not at me, but it was a laugh of approval and respect. “You have shown that you're worthy enough to enter.” he stated and got out of my way. He completely ignored me after that. He just sat down and stared at the stars. I really wanted to apologize for being so harsh, but it would look bad. I needed to look tough to enter anyways; best I kept it that way.

I walked up to the bridge. It was made of dragon bones and was very dangerous, as it was quite a distance to fall if one would slip. Well, it wasn't dangerous for me, since I had wings.

I flew over the bridge, and landed on the other side. I walked up some stairs, before reaching two enormous doors. It surprised me how easy it was to open the door. I expected to waste all my energy in just opening that single door.

I was immediately greeted by a strange pony. He was very friendly, yet his appearance was somehow terrifying. “Welcome, Dragonborn! Our door has stood empty since Alduin first set his soul-snare here. By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not in the vale's dark mists.” He said with a strong Nordic accent.

Not him too... wasn't anypony in there who could speak proper English? I didn't understand what was going on.

I looked around to see that everybody was having a feast. Everypony was drinking mead and eating... vegetables? That feast would've been perfect with some meat. But they're ponies, and ponies are vegetarians, so it was already perfect for them.

“How did you know I am Dragonborn?” I started off by asking. I knew that this pony would give me some answers, but I needed to know where I was first. He didn't answer my question though. He just smiled at me.

“My name is Ysgramor. I welcome you to the Hall of Valor!” he shouted, making everypony cheer.

Wow, this was weird and a little awkward for me. I seriously hoped to get out of that place. I didn't want to spend an eternity in there. “Uhh... thanks, I guess.” I said confusedly.

“But three await your word...” before he could continue I cut him off.

“Just tell me their names.” I said straight out. I expected him to hesitate, or his smile to wipe off, but he just stood there, still smiling at me.

“At the end of the room. Three await you. Hakon One-Eye, Felldir the Old and Gormlaith Golden-Hilt. Go now, and seek them.” he answered and left me before I could ask another question.

I prayed that they weren't as difficult in understanding as Ysgramor and Tsun had been. I walked past everypony who were sitting next to the long table, eating like they hadn't eaten for months, and to the three mysterious ponies.

One of them came up to me and knelt like I was a royal. Then the other two came up to me and did the same. Before I could ask why they were kneeling, Gormlaith interrupted me. “It's an honor to have you with us.” she said. “Aye.” the other two agreed.

I didn't ask why, as I clearly got the clue. They knelt because they knew they were talking to the Dragonborn. That didn't feel right, though. What they probably expected in me was a mighty warrior. A leader. I was no warrior, and I certainly was no leader. Not yet anyways.

I raised my hoof to tell them to stand up. They all nodded and did as I commanded.

“Dragonborn,” Hakon suddenly said and looked at me. “We know your time hasn't come. Yet here you are, in Sovngarde?” he asked with his deep Viking voice.

I sighed and got a little embarrassed. I did not want to explain to them how I died. Not to them. They'd probably rage at me for being an idiot. It's what I deserved but it wasn't necessary, was it?

“It's a long story.” I said and hoped they would be satisfied by that answer.

“I sense no dragon soul in you. This clearly isn't your time if you hadn't killed a single dragon!” Felldir the Old said harshly.

“Look, we haven't got much time. Alduin has returned and you still need a lot of practice. We cannot delay any further.” Hakon added as he paced around.

“Your friends are going to get you out of here. You will return to the land of the living. But please, be more careful from now on.” Gormlaith said. “And one other thing. After you wake up, you must travel to the North-East of Canterlot. Bring no more than two companions with you, as this journey might be too dangerous for a big group.” she added.

“North-East? I need more details than that.”

“You'll know what I'm talking about. There's a mountain in that direction you can't miss. A mountain unlike any other. There's a treasure located at the peak of that mountain, and more...surprises. You can keep everything you find up there. Just put it in good use.” she explained and cracked up a smile at me.

“Well, thank you for your generosity, but what do you mean by more surprises?” I asked a little worried, yet curiously at the same time.

“You'll see.”

Then suddenly I dropped to my knees. It was happening again. The same feeling I felt for when I was pulled into Equestria. I started gagging and I had trouble breathing, like last time. Everything around me was starting to blur.

“Until next time, Dragonborn.” Hakon said and knelt once again. As did the others.

Everything was black. Pure darkness, as I gained my consciousness. I felt very weak and the first emotion I felt for was hunger. Extreme hunger. It was so strange to wake up so suddenly like that. I didn't know where I was, how I got here, what time it was, what date: nothing. I was completely clueless. But one thing I knew. I was back to Equestria. I just felt it.

I knew I wasn't the only one in the room. There were perhaps two or three here with me. But I didn't dare peeking to check whether I was right or not. It seemed like they didn't know that I was awake, since I didn't move and I kept my eyes shut.

“How long will he be out? Why hasn't he woken up already?” I knew that voice. That was definitely Twilight's.

“Only time will tell. We're just going to have to wait. You know, you don't have to be here. It may be that he won't wake up until after a month or so.” Another voice added. I was pretty sure that it belonged to Celestia, judging by the smoothness.

“I'm not going anywhere! I was there when he died, and I'll be there when he wakes up!” another voice said with more determination and power. “After all, it's my fault that he's in this condition! It's my fault that he died!” Yes, there was no doubt that it was Rainbow Dash.

I really should let them know that I had woken up, but I was curious to see where this conversation was heading.

“It wasn't your fault, Rainbow.” Twilight pointed out.

She flew up to Twilight and looked at her very coldly. “Of course it was my fault! Stop trying to tell me otherwise! I'm not stupid! I know that if I hadn't challenged him into a race, he'd still be alive!”

“But he is alive. And you couldn't have known that he would crash into his own death!” Twilight nearly shouted. I thought about interrupting that moment right there, but I was interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

“He was dead. I killed him. And nothing is going to change that fact. Even though he'll be fine and better than ever, I will always be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life.” Rainbow stated, still staring at her with her cold eyes.

Twilight was getting pretty pissed. “You didn't kill him, damn it! It was an accident, and there's nothing you could have done about it!”

“That's where you're wrong, Twilight! I could have done...something! If I hadn't been so...”

Now it was Celestia's turn to interrupt. It was getting pretty annoying listening to them arguing about whether she killed me or not anyways. In fact, it was my own damn fault. Rainbow didn't come near it.

“My little ponies! Please?” she asked, and by that she insisted that they stopped arguing. Twilight and Rainbow both nodded quickly.

This was my time to act. I started off by opening my eyes. Next, I inhaled the air and started coughing.

Everypony in the room jumped to their feet and ran towards the bed. They all stared at me in disbelief at first for a couple of seconds, but then Twilight snapped out of it and ordered Rainbow Dash to go tell the others. Rainbow Dash completely ignored her. She just stared at me with her mouth wide open.

Now that I knew that she had been blaming herself for what happened to me, I just had to tease her a little. I cracked up a very weak smirk. “Did I win?” I asked with my hoarse voice. That made Rainbow Dash both smile and chuckle very feebly. “Yes...” she admitted and closed her eyes. Maybe she was ashamed, or maybe she didn't want to hear me brag, like she was used to do. But I sensed the slight sadness in her voice, and that made me want to comfort her.

'So I really did win that race... worth it!' I thought to myself and giggled softly.

Rainbow didn't notice Twilight staring at her at first. After something about a whole minute she noticed it. She chuckled  awkwardly “Oh, yeah. Tell the others.” she muttered, and flew straight out as fast as she could. She even left a trail of rainbow.

“Anyways, how are you? How do you feel? Are you OK?” Twilight asked very excited.

I cleared my throat. “I'm fine thanks to you all. I cannot thank you enough, but how did you bring me back?” I asked very curiously. I bet Celestia had something to do with it.

The princess of the sun approached me. “Twilight, how about you tell him about what happened?”

Twilight nodded in a response. “Long story short. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike and I moved your body to Canterlot--”

“Where was Rainbow Dash? What happened after the race?” I interrupted. It was unintended, but the curiosity got the better of me. Why wasn't Rainbow with them? Did something happen to her?

Twilight turned her head sideways three times to make sure she hadn't returned.

“Don't tell her anything, but... she kind of lost control after the incident. It took four strong guards to keep her down. She didn't come with us because we ordered her to go home and rest. She blamed herself for what happened and has been depressed ever since. But I think she'll be OK from now on, now that you're back. Please, even though I know it wasn't either your or her fault, please just accept her apology and apologize to her for taking a risk or whatever. Just say something; talk to her. It will make her feel a lot better.”

Wow... I didn't know what to say. I didn't know this would impact her this much. If I had known, I wouldn't have done what I did.

“Oh... I- I will.” I responded almost speechlessly.

“Now, where was I... Ah, yes. Celestia had ordered us to deliver your body to her. She had already heard about what happened and--”

“Why?” I interrupted again.

“Because we couldn't just let you die. You're the Dragonborn and we needed to try something to revive you.” Celestia answered. And the way she said it indicated that she wasn't very pleased. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn't very happy for what had happened. But I deserved that. I was selfish, and didn't think about the consequences that could have occurred.

“I'm sorry, princess. I'm sorry I risked my life in a...race.” I muttered the last word and bowed my head.

The princess cracked up a small smile. “You were just having fun with your new friends. I understand that. You couldn't have known...”

“Anyways, how did you bring me back?”

“It was much harder than I originally thought. Luna and I had to hit you with everything we had. It drained all our energy. But fortunately, we still had enough to raise the sun and moon. And be grateful. It took so much of our energy and powers that we had almost given up on you. At the very last second we found a pulse, but that wasn't enough. We still needed to fix your body. Twilight here had to do it, because Luna and I were too exhausted. It took her a couple of hours to fix your bones, wings, and everything else. As far as I can tell you'll be better than ever. You won't have a scar to slow you down, and your wings, which were in the worst condition, are also as good as new. You won't have any difficulty in using them.”

That made me feel bad, and it was clear that I underestimated how important I was to them. I wasn't only important to Ponyville, but to whole of Equestria. I was the hope and the prophecy they'd been waiting for. I was their guardian and protector.

“I... I'm sorry.” I said again, ashamed of my actions.

“Just try not to get yourself killed. I'm afraid that we won't be able to bring you back again if you die.” Celestia said, and looked at me with a serious expression.

“I'll be more careful from now on.” I vowed.

“After we fixed you up, we knew that we had to wait for you to snap out of the coma. It could have lasted forever, but fortunately you were only out for 28 days.”

28 days? That didn't make any sense. As far as I could tell, I was only for about an hour or so in Sovngarde.

“But...but....”

“But you were only in Sovngarde. Yes, I know. The time in the land of the dead is much slower to pass than here, in Equestria. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to leave. The sun can't raise itself.” she pointed out and nodded before leaving.

The silence took over again for some time. I waited patiently for Twilight to break that silence, but when she didn't, I decided to do it myself.

“I'm sorry...”

That got Twilight's attention. “Sorry for what?” she asked curiously.

“I'm sorry for being a fool, I'm sorry for making you go through all that after everything you had done for me, and I'm sorry that I hurt Rainbow Dash. I wish I could go back and just... prevent the race from ever happening.”

“Please, you're starting to sound like her. It wasn't your fault. It was an accident, they happen all the time.” she pointed out very calmly, yet with some power in her voice.

“Alright.” I muttered, even though I knew that it was indeed all my fault. “But can you tell me where I am right now?”

“You're inside the royal palace.” she answered. “Try to relax.”

“I've been asleep for 28 days. I don't feel like sleeping anymore.” I pointed out.

“No, you were in a coma for 28 days. Being in a coma isn't the same as sleeping; a coma doesn't replenish your strengths or energy. You need some sleep.” she explained, and I figured out that she was right. I felt very weak, like I hadn't slept for ages. But I wasn't tired at all.

“I guess you're right. But I'm starving, and I need to eat something before I go to sleep.” I said, and just after I said that we both heard my stomach growl, making Twilight chuckle.

“Yes, that's true. You haven't eaten anything for almost a month now. I'll go get your food. Wait here, I won't be gone for long.” she said and walked out of the room before I could even utter a single word.

After what seemed like an hour, Twilight finally returned with my food. It was a salad with plenty of vegetables mixed in. I appreciated that she had brought me some food, but I needed more than just a salad. I needed a steak, some meat. But I knew that wasn't an option, so the salad had to do for now.

I finished eating in a matter of seconds, but that salad didn't do much. I was still very hungry.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Just go get your nap.” Twilight insisted.

“Can you wake me up when everypony arrives? Please, I want to meet them all.” I asked.

Twilight smirked. “Sure.”

________________________________________________________________________________


I fly against the wind towards Ponyville, but it doesn't slow me down. As always, it's comfortable to feel for the breeze against my face.

But I'm still worried. I don't know what to tell Drake when I return. Will he be mad at me? Maybe he won't ever want to see me again! I shake my head. No, he must understand. At least I hope he does...

I don't know how or why, but I'm starting to... I shake my head again. I'm an idiot. I barely even know this guy! I just met him and challenged him to a race. Nothing more.

But there's still this feeling that keeps bothering me. I don't even know what it is. Whatever it is, I just want to get rid of it. I... I want to go up to him and--

I shake my head once again, a little harsher than before. “Concentrate Rainbow, concentrate! I'm not myself! I just need to stay focused. He's back, and I don't have to be depressed anymore. After all, I'm sure I'm just nervous, that's all. Besides, I'm Rainbow friggin' Dash! The best flier in all of Equestria!”

I try hiding myself behind my pride but deep down inside I know something isn't right...

________________________________________________________________________________


I was woken up by a loud noise and it really got me startled. I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by faces of five friendly ponies. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. They were just inches away from my face and it was quite uncomfortable.

“Ever heard about personal space?” I asked and pushed them all away gently.

I looked out the big windows and noticed that it was already night time. The moon was as big as ever and gracing the skies alongside the stars. How long have I been out? I only just noticed now how big the room was. Paintings on the walls, vases and all kinds of expensive shit everywhere. That room was truly fitting for a king or a queen.

Pinkie Pie started laughing and jumped right at me. She hugged me, and not lightly. She was much stronger than she appeared to be. She practically crushed me.

“Welcome back to the living!” she shouted. "How does it feel being a zombie?" she added with a very loud laugh, but then she paused and gasped like she had realized something. “You know what this calls for?”

“Uhh...” I knew exactly what was coming. Another damn party. I didn't have any time for such a thing. I had to go to the North-East and up that mountain to claim whatever it was that was up there.

“A PARTY!” She shouted, as expected. But before she was able to run away, I stopped her.

“Pinkie. I'm sorry, but I can't attend your little party. I have things to do.” I said with a slight hope of being understood.

“Okey, dokey, lokey.” she simply replied, galloped away from me and sat against the wall in front of me.

That went better than expected. I thought she would be sad, angry or disappointed.

“It's mighty good to see ya alive again.” Applejack said with a soft smile.

“Thanks.”

Applejack stepped aside as Rarity walked up to me. “Darling, it's good to see that you're OK. You got us all so worried!”

“Yeah, I can imagine. I'm really sorry.”

Fluttershy slowly approached the exit; I guess she was still too shy of me. Rarity called for her. “Fluttershy. Come over here.”

Fluttershy squeaked and slowly approached me. “I- it's good to see you again.” she squeaked very awkwardly. I giggled, but made sure it didn't sound like I was appointing it to her.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. I appreciate it.”

I smiled. These were my friends. They came all the way from Ponyville to see me and I had them to thank for my life. They saved me from that boring Sovngarde place by bringing me back to life. I couldn't thank them enough. It was also a little weird. I'd never had friends before, except maybe when I was a kid.

At last came Rainbow Dash subtly through the door. She leaned against it and looked at me with a weak smile but I easily noticed the worries in her eyes; her doubts, her fears. Was she afraid of me?

“Listen, everypony.” Everybody stopped whatever they were doing and focused on me. “I want to thank everyone for coming. It really meant a lot to me. Now, could you please leave?”

They didn't know what was going on. They just stared at me with a doubtful look, as if they weren't sure if I was serious or not. “I mean it.” I added in a serious tone. “Can you all leave me at peace for now and come back tomorrow? Except you, Rainbow.” I added and looked at her. She seemed hesitant at first. She gulped and stood there nervously by the door.

“That's alright, sugar cube. We'll leave ya at peace for the night. See ya tomorrow!” Applejack said and quickly left the room to respect my wishes. The other ponies said something similar to me before leaving the room as well and followed Applejack. When everybody but Rainbow had left the room, she came near me and looked ashamedly to the floor.

“I... I'm so sorry." she whimpered. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't...” She tried everything she could to prevent the tears from flowing, but she failed. I noticed a tear running down her right cheek but I stretched out to gently wipe it off her. She was a bit surprised by my action, but she seemed to appreciate it. She shot a warm smile at me in return, but I could still sense her worries and her sadness; her disappointment.

“Hey. It's alright. Come here.” I whispered back with a very comforting voice. I hugged her tightly and she reciprocated by hugging me back. I felt her shiver and more of her tears on my nape. She was weeping over my shoulder, which made an impact to my emotions. It warmed my heart; made it pound faster. It also made me tighten my grip on her. It felt good hugging someone. Having someone's body pressed up to you. It signified trust and friendship, and once again I refer to my childhood when I say that I hadn't had one of those in a long time. “Shh. This isn't your fault, Rainbow.” I added in a very calm whisper, but that only made her squeeze me even more. I started feeling for her slight trust.

“It is, and I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have challenged you to a race. I should have known better. I... I shouldn't have been so selfish.”

“No, Rainbow. Whatever you say, you weren't responsible for my death." I replied and gently ran over her soft mane in an attempt to calm her down. Surprisingly, she did the same to me and it felt surprisingly good. "It was my own damn fault. I knew about the risk and I was foolish enough to take it. I... I deliberately crashed to the ground to beat you.” I admitted. I didn't plan on telling anyone about it being deliberate, but I decided to tell her only because she was in a desperate need for some cheering up.

Rainbow Dash quickly let go of me and stared at me in surprise. “So... you knew you were going to crash down into the floor and you knew its consequences? Just because you wanted to beat me?”

“Well... I didn't expect me to die... but I said I wanted to beat you, and I did. That's the point.” I pointed out, grinned and let out a small laugh.

“You crazy bastard!” Rainbow Dash yelled at me, but she wasn't angry. Far from it. I guess I just earned more of her respect. She even punched me in my right shoulder.

I was a little surprised at first to hear her use the word 'bastard', but I reminded myself that I wasn't in the show. I was only in the same universe and world.

“This is exactly why I like you. I've never seen a pony as determined as you before! And...I've never seen a better flier than you.” she admitted. “I noticed that you almost pulled off the Sonic Rainboom. Nopony has ever done that but me.” she added, both impressed and in approval. “You would have done it if the ground wasn't in the way.”

I smiled when I heard her compliment and answered her by giving her a wink. Rainbow Dash gasped a bit in surprise when she saw that. She walked up to me and hesitantly stroke my mane gently again. “You have red irides. That's very rare. You should be proud about that. Your eyes are very beautiful.” she complimented and stared deep into them in admiration. I laughed awkwardly and tried to avoid eye contact. But no matter how much I tried, I always automatically looked into her eyes again.

“Thanks. Yours are also very, uh, beautiful. The magenta color is simply... amazing. It fits you very well.” I added without thinking. What I said sounded way better in my head. I didn't like where this conversation was heading. I looked at her in the eyes again as she was already looking into mine. A minute passed without a word. I saw it in her eyes that she was thinking of something. There was something in her eyes that told me that she wanted to do something. That she needed to do something. But perhaps this was just my imagination.

Then, without a warning, she slowly kissed me on my right cheekbone with her eyes closed, still messing with my mane, and it wasn't just a short one. After she realized what she had just done, she quickly let go of me and gasped. But she didn't back away. “I-I'm sorry!” she quickly excused herself.

Yet again we stared at each others eyes as she was only inches away from my face. Normally, that would've been awkward, but it wasn't. Looking at her in the eyes made everything around me seem lighter. It made me feel good and it reminded me of peace. It wasn't intended this time but I was just so shocked from what had happened that I was practically stunned. We stayed like that for a short while before I came to my senses.

“O-oh! T-that's alright.” I stuttered and tried to smirk despite my startle.

“So-uh...I-I have to go. It's getting late you see and I have to wake up early tomorrow to clear the skies. I-I guess I'll see ya again tomorrow?” she tried asking with a serious tone, but was overtaken by awkwardness and shame for what she did.

“S-Sure... I'll see ya tomorrow.” I said. After that she quickly flew out of the room as fast as she could.

What the fuck just happened? First she apologized, then we hugged as I comforted her and told her about how that was all my fault. After that we had a very interesting conversation with our eyes followed by a kiss on my cheekbone. Oh no... that can't be good.

I covered my face with my hooves. I seriously hoped that that kiss was just a token of our friendship, nothing more. If it was more than just that, the time would come where I'd have to reject her before our friendship would evolve into something more and I wasn't planning on that. I knew rejecting her would crush her heart, and that thought saddened me. I also knew that I couldn't have a relationship. Even though I was a pony and would most likely never return back to Earth, I was still a human in my heart. I still had the human ways.

Sure, they weren't animals. They weren't ordinary ponies like the ponies on earth. Each had a personality and a character. They even behaved like humans, but that didn't change the fact that my conscience would never allow me to have a relationship with one of them.

Let's take an example and let's say that some time passes and we'd fall in love. My human conscience would always be in the way to prevent a relationship. Always, even though I'd want a more serious relationship with her. Even though I would love her with all my heart, I'm afraid I couldn't show it to her. And even though she had the character and the personality I liked in a girl, even though she was everything I could have hoped for, it's just that I'll always see her as a pony. That's that, and there probably wouldn't be anything to change that.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I decided to get on my feet tomorrow and start the journey to the mysterious mountain in the North-East.

But the problem was, who should I pick to go with me? I decided not to take Rainbow Dash with me, even though we had the strongest connection and had more in common than the other ponies. I was also more connected to Twilight than the rest of the mane six. I hadn't really had enough time with the others to consider them my best friends. They were my friends, no doubt. But not as good as Rainbow and Twilight.

There were two reasons why I didn't want to bring Rainbow with me on that journey.

One: because I was warned not to bring more than two friends with me and I had already decided to take Twilight with me because her studies could be very useful. Also, the fact that I was a Pegasus and she was a Unicorn meant that I needed to bring an Earth Pony.

Two: because I didn't want to let our friendship grow too fast because I was starting to get a feeling that she may have a crush on me. Nothing was confirmed though. It may well be that she only kissed me because she cared for me as a friend.

But my view of Rainbow Dash has significantly changed since the race. Before my death she was just one of the mane six. Now, she was more than just that. Now I felt for a connection. She was the only person I'd known my whole life that had made me feel so...special. I really cared for her, but only as a friend. I admit that a small part of my heart didn't agree with me. But it was big enough for me to notice. That small part of my heart actually wanted us to be more than just friends.

I had a good sleep. My energy had finally been replenished and I felt better than ever. I got out of bed and it was weird to use my legs again after so long, yet short time. I walked up to the window and opened it. The summer breeze flowing through my mane was comfortable. I inhaled the fresh air and closed my eyes with a smile.

Twilight knocked on the door. “Drake? You alright?”

I turned around to face Twilight, still with a wide smile on my face. “Better than ever.”

“That's good, that's good. Well, I just wanted to check on you. Guess I'll be on my way now--”

“Wait!” I stopped her. She walked inside my room and gestured with her facial expression that she was all ears. “I must set out on a small journey and I need someone to travel with me. If you have the time?” I asked and seriously hoped that she would accept. Her company would easy the trip by so much.

“A small journey? Where are you heading?”

“When I was in Sovngarde, I met a strong Nordic mare called Gormlaith and she--”

“Gormlaith?!” Twilight shouted in schoolfilly like awe.

“Yes, why?”

“She's one of Equestria's heroes! She fought in the Great War against the dragons! You actually met her?” Twilight gasped.

“I guess so. There was also this stallion called Hakon--”

“Hakon One-Eye and Felldir the Old?” Twilight interrupted.

“Yeah...” I answered and expected explanation about why she was all hyped out.

“I can't believe it! You actually met three of Equestria's oldest and bravest heroes!”

I couldn't believe it myself either. Were they the three heroes that Twilight read about in the big black Dovahkiin book? I actually felt pretty honored.

“Wow... I didn't even know that myself.” I said surprisingly.

“What did they say?” Twilight asked in her excitement.

“They told me about a treasure at the top of a mountain that belonged to me. It is located in the North-East of here. They said I couldn't miss it.”

“Ah! I know exactly where that is. I will travel with you.” she excitedly announced.

“Good. I'm glad you'll be traveling with me.”

“Are we only going just the two of us? Shouldn't we ask the others?”

“No, Gormlaith told me only to bring two companions with me. It would be too dangerous for a group.”

“Then who are you going to pick?”

I thought about it for a moment. Who did I really need for this quest? Who would be of good use?

“Twilight, can you go get Applejack for me?” I asked her. Twilight nodded without hesitating and ran as fast as she could out of the room.

It took some time, but Twilight finally returned with Applejack.

“Howdy thar, Drake. Good to see that ya'r alright. Twilight told me about a quest? Count me in. Ah've completed all the apple buckin' anyways.”

I smiled. “Good. I guess we shouldn't delay. Let's pack the things we need and get on our way.”

“Shouldn't we let our friends know that we'll be gone for some time before we leave?” Twilight suggested.

I hesitated. “Yes... we should do that.” I answered thoughtfully. “Yes. Let's do that. But we should get our things ready first. We'll meet up with them afterwa--”

“Well, well, well... if it isn't the stallion we revived. All healed up?” A soft, yet powerful voice came into the picture. I didn't really recognize that voice at first. My blood turned to ice from the suddenness. I slowly turned around to see Luna standing by the doorway in all her grace.

“Princess Luna!” we said simultaneously and knelt for her at the same second we noticed her.

“You” she pointed at me. “You kneel to no one.” she added and knelt herself for me.

“What? I don't even...” I said very surprisingly. Why was Luna kneeling to me? It must have been because I was the Dragonborn. That was the only logical explanation.

“You are the hero and protector of Equestria, or the hero to be. For me that's an even more respected title than a princess.”

“You honor me.” I responded and lowered my head. “I also wanted to thank you for reviving me. If it wasn't for you guys...”

Luna nodded respectfully. “That's not a problem. But to change the subject and to get to the point why I'm here. I've heard that you are setting out for a quest. Yes, we know all about it. You're going to climb the great mount in the North-East of here. We know that's a dangerous path to take and we want to support you, Dragonborn, and give you and your companions equipment before heading out.” she explained and showed us three chests.

“This one is for you, Dragonborn.” she handed me a big black chest covered in gold and diamonds. I carefully opened and stared inside it. Inside it was a helmet and two daggers. I picked up the helmet at first and examined it. It was the 'Dovahkiin Helmet'. I remember seeing a picture of it on the internet when I was a human. The helmet itself was big and covered the cheekbones, around the eyes and the head itself, but nothing more than that. Two horns were on each side. The horns didn't point up like the basic Viking helmets, but down. It was made of steel and was perfectly crafted. It fitted perfectly on my head and was surprisingly comfortable. It didn't look like it, but it was. It wasn't too tight nor too loose.

Next were the daggers. They were made of strong and fine glass and were extremely sharp. At first I thought that I would have a problem using them since I had hooves and wasn't used to them yet, but somehow I could easily pick them up and get a good grip. They were both enchanted; one was enchanted with fire, the other with ice. That would be very useful. I decided that the ice blade should be the 'right hoof'd' blade and the fire blade should be equipped on my left hoof. That way I could maybe freeze a certain area on someone and use the fire blade to finish him off.

A belt was included for my knives so I could sheathe them.

“Thank you, Luna. And please bring my thanks to Celestia from me.” I said with a respectful nod. She did the same.

“And this one is for you, Twilight Sparkle. A special gift from me and Celestia.” She passed the second chest to her and she eagerly opened it.

Inside it was an enchanted, magical robe. Twilight picked it up with admiration. The robe seemed very comfortable and had stars all over it, just like Twilight liked it. Astronomy was her favorite subject after all. With the robe included a ring of magic which had a small emerald stone at the center. The ring wasn't like the rings on Earth. The rings in Equestria were made to be worn around a leg, since ponies had no fingers.

“Wield them with care, for they're enchanted with great powers. The robe enhances your magic and gives you greater magicka while the ring gives you greater resistance against fire.”

Twilight almost cried of joy. “Thank you, my dear princesses!” she jumped around the room in happiness, making the rest of us chuckle a bit.

“Glad to see you like it. But this one is for you, Applejack.” Luna added and handed over the third chest.

Applejack slowly opened the golden chest and couldn't believe what was inside it.

It contained some kind of coal black heavy boots. They were made of some kind of unknown material, at least to me. Maybe it was only available in Equestria. But it looked very strong. A moon was carved on each side.

“I chose this gift especially for you, Applejack. You're a strong mare and such strength as in you must be put to good use. That's why I'm giving you these boots. Made from the strongest material in all of Equestria and comes straight from the moon itself. Although it may seem heavy, they're actually quite light. Use them to crush your opponents.”

“Thank ya kindly, Luna. This'll do! Please send mah regards to Celestia.” Applejack said very happily and quickly put on the boots. She seemed to like them very much, and not without  a reason.

“Now that that's been dealt with, I must get going. Good luck, my little ponies. May the gods smile upon you on your journey.” Luna added and once again with her head lowered for us. We did the same to pay our respect.

“Thank you again for those great gifts. We will use them with care.” I pointed out in appreciation and it seemed like Applejack and Twilight agreed with me since they both nodded a couple of times.

“I'm sure you will. But before I go...” Luna quickly walked up to the door. “You can come in now. My business here is over.” she said and walked out. As soon as she was gone, the rest of the mane 6 stormed in, not very happy as far as I could tell.

“Where do you think you're going?” asked Rarity and by the look on her face she demanded answers.

“Yeah! Wherever you go, I'm in!” said Pinkie Pie, who pushed her party cannon inside the room. I sighed and rolled my eyes when I noticed it.

“Wait... what?!” shouted Rainbow Dash. She flew up to me and looked coldly into my eyes. “Answer Rarity's question! And what's with that helmet anyways?”

Both Twilight and Applejack didn't know what to say, or didn't have the guts to say it. Maybe because they didn't know if I wanted her to know that I was the Dragonborn, or perhaps because they weren't sure whether she'd take it lightly or not.

“I...I think it's time for you to know about it. Rainbow, I am the Dragonborn. The prophecy Equestria has been waiting for since the beginning of time.” I explained as seriously as I could.

Rainbow Dash didn't know whether to believe me or not. But as soon as she saw Twilight and the rest of her friends nodding, her eyes turned wide open. She quickly landed because she knew she would fall down if she wouldn't.

“Oh my-- I-I challenged the One to a race?!” she yelled in surprise.

I grinned and chuckled a bit. “I guess so. At least you didn't lose to a normal pony. You should be proud. I only won you by centimeters.” I bragged and closed my eyes in pride.

“And you all knew about this... except me? Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?” she asked a little upset.

“I was gonna after the race, but things didn't exactly turn out as I planned.” I said and giggled.

“I wasn't talking specifically to you, but to them!” she said and pointed at her friends. Her friends looked ashamed to the floor.

“Well, we really couldn't while he was dead. The way you acted and blamed yourself for his death; telling you about him being the Dragonborn would surely make you think you killed Equestria's prophecy and that would most likely destroy you. Even kill you. We couldn't risk it.” Twilight spoke for everybody's behalf.

Rainbow Dash thought about it, and decided to do the smart thing. To let it all go and to just go on with life. She knew it now and that was enough for her. “Well, that explains that. But where are you going?” she asked again but not as coldly as before. Probably because she now realized that she was speaking to the Dragonborn.

“When I was in Sovngarde, I was told to go to a specific destination and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I've chosen Twilight and Applejack to accompany me, but don't worry. We'll be back before you even notice we're gone.” I said and hoped that would be enough. I sighed in relief when they all agreed. They wished us good luck and admired our fine gifts. All except Rainbow. She was not pleased at all, probably because I didn't pick her to go with me. That was the strongest reason I could think of.

“Wait just a second. You need a strong and a brave pony for wherever you're going! Not an egghead!” she protested.

I led Rainbow to the corner of the room so nobody could hear us. “I'm sorry Rainbow. But I didn't choose them because of my own likings. They're all my friends, don't get me wrong. I would surely be dead by now if not for Twilight. And no, I'm not talking about the race incident; I'm talking about when she nursed me back to health when I fainted by the entrance of Ponyville. If I'd choose someone to go with me because of my liking, I would have picked you. Because we're very much alike and we would make a heck of a team. But I need to use strategy on this one. Twilight's studies and magic could come of a great use and Applejack's strength would surely be of great assistance, especially if we encounter some enemies. And besides, I'm a Pegasus, Twilight's a Unicorn and Applejack is an Earth Pony. A good fit.” I explained. I was pretty confident that I had reasoned with her. But not quite it seemed.

“I...I understand. I see now that you made a wise choice but that doesn't change the fact that I still want to go with you. I want to help ya out! I want some action! Please, I could be of great use too. I could kick the enemy's teeth in! I could make them beg for mercy!” She begged and started punching the air; trying to impress me with how skilled she was in combat.

I laughed softly. “I'm sorry, but it could be dangerous to take anyone else. Not just for you or me but to the rest of us. If it makes you feel any better, I promise that I'll pick you for my next journey. Deal?”

Rainbow looked down at the floor in slight disappointment. “Fine.” she muttered.

I pitied her, but it didn't change my mind. “Hey.” I added and gave her a pat on her right shoulder. “I promise.”

She looked back at me with a small smirk on her face.

“I have no doubt that you will return. After all, you're the Dragonborn and you deliberately crashed into the ground to shut me up. That's something I won't ever forget. See ya later then. I hope to see you again soon-- and oh! Awesome helmet by the way. It really suits you.” she said and cracked up a small, awkward smile before flying over to Twilight. I noticed that she was asking for her forgiveness for saying that I didn't need her. Twilight also gave her a pat on the same shoulder before they hugged tightly.

I smirked to the thought of my persuasion being successful and that she had apologized to Twilight.

But that was enough. We had to move on. We couldn't delay any further.

“Everypony, can I please have your attention?” I asked loudly. Everybody stopped talking and turned their focus on me.

“I want to thank you all for coming and for supporting me and my fellow companions. I'm sorry, but we're going to have to leave now. The sooner the better.”

“But..but... the party hasn't even started yet!” Pinkie pointed out in disappointment.

“I'm sorry, Pinkie. But I don't have time for a party. But please, don't cancel it.”

“Of course not, silly! A party is still a party! Even with just 3 guests!”

“Yes, it is.” I replied and laughed.

“I simply refuse to let you go without a hug.” Rarity demanded and came up to me for a big hug. “Good bye, Drake. Please be careful.”

“I will, thanks.” I said as I gently pushed her away from me. “Well, if that's it, I guess we'll be on our way. Bye!” I added and rustled towards the exit. But I hesitated. There was something I forgot to do.

“Goodbye Fluttershy.” I said and hugged her very carefully.

Fluttershy stirred up but in the end loosened up and hugged me back. “Please be careful. There are many unknown creatures roaming around.” she said with her adorable voice.

“I will.” I reassured her.

I walked up to Rainbow. “And you.” I said and confidently shook her right shoulder. “Stay strong.” Rainbow Dash nodded and put on her badass look on. I didn't say anything more to her.

After all the hugs and goodbyes I walked up to Twilight and Applejack who seemed ready to leave. “You ready?”

“Ready.” Twilight confirmed.

“Let's get to it!” Applejack said with confidence.

I nodded to both of them, but before we set out, I had to check me out in the mirror. To see how I looked with the helmet on. To see how badass I looked. I noticed the big mirror near the exit. I flew next to it very quickly.

'Nice. I look like the friggin' Dragonborn... oh wait, who am I kidding? I am the friggin’ Dragonborn.' I thought to myself and chuckled. Twilight and Applejack giggled when they noticed me admiring myself in front of the mirror. They walked past me and out the exit. I quickly gazed through the room once more before heading out. I saw the friendly faces. I smiled to all of them and they did the same.

But the one pony that got my most attention was Rainbow Dash. She was leaning against the wall with her forehooves crossed and tilted her head a bit while staring at me. Her pupils were bigger than usual and she had a coy smile on her face. We both quickly looked away as our eyes met again. I wanted to be more careful but I've done a terrible job so far. I didn't know why I kept focusing on her. Maybe because she and I were more connected than I thought. Maybe because I liked her more than the others or maybe because she was the only one that really showed that she cared for me when I was dead. She was the only one to actually weep my death. I wasn't sure if it was because of guilt or not, but still she wept for me and that was enough to make me respect her more than the others. But like I said, I still liked the rest of the mane six. They were all my friends.

Three days. We had been walking for three days and had almost reached the mountain. We talked the whole time and I got to know Applejack a little better. Alright, maybe not a little. She started off by telling me more about herself and what she did for a living. After that she told me all about the apple family and its origin. It was all very interesting and fun to listen to. But I had to explain myself too. A lot of lies were involved but I was good at lying. Or maybe they were just so incredibly easy to fool. But I felt very bad about it and I knew that it would bite me in the ass later.

Twilight also told me about what she had been studying recently, but she mostly talked about astronomy; the stars and the suns. It was very educational. I've always been very interested in astronomy, but never got the chance to look into it.

I stopped when I heard a weak noise. “Did you hear that?” I asked and looked at the two mares who heard it too apparently.

“Yeah... there's someone following us.” Twilight said as she turned 360°.

“Well, well, well...” someone suddenly said. A group of savages or murderers showed up. Their wild appearance just gave that away. The group surrounded us and grinned malevolently. “We're just here to take your belongings. Hand them over. All of them. Or we'll kill you.” The leader ordered and walked up to me as he tried his best to be as intimidating as he could. He was big and looked very strong in appearance. His cutie mark was a rusty knife. Did he kill someone with a knife when he was a colt?

“Buck you.” I responded before spitting in his face. The leader closed his eyes and slowly wiped my saliva off as he laughed maniacally.

“You disrespect me?” He yelled. Truth to be told, I wasn't scared at all. In fact, I almost laughed at his face. “Worst mistake of your life. Do you know what I'm going to do?” he asked and walked in circles around me. “I'm going to peel your skin alive and I'm going to make you watch as we brutally rape the mares over and over again. We will make them squeal and make them scream for your name and your help. After that we will kill them slowly, but leave you to rot in your pain and sorrow. We will loot off your corpses and chop you down to pieces when you're finally dead. We will search for your family and friends and kill them slowly...one by one. So, who should I start with? Who's your girlfriend? The purple or the orange one?”  

Twilight and Applejack weren't intimidated at all. They smirked and lusted for their blood for being in our way. Their murderous smirk was disturbing and it was very surprising to me. I was used to the peace and the love around here. But like I said, I wasn't in the show: just the same world.

I stared at him with the same lust as Twilight and Applejack had to kill that bastard. Those words... he dared threatening and disrespecting my friends? He dared threatening and disrespecting me? I felt for the anger building up inside me, my blood screaming for some killing, the passion to stab that son of a bitch was great. I shivered of anger but mostly because of the way he spoke about my friends.

“No one disrespects the great...” he shouted at me but before he could finish that sentence I unsheathed my blades and shoved them as deep as I could into his throat. The leader gagged and dropped down to his knees. He gurgled loudly and slowly drowned in his own blood as I used my force to quickly pull the blades out of his flesh, resulting in his blood spitting all over my face in the same rhythm as his heartbeat. Fortunately, my helmet received the most of it.

The rest of the gang lost their focus as they watched their leader die in front of them. Twilight and Applejack used that opportunity.

Applejack used her strength to kick at some of them and kept breaking their jaws while Twilight used her magic to make their blood boil and explode within them. I turned around with the leader's blood blinding me a bit when I heard two stallions running towards me. I quickly launched myself into the air and landed behind them. While they tried to figure out where I went, I slit their throats at the same time with both of my daggers.

I didn't like this. I hated all that blood and all that gore around me. It made me sick. But it was necessary. Killing the leader didn't feel as good as I thought it would. It was disappointing and only made me sick. 'I thought Equestria should be peaceful!' I thought to myself and sighed.

I let Twilight and Applejack take care of the rest of them, and it seemed like they had no problem at all with handling them. I waited for them until they walked up to me and panted in exhaustion. They were also covered in their blood, and by the look of them, they eagerly wanted to clean it off.

I panted with them and swallowed. “Are you alright?”

They answered me with a hug. “Yeah, we're alright.” They both said simultaneously.

“That's good. That's good.” I added and tried to wipe the blood off my face and hooves. I gasped in delight when I noticed a small river a little ahead.

“Let's go clean us up by the river over there before continuing our journey.”

The two mares very much agreed with me.

After a while we got to the roots of the tall mountain. I now see why Gormlaith said that I couldn't miss it. At the peak of the mountain was a dragon. An adult, dangerous and certainly not a friendly one. We all stared at each other and gulped, but we didn't back down. We were all determined to get up that mountain and search for the chest that was up there.

“This is the time to back out if you want to.” I meekly pointed out and looked at them, but they stood their ground.

“No way. We've been walkin' for more than three days and we killed a bunch of murderers. Ah'm not backin' down now.” Applejack replied with confidence.

“I agree. Let's get up there as quietly as possible. Let's try to stay out of sight. I'm very educated about dragons and their weaknesses and that's why I have a plan. I will tell you about it once we're up there.” Twilight explained in a rush. Applejack and I nodded. I looked up the mountain and somehow got a feeling that the dragon already knew of our arrival and was just waiting there patiently for us to get to him. The dragon roared and flew in circles at the peak of the mountain.

“What in tarnation is that dragon doin' up there anyways?” Applejack asked as she rubbed her nape.

“It most likely is guarding something up there. If that's the case, we're definitely in the right place, since dragons are known for defending valuables.” Twilight responded.

“We have no time to lose. Let's get up there.” I said and tried to sound as brave and confident as I could. Even though I looked like it, I could still feel the madness driving me forward. I honestly didn't have a clue why I was doing this. A dragon waiting for us up there and we most likely had to kill it. I knew this was my first step in the role of being a Dragonborn. But was I really ready for it? I was about to find out...

It was a pain in the ass climbing that mountain, but we did it in the end. Only a tall boulder between us and the dragon who had landed. We moved like shadows and we were pretty confident that he didn't hear us on our way up.

“Now, what's the plan?” I asked very quietly.

“Drake, it's very easy. You should carefully slip past the dragon and get behind him. Once there, you must stab him in his spine. It could be tough and may require a lot of your strengths, but he will become paralyzed and from there we can finish him off.”

“Alright... but what if I fail? What if it doesn't work?”

“If that happens, Applejack and I will jump out of cover to distract him. We'll try to keep him busy as long as we can but you have to get up to his head and stab him with all your might into his skull.”

“Can't you just use your magic to keep him asleep or to restrain him?” I asked nervously.

“Sorry, but he's too big of a target. I cannot do it more than couple of seconds. You have to get up to him and stab him in the spine to paralyze him.” she explained.

Applejack and I nodded. “Alright, let's do this.”

I carefully got out of cover and tried to get as far as I could from the boulder. The dragon didn't notice me yet, but he was sleeping on the floor in front of a wall which was carved with all kinds of ancient symbols or whatever they were. Runes maybe? But I decided to focus myself on the primary objective; Killing the dragon and absorbing its soul.

I slowly and carefully flew closer to him and tried to fly towards his back. But as soon as I got near him, he opened his eyes and stared right into my soul. He wasn't sleeping. He was only bluffing.

I landed and bravely stood my ground. I signaled Twilight that I got this and that they didn't need to help me out at the moment.

The dragon roared fiercely at me as I unsheathed my daggers. I wasn't scared. I know I should be, but I haven't been scared of anything since I returned from Sovngarde. What did they do to me before I returned to Equestria? Did they increase my courage?

The dragon was about to attack me when it suddenly stopped and hesitated.

“Dovahkiin?” the dragon asked in a whisper. The voice fitted with the strong wind.

I waited patiently for the dragon to make his move. I flew up into the air and got near him. The dragon tried to bite me, but I evaded it. I got near the dragon and stabbed into his thick skin. That didn't do much and only made him angrier. But I decided to keep to the formula. To evade, fly up to him and stab him until he would collapse. But my plan didn't exactly go as I expected. It went better, in fact. Twilight and Applejack decided to help me taking him down and they were of much better use than I'd expected.

Twilight used her magic to call a blizzard. We all felt for its effects, but it really helped us out nonetheless.

Applejack tried to draw the dragon's attention and kicked his left front leg. The sound on that kick was sick. Those boots she wore were more than just regular boots made from the moon itself. It was also enchanted to do more damage on the enemy. And with Applejack wielding them, she was as strong as a bull. The impact broke the dragon's leg, making him roar in pain. He tried to rip Applejack to shreds but she got out of the way in just a nick of time.

That was it. I had a clear way to his head.

“Twilight! Now!” I yelled and flew as fast as I could towards the dragon's head.

Twilight bit her lower lip and fought to maintain her magic. She clearly tried everything she could to make the plan work. her magic prevented the dragon from flying away from us. I landed on the dragon's head but the dragon felt for my presence. He shook his head and tried to make me fall off of him. I let him go and floated only inches away from his head. When he stopped the shaking, I landed again and quickly shoved my daggers with all my might deep into his thick skull. The dragon roared in pain and died as soon as I pulled my daggers out of his head.

I landed next to his body and panted. “Good job...” I tiredly said but was interrupted with a sudden, strange feeling. I inhaled and looked at the dragon's body who was all lit up. I heard a small crackling sound as the dragon's soul left its body and went into me. I didn't feel for it but I saw the lights; the soul going straight through me. When that was over, I felt for... let's just say I felt like I had been 'upgraded'.

“Whoa. That feels good.” I said dizzily. Twilight and Applejack simply gasped and stared at me with their mouths wide open, making me chuckle.

“H-How do you feel?” Twilight asked me.

“I feel great!”

I remembered the wall that I noticed earlier. I decided to go take a look. I looked around and noticed the chest by the wall. But I wanted to check out those symbols first. Everything around me faded to black as I closed in on the wall, everything but two symbols that were glowing with a blue bright light and 'entering' me like the dragon's soul did. I suddenly felt for a sharp, short sting in my brain. I understood those symbols now. They meant 'FUS'.

“So it is true. You are the Dragonborn after all.” Twilight said in awe as she hesitantly walked up to me to examine me. “You... you just learned a word of power.” she added in excitement.

“Wait, what?"

“Try to shout 'FUS'.” She requested of me. “Now!”

“Alright, alright! Calm down.” I said and cleared my throat. I walked up to the edge of the mountain and shouted with all my might into the cool air: “FUS!”

The results were very surprising. The word summoned a shock-wave of force. I knew I could use it to push or stun my enemies.

“Whoa!” I yelled startle.

Applejack's face was one big question mark. She didn't understand a thing what was going on.

“Unrelenting force. It's called unrelenting force in our tongue. 'FUS' in the dragon language.” Twilight explained still as excited as before.

“I get it now!” I shouted. “When Gormlaith told me about this destination, she never intended me to find a treasure, but this power. That is the gift she wanted me to have.” I explained to them.

“But there is a chest over there.” Applejack pointed out.

“Yes, I know. But the real treasure they wanted me to have is this power.” I explained once again. “The chest is just a bonus.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's open it!” Twilight suggested and ran towards it. She opened it and gasped.

“Lemme see.” I said and pushed her away.

Inside the chest were three amulets. Two of them were rare and beautiful while the third was just a common one. I've seen some ponies in Ponyville wearing it. Everybody called it the Amulet of Mara and I hadn't bothered asking why.

I decided to award my companions and take the Amulet of Mara for myself. “Since I couldn't have done it without you, I will take that amulet over there and you can have the rare and expensive ones.” I said without regret. I picked up my amulet and put it on.

They both giggled. “You really gonna put it on?” Applejack asked as she tried to hold her laughter.

“Yeah, why not?” I asked suspiciously.

“Oh... nothing.” Twilight said and chuckled again. I rolled my eyes and turned away from them.

“Let's head back to Ponyville.” I muttered a little tired and sighed to the thought of walking for three more days to get to Canterlot.

They thanked me for being so generous. Twilight chose an amulet with a bright purple gem in the middle and Applejack took the other amulet, which was graced with a bright, red ruby.

“Rarity is going to be so jealous.” Twilight said with a laugh. Applejack joined her. They were both having a good time, but I only thought about the return journey. I shook my head and decided to loosen up a little. After all, I had just completed the quest I set out to do. I didn't do it alone and that made me very happy. There were some negative sides to this quest, such as the killings and all the blood and gore. But the positive sides were stronger. I got to know Applejack better, I unlocked my first word of power and I got to enjoy life a little. I gladly inhaled the air as we set out for the return journey.

Chapter 5: The Inevitable Feelings

Edited by Nazidash.

The walk home was much more enjoyable than I originally thought it would be. Twilight and Applejack were good company and we had very interesting conversations. The environment was beautiful and the weather was great. The tall trees surrounded us as we walked in a forest and the sound of leaves rustling and the birds singing in the background added to the beauty of the scenery. The only thing I disliked about the walk was the lack of food we had. We all had to categorize and calculate how much we could eat per day. And all we had was bread and some apples.

I was starving but I'd had my dosage for the day and I had to wait till tomorrow for my next one. My legs almost gave up on me and my body trembled and ached for more energy; making me almost collapse. But I kept going and I didn't show any kind of exhaustion. I bet they were as hungry as I was but they were also strong enough to ignore it. Only one more day. One more day of walking, and we'd arrive to Canterlot.

“I'm so darn hungry!” I cried, forcing myself forward. My legs were getting cramps, and I couldn't use my wings because I didn't have the energy required to fly.

“As are we, but we cannot eat at the moment. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait. There's only one more meal for each of us. Well...you could eat your dose now, but I warn you: There won't be anything else for you tomorrow.” Twilight pointed out, not the happiest, but still trying her best to be optimistic.

“Ah'm with ya, Drake. I'm starvin'! I should've brought some more apples or... or something!” Applejack complained with tire in her normally energetic voice.

I shook my head and tried my best to ignore the hunger and my intolerable thirst. “So, can you all tell me a little more about your friends? I haven't really had any time with them. Well, except for Rainbow Dash. But Rarity and Fluttershy? I haven't spent any time with them. Can you perhaps tell me a little more about them?” I asked them both to start a conversation; also in the purpose of getting rid of my desperate thoughts of food.

“Well, Rarity represents the element of generosity. She loves fashion and jewels. She cares for her looks but she's not afraid to get her hooves dirty if necessary. She can take care of herself and she has a very strong personality. Perhaps the strongest I've ever seen.” Twilight explained.

I nodded with a pout. “What about Fluttershy?”

“Fluttershy represent the element of kindness and she is, well... shy. Always has been from what I know. She was getting more and more open until a griffon, called Gilda, also a former friend of Rainbow Dash, was mean to her for no particular reason. She's been very difficult and closed ever since. But don't worry, she likes you. She only needs more time.” Twilight continued.

“What about... uhm... what about Rainbow Dash?” My heart skipped a beat when I said her name and I had no idea why. Must have been a coincidence or perhaps the fact that I was most interested in what Twilight had to say about my "favorite pony". “What can you tell me about her?”

Twilight and Applejack both gazed at me in confusion and slight annoyance. “We've told you about her like, four times now? What else do you want to know about her?”

“I-I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind.” I quickly came up with an excuse. Had I really asked about her four times? What was happening to me? Well, she had been on my mind a lot lately and I honestly had no idea why. Maybe I just missed her more than I should. And that wasn't a good sign.

“I'll tell you once more, but make sure it stays in your head this time!” she uttered in slight annoyance and sighed deeply.

“Rainbow Dash represents the element of loyalty and has always been the athletic type. She's also always been kind of arrogant. She has a great passion for flying and has been practicing and training her whole life to join the 'Wonderbolts', but without success so far. I don't know how you managed to beat her in a race but that's considered a big thing here in Ponyville.”

“If she's such a great flier, then why haven't she joined up with them already? Why won't they let her join?” I asked very interested. I even asked that to myself when I was a human. It didn't make any sense. Rainbow proved to be good enough when she saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts from their deaths. In addition, she's the only one who had successfully pulled off a Sonic Rainboom.

“Hmm... I honestly don't know.” Twilight answered as she contemplated about it. "Maybe she hasn't asked them yet? No idea."

“Unrelated, but may I ask you of something?” I asked hesitantly. They both pointed their attention to me and nodded with an interested smile that indicated that they were focused on me.

“Rainbow Dash has been acting rather strangely around me since I was brought back. Is there an explanation for that?” I asked meekly. This was my time to get the confirmation if she had feelings for me or not. I needed to know the truth. I've been troubled by that question since she kissed me on my cheekbone and it didn't sit well in me.

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other with those looks that told me that they didn't know what to say or what to do. “Well...I haven't noticed anything.” Twilight finally answered.

“Are you sure?”

“I-I haven't got a clue.”

I stopped for a second but they kept on walking like that conversation had ended. But I didn't get my question answered. Ugh! I needed to know the truth! I needed a clear answer. I needed an honest answer...'Honest!' I almost yelled to myself but managed to stay silent. I rubbed my hooves together with a grin, a subtle frown forming on my face, and turned to Applejack.

“So, Applejack...” I asked with a voice as if I was plotting an evil scheme.

Applejack gulped by the sound of my voice. It somehow created an unwanted pressure I didn't intend on creating. “Y-Yes?”

“What do you think?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why is Rainbow Dash acting so strangely when she's around me?” I repeated with a thought of victory on my mind. I somehow knew I would get a valid answer from her. At least I'd get an honest one and that was better than nothing.

“Acting strangely? I've no idea what you're talking about.”

I swallowed hard and let out a small fake cough. “Does she... does she have the hots for me?” I asked as seriously as I could get. But the more time that passed the more awkward this whole situation became.

Applejack exhaled and stared at me in relief. “So that's what ya were goin' to ask?” she asked with a soft laugh. “Ah don' know anythin' about that, sorry.”

At last she ran away from me to keep up with Twilight who was ahead of us. She seemed eager to get to Canterlot as fast as possible and she had a good reason to. I stopped and watched after them for some time. The fact that she didn't know anything about it was unsatisfying.

“Why can't you just tell me!” I yelled after them in annoyance. I rolled my eyes before running up to them. “Why can't you? She's your friend! I'm sure she--”

“We honestly don't know. And why is your mind so fixed upon Rainbow anyways? Are you perhaps subtly asking us if her feelings to you are mutual to your feelings to her?” Twilight asked with a hint of a tease.

I shot my wide eyes at her in slight anger when I realized what she was getting at. “N-no! Of course not!” I immediately objected, blushing heavily. “Let's just keep walking, shall we? We're almost there.” I added in a murmur to change the subject.

After maybe two long hours of walking we felt for a big earthquake and a loud noise emerging from nowhere. Then out of the air we heard distant voices followed by a sound of thunder. They said; “DOVAHKIIN!”

“What the hell was that?!” I jumped in surprise, but wasn't nearly as excited as Twilight.

“The Greybeards!” She gasped in excitement. “They have summoned you!”

“Wait, what is going on?” I asked, looking at Applejack who answered with a shrug. She seemed as clueless about this whole situation as me.

“That hasn't happened for centuries! You must answer their call and take your leave immediately.” she explained and stared into my eyes in all her seriousness.

“Immediately? Are you insane?!” I yelled in slight anger.

“Alright, alright. You should rest for a maximum of two days. But you mustn't delay for very long.”

I sighed.“I'll keep that in mind. But where are they?”

Twilight giggled awkwardly and said very silently as if she was expected me to rage: “Near the peak of the Throat of the World.”

“Uhh, Throat of the World?” I asked confusedly but also a bit awkwardly. Judging by the tone in her voice, it seemed like that place was a well known place. A place that apparently everypony knew except me.

“What? You're clearly not from around here if you don't know the Throat of the World.” Twilight muttered, facehooving. “It's the tallest mountain in Equestria. You have to walk seven thousand steps to reach The Greybeards.”

“Seven thousand steps?!” I asked in another surprised yell.

“And you cannot use your wings. The Greybeards have cast a spell on the mountain. You have to reach them without flying; They want to see your will and if you're worthy enough.”

I almost cried and I seriously thought about bailing but Twilight made it sound so important that I had no other choice but to obey. “Fine...” I moaned. “But I'll be going alone. Well, I did promise Rainbow Dash to take her with me on my next journey but I won't take anyone else. I don't want to make anyone follow me.”

“Don't ya worry about that. We're more than happy to accompany ya.” Applejack pointed out and gave me a pat on my back. It made me feel a little better.

“Alright, we'll talk about it when we get to Canterlot."

At last. We were almost there. However, we weren't in a forest anymore, but in a desert. A hot, dry, waterless desert. The sun was extremely hot and was slowly draining all our energy. I was starving and extremely thirsty, as were Twilight and Applejack. The food was all gone, there were no lakes around to drink from and we had almost collapsed due to the lack of energy. We should have taken more supplies with us but I guess I rushed things a bit. I wasn't even used to walking big distances. But there it was. The entrance to Canterlot, only a few miles away from us. “Almost...there...” I whimpered, trying everything in my power to push myself forward. My eyes were starting to blur and my body was getting weaker and weaker with each minute. I barely ate anything when I left and I barely ate anything on the way to that mountain. I desperately needed nourishment.

“Can't...go on.” I added and allowed my body to collapse to the hot sand. But I wasn't out. I hadn't had the energy to continue even though we were just a couple of miles away from the gate.

“No! Stand up! We're almost there!” I heard Twilight insist with her weak, dry voice.

“We're practically there!” Applejack added but was no exception from being the sun's victim.

They were in much better condition than I was in though. They had much more energy than I had.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe lighter. The intolerable heat from the sun was dehydrating me and I couldn't do anything about it. I tried producing some saliva to wet my mouth with but it was almost impossible. I was almost all out of liquid and I desperately needed to get out of this place and into some shade.

When all hope seemed lost I felt for a sharp wind and a pony sitting down by my side. She started off by quickly removing my helmet. It was a good feeling. I was getting very sweaty and I hadn't removed that helmet ever since putting it on back when I got it as a gift back in Canterlot, almost a week ago. I hadn't even removed it when I went to sleep.

Then she carefully examined if I was alright. She pressed her left ear against my chest to check if there was anything wrong with my heart before resting her hoof on my sweaty forehead to check for a fever. Afterwards she checked my wings and the rest of my outer body to see if everything was alright. She breathed a bit lighter when she didn't notice any kind of wounds on my body and let my head rest on her lap. She turned her back towards the sun to warp some shade on my face which felt like heaven. I also felt for her hooves in my mane but I kept my eyes shut. I was eternally grateful for what she did but I didn't want to ruin the comfortableness by the sight of the person doing that to me.

“What happened?!” she yelled harshly at the two mares. “Why is he restless?”

“We were very low on supplies and food, and we've been walking ever since we woke up. We hadn't had a single rest because we thought we were closer to Canterlot, so we've been walking in this forsaken desert all day without water or food. He needs to go to the hospital, and that fast! We must carry him to Canterlot.” Twilight explained.

“Screw that. I'll carry him to the hospital.” She didn't volunteer but more like commanded it to be that way. “It's faster that way.”

I didn't realize who was sitting next to me at first but I didn't really want to know either. Her voice sounded awfully familiar though, making me more curious than I could ignore. I hesitated but slowly peered my eyes in the end. I couldn't believe who it was. “D-Dashie?” I asked very feebly. Rainbow hesitated when she heard that. “H-How do you know that name?” she asked in a very surprised manner.

I breathed heavily and tried to answer her but the words wouldn't come. I was going to say that I had heard Pinkie Pie using that, but that wasn't the real reason how I knew about it.

“Drake!” she shouted when she noticed me rolling my eyes and slowly closing them again. I felt for yet another passing out. I was getting pretty tired of blacking out all the time. Was it really this easy to put me down? I sighed, but I was right. My ears slowly stopped analyzing the sounds around me but the last thing I heard before losing my consciousness was Rainbow Dash shouting my name.

“Drake? DRAKE?! Gods damn it!” I shouted and carefully placed his head on the ground so I could stand up. “I need to get him to the hospital. Now!” I added in a sharper shout, making it seem like I was appointing my anger towards Twilight and Applejack. But that's not what I intended. I hadn't seen my friends for 6 days now and I was very happy to see them again unharmed. But the fact that Drake was lying on the ground unconscious made me uneasy.

“We understand, Rainbow. Just go with'im.” Applejack suggested. “We're fine... just fine. We can take care of ourselves.”

“And how does he know about my nickname?” I asked again, but watched out not to be as critical as before.

Even though I was put off guard at the unexpected fact that he knew about my nickname, a part of me actually liked it. It did creep me out at the same time though.

“We have no idea. I honestly haven't got a clue.” Twilight replied while Applejack simply shook her head to indicate that she didn't know anything either.

I sighed. “I'm sorry for being so aggressive to you guys. I didn't mean to--” I hesitated, but walked up to both of them in the end to give them a hug.

“That's alright, Rainbow. We understand.” Twilight said and hugged me back tightly.

I looked at Drake and sighed again. “What happened? I mean, did everything go as planned?”

“Well... not exactly as planned, but we still got what we set out for. We were stopped by bandits and murderers on the way and they threatened to kill us all if we wouldn't do as we'd been told. But Drake showed that boss that it wasn't healthy in messing with us. He stabbed him with his blades deep into his throat and made the rest of his gang watch as he made him gurgle and drown in his own blood. I won't go under more details because it was quite brutal.” Twilight explained with a small serious chuckle.

My eyes widened. “Whoa!” I said slightly impressed and gave Drake another look. I smirked at the mental image of him defending my friends. I wished I'd been there. I could have shown those guys what I was made of and how dangerous I could get. No one messes with Rainbow Dash or my friends!

“Then we had to fight a dragon at the peak of the mountain. Yes, you heard right. We had to kill a dragon. And you're not going to believe the next part; Drake absorbed his soul!” Twilight almost yelled in excitement.

“H-He absorbed his soul?”

“Yeah, only the Dragonborn can do that. He uses that soul to unlock a powerful shout. He can now perform a shout to stun enemies with the force of his voice. An unrelenting force! The more dragons he kills and the more words from the dragon language he learns, the more powerful he gets!”.

I didn't know what was going on, but that sounded way too powerful to be true. “How... how can this be?” I asked as shocked as I could be. A part of me didn't believe it, but I trusted Twilight. And I should know better than to distrust her. We'd been through many things together and we'd faced enemies considered to be legends. What is soul-eating compared to everything we'd seen or heard about?

“Don't you get it? He's the Dragonborn; a pony with a soul of a dragon, some kind of a demi-dragon, sent by the gods themselves to guard Equestria when the time of dragons would come! He has dragon blood pounding in his heart!”

Wow. That really surprised me. I didn't know that at all. The only thing I knew about the prophecy was that he was supposed to be the protector of Equestria. And then Twilight told me that he's half pony, half dragon? That he'd get more powerful the more dragons he slayed? That he was sent by the gods?

“H-How can this be?” I asked again, stuttering. I couldn't believe it. I challenged a pony sent by the gods themselves to a race. A pony considered to be the most powerful being who'll ever draw breath. I witnessed him dying in front of me and I was there when he was resurrected. I even wept for his death every day until he was revived. And to top that... I was starting to care for him and not with the same care I had for my friends. I admit that I had some feelings for him. I just felt good around him and we were both so alike in so many ways. We're both Pegasus, both cyan-colored, both determined, almost the same personality and we both have a passion for flying. The weird thing is that I hadn't even known him for a long time and I was already starting to feel for something towards him I'd never felt for before. I'd seen many determined ponies before but he was different from them all. I could feel it, and the fact that he was so unique made him more interesting to me.

“Amazing, isn't it?” Twilight asked with a big smile on her face. I however, didn't crack one in return because of my nervousness. Twilight noticed that something was wrong. She noticed that I was gnawing my teeth in small fear.

“What's wrong?” she asked, not smiling anymore. She walked up to me and put her hoof on my right shoulder. “Hey, what's wrong?”

I looked at both Twilight and Applejack who were eager to know what was going on. I consecutively gazed at them. I was unsecured whether I should tell them or not.

“I... can you, eh, keep a secret?” I hesitantly asked.

“Pinkie Pie swear: Cross my heart, and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye!” They both replied simultaneously.

“I-I have..” I stuttered, closed my eyes and swallowed. “I have... feelings... for Drake.” I pushed the words out, turning myself around from them. “I know it sounds stupid but it's true. I'm... more than interested in him. It's a feeling I've never experienced before and it's such a strange, yet a surprisingly good feeling. I.. I wasn't sure at first but I think I'm certain now.” I pointed out again, blushing heavily as I lowered my head in small shame.

I heard both of them gasping in surprise behind me. “That's great news!” Twilight shouted, once again in excitement. “Love is a wonderful thing! And it's so rare these days!”

“Bah! I'm not sure about that... I'm Rainbow Dash! I don't have time for such a thing. I need to stay focused on my goal; to join the Wonderbolts, but I just can't concentrate anymore.” I explained to them. “And I don't want to tell him. I don't want him to know. He might reject me. And what if he doesn't like me? What if-- what if he's mad at me for being his bane?”

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other before laughing softly. “You shouldn't worry about that, sugar cube!” Applejack said very confidently.

“What?” I asked dubiously.

“He talks about ya all the time! Seriously, he's asked a lot about ya. Four times he asked the same questions about ya and what ya did for a living. He's really interested, I can tell by miles. And to add on that, he suspects somethin'. He even asked me if ya had "the hots for 'im"”

My blood turned to ice by hearing that and my heart almost stopped pounding. He's...interested in me? He asked them if I had a thing for him? “But... but...” I stuttered with my eyes wide open.

“And just between us. I've heard him talking in his sleep. You know what he talked about most of the time in his sleep? You.” Twilight laughed reassuringly and poked at my manubrium. “He definitely has some feelings for you too, even though he doesn't show it. I just know that his feelings are mutual to yours. He really cares about you.”

First my blood froze but now my heart melted. I did not expect him to be interested in me and that was beyond relieving even though I wasn't quite convinced. I smiled awkwardly but tried my best to appear as cool as always. I'm Rainbow Dash and I've got a reputation to maintain. I didn't want them to see the soft side of me. But Twilight and Applejack saw right through me, unfortunately, and gave me a pat on my back with a very friendly smile. “I'm happy for you.” Twilight rejoiced. “Me too! Ah'm very happy for ya too.”

“Well, we aren't exactly together. And nothing is confirmed that he even likes me. And what about his death? I'm still responsible for that, you know.” I pointed out, trying my best to sound just barely interested in that subject.

“I'm sure he likes you. And don't even bring up about being responsible for his death. It's all buried under the bridge now.” Twilight replied, still with that happy smirk on her face.

“Well... I'm glad I got that off my chest.” I said gratefully, and awkwardly hugged them again.

“No problem. Your secret is safe with us.” Twilight reassured me confidentially.

I looked at Drake and knelt down next to him. I had an urge to nuzzle and snuggle myself up to him. I wanted to tell him everything. But I was still afraid of getting rejected. I had to wait. I had to wait for the right moment. But then I noticed his amulet.

“Amulet of Mara?!” I gasped surprisingly.

Both Twilight and Applejack laughed. “Yeah, we found three necklaces. He gave us the expensive ones and he took this one for himself.” explained Twilight once again.

“That means... he's single and he's looking for a... mate?” I asked, my pupils almost as big as my eyes.

“Well, he doesn't know anything about what it represents or what it means. He just cluelessly put it on.”

“Oh...” I answered. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time, because there are two ways to look for a mate. One, get an Amulet of Mara and wait for someone to ask if they'd be interested in a marriage. Two, if two individuals fall in love naturally. And I preferred the latter anyways, but it was considered very rare these days.

At last they arrived. That is Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

“Oh, my! Why is he unconscious?” Rarity asked with a gasp. “That poor thing! He must get to Canterlot at once!”

I quickly wiped my small tears of joy off my face and put on the default 'Rainbow Dash' look. “Yeah, I know. I must get him to the hospital.” I muttered in faked annoyance, acting like I couldn't care less about him. “I knew he'd be nothing but trouble. Guess I should leave with him since I'm the fastest flier. I'll see you all later.” I added, and got myself prepared to leave with him. Carrying him wouldn't be easy but it had to be done.

“Wait!” Pinkie Pie shouted with a giggle. “I think he's bluffing!”

We all looked at Pinkie Pie with an annoyed look. She noticed it. “What?”

“He's not bluffing. Just look at him!” I shouted angrily at her. “The only movement we can see from him is the movement of his chest! The breathing!”

“Yeah. Well, I'm pretty sure he's faking.” she answered without cutting off her giggle. She then started shaking him. “We know it's an act!”

I gasped and automatically launched myself at Pinkie Pie, taking her down. The impact on her wasn't very gentle.

“What the hay is wrong with you?!” I furiously shouted at her.

Pinkie Pie looked at me with her terrified eyes; completely surprised of my action. And that made her start sobbing lightly.

I felt bad for taking her down and once again it was kind of unintended. “I'm sorry, Pinkie. I'm sorry. But you must understand. He's not "bluffing". He needs to get to the hospital in Canterlot at once.” I tried explaining. Pinkie Pie stopped the sobbing and put a grin on her face.

“Okey, dokey, lokey! I believe you...” she responded and jumped to her feet. She walked past Drake and half whispered into his ear; “You're good...” before hopping away.

We all rolled our eyes.

I inhaled and panted as I woke up. I felt for tubes injecting something into my veins and I literally felt for that cold liquid flowing inside me from those tubes. It was a strange, yet a good feeling. I was no doubt in a hospital by the look of that white room and the paintings on the wall. I looked out the big window in front of me and noticed that it was nighttime. I sat up and carefully pulled out all the strings and needles attached to me with my mouth. I also noticed my helmet on the table by the right side of my bed. There was a glass of water on the same table, and it didn't take me more than five seconds to empty it.

I was still thirsty and extremely hungry. I hadn't practically eaten anything for days. And the stuff I've been eating for the past days were either vegetables, apples or bread. That wasn't enough. I needed more. I was still used to protein rich foods.

“Drake? How are you? Are you OK? And don't worry about your amulet, I threw it away. You don't want to have it on anyways. It represents that you're single and in desperate need of a mate.” someone said and held my hooves firmly. The smooth voice and the soft touch sent chills down my spine. I turned around to the left to see Rainbow Dash staring at me with her magenta irises.

“Rainbow!” I gasped in surprise and reached out to hug her. She grinned and threw herself into my arms. We hugged like we hadn't seen one another for years. Feeling for her presence made me feel safe and happy, it also made my heart pound faster. I stroke her smooth rainbow colored mane while we hugged and she did the same thing to me, like last time.

“It's good to see you again!” I notified her in excitement. “I...I've missed you.” As soon as I let go of the last word I felt for her hug tightening a bit.

“I've missed you too. I'm so glad you're back.” she answered in a small relief.

Oh god... I didn't know why I was so happy to see her again. I didn't know why she meant so much to me but the fact that she cared about me was overwhelming. The reason why I liked her so much was because I felt happy around her. She had always been there when I woke up after a trauma and she had many times shown me how much I meant to her.

The small part of my heart that...loved her... had grown a bit but not enough for it to take over my heart. I still wasn't ready for a relationship and I wasn't even sure if I'd ever be ready at all. I didn't know if she had any feelings for me, and even though she did, I just...couldn't do it. But I’d seen how much she cared for me, and I wanted to be the pony she thought I was. But I couldn't... if she did love me, she'd only love the shadow of me, and I couldn't give her what she sought.

I sighed desperately. I was stuck in a position I couldn't handle, and it was killing me.

Maybe... I can be both? I thought to myself. What if I do some sweet talking and hug her all the time and all that, but never take the relationship any further? No, that won't work...

We were still hugging and we both refused to let go for some reason. Everything seemed to pause around me while I was in her personal space. I even felt for her heart beating. She was the only thing existing in my mind at that moment.

At last she looked at me with her hooves around my neck. She had a smile on her face and her big beautiful eyes scanning my face.

I looked at him with a longing. I wanted to lay one on him but I wasn't sure how he'd take it. If he would maybe push me away or tell me to leave. I had to fight those sudden strong feelings I had for him.

I stared at his red eyes and wondered if he was in the same position as I was in. If he was perhaps fighting his own feelings too. If he was wondering if I was interested in him. Or maybe he only saw me as a friend...

No, that can't be. The way he reacted to my arrival and the fact that he had been dreaming about me indicated that he at least felt for something. But I couldn't do it. I didn't have the guts to make a move and kiss him, even though I was on the edge on doing so.

“There's something I need to tell you.” he hesitantly told me. I felt for a sting in my heart and hoped to the gods that he was going to admit his secret feelings to me. “I have to go to another journey tomorrow, or the day after. And I promised that I would take you with me.” he pointed out with a clumsy smile. “Are you still interested?”

I exhaled the air in small disappointment, yet at the same time glad to hear that. I got to spend more time with him. I hoped we'd just go the two of us wherever we were going because I wanted his full attention.

“That's great!” I replied and hugged him again. He answered by wrapping his forehooves around me again without hesitating. Those hugs weren't like the other hugs I'd given and received. This one was different. It was full of... passion. It was emotional. And it made my feelings towards him so much stronger.

He laughed softly. “You know... I've missed you so, so much.” he whispered into my ear as we hugged. It made my ear twitch and my body shiver beyond belief. That's it. He asked for it. His behavior surely indicates that he's interested in me.

Before I went for it, I looked deep into his beautiful eyes and smiled. As I was about to go for it, I felt for him clenching my hoof with his and noticed him moving his head towards me as well. I closed my eyes as I kissed him and much to my surprise he reciprocated by slowly kissing me back. I even felt for his other hoof on my nape, gently pushing me more against him.

I saw the look on Rainbow's face and thought to myself; 'This is it. She's about to kiss me now.' I saw it on her looks. But I somehow didn't tell her to stop. In fact, I didn't want her to stop. My heart pounded faster and faster for I knew this was all wrong. But that look she gave me was irresistible. And those hugs we had made everything so much worse. That is, worse in the point of view that I wanted to avoid becoming too close to her. Can't say I was doing a good job. In fact, I was doing a terrible job. But at the same time I didn't care. I admit that I actually kind of liked where this was going.

Despite telling myself over and over again to watch out for making mistakes, I decided to do the thing I'd been trying to avoid. I closed my eyes and slowly kissed her as she did the same to me.

That feeling when I kissed her was indescribable and felt much better than I thought it would. It didn't feel wrong. My human conscience didn't even stop me.

But what surprised me was that I didn't have any difficulty kissing her with those lips. I had wondered to myself how ponies would kiss once, but it was very much like when humans make out. We both hesitated though after our lips touched. We hesitantly and confusedly looked at each other, but also with a longing and passion before we launched at each other again.

I actually wanted more, so I pressed her head against mine by putting my hoof on her nape very gently. I caressed her back with my other hoof as we made out. She stroked my sides. I felt for her tongue softly massaging mine and I reciprocated.

That exotic feeling couldn't be described to anyone. It wasn't quite like kissing a human; I admit, it was even better. Her saliva tasted perfectly sweet. It made our kiss even more enjoyable.

The way we kissed was as passionate as it could get. I felt for all those feelings she was letting out and I instantly knew that this mare was in love with me.

Everything around me surely died while this was happening. I didn't care if someone was watching us and I didn't care about anything else but her. That single kiss made me fall in deep love with her. I was wrong all along. I was wrong when I said I could never love or have a relationship with one of them. I'd heard in movies and video games about race and gender not mattering... it was the personality that counted and that was clearly the situation here. I also came to realize that I stopped seeing her as "a pony". I saw the person I fell in love with.

The weird thing about it was that it didn't take long for me to fall for her. Sometimes it takes people months or even years for that to happen. In this case, it took only a couple of days (excluding the days while I was dead) and she's not even human. This really was something special. There has always been a connection or a bond from the time we met, even though we didn't feel for it at first. But I knew more about Rainbow Dash than anyone else, while she didn't know a thing about me, which made me a little sad. She deserved to know more about who I really was. I also wondered why she loved me if she didn't even know anything, or very little about me.

We both panted heavily before continuing and rested our foreheads on each other’s. Her warm breath on my face calmed me down a bit but as did it make my sudden passion for her even stronger. “I know we haven't known each other for very long, but...” I tried explaining, still panting. "...you make me feel so special."

“I feel the same way.” she whispered back before we embraced and passionately made out again.

This time we didn't stop for a while. Rainbow crawled into my bed so it would be easier for us to continue that experience, but it wasn't in the purpose of anything more than that. Not at all. After all, this was our first kiss and we'd only just expressed our feelings to each other and to add to that, we were still in the hospital.

She simply crawled into the bed so we could snuggle, cuddle and hug each other. I swear I got all excited after a while. Feeling for her warm, soft body pressed up against mine, and her arms tightening the grip around me was the best feeling in the world. I didn't want that moment to end. This was a night to remember.

We squeezed each other and didn't dare let go. She was mine and I was hers.

I was a fool to think that I could just ignore my feelings to her. Why even try? It would only bring sorrow and pain spiritually to both of us. And besides... this was a lot better than I'd imagined.

After a while we stopped and looked at each other with our eyes half open. This one kiss changed everything. It completely changed my views of her. What started as a small part of my heart has infected it as a whole.

We cuddled and panted in exhaustion. “You... you have my heart.” I whispered to her and felt for her body shiver in my arms. I chuckled softly as a response.

Rainbow Dash looked at me with her upper eyelids half closed and with a warm smirk on her face. I had my front right hoof around her while she had her left one around me. “Thank you. You also have mine.” she whispered back and nuzzled me. Then she closed her eyes before kissing me on my mouth again. I did the same to her. I held her close to me while we were at it again and thought to myself very proudly; 'Mine'...

I couldn't believe what was happening. I had been so confident that he would reject me that I never went for it. Well, I did once, but that was totally on accident and on his cheekbone nonetheless.

But this... I'd never kissed anyone like that before, and I hadn't fallen in love before either. But Twilight said love was a wonderful thing. Now I saw why.

I was getting tired and by the look of Drake's face, he was too. “I'll always be there for you.” I pointed out and stroked his sides smoothly.

He answered by kissing and stroking my mane gently. He used his other hoof to slowly caress my flank and cutie mark and that made me blush and hesitate a bit. It was really weird at first. I'd never been so close to anyone before, but despite of that unknown experience being revealed to me, I really liked and enjoyed it. Especially the fact that it was him stroking my body made it so much more pleasurable. I responded by doing the same to him, and judging by his facial expression, he was as surprised as I was. But at the same time he enjoyed it just as much as I did.

“Same here. I should have admitted it sooner, but I wasn't sure if it was love or not. But now I'm certain that I...care for you. And not with the same care as friends share. I... I think I love you.” he stated warmly to me, smirking feebly, yet determinedly. It must have taken him a lot to say that because I noticed that he was a little nervous. I couldn't blame him. I was pretty nervous myself.

His statement about his love to me was overwhelming and very unexpected, making me sigh deeply. I'd never had a chance to get to know this side of me before. I'd always acted like a guy and I didn't even know that side of me existed.

“I love you too.” I sighed, trying to get closer to him. He moved a bit to allow me to get closer, even though I was as close as I could get. Well... not entirely as close as I could get, but that would probably come later.

With my eyes closed, I rested my head on his chest to listen to his heartbeats. His heart was beating abnormally fast, but so was mine. “I... I love you.” I whispered again before I accidentally fell asleep.

I inhaled the air happily after she fell asleep. This was one of my happiest days ever. Just that single experience was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. And now, Rainbow Dash was sleeping pressed up to me and resting her head on my chest as a pillow. Her scent was fragrant and very attracting. Something I did not expect in a pony. Even her mane smelled of air, wind and rain.

I was getting extremely tired myself, even though I had just woken up. But that unexpected kiss, those confessions, all the passionate touchings and those long forgotten feelings about love had drained all my energy.

With a big smile, I rested my head on hers, wrapped my arms and wings around her and fell asleep immediately.

I woke up with the sound of light d’aww’s. I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I still felt for Rainbow Dash's warm body pressed up against mine; her head on my chest and her arm around my waist. I knew someone was watching us sleep, but I didn't care. I was overtaken by the feeling of pride and happiness.

“They're so cute together!” someone whispered. It was Fluttershy, judging by her voice.

I heard someone sobbing. “They're so cute! Just look at them!” said Pinkie Pie, still in tears.

“Shh! Don' wake 'em up.” someone else whispered with an amused chuckle. That was Applejack. "Ah never thought ah'd see the day!"

“I have to take another photo of them like that! They're way too adorable!” Twilight whispered in excitement. I heard couple of clicks and the sound of the camera printing out the photos.

“I still can't believe you found those necklaces! Those jewels!” Rarity muttered.

Finally Pinkie stopped crying. “Well, this is getting pretty boring!” she suddenly said rather loudly totally out of nowhere, but not loudly enough to wake up Rainbow Dash who slept like a rock. “WAKE UP!” she shouted at us with all her might, only inches away from us.

That woke Rainbow up and got us both startled. We both screamed from the suddenness.

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, not pleased with her actions.

Rainbow Dash automatically wrapped her arms around my waist to seek some protection, but calmed down a bit when she realized that it was just her friends.

“What? It was getting pretty boring watching them sleep together like that.” she added. "I mean, sure, they were adorable and all. But that was no fun!"

“Were you watching us sleeping? Do you know the word 'privacy'?” I asked not very pleased, but yet far away from being pissed or angry.

Twilight ignored that and put on a huge grin. She hugged us both. “I feel so happy for you guys!” she shouted. The others joined in, making it a one big group hug.

“Heh...” Rainbow chuckled awkwardly. I smiled at her with a small chuckle and she did the same. We both got out of the bed after the hug had been broken and stretched our bodies and wings.

“I knew there was something between you two!” she added in a shout. “I said you'd get along! Well, I didn't know it would go this far, but I was still right nonetheless!"

Rainbow and I just chuckled awkwardly again. We seemed pretty eager to get out of there. We wanted to get back into the peace, into the quietness. Just the two of us.

“Common, kiss her already!” Pinkie Pie ordered me and pushed me towards Rainbow.

Rainbow gave me a small smirk and walked closer to me. I awkwardly smiled to the ponies around me and closed my eyes before we hugged and kissed once again. We didn't make out, just a simple kiss.

The ponies around us cheered and stomped their hooves to the ground.

We let go of each other and looked very awkwardly at the cheering ponies. I felt like my face was going in flames because of my blushes I didn't want anyone to notice.

Like a bolt from the blue, a nurse appeared by the door. “Could you please keep it down? A-And what are you doing out of the bed? Shouldn't you be resting. W-We allowed your girlfriend to stay with you for the night. Please don't make us regret it.” she said very warmly, and tried to sound determined but failed. She was kind of like Fluttershy.

“I'm feeling great. In fact, I'm better than ever.” I paused and looked at Rainbow Dash with another smile. “And I'm ready to leave.” I insisted without sounding harsh.

“It's great to see that you are feeling well, but we still need to check on your condition before we can check you out. Is that OK?” she asked with her smooth, insecure voice.

“Yes. Yes it is.” I answered with a nod. The nurse smiled and walked away.

I turned around to see everyone gathered around Rainbow Dash and hugging and congratulating her while I was talking to the nurse. Rainbow had a big happy grin on her face and it warmed my heart to see her smiling like that. Her eyes full of happiness. All the joys. It made me so proud.

It wouldn't be as big of a deal on Earth, announcing to someone for our feelings, but here in Equestria it was one of the most important...thing...ever. Love nowadays weren't common, especially a relationship without an Amulet of Mara in the picture. That was considered very rare.

“Hey! You know what this calls for?” Pinkie Pie yelled. Everyone knew what was coming and normally I'd sigh, but this time I actually wanted a party. We all waited for her to shout out 'A party'.

“A PARTY!” she added. “And it has to be something special this time...” she paused and thought of something for a couple of seconds “I know! We party at the Inn!” she suggested and made it sound like the most brilliant idea ever.

“Yeah!” I shouted. Now I was really starting to like that pony. I was more than game to party in an Inn. See what booze Equestria had to offer and all that.

“Count me in!” Rainbow Dash yelled and stood next to me. “I'm challenging you all to a drinking contest!” she said loudly and flapped her wings to heave herself from the ground.

“That's what I'm talking about!” I replied excitedly.

Applejack laughed at Rainbow. “Ah'm so gonna beat ya! My belly is much stronger than yours.”

“It's on then! Drake, you and I against each other. The last one standing wins!”

“I'm in." I said with a grin.

“Ye'r on!” Applejack responded.

We all spat on our hooves and made the traditional pony handshake to “seal the deal”.

The others nodded and agreed to Pinkie's plan. “That sounds like a great idea. I haven't been into an Inn for a long time now and it surely calls for something spectacular this time.” Twilight said.

“Oh, it's going to be spectacular alright... After all, I am Pinkie Pie! I throw the best parties!”

“But...but... The Inn's are so dirty!” Rarity nagged, but still agreed to come.

Pinkie Pie had a wide smile on her face. “I'll see you guys at the "Prancing Pony" this evening!” she shouted and stormed out of the building as fast as she could. We all laughed softly.

Even though I was a changed man... and even though I had fallen for Rainbow, like I originally feared but learned furthermore that it was much better than expected, I was still a little unsecured about our relationship. I was still afraid of everything, and mostly, more than anything, afraid of hurting her feelings or telling her the truth about me; Who I really was. I knew I couldn't ignore the fact that I was human and I knew she had to know it sooner or later. I couldn't let her live in a lie. The question was, how would she take it? I thought about the right moment to tell her everything, but I couldn't focus. I knew I had to tell her soon, while the relationship was still young, because it would be a lot harder later.

I remembered that I had to go to that meet-up with the Greybeards, and that I had promised Rainbow to come with me. I had already decided not to take anyone else with us. We'd be alone, and we'd have enough time to talk about things.

Yes... I should worry about it then. But for now, I wanted to celebrate. To enjoy life. To spend some time with my friends.

After I had been checked out and confirmed to be fine, I was allowed to leave the hospital. But even though I had been given nourishment in my veins, I still felt for extreme hunger and thirst. I needed to fill my stomach, and I needed to wet my mouth with more than just Rainbow's skittle tasting saliva. I was in desperate need for some more water, and that fast.

Celestia had been so kind to give us a ride to Ponyville. Everybody around me heard my tummy growl and crying out for food as we were on our way on that big balloon of hers. I explained to them that I practically hadn't eaten anything for a few days. Twilight was decent enough to invite me and Rainbow Dash to lunch. I thanked her many times, but feared that she would offer us some hay, or something else I despised. I tried tasting some of it on our journey to that mountain, but immediately spat it out. My body may have changed, but my likings haven't.

So far I had to accept the salads and their fresh vegetables and fruits. I had nothing against that, except that it wasn't enough for me. I needed the energy from meat! But I'll never get to taste a big juicy steak ever again; the only negative side of living in Equestria. And the music. I'd love to listen to some of my favorite songs again.

The balloon was big enough for all seven of us to fit inside, and we all had enough space. We were all kind of quiet the whole trip home, but Rainbow and I didn't care. She had enough space to lie down next to me and use my thighs as her pillow. I gently stroke her multicolored mane while she took a nap.

“Hey, Drake.” Twilight suddenly said.

“Yeah?”

“Well... I don't want to sound creepy or anything, but... I just couldn't give up that moment. I had to take pictures of you when you guys were sleeping. You two were just way too adorable together. I just wanted you to have these.” she handed me two pictures. One of me and Dashie sleeping very peacefully, cuddled up in each other’s arms, and the other photo had us embracing and kissing each other with our eyes closed after waking up.

Those pictures warmed my heart. Twilight was right; We were so adorable together! But one other thing that got my attention was myself. It was kind of weird looking at a clear photo of me. I didn't even know how I really looked, since I had only seen my face in the reflection of a water. I've just seen part of my wings, my eyes, my cutie mark and my mane. Nothing else, really. WelI, I did look into a mirror before. But I didn't really pay attention to myself. I only admired and focused on my helmet, thus, completely forgetting about my physical appearance.

I didn't really see my body, since it was covered with a blanket. But what I did saw was my forehead on her mane and my right arm around her. Rainbow had her left hand around me as well.

The other photo however showed my full body. Two cyan colored ponies embracing and kissing each other. I even noticed my cutie mark clearly now. I really liked it; it made me look more badass!

“Thank you. This means a lot to me.” I pointed out with my eyes wetted at those pictures. I took my helmet off and carefully placed them inside it, then put on my helmet again. I had carefully placed those photos inside my helmet so they wouldn't get damaged. They were well kept and safe.

I looked at Rainbow sleeping, still stroking her mane and smiled. I thought about how lucky I was, despite the fact that I didn't want a relationship before.

I felt for the ponies' eyes gazing on us and exhaling the air in adorableness. I even heard Twilight d'aaw...

Having my stomach full again was great. I still felt for my tummy aching, but not nearly as much as before I ate at Twilight's. Spike made a good vegetable soup with all kinds of spices and other delicacies added into it.

I also had a very interesting conversation with Spike while Twilight explained to Rainbow everything that happened on our way to the mountain in details, even the brutal fights.

Spike apologized for his rude behavior the last time we met. He assured me that he supported me on my quest to kill Alduin and offered to tell me everything related to dragons and their weaknesses... on two conditions: I wouldn't use that knowledge as an advantage against him, and wouldn't absorb his soul.

We talked for hours and before I knew it, I was much more educated about dragons than ever before. I was Spike very grateful and promised not to harm him in return in a laughing tone. Spike joined me in my laughter. I even demonstrated the 'Fus' to him just outside the house. He seemed to like it very much and clapped his hands in amazement. He couldn't do that himself yet.

I also had some time with both Rainbow and Twilight. We talked, laughed and had a great time together.

It was getting late and we all got us prepared to leave for Pinkie's party at the Inn. Spike had to stay at home, even though he pleaded to come with us. But Twilight's decisions always stick and Spike had no choice but to obey her.

Before we got out of the house, Twilight offered to keep my helmet inside her house while we were out and I agreed. We went into the cool air outside but the wind was completely calm and there wasn't any activity or anything happening in Ponyville. It was evening after all.

“So, where is this Inn?” I asked as I looked around the lifeless town.

“It's just around the corner.” answered eager Rainbow Dash. “Now, we'll go meet up with Applejack and start that competition. You still have the guts?” she asked me in a challenging tone.

“Oh, you bet I am. We both know I'm going to be the last one standing. No competition. I'm the Dragonborn. You have no match against me.” I boasted and mocked her. Rainbow peered at me.

“We'll see about that...Dragonborn.” she spat out. Twilight and I chuckled softly.

After maybe five minutes of walk we arrived at the Inn; “The Prancing Pony.”

“The Prancing Pony! My favorite Inn.” Rainbow said with a smile.

Twilight glanced at her. “But it's the only Inn in Ponyville...”

“Oh, Twilight. You forget that there are Inns in Cloudsdale too.” she pointed out, not giving any reason on how she could stand in Cloudsdale.

“Right...” Twilight responded. “Let's just get inside, should we?”

Rainbow and I nodded and opened the door. Much to my surprise, the Inn wasn't as dirty and as bad looking as I thought it would be. It actually looked pretty neat, at least neat enough for an Inn. It still wasn't clean enough for a formal meet-up though. It wasn't just an Inn, for it also included a stage and even a dance floor. No doubt the weirdest Inn/bar I've been into for sure.

Twilight walked over the room to search for her friends, but it looked like we were the first to arrive. After looking around some more and over the heads of at least ten drunk ponies, I noticed two ponies I did not expect to be at an Inn at all. Two of my favorite background ponies. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia were sitting by a table with a cranberry juice.

“Hey, Rainbow. I'll be back in a minute. I think I saw Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. They're very popular from where I come from. I'm just going to greet them.” I said but had no worries about Rainbow being jealous. If I knew her right, she would just tell me to go already.

“Is Octavia here? Wow, I didn't expect her to be here since she lives in Canterlot. I'm going to have to say hi to her later, but you go ahead. I'll see ya later but don't leave me hanging. We can't start that drinking contest without you.” she said and gave me a wink. I smirked and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Rainbow chuckled and pushed me away from her towards the DJ and the cello player.

I walked up to them with an awkward smile but they both grinned when they noticed me.

“Uhh... Hi.”

“You must be the dragonborn? An honor to meet you.” Octavia said with her head lowered.

“Wait, how did you know about that?” I asked puzzled. I thought the only ones knowing about it were the mane 6 and the princesses.

“Princess Luna just announced it a couple of days ago. She said that the time had come. But she also ordered us to not make a big deal out of it and to leave you alone unless you had the first word.” Vinyl explained. She took her goggles off and revealed her red iris'd eyes.

“I thought it was supposed to be a private. But since she ordered everyone to act normal I guess it's fine.” I added and grabbed a chair to sit next to them.

“Hey... your irises are red. Just like mine. That's very rare, did you know that?” she continued, with her eyes locked into mine. I didn't know it was rare but it didn't surprise me either. Everything about me was rare anyways. My cutie mark, my eyes, me being the Dragonborn, me being a human, me falling in love with Rainbow which I considered not possible... the list goes on and on.

“No, I didn't know that.” I answered with a nod and a small pout.

“So, what brings you to a place like this?” Octavia asked and looked at me with an interesting look.

“I could say the same to you.” I answered. Both Octavia and Vinyl chuckled.

“Pinkie Pie hired us to play some music. We'll be playing some sick stuff together, so you better be there. You're going to dig it!” Vinyl said very excitedly.

“You kidding? You two are my favorite musicians!” I complimented them without sounding like their number one fan.

“You flatter me.” Octavia said and bowed her head again.

At last the rest of the mane 6 arrived through the door. They waved over to me when they noticed me and I reciprocated.

“Look girls, I have to go. It's been very interesting talking to you. Good luck! I can't wait hearing you play. I'm confident that you both will do an amazing job and lighten the place a bit.” I said and nodded, as did they.

“Thank you. I hope we get another chance to chat, if that doesn't bother you.” Vinyl said.

“Not at all. See you around!”

“Bye, bye.” They both said and turned around to face each other and resumed their conversation.

As I walked over to my friends I noticed someone else I had to talk to. It was Spitfire and two other Wonderbolts. Rainbow didn't seem to have noticed them though as she would have done anything to get to talk to them. Rainbow, however, was at a big rounded table at the far end wall next to the entrance, but not too far away from the bar itself. The table was in the shades and away from the other drunk ponies in there. All my friends were seated.

Time to settle some scores for Rainbow. I was confident that I could persuade Spitfire into inviting her to their group. I walked up to Spitfire who lowered her head in respect at the same second she saw me.

“Dragonborn.”

“I want to talk to you about one thing in privacy.” I said and kind of ordered her to come with me. Spitfire didn't hesitate and immediately stood up and waited for me to lead her to wherever I was going. I didn't go very far but led her to the end of the room where nobody was and the noise the smallest.

“What can I do for you?” she asked me with a smile.

“Well, I want to talk about my friend Rainbow Dash.” I said and hoped she wouldn't exhale in annoyance or make any negative sounds.

“Rainbow Dash? She's such a great pony. She even saved my life once, did you know?”

“Yeah, I know that. But I want to ask you, why haven't you already invited her to the Wonderbolts? I'm sure you've noticed that she's dying to join you guys and I just don't get it. She saved your lives, she's the only pony to ever succeed a Sonic Rainboom, and she's one of the best fliers in all of Equestria despite being young.” I said with a serious, yet not an aggressive tone. Spitfire gasped and widened her eyes when she heard that .

“I honestly didn't know she wanted to join us. She hasn't even mentioned it to us. Please, tell her that we accept her request. Also, note that we do not accept anyone lightly into our group. But she has proven many times to be a great addition to our team. We'd be honored to have her.”

“That's very kind of you. She's earned it. But she's here with me, shouldn't I just send her over to you?”

“She's here? Sure! Please, I'd like to meet her again. But tell me... why are you doing this for her? Did she send you?”

“No, she didn't. I just know where her dreams lie. And about why I cared is because she's my...soul mate.” I explained with a small grin.

Spitfire gasped again in excitement. “And without an Amulet of Mara nonetheless? How long have you been together?”

“We finally expressed our feelings to each other last night, but we had been keeping our feelings a secret from each other.” I said and turned my grin into a small weak and happy smirk.

Spitfire didn't say anything, but hugged me. “To congratulations! I hope your relationship will grow and never die.”

“Thank you very much. I'm sure it won't...” I said, but in doubt. I knew that I had to tell Rainbow about who I really was sooner or later and it all depended on how she'd take it.

“I'll send her over. Wait here.” I said and ran over to Rainbow who was sitting by the rounded table. “Rainbow! Rainbow!” I shouted. “Spitfire is over there and wants to talk to you. Thank me later.”

“Spitfire wants to talk to... me? And what do you mean about 'Thank me later'?” she asked suspiciously. I laughed softly and told her where she could find Spitfire.

I watched as Rainbow ran over to Spitfire. I noticed how Rainbow's expression changed after having watched them for a while. She was jumping in the air with the widest smile ever. Spitfire calmed her down and told her something else before hugging her. I guess she was congratulating her. After a little while Rainbow came back running straight at me through the crowd. She took me down to the floor and kissed me again in front of our friends. I returned it, making the ponies around us cheer.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she said and squeezed me as hard as she could. I giggled again, told her that it wasn't a problem and that it was the least I could do.

“Shall we take a seat?” I asked the happy Rainbow Dash.

She looked at the ceiling and shouted: “Best day ever!”, making us all laugh in rejoice.

Everypony had already seated with their first drink and left the best seats for Rainbow and me.

“Welcome lovebirds!” shouted Pinkie Pie and jumped to her feet to hug us. I stretched out my arms to accept her hug, but the giggling pony tacklehugged us both. The impact wasn't comfortable, but nothing to brag about. Rainbow and I both chuckled at Pinkie's behavior.

“We've been around you for about ten minutes now. Why didn't you welcome us then?”

“Because I didn't have the opportunity to do it then. First Rainbow came but I couldn't greet her without you and then you came and sent her away! After that she came running into your arms to kiss you but you wouldn't stop those kissing and hugging and I didn't want to interrupt that! But now that you're both here... let's party!” she shouted.

I was about to ask her why she couldn't just greet us if separated, but decided to let it go. After all she was just Pinkie being Pinkie...

After thanking Vinyl and Octavia for their great performance, we finally started the drinking contest. Other ponies showed us what they had. They weren't as good as Vinyl and Octavia, but were still good enough to dance to. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were already drunk as hell and dancing on the dance floor with some random ponies. Applejack, Rainbow and I hadn't touched a drink yet though. We wanted to be completely clean from alcohol before starting that contest.

Fluttershy, however, just sat at the rounded table in the shades and had her fifth cranberry juice for the night.

Applejack volunteered to go get the drinks for us since she was the honest one, meaning that she wouldn't pour anything into our drinks for her advantage. Twilight decided to help Applejack out with getting the drinks. She had some mead herself on the table but did not want to participate in the contest since she had cast a spell on herself so that she couldn't get drunk for a specific amount of time.

Rainbow and I patiently sat by the table and stared at each other with our evil and merciless eyes. There were no doubt nor mercy in her eyes. She wanted revenge for losing that race to me.

“So...” I said without taking my eyes off hers and clopped my hooves.

“You may be the reason why I'm joining the Wonderbolts, but that doesn't mean I'll back out! This time you're going down.” she pointed out with an evil grin.

“We'll see about that.” I responded and gave her another wink, making her lose her concentration.

“No cheating!” she pointed out in a serious manner. “Don't do that when it's my turn.”

“Do what?” I asked and tried to sound as charming as possible.

“Exactly that. We don't know each other while the contest is on. Got it?”

“Fine, fine.”

At last they appeared with the drinks. There were shit loads of them.

“So, who wants to start?”

That contest was brutal... in a way. I was already piss ass drunk and out of the competition. Rainbow and Applejack were still competing though.

Twilight came up to me and cast the same spell she used on herself to prevent the alcohol from taking control. But since I was already drunk, she had to cast another spell for cleansing my body first.

I finally saw and heard everything clearer. I stood up and thanked Twilight by hugging her. I wanted to stay sober anyways. I didn't think of it before starting the contest, but it could be very risky for me to get drunk in Equestria as a pony. I could do something I'd regret; Hurt someone's feelings, expose my secret identity and so on.

I sat down on my chair again and decided to watch the rest of the contest. Applejack was drunk, but not even remotely drunk as Rainbow. I knew Applejack would win, so I got behind Rainbow to catch her before she'd hit the ground, which she would eventually.

“What'ya doin'... yah're supposed to be... out!” Rainbow yelled at me, but I just laughed. It was very weird and funny to see them all so drunk.

Rainbow shivered as she tried to drink another hotshot, but failed. She passed out but I got my hooves on her before she'd hit the floor. I carefully carried her over to Twilight who also prepared herself for using her magic to clear her body.

“That's it?” Applejack shouted in disappointment. “So I win? Yeehaa!” she shouted, stood up and headed to the dance floor.

Twilight's horn glowed again and touched Rainbow's unconscious body. A small spark later and she immediately woke up with no alcohol in her blood. I thanked Twilight again with a nod. I was still holding on Rainbow Dash in my arms though, as she wasn't as heavy as I originally thought.

“W-What happened?” she asked and looked around. “Who won? I don't remember.”

“Well... Applejack won. You were in the second place and I lost in the third place.” I said, giggled and prepared myself to hear Rainbow's boasting.

“Aha! I knew I'd beat you!” she said and nuzzled my chest. It was surprising, making me almost drop her. I gently put her down. I could only stand on two hooves for so long. “So, what should we do next?” she asked with that beautiful smile of hers.

By the time I was about to answer her, a drunk brown Unicorn stallion walked up to Rainbow and grabbed around her waist. He had yellow eyes and his cutie mark was a scissor.

“How would you like... to make an old stallion happy.” He said very vaguely. “How would you like to go to the room over there and let me tie you up to the bed... over there and make me ride you all night.” he continued with a disgusting laugh.

I was going to interfere but backed down when she put on a small smirk at me that said 'Allow me.' I simply grinned back at her and said “All yours.”

Rainbow punched him in the face as hard as she could, almost knocking him out. At least she did make his nose bleed.

He stood up a little dizzy and shook his head. “A little fight in you? I like that. Now come over here!” he said and grabbed her with all his might and started dragging her away.

“Let me go!” Rainbow shouted and tried to get out of his grip.

“You're mine for tonight!” he spat out and headed for the door to another room to get some privacy with my Dashie.

This was getting too much. No one touches my Dashie on my watch! The way he disrespected her was killing me. Was he really going to attempt a rape? I felt for my hatred and rage building up, very much like the feeling I got when the thug threatened to kills us. I knew that I would lose control and probably start beating the shit out of that poor guy. Well, no one is drunk enough to consider a rape a good thing. And the fact that he picked my girl was a bad move. A very bad move.

I walked up to the stallion and punched him as hard as I could in the same spot Rainbow smacked him. He immediately let go of her and fell to the ground, grunting and covering his bloodied face with his hooves. I sat on him and used my body weight to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. I wasn't done with him at all.

“No one disrespects my Dashie!” I shouted at him. Then instead of punching him, I shouted 'FUS' at his face. I knew that I only had the first 'level' of the 'Unrelenting Force' Shout, but I swear I could hear his skull crack a bit.

Then I punched him with all my strength and might. It only took me one blow to knock him out but I landed three more before stopping.

I admit that it went too far, but that guy needed to get some beatings. I knew he wasn't really a decent guy when sober anyways because of the way he acted. Sure, he was drunk. But that doesn't justify anything.

I let go of him as the dead silence took over in the Inn. I felt for everybody's eyes on me.

Without hesitation I ran out of the saloon and inhaled the fresh, cool air. I looked for something to clean my bloodied hooves with, and I was lucky enough to see a fountain a couple of meters from me. Rainbow Dash quickly ran out 'The Prancing Pony' and looked out for me. When she spotted me by the fountain she ran up to me and hugged me. I hugged her back with a sigh. “Are you alright?” I asked, holding her closer.

“I'm fine. That pony was a jerk and I easily could have taken him down. But you acted way too fast. Remember who you're dealing with. I'm Rainbow friggin' Dash!” she pointed out and nuzzled my forehead.

“I couldn't just let him take you like that. Attacking him was an automatic action. I was filled with rage and disbelief that he had disrespected you like that. I just... had to do something.” I said determinedly but not angry, at least not at her.

“I understand. Thanks.” she replied. We kept hugging each other under the moonlight and stars for a couple of more minutes before she came up with an idea. She put both of her hooves on my shoulders.

“It's getting pretty late. How about we go to my place? You can stay with me since you don't have a home. You're more than welcome. In fact, I demand you to come.” she suggested. I noticed in her eyes that she was hoping I'd accept.

“That sounds like a good idea.” I replied with an approved nod. “I've never been to Cloudsdale but I'm sure you can show me around one day." I said, but as soon as I let go of the last word I got an idea. "Hey! How about a little race right now. What do you say? Race me to Cloudsdale?”

Rainbow quickly looked at me and widened her eyes. “You want a race? Even though you died the last time?” she asked me confusedly, yet very approved at the same time.

“That incident was deliberate. I promised never to do it again. Just a little race... unless you're too afraid to lose again...”

She completely let go of me now and shouted “You're on!”

“That's the spirit.” I said and snapped my wings open, as did Rainbow. But before we launched ourselves into the air, she told me to stop.

“Wait! There's one thing I'd like to know first.” she said and looked at me with a dead serious face.

“What?”

“How did you know about Dashie? I've never told you about it before.”

That made my heart sting a bit. I had to say that I had heard it from Pinkie Pie, although I already knew about it when I was a human. “I heard Pinkie Pie using it at the welcome party and I liked it.” I said with a clumsy smirk and hoped Rainbow would buy it. She gazed at me with a thoughtful look and nodded slowly. “May I call you Dashie?” I asked, hoping she would allow me to use it since I really liked that nickname. And calling her a name no one else did made her more special to me.

“Pinkie Pie rarely calls me Dashie, but... yeah. I guess you can call me that.” she said and took a step near me again. “In fact, I'd very much like you to call me that.” she added with a small smirk. “How about you, Drake? Do you have another name or something?”

“No, I don't. I have been called names, but that doesn't matter. Just call me Drake, or you can call me something else if you wish. I won't prohibit you from anything.” I said and watched as Rainbow sat down next to the fountain and wrapped her legs around my waist. I put both my hooves on her shoulders.

“Alright, but why do you really want to call me Dashie? Nopony calls me that but Pinkie and she only does that occasionally.”

“Because I like the sound of you being my Dashie.” I murmured and kissed her gently on her neck, making her chuckle and moan silently. I guess it was her weak spot. We held hooves and nuzzled each other’s foreheads.

“Since you put it that way...” she said and looked at me with her big eyes shining brightly from the light of the moon. Oh god how I couldn't resist her. I didn't even know why I loved her so much. In just two days my feelings had completely changed. Did she make Twilight put me under a love spell or something? And the most relieving part was that I didn't feel bad about it like I thought I would.

“You're the only one in my life that... makes me feel special. You mean so much to me.” I pointed out in all my seriousness. I put my right hoof gently on her nape and stroked her mane with my left one.

I saw how Dashie's eyes teared up with hearing that. She quickly kissed me. Making out with her felt good and not just because of that sweet taste of her saliva. We were both getting pretty excited and I used that moment to break it up before it would lead to anything more. It sure was hard though...

“So... how about that race?” I asked again with a grin.

Feeling for the wind licking my mane was a great feeling and I hadn't felt for so much liberty ever before. But I didn't really put up a competition and subtly let her win the race since I didn't even know where Cloudsdale was located. The only thing I knew about it was that it was floating in the skies, but nothing more. I didn't even bother winning her because I wanted to make this day her best day ever.

We flew with an incredible speed towards the big cloudy city; Cloudsdale in all its grace. It was lightened up and seemed like a very attractive place to live in. I've always wanted to see the ponies making the snowflakes, the clouds, the rainbows and more. Perhaps Dashie would introduce it to me later.

At last we arrived. We landed carefully on the cloudy ground just in front of a big block. I knew that she only had a small apartment in that block but that was totally fine by me. I couldn't wait to get inside to check it out.

“I beat ya this time!” she said and punched me in my right shoulder. “Remember never to underestimate The Rainbow Dash!” she boasted and tried to get me mad, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction, so I just smiled instead. “Should we get inside?”

“Sure, lead the way.”

“Before we enter I want you to know that I haven't been into my apartment for some days now, so it may be in a little mess. Sorry.” she excused herself with an awkward chuckle.

“There's nothing to be sorry about.” I whispered to her ear to tease her and noticed how she shivered. I loved when that happened. She laughed again awkwardly. “But when are you going to retrieve your Wonderbolt suit?”

I noticed how her face quickly lightened up when I mentioned that. “Spitfire said that they were going to make me an unique costume that would be specifically made for me and me only. They said they were going to enchant it with lightnings and electricity! Do you believe it? But anyways, it should be ready tomorrow.” she said very excitedly and jumped into my arms for a hug. “Thank you again!” she squeaked, making me laugh again.

“No problem at all. You've have earned it.”

Rainbow let me go and smirked once again. We didn't say anything for some time as we were admiring each other but Dashie broke the silence in the end. “Alright. Let's go inside.”

I nodded and followed her into the building and up some stairs until we came up to her room 303. She unlocked the door with her keys and opened the stiff door.

I suddenly remembered that Twilight had given me photos of us together and I hadn't shown them to Dashie yet. I really wanted to but I unfortunately forgot them inside my helmet at Twilight's.

I sighed and walked into her apartment which seemed fine to me. It was big enough for her and it had everything she ever needed. There were even pictures on her walls and statues here and there. But what got my attention was the big and soft bed. I couldn't wait to get to sleep in it with her in my arms. To feel her body heat against mine and her smooth mane in my face.

I sat down on her comfortable sofa and exhaled. Dashie came up to me with a big smile and sat down next to me. She rested her head on my chest and got herself comfortable. We remained like that for quite some time. We laughed and chatted, making us lose the track of time. She even gave me a small tour around the apartment.

“It's getting pretty late. I think I'm going to get my sleep now.” I said as I yawned. I didn't really feel comfortable with going to her bed just like that so I asked if she had a guest room or something I could sleep in. She laughed at me.

“Are you joking? You're sleeping next to me!” she insisted and shook her head slowly with an amused grin.

“If you insist." I replied. "You know, I might get a little lonely... mind if you join me?”

“What can I say? Your wishes are my command.”

I laughed softly and touched her face with my hooves before kissing her on the forehead. She kept grinning and stared happily at me, but eventually flew up into her king-sized bed and quickly covered herself with the covers to keep her warm. “Well, I'm off to sleep. Good night.” she said with her her eyes closed.

I silently followed, jumped into her bed and got myself comfortable. “But I'm not done with you yet.” I said and put my forehoof around her. She turned around and smiled again.

“I'm not done with you either.” she whispered. We stared at each other’s eyes and let our minds slip away from this world and into a world where only we existed. With each second that passed my feelings for her grew stronger and stronger and it only made my heart pound faster. I bit my lip as I resisted the urge to kiss her again. It wouldn't be good to lose it here, since we were in her bed. It could lead to something sexual and I wasn't ready for that yet. Even though I wanted to express my feelings to her in every possible way, I just wasn't ready for that stage yet. We'd only been together for about two nights or so, but we were already as much in love as love could offer.

I noticed how she tried to do the same. Her eyes were starting to sparkle and her hooves started shaking a bit. I also noticed that she was slightly nervous. But that didn't change the fact that she was looking at me with a desperate longing. Our bodies were ready, but not our minds.

I couldn't resist anymore, so I quickly kissed and embraced her. She completely lost it and almost crushed me with her tight hug. But I really enjoyed it.

It only got harder and harder to resist the longer we made out. Heat was starting to enter the picture and I even felt for an erection. 'No, no!' I thought to myself and tried my best to keep calm.

It didn't help when she rolled over and lay on my body so it would be even easier for her to kiss me. I started scratching and rubbing her back smoothly but it only made her even more excited.

I started panting and desperately tried to fight the urge to shove myself into her. I even closed my eyes and tried to think about something else but I easily failed.

But by a miracle I got some kind of extra boost to resist her fragrant scent, her rain smelling mane, and her warm body. “Wait...” we both said simultaneously. I was kind of surprised to hear her say that.

“What?” we both said again at the same time.

“I... I'm sorry. But I'm not ready for that yet. Sorry.” I excused myself. My body was disappointed, but my mind was cheering.

“That's exactly what I was going to say!” she said and chuckled in relief. I did the same.

“I'm sorry... I want to try it with you, but the fact that I haven't done anything like it before and that our relationship is still very young just stops me from going further. I hope you understand.” It's true that I hadn’t lost my virginity despite being twenty-one years old. But that's what I chose to do. I had some opportunities to get rid of it but I always declined. I wanted that moment to be with the person I loved. And Rainbow was the one. She was the one and only in my life I was crazy for. It was a shame that we wouldn't get further that night, but also relieving at the same time, and only strengthens the pleasure furthermore when our relationship is maybe a little older and our bonds and trusts are stronger.

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. I haven't done anything like it before as well. And I really want to do it with you but I guess I'm still not ready, like you said.” she said slowly. “I feel so ashamed right now.” she added as she got off my chest and lied next to me.

“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I think it's the right choice. We should wait for a bit.”

“I know, I know... but I really want that moment to come. I want to show you how much you mean to me. You've made my life so much better and it's because of you that I'm living the dream. I don't know how you knew about that I wanted to join the Wonderbolts but it is because of you that I will be joining them. I've always thought that nothing would be better than joining them, but in fact and in the honest truth, I've been proven wrong. You are the one I've been waiting for my whole life. You are the one that brings me the passion I thought I'd only get from the Wonderbolts. I thought I needed them... but I see now that I was wrong. You're the one I really need. I could live without the Wonderbolts but I don't know if I could without you. There's so much more you've done for me and I feel like I haven't done a thing for you. I just feel...ashamed.” She explained with her head lowered.

“Don't say you haven't done anything for me, because that's bullshit. You have done more to me than anyone else. You have opened my eyes to so many things and you have taught me about the beauty of friendship and trust. You have shown me how much you care for me. Do not ever say that you haven't done anything to keep me happy because it's exactly the opposite. It's because of you that I'm happy again and you gave my life a purpose again, well...despite the fact that I have to slay Alduin. But I wouldn't be as I am today if not for you and I want to thank you for that. Thank you.” I pointed out in a very dramatic way.

I think I convinced her, because she exhaled in relief when she heard that. She cuddled up to me and wrapped my hoof over her. “I love you. So, so much.” she replied and used my chest as a pillow once more.

“I love you too. I wish I could do more for you.”

“You've already done everything I've ever hoped for. You gave me your heart and you made sure my dream got fulfilled. I can't thank you enough. But what I can do in return is to give you my heart.” she said tiredly. I stroked her mane like most of the times. It was as smooth as baby's skin.

“That's good.” I replied. “But are you ready? Tomorrow we must set out for a journey to the Throat of the World to meet the Greybeards. We must walk seven thousand steps to reach them. Estimated time from Cloudsdale to the Throat of the World is around 2 days in flight.”

“Did you say meet the Greybeards?” she asked very surprised.

“Yeah.”

“I've always wanted to meet them!” she almost shouted in joy, making me laugh a bit.

“And you will. So, the plans for tomorrow: You'll go get your Wonderbolt suit while I visit Twilight Sparkle and get my helmet back. After that you will meet me at Applejack's farm. She has agreed to provide us some food for the trip. And a loads of it this time. We all know how the last trip went.”

Rainbow nodded and kissed me on my cheek. “I will. Now, let's get some sleep. I'm getting pretty tired.” she said with a yawn.

“Yeah, same here. Good night...Dashie.” I whispered her name and closed my eyes. I felt for her body shivering and rubbing more up against me.

“Good night, Dragonborn.” she whispered back before falling asleep.

I woke up to a knock on the door, but considered to ignore it. I didn't want us to be interrupted. But after a short while I heard another knock, a little louder this time. “A message for Rainbow Dash and Drake!” someone shouted from the other side of the door. I yawned and carefully got out of bed so I wouldn't wake up my sleeping Dashie. I squinted my eyes at the person in disbelief as soon as I opened the door. It was Derpy Hooves with a message for me.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Princess Celestia herself had given me direct orders to go to this address and give someone called 'Drake' a message. That must be you?”

“Yes. That's me. Thank you.” I responded and lowered my head for her.

“No problem! Have a good day.” she said and flew away.

I walked back into the apartment and slowly opened the sealed letter. The letter was very formal and definitely from Celestia.

It read:

“Dear Drake and Rainbow Dash.

A word has come to my ears that you two will be traveling together to the Throat of the World to meet the Graybeards. I wish you the best of luck, but before you leave, I'd like to summon you two here for a little meeting. I will be awaiting your arrival.

With best regards,

Princess Celestia.”

How did they always know about my plans? Did they send a scout after me to keep them updated? I don't even...

I sighed and decided to stop worrying about it. I carefully got back to bed, but not for a sleep. As I saw Dashie sleeping there peacefully, I thought about the situation I was in. The more I thought about it...

Why was I even with her? We loved each other but that doesn't change the fact the she only knows the shadow of me. She doesn't know who I really am.

I thought about it some more and considered my options... I had to either end the relationship with her or tell her everything about me. I couldn't make her live in a lie, I just couldn't.

This situation was killing me and I begged from all my heart to the gods to take my memory of me being a human away; to get rid of it and to peacefully live with Dashie for the rest of my life.

Since they sent me to Equestria, there had to be a way to contact them. “Please... Please! I will guard Equestria from the dragons with everything I got if you take away my memory of me being a human. PLEASE! It's the only thing I'm asking for in return.” I whispered up into the ceiling with a slight hope. But not to my surprise, nothing happened...

I sighed and looked despairingly at the ceiling with a deep sigh when I realized what had to be done... I couldn't break up with her, but I was going to give her the chance. It now all depended on how she would take it. I was going to reveal everything about myself to her on our way to the Throat of the World.

My heart ached as I thought about her leaving me. But I'd understand and respect her decision, even though it would probably split our hearts in two. I sighed and silently sobbed as I thought about our relationship taking an end and slowly fell to sleep again.

Chapter 6: The Dark Pasts

I have decided to change my story's ratings. It is now rated M (For mature), instead of T (for teens) because of the following:

Strong Sexual Contents

Violence

Blood and Gore.

Language

I once again want to thank Nazidash for helping me out!

I yawned and stretched my arms as I woke up to the sun shining brightly into the apartment from the windows. The sunlight blinded me as I slowly opened my eyes, so I covered them with my hooves for some shade. I inhaled the air and jumped out of the bed to open the windows. The air inside the apartment was pretty stuffed and certainly not fresh. As I opened the windows I felt for the cold breeze filling the apartment with fresh air. I inhaled again, filled my lungs with cool air and exhaled it out in relief.

Yesterday was literally the best day I'd ever experienced. It was the day that completely changed my life for the better. I smiled when I thought about it and looked at him sleeping in my bed. But I sensed that something was not quite right. I walked up to him and noticed that he didn't seem very happy. There was something wrong and I somehow felt it. I carefully examined him and noticed that he was sweating and biting his lips. It looks like he was having a bad nightmare.

As I was about to wake him up he quickly opened his eyes, yelled “NO!”, grabbed his daggers which were at the table next to him and sat up. “Let her go you fucker!” he added in a yell, panting for air like he was about to get a seizure as he quickly looked around the room and adapted to the new environment.

“It's alright! It's alright. It was just a bad dream.” I explained to calm him down. He looked at me with his big terrified eyes and quickly hugged me tightly when he realized that he was back to reality.

“Oh god...” he moaned, tightening his grip on me. “Don't leave me. Please... don't.” he begged in desperation.

I comforted and shushed gently. “It's alright. I'm here. It was just a nightmare.” I felt for his lungs inhaling air heavily, but slowly and steadily eased up in the end. I also felt for his body shaking as if he was freezing.

“Right.” he said quickly, swallowing. “Just a nightmare.”

When he finally began to calm down, I let go of him and looked him in the eyes. They weren't as they were used to be. Not as happy as they normally are. There was definitely something bothering him.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked him mildly, gently brushing over his mane.

“No!” he shouted back, as if he was still unsure whether he was in a dream or not, and quickly shook his head. It startled me a bit and got me a little confused since I didn't expect those reactions at all.

“Oh... sorry. I guess I'll make you something to eat. Wait here, I'll be right back.”

“No, please. I'm sorry. Don't leave me. Please. Just stay a little longer. That's all I'm asking for.” he pleaded, jumping into my arms again. “I just need to have you here with me for a moment.” he continued. I smiled in relief as I realized that he trusted me with his life. It saddened me to look upon him in that state, but the fact that he only needed me around to recover made me tighten my grip on him as if I was protecting him from any harm.

“Don't be afraid of losing me. I'll never leave you. You can guarantee that.” I stated in an attempt to make him feel better, but he looked back at me without a smile, still with his distrust in his eyes.

“If you had any idea...” he muttered, looking away. “I'm sorry...” he added with his head bowed.

“Sorry for what? You don't have to feel sorry about anything. Why are you excusing yourself? What happened?” I asked confusedly. His behavior was starting to worry me a bit.

He looked at me for a while with an unsecured look and bit his lower lip. He seemed very nervous and looked as if he was wondering whether he should tell me something or not.

“I...” he hesitated and starts panting again in his obvious nervousness. “I'm not...” he added with a gulp, his eyes closed.

“Yes?”

“I...nothing.” he finally muttered, shaking his head quickly. “We must prepare ourselves for the trip. We mustn't delay.” he added to change the subject.

I gave him a weird look. 'What happened?' I asked myself confusedly. “Alright. Let's go get something to eat.” I suggested, deciding to let it all go. He just had a nightmare and he just had to recover. No big deal. We all get those once in a while.

“Yeah. I guess we should. I'm starving.” he pointed out and finally cracked a smile. He got out of the bed and stretched his wings and legs.

“Just wait here. I'll go get you something.” she said and disappeared into her kitchen in the next doorway. There was no door in between though, so we could continue or chat.

“Sure. I'll just...wait.” I responded as I sat down on her sofa and looked around the apartment. There were photos on the walls. But there was one that got my attention. I stood up and flew up to the wall in front of me to check it out.

It was a picture of three ponies. Two of them were adults. A mare and a stallion, and the other one in the middle was a filly. A cyan-colored, rainbow maned filly. I glanced at the picture in disbelief and carefully analyzed it. I turned the frame around to see a little note attached to it. I thought about reading it but even though I didn't want to at first, the curiosity got the better of me.

“So… are you alright? Is there anything else you need?” she asked me loudly enough so it would be guaranteed that I'd hear her. I didn't answer her at first since my focus was completely fixed upon that family picture.

“Drake?” she asked again.

“No thanks. That's fine.” I replied with the little note in my hooves.

I opened the message and read:

“Dear Dashie, our beloved daughter.

If you received this message, then we're really sorry to inform you that we are...dead. We're sorry... so very, very sorry. But you must stay strong! You must fight and go on with life. Do not dwell in grief, and do not avenge us. It will only lead to more sorrow, and that's the least we'd want. But we also want you to know that we've always loved you with all our hearts, and we've done everything in our power to raise you up in becoming a strong mare in the future. We hope you find your happiness.

Stay strong. Stay faithful.”

There wasn't anything else written on the note and it was kind of rushed, but I almost felt myself tear up with reading that. 'So that's why we never got to hear about her family' I thought to myself and put the piece of paper carefully at its original place. Then I turned the picture around to look at it again.

Her mother's color was orange, very much like Spitfire, and her mane was rainbow colored, like Rainbow's. She had a wide grin on her face and her magenta irises eyes staring at the camera. I couldn't see the cutie-mark though.

Her dad was cyan-colored and his mane was brown. We shared the same...manestyle? He had green eyes and also had a wide smile on his face while he had his left hoof on little Dashie's mane. His cutie mark was spectacular. A symbol of a star on fire. Somewhat like a shooting star, but not completely. Just a symbol of a typical star in flames. It was perhaps the best looking cutie mark I'd ever seen, side my own.

They all seemed very happy. And now that I know they had been taken from her, I couldn't help but to frown a bit in sadness. The thought of them being dead made me feel bad. Hell, it even hurt me. I even got a little depressed again.

“That's my mom and dad.” Dashie interrupted my moment. I turned around very startled to see her standing there by the kitchen's entrance. She was leaning against the wall without a smile.

“I'm so sorry.” I said as I landed next to her. “I'm so very sorry.” I added and put my hoof on her right shoulder.

“Meh, it's alright. I was only a filly when they...” she hesitated a bit. “...died.”

She looked at the floor and tried to recover from the sudden topic. “That's alright. I don't want to... wait a second. Did you read the note behind the frame?” she asked me suspiciously.

I felt for cold sweats and got a little nervous, but I didn't want to lie to her. “Yes... yes I did. I'm sorry.” I excused myself again and prepared myself for getting raged over.

“So you did read it, huh?” she said without the expected anger and walked up to me. “Do you know how they died?” she asked not the happiest, but not angry either.

“Do you really want to talk about it?”

“Well... I don't know. Maybe it'll make me feel better.”

“If you think so, then go ahead.” I said and sat down on the sofa. Dashie followed me and sat down by my side and like usual, rested her head on my chest.

“I won't ever forget that day. The day when the police announced to me that they had been murdered. I know who did it. Everyone knew who did it. But there weren't enough proofs to keep them locked up in prison, meaning that they're still loose on the streets. Because you see, my father had a weakness. He was a drug addict before he met my mom, and he owed a lot of money to the drug dealers. What I'm trying to tell you is this: After my dad met mom, he vowed never to touch drugs ever again. And he kept his promise. But that didn't change the fact that he still owed those guys a lot of money. And I mean a lot. And these guys weren't lambs to play with...”

She paused to catch her breath and I heard her sigh in depression. “This isn't fair!” she yelled out of the blue and punched the sofa.

“Hey, it's alright. I think you should rest for a bit. I'll finish up the food. You go ahead and get your rest...”

“But I'm not finished.” she interrupted me. “Anyways, he owed them a lot of money. My parents managed to flee from Cloudsdale to an unknown land, far away from Cloudsdale. A very peaceful land where everything grew and the crops blessed by the gods. They lived there for some months before I was born. I lived at that farm until I became grown enough to talk, walk and fly. Hey, remember when I told you that Pinkie Pie was the only one to call me Dashie sometimes? Well, that isn't entirely true. My parents also used to call me that.” she pointed out and sighed again. “Anyways... the drug dealers eventually found out about our location. They started sending threat messages. They even threatened to murder me in front of them. My dad agreed to return back to Cloudsdale to meet them face to face to get this over with. But he had a plan. He wanted to make them a deal they couldn't refuse. As he was about to head out, my mom decided to tag along. My mother was confident that I was grown up enough to be left alone at home. And besides, hardly anyone knew about our home. Later, after a long week, a small note came through the hatch. I don't know who delivered it. But it was a note from mom and dad that said that if I'd receive that message, they'd be dead; their bodies were never found...”

Dashie started sobbing again and covered her face with her hooves. I wrapped my arms around her and now it was my turn to try to comfort her.

“I was getting low on food, and no one knew where I lived. I thought this house would be my grave, but by some miracle, a detective knocked on the door. He comforted me and took me away from that house back to the safe area of Cloudsdale. He decided to adopt and to take care of me, and he did a damn good job too. Made me tougher and stronger than the other kids, and taught me to be loyal to the law. Everything went well for a while and I even made a new friend, Fluttershy. But one day my new 'dad' fell when defending victims he found in a warehouse from crazy murderers. The victims all died with him and the criminals got away. I was left alone once again, but I was grown up into a mare, and I could take care of myself from there. Those days were the worst days of my life. I did the thing my parents wanted me to do though. To go on. Not to dwell in the past and to remain strong. But my life got even shittier when Fluttershy disappeared. Rumors said that she was dead; others believed she moved to Ponyville, which was the real reason. Later I decided to visit Ponyville myself, which is located directly below us. Once there, I was greeted by a strong and friendly pony; known as Applejack. And from there she introduced me to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I even met Fluttershy again. Yes, my life got a whole lot better. After a while I met Twilight Sparkle which has been a great support and a very good friend. Later on, I crashed into...you. And you know the rest of the story.” she explained and exhaled.

I couldn't believe it. I did not expect Rainbow Dash to have such a terrible past, and it surprised me how strong she was despite it. She didn't even show a slightest depression or anything. I could learn so much from her. I wanted to hug her and never let go. I wanted to let her know that I would always be there for her. I wasn't sure that it would be the case though, because I wasn't sure if she'd take the news about me lightly or not. I expected her to be mad or something. She just had to. I've been lying to her the whole time, and to think of it, if my lover would admit to be a former alien, I wouldn't take it lightly at all.  But I had to hope. And it was something worth fighting and hoping for.

“I'm so...so sorry.” I mumbled full of pity as I gently stroke her mane and kissed her head.

Dashie looked at me with her eyes full of tears and hugged me again. I returned that hug without hesitation. We comforted each other, and stayed like that for a while. We didn't say anything, because no words were required at that moment. But I still decided to break the silence.

“Do you want something? Do you want me to do anything for you?” I asked softly and tried to be as comforting as I could.

“Nah. I'm alright. It was good getting that off my chest; but enough about that. The food is probably ready.” she said like nothing happened and smirked. I smiled back and kissed her on her cheek. That changed her smirk into a grin. “Come on. The food's probably getting cold.”


I didn't know Dashie was such a good cook. She made me something I'd never heard of before. I can't really describe it, but it was literally the best thing I'd ever tasted. This food was exclusive to the Pegasi in Cloudsdale and was considered a delicacy among them. It even looked a little like an omelet, but tasted somewhat like strawberries. I couldn't get enough of that. It was even better than a juicy steak.

Another thing about that weird food is that it had ingredients that are considered very healthy for the Pegasi, and the spice used in it was a special magical seasoning that strengthened the wings.

The weird thing about that all is that it wasn't rare. It's actually kind of common and very easy to make. It's a win-win situation. A delicacy with good ingredients and very easy to make. I could live with that for the rest of my life. And another thing about that is that it didn't take much of it to fill my empty stomach.

Soon after we'd eaten, we talked about the plan for today. I told her about the change of plans because of the letter I received earlier that morning. The change was that we'd meet in Canterlot instead of at AJ's barn. We hugged and kissed before going our separate ways. Dashie had a business to take care of at the Wonderbolts’, and I had to retrieve my helmet from Twilight's place. I didn't want to leave without it, and I still had my pictures inside it. I had to show them to her.

I landed by Twilight's house and inhaled the summer breeze as I knocked on her door. I patiently waited for her to open it up for me and listened to the birds sing on this beautiful and hot day.

“Spike, the door!” someone yelled from inside the house.

“I'm on it!” Spike responded. I waited for maybe five seconds before he opened up the door. I noticed how excited he got when he saw me. “Twilight! I think you better come down. Drake is here!” he yelled inside the house with a big smile. “Please, come in!” he ordered me and dragged me into the house.

I guess our little talk earlier clearly changed his views of me. At first he saw me as his enemy, considering that I was a dragon slayer to be. But now, he was completely different. Now he saw me as his best bud, and I had nothing against that. It's always nice making new friends.

“Did you say Drake?” Twilight yelled excitedly from the second floor.

“Yes! He's here!” Spike yelled back.

“I'm coming!” she responded. It didn't take her long to show up. In fact, it only took her something about two seconds to get down from her bedroom to the living room.

“Drake! Great to see you again!” she pointed out happily and gave me a big hug. I returned it. “Where have you been? Where did you go after you disappeared? We searched all over the inn for you and Rainbow Dash.”

“Well... we kind of went to her place.” I said awkwardly and tried my best to make it sound right, but it failed miserably.

She slowly smirked when I said that and chuckled awkwardly. “Oh... I see.”

“But we didn't...” I added and waved my hooves around. “We didn't do anything-”

“I get it, I get it.” she interrupted me with a laugh. “Surely you didn't do anything after you left the party and into her apartment in Cloudsdale, all alone in the middle of the night. Sure, sure.” she said with a sarcastic tone. “You don't have to hide it. I don't care.”

“No really... do you really expect us to do anything sexual when we've only just been together for two days or so?” I asked kind of upset.

“Hmm... you make a valid point. Still hard to believe that you passed that opportunity up.” she said as she contemplated on it.

“Well, it almost happened.” I admitted and chuckled awkwardly.

“I knew it. You were at least thinking about it.”

“What does it matter to you anyways? It's none of your damn business what we do together.” I spat out a little offended.

Twilight thought about it again and the more she thought about it, the more she seemed upset. “You're right, and I'm sorry. I know that's none of my business.” she said sadly and turned away from me.

“I'm sorry for that harsh reaction. It's good to know that you care about us.” I pointed out.

Twilight looked at me again with a weak smirk. “No, it's none of my damn business.” she repeated and sighed. “I think I just envy you guys. You seem so happy and it's so... rare. I don't think I'll ever get to experience that.” she pointed out and chuckled awkwardly as she blushed and tried to make it sound like a joke, but I could easily sense her seriousness in her voice and eyes. It made me feel sorry for her. “But enough about that. I guess you're here for the helmet?” she asked to change the topic.

“Well... yes, I am.”

“Spike, would you go get Drake's helmet? I put it in the guest room.” she requested of Spike and waited patiently for him to run off.

“With pleasure!” he said happily and ran off, and it didn't take him long to return with my helmet.

The first thing I did when he gave it to me was to check if the pictures were still inside the helmet. But to my surprise, they weren't. My heart skipped a beat when I didn't find them. I started panicking a bit. “Where are the pictures you gave me?” I almost yelled in excitement. “Help me find them!”

“What? You lost them?” Twilight asked and gasped.

“Where did you put my helmet after you came back home?” I asked impatiently. “They might had fell off my helmet.”

“Follow me.” she replied and led me to the guest room. “I put it here on the table next to the bed, since I thought you'd stay here for the night.” she added and walked around the room.

The first thing I did was to search under the table, and thank god. I found them lying there.

“I found them!” I yelled in relief. I kissed the pictures and carefully placed them inside my helmet.

“That's good. But you don't have to be so careful with them all the time. I have cast a spell on them so they'll never tear, and they'll never crumple up. Nothing can destroy it but me with my magic.” she pointed out.

That gladdened and surprised me. The fact that those picture would never get destroyed was amazing. “Wow. It must be really handy being a Unicorn.” I chuckled.

“Well, we all have our pros and cons. Unicorns can do magic, the Pegasi can fly, and the Earth ponies... well, they can't do anything at all!” she joked and laughed. I joined her in the laughter. “Nah, just kidding; they’re very strong and can endure just about any weather. No matter how cold it gets, the Earth ponies would endure it longer than we would.”

I didn't answer her but slowly nodded. “I can't really delay. I must go to Applejack's to retrieve the food she has provided us for the trip to the Greybeards. And Celestia has ordered me to have a little meet-up at Canterlot later today.” I excused myself and slowly backed away to the exit.

“Hey! Celestia also asked me to come! I guess I'll see you there then.” she said with an excited grin.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I responded as I opened the door. “Anyways, I must take my leave. See ya!”

I ran out of her house and headed straight to Applejack's barn. “Bye!” I heard Spike yell through the door.

There it was. The great palace in Canterlot before my eyes. I was greeted by two bodyguards and they told me to follow them inside, but I pointed out that I was waiting for someone. The two dark gray bodyguards in their golden armors told me that “the Wonderbolt had already arrived.”

I guess that meant that she had her uniform with her, and that thought made me kind of excited. I was curious to see what she meant when she said that they had enchanted the uniform with lightning and thunder.

“Alright. I'm ready to meet the princesses.” I announced and lowered my head in respect for them. They did the same.

“We are honored, Dragonborn.” they said in high, clear voice and saluted me like a general.

“Don't be. I'm no better than you guys.” I replied and tried to be as civil as I could.

“In a matter of fact, you are. But enough about that, let me lead you to our grace.” they added and opened the big door to her palace.

The first thing I noticed was the long hallway and a lot of white columns. On the other side of the room were both Princesses sitting in their royal seats and waiting for my arrival. I walked with the bodyguards up to them and knelt before them.

“Rise.” Celestia ordered as she stood up and walked up to me. “We want to discuss one matter with you and your fellow companion. And what has reached my ears, you're also lovers. Were my ears deceived or is it maybe the honest truth?"

“It is the truth indeed, my grace. She is my soul mate and is a part of my heart. But may I ask where she is?” I said proudly and looked around, but didn't see her anywhere. The bodyguards said that she had arrived, but where was she?

“She's in the next room awaiting you. Go to her. We will meet you in there in a bit.” she ordered me and bowed her head to me.”

“Thank you, my grace.” I said without looking at her in the eyes in a matter of respect and to show that I was lesser pony then her. I did know that she wasn't demanding and very humble, but I wanted to show her the respect she deserved.

I stood up and walked to the right as I noticed a doorway to another room. Once inside, I saw my Dashie sitting in a comfortable sofa against the wall in her Wonderbolt suit. She smiled when she saw me and immediately stood up to welcome me.

“Drake!” she yelled and galloped up to me.

“Dashie!” I yelled back and reached out to give her a hug, but I hesitated when I noticed the little sparkling from the lightning on her uniform. The uniform was like the basic Wonderbolt suit, but was specifically made to fit with her mane and tail, and it was enchanted with lightning. So I had to think twice before hugging her. But I still decided to give it a go. It wouldn't matter if I'd get a small shock anyways. But to my surprise it didn't do a damn thing to me. I could see the small lightning sparkling but it didn't damage me. It was relieving, but I didn't much care if it did hurt me a bit. The only thing I cared about was her, and lightning or anything else wouldn't stop me.

“Wait, why doesn't the uniform hurt me? I mean, it is enchanted with lightning.” I asked in curiosity and wondered if it was just for deception and to scare off enemies. That could have been the case.

“You like my uniform?” she asked with a big grin on her face. Seeing her grin happily like that also made me happy.

“Yes. I really like it. You look awesome! But about the...”

“About the lightning. It does inflict damage on enemies if they're close to me enough. You didn't feel for it because you're my friend. The cool thing about it is that it all depends on who I like or who I don't, and the suit will react to those feelings. That way I can control who gets shocked and who doesn't. So don't be afraid of being around me when I'm in the uniform, because you're far away from being disliked.” she explained and kept grinning.

I liked that idea, but didn't quite understand it. How could it be? But the more I thought about it, the more I began to understand. What was the reason? I was in Equestria. Everything is possible in Equestria. Even magic was considered a normal thing here.

“That's great.” I said and hugged her again as I kissed her on her cheek. “Should we get a seat?”

“Yes. Let's do that.” she answered and let go of me.

We cuddled up in the sofa as we patiently waited for the Princesses. But the person who came through the door first  wasn't quite expected. Twilight Sparkle appeared by the doorway.

“Hey, guys!” she said and galloped towards us.

“Hey Twi.” answered Dashie and stood up to greet her with a hug. “What are you doing here?” she asked her excitedly.

“Celestia asked me to come. There's something she wants to discuss about apparently, and she wanted me to be there as well. I don't know what the subject will be about though, so don't even ask.” she said and chuckled. “But Rainbow, your uniform! You finally got your Wonderbolt's suit!”

“I know right? Doesn't it look super cool? Makes me look tougher than I already am doesn't it?!” she responded, very full of herself.

“Yes. It really fits you well. I hope it will be of good use.”

“I can't wait for some action! To smack some skulls and to teach them a lesson!” she said very confidently and started punching and kicking the air. “They'll beg for mercy, but I won't show them any!” she stated and grinned evilly.

“Eh... Dashie? Are you alright?” I asked; very surprised by her brutal thoughts and murderous longings. It made me a little uneasy because I hated all that violence. I only killed when I had no other choice.

“What?” she asked me confusedly. But she immediately got my hint when she saw on my face that I disapproved of her sudden aggression. “Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to go that far-”

Before she could continue I cut her off. “You know that I will show mercy if I get the chance. And you will too. You got that?” I asked not too pleased. “It's good to see that you're determined and tough. But don't turn into a monster like they are. Like those thugs and murderers that do nothing good with their lives than to murder and steal. Please, don't be like them. Not my Dashie.” I said disappointingly and slowly shook my head as I stared deep into her eyes.

I noticed how her confidence failed her at that moment and how her grin changed. “But...but...I was just-- I... I guess you're right.” she muttered very ashamed of her action. “I- I didn't... I'm sorry.” she excused herself again and gazed at the ground as she approached me. “I..I didn't think straight. And now that I think about it, I'm very ashamed of what I said. I know that we're supposed to be the good guys. I'm sorry. I did not see.”

“Come here.” I said warmly and hugged her tightly. “I know that you meant good. Just don't lose it.” I said and kissed her on the cheek. “Let's not make a big deal out of it. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be ruthless, and as long as you are my companion, you aren't either. You got that?” I asked again, but a lot milder.

Dashie looked at me with a dedicated look and saluted. “As you wish, Dragonborn. But I'll only show them mercy if they ask for it.” she pointed out. I nodded in a reply.

At last Celestia and Luna showed up. Luna was carrying a small chest, which was decorated in gold and diamond.

“We want to start off by showing our support by giving you both a gift.” Luna said and placed the chest by our feet. “Open it, and retrieve everything you find.” she ordered.

It didn't take her twice to tell us, and we immediately opened the chest in our utmost curiosity. We gasped when we noticed the items inside it. There were two bows. Two beautiful and very powerful looking bows.. Made from some kind of dark material. There were red lines on the bows, and they weren't painted. They actually glowed.

“Those are one of the strongest bows available. They are very rare and are made from an even rarer material. We had to kill two 'Daedra' and use their hearts to make the bows, as well as other materials. But that glowing red lines on the bow is because of the hearts.” Luna explained proudly.

“Wait.. a Daedra?” I asked and shuddered; very disturbed by the fact that they used their hearts to make the bows. I didn't even know if I wanted to use that bow, now that I knew about that.

“Don't worry. I'll explain it later. But the Daedra are evil and very powerful. In fact, two mysteriously showed up in our halls maybe a week ago. We took care of them. Then we salvaged their hearts and-”

“OK. I get it!” I interrupted and gagged. “You made those bows. And I'm very appreciated. They shall be put in good use.” I vowed and lowered my head.

“That's so cool!” uttered Dashie in amazement and examined her bow carefully. “Whoa!”

“And we have made you some arrows from sharp glass. You'll each get five hundred arrows. Use them well.” Added Celestia. “But Rainbow Dash...”

“Yes, my princess?” she answered and lowered her head immediately .

“There is another thing we wish to give you. For your loyalty, we want to grant you 'The Blade of Woe'. It was wielded once by Equestria's infamous assassin. The leader of the Dark Brotherhood herself. She still lives, but her whereabouts remain unknown. She lost it a long time ago. Can't say she'll miss it after so long. We wish to give it to you.” she said and handed Dashie a very sharp and pointy dagger. “Use it with care. You should be honored, you won't find a better blade.”

“Wow... I am, your grace. But I don't want it to be too easy. Keep your dagger.” she explained and smirked with confidence.

“You're refusing to accept our gift?” Luna asked loudly. She was about to let out the "Royal Canterlot Voice" upon her, but broke it off before she let it out. “Don't worry. This knife is just as effective as any other dagger. But what makes it so special is that it never breaks, and it won't ever get rusty. It will always stay sharp. So please. Accept it!”

“I'll gladly accept it if that's that case...” Dashie answered, lowering her head again in a matter of respect.

“I want to thank you for your generosity. This surely will come in good use.” I said again.

“Indeed it will. You are our only hope to put an end to Alduin, and we'll try to help as much as we can to make that possible. That dragon must be slain.” Celestia pointed out with power in her usually mild voice.

“We'll try our best. But we really must leave at once. The sooner the better.” I excused myself and turned around to face my Dashie who seemed eager to get outside and start the journey.

We both picked up our bows and wrapped them around us. On the bows were some kind of grappling hooks that could be attached to us, so it wouldn't fall off while flying or running.

I turned around to look at the smiling Twilight who stood awkwardly a few feet from us. “Why did you summon Twilight?” I asked Celestia.

“It doesn't concern you two. We must talk to her in privacy. But, go, my little ponies. You mustn't let the Greybeards wait any longer.” she pointed out as I nodded.

“Well Twilight, I guess this is goodbye for now. I will miss you.” I told and hugged her. “Please, say hello to the others from me.”

“I will. Now, go.” she replied and smirked. I nodded to her and turned around to look at Dashie who seemed as eager to get out of there as before. But before we left, she bid her farewells to Twilight. After all the hugging and farewells we finally ran off into the long and empty hall, and through the exit.


As we flew towards the Throat of the World, we raced a bit, had some bets on who were better at this and that and we even had a nice and interesting conversations. We didn't feel for the slightest exhaustion, even though we were carrying supplies and weapons. But before we knew it, we had been flying nonstop for 7 hours straight. It was getting darker, and the ground below us was perfect for camping. There was even a lake not far away, so there was plenty of water for both of us. We did take some bottles with us, but finding that lake was great. More water for us on the return journey. I just hoped we wouldn't be stuck in an oasis free desert again. At least we were flying this time.

“We should camp here.” I yelled out to Dashie. “This is a good spot.”

I had been waiting for that moment. I knew that this was the perfect time to tell her everything about myself. I knew that my life could change in a matter of minutes. But I was done hiding who I was. I was tired of hiding my identity. I had to tell her everything and that tonight. I've been delaying this long enough.

“Alright.” she responded and landed smoothly at the ground without showing any hint of being tired or exhausted. I nervously followed her and got lost in my own thoughts about what I was about to do. What was going to happen, or what the consequences would be.

This was a good spot indeed for a camp though, and the weather was perfect. It was getting dark, but the colorful Northern Lights, the bright stars, the enormous moon and the rhythmical chirping sounds from the crickets kept that night alive.

After maybe ten minutes of setting up the tent and making a small campfire, we lay down next to the fire on the ground and admired the scenery; The shooting stars and the beautiful Northern Lights gracing the sky with beauty. The view was stunning and hypnotizing. Dashie had taken her Wonderbolt suit off, and I took my helmet off and put it next to her suit. We cuddled by the warm fire and she listened to my heartbeat as we watched those natural lights. But the more time that passed, the more nervous I got.

After a bit she felt for my nervous body shivering, and when she finally asked me what was wrong I knew that this was it. No backing down now. I inhaled the air and slowly exhaled it out again. My heart started pounding twice as fast as a normal heartbeat and my hooves started to shake. I even got some cold sweats.

“What's wrong?” she asked again, looking into my eyes with her worried look. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“Oh gods.” I uttered and quickly stood up. I covered my face in my hooves and begged for the last time to the gods for a slight hope of getting rid of those memories of me being someone else than a pony.

“What?” she added, now more worried and a little more impatient than before.

I slowly turned around to face her and looked down to the ground with a heavy sigh. “I-I don't think we can be together." I whimpered, almost inaudibly. I felt like someone had gutted my heart; like someone was crushing it. Letting that out was harder than I'd imagined.

“W-What?” she asked very surprised and by the look on her face, she wasn't quite sure whether I was kidding or not. “W-what are you talking about? Of course we can be together!” she almost yelled in small panic. She even started tearing up when she realized that I was being serious. “Please! Don't say that! You don't mean that!”

“It's so wrong! It's all wrong! We just can't be together!” I yelled back without looking at her and started tearing up light tears of my own. This situation was killing me. I felt like I was destroying myself. I also felt like I was destroying her. “There is something about me... I can't let you live with it. I just... can't.” I explained hesitantly and turned away from her, weeping more than before. I couldn't breathe normally anymore.

“Explain yourself!” she demanded with her shaky voice and flew up in front of me. She determinedly put her hooves on my shoulders, pushed me a bit and continued: “I don't care if something is wrong with you. I wouldn't even care if you were a cripple! I still love you!”

“There is nothing physically wrong with me. It's about my...past.” I pushed out, still without looking at her.

“What's in the past is in the past. It's alright. We have to live in the present!” she pleaded, now crying. “Please... please don't leave me!”

This dramatic moment was really killing me, and I hated drama. I just wanted everything to end here. This situation actually made me want to wake up in my bed back on Earth.

“It's much worse than you think. There are two facts about me that you aren't going to like at all. I want you to know that I love you from the bottom of my heart. You complete me. But I have to end it before we get more attached to each other. I have no choice. I can't let you live in a lie. I can't let you live with someone you don't even know.” I tried explaining, walking one step near her. Dashie launched herself at me and hugged me tightly. But I didn't hug her back.

“Then tell me. Tell me everything and it won't be a lie anymore! We can still go on! It doesn't have to be this way!” she desperately begged into my ear in a panicked whisper. Hearing her so desperate and so fearful for losing me made everything worse. It made me feel more miserable than I already was. "Please, I love you and only you! You complete me!"

All her words broke me down more and more. It was obvious how enormous her love was for me and I was just throwing it away like something as special as that was taken for granted.

“Gods damn it, Dash! It's more serious than you think.” I pointed out, trying not to look into her hypnotizing, beautiful teary eyes.

“I don't care what you did in the past--”

“I'm not talking about what I did. It's about who I am.” I explained, lowering my voice.

“I know who you are! You're... you're the Dragonborn.” she said, puzzled.

“Do you really think that's what I'm talking about?” I asked with a dead facial expression.

“Then... w-what do you mean?”

I sighed as I awkwardly tried to wipe the tears off my face. I paused for a bit and swallowed hard before continuing:

“The first thing... I know everything about you. And I mean everything. I know how you got your cutie mark, I know that you defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord with the elements of harmony and with the power of friendship, I know that you saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts from falling to their deaths. I know that you never get your cider when the Apple family are selling them. I know that...” as I said those things she slowly backed away from me and stared at my eyes, a little terrified. “...you were competing against Applejack in the falling of the leaves. I know that you sided with the buffaloes against the ponies of Appleoosa. The list goes on and on and on...” I explained, panting.

“W-What?” she slowly uttered, backing away from me fearfully. “I-Is this some kind of a sick joke? Did Twilight maybe tell you about these things?” she asked with her very startled voice.

“Listen to me!” I yelled. “I know everything about all of you. Including your friends. I just know goddamn everything about you all!”

“How do you know these things?” she asked, and by the look of her face, she was starting to fear me.

“Because...” I muttered and paused. “Because I'm not... from this world. I'm not from this dimension and--”

“What are you talking about?” Dashie interrupted me in a slight shock as she stared into my eyes, full of fear. She looked at me like I was some kind of a crazy criminal. But I didn't judge her. I would react just the same way if I were in her shoes.

“I-I wasn't born a pony, alright? I was... I was once something called a "human". An alien, if you wish. And that's why it's so wrong that we're together. We're two different species, for god's sake!” I pointed out with a small shocked chuckle, as if the idea of us being in a relationship was preposterous, and closed my eyes. I dared not look at Dashie. I just couldn't take a look at her facial expression or her reaction. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before. I understand if you hate me now." I regretfully said, falling on my knees. "I'm so sorry..." I added in a sad whisper. I continued crying, completely out of hope; sure that I had lost the person that was me so important.

I felt like I just killed a part of my soul. And not only my soul, but also hers. I felt like I had destroyed everything that made us both happy, as well as the connection we tried to strengthen; like someone had ripped my heart out. This situation was just way in over my head. But I did this all for her.

I couldn't believe my ears. I just couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I felt like someone was poking at my heart with a stick.

I noticed how terrible he felt, and watched as he collapsed to the ground in tears.

I needed some time alone, so I quickly launched myself into the air and into the nearest sky. I got behind it and started crying myself in disbelief. Not because he was someone else than he appeared to be, but because he was breaking up with me. I hadn't cried like this in years. Hell, I'd never cried like this ever before.

But...he did say that he still loved me. Maybe he was just too afraid of me being hurt in the future, or maybe he thought he was doing the right thing by leaving me due to his secrets. Anyhow, I didn't see a valid reason for his breakup with me.

But before I could think further about the situation I was in, I heard him singing. I curiously moved the sky with me, and tried to stay hidden.

He sung with a depressing sorrow in his voice. The lyrics were beautiful and the sadness in his voice added further to the beauty of the song he sung. With admiration, I closed my eyes and listened to his very hypnotizing singing voice. He could have been a singer for all I knew.

After the song he exhaled desperately. My heart melted after I heard that. I couldn't believe how much I meant to him, and it made me feel like I'd lost my parents again. I knew I should have been angry at him for not telling me about himself, but in a matter of fact, I wasn't angry at all. It was hard to believe that he was from another universe, another dimension or whatever, but I knew he wasn't screwing with me. He was indeed not from around here, but somehow I didn't care. In fact, I loved him even more. I wouldn't even care if he was still in his old form. I fell in love with a person with the most incredible personality ever. A person that was kind, helpful, peaceful, powerful, fearless and perfect in every way. And that person loved me back, which was the best part. And should I leave him just because he was in another body before?

By telling me about his true identity, he expressed that he trusted me and that he wanted only the best for me. But I somewhat understood his situation. I understood that he wouldn't just announce that he wasn't from around this world to everyone so lightly. If I was in his situation, I'd try my best to hide it, but still he had the courage to tell me, even though he could've chosen to just ignore the past for good.

All those thoughts greatly fueled the love I had for that pony. I didn't want to lose him. I wouldn't even know what to do if lost him.

I slowly got out of hiding and carefully landed next to him. He didn't seem to notice me since he was too busy dwelling in his sorrow. He thought he had lost me. The sore sight of him made me feel worse than I already felt.

“Hey. Come here.” I said reassuringly. I sat down next to him and gave him a warm hug.

“I'm so, so sorry, Dashie.” he whimpered, squeezing me when he finally notices me. “I'm so sorry! Now you know why we can't be together. I may be a pony now, but I'll always have to carry the burden knowing that I was once a--”

“You have nothing to feel sorry about. I just wanted you to know that I don't care about that. I still love you very much. I'm still in the desperate need of being around you. I need you.” I stated. I gently kissed his temple with my arms around his neck and smiled.

He stopped crying, turned his head towards me in confusion and looked deep into my eyes. “So, y-you don't see me as a freak? As an alien? You don't want to push me away? You're not going to give me up?” he asked surprised, yet very confused and puzzled at the same time.

“If you can love an “alien”, I'm pretty damn sure I can love one in return.” I answered and kissed him again, this time on his mouth. He got a little startled at first, because he didn't see it coming, but he kissed me back when he came back to his senses. I could feel for his relief in that contact. The power. The longing.

In fact, that kiss was one of our best so far; still not better than our first one though. A lot of emotions followed up in that smooch. We both got a little excited again, but we tried our best preventing going anywhere further, even though this is the perfect place for it. All alone in the middle of nowhere, making out by the fire under the moonlight, stars and the northern lights.

“I love you so much.” he told me and roughly slammed down to the ground.

I liked his sudden aggression; it was unexpected, but reminded me of the powers and strength he possessed; the power of a great warrior... the power of a dragon.

It was getting pretty damn hard to resist. But the more I thought about it... why wait if we were crazy for each other? Why wait if we were both ready?

I did not expect her to take the news so lightly. But that was really relieving and just reminded me that she was Rainbow Dash. She was loyal and not like anyone I'd ever met. I took her roughly down to the ground because I knew she could take it; possibly like it. I couldn't hold it anymore... I just needed to show her how much I cared for her. I just hoped she was willing to give it a shot.

At last we let go and just admired each other for a while. She lay still on the ground as I softly caressed her sides up and down, examining each other. I felt like I was dominating her; the way I leaned on my right arm over her. We stared into each other's eyes and fought to stay calm.

She let out a small silent moan as soon as I started to reach her crotch. She decided to repay the favor by slowly licking my chest in appreciation. I let out a small satisfying sound of my own. That unexpected lick really turned me on.

I started off by kissing her neck lightly, which resulted in a shudder as always, and slowly made my way down to her stomach. But I didn't go any further down. I continued caressing her but tried everything I could to prevent my feelings from taking over.

I noticed it in her sparkling, begging eyes how much she wanted me to fuck her; how she wanted me to dominate her. This situation was just way in over her head and she could barely take it.

After teasing her a little more she lost control. She quickly let go of me and positioned herself by standing up and pointing her flank at me, getting ready for the procedure. I grinned in relief when I noticed that she was indeed willing to go further, but I didn't dare mount her as if I was mating with an animal. It was either my way, or no way at all. I wanted to look at her in the face while we were doing it. I wanted it to be as passionate as it could be.

“Not like that... lie on your back instead.” I demanded, panting excitedly.

“On my... back?” she asked confusedly and panted herself like an exhausted dog with her eyes half closed.

“Just trust me. I think you're going to like it.”

She quickly did what she was told and waited for me to do whatever I had in mind. But she had no doubts. She trusted me and she knew I had something good in mind.

I launched myself at her again and held her front hooves firmly against the ground as we made out again. After being at it for a little while I got on top of her and let go of her hooves. I passionately started caressing and rubbing her flank, making her respond by rubbing her body more up to me. I noticed how much she liked it, and since I wanted to satisfy her even more, I decided to go down a little further. Once again I smoothly rubbed her pelvis. She spread her legs a bit more for an easier access when she noticed it. She also responded to it by kissing me rougher. The way she reacted to what I was doing to her also made me more excited than I already was, making me start stroking her warm clit slowly but passionately. As soon as I made a physical touch with my hoof she let out a low satisfying moan; implying she wanted more. She started breathing faster, so did I.

She appreciated how kind I was to her. Nobody had ever satisfied her like that ever before, but she wanted to return that favor. She gently started stroking my groin; resulting in me groaning a bit. Still we maintained our kiss while she caressed my stallionhood. She made sure I got a full erection, and unlike last time, I wanted it to stay that way.

“I'm sorry for everything.” I repeated from earlier that night, and bit my lower lip in shame.

“Don't be.” she responded, a bit disappointed that I broke off our kiss, but resumed where we left off by kissing me again. Fair enough I thought to myself as I started rubbing her smooth, warm body very softly again. I started messing her mane with my left forehoof and slowly moved towards her clit again with my right one for I knew that was what she liked best so far. That made her body and lips convulse a bit with a great pleasure like last time.

But we were both very nervous and we both felt for our bodies shivering. Again I broke off our kiss. “You know, I'm not forcing you. If you are feeling uncomfortable--”

“I'm not uncomfortable at all... just a little nervous.” she explained and giggled awkwardly.

“I'm damn nervous too.” I replied and chuckled nervously. “I still don't want to back down. Do you?” I asked, hoping she wouldn't. We were both already horny and as ready as we could ever be. I didn't want it to be cut short now. But of course, if she wanted it to wait, I'd happily oblige. I wanted this moment to be perfect for her in the first place.

She answered by wrapping her legs around my waist and slowly shook her head. She then did something I did not expect. She slowly licked from my neck and all the way up to my face. It was weird, but I really, really liked it. It turned me on even further. She stared into my eyes with her bedroom eyes and put on a small grin on her face. That look made her even more irresistible. Not that I wanted to resist her anyway.

This was our first time, and we weren't very creative when it came to that matter, but we didn't care. As long as we had each other in each other’s arms, everything was perfect. We let our feelings carry us away.

My heart pounded faster and faster when I decided that it was time. We looked at each other’s eyes passionately and panted even harder than before. Both in pleasure and nervousness.

“Are you ready?” I asked, full of both nervousness and excitement.

“Y-Yeah. Let's do it.” she replied, trying to sound confident, but to no avail.

I had my doubts at first, and I even considered the option to wait for a more comfortable situation, but my body and feelings won my mind this time. I carefully positioned myself and inhaled and exhaled a couple of times before carefully thrusting her.

I noticed that it wasn't very comfortable for her at first because it was her first time; because I had just ripped her hymen. I saw how her facial expression took it; that twitch. She groaned a bit, but she was tough. She stared at me in my eyes, still with her passionate, seducing bedroom eyes and grinned again a bit.

I got even more excited when I saw that facial expression of hers, but I tried my best to keep it calm for her. Start slowly. But she didn't want to take it slowly. I should've known that, since she quickly hugged me and sank herself deeper into me. She grunted again a bit, but like I said, she was tough. “That's all you got?” she asked in a tease. “Come on, Dragonborn! Show me your power! Show me what you got! I know you can do me rougher than that! C'mon, buck me harder!” she insisted, moaning again in utter pleasure and in a bit of pain. But regardless of the pain, she only wanted more. She sure was full of piss and vinegar. The energy and passion she had couldn't even be described, and if she wanted it rough, I was more than willing to show her the power of the Dragonborn! Although, I tried my best not to disappoint her. And judging by how she was acting, I was on the right track.

“Oh yeah?” I whispered back softly with great pleasure. I grabbed her waist and pulled her towards me as my hips smacked against hers again. “How about that?” I asked to tease her a bit. I noticed that it did hurt her a bit, but she tried her best not to show it.

“I think... I think Spike could do me rougher than you ever could...” she pointed out to piss me off, and it worked. I knew she was only making a light joke, and perhaps foreplaying a little, but it still pissed me off. Not because of him being better than me but because of the fact that she said that Spike could do her rougher than I could.

I slammed her to the ground again, held both of her hooves against it and stared deep into her eyes with a small frown. She looked back into mine with a smile that indicated that she wasn't impressed. However, I knew that wasn't true. The way she was panting and moaning told me that she was far from being disappointed. But that look of hers made me kiss her roughly on her lips. She didn't try to resist it; she actually returned it passionately. I thrust into her faster and rougher than before, like she demanded. I even ignored when she groaned. But the more I pounded into her, the more she adapted to it and stopped feeling the pain. It was now much more enjoyable than ever before. It didn't take her long to reach her first orgasm. I was already getting there too, so I pulled out to give her oral instead which resulted in her letting out a loud moan in return. She found it so satisfying that she started pushing my head slightly more against her pussy as she wildly messed with my mane; implying that she didn't want me to stop. I happily obliged when I realized what she wanted and tried my best to make her feel even better than she already was. After listening to her moans of great pleasure as I satisfied her greatly, I started licking from her warm, wet nether and all the way up her chest and up into her mouth again.

We panted and slowed down a bit. I couldn't, nor did I want to be any rougher to her. I embraced her as she did the same and held her tightly to me as I connected to her again, but I still felt like she wasn't close enough to me. We started making out again with our eyes closed. I felt for her heart beat against my chest, and it was great. I sucked lightly on her lower lip as she rubbed my back in satisfaction. She also exhaled the air in great pleasure with each thrust I made; like I was pumping the air out of her lungs. In my excitement I bent over and kissed her again as I fucked her.

After awhile I rolled her over and switched into a Lotus position without breaking the kiss. It was surprising for her since she didn't know anything about sex, let alone how humans did it, but she seemed to like it more than I'd hoped for. And she was surprisingly very good at it, too. At least by the fact that this was her first time.

With our faces only inches away and our saliva bridged between our mouths, we stared deep into each other's bedroom eyes; into our very souls, and relaxed a bit with the bottom of our foreheads resting on each other’s. She had her forehooves wrapped around my neck as I held her in a tight, passionate hug. She had her mouth slightly open as I guided her hips on my stallionhood, and she unintentionally made sure I didn't disappoint by moaning very pleasurably into my mouth. Those moans of hers made me proud of myself. This was the proximity I had been searching and longing for. Now I truly felt like she was mine and I was hers.

The feelings that followed were too damn satisfying and so much different than I'd imagined. Who would've imagined that fucking a cartoon pony would be so amazing? Huh. Even that sounded beyond wrong in my own head, despite of me being one of them ponies. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to realize that I was having a sexual intercourse with my favorite pony. My god, those thoughts brought forward those really awkward feelings. But it didn't affect me, fortunately. My burning love for Rainbow clouded any other negative feelings. At least I could comfort myself with that this wasn't considered bestiality, as far as I could tell, since I was a pony myself. And beside, they weren't those typical animals. They were... I don't even know what they were. They resembled the ponies from earth, but were much more complex and much more advanced than that. They were even in the same league as the humans, in my opinion. I used to consider them to be just an alien race. But now, I was starting to see humanity as the alien race...

But at last I started to reach my own climax. I gently took her down on the ground, switching back into the original position, and dared to shove into her a couple of more times before I pulled out, sat up and had my release. I moaned in utmost pleasure when that happened, and let my body collapse on the ground next to her. I lay down on my stomach and tried catching my breath as I had the widest smile I'd ever had on my face. Wow, I clearly got my feet wet there. I'd never experienced anything quite like it. Was the wait worth it? Definitely. No doubt. I would wait again.

I exhaustively wrapped my right arm around her and pulled her near me. I spooned her and tiredly kissed her nape. “Thank you.” I gratefully whispered to her. “For trusting me. For loving me despite my faults, for being the most amazing person in existence... for everything.”

She answered by kissing my arm that was wrapped around her. “I'll never let you down...” she whispered back in exhaustion. Judging by how she said it, she was far from being disappointed.

I cuddled more up against her body and put my hoof up to her heart to feel it pump.

That night was clearly a night to remember...

I woke up full of energy and ready to take on the day. But there was something missing. I tried to reach out, but didn't feel for her presence. When I realized that she wasn't by my side anymore I quickly opened my eyes in a small panic but to my relief, she was packing everything down; The tent we didn't use and everything else. I noticed that she was in her tight Wonderbolts uniform, and I was surprised by how well it suited her. My eyes were still a little blurred though, and I didn't notice the apple flying over to me.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” she said with a smile. “Eat the apple.”

I didn't let her say that to me twice. I was starving, and the “activity” yesterday really made me hungry.

“Thanks.” I replied, smiling. “What gives? Why aren't you sleeping?”

“Well... I woke up next to you and decided to just get everything done before you'd wake up. That way we would gain some time, and get the business with the Greybeards over with. But ya know, we don't have to rush things if you don't want to. After all, you are the leader and I am your loyal companion.” she pointed out and laughed. I chuckled with her and inhaled the fresh morning breeze.

“How are you feeling?” I asked and by that I meant with about how she felt after that wonderful moment we had. She immediately got the hint.

“Better than ever. The night was remarkable and I won't ever forget about it. It was amazing. I've never experienced anything quite like it.” she stated and smiled to me awkwardly.

“I feel the same way.” I answered with a smile of my own as I stretched my back, legs and wings. “Could you toss me another apple? I'm still hungry.”

She reached over to the bag and grabbed an apple. “Here you go.” she tossed me another one, but this time I got a grip on it.

“Thanks.” I replied and swallowed the whole fruit in a few bites. Too bad we didn't have some of that strawberry-tasting food that the ponies of Cloudsdale ate.

“You're welcome.... There; I've packed everything down and we're ready to leave when you give the word.”

“Before we leave, I'd like to talk about things...” I changed the topic. “About us.”

Dashie stopped whatever she was doing and walked up to me with a curious look. “Yes?”

“Where does this relationship go from here? What is going to happen to us in the future?”

“Well... as long as we're together, I'm satisfied.” she pointed out and smiled clumsily.

"But, I still don't get it. How can you possibly be OK with being with an outsider; an alien?"

She put her hoof on my shoulder. "I wouldn't even care if you were still in your old body."

"But, why--"

She stopped me by putting her hoof on my snout. "Because I love you, and nothing is going to change that. And besides, I could ask the same thing to you. Why are you OK with being with me?"

"I... fair enough. You got a point there." I muttered in a bit of a relief and put on a small appreciative smile. I spread my arms and gave her a small hug which she accepted in a heartbeat. Once locked in, I nuzzled her snout with mine, which tickled her a bit, making her giggle softly.

"In fact, I'm honored to be with you." she half whispered into my ear.

“I can second that statement." I whispered back. We didn't say anything else for a little while before I decided to break the silence again, as well as our hug. "Anyway, I just wanted to say that... I don't want any... uh... little ones.” I added and rubbed my nape in awkwardness.

“Me neither. I'm not ready for such a thing yet. But we should focus on what's going right now, in the present.”

“Hey, I forgot to show you something!” I suddenly shouted out when I remembered the photos in my helmet. I walked up to it, picked it up from the ground and searched inside it.

“I want you to take a look at these. Twilight took 'em.” I explained and grinned as I passed her the photos and put my helmet back on.

“What? Photos? Let me see!” she demanded and closely analyzed them. I didn't take my eyes off her face and noticed how her mouth slowly turned into a big grin the longer she stared at those pictures. I also noticed her biting her lower lip and her eyes sparkling a bit. “This is-- I can't believe I'm saying this, but, we are so adorable together!” she pointed out and put the photos next to her heart. “Let me keep them safe. I have a pocket on my suit, they'll be safer there.” she added and smirked again. “Remind me to thank Twilight for them.”

“I will.” I replied and smirked back.

“And by the way... I heard you singing yesterday. You have such a beautiful singing voice! I didn't know you could sing so well! Did you make up the lyrics?” she asked very interested.

“Oh! Uh...nah, it was a song sung by one of my favorite female singers back on my world. I just tend to sing whenever I feel sad and I have no idea why. Probably because it always makes me feel better. Heh.. I feel so embarrassed right now. But thanks for the compliment.” I pointed out and chuckled very awkwardly, yet very approved. I walked up to her and kissed her softly on her mouth.

She returned it, but it didn't last for very long. We both let go of each other, and she resumed what she was previously doing. “Go get some more apples; we have enough of them. Or go drink some fresh water in the lake.”

I nodded in an agreement and walked past her up to the lake next to us to drink from the very clear and fresh looking water, since I was thirsty as hell.

I drank some of it and exhaled the air in relief. It was possibly the best water I'd ever drunk. It was so fresh and so cool. But when I was about to drink some more, I heard some weak noises around me. What was it now? More thugs and murderers? Perhaps a dangerous animal?

I still didn't turn around, even though I knew someone or something was behind me besides of Dashie... “Rainbow!” I said out loud, but when I was about to turn around, she flew up to me and landed by my side.

“We can take these guys!” she whispered loudly to me, and by that she pretty much confirmed that there were indeed some thugs behind us.

“Yes... yes we can.” I whispered back and turned around to face the enemies in front of us. There were perhaps over 20 evil looking guys before us.

“You!” someone yelled from the crowd and stepped forward. “You killed our former group's leader!” he added and started charging at me in all his blind fury, but someone stopped him. It must've been the leader of that group.

“Stop!” he yelled at the angry stallion who had a murderous look on his face. He didn't look too happy to hear that, but obeyed nonetheless. “Well, well, well... what have we here? A stallion and a mare all alone in the wilderness? And she's a Wonderbolt? Nice. Very nice indeed.” he said and walked around us.

“Look. I don't want any trouble, and you don't want to be our trouble. So just let us pass, and we'll let you live. We have a business to attend to, and we mustn't be late. So, I bid you farewell and hope you all the best in the future. And seriously... do us all a favor and get another job.” I answered annoyingly and tried walking past them, but they refused to let me go.

“You're not going anywhere.” he replied and unsheathed his sword. “Now... give me everything you have. Especially those bows of yours. I want them. Now!” he demanded and threatened us with his sword. The others followed his lead and unsheathed their own sword.

I looked at Dashie and nodded. She understood what I had in mind and nodded back with an evil and blood lusting grin. She slowly stroke her bow and waited for my command. I gave her a one final nod before I shouted “FUS!” at the leader, which stunned him and three other stallions behind him.

Dashie quickly unsheathed her bow and shot an arrow into the leader's face. It even got through and into another stallion's skull. Two birds in one stone.

Everyone ran towards us with their swords in the air, ready to slice us in bits. I unsheathed my own daggers and waited for them to come at us. I noticed how Dashie enjoyed using her bow. She had already taken out five other guys while I was waiting for them to come at me.

When they finally reached me, I shouted again “FUS!” to stun them. They quickly dropped their weapons, and I used that moment to slice their necks very silently and quickly.

Dashie had sheathed her bow and ran towards the rest of them to give them a taste of her bravery and courage. I watched how she took care of the rest of them all by her self. She used her hooves to smack their faces in, and it was brutal. She even punched the jaw off one poor guy! What a fate...

Finally there was one left, but he didn't attack. In fact, he had been standing there and staring at us ever since the beginning of the fight. That stallion was cloaked and masked so we could not see his face or body.

Dashie smirked evilly to him and took him down to the ground. She sat on him and started punching the shit out of him. I noticed how her suit inflicted damage on him with its electricity.

“P-Please, w-wait!” he barely got to say. Dashie stopped punching him and looked at me with a questionable look. A look that asked what I wanted her to do with him. Set him free, or let her kill him.

“He asked for mercy, and we will show him.” I said very confidently. Rainbow quickly let go of him, but not in disappointment. It looked like she just didn't care.

“I'm just going to clean the blood off my face and uniform” she said and walked past me towards the lake. She nearly tripped on the blood and the bodies in front of it though.

I offered that guy my hoof and he gladly accepted it.

“S-s-she..?” he mumbled very shocked and stared at Dashie who was busy washing herself in the lake to clean the red liquid off her.

“What about her?” I asked a bit surprised, but he didn't answer. “What about her?!” I asked again but harsher than before.

“Dashie?” he asked and fell to his knees. “Are you really my little Dashie?” he asked again, and now I saw what was going on, but I wouldn't believe it, so I slowly approached him.

“Who are you, and how do you know my Dashie?” I asked to be sure that what I had in mind was indeed true.

He removed his cloak and hood to reveal his cyan-colored Pegasus body, his bloodied face and his green teary eyes. I gasped and stepped away from him as I remembered him from the picture in her apartment, and compared to the picture, he was still very young in appearance. It didn't seem like he had aged by a day.

“No! She told me you were dead!” I yelled very angrily, yet also excitedly.

“I'll tell you everything when... she notices me.” He mumbled again; still kneeling and staring at his daughter.

I flew as fast as possible towards Dashie who was still too busy washing herself in the lake. She was rubbing the bloodied parts of the uniform.

“Dashie!” I yelled and landed next to her. She quickly looked at me with a weird look on her face.

“Yes?”

“Don't be startled, but there is someone you really should meet. Let me cover your eyes. I want this to be a surprise.” I insisted very excited.

“What? Is someone here I know?” she asked very puzzled and turned her head to look at the person, but I prevented her from doing so just in time.

“Please. Just let me cover your eyes. I want this to be a surprise.” I insisted again.

She sighed, but allowed me to cover her eyes with my hooves.

After a minute we reached him. I nodded to her dad to let him know that I was about to reveal her to him. He nodded to me and waited patiently. I closed my eyes as I uncovered hers. I opened them again after a couple of seconds to see them two staring at each other with their mouths wide open. But after a while, Dashie finally made a sign that she was still alive. She yelled with everything she got and quickly flew behind my back. I felt for her body shivering and her breath on my back.

“Dashie!” her dad called out and teared up again. “It's me.”

“No! My father is dead!” she yelled back without looking at him. “You're... you're pretending to be him!” It worried me a little because she sounded like she was about to get a seizure.

Her dad walked behind my back and grabbed her daughter's arm. “It's me!” he yelled and started crying a bit. ”It's me, gods damn it!” he added and hugged her.

Soon they were both in tears, hugging each other, leaving me in the awkwardness.

“But... you're supposed to be dead!”

“I know, I know.” After what seemed like ten minutes, they finally let go of each other and looked at each other’s faces. “I can't believe it's really you. My little Dashie, right here!” he said and chuckled still in tears.

“Daddy!” she responded and hugged him again. “I'm sorry I hit you.”

“That's my girl. A strong mare, just like I wanted you to be. You've made me proud.”

I watched as they hugged each other and even I started tearing up to that. A family reunion was always good. Especially if he was considered to be dead. Also the fact that it would make her happy also made me glad. It reminded of my own family. I let out a sad sigh as I thought about them, but quickly shook my head. I didn't want to live in the past.

“Come. Sit down. I will explain everything to you two, but after you introduce me to this fine, young and healthy stallion here.” he gladly said with a nod.

“I still can't believe...” she said but immediately shook her head and put on the default Rainbow Dash look up. “Dad, I want to introduce you to the love of my life and my soul mate; Drake.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” I said and offered my hoof to give him a hoofshake. He refused it and hugged me, very much like his daughter did when we first met. I hesitantly returned that hug.

“And without an 'Amulet of Mara’? That is great news! Just like my relationship with my wife. She was called Rainbow Spurt, but I always called her Spurtie. We were married, but also without the Amulet. Pure, natural love.” he proudly stated and nodded in approval. “But I take it that you've been kind to my girl, yes?”

“With all my heart.” I said and hesitantly gave him a pat on the back.

“Then you have my blessings.” he responded and lowered his head for me. “Dragonborn.”

I was going to ask him how he knew, but then I realized that Luna had announced it some days ago. And I just showed them all with my Unrelenting force, proving that I was indeed the Dragonborn.

“Those thugs have been calling me 'Ghost', by the way. I'd rather stick with that. My other name ain't safe anymore, and it’s for the best that you don't know my real name at all.” he explained in a serious manner as he rubbed the spot where Dashie hit him.

“You said that she was 'called' Rainbow Spurt? What happened? Please, explain.” Dashie said with a lump in her throat and judging by her facial expression, she was both nervous and scared.

“Listen to me.” he said with a sad sigh. We all sat down and waited for him to start explaining, but Dashie was still as excited as before.

“Where is my mom?!” she asked before he could speak, making her father firmly close his eyes in sadness and small annoyance.

“J-Just listen to me.” he added and shook his head. “I will start off when we left you, my dear Dashie. When your mother and I arrived to Cloudsdale...”


I looked at my wife as we entered the dirty and deserted alley in the middle of the night. She seemed nervous. We both knew that she didn't have to come with me, but I guess she only wanted to support me in whatever task I was about to face. To help me make them a deal. We both knew that this was going to be dangerous, and we had to withstand whatever they were going to do to us.

I told my wife that we needed to be strong for our little Dashie, who was waiting for our arrival at home. It was the only hope we had left. Our memory of our Dashie was what made that courage possible. We were even more than ready to sacrifice our lives for her future.

“For our daughter,” I said to my lovely and beautiful wife. “For our unborn child.” I added and gently stroke her belly. We only got those great news from our good friend; a detective, also a doctor, that we were expecting another child on the way not a week ago. Yes, he was that successful.

But only now I realized something. I realized that I couldn't risk it. I had to go alone and face whatever dark fate was ahead of me. “Listen. You shouldn't go with me. Get to safety now while you still can. We can't risk it.” I said with a determination in my voice so it would be easier persuading her. But like my little Dashie, she was stubborn and determined.

“I'm not going anywhere. I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria, and I can take care of myself. After all, I am the leader of the Wonderbolts. They won't have a chance. Just wait and see.” she said with a smirk. Her determination and energy convinced me that we'd be alright, so I let her come with me. She was tough, maybe the toughest pony I've ever met. Even tougher than the boss of that criminal organization we had to meet.

“Are you sure?” I asked again with slight hope that she would back down and take my advice.

“Yes, I am sure. Let's do it. For the little ones.”

“I just wanted to say one thing. If someone has to die; it's going to be me. Not you. Alright?”

“If someone is going to have to die, it's going to be him. It's going to be all of them.” she corrected me with her confidence. I nodded to her with a slightly amused sighed. But I was getting damn nervous and a little afraid as well. I had considered moving away with my family somewhere else. Even further from Cloudsdale, but realized that they'd find us again eventually. And it would only make them more pissed and more merciless.

I kissed my wife on the cheek before we entered the grim-dark alley.

At last we got to a warehouse; an ugly looking warehouse. We knew that this was the place and the only thing we had to do was to knock. But before I could knock on the door, a group of thugs appeared and got us by surprise. They put bags over our heads and put a rope around our necks. I heard my wife putting up a fight, and she even took some of them down by kicking at them. But more came and took her down.

They beat us with, what I'd assume, iron pipes, and didn't stop until we both passed out. I managed to scream “Get your filthy hooves off my wife!” before someone landed a knockout blow to my head.


I woke up in a dark room, but the first thing I did was looking out for my wife. “Spurtie?” I called out for her. “Where are you?” I added in a very worried yell.

All of a sudden, the lights were turned on. My sight was a little blurred at first because of the sudden light, but I couldn't believe my own eyes when I finally got my sight to 100%. In front of me was a window, and through that window was my Spurtie hanging with her arms tied up. She wasn't dead, nor was she damaged in any way, but she was unconscious.

“NO!” I shouted and started hitting the strong glass with my hooves. “Let her go!” I yelled with all my might.

“Welcome!” someone said with a very subtle friendly voice. “Been a long time.” he added as he walked up to me.

“Yeah... a long time, “friend.” Now release my wife, you prick!” I answered him.

“Ouch... that hurt my feelings.” he said and shook his head slowly in disappointment.

He was big. A dark gray colored pony and had a snake as a cutie mark. That described him well. Friendly one moment, and dangerous the next. He had blue eyes and black mane. He was really terrifying and was considered not to be screwed with amongst the citizens of Cloudsdale.

“Please. I'll pay you everything I owe you. Just don't hurt my family. Don't hurt them.” I pleaded and crawled up to his hooves. “Please let my wife go. If you have to hurt someone, hurt me. Leave them out of the picture.” I begged again.

Now his mood completely changed. He kicked me and spat on me.

“You selfish coward!” he shouted at me and kicked me again. “You only think about yourself. Ponies like you are a disgrace to the world. Ponies that don't do their parts in this world. Don't pay up their debt!”

“I will pay you everything I have. I will even give you my house and everything I possess. The crops are considered being the best in Equestria. You won't find a better land. Just please, let me and my family go unharmed.” I begged again and seriously hoped they would accept my generous offer.

“Don't worry. We'll take that away from you too after you've paid up.” he said and grabbed me harshly. “You're about to find out what happens when you screw with us.” he spat out and laughed maniacally.

He dragged me across the room and into the other room where my dear Spurtie was. I noticed that she was slowly gaining her consciousness. “W-Where am I?” she asked with a weak voice.

“Everything is going to be fine, Spurtie. Everything's going to be fine.” I answered and started tearing up. “Cut her loose!” I demanded and started putting up a fight. I got up, and started beating him up. I couldn't believe it, but I was actually beating the crap out of him. I even almost knocked him out before some of his gang members hit me from behind. Several others joined in and started kicking and punching me until I was at the edge of being knocked out.

The boss quickly stood up and spat out some of his blood. “So... you're the one giving the orders now?” he yelled at me. I tried lifting my hoof to beg him the last time to leave her alone and kill me instead. That was going to be my last offer. My life for theirs.

He walked up to my wife and smelled her. He made satisfying sounds to try to piss me off. It worked, but I didn't let him get the satisfaction by showing it.

“Shame. Such a shame. The one and only Rainbow Spurt. The leader of the Wonderbolts, and one of the few ponies who ever existed to have a rainbow colored mane. In fact, her bloodline is the only one to be known to have rainbow colored manes since the beginning of time. You know what? I've always wanted a special girl like that. You're a lucky stallion. But fortunately for you, I'm not a rapist. I'm not THAT low.”

“Get your hooves... I mean, I have... another offer for you.” I said and coughed up some of my own blood.

“I'm listening!” he said calmly, yet not friendly.

“My life... for theirs. I will serve you. I will do everything you want. Just let them go unharmed.”

“Wait a second. Did you say them? Is she perhaps pregnant again? Right now?” he asked and laughed alongside his friends. “Why don't we take a look inside?” he asked with a psycho look on his face.

“NO! LEAVE HER ALONE GODS DAMN IT!” I screamed and started struggling again, but his buddies started hitting me with iron pipes and other things again.

I watched as the boss unsheathed his sharp, pointy butterfly knife and stroke her body with it, but my Spurtie didn't panic, nor did she scream, in fact, she laughed at his face.

“Aren't you scared of being gutted?” he asked her very subtly and smoothly.

“I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of any of you.” she said and spat on his face. “You will never hear me scream.” she added and smirked like she was giving him a challenge.

He didn't take it too lightly as his face got all red when he wiped the saliva off his face. But instead of cleaning it off of him, he decided to walk up to me and lick it to make me feel miserable and jealous.

“Mmmm... even her saliva is tasty. You know what? I might have to reconsider the position I am in. I mean about not being a rapist.” he said and looked at my wife. “But no one gets away from spitting at my face; Mare or not... Boys!” he yelled.

Some of his “boys” appeared with a whip. They used it on her and the sound of the impact of the whip on my wife was sickening. But despise being brutally hit by the whip a dozen of times, she didn't scream like she stated. I saw that she was in great pain, but still she ignored it.

“That's the best you got?” she asked and spat on him again.

“YOU BUCKER! Stop it! I'll do everything you wish. EVERYTHING!” I yelled and tried struggling even more, even though I knew that would result in me getting my plot kicked again.

The boss slowly wiped her saliva off his face once again very pissed off. “This wasn't very polite, was it?” he asked and gnawed his teeth. “This is getting pretty boring.” he suddenly said and quickly walked up to my bloodied wife again with his blade. “It's time for you to say bye to this world.” he turned himself to me to look at my facial expression.

“NO!” I screamed again. “Please! Kill me instead. I will gladly die for her life. Or I will be your slave. Anything you want! But please leave her alone!”

“It's way too late for that.” he said and turned himself to Spurtie again. “Any last words before you die?”

She looked deep into my teary eyes and smirked weakly. “Don't be afraid. I love you very much. Please take care of our little girl, and raise her to become a strong mare in the future. You know that I love you both very...” before she could finish that sentence, the boss stabbed her and laughed like a maniac.

“NO, NO, NO!!”I screamed louder than ever and cried with everything I got when I saw and heard her grunting.  I closed my eyes as everything muted as I screamed and yelled and cried with everything my eyes could take. But they made me watch by forcing me to open my eyes.

“Let's see their unborn baby!” he yelled and laughed again with his buddies. He stabbed her a couple of more times before cutting her up. They made me watch as they cut my wife's stomach while she was still alive, panting and holding the pain so she wouldn't scream. But some of them left the room and crying for themselves, totally disgusted by the boss's action.

I threw up on the ground, but the hatred to them propelled me. I had to watch everything, from where she was still alive till her dead body was hanging there and her blood painted all over the place and her insides on the floor. I even saw my baby fetus! My hatred to him couldn't be described. I couldn't believe they took Spurtie and my unborn baby away from me. I just couldn't believe it. I thought we could make a deal, since he offered me to come visit them, but we walked straight into a trap. I so deeply wished I had sent her away earlier when I could, because I'd gladly die for them in a heartbeat.

“Oh gods!” I screamed and lost my breath. “Oh my gods!” By that moment I thought I would lose my sanity and possibly just die.

The boss dipped his hooves in her blood and painted my face with it.

“Her blood is on your hooves. You could have saved her, but decided to betray me instead and run away with my money. So, it was really you who killed her.” he said disappointed.

“I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!” I screamed at him and tried everything I could to get a grip on him, but his buddies held me.

“Throw him into the dungeon!” he then ordered and knocked me out with a vicious blow.


I woke up later in a dark room once again, chained to a wall. I remembered him killing the love of my life, and I started screaming and yelling again.

I even without thinking tried to look out for sharp objects to kill myself with, but was stopped by the thoughts of my little Dashie at home. She was the only thing that kept me still going and still sane. If not for her, I'd be dead already.

Someone suddenly opened the door, and I was filled with hatred again when I saw his face. It was the boss.

I tried everything I could to break the chains to get my hooves on him, but the chains were very strong. I yelled in rage and gnawed my teeth.

“Did you know it was a colt? Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up.” he said and smirked to me.

I started sobbing and crying again. “You monster! How could you... how could you even do it?” I asked and felt like someone was slowly stabbing me with an invisible knife into my heart. “I didn't know such cruelty even existed. Life is much more valuable than your gods damn money!” But I knew he thought differently. He couldn’t care less about pony life, save for his own.

He ignored what I was pointing out. “I have an offer for you. I feel really bad for killing your wife and unborn child... such a shame; she was such a beautiful mare. Perhaps the most beautiful I've ever seen. But hear me out.”

Before he could say anything else, I spat on him. “Buck you. I won't do anything you say!” I yelled and tried again to break the chains. I tried everything in my power to get loose. I lusted for his blood, but the chains wouldn't brake, even though I wasted all my energy on it. “I'm not afraid of you!”

“Listen!” he ordered me and slapped me. “You may not be afraid of me, or death... but you do love your daughter, yes?”

Now that got my attention. “Don't you dare! She's the only one I got left because of you!” I yelled full of sorrow and rage. “Don't you dare...”

“Listen! Now, we'd like to offer you a place here. With us. You are strong and have a strong will. You're not afraid of death. We need someone like you, so here's the best part of the deal, for you anyways: You join us, and we won't hunt down your daughter. We won't hunt down her offspring. We will totally leave your family alone in peace forever, and your debts will be payed. So, do we have a deal?”

“I will never join you. After everything you've done to me!” I shouted at him. “And besides, I do not owe you shit anymore.”

“I guess it's your loss then. We will find your little girl, and we will torture her in front of you.” he pointed out disappointed. “Just imagine her little bones cracking and her wings being cut off her while still alive, of course. Her screaming your name for help, and you won't be able to do anything.” he said and walked out of the room. He left me again in the darkness...

Days or even weeks passed, and they tried everything to make me join them. They tortured me, bribed me, threatened me and my daughter, didn't feed me properly, and they even bribed a police officer to come down to my cell to feed me false reports about my Dashie's disappearance and to break me down spiritually. Despite everything I've been through, I still didn't lose my sanity.

But I couldn't take it anymore, and although this was the least I wanted, I eventually decided to join them. In the sole purpose of protecting my Dashie, and my future generation. I knew I would hate myself for it, I even knew that my Dashie would hate me for it. But it was only for her own protection, and I was ready making that sacrifice.

They ordered me to stay out of sight, to travel with a cloak on. They even gave me a new name; 'Ghost'. Because I was a living dead. I was supposed to be dead, but was yet living. That's what they thought of the name.

My opinion on that matter is that I was dead on the inside, but living on the outside. That's why I kind of liked carrying that name. It suited me.

“Welcome to the crew....” the leader said and offered his hooves as a hoofshake. I ignored it and walked past him.


“... I had a detective as a friend, and told him about your location when nobody was around. I knew that you would be in good hooves with him, Dashie. You're probably asking yourself why I didn't tell him about what happened? The reason for that is that there weren't any proofs. And these guys were much more than drug dealers. They also were, and still are, one of the most powerful gangs in Equestria. They had bribed the police to leave them alone, and the judge, so they wouldn't be sentenced to jail if they'd be caught doing something wrong. But this is the story about what happened. I'm really sorry for this disturbing story, and I'm sorry I lied to you. I just... I've missed you all so much!” he said and broke down again. “I miss your mother. I've missed you, Dashie.”

My eyes were wide open and my jaw was dropped while listening to his life story. I felt for sickness and anger in my heart, and I really wanted to kill all of those guys who made him go through that. But there was one other thing that bothered me. I felt like I knew that story. Like I've seen or heard about that exact incident before.

I couldn't imagine what my Dashie was going through at that moment, but I saw it on her teary eyes that she couldn't stand it either.

“T-T-They killed my mom? T-They killed my unborn little brother? I didn't even know she was pregnant!” she yelled and broke down next to Ghost. They hugged in their sorrow, and she squeezed him to let him know that she was back. “I forgive you daddy. I didn't know that you were going through hell all this time.”

“I know, dear child. But not all hope is lost!” he said as he sobbed. “I've been trying to bring her back from the dead ever since she died.” he pointed out. “I'm almost there! I know what I must do for it to work. I need some ancient magical artifacts that are located in a cave North of here.” he said and laughed full of hope.

Dashie let go of him and looked at him with a puzzled look. “What do you mean? Bring her back from the dead?” she yelled and couldn't believe her ears. “That's not possible. Even the princesses barely possess that power.”

“Yes! But it's a complicated ritual that I must perform. I need your assistance. And you, Dragonborn...” he said and pointed at me. “I'm going to need your help for it to work.”

“I'll do everything I can to bring her back, but what do you need?” I asked very interested and surprised.

“I will tell you everything on the way. You must follow me.”

“We can't do that. We're on our own journey at the moment.” Dashie pointed out. “It will have to wait for another time.”

“But... but...”

“Drake, can you please help us after we're done speaking to the Greybeards?” she asked me, and I accepted in a blink of an eye.

“You have my word, Ghost. But for now, go to Ponyville. You'll be safe there. But tell me, the boss who did those horrible things to you... is that him?” I asked and pointed on one of the dead guys by the lake.

“No. That ain't him. This is just the leader of my group. My “boss” is in Cloudsdale in one of his secret bunker. I've tried assassinating him in his sleep, but it always failed. Sometimes I got caught, and was tortured for days. I eventually gave up when he threatened to kill my daughter.”

“I will have his head on a spike!” Dashie yelled and I noticed how she lusted for his blood. “And you, Drake! He will receive no mercy, even though he begs for it! Do not hinder me in killing him. He is going to die, whether you like it or not!” she yelled coldly.

I couldn't say no to that. In fact, I wouldn't show him any mercy at all either. “I will help you take him down.” I vowed and lowered my head to her.

“I want his death to be slow and painful. Oh yes...I'm going to torture him. I'm going to make him watch as I slaughter his buddies in front of him. But that's just the start...” she said full of anger and hate.

“And I will help you.”

“Thanks Drake.” she said and smirked weakly. “But only after we've revived my mother... anyways, how are you going to do it?” she asked her dad.

“Don't worry about that. We have to find her bones first, after that we'll have to look out for the ancient artifacts I told you about. I know where they are located, but I need both of your help. After we've found those artifacts, I'm going to have to make a blood ritual, I'm afraid, and you must come with me. I must use some of your blood because you are the only one alive related to her. Don't worry, I don't need much, I only need a little cut and a little sample of your blood. Is that alright?”

“Everything to bring her back.” she answered full of determination and with no hesitation. “But for now, try to stay hidden in Ponyville like Drake said. Seek out a pony named Twilight Sparkle. Tell her you're my father, and she will without a doubt let you stay with her until we're back.” she added and hugged her daddy again.

“I will. Don't take too long. I want to see my Spurtie alive again as soon as possible.” he answered. “But you, Dragonborn...”

“Call me Drake.” I suggested and smiled to him.

“Alright, Drake. I've no doubt that you are going to be a great father, and I'm honored to have you as my son in law.”

Dashie and me both looked at each other, chuckled awkwardly and blushed a bit.

“Well... with all due of respect, we aren't planning on having any...kids. And we're not even married yet.” I said awkwardly and smirked clumsily.

“Yeah... dad. I'm not ready to have kids. I'm still young, and I just wouldn't have the time. I want to live my life to the max first.” she pointed out and chuckled awkwardly as well.

“Shame.” he muttered. “Anyhow, I'm leaving. Thank you both very much for freeing me. It means a lot to me. I got to see my daughter, be free from those thugs, and I got to meet the one and only Dragonborn. And he's with my girl! I almost feel honored.” he said and laughed. “Anyways, I will see ya both in Ponyville. But what was her name again? Twilight Sparkle?”

We both nodded and gave him a goodbye hug.

When he disappeared from our sight and left us all alone again, I walked up to her and gave her a hug.

“I'm so sorry.” I said and nuzzled her neck.

“I still can't believe it.. my dad alive and his brutal life experience. Everything he went through to protect me. I... I don't know what to say.” she said and sighed.

“We both love you with all our hearts. That's what counts. You're not alone. You'll never be alone ever again.”

“I know.” she replied and covered her face in my right shoulder. “But it isn't fair! That bastard killed my mom when she was pregnant of my little brother. Also the fact that she was the leader of the Wonderbolts! I didn't know that, and I can't believe how courageous she was! I'm honored and proud of being her child.” she said and chuckled weakly.

“We're going to bring her back. And we're going to kill that son of a bitch. Painfully. You have my word. Cross my heart and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye.” I said and kissed her on her forehead.

“I know. I'm so glad to have you with me. I'm so glad that we're together. But how did you know about the Pinkie promi... oh yes. Of course.” she said and chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“It's alright. You're the toughest person I've ever met. You get shit done. So, are you ready to continue our journey?” I asked her and tried to sound reassuring. I wanted her to be happy.

“Let's do it!” she yelled and grinned.

I hesitated when I remembered something... I thought about her dad's story one more time and realized one thing. I gasped and stared at Dashie full of thoughts.

“Are you all right?” she asked me but I barely heard her due to my thoughts.

“Dashie! Do you remember when I woke up in your apartment because of a bad nightmare?” I asked and panted.

“Yes? What are you getting at?” she asked worried.

“His story matched perfectly to my nightmare. I dreamed about that incidence, but instead of them... it was us. That's why I startled you by shouting out of the blue someone to let you go. They were making me watch as they... tortured you. And by the description from your dad about that boss, he was a perfect match.” I almost yelled and bit my lower lip. “What if I saw into... the future? What if that's going to happen when we go after him?”

“Wait... did you have a nightmare about us being captive by those guys and they were torturing me while making you watch? Just like what happened to my parents?”

“Yes. They did horrible things to you. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to lose you.” I said and hugged her, but she didn't hug me back.

“That's not going to happen. We are going in there and we are going to kill them, one by one, very slowly. We will end with the “boss”. I'm going to be all night torturing him. With or without your help.” she said and didn't have the slightest doubt in her voice.

“I swore I was going to help you.. but the only thing I'm going to ask you is to think about it some more before taking a decision.”

“Thanks, but I have made my mind up. I'm going to kill him.”

“If that is what you want...” I said again, and that made her hug me back.

“Thank you so much...”


At last we arrived to the up the throat of the world after a painful walk with our stuff up the 7000 steps. But it was finally over. We were at last on the doorstep.

The building in front of us was bigger than I expected, especially since it's located near the top of that big mountain. It wasn't exactly at the top, but very near it. The building was made of stone and looked very strong. No bad weather would take it down.

We nodded to each other before I knocked on the door. It didn't take them a long time to open it up, but I was greeted by a gray Unicorn in a dark gray cloth and he had a beard. Figured... He also had blue eyes.”

“So... a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age.”

“Yes. I'm answering your summons. Let me introduce you to-”

“Miss Rainbow Dash, I believe.” he interrupted. “But we will see if you, Dragonborn, truly have the gift.” he said and turned around and walked inside the building.

Before we walked inside I gave Dashie another weird look, and she did the same to me.

“Do you know him?” I asked curiously.

“No, I've never met him before.” she replied very confused. “Let's just get inside.”

I nodded and waited for her to enter before me. It was very cozy and warm inside, at least in comparison to the snow and blizzard outside. There were torches on the wall and everything looked very ancient. The walls were made of stone and there were even pillars here and there.

I noticed that there were more unicorn ponies gathered in a circle and awaiting me. They all spoke in tongues when they noticed me.

“I'm going to have to ask miss Rainbow Dash to go to the next room while we're testing you.” he said friendly.

“No. She's staying.” I demanded and looked not very pleased into his eyes. The greybeard thought about it, and eventually nodded.

“Alright. But do not interfere. Now, show us Dragonborn, let us taste of your voice.” he said and walked up to me and waited for me to shout at him. “Do not be afraid. Your Shout will not harm us. Strike us with the power of the Voice!”

'Alright', I thought to myself before I shouted “FUS!” at him. He stumbled a bit, but smirked when he realized that I was truly the One.

“So, it is you.” he said and walked in circles around me. “I know everything about you, Dragonborn. I even knew you were the Dragonborn the same second I saw you.”

“Then why did you ask me to demonstrate my power?” I asked confused.

“Wouldn't you request the same if you were talking to a legend and a myth who was considered wielding a great power of the Voice?”

“I guess that's...”

“And I know everything about your past. Yes, even your sad little life when you were a human. Surprised?” he interrupted and wiped the smile off his face.

“How do you know these-”

“I don't know why the gods chose you. I really don't. You are just a sad little human. Still are. And now you're with one of my species. Tell me... isn't it considered bestiality where you come from? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Don't you feel like your dignity is gone or something?”

“Now wait just a minute!” Dashie interrupted and snapped opened her wings to launch herself at him, but I stopped her at the last second. I shook my head slowly. She nodded to me and calmed down. “Next time, I hurt you...” she muttered.

“With all due of respect, sir. But I despise bestiality, and I despise people who have sexual intercourse with animals. But there is one thing I do not understand. Do you look at yourself as an animal?” I asked him very calmly and tried to figure out his strange behavior.

“No, but your kind does...”

“Well, I'm not like them. I don't see your people as animals. In fact, I feel like I'm a more pony now than I was a human. I feel like this is my true body, and it was my destiny to be sent here. I don't feel like I belong on Earth, and that's why I never want to go back. And do not question about the gods' decision.” I interrupted and tried my best to reassure him as I also tried my best to stay calm and prevent myself from attacking him. “There had to be a reason why they chose me.”

“I'm still disgusted by the fact that you're mating with one of us. You'll never be accepted here.”

“I don't care if my Dashie here isn't a human. I don't care at all. Race and gender doesn't matter in my opinion. Only the personality. And do not ever question about my decisions and my personal life ever again. Now I think I'm done here. I expected more from you, you know.” I said disappointed and turned around and walked slowly to the exit. “Common Dashie, we're leaving.”

Before I got any further I heard him slowly clopping his hooves together. I turned around to face him again to see that  he had a wide smile on his face.

“You passed the test, Dragonborn. Welcome to High Hrothgar!” he said and walked towards me.

“A test?” I asked very puzzled, but it did explain why he changed from a pretty civil guy to a complete asshole.

“Yes. I was testing if you could keep your temper, and you passed. But I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. And do not worry about the things I said to you. I am perfectly fine with you.”

“Right...Arngeir. I will keep that in mind. But why does my temper matter anyways?”

“Being able to control yourself is a big part of being powerful, my dear Dragonborn. You can handle about any situation if you're able to control your temper.”

“But...”

“If you want more details... you could have been a moron and a fool who was lucky enough to be born with this great gift. I know that the gods make the choices, but if that was the case, if you really were a moron, it would require a lot more work for both you and me. Get it?” he asked again, but much more mildly and friendlier than before.

“I see... but you've put me through 3 tests now. Walking up the steps instead of flying up, demonstrating the Voice and that weird temper test of yours. Doesn't it just about prove that I am indeed the Dragonborn?”

“We have no doubts that you are the Dragonborn. We only want to see what strength is in you. Now, we will do our best to teach you how to use your gifts in fulfillment of your destiny. Please, come with me.” he said and walked away from me.

Dashie and I silently followed him wherever he was leading us to. He led us to the middle of the room, inside a big square that was carved on the floor.

“By the way... we are honored to have you here with us in High Hrothgar. The Greybeards have been waiting for this moment for 200 years now.”

“Thank you. But what are you going to do to me?” I asked curious, but I somehow trusted them. They seemed like they know what they were doing.

“We are going to grant a new strength to your Unrelenting Force. It will be much more powerful.”

I nodded in approval when I heard that. “Awesome. I'm ready.”

“We have been learning the way of the Voice for years, or in the dragon tongue “Thu'um”. We barely know a few shouts, but you are the Dragonborn. It takes you a matter of seconds to learn a new shout, or an upgrade to a shout, when it takes us years, like I previously stated. We will show you what we know.” he paused for a bit to clear his throat. “Like you probably know by now; when you shout, you speak in the language of dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power. All shouts are made up of three Words of Power. As you master each word, your Shout will become progressively stronger.”

“Yeah, I know. I learned Fus not so long ago.”

“Indeed you did. Master Einarth will now teach you, “Ro”, the second word in Unrelenting Force.”

He kept speaking while Einarth got himself ready to teach me. “Ro means “balance” in the dragon tongue. Combine it with Fus - “Force” - to focus your Thu'um more sharply.”

“Ro.” Einarth whispered to the floor and his horn started to glow. After a couple of seconds, some kind of markings showed up on the stone floor. I took a good look at it and noticed some kind of aura going around me from it. After looking at it for a while, I felt for sharp sting in my brain. “Whoa!” I shouted when that happened.

“You learned a new word like a master... you truly do have the gift. But learning the Word of Power is only the first step... you must unlock it's meaning through constant practice in order to use it in a Shout.” He said and paused to see if I was still listening to him. “Well, that is how the rest of us learn Shouts. As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's life force and knowledge directly. As part of the initiation, Master Einarth will allow you to tap into his understanding of “Ro.” ”

Einarth walked up to me and started speaking in a language I couldn't understand. Well... I did understand some of it, but all of a sudden I felt for something. An aura of some kind flowed around and through me. I felt for it inside me and the power it brought with it.

“Now let us see how quickly you can master your new Thu'um. Use the unrelenting force to strike down the enemies as they appear. We will summon some kind of images and spirits that won't do you any harm. But try to strike them down.”

“Let's do it.” I said and crackled my neck.

“Fiik...Lo...Sah!” Einarth shouted to make those spirits appear.

I did what they requested me to do and I shouted “FUS...RO!” at the spirits as they appeared. The Shout was much more powerful than before, and the thought of it not being fully upgraded made me smile even wider.

“Well done, Dragonborn. Do it again.”

“Again? But I just proved that it worked.” I said but wasn't protesting anything.

“We must be one hundred percent sure that you are able to control it. Now, again!” he demanded.

I did what he asked me to do and proved once again that I was indeed able to control it.

“Impressive. Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise, Dragonborn. You have shown that you are ready to learn the third word for that Thu'um; “Dah” which means; “Push.””

“I'm ready.” I said again and eager to get it over with. I wanted to learn it as soon as possible.

Another Greybeard walked up to me and whispered “Dah” at the floor. I heard a small crackle in the ground and yet another symbol appeared. I quickly looked at it to learn it. I waited patiently for that sharp sting.

He then spoke in the tongue of dragons and sent the knowledge from him to me, so I could perform it. At last, I knew all the words of the 'Unrelenting Force.' I looked around for my Dashie to see that she was amazed and very excited. I also smirked and chuckled softly when I noticed that she was looking around the place very curiously and looking at ancient tablets and pictures of old times that were hung on the wall.

“With all three Shouts together, this Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely.”

“Thank you so much for everything.” I said as I knelt before them. “I will use it wisely.”

“Stand up, Dragonborn. We are not done yet. There are more shouts we want you to learn...” he said and chuckled. I was very relieved and happy to hear that. The more the better. “But do not think we will teach you everything. We are just ordinary ponies, and we only know a few Words of Power. You must for yourself continue with what you've learned here. I would suggest looking inside ancient caves for more Words. They are scattered throughout Equestria.”

“I will. I'm ready to learn and unlock the next power, please.” I said as I lowered my head for him in appreciation.

“That's good to hear. Follow Master Borri to the courtyard.”

“The courtyard?”

“You'll see...”

A couple of hours later, and I had learned and mastered a new shout they called; “Whirlwind Sprint” or “Wuld, Nah, Kest” in the dragon language. It allowed me to sprint in an incredible speed for a second or so. It wasn't as fast as I could fly at top speed, but it would be of great use if I wanted to avoid a trap or something. Shout three words, and I'd be out of danger.

Dashie, Arngeir and I walked up to the balcony and looked out to see the incredible view. The mountains everywhere, the lights from the towns and cities in different directions. We even barely saw Ponyville, Cloudsdale and Canterlot.

But as we admired the beautiful scenery, a green vertical light in a distance interrupted.

“What is that?” I asked and stared at the light. Even Dashie was getting a little worried.

“It is Alduin. He is waking up the dragons.” he said without looking at me. But all of a sudden he made a sudden movement which took me off guard. “Dragonborn. You must be ready. The time of the dragons has come...”

Chapter 7: The Quest of Impossibility

“He's waking up! He's finally waking up!” I heard someone yell as I slowly gained my consciousness. My head hurt like all hell and my body felt very weak. I felt for needles and wires attached to my body. But, even besides all that, something felt very wrong.

“The patient is waking up!” I heard another one yell in a laugh. “We did it! We did the impossible! Drinks are on me tonight!” he added in triumph, full of relief and happiness.

“D-Dashie? W-where am I?” I managed to push out with a very weak, crispy voice. I was blinded for some seconds due to the strong light, so I couldn't analyze anything around me yet. Everything was happening so fast. All the yelling, all the cheering, all the noises around me; it messed with my brain.

“He's asking for someone called Dashie... check in his phone! Maybe he has this person in his contacts list.” someone said hastily. Wait... did he say...phone?

That really startled me, making me open my eyes completely despite the fact that I felt very weak. After a while, I realized that I was in a bed inside a white room. I was no doubt in a hospital by the looks of it.

“Easy there... easy there.” someone said very calmly. My blood turned to ice when I heard that voice. My head wouldn't turn to take a look at the person beside me at first, but eventually gave in and obeyed my mind in the end. I slowly turned my head to the right to see a doctor. But much to my surprise, he was no pony. He was a human.

My eyes widened as much as they could as I terrifyingly stared into his eyes. I was completely frozen and stunned for I wouldn't believe my very eyes. My heart had almost stopped pumping in disbelief and my lungs couldn't take in more air.

The person in front of me appeared to be around mid thirties. He had short brown hair, brown eyes, was shaved and wore a big warm smile on his face. His small eyes and his disturbing looking smile indicated that he was a friend, but I was too confused to know from right to wrong. I couldn't notice anything more about him since I was still completely stunned, but despite my shock, my mind categorized him as an enemy. Not as a threat of any kind, but certainly not as a friend in my book.

He tried to reach out for me, to touch me, but I automatically backed off as he approached.

“N-No! Wh-what the hell is going on? What happened? Where am I? Why aren't you a pony?!” I shouted in a rapid succession as I realized that I wasn't dreaming, completely freaked out. I got a harsh grip on the smiling doctor and yelled at him again where I was... where Dashie was. That replaced his smile with a small unsecured frown.

“Easy there. I know that your brain is still trying to adapt to the environment after so long, and that's probably why you asked me that weird question about why I wasn't a... uh, pony? It's only understandable that you don't know your situation after being gone for so long. But don't worry, you will adapt in time. For now, try to relax. We'll find this Dashie of yours.”

“What happened to me? Where am I?” I repeated myself nervously and panted. But then I noticed my hands. “No!” I shrieked in disbelief as I moved my fingers individually. I refused to face the fact that they had brought me back; ruined everything!

“What's wrong?” the doctor asked very worriedly. “You can tell me.”

“I just...” I swallowed before continuing. “I just want to go back. I... I need to go back. Please, take me back!” I insisted with tears in my eyes. My face and body was covered in sweat due to my anxiety.

“I don't know what you're talking about, but you'll be fine from now on. We didn't notice any brain damage, but whatever happened to you, you're very lucky to be alive. In fact, you did die. But we were able to revive you just in the nick of time. You have been in a coma for 21 months or so. Welcome back to reality.” he said and gave me a pat on my shoulder as well a warm smile. “You just press this button if you need anything.” he added before leaving the room with the other cheering doctors.

Did he just say... 21 months? Was I out for 21 months?! But that doesn't make any sense! I'd only been in Equestria for a month or so. Perhaps the time in Equestria is-- I sighed. Who am I kidding... perhaps this was all happening inside my head all along. My accomplishments, my friends, me being a Dragonborn and my relationship with...Dashie... all made up inside my fucking head!

I started crying and sobbing, and lay down again. It felt so real... it was too real to be just made up inside my head. My friends were too real. My relationship and love to Rainbow Dash was too real to be just made up. Our moments were just too real. Everything was just too goddamn real!

And there I was... lying in my misery in a hospital bed after being unconscious for 21 months. I finally found my happiness in Equestria, but only for approximately a month there. And it was taken away from me.

Or maybe it was all just a deception. Maybe I had made it all up inside my head because of my lack of happiness here.  It had to be the reason, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it didn't make any sense that I would be some kind of a prophecy in Equestria... it honestly sounded silly, even though I didn't want to admit it.

I heavily sighed and closed my eyes again. “It just felt so... real.” I whispered to myself.

3 months later...

It was my birthday. Joy, oh joy. 22 years old and still as miserable as ever. My day was pretty depressing as usual; I woke up with a depressive sigh, got to work, worked my ass off and had to consult doctors and psychologists about my strange incident.

Regarding the work; my co-workers tried to be nice to me after I got rehired back to work. They often invited me to parties and fun activities such as going to the cinemas, bowling... that kind of stuff. But I always declined them respectively. I knew they were trying to be nice and to befriend me because of what happened to me and they wanted to show me that they supported me, but I just couldn't accept their offers nor did I want their friendship. I was socially ruined in this world. But I was very appreciated for them thinking about me, even though they didn't seem to notice me before my incident.

But every day went on the same way. There was no variety in my life anymore; no adventures, no friends, no flying, no freedom...nothing at all. Now I had to meet psychologists and doctors and tell them about what happened. I was a little stubborn at first. I just wanted to be left alone for good. But later on I loosened up a little and told them everything about what happened. I told them about me being the Dragonborn and about the ponies. But I left out my relationship with Rainbow, because that was none of their damn business. I expected them to laugh at me, but I was appreciated that they took it pretty seriously. They listened to me, cheered me up, and they didn't take me for a psychopath. That's why I kept visiting them, even though I was pretty sure they didn't believe me. It was part of their jobs to listen to their patients anyways...

They found out that I was missing someone; that I apparently had a broken heart or something. And they were right. Not a day passed without me thinking about her, about Dashie. The day I got home from the hospital, I immediately checked the latest episode of MLP to check if the humans were watching me; if I was indeed in the show all along. But not to my surprise, nothing related to me or a Dragonborn was even mentioned. It's like everything I'd done, and everything that happened didn't take place. That could either mean that it was made up all along, or that I was indeed only in the same universe but not in the show itself. But it got me thinking, because they still had the same background as in the show and everything that happened in the show, also happened in the universe I visited. Like I said... I tried watching MLP again, but gave it up since it was just too hard to cope with. It only fueled the thoughts about my moments and adventures in Equestria, and that killed me.

I'd tried moving on, but it didn't work. Every day I woke up with a desperate need of flying around, to hug a pony again, to breathe in the fresh and pure air, to be out of this god forsaken world... That always made me think about the first time I hugged a pony. Rainbow was the first one I hugged and I still remember how that felt. I clenched my fists to the thought as I wanted to feel it again. Rainbow or not, I just desperately needed a hug from a pony. Even though I mostly wanted it from her.

Another thing that I missed was kissing her; her skittle tasting saliva, the feelings that followed. I even bought myself tons of skittles because it was the closest I could get. It reminded me of her... not that I would ever forget her anyways.

Every day since I got graduated from the hospital I've been regularly praying to the gods to bring me back to Equestria, but they didn't listen to me. Maybe it was because they weren't from my dimension. But I never gave up.

I hadn't smiled since I woke up from my dream, not even once. With every day that passed, I started accepting the fact that it was just a dream all along. Maybe I was just going insane... maybe I created this world inside my head while I was in a coma. I sighed when I thought about it all being just made up, for it was more real to me than this world could ever be. But even though I was starting to believe that those events had never taken place, I still thought day by day about what they could be doing. If Twilight was perhaps reading. If Fluttershy was taking care of her little critters or if Rarity was making a new dress. If Pinkie was preparing a party or making cupcakes... if Applejack was perhaps applebucking. If Rainbow was on her way to Ponyville to meet her dad and help him bring her mother back to life with that ancient, rare, illegal blood ritual.

Another thing that I'd been wondering about... when I got that nightmare, did I really look into the future? Or was it perhaps all a coincidence?

Why even bother about thinking about it? It didn't happen anyways...

I finally got home after a long and a boring day and did the thing I always did; lay down in my bed with my iPod and listened to some music with my big headset whilst staring at the ceiling and thinking about life. I must have lain there listening to songs for about an hour when out of the blue appeared a bright light on my wall. It looked like a portal of some kind.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief as I thought it would probably just go away. But much to my surprise, it didn't. It kept shining on the wall and that made my hopes go up again. What if it was a portal of some kind back to Equestria? It would make sense since I hadn't fulfilled my destiny yet; that is to slay the evil dragon lord Alduin and to prevent chaos and death from overtaking Equestria.

I turned off my iPod, and made sure to have it in my hand if this was indeed my chance to go back to the reality. Yes, Equestria was more real to me than this dying and terrible world.

Without any hesitation I walked up to the bluish light on my wall next to my bed and touched it. But nothing happened. So I tried something else...

“Uhh...hello?” I asked, but again, nothing happened. I sighed, but didn't give up because there had to be a reason for it to shine like that on the wall. Nothing happens without a reason. “Hello?” I asked again, but this time I felt for something. I heard a voice in my head; whispering things into my brain. I didn't know if I was starting to get insane, or if this was actually happening. I decided to believe in the latter.

“Dragonborn...” it said to me. “You haven't completed the task we've set out for you, yet here you are.” it added.

I couldn't believe it. This was my chance to get back indeed! To see my friends again, to return to Equestria, and most importantly, to meet her again.

“Yes! I haven't completed your task! Please, you have to send me back!” I pleaded and knelt for the light. “Please. Take me away from this horrible place.”

“That we will... we have chosen you to fight for Equestria. You... are its only hope. Brace yourself. Your human feelings will be having a hard time overcoming the pain you'll be going through.”

“I don't care about that. I just need to get back. I need to finish my job! Equestria needs help, and I am the only one who can prevent the dragons from taking over!” I yelled and laughed in happiness and finally smiled for the first time since I was in Equestria. I was about to go back and meet everybody again! I'd get into my real body and get to fly in the clean, fresh air! I was about to meet Dashie and my friends again!

“Make us proud, Dragonborn.” the voice said, but before he did anything else, I stopped him.

“Wait! There are some things I want to make clear before I go.” I stopped him because I understood that this was my chance to get rid of this world forever. “Since I am doing this difficult task for you...”

“Yes... you want something in return.” the voice replied and made it sound like it was a good idea. “Very well, Dragonborn. What are your wishes?”

“There are a couple of things I need. First of all; after my work in Equestria is done, I do not want to return to this world ever again. I will live in Equestria till I die. No turning back.”

“We had no intentions in sending you back to this world anyways, but you got yourself a deal. You know... even though we could force you to do this for us, we still want to reward you. Is that all? Is there something else you wish?” the voice told me, and now I was getting more excited than before.

“If you can…”

“There is nothing we can't do!” the voice hissed. “Do not question about the power of the gods!”

“I have no doubt of that, and I do not doubt any of you. Far from it. But I want to bring my iPod and headset with me, and I want you to 'upgrade' it so it will never run out of battery.” This was my chance to show them all a taste of the good elements from this world. Music.

“Deal. We think that's enough blessings for you...now go! Go and fulfill your destiny!”

“I want to hear your promise that you will destroy this body...” I said and pointed to my chest. “And I'll be a resident, a pony in Equestria forever. No turning back to this world.”

“That, we will, but we cannot destroy your memories of this world, for it can be very useful against Alduin. Besides, it may even destroy you as an individual if we'd do that. Your personality would completely change.”

“So that's why you ignored me when I begged you to take away my memories about me being a human, because you knew that it would destroy me?” I asked surprised.

“Yes. Now, let us send you back. You may take your time to say goodbye to this world. We will wait for your return. Just don't take too long.”

“I think that won't be necessary. I have nothing here, no one to say goodbye to. I'm completely on my own as my family all...died. My parents and my sister. They all died in a car crash. I feel like I don't belong to this world so please, take me back to Equestria and let this be my last here on Earth.” I said with a tear in my eye when I thought about my supportive family. They were the only ones who supported me and everything I went through, but they died in a car crash when I was 19. My mom, dad and my 15 year old sister. I managed to survive that crash though; with “luck”.

It was I who converted my sister into the bronydom, and we often had very interesting conversations about My Little Pony. Her favorite of the mane 6 was Applejack, but mine was Twilight Sparkle at first. But the more episodes I watched, the more it began to change from Twilight being my favorite into Pinkie Pie. And later on it changed from Pinkie Pie to Rainbow Dash.

Now that I think about those moments... I want to see them again. But I had to stay strong. I had to move on and live my life like my parents wanted me to live like, and so far I've done a terrible job at it...

To be happy... but that was about to change.

“We warn you again. You will feel incredible pains, as we're slowly destroying your body in the process. Also note that your family bloodline will die out, as you are the last one in your family. But you do not have a choice to back out we're afraid, for you are the true Dragonborn, and no one can be a replace for you.”

“I know that I will end my family's bloodline... but this is what I want.” I said and prepared myself by closing my eyes and clenching my fists. “One other thing... what took you so long?”

“Our powers are limitless in your world as we aren't a part of it... nor are you.”

That got my attention. “Please explain?” I asked puzzled and very confused.

“You were always meant to be born in Equestria, but it seems like you were unfortunate enough to be born in this dying world instead. You've always been a part pony ever since you were born, even though both of your parents were human and that you were raised by them; thus, completely clueless about your true identity. Now, we are here to take you back to your real home, where you belong. Are you ready?”

I didn't move as I stared lifelessly into the blue portal of some kind. What they had told me... it didn't make much sense to me. How could that be? But I believed them. If they say that I'm not human... if I was born in a wrong body, then they must have meant it. Perhaps that was the reason why I was so unhappy. Because even though I had never known about me being something else than a human, I still felt like something was wrong. Like I didn't belong here. Perhaps that was the reason why I got bullied in school? Because everyone knew that I wasn't normal? No, I doubt it... there was nothing wrong with me. I was both physically and mentally healthy. I even was one of the strongest in my class and I always had high grades. But now as an adult, I've got a pretty muscular body and I was pretty good looking, to be honest.

“Do not get us wrong, Dragonborn. Even though you are supposed to be a pony, you were born with the traits of the humans, and raised by them. Your body and mind is of a human, but your spirit is of a pony and dragon.”

I swallowed and tried to digest the sudden facts they told me about myself, and tried to breathe normally. That news wasn’t bad at all. I liked the fact to be so special...

Me not being a complete human.

“So, what you're saying is that my body, in Equestria, is my real body? Is the body I was originally supposed to be born in?”

“That is what we speak of, yes.”

“I see...” I said and nervously looked around the room as I nodded a couple of times. “I've been living in a lie all along then... but enough of that. Take me back. I'm ready.”

Everything is depending on you now, Dragonborn. Brace yourself and fulfill your destiny!” the voice said again as I felt for a painful feeling like someone had a grip on my lungs; crushing them.

My body immediately collapsed to the ground as I felt for the force slowly destroying my body. It was brutal and even bloody. The pain was immense, even worse than when I crashed into the ground in Equestria.

I was thankful for my decision about crashing into the ground. If I hadn't, my relationship with Dashie may have never had taken place and I wouldn't had known about going up that mountain to learn that Thu'um.

But I remembered when that happened to me the first time; the feeling when I was being pulled into Equestria. Only this time, my body was being destroyed in the process; leaving absolutely nothing left of me. I remembered how I cried for help, how I tried to get to the phone and call for aid. But this time, I smiled and didn't dare reaching my phone despite the fact that the pain was beyond imaginable. But that didn't stop me from screaming and yelling in pain. That was the body's will. That was in my nature, to cry out for help if something was happening to me. I truly wished they could just make my body disappear, but I guess things aren't always exactly as you imagine them.

But at last...and finally I lost my consciousness due to all the pain...


“You should maybe consider heading home, miss Rainbow Dash.” Arngeir said as he randomly appeared by the doorway.

“No, I'm not leaving him until he wakes up! Even if that means I'll have to wait for a whole month. With all due of respect Master Arngeir, and with your permission, I'd like to stay until he wakes up.”

“I am deeply sorry, miss Rainbow Dash. But you simply cannot stay until he wakes up. He's already been out for 24 hours. We know that he will wake up eventually, for he is the Dragonborn and hasn't fulfilled his destiny yet. But the question is; when will he wake up? It may well be that he won't wake up for dozens of years.”

“Bullshit!” Rainbow shouted at Arngeir but realized that it was perhaps a little more harshly than she intended. “I'm sorry.” she excused herself and lowered her head. “Just... give me a few days. Please?”

“Yes. I think you can stay for a few days. But don't get your hopes up.” he said and leaved the cozy, stone made room. There were torches lit by magical fire that weren't harmful, and never quenched out on the walls. The room temperature was balanced and there was a red carpet on the floor.

But Dashie sat there next to me on a small chair and held my left hoof tightly. “It's going to be alright. I'm here for you... I'll always be there for you.” she whispered and squeezed my hoof as she lightly kissed me on my forehead.

She then crawled into the king sized bed and lied next to me and fell asleep. Some time passed before I finally, and suddenly, gained my consciousness.

I felt a little dizzy, but other than that I was completely fine until I slowly opened my eyes. They were a little blurred and weak, but fortunately, the room's lights were dim and deaf; making it easier for me to adjust my sight.

“W-What happened?” I whispered as I slowly looked around the room with my eyes still a little blurred. “W-Where am I?”

But I immediately knew where I was after I had regained my sight, for I knew that environment. I couldn't believe it, and I even stopped breathing for a second. I was...back. I looked at my right hoof and laughed happily. I was really back!

I turned around to notice Dashie... sleeping like a rock by my side as she held my left hoof firmly in her arms. I nearly yelled and shouted in happiness when I saw her. I wanted to wake her up and let her know that I was back. I wanted to hug her again. But I decided to fight my urge, and to let her sleep for a little while longer.

I lay down again and cuddled myself up to her. I tried to get as close to her without waking her up, even though I wanted to. God how much I'd missed feeling for her warm body against mine, her chest moving as she breathed. I still couldn't believe that it was true all along. It wasn't made up in my head after all. I just knew that it was too real to be created in my head by my own insanity.

I wrapped my right hoof around her and rested my head on her mane as I closed my eyes, but I didn't fall asleep.

I must have lain there for a while before she finally woke up. I felt for her heart pound faster and her body shivering when she noticed that I wasn't in the same position as before. I couldn't wait for any longer. I had to let her know that I was back. Hearing her voice again pretty much broke it.

“D-Drake? Are you awake?” she asked and turned around to see me with my open eyes and smiling to her.

I yelled “Dashie!” as I quickly launched myself at her and hugged her.

“Drake!” she yelled in return and hugged me back and squeezed me. “I was getting worried!” she added.

“I've missed you.. so, so much!” I said and teared up again. I'd been waiting for that moment with a very little hope for three months now, and now I was finally back into her arms! I looked at her beautiful eyes and kissed her. She returned that kiss and we went on for some time. In fact, I didn't care at all about how much time passed. But a single minute felt like a second.  After that, we nuzzled our noses together.

“Why are you acting like that? Weren't you asleep?” she asked me with a big grin on her face while still hugging me. We didn't want to let each other go. We hugged each other like our lives depended on it.

“Oh, god...” I whispered and tried to get rid of my lump in my throat by swallowing. “I've just missed you so much, and I didn't think I'd ever see you, or anyone else again.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“Doctors... doctors revived me. They brought me back to my so called world. I've been gone for three months.” I said and breathed heavily.

She let go of me and looked at my face. “What? I don't understand. You've only been sleeping for something about a day now. You just collapsed in front of us all of a sudden, without any sign of sickness or anything.”

“Yes, I was sleeping for a whole day, here in Equestria. But in my dimension... in my world, I'd been living my horrible life for three months...”

“Three months? I still don't quite understand. How did you get back? Tell me everything.”


I told her about everything, and described every little details to her. I also used that opportunity to tell her about Earth and humanity, as well as I was originally supposed to be a pony, but was somehow by bad luck born on Earth instead. She was very interested by that fact, and somewhat relieved. What I liked about those facts was that I wouldn't have to feel bad about mating with a pony anymore, since I was originally supposed to be one anyway. Not that I felt bad about being with her, it's just that there was always those little feelings bothering me; reminding me that this is not what a normal human being would do.

I also tried to describe a human, but it didn't sound very well, so I decided to wait with it; perhaps ask Twilight if she had a spell for a memory transfer.

I told her about my past, my former family, and about how rough my life had been. I noticed how slightly depressed she got after all that.

“I-Is your family dead? All of them?” she asked full of sympathy, since she clearly knew the feeling of losing someone.

“Yes. My mom, dad, little sister.... they all died in a so called 'car crash'. A “car”, also known as an 'automobile', is a vehicle that is driven by a motor machine. It is used for transporting passengers from one destination to the other. That vehicle can be very fast, although it can't be any faster than the Pegasus' flight. What happened is that I was heading home from a vacation with my family. It was night time and we were all very tired. I was talking to my sister about My Li... I mean, about stuff while my mom slept and my father drove. It was a bit rainy as well. The thing is, there was a drunk driver heading towards us and crashed into us at full speed.” I said and swallowed. “Everybody around me except me and my little sister died at instant. The road wasn't very populated, so we had to wait for someone's aid. I still remember the look on my sister's bloodied face. I cannot forget her face. She had a natural, beautiful black hair and had green eyes. Humans have hair instead of manes.” I explained and swallowed again as Rainbow quietly gazed at me and without a doubt trying to imagine the whole situation and how humans looked like. “She smirked weakly to me and told me to be strong; that we'd meet again later in another life, although I didn't really believe in that stuff. Anyways, she reached out her arm towards me and tried to tell me something else before she caught her final breath and died in my grasp. I remember how much I cried and yelled despite having a massive headache and cuts and bruises everywhere, as well as a few broken ribs. The people I cared for the most... all dead just like that.” I said and hesitated as I had another lump in my throat. I swallowed yet again to get rid of it. “I had to wait for maybe a couple of hours before someone eventually drove by. I tried to revive my family in the meantime. I just had to do something... but everything I attempted failed. I lost my consciousness in the end but woke up in a hospital a week later. I was told about the accident, as I had forgotten all about it. Fortunately, my amnesia only lasted for a month or so. They said it was a miracle that I had been so lucky to get out of that crash alive. I didn't feel the same way. I had just lost my family because of a fu... bucking drunk guy!” I explained as I tried my best not to bring out the memories I had of them, thus, trying to prevent the tears from flowing. “Oh god...” I added and covered my face in her shoulder as she stroked my mane gently and held me close.

“I'm truly, very sorry for your loss.” she replied and squeezed me again. “What was your sister's name?”

“Sarah... her name was Sarah. We were good friends as well. I always got her back and she always got mine. We shared same interests and she had a personality like you, Rainbow. She was determined, liked speed and didn't behave like most girls.” I explained and chuckled a bit, but it wasn't a happy one. “But I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it earlier. I'm just trying to forget about the past and trying to move on with life in the present.”

“Sarah… it's an unusual name. I've never heard about it before. But it's beautiful. Truly, it is. I once again want to assure you that I feel your pain.”

“Yeah, Sarah is a human name. And thank you for your sympathy, but it's alright. It has been two years now, and I've moved on. Anyways, enough about that. I'd rather talk about you.” I said and looked at her with a smile. “What have you been up to while I was gone?”

“Well, I was mostly by your side.” she admitted and chuckled awkwardly.

“I really appreciate that. I really do, but you don't have to wait for me to wake up. You should go do something. Go take a flight. Spend your time with your friends. Go on with life. Do me a favor and please don't wait for me if this happens to me again... if I faint again. I will find you when I wake up, and I'd search throughout Equestria for you if that is what it'd take.”

“I just... I- alright. You have my word.” she said barely audibly. I smirked to her before realizing one thing.

I looked around the room still sitting in the bed, looked under the blankets and under my pillow. The longer time that passed, the more disappointed I got. But at last I noticed a small table on the other side of the room. My helmet was on that table.

“Dashie, could you please go up to that table and fetch me my helmet?”

“Sure thing.” she said and went off. “Uhh... what is that thing?” she asked when she returned with the helmet. Around it was my headset! “I'm sure it wasn't there before...”

I looked inside my helmet, and to my surprise and joy, I found my iPod. But there was something wrong with it. It seemed like the gods have done more than brought it with me, for they also changed the look of it. I forgot to ask them to change it, because there was no way I could use my hooves on the touch screen. The gods however, made sure to change it a bit so I could use it. Hoof compatible! That was nice of them. I looked into the ceiling and quietly thanked them.

“What is this strange thing?” she asked and carefully examined my headset, as well as my iPod.

“These things? Oh nothing... they are just the things that made my life much better.” I said and chuckled.

“What are they for?” she asked with her eyes wide open and examining every minor details, as well as being very interested.

“I'll tell you when we get back to Ponyville. Just put them in our bag. But where is Arngeir?”

“So you're finally awake? Good.” a voice said, and I figured out that it belonged to Arngeir. I turned around to see him standing by the doorway. “Thank the gods that you have woken up.”

“Arngeir!” I said and gave him a big smile. “Long-”

“...time no see? Yes.. I know everything about what happened.” he interrupted me.

“How do you know these things? How can you know everything about me?” I asked very puzzled and thoughtfully.

“The reason for that is--”

“Another thing. There was this nightmare I had...”

“Yes. I know about that as well. And I can say... no one truly knows if you saw into the future or not. It may well be, as the dragons are also gifted, or cursed, with foresight. It isn't always accurate though, so you cannot rely yourself on it.”

“So you're talking about fragments? That I may see fragments of something that may happen in the future?”

He nodded to me. “Yes, that is of what I speak.”

“Alright then, but that leads to my first question. How do you know these things?”

“My master tells me everything I need to know.”

“Your master? I thought you were the master around here.”

“I said that I was only the speaker for The Graybeards. I'm not the master.”

“Then who is?”

“He is called Paarthurnax. He lives on the very top of this mountain. A sharp blizzard is blocking your path to him, thus, you cannot meet him yet. Next time you visit, we'll show you a Thu'um to calm the weather, making easier for you to reach him.”

“Why does he live on the top of the mountain? And why can't you just show me that Thu'um right now?”I said as I turned around from Arngeir to see Dashie quietly sitting there with her mouth completely shut.

“Because he doesn't think you're ready to meet him yet. But don't worry. The time will come.”

I nodded and said “I see... well, thank you for your hospitality, but I think we should take our leave.”

Dashie jumped to her feet as soon as she heard that; relieved that we were going back to Ponyville. She must have been eager to see her friends and her dad again. “Yeah. Let's go.” she said and smirked.

“Thank you again, Arngeir. I have learned many things from you. I'll make sure to come back soon.”

“Please do, Dragonborn. But before you go... we would be honored to teach you one more Thu'um.”

“I'm always up for learning a new Shout! Why don't you just teach me everything you know?” I said excited as I jumped on my feet from the bed and put on my helmet.

“Because it drains our energy. We've grown weaker with sharing our knowledge with you. But it's a sacrifice we're willing to take for the good of Equestria. We will teach you one more Thu'um before you leave. Next time you visit us, we'll teach you one more; a Shout that enables you to make a path to our Master. But for now, come. Meet us at the living room when you're ready.”


The Graybeards taught me a very interesting and surely a very useful Shout. It was the opposite of “The Unrelenting Force”. This new Shout enabled me to pull things towards me, instead of pushing them away from me. “Suf, Or, Had”. Yes, it was “Fus, Ro, Dah.” read backwards.

I could use that Shout to pull my enemies with great force and greet them with my blade. If I'd want to focus on an individual, I'd only use the two levels of that shout as it was enough. I had to combine all three words if I had to deal with a group.

At last we went off after thanking for their hospitality and everything they did for us; everything I learned from them. We'd be quicker on our way home, as we were now able to fly off the mountain instead of walking down the stairs.

Arngeir had given us some coins for a stay at an inn instead of sleeping in a tent in the wilderness as it could be dangerous. He told us about where the best way to Ponyville lay, and all we had to do was to follow it. It still took about two full days to get there though. After the door slammed behind us, I gave Dashie a quick look and nodded. She returned that nod.

The journey home had begun...


I may have been in another body for three months, but I hadn't forgotten anything about how the pony body worked. We had flown for over 8 hours straight now and it was getting pretty dark. We were also getting pretty tired, but to our relief and luck, we found an inn in the middle of the forest.

The inn was very cozy and not very populated. In fact, there was only us and another pony by the bar. But I swear I'd seen that pony somewhere before. I could just tell by looking at her back. It looked like Dashie also recognized that person.

We both walked slowly towards her as she said “Another shot. Now!”

“Don't you think you've had too many already?” the barkeeper asked, but didn't dare denying her another shot.

“Look at me. Am I drunk?”

“N-N-No, my lady.”

“And what does that mean?” she asked very coldly.

“T-That you haven't had too many yet?” the terrified barkeeper asked.

“Exactly. So bring me another one!” the mare demanded and slammed the table pretty hard.

“Y-Yes my lady. Right away!”

“Please, don't call me lady. I'm not a lady.” she said and facehooved “Just call me-”

I made a fake cough to get her attention, and by that I interrupted her little talks. The pony turned around and said “What the hell do you want?”

I couldn't believe it, and it really took me by surprise to see Daring Do sitting by the table. I thought she was only a fictional character in the book that Rainbow Dash read. But apparently, she was very much alive. Even Dashie didn't know she existed, as she dropped her jaw and started shaking.

“You're... you're....” she stuttered.

Daring Do sighed as she heard that. “Why do you think I'm at an inn in the middle of nowhere? Because I want some peace!” she spat out in a slight. Then she sighed again and rolled her eyes. “Yes... I am Daring Do. And yes, those stories about me are partly true. I didn't write them though. One of my “admirers” did.”

“Mind if we join you?” I asked and already sat down next to her without her permission.

“Yes.” she muttered before swallowing the alcohol down her throat in a single gulp. “Another one!” she demanded. Dashie and I just stared at her clueless about her harsh and disrespectful behavior. Some time passed before she finally noticed it.

“What the hell do you want from me? Who are you anyways?”

“My name is Drake and this is Rai-”

I noticed how startled she got when I told her my name. She immediately jumped to her feet and knelt down for me. “Dragonborn. I didn't know. Please, forgive my rude behavior.... Bartender! What the hell are you waiting for? Get my two friends here a drink!” she shouted harshly at the brown earth-pony stallion who didn't dare do anything but to obey her.

“No thanks.” I said to the bartender and smiled.

Rainbow didn't agree with me. “I want a beer!”

I chuckled a bit when I heard that.

“I once again want to apologize for my rudeness. Honored to meet you, Dragonborn.” she said and saluted to me like a general before turning to Dashie. “And you are...?” she asked her.

“I-I'm Rai-”

“Rainbow Dash! That's right! I've heard a lot about you. The daughter of the one and only Rainbow Spurt; former leader of the Wonderbolts! It's such an honor to meet you. Oh, sorry.. sore subject. I shouldn't have brought that up.” she added regretfully.

Dashie chuckled and smirked when she heard that compliment, and thanked her. “It's alright. But I gotta say, I'm a huge fan of your adventures. I didn't even know you existed!” she pointed out excitedly and by the look of her face, still not believing she was talking to Daring Do herself.

Daring chuckled a bit before telling us that she preferred her identity to remain unknown.

“I'm once again sorry for being so rude earlier. I-I just...”

“Yes?” I asked suspiciously.

“It's Ahuizotl. He always steals everything from me. After everything I've done to obtain these rare artifacts... he's always been there to take them away from me.”

The mentioning of rare artifacts and her being good at obtaining them got me a brilliant idea. I turned to Rainbow and whispered into her ear “You know what we should do? We should-”

“Hire her. Take her with us!” she whispered back and stared at me with eyes that told me that it was indeed a brilliant plan.

“You read my mind.” I said and turned back to Daring Do. “I have an offer for you.”

“Oh yeah? What is it? She asked curiously and swallowed the hot-shot.

“We are about to start a dangerous quest, and we need someone who is experienced with dangerous caves. We think you are the perfect person for that job.”

“And what do I get out of it?”

“I'll help you take Ahuizotl down and I'll help you get your artifacts back.”

“Deal!” she said without hesitating nor thinking about it. “I want to see him go down, and I want my things back!”

“So, here's the deal: You follow me anywhere unless I tell you otherwise. You're my companion until we've completed our quest. There's a thing I gotta do for Rainbow before I can help you though, so we'll just have to stay in touch. But I will repay the favor by taking that guy down, with or without you. This I swear. Deal?”

She nodded and offered me her hoof. “Good. We'll head to Ponyville first thing in the morning. But for now, me and Rainbow over here are going to get some sleep.” I said as I shook her hoof.

She saluted both of us before returning to her drinkings.


We paid extra for the best room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was good enough for us. At least better than sleeping outside. We even got a discount, thanks to our new friend Daring Do. It really looked like that poor innkeeper was her bitch.

There were big windows on the ceiling on the room above the bed, so we could watch the stars from the bed. It was very beautiful, but it wasn't as eye appealing as when we were outside. The room temperature was rather chilly, but it was fine by us.

“We'll get to Ponyville tomorrow.” I said and looked at her. “We'll go meet our friends, and your father again.”

“Yes, but...”

“But what?”

“What if dad has just gone insane? What if there is really no chance for her to return? What if- I don't know... what if they had poisoned his mind, and are using him to get to me?”

“Don't think like that. You heard his story. He has been going through hell to keep you safe. He wants you everything for the best.”

There was dead silence in the room for a bit. The only audible thing in that room was our breaths.

“You know, even though that would be the case... I'd always be there for you.” I said and gave her a small unsecured smirk.

She returned that smirk when she heard that and exhaled. “Yeah. I know. I really appreciate it, but I'm still a bit worried.”

“Don't be.”

“Gods damn it... I just realized something.” she said all of a sudden and facehooved.

“What?”

“You are the only one who has been able to make me so... sappy. It's not who I am. I'm not that kind of type. I've never been so...dramatic in my life and I'm not used to it.”

“I didn't make you sappy. I just showed you your emotional side, and it's nothing wrong with that.”

She sighed when she heard that, but didn't answer me for a short while. “Perhaps that's true. But like I said, I'm not used to it. I didn't even know what emotions truly was until I met you.” she said as she turned herself to me. “And... I want to thank you. For everything you've done for me.”

I took my helmet off and put it on the table next to the bed before turning to her again. “No. Thank you.” I said before I kissed her on her carotid artery. Her body shivered as always when I did that. She wrapped her arms around my neck as she got closer and started nipping on my ear.

It gladdened me to see that she was also ready for round 2...


“Let her go, you sick fuck!”

“Or what?” he said while he walked around the tied up Rainbow Dash. “It's funny, really. This is all so familiar... where have I seen this before? Ah yes! When her father begged for mercy like a pig!”

“You sick son of a bitch! You're forgetting who you're dealing with... I can use my-”

“I wouldn't recommend using your Shouts, Dragonborn. Because if you do....” he interrupted me and carefully stroke her body with his knife. “You probably get the hint.”

I tried everything to break me loose from the chains that were holding me. But whatever was holding me was strong and refused to let go off me.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing much. I just want to get my hooves on that beautiful mare you brought me. Come to think of it... since I have Rainbow Dash, the soul mate of the Dragonborn himself, maybe I'd take advantage of that situation. What I want is more power, and you are going to give it to me.”

I looked deep into Dashie's eyes, which told me to refuse his offer. She even shook her head very slowly.

“And what if I refuse?”

“Well, let me demonstrate...” he said and quickly got behind Rainbow. “Chainsaw!” he yelled at someone, and it didn't take more than five seconds for someone to get him one.

“What are you doing? What the hell are you doing you fucking piece of--”

“This is just a taste of what will happen if you refuse me.” He growled at me, powering up the chainsaw. He then very slowly started sawing into one of her wings, making Rainbow let out an agonizing scream. Her blood sprayed all over the place, most of it landing on the boss's face.

“NO!!!”

“Drake?” a voice intervened the moment, but I was sure that it belonged to my Dashie. “Drake?” she asked again, snapping me out of my nightmare. Pretty much like last time, I gasped and inhaled the air, cursing and quickly holding her around my arms. I panted and shivered in fear.

“What's wrong?” she asked worriedly, but I ignored it as I checked her right wing to see if she was alright. When I noticed that it was all just a nightmare, I exhaled and sighed in relief.

“Just another nightmare...” I swallows, squeezing her soft body against mine. I closed my eyes and enjoyed being in her presence.

“Same nightmare as before?”

“Strangely, yes. And it worries me.” I said, looking at her face. Just by looking at her made me calmer and more focused.

“I know what you're going to say...”

“Just think about it. It's all I'm saying. It may well be that this won't happen according to Arngeir, but there's still a chance.”

“I'm not changing my mind.”

“Just think about it... it's all I'm saying.”

“No need. But tell me... what did he do to me in your nightmare to make you so unsecured? I mean, you're the Dragonborn. You're much more powerful than him.”

“Like we both know... you like flying, yes? He... he had us both tied up. I was chained by the wall, directly in front of you. You were tied up and...” I gulped and started sweating when I thought about it. “It was horrible! He had a chainsaw and...”

“I see.” she said and nodded. “It's alright. I'm here.” she added and tried to calm me down.

“You must understand why I'm a little hesitant.”

“I do. But it doesn't change my mind. He's going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.”

“I'd never stop you.” I pointed out, getting a bit calmer. “But enough about that. We must continue our journey home.” She stopped me as I was getting out of the bed.

“Can't it wait for a couple of more minutes?” she asked me and put on a small subtle smile.

I smirked when I heard that, and to be honest, I kind of liked that idea. But we really had to get to Ponyville. We had delayed enough with me being unconscious for a whole day.

“I'm sorry, but we really must get moving.” I said and kissed her on her neck.

“I understand. Let's go grab Daring Do, and get the hell out of here.” she replied and bit her lower lip as I kissed her neck, because I knew that she was very sensitive on that area.

I looked out the small window as I jumped out of bed and put on my helmet. It was beautiful, as always. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the sky was blue.

“Are you ready?”


It was kind of quiet at first, having Daring Do with us. We weren't very talkative. Dashie and I didn't even talk to each other. But it changed later on, fortunately. We started a conversation about her adventures and how she managed to get out of trouble all the time. Then we talked about our trip to the Graybeards. We also told her a little about what we planned to do. I thought she'd doubt  our plan working, but to our surprise, she didn't think it was stupid at all. But when I thought more about it... she's Daring Do. She'd been in many dangers and found many artifacts considered a myth.

The air was getting mistier and mistier as we continued our journey, but we finally made it in the end. We were just in the entrance of Ponyville, but we suddenly heard weird and loud noises; not coming from Ponyville. A sound very much like of a big beast or something. A sound of big and gracious wings flapping. We hesitated and looked around to try to figure out what was making that noise. We just stood there on the soft grass and looked in all directions until a big gray dragon landed in front of us. He roared at us with all his might and fury. I heard the scream and the fear from the ponies in Ponyville, but despite their fear, they actually came near to see what was going on; curious about the powers I possessed, and how I was going to protect them by slaying that mighty beast in front of us.

Rainbow and Daring Do stood their ground besides me and looked very determined into the beast's eyes. We all just stared at the dragon. He didn't attack us, nor did we attack the dragon. But we knew that he wasn't friendly. In fact, he was just waiting for us to make a move.

“Alright.” I whispered to them whilst looking deep into the dragon's blood lusty eyes. “I have a plan and for it to work, we must work together.” I stated.

“What do you have in mind?” asked Daring Do, not taking her eyes off the mighty beast.

“Rainbow, you will distract him with your bow. It won't kill him, but it might slow him down a bit. Daring, you will help Rainbow drawing it's attention and try keeping him away from me. I'll get up to his back and paralyze him by stabbing him in the spine.”

They both nodded and grinned evilly to the dragon, full of determination.

“Dovahkiin. You are becoming an annoyance. You fight against inevitability... but even though you somehow managed to slay our master... your greatest civilizations are doomed to fall. Our time has come.” the dragon said to us in a deep voice.

“Maybe you're right. Maybe we can't win this. But we'll fight you regardless! And if this is indeed our end... we're going to make it such an end!” I yelled back at him in anger and took a step forward to the big terrifying dragon. That pissed him off and made him make the first move. I could hear him speak as he used the power of the Voice.

“YOL...TOOR...SHUL!” he shouted and spew his deadly flames at us, but we evaded it.

“Move back!” I ordered the ponies that were getting too close, and they did just what I ordered... but their curiosity drove them back towards us.

“FUS...RO DAH!” I shouted back in the purpose of slowing him down. It didn't push him away, due to his big size, but I managed to keep him off balance and stun him for a little while. I didn't have the clear passage up to his back though, and I needed more time.

Dashie enjoyed herself by using the bow on that powerful beast, while Daring Do used the dagger of hers. She was courageous enough to fly up to that dragon to give him a piece of her steel. I noticed how simple, yet beautiful that dagger was. It was very well crafted, and obviously made by a professional. It looked very ancient as well; as if she'd found it in one of her adventures.

Everything happened so fast, but to my surprise, they worked so well together that I had an easy passage up to the back of the dragon. I flew as fast as I could up to the back, and managed to stab into his spine with all my strength. It resulted in the dragon screaming and roaring, but he collapsed to the ground. He wasn't dead yet, but paralyzed.

“That was easy.” I said and panted as they came up to me.

“It was... disappointing.” said Rainbow Dash.

“Well, let's kill it already!” Daring Do suggested, eager to just get it done.

I walked up to the dragon which looked at me with hatred in its eyes. Even though he could not talk, he started communicating with me... with his mind. “You may have defeated me, Dovahkiin... but you'll never be able to stop your species from...”

“I'll do everything in my power to get in your way. I'm going to find your master, and I'm going to kill him.” I said out loudly before I stabbed the dragon again in the skull with everything I had. The blood spewed from the dragon's head, but I managed to evade it… kind of.

But before I knew, the soul from the dragon left its former body and into mine. Feeling for the power inside me felt good and refreshing. I felt like it had replenished my energy. I even heard the ponies around me gasp and admire.

I shook my head and inhaled the air. “Well... that was refreshing!” I said as both Dashie and Daring Do, as well as the rest of the ponies around us gasped again and stared at me with their jaws dropped down.

“What? Never seen a pony harvest a soul from a dragon?” I asked with a sarcastic tone and laughed softly. Everyone suddenly cheered and gathered around me.

“Dragonborn! Savior and protector of Equestria! Our hero!” they yelled and tossed me into the air.

I noticed Dashie and Daring Do smirking and chuckling, but it didn't satisfy me. I didn't deserve all that honor and cheering. I couldn't had slain the dragon if not for them.

“Hurray! We will honor the Dragonborn with a great feast tonight!” someone yelled and everypony around agreed and cheered some more.

“Everypony, can I have your attention please?” I asked. Everyone stopped tossing me around and stopped talking and the cheering, and focused on what I had to say. “I may be the Dragonborn... but this victory is not of my own. They are the real heroes.

“He's right!” somepony yelled. Everyone agreed and gathered around them. I chuckled softly as everyone started tossing them into the air as well.

Some time passed before we could finally get through that big crowd. I swear that the whole town was cheering for us. Although, I couldn't see the rest of the mane 6.

“Thank you for your support. But it'd be nice if you could leave us alone, for now.” I said in the friendliest voice possible.

The mist finally vanished away, and the sun still shone. But it gladdened me to see all those friendly faces again, and their warm welcome. Everyone smiling, laughing and having a great time. They were the exact opposite of what I grew up with.

Everypony either bowed their head or knelt for us as we walked past them. They also whispered something to one another. “Dragonborn.” I heard someone whisper. I just cracked up a small clumsy smile again at them in appreciation, but I really didn't want all that attention, neither did Daring Do. Rainbow, however, had been enjoying herself in the crowd.


At last, we arrived to Twilight's place. The journey home was officially over, but it was much quicker to pass than I realized.

I slowly knocked on the door in exhaustion. I thought that that dragon soul had replenished my energy. It did, but only for a short while and now I felt like I had been drained.

I almost collapsed to the ground. I didn't know why this exhaustion hit me all of a sudden. But I knew that the journey was over, and that I could finally have some proper rest.

Spike opened the door all of a sudden and gasped in surprise to see us again.

“Twilight!” he shouted.

“No, Spike! I'm busy!”

“It's your friends!” he yelled back into the apartment.

“Tell them to come back later.”

Spike facepalmed and sighed. “It's Drake, Rainbow Dash and... Daring Do?”

“What?!” she shouted. “I'm coming!”

“Please, come in!” he ordered us and pulled us into the apartment.

Twilight appeared as soon as we stepped into her house. “It's so good to see you again!” she yelled and jumped into my arms. I gave her a big hug and laughed.

“It's good to see you again!” I said as I released my grip on her. Then she hugged Rainbow Dash and said something similar to her, until she noticed Daring Do.

The look on her face was priceless. I noticed how her pupils shrunk and how her body shivered.

“D-Daring Do?” she asked completely speechless. “I-I didn't...”

“Yes, I do have that impression on some ponies.” she said and chuckled. “I just wish to keep my identity a secret. Fortunately, I'm not too famous.”

All of a sudden appeared Rainbow's dad. He was by the kitchen's door, and just stood there; smiling at us.

“Dad!” Rainbow yelled and ran up to him, who was spreading his arms and getting himself ready for a hug. He laughed and hugged his daughter. “It's so good to see you again! How are you?”

“I've missed you too, child.” he said and kept grinning. “I'm just fine and dandy.”

I kept staring at them for a while before Twilight interrupted me. “Drake? You have to tell me everything!”

“Huh? Sure. I can tell you about our trip.” I replied and smirked at her.

“Great!” she said before she turned herself to Daring Do who seemed lost in all the hugging and the warm welcome from ponies she'd never met before. “Please, have a seat!” she ordered her.

“Thank you for your generous hospitality, but I think that won't be necessary. I've always wanted to live in Ponyville, or at least visit it and now that I'm here, I'm thinking about looking around.”

“That's a great idea!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “I can be your guide!” she suggested excited.

“I'll tag along.” added Ghost.

“What? You've been here for what... almost three days now? Twilight has probably shown you around the town.”

“Well, in a matter of fact, I haven't explored the town yet.”

“That's great! That way, I can show you both around. You coming with us, Drake?” Dashie asked me, still as excited as before. I guess she was that excited because she wanted to spend more time with Daring Do and her dad.

“No, thanks. I'll just wait for you guys to return. I'm going to keep Twilight Sparkle a company and tell her everything about our trip.” I said and smirked again. Rainbow came up to me, and kissed me. I noticed how Twilight reacted to it; she turned her excited grin into a small embarrassed smirk. Her eyes told me that she was a also little sad.

I also noticed Ghost chuckling softly in approval, as well as Daring Do making impatient noises, as she was eager to get outside and explore the town she'd been wanting to visit.

“See ya later then.” Dashie said as they stormed out of the house.

“Wait for me!” yelled Spike who seemed eager to go outside to feel the warmth of the sun on that beautiful day.

After a matter of seconds, we were left alone in the living room. It was kind of awkward at first, but it changed as the silence broke.

“Please, sit down on the sofa.” she ordered me and sat down herself.

I sat down on the sofa, and without her even asking me about what happened, I started off by when we left the big royal palace in Canterlot. I told her about everything... (except the conversation Rainbow and I had about me being a human) even the moment we had together. I regretted it though, because I saw how happy she was for us, but also how miserable it made her.

After I had told her about everything, up to this very moment, she stared at me with some kind of approval; approved that I was willing to keep everyone safe despite the fact that I had free will and could've used my power for evil deeds. I could, if I wanted to. But I was a good person, and wanted with all my heart to protect Equestria from any kind of dangers.

“Is it weird that... I'm desired to find myself a partner?” she asked me, and it made everything much more awkward.

“Well... it isn't weird. But it isn't something one must dwell on. It shouldn't be your main goal in life.” I answered and stood up from the comfortable sofa. I didn't really feel like sitting at the moment, despite the fact that I've been standing all day. Twilight did the same and approached me.

“Yes, well. I didn't really care about that before I got the news of you two being together. But it triggered something within me. I don't know. I feel like I'm missing out on something.”

“Of course you aren't missing out on something.” I said and tried to cheer her up. I also rolled my eyes and sighed by the fact that I was having a “high school drama” conversation with her. She failed to see that it wasn't important to have someone as your mate. It was great to have someone to share your life with, sure, but it wasn't a necessity. I, for instance, didn't plan on having a relationship with anyone. But it just happened to be that I fell for her.

Great people have lived and managed to do wonderful and important things without a partner and that's completely fine.

“Look... if you desperately need someone, I'm sure that there is someone out there waiting for you.”

“Well.. the one that I was interested in is already taken, so...” she said and chuckled very awkwardly. She even blushed.

“Alright then... but there are plenty of fish in the sea. If you really want someone, I bet th--” I said before I realized that she was talking about... me. But I didn't want to jump to conclusions. “Can you tell me more about him?” I asked kind of nervous and hoped that I was wrong.

“Well... he's a Pegasus...”

“Yes...?”

“And he's...special.” she added and didn't dare looking in my eyes. It was almost confirmed that she was talking about me, but I wanted to be completely sure.

“Go on...” I said and bit my lower lip in my nervousness.

At last she looked at my face. I closed my eyes as she said. “He got red eyes and is cyan-colored. He isn't afraid of anything, and does whatever it takes to protect his friends.” She chuckled very awkwardly and nervously.

I looked around the room in my nervousness and tried everything I could not to look into her eyes. 'Not her too!' I thought to myself, but I felt bad for her and decided to do something I might regret.

“But I understand. I couldn't do that to her... I think I should just drop it. Maybe it's just for the best if I-”

Before she finished that sentence, I kissed her. It was really surprising for both of us, but she did not expect that reaction from me. She really, really liked it though. I could just tell by how she put her arms around my waist; pushing my body more up against hers. She even used her magic to enhance that kiss. Wow... it felt incredible! But I also kind of disliked it at the same time. I wasn't in love with Twilight, nor did I want to start a secret relationship with her. I had no urge to cheat on Rainbow, but the unexpected actions she made, made me uncontrollably excited. I didn't know if she did it on purpose, or if it just automatically happened. But whatever she was doing was so hypnotizing, I completely lost it. I found myself fighting against Twilight's strong magic of ecstasy, but I was losing by far. And the sweet taste of her saliva didn't help my situation either.

As we made out, I led her against the wall and pressed my soft body against hers as I dominated her with my raw strength and passionate kisses. I held her hooves firmly against the wall as we continued that experience. Minutes passed before I let her hooves go and started kissing and licking her carotid artery; stroking and caressing her body while I was at it. And without even realizing, I took her down to the sofa and on we went for whole 5 minutes. I didn't want to admit it at all, but whatever she was doing was so good that I even considered having sexual intercourse with her. But I thankfully found enough strength to force myself out of this situation before it would lead to anything more, which it was clearly heading.

“This... this was a one-time thing only.” I pointed out in a slight shock and shook my head disappointingly. “I'm sorry, but I'm not available."

She stared at me, very shocked and held her hooves against her snout. I noticed how she looked at me. A look that indicated that she needed more. But I couldn't do that. I only wanted to show her how it felt like, to shut her up. But she used her magic to enhance that kiss. That's why it went further than I dared. I only realized now that it was a bad idea... maybe I only added fuel to the fire.

“T-That.. W-Why?” she asked in disbelief and stared at me with her big eyes and a small subtle, appreciated smile on her face.

I sighed and wished with all my heart that I could take that rushed decision back. I shouldn't had kissed her. It was a stupid decision. I could imagine that it would only make her feelings towards me even stronger. But I gotta admit that I wouldn't even dare thinking about doing it before I was brought back to “life” on Earth. But my stay there truly showed me how much I resembled one of the pony folks instead of a human. With each day that passed, the more I started to realize that I didn't belong there. I wasn't a part of that system, nor did I feel like I was a part of humanity anymore. Then I got the news about me being a part pony. Always have been, and that answered a lot of questions. For example the fact that I didn't feel like I belonged on Earth. It also answered why I wasn't bothered like I originally thought I'd be when I kissed Rainbow for the first time, and so on. But now that I knew about it all... I started to see myself as one of them. Even though it was a little weird at first, I was completely certain now that this is indeed my true home I never had. But I still had the human mind, and I still thought like a human. That wasn't gone, and I'd probably have to live with the memories from my old world with me for the rest of my life. But my mind could change a bit, and the more time that I spent in Equestria, the more my opinions started to change; for example, I didn't want a relationship at the beginning. Now I was passed that... alright, maybe not completely. I'd still not want a relationship with anyone else than Rainbow. It was either her, or no one. But I had grown from being completely against it.

“I.. I don't know. But I repeat, this was a one-time thing only. Now, you decide whether you'll search for a partner, or not.”

She walked up to me and put her right hoof on my right shoulder. “Thank you. I understand. I just wanted to let you know that... I'll always be there for you. For both of you.” she said before she turned away from me. “But only as a friend, I suppose.” she added and sighed sadly.

“Hey, come here.” I said and hugged her. “It's not that big of a deal. Really.”

“You're right. I think I'm going to be alright. Besides, I've got plenty of things to take care of, and I'm working for the princess. Perhaps it's good for me to be single for now.” she added and chuckled.

“You're a good friend. Just don't worry about it. You can't force that time to come, it has to come by itself. But of course, you'll have to work at it if you really want it.” I reassured her and gave her a pat on the back. “But anyways. I've been wondering. We're about to head to another adventure. I could use you.”

“Are you leaving? But you only just arrived from your last trip!” she yelled and let go of me.

“We're not leaving tonight... but it's likely that we'll head out tomorrow. So, are you interested or not?”

“Yes... yes I am. Who will be traveling with us?”

“Rainbow Dash, Ghost, Daring Do, you and I.”

“Isn’t that too much?”

“I think we'll be fine. But you probably know about Rainbow's past, yes?”

“Yeah... Ghost told me everything. Such a sad story.” she said and lowered her head a bit. “What about it?”

“Well... we're going to try to revive Rainbow's mother. It won't be easy, but we know what must be done. And you should be very useful to us, since you are the most educated of us; possibly the smartest.”

“Hmm... yes. I have heard about the matter of revival. But it requires a ritual and artifacts that may, or may not even exist. But I am willing to give it a shot. Count me in.” she said and grabbed my hoof to shake it.

“That's great!”

At last they returned. They stormed into the house and that completely broke the comfortable silence that I was starting to adapt to.

“Hey there, Drake, Twi! We're back!” Dashie shouted and ran towards me. “So... what were you guys up to?” she asked and grinned.

I gave Twilight a look and smirked to her before answering “I told her about our trip, and what I learned.”

Daring Do seemed to have a nice chat with Ghost, who was already seated on Twilight's sofa, while Spike vanished downstairs, probably to get some peace and quiet in the library.

“Rainbow! I almost forgot.” Twilight shouted and hugged her. “I'm so sorry about what happened in your past. Your father told me everything about it.” she added and squeezed her even more.

Dashie smirked a bit in return but was overtaken by joy to be sad, or depressed by the thought of her past.

“It's alright. I have my dad and...” she looked at me and asked with her facial expression if Twilight knew about our plan. I nodded as soon as I noticed it. “...we'll get my mom back to life. I'm positive about it.”

“And I'll do whatever I can to help you out. My researches on ancient relics and rituals could be very useful for you.”

“Are you coming with us? That's great!” shouted Rainbow Dash and hugged her again. Twilight giggled and hugged her back.

After the hug had been broken, I looked at Dashie who seemed much calmer and more relieved. She was full of positivity and very optimistic that we'd bring her back and I liked that. I just hope she wouldn't get disappointed if it fails...


It was getting late, and everypony were getting tired. Ghost had decided to stay at Twilight's since he had his things already at her place. Daring Do had a choice to stay with Twilight, or leave with us. She decided to go with us, in the purpose of easing it up a bit for Twilight. They were already three, and it would only make sense if she'd leave with us. But there was something nagging me from within. I suddenly got that passion to tell someone else about my past life. It seemed like telling Dashie wasn't good enough. The only one I really trusted besides Dashie was Twilight Sparkle. She's always been kind and honest to me, and I really appreciated that. But telling her would be much easier than when I told Dashie about it. Besides, I was pretty confident that she'd be quite interested in what I had to say. She'd probably have to write it all down though.

I opened the door for Dashie and Daring Do and waited for them to get outside. Twilight stood by the door and waved us goodbye. I was a little hesitant at first, but decided what must be done.

“Twilight...” I said when Daring Do couldn't hear me.

“Yes?” she asked completely focused on me and eagerly waited for what I had to say.

“Can we talk in private tomorrow? I need to tell you something... something about myself. And so far I don't want anyone else knowing about it, but I trust you. And I believe you'll be quite interested in what I have to say.”

“Sure! Absolutely, no problem!” she said, already excited and curious about what I had on mind. Probably because I said that she'd be interested in it, and that could only mean that I wanted to tell her something that involved astronomy or history. But it wasn't the case. I had to tell her something much more complicated than that.

“Good. I'll stop by with Dashie tomorrow morning then.”

“Sure. See ya later!” she shouted out to us before she slammed the door.


After we had left her apartment, we decided to roam around the lifeless town for a bit. We talked, chilled a bit by the fountain, and had a good laugh or two. Getting to know Daring Do a bit better was very interesting. I heard about her most dangerous adventures, and how she managed to escape the death traps. She also told us a bit about herself; where she grew up, and about her first adventure as a filly.

It was all very interesting, and it was a fun night. Very relaxing as well, considering the weather to be calm and nobody outside but us. We were careful not to wake anyone up though, and talked to each other in low voices.

But after maybe two hours of talking and roaming around the town, we decided to go home and get some sleep. We were all pretty tired after the day; especially after having flown for most of the day.


At last we entered Rainbow's big apartment. Dashie showed her around while I put our bags by the king sized bed. Taking it off my back was very relieving and it made me sigh in appreciation. I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes as I heard the two mares talk about how cozy her apartment was, and how appreciated she was for the hospitality. Dashie led her into a semi big guest room, which hasn't been used before and told her that she could use it.

Daring Do bowed her head and thanked for her again before she vanished into the room and closed the door.

“You know, for a bit I thought that this day would never end.” I joked and chuckled a bit as she tiredly walked towards the bed. “Been flying for hours... fought a big dragon... nice conversations with your dad, Twilight and Daring Do... so much in one day, don't you think?”

“Yes...” she said and exhaled as she collapsed to the bed beside me. “This day was good overall though... don't you think?”

“Yes it was.” I said and paused for a bit. “So... did you have a nice conversation with your dad?” I then asked and opened my eyes to take a look at her.

“Yeah... it's just so weird talking to him again. I feel like... I've regained something lost. But he's back now, and that is what matters.”

“We'll bring your mom back too. I promise.” I said to make her feel better, even though she wasn't miserable at the moment. “But hey, I want to show you something.” I added and reached into the bag filled with all kind of random stuff we looted from the thugs, and other things we found on the road. I searched through the bag besides me before I found my iPod and the big headset.

I showed her the iPod, and noticed how curious she got. “I remember that thing. Dare to tell me what it's about? Is it perhaps dangerous?” she asked interested and excited by the thought of it being harmful; like a weapon of some kind.

“This... is a device that plays music anywhere, at any time.”

“A-Anywhere and anytime?” she asked very curiously but didn't really buy it.

“Yes. It's a device made from my world, and it has helped me through all kind of boring and depressing days. It has helped me while working, when I waited for something or someone, when I walked to the store to buy some groceries.... this device was also there to make my day brighter.”

“Cool! So... this device plays music, you said?”

“Yeah. Here, let me show you. These are all music from my world, but I warn you. They might be a bit heavier and dirtier than the music you're used to...”

I pretty much showed her every genre that existed, but I mainly focused on metal and Dubstep, because I was confident that it would be her cup of tea. It was funny to see her reaction to those songs. Her eyes and mouth wide open and she automatically shook her head in the rhythm of the songs. She even head banged to some of them; mostly from metal. She liked them all, but of the entire genre I showed her, she liked folk/power metal the most, just as expected. DnB was in second place and Dubstep in the third.

After perhaps two hours of showing her all the great artists that existed in my former world, she declared that her favorite band was Wintersun. She especially liked one of their songs called “Time”. I could easily see why; that song was fast, complicated and very powerful. But I had to explain to her why the vocalist's voice sounded so raw. I explained to her that it was just different singing style, and it brought more depths to some songs.

But I nodded in utmost approval. Wintersun also tends to be my favorite metal band. I didn't listen much to metal, but when I did, it was mostly Wintersun. Mostly because of how unique they sounded like. They weren't like any other metal band I'd listened to. And their new album, which had been in the making for eight years, was absolutely astonishing. It's a shame I can't listen to their upcoming albums.

It was funny that we shared the same favorite band though. Perhaps we were even more alike then I thought.

“Wow...” she exhaled in amazement as she took my headset off her. “I think I'm getting dizzy...” she added and held her hooves up to her head.

“So... what do you think?”

“This is amazing! Absolutely incredible! Why haven't we found out about this strange technology of yours sooner? You have to show everyone!” she yelled out very excitedly, but watched out not to wake up Daring Do. I didn't answer her, but simply chuckled and smirked in furthermore approval. “And your music is so powerful; especially this... metal? Power metal, or whatever you call it. It makes our music sound like crap. Another weird thing about it is that we share same language. That's... interesting.”

“Yes. Yes it is.” I responded. I didn't really want to start a conversation about it though. I didn't want to explain the reason to her.

At last we turned off the lights and went to sleep in each other’s arms to end the day.


“So, now that we're here in the library where no one can hear us, can you please tell me what this is all about?” Twilight asked me as I roamed around the small, but cozy room; still a bit nervous and thoughtful about what I was going to say. But I wanted to do it, and I intended to. Rainbow sat patiently next to Twilight and didn't take her eyes off me.

“Well... it's about me.” I said and sighed. “It's about what I am.” Twilight was already getting interested as she simply looked at me with a curious look and waited patiently for me to continue. “I'm more than just a pony and a dragon.” I finally said and took a seat beside her. But I couldn't keep my anxiety down, so I stood up and roamed around again.

“What are you getting at?” she asked a bit worried, but still very interested. She even slowly, and probably without noticing it herself, grabbed a paper and a quill.

“I'm originally from another world. Another planet, if you wish.” I said and bit my lower lip. I didn't quite know how her reaction would be, but there was no backing out now.

“Continue...” she simply said and stared at me.

“I am...was something called a human. It's another species an-”

“Human?!” she shouted and stood up. “Are you saying that you were a human?!” she shouted again at me and started to shudder in fear. “No... I simply refuse to believe in such a thing!”

This was all too surprising for me, and also for Dashie who seemed upset by her reaction.

Did she know about the humans? And if she did, was there perhaps something specific about humans that she disliked? Another, more important question; if she did know about humanity, how did she discover it?

“Why?” I asked and stepped one step forward near her, but as I did, she moved backwards; trying to avoid me.

“Tell me you're not joking!” she yelled.

“I'm not. I was a human before I was sent here to Equestria to serve you, to protect you all from the dragons. Before I was summoned, I lived on a planet called...”

“Earth...” she added and got a bit calmer, but still as shocked and surprised as before.

“Precisely... how do you know?” I asked very interested and surprised.

“The gods... they used humanity to make the world. They... created us.” she said and gulped. “They created us, and everything else.” she added and fell to her knees in front of me.

That really made my heart skip a beat for a second... how did she know about that? Did she know that humans made a TV series about their lives? I seriously hoped not...

“So, what you're saying is that I'm a god?” I asked and couldn't help but to frown, but the thought of me being a god also made me smirk a bit.

Twilight nodded and swallowed again, as she tried to breathe lighter.

“Whoa, whoa! Hang on a second here!” Rainbow said and looked at us both. “Are you saying that my partner is a powerful god; a pony, dragon and a human, who was sent by other gods to protect our homeland from the dragons?” she asked, very excited by that fact. "Hey! That explains why we share the same language!"

“Well, he's not a complete god. But he is our creator, nevertheless...”

“That's bullshit. I didn't create you; my species did.” I answered puzzled, and not quite understanding the situation.

“You, as an individual, may not have created us. But that doesn't make you any less powerful than the ones who did.” she pointed out and got near me to examine me again, pretty much like the first time I met her.

“You took the news pretty well, as far as I can tell. I expected you to kick me out of the house, to be honest.”

“I'd never kick you out of my house!” she answered powerfully at me and with her big, determined, and shocked eyes that I'd even think about such a thing.

“But how did you know about it? Are we humans known in Equestria?”

“Unfortunately, no. Everyone seems to be clueless about our origin. However, I started asking questions and consulted with Princess Celestia. She told me about everything and even gave me a book explaining humans. It was an ancient book, written by a pony that had the gifts of communicating with the gods. He asked them all about our origin and wrote a book about the facts he learned from them.” she explained, but gasped when she got a sudden idea. “Can I ask you some questions about humanity? Please, please, please!” she pleaded and looked at me with her desperate eyes. She even crawled up to me.

“Uh, I don't know. Maybe later. We must get going, and we can't delay.”

Rainbow Dash nodded a couple of times in agreement. I could only imagine that she wanted her mother brought back to life as soon as possible. It wasn't guaranteed, but it was a risk we were willing to take.

“And besides, you'd probably hate me if I told you more about my species.” I muttered in shame and looked away without turning my head. I was embarrassed for being once a part of that race. It wasn't much of a choice being born on Earth, though.

But I did not want to describe humanity at all. In fact, I didn't see anything positive about the humans. Of course, I wasn't the only human to think that way. Not everyone was evil. Not everyone was the cause of the financial problems, the poverty, the hunger, the unnecessary violence, the wars, etc. But humanity overall was considered an evil race in my opinion. They were savages and the memory of the humans left a sour taste in my mouth. But like I said, not everyone was the cause of the difficulties on Earth. I felt bad for those people. I was lucky enough to start a new life in a whole new world where the majority of people were actually pure, friendly, and peaceful. And that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to protect them all from the dragon threat.

Maybe I was so against humanity because I'm mostly pony, and my soul couldn't handle it. After all, I had been living in a wrong body for two decades without even knowing about it. And now that my soul had finally been reunited with my true body, it felt great! Also relieving. And the fact that I lived a pretty tough, fucked up life clouded my opinions on the humans. My whole life I'd been living among fiends and bullies. That's why I imagined the rest of them being as bad as they were, even though I knew that I was one of many to experience living a tough life. I felt sorry for them and hoped them all for the best. Still do.

“Nonsense!” she shouted. “But alright... as you wish.” she added in disappointment.

I sighed when I noticed how much it meant to her, but I was in no mood for explaining humanity to her. But then I got an idea. “Twilight. Do you have a spell for a memory transport?”

“Yes! What a good idea!” she shouted again and got to her hooves. “Hold still...”

“Wait, what am I supposed to do?”

“I'll ask you questions, and you will think about the answer. That way, I can see everything like I was there! However, if you don't know the question, just simply say so and I'll move on to the next one.

I sighed again, but agreed. “Let's get this over with...”


It took much longer than I'd expected, and it was getting pretty tiring as it required a lot of my focus and concentration. I regularly asked her if she was satisfied, but she always denied, not to my surprise. She wanted-- no, she needed more. She also wrote the whole damn thing down on a paper! But I wanted something out of this, too.

When we were finally done, I asked her if she could do it again. I wanted to show Rainbow something as well. I wanted to show her how I looked like, how the world was and what I grew up with. Twilight was decent enough to give me that.

It didn't take a long time showing her everything I wanted her to know, but it sure was tiring. It was worth it though. Dashie kept on complimenting and admiring how “awesome” the human's body structure was....how badass I looked; how powerful, mighty and how tall I was. She mostly adored my hands; my fingers, as she clearly understood how handy that could be. I didn't know if she was faking an impression or not, but I didn't buy some of what she said, for she hesitated a bit about certain things. But that was alright. I knew this was her first time seeing a human, and she took it pretty well, to be honest.

But she didn't only praise my body, as she also criticized about how the skin lacked colors, the eyes being too small and how my head could be bigger. Although I did not agree with the head needing to be bigger, I laughed and told her that I agreed with her anyways.

I asked her if her point of view she had for me had changed or not. She refused and reassured me that she still saw me as the pony she fell in love with. Hearing her answer was a relief to me. I didn't want her to feel awkward or uncomfortable around me.

But now that everyone was happy, and that Twilight now practically had a book with confirmed facts about humanity, we decided to go get the rest of our small team and leave at an instance. We had already made everything ready; the food, the equipment and everything that was required for the trip. Now we only needed to get going.

I looked at the happy, smiling faces of the ponies in Ponyville one last time before I turned around and led my team towards the exit of the small town. But I was stopped by a courier. He handed me a small letter and said that it was from the Princesses. What now? Did they wanted me to pay them another visit? Did they want to give us more weapons? They said that it was urgent that I'd meet them as soon as possible, and I intended to...but only after we'd taken care of the guy Dashie wanted dead.

I was relieved that the walk didn't take longer than four hours. I was expecting maybe 3-4 days, but it seemed like that dungeon of some kind was closer to Ponyville than I thought. But we talked on the way about many things, including our plan. Ghost told us about what he had in mind, and what needed to be done. He said that after we'd find the ancient artifacts he needed for the ritual, we had to find Rainbow Spurt's bones. Ghost added that he knew about the bone's location, but it would be hard getting our hooves on them. But there is one other thing Ghost mentioned, and that was what we might expect in those tunnels, or dungeons. He told us about creatures, known as the 'Draugr'. He explained to us that the Draugr were undead warriors who were once residents of Equestria. He said that it was claimed that Draugr once served the dragons; some seemed to have learned several words of power as well. Having engaged in acts of cannibalism during their lifetimes, they are cursed to walk this earth as undead; however, that might be because they betrayed their own race by serving the dragons. Reports had told about some of them waking up, and as we were walking in a some kind of a tomb full of them, we might expect one or two to wake up. But we were grown up, and we knew how to fight.

But there it was; a big hole on the ground with some stairs leading down. The stair was small, as the hole wasn't deep. As we got into that hole, we noticed a door, leading into the tunnels. On that door were markings and carvings of ponies being killed, and a message warning us not to enter.

Everyone stopped by that door and waited for my command. I didn't quite know why I was in charge since this was Ghost's mission, but if they wanted me to lead them, who was I to deny? I was literally born a leader anyways...

I nodded slowly as I quickly opened the steel door, and was the first to enter the dark tunnels to check if it was safe. I signaled them to follow me as I saw no threat around. I noticed a dead pony on the floor in front of me and to my surprise, it was a fresh kill. He had been dead for maximum a day or two. I looted him, and found a small diary, which would for sure be very useful.

“Ghost?” I said as I tossed the diary at him. “Can you tell me if this could be useful?” I asked him as I searched for more things that dead fellow might had possessed.

“Hmm... yes. This is good. This diary is like a map; tells us about where traps might be and where we must be heading. I'll keep it and read from it from time to time.” he said and put it in his bag.

“That's good. Let's keep moving.” said Daring Do, who seemed eager to get to the fun, to the dangerous part.

That place was as silent as a crypt, and it was kind of disturbing. Also the thought about possible walking dead roaming around gave me chills.

But at last we arrived to three gateways. One in the middle, and two by the side of it. The gateway in the middle was closed with two iron gates, so that only left us two options. It was obvious that we had to get through the one in the middle, but Ghost read about it in the diary and found out that we must go to the other two to pull levers to open the main gate.

“Alright. Let's split this group in two; Twilight and I will go through the left, the rest of you will go through the right. We'll meet here once we've pulled those levers. Daring Do, you'll be the leader of your team since you're experienced with ancient caves and tunnels.” As soon as I saw Daring Do saluting me, I said, “Let's head out!” quickly, but determined.


As Twilight and I walked into that gateway, we got a feeling that we weren't alone in there. There was something watching us, no doubt. We could both sense it. But we didn't let that stop us, and we kept moving quickly, but silently.

“Twilight?” I whispered to her to be careful not to wake anything up. I'd rather avoid fighting the Draugrs, even though I could probably easily kill them.

“Yes?” she asked but didn't take her eyes off the ancient walls and bodies lying in the crypt around us. This place was like a one big tomb. “We mustn't talk. We don't want to disturb the dead.” she added and quietly walked past the bodies.

“But what if something happens to the other team?”

Twilight pointed to the other side of the room, showing me that we could clearly see their progress. We were in the same room, but on the other side of it. And there was a huge gap between us.

“Ah.” I said and nodded once. “Let's get going then.”

After a while we found the lever. Only a narrow pathway between us, and that lever. “There it is!” Twilight shouted, and ran towards it before she accidentally stepped on something; a button, of some kind. It made something come out of the ceiling of that pathway. Swinging in full speed, sharp and deadly axes that didn't stop. It could literally open up a dragon with just one swoosh.

“Watch out!” I yelled and shouted “SUF... OR!” to pull Twilight away from that.

“Gee... thanks.” she said, both shocked and grateful. “Wait, did you just...”

“Yes, I shouted you out of danger. You should be more careful.” I said and exhaled the air. “That was damn...”

But I was interrupted before I could finish that sentence. My ear twitched as I analyzed a strange sound and felt for a feeling like something was breathing at my back. Despite the loud noises from the axes, I could still hear it. My blood froze as I realized that that breath wasn't imagined. I slowly turned around to see a Draugr standing behind me; staring deep into my very eyes. The disturbing look on that thing took me off guard. It was armed, in armor and had a helm. Its eyes were bright with a blue fainted light, as well with his skin being rotten.

I automatically screamed in startle, and without even thinking about it, unsheathed my blades and stabbed that...thing. It fell to the ground, but unfortunately, my screaming had woken up the rest of them in that area.

“Shit..” I whispered to Twilight who got herself ready for a battle.

Those things... those zombies were probably the only thing that has managed to put me off guard. I think I was more scared of them than of a dragon. But now, we had to fight a group of them, and there were plenty on their feet already. Plenty for both of us to kill....

I noticed that the other group was having the same problem, but they were managing it quite well, so I stopped worrying about it.

I sheathed my daggers, and unsheathed my bow, as they were still pretty far away from us. I exhaled the stuffed air as I held the bow. I'd never used a bow before and I tried thinking about how I was going to use it as I had hooves. I knew that it was possible, but how? I guess I had to try it for myself.

Twilight had already begun slaying some of them with her magic. It was very impressing how creative she was. She used the environment as her advantage and tossed them around into sharp objects or giant spikes.

As they got near us, I started shooting from my bow, but I didn't have any difficulty using it. It was kind of expected though, considering that I doubted the knives at first as well.

One...two...three kills and counting. But using the bow made it all too easy. I thought about how I could be as creative as Twilight, when I got a very interesting idea. I even smirked to the thought of it working.

“Twilight! Gather them all together in front of the axes! I have a plan to take them all out at once!” I shouted at her.

“Got it!” she yelled back and stopped using her magic to take them out. She then ran around the place and started herding the Draugrs together. Fortunately, they moved slowly; making it easier for me to do what I planned to do.

As soon as I noticed that they were in place, I flew into the air and landed behind them. I inhaled the air, and shouted “FUS...RO DAH!” at them, pushing them all with a great force into the trap. Those axes took care of the Draugr, which cut them up into little pieces, but their blood painted the walls around us. The smell was terrible, but I was amazed that my plan worked.

“Yes!” I yelled and laughed as I gave Twilight a brohoof. “Good job!” I added and punched her in the right shoulder.

“That was amazing!” she responded and laughed with me. “Simply... wow!”

I laughed some more when I noticed the other group staring at us from distance. I would fly up to them and tell them about what happened, but there were some kind of pillars in between I couldn't fly past.

“What happened!” yelled Dashie who seemed eager to get over to us. “It sounded powerful and awesome! What did I miss?”

I laughed again. “Twilight and I used teamwork to take a herd of them Draugrs out. Twilight gathered them all together and I shouted them into a trap, killing them all at once. It was great!”

“Nice! How cool is that?!” she yelled over to us and laughed. “I can picture it in my head! It must've been so funny!” she added and started rolling on the floor laughing. It even got me to grin even wider.

“What's your progress?” Daring Do interrupted though in a serious tone. “We've already pulled our lever. We're heading back now.”

“That's good to hear. We only need to get past that trap for our lever, but don't worry! I have a plan. Just wait for us at our rendezvous point, we'll be back in a bit.”

“Roger that!”

I walked up to Twilight who sat on the floor and seemed lost in her books she took from home about traps and how to deactivate them.

“Twilight?” I asked her, but received no response. “Twi?” I asked again, but still nothing. One cannot steal her attention when she's reading. I just sighed and positioned myself in front of that deadly trap.

I inhaled the stuffed air and exhaled it a couple of times. I didn't know if it would work, but I had to try. Besides, I was getting pretty optimistic at the moment.

“WULD...NAH KEST!” I shouted when I noticed my opportunity and spurted at incredible speed through the swinging, sharp axes. “Whoa!” I yelled in surprise that it actually worked. But there I was, by the lever. I pulled it, and it seemed to stop the axes from moving. They automatically disappeared into the ceiling.

I slowly walked up to Twilight, who still seemed lost into her book. “...if that happens...” she muttered to herself as she read off the book.

“Uhh... Twilight? I got it.”

“...one must find a button to deactivate it again. It's usually located...”

“TWILIGHT!” I shouted to get her attention, but I succeeded this time.

She immediately stopped reading and looked at me with her startled eyes. “Yes?”

“I got it...” I uttered and facehooved.

Twilight stood up and gasped. “H-How did you-”

“Doesn't matter.” I interrupted. “Let's just get to the rendezvous point...”


On we went with our quest. Sometimes we had to work together to solve puzzles, which were Daring Do's favorite. Sometimes we had to fight more of those Draugrs. Some seemed to be stronger than the others and better armed; some even knew the way of the Voice, but it wasn't a problem for us.

But at last we entered the room we believed the artifacts were held in. There was a stairway that led up. It looked like some kind of altar, but once we were up there, we noticed a table. On the table were all kinds of gold and artifacts.

“Hmm... which of the artifacts is it that we need?” Ghost asked and stared at the table thoughtfully.

“Can't we just take it all?” suggested Daring Do, who seemed eager to get her hooves on everything.

“No, we cannot. You see this tomb over there?” he asked and pointed at a stone made tomb not very far from us; directly in front of a Word Wall... 'Heck yes!' I thought to myself when I noticed it. A new shout. But I decided to wait with learning it until we've gotten our things we came for.

“In that tomb is a body of a Dragon Priest. Taking anything other than the stuff we need, and we'll wake him up. And trust me. You do NOT want to mess with him.” he pointed out very seriously, not even friendly to be absolutely sure that none of us would take anything more than necessary and to prevent a tough fight.

“I see...” Daring Do said a bit disappointed, but she understood the situation.

“Can you tell me more about this Dragon Priest?” I asked Ghost curiously.

“Yes, I can. According to The Dragon War, around the Merethic Era, dragons considered themselves superior to ponies. For dragons, power equaled truth. They had the immense power, so therefore it must be truth and thus they ruled over ponies. Dragons granted small amounts of power to the dragon priests in exchange for absolute obedience. In turn, the dragon priests ruled ponies as equals to the kings. The dragon priests demanded tribute and set down laws and codes of living that kept peace between Dragons and the ponies.”

“Please continue.” I said more curious than before. This was all very interesting to me. Their history was so much more epic than of the humans'.

“Eventually ponies rebelled against dragons during the Dragon Wars and killed large numbers of them. The surviving dragon priests were overthrown. However, the dragon cult itself adapted and survived. They built the dragon mounds, entombing the remains of dragons that fell in the war. They believed that one day the dragons would rise again and reward the faithful. Remnants of the Dragon Cult remained until 1E 139, when a legion of Lord Harold’s soldiers discovered a hidden stronghold of Dragon Cultists in Forelhost. This particular hold out was led by the powerful Dragon Priest Rahgot. In death, they continue their service, guarding the Word Walls that facilitate the learning of Dragon shouts.” he explained.

“Wow. You clearly know a lot about these...things.” I said and chuckled.

“I spent most of my free time educating myself, as well as I loved history when I had a good life.” he explained and looked down on the ground. “But enough about that. Let me check into the book...” headded as he pulled a small book out of his bag. “I got this book from an old friend of Spurtie's in The College of Winterhold. This book is illegal, and considered dangerous in the wrong hooves. But he trusted me, and wanted me to bring her back. In fact, this is the only copy ever made.”

“Because this book has the recipe of bringing back the dead?” I asked again curiously.

Ghost nodded to me and started reading from it. “Hmm... it says here that we need a bronze mug, a silver spoon and a golden plate. They look something like this.” he said and showed us all pictures of what it looked like.

“Hey, I've seen that one. It's somewhere on the table...” Rainbow said and carefully started digging her hooves into the treasure before our eyes. “Here it is! I got the silver spoon!” she then added and grabbed it with her mouth.

“Let me take a look at that.” Ghost requested and snatched the spoon out of her mouth. “Hmm...yes... yes. This is it. Good job, girl!” he complimented and smirked to her.

“I found the mug.” I stated and carefully handed it over to Ghost, who seemed more and more excited. I even heard him whispering to himself a message to Spurtie that he was about to bring her back.

We all carefully examined the pile, but Daring Do found the golden plate in the end. “Here's the plate. Now let's get the heck out of here.” said Daring Do, who seemed eager to finish up the quest to get my assistance in taking Ahuizotl down. But we weren't done yet. Now we had to find her bones.

“We got what we came for... let's get out of here.” Ghost said and carefully placed the important artifacts into his bag. “We're coming... Spurtie.” he whispered to himself.

“Hey, Ghost. Wait a second, there's something I need to do.” I said and quickly paced myself up to the wall. I inhaled the air as I noticed everything around me fading to black, and the Dragon letters being lit up with a blue light. I heard whispers of Nordic chants around me while it was happening, and my brain got that little sting I was used to; indicating that I had just learned a new Shout. But something wasn't quite like the last time... this time, I actually understood the meaning of the Words. It must have been due to the dragon soul I harvested the other day. Another cool thing about it was that I was lucky enough to be given all three words.

But we all heard a small crack as I turned around. A small crack coming from the tomb...

“T-The Dragon Priest is waking up!” Ghost shouted furiously. “But we didn't take anything else from that table! How can this be?!” he shouted again in startle and carefully shot his sharp eyes into ours.

“I- I thought that this small golden candle wouldn't do any harm.” mumbled Rainbow Dash, blushing and chuckling awkwardly. “Sorry...”

“Dashie! What have you done?!” he said with a high and a determined voice, yet not furious like before. He couldn't stay mad at his daughter, who he'd been protecting in years.

Another louder crack could be heard coming from the tomb once again. We could also hear a disturbing and sickening voice coming from it. Slowly whispering something in a tongue no one could understand.

“Dragonborn! Get back!” Ghost yelled at me as an order, since I was just in front of the tomb. “He'll crush you if you don't get back!”

I hesitantly did as I was told, even though I was pretty confident that I could take on him. He probably wasn't as bad as Ghost was making him out to be. Maybe he forgot that I possessed a power like no other...

In a blink of an eye the lid on the tomb cracked open and out stepped a powerful looking Dragon Priest. He had a beautifully, yet terrifying crafted mask on his face. The Dragon Priest was a big Unicorn pony and used magic to float in the air.

That thing didn't say anything though. Just floated up there with its fainted gray-ish light of a magic surrounding its body.

“Get to cover, now!” yelled Ghost at me with his obvious worries in his voice, but I found the mask hypnotizing me. I just stood there and stared deep into the two black holes where his eyes were supposed to be. I felt like the being was staring into my eyes. “Beautiful...” I murmured and took a step near the priest. But Dashie took me down to the ground before I could touch him.

“Snap out of it!” she yelled and delivered a rough slap to my face. That was enough to wake me up. We got up and ran to cover. The Dragon Priest got mad at the interference; making him focusing his magical attacks of thunder bolts on Dashie. But that didn't bother her. In fact, she wanted it to be that way. She liked dodging and evading things anyways.

I decided to quickly get out of cover and run up to him; shouting “YOL...TOOR SHUL!” at him.

Everypony got startled as they watched The Dragon Priest burn from the Fire Breath I just learned. It was much more powerful than I originally thought it to be, and it surprisingly, and despite Ghost's tale about how powerful they are, killed it.

“That's it?” I asked and kicked the corpse. “Is he dead? I mean really dead this time?”

“It is. Fortunately, we got into a fight with one of the lesser Dragon Priests. Just be careful not to wake any more, as it could be a lot tougher next time.” he pointed out and exhaled in relief.

“Ghost, you said something about finding Rainbow Spurt's bones?” Twilight asked to change the subject.

“That's correct.” he said and sighed. “And that's the hard part, unfortunately.” he added.

“The hard part?” Rainbow Dash heaved herself up from the ground and flew up to her dad. “What do you mean the hard part? I'm pretty sure what we went through right now in this gods forsaken place is the worst part of the quest... right?” she asked not very pleased.

“I'm afraid not. Well, that sick son of a bitch, also known as my “boss”, is keeping her bones in a glass in his “office” in the sole purpose in making me miserable. Anyways, we need to break into it unnoticed, and get them back.”

“Why can't we just crash the party? That way I can kill that son of a bitch and get the bones at the same time. Isn't that- No, wait. I have a better plan. Let's do it your way. After we've revived her, I want my mom to come with us. I bet she'll want to teach him a lesson or two!” she shouted at that perfect plan.

“We must get them unnoticed because if we get caught, we lose everything. I'm not going to risk years of research and determination to a small fault.” He said very determined and completely ignored Dashie. “After we have them, we can get to it immediately. I read in the book that we must  pour some blood from a pony related to the dead one, into the mug. After that, we place the bones on the plate and use the silver spoon to cover the bones in the blood. Someone needs to do that while I read a chant from the book.”

“And that will bring her back? With the same personality and everything?” Dashie asked a bit calmer.

“Same personality, same body, same everything. It’ll be like she was sleeping.” Ghost said and smirked.

“Let's get to it then. We mustn't delay.” I suggested. The others nodded and agreed by my suggestion as I led them out of the dungeon and into the fresh air by opening a big steel door on a wall behind the Word Wall.


It was nighttime by the time we got back to Ponyville to drop off Twilight Sparkle who had to end her journey. She wasn't a Pegasus, and could therefore not step a hoof into Cloudsdale where our next location was. I hugged Twilight tightly and thanked her for everything before we took off to Cloudsdale, as did Ghost, who thanked her many times for her hospitality.

But as soon as we got to Cloudsdale for our next objective, we decided to split up. I would go with Ghost to get the bones back, while Rainbow Dash and Daring Do waited at a place no one knew about, some kind of secret shelter.

We hugged and kissed before splitting up, and I silently followed Ghost as I watched Dashie and Daring Do disappearing into the mist.

“You must do exactly as I say. You got that?” he asked me as he led me into a dark, dirty alley. It surprised me how it was exactly how I imagined it. In fact, I'd seen it before in my nightmares. I gulped as I kept following him silently. We walked past a warehouse and a couple of more houses until we reached an ugly looking door.

“Alright. Here it is, inside that very room. I have a feeling that we're being watched right now, but stay here for now in case somebody followed us. I'll go in and get the bones and put them in this bag. Then we'll get the hell out of here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, retreat. I don't want any of you coming for me, or messing with them. Mission failed, and life will go on. You got that?” he whispered to me nervously. I sensed the fear in him. He did not want to walk straight into his office, nor did he want his boss to find out about it, but the passion and the hope of bringing his wife back was too strong and overcame everything else.

“Aye.” I said and nodded to him before he finally inhaled the air and opened the door; vanishing into the darkness.

I waited impatiently for him to get back as I stood there in the dark in an unknown and dangerous alley, possibly filled with criminals I couldn't see. But I trusted Ghost, and I'd seen how strong he was despite of being living in hell for the past years.

But at last he opened the door and returned with the bag full. He was panting and really scared, based on his facial expression. “Let's get the buck out of here... I almost woke him up!” he said and started galloping away from the place. I quickly followed him, and as soon as we got out of the alley, we started running and laughing in joy. “We did it!” we said and grinned. “Let's just hope this works...”


Rainbow Dash was making holes on the ground impatiently by walking in circles when we got into that secret shelter. Daring Do simply sat there on an old couch with her hooves on a small table. The first thing I noticed once inside that shelter was how cozy it was. One could definitely just live there if broke and homeless.

“You're back! Do you have the bones?” asked excited Rainbow Dash as she flew up to us. “Please, tell me you have the bones!”

“Here they are, girl.” he said and opened the bag. But his facial expression soon changed from being excited to sad when he took a good look at the bones. “That's my wife...” he said and sighed. “Don't worry. We'll bring her back!” he said again and carefully placed the bones on the plate that were already on the ground.

“Now begins the most disturbing part...” he said. “Dashie, are you still willing to let me cut you up a little? I just need a small cut, and some of your blood. I won't force you, but I'd be very appreciated.”

“After all that, do you honestly think I'd back down now? A little cut ain't going to kill me. I think it's worth a life, don't you think?” she asked and facehooved. “It's the least I could do.”

“I just wanted it to be your choice. I would not, nor could I ever tie you down to get a sample.” he explained and hugged his daughter. “She's coming back tonight.” he said again and that made Dashie hug him back.

“Yes, she is.” she replied and smirked through her small tears. “Yes, she is.” she said again before letting go of each other.

“Let's get to it then.” Ghost said and opened his bag. He carefully placed the rest of the items he needed for that ritual on the floor and unsheathed his small knife.

“Drake, could you hold this mug next to her and get some of her blood after I've cut her?”

“Sure. No problem.” I said a little hesitant, and also a bit uneasy by the thought of her being cut. But it was necessary, and only a small cut anyways.

“Daring Do, would you please patch her up after we'd gotten the sample?”

“Sure thing.” she replied and stood up from the chair and walked towards her bag which was located at the end of the room to get the bandages ready.

“I'm ready.” said Rainbow Dash who prepared herself.

Ghost quickly and without a warning cut her in her left front leg. It made her groan a little, but she was strong. I carefully placed the mug besides her wound and let the blood flow into it. That was much more blood than I imagined, and the cut bigger than I thought. That was definitely going to leave a mark for the rest of her days.

“Daring Do, patch her up.” Ghost said calmly and pressed against the wound to stop the bleeding.

I walked up to Rainbow and hugged her after she had been patched up. “You alright?” I whispered into her ear.

“Of course I'm alright. A cut ain't stopping Rainbow Dash.” she answered and chuckled. “I appreciate the thought though. Thanks.” she said and kissed me.

I didn't know if it was disturbing for Ghost to see us making out or not, but I didn't care at all. He interrupted us though when we were taking our sweet time.

“That's my girl.” he said and gave her a pat on the back. “I knew that such a strong mare like you could never be slowed down by a simple cut. Now, let's get to it!” he shouted in excitement and carefully placed the mug on the floor besides the other artifacts. “Now, Rainbow. What you have to do is to cover the bones with the blood with the spoon as I'm reading a chant from the book. Don't stop until I've completed!” he ordered, and I nodded. “Are you ready?” he asked as Rainbow sat on the floor with the spoon in her mouth. It's a good thing he didn't ask me about doing it, as I'd probably just screw it up.

The lights went dim as he read from the book. Dashie kept pouring her blood on the bones as well. By the looks of it, it was working! I noticed the bones shining, and some kind of auras around them. It was getting even brighter and brighter as he kept reading. In the end, the room was lit with a bright, white light. It was getting so bright that it could easily damage our eyes, and it was very noisy as well.

“You have to shut your eyes!” I shouted at them, but threw myself on the ground when the noise was getting immense; a sound like a plasma orbital cannon powering up or something.

But at last everything went dark. The auras were gone, and it got dead silent.

“Is everybody alright?” I asked and coughed as I slowly stood up.

“Somebody light some candles!” Ghost shouted and didn't dare to move.

“What's going on? Did it work?” asked Rainbow Dash who seemed very impatient and excited.

“I found a candle, let me light it up.” said Daring Do.

The moment couldn't be described when the lights were back on and as we all saw Rainbow Spurt lying on the floor where the bones originally were... breathing and alive!

“Oh my gods!” Ghost shouted and knelt down next to her. “We did it!” he shouted and started crying. He laughed like a maniac and carefully stroked her mane. “We did it!” he shouted again, but this time, Rainbow Dash jumped into his arms and cried with him.

Daring Do took off her hat and put it next to her heart. “To congratulations.” she said and had the widest smirk ever. First time seeing her smile like that though and that made my already big grin even bigger.

“Wait for a second. Is she sleeping?” I asked and couldn't help but to laugh with them.

“The book says that if it succeeds, the bones should be replaced with the person. That person would come back to life, but asleep. We're going to have to wait for her to wake up. We mustn't wake her up, as it could mess something up with her memory. We're going to have to wait, but I don't know how long she'll be out.” he said with tears in his eyes. This was literally one of his best days ever.

I was extremely happy for them and I wanted to hug them all, but I decided to leave them be. This was a small family moment I didn't want to interrupt.

“Thank you, Dragonborn. Thank you so, so much.” he said, stood up and walked up to me. “You freed me, brought my daughter safe back to me and helped me revive the love of my life. I'm honored to have you as my son in law.” he said and gave me a bear hug.

I laughed with him, and even got tears in my eyes. “Actually, we aren't married ye-”

“Shut up, boy!” he said and kept hugging me. “I just wanted you to know that you have my blessings.”

“That's nice, but Drake and I really have to go. We'll pay you guys a visit tomorrow. Bye now!” Rainbow said all of a sudden, eagerly opening the front door.

“What? You're leaving? Right now? Don't you want to stay with your mother for a bit longer?” he asked, surprised.

“Like I said, we'll see you tomorrow when she'd woken up. Smell ya later!” she replied and pushed me out of the exit before she slammed the door behind us.

After that she quickly walked towards the dark side of the city with a frown on her face.

“What's going on?” I asked and grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

“I'm going to kill him. I said that I'd do it. Now, are you with me on this or not?” she asked with a determination written all over her face. I sighed as I realized that I couldn't persuade her, so I accepted. I just had to hope that my nightmare was flawed...

We stood by the entrance of the narrow, dark alley in the wind and rain and looked at each other. She nodded to me with her determined smirk and stepped one step closer into the alley.

“Wait...” I stopped her, looking down on the ground. “Before we do this...”

“Yeah? What do you have in mind?” she asked me calmly and stopped, looking at me with her beautiful smile.

“If something goes wrong... if this is indeed the end for one or both of us. I'd like you to know that I've always loved you. Even though I didn't quite realize it at first.”

She grinned, took a step towards me and put her right hoof on my shoulder. “I've always loved you, too.”

My heart warmed when I heard that. Her answer really increased my courage, as well as my determination to kill that fucker.

“Another thing. If we get out of it alive...” I said, kneeling down to her. “I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you.” I added, looking deep into her eyes. Rainbow gasped and widened her eyes, as well as her pupils. Her body started shuddering in both nervousness and awe.

“A-Are you proposing to me?” she asked and I couldn't make out if she was excited or nervous. Maybe both.

“Well... giving the fact that I really can't be happy without you, then yes. I'm proposing to you. What do you say?”

I noticed tears forming in her eyes. She grinned and launched herself at me with a hug. “Yes.” she whispered into my left ear, making my blood freeze and my heart stop pumping for a second.

“You mean it?” I nearly shouted and grinned back at her like an idiot.

“I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.” she stated and quickly kissed me, I reciprocated with a smile.

It wasn't the right place though; we were just in front of the most dangerous and darkest alley of perhaps whole of Equestria. No one even dared walking past there in fear of being killed or worse.

But at last we nodded to each other and walked into the darkness of the alley. “Let's kill them all.” she half ordered, walking a little ahead of me without hesitation.

“Fuck yes.” I whispered back, but appointed it more to myself.

There it was. The infamous warehouse. I didn't take a good look at it earlier when I went there with Ghost, but it looked exactly how I imagined it based on Ghost's story, and I could only imagine what happened. I just seriously hoped everything would go as planned. What if I did look into my future with that nightmare? What was going to happen to me if she died? Would I still be able to protect Equestria? I doubted it. But I promised Rainbow to do this, and I had to stick to my promise. Besides, I'd only just Shout our way out of trouble.

“Alright, let's do it.” Rainbow said and nodded again to me. But as soon as we were about to kick the door open, we were taken by surprise by thugs. They put cloth up my mouth, completely closing it, meaning that I wasn't able to use my Shouts anymore.

They put bag over our heads, but we kept struggling. 'No, no, no!' I thought to myself, and kicked everything on sight blindly. I heard Rainbow Dash kicking her way out of trouble, but eventually she fell to the ground, grunting and groaning as they kicked her and hit her with all kinds of weapons. The sound just gave that away.

I refused to give up, especially when I heard her shouting my name in pain. Her voice somewhat provided me boost. It brought me more determination to defend her with all my might. But they got me in the end, despite of my strengths and endurance. “Dashie!” I managed to shout through the cloth before I got an unexpected blow to the head.

I woke up in a strange, unknown place. A very dirty place. I didn't quite remember what happened but by the look of the green room I was in, I didn't expect it to be a friendly visit.

By the time I saw Rainbow in front of me; tied up on her hooves and hanging there in the air unconscious, I yelled through the cloth gagging me, and tried everything to get closer to her. But there was something keeping me back. Strong shackles strapped me against the wall.

'No! No!' I thought to myself again as I tried to break them.

But someone interrupted me with a cold laugh. “Well, well, well... what have we here?” I panted as my fury and rage built up. How much I wanted to kill that bastard. I just hoped he'd take the cloth from my mouth so I could burn him with my shout! “I have the Dragonborn, and Rainbow Dash herself tied up! This is too good to be true.” he pointed out. Then he revealed himself to me. He was exactly as I saw him in my dreams, and by Ghost's description.

He was a big, gray Pegasus with a snake as a cutie mark, just as Ghost described him. He had blue eyes and black mane. He wore some kind of a leather uniform, and it made him look ridiculous. But despite his uniform, I found him a bit terrifying to be honest.

Dashie suddenly woke up though. “Drake? Where am I? What's going on?” she asked, her head a bit bloodied by the beatings she received earlier.

“I didn't know she was a Wonderbolt! Just like her mother, eh? Mmm... she's so beautiful. And here I have her, in my grasp. Such a fragrant smell, it's getting me pretty hot. I'm usually not into full grown up mares. I like 'em fresh, young and unspoiled; virgin fillies. But Rainbow Dash... she's special. She is a one of a kind mare; she's an exception.” he added and made pleasurable sounds. He let his hooves skim her body up and down and started sniffing her mane. He rubbed her mostly around her thighs and eventually started stroking and rubbing her belly. I noticed how miserable Dashie looked. She tried to kick him to send a message that he'd regret it, but the more she fought back, the more he resisted. Eventually he got more violent and started rubbing her slit very slowly in front of me. Her Wonderbolts uniform prevented a direct contact though. Rainbow Dash made disturbing and uncomfortable cries, and even teared up. “Let me go! S-stop this you mother bucker!” she yelled and screamed. But as she realized that he was actually fueled by her resistance, she begged him to stop touching her. But he wouldn't obey and only nourished on her begging and pleading as well. But when he wasn't stopping, she decided to inflict damage on him with her suit. But it didn't do him any harm, since he was big and could handle most things.

“A fight in you? I like that. It gets me even hotter. You're determined just like your mother was.” he stated and licked up her tight Wonderbolt's suit from her belly and up to her cheek and made satisfying sounds again. He tried to tear her suit apart, but even his mighty strengths had no match against the strong material it was made of.

This all brought my fury and rage to a whole new level, and I felt how much my hatred was starting to build upon him. I don't think I hated anyone or anything more than him. Alduin was like my best friend in comparison to him. He was touching and licking my fiancé. He was raping her, and I had to sit there and fucking watch without being able to do anything about it! Also the fact that he said that he “liked 'em fresh and young” made me sick. I was on the edge of throwing up. That shithead was even lower on my respect list than a piece of crap.

I tried everything in my power to break the shackles and to speak back to her, but the cloth was still gagging me. I stared at him with my malevolent eyes and bit the cloth as hard as I could in blind rage. I started breathing faster and heavier.

“Oh, sorry. You still have that thing in your mouth. Let me help you with that.” he said before he flew over to me and took it off with his own mouth.

“Let her go, you sick fuck!” I shouted as soon as it got off me. “And stop touching her, you pathetic piece of shit!”

“Or what?” he asked whilst walking around the tied up Rainbow Dash. “It's funny, really. This is all so familiar... where have I seen this before? Ah yes! When her father begged for mercy like a pig! Good times, good times.”

“You sick son of a bitch! You're forgetting who you're dealing with... I can use my-”

“I wouldn't recommend using your Shouts, Dragonborn. Because if you do....” he interrupted me and carefully stroke her body with his knife. “You probably get the hint.”

Again I tried everything in my power to break me loose from the shackles that were holding me. But whatever was holding me was strong and refused to let go off me.

“What the hell do you want?!”

“Oh, nothing much. I just want to get my hooves on that beautiful mare you brought me. Just look at her! She has one of the greatest bodies I've ever seen! Her flank is the best I've ever encountered! You're extremely lucky to have such a special mare. Gotta say, I'm getting incredibly jealous. But here she is; in my grasp. And since I can do whatever the buck I want, I'm thinking about taking her into my office tonight. I haven't had my release in a week or so. And you know how we stallions get when we haven't done it in a while, right?” he asked solely in the purpose of making me feel miserable and even more furious than I already was. That guy was a master when it came down to that, I give him that. He easily got my temper up, despite the fact Arngeir had been trying to teach me; to remain calm. That way, I could handle just about any situations. But I just couldn't handle watching him abuse the love of my life like that without being able to do anything about it. “Anyways, come to think of it... since I have Rainbow Dash, the soul mate of the Dragonborn himself tied up, maybe I'd take advantage of that situation in more ways than one. What I want is more power, and you are going to give it to me.”

I looked deep into Dashie's sparkly, teary eyes, which told me to refuse his offer. She even shook her head very slowly. It was a courageous move from her; given the fact that he was the most dangerous criminal we'd ever met.

“And what if I refuse?”

“I'll fill her belly with my seed in front of you.” he pointed out blatantly and as seriously as he could. “But first I'll do something else you'll be quite interested in. I figured there would be no use torturing you. Your body and spirit can handle it. But you're too soft when it comes down to the people you love. So let me demonstrate. Let me show you what I have in mind. Then you can decide whether you help me acquire what I seek or not.” he added and quickly got behind Rainbow. He slapped her flank and subtly grabbed and stroked her waist before yelling into the air: "Chainsaw!" It didn't take more than five seconds for someone to get him one. “Now, get out!” he spat at the one who provided him that chainsaw. But he didn't power it up yet. He decided to keep breaking me down by continuing his sexual assault on her. He slowly licked her waist and stomach, caressed her pelvis and buried his face in her soft mane. The worst part was that he was actually turned on by it. He wasn't acting. The satisfying sounds he made weren't fake.

Rainbow had realized fighting against it would only do worse so she let him do his will against her. She was far from liking or accepting it though and it clearly showed on her face. Her eyes were firmly shut and she was fighting to prevent tears from flowing. I noticed her hard swallows and her shuddering lips. Her physical language told me she was feeling like shit.

“No... NO! What are you doing? What the fuck are you doing you fucking piece of shit?! I'll kill you!” I shouted at him as a statement with everything I had and once again tried my best to break the shackles. I even felt for my face reddening and my veins almost bursting out in utmost fury. I wouldn't give up. I was sure that my imprisonment would break if I'd try hard enough. I craved for his blood. I wanted to slice him in pieces. Cut his eyes out while he was still alive and feed them to him.

But after touching her for a while he suddenly stopped. “This is just a taste of what will happen if you refuse me about anything.” He pointed out before he powered up the chainsaw. “Do you have anything to say before you lose your precious wing?” he spat out and laughed like a maniac.

“Drake... I'm so, so sorry. For everything.” she said as her eyes got tearier than before. “I should have listened to you.. I-I should have!”

I remembered my dream, and this was exactly what happened. The next part was going to get brutal and painful for both me and her, but I had every intentions to prevent that from happening.

“NO! DON'T HURT HER, YOU FUCKING PIG! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL--” I screamed again louder than before, but something interrupted as he was about to saw into her. Someone kicked the door open and entered the room with a bang. In all her grace, a beautiful and a strong mare entered the room. Her rainbow colored mane flowed in the wind entering the room from outside. She was orange colored and had blood and gore all over her body.

“Long time no see!” she said with a malevolent smile.

“N-No! That can't be! You're supposed to be dead!” he yelled. I noticed how shivery and how startled he became. “This can't be!” he repeated and dropped the chainsaw to the ground which broke on the impact. “Guards!” he shouted for assistance.

The orange mare chuckled. “They are in this very room with you, specifically on me.” she pointed out and smirked evilly to him. “You are joining them.” she added with a fury mixed with satisfaction in her voice before she flew up quickly and smoothly up to him and took him down to the ground. She then knocked him out with a vicious punch to his temple as he screamed like a filly.

“M-Mom? Is that you?!” shouted Rainbow Dash in disbelief, shock and joy all at the same time.

“Dashie!” she shouted back and untied her. They looked at each other’s face for a while before hugging each other. “Oh Dashie!” she shouted again and held her more firmly up to her. “Such a beautiful young mare you've grown into! And a Wonderbolt? I'm so proud of you!”

"Mom!” was the only thing she could respond. They both cried in each others arms and made me watch. Not intently, but I didn't care. This sight was so beautiful anyways. Everything that made Dashie happy, also made me extremely happy.

But after they'd hugged and kissed for a while, I decided to interrupt. “Eh, girls?” I said and chuckled awkwardly. They both looked at me. Dashie looked at me with her eyes full of love and passion, while Rainbow Spurt looked at me with “Who the fuck is that guy?” look.

Dashie flew up to the knocked out boss and reached into one of his pockets on his ugly, leathery uniform. She then flew up to me with a key and unlocked the shackles to break me free.

As soon as I was freed, I jumped into her arms and held her firmly against me. “Oh, Dashie!” I said and kissed her. “It almost happened. And are you alright? Did he hurt you? He'll pay for what he's done!”

“I-I'm fine now that I'm back into your arms. But what almost happened?” she asked and looked at me with her relieved hypnotizing eyes.

“My nightmare... but it doesn't matter. You're here now safe and sound. That's what matters.” I replied and pulled her near me. I enjoyed feeling for her fast pounding heart beat against my chest, and her chest moving as she breathed. Her presence made everything perfect. “I'm so relieved...”

Rainbow Spurt walked near us and grinned to both of us. “Dashie? Something you'd like to explain?” she asked with a giggle.

“This is Drake, he's my fiancé and the Dragonborn himself.” she explained, very honored to be mine. At least by the sound of it.

“D-Dragonborn?!” she shouted before she knelt for me. “I didn't know the time had come. Such an honor.” she added and bowed even more for me.

“Get up.” I ordered her, and she obeyed hesitantly. “In fact, I should be kneeling to you."

“Why?” she asked confusedly.

“Because you're the mother of the most amazing, the most beautiful and the most perfect mare in the world. Also the fact that you were the former leader of the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh, that.” she said and blushed. “But are you really with my girl?” she asked with a surprised gasp.

“Hello? I'm right here!” Rainbow interrupted with a chuckle. “I can speak for myself. Yes, he's my partner and my soul mate. We want our lives to bond and to live side by side until the end of our days. You know, the normal thing.” she said and put her hoof over me; pulling me closer to her. She wrapped her forehooves over my neck again and nuzzled my snout. I reciprocated the nuzzle with a proud smile.

“I'm honored.” Rainbow Spurt said and bowed her head again for both of us. “My Dashie with such a strong, healthy stallion; the prophecy and legend of Equestria. I always expected her to find such a great guy in the future. No surprise there.”

“By the way, where is dad?” Rainbow suddenly asked as she looked around the room. I also had a feeling that she just wanted to change the subject since she was starting to blush a bit.

“He's by the exit; making sure we weren't followed.” she replied. “But now that we're all here, what should we do to him?” she asked and pointed at the knocked out boss.

“That's easy.” replied Rainbow Dash and put on her murderous, evil smirk.

We tied the boss up to a chair and waited patiently for him to wake up. The fun didn't start until he woke up though.

There he was, sitting tied up in a chair with three furious, murderous ponies longing for a revenge. Rainbow Spurt wanted vengeance for her unborn child, Dashie wanted revenge for the way he treated her parents, and I wanted to hurt him badly for what he did to Dashie, and for disrespecting her.

The boss almost pissed himself when he noticed us with weapons in our hooves. I had a baseball bat I found lying on the floor, Rainbow Spurt had scissors and Dashie had some nails and a hammer.

“I said I wouldn't scream. Now, it's your turn.” Spurt said and laughed like an evil madman.

“I hope you all rot in hell! I don't regret anything!” he shouted as we prepared ourselves to do our will against him.

I started off by hitting him as hard as I could in his right knee; completely breaking it into pieces. But I found it pretty soft, to be honest. I punched him as hard as I could in his face, and broke his nose. Soon, his face was covered in his own blood as I kept punching the shit out of him. Next, I decided to let him taste the power of the Voice.

“Yol!” I shouted at him, and watched as he burned lightly. It wasn't enough to kill him, far from it as he was big, but it definitely made some damage.

It was pretty satisfying listening to him scream in pain like that. It was music in our ears.

Next up was Dashie. She carefully placed a nail on his groin and said “This is for touching me, you bucking pig.” before she nailed him as hard as she could. His blood spew around everywhere, and he screamed some more in agonizing pain. Dashie got all covered in his blood, and seeing her smirk evilly to him like that was both disturbing and sexy. “I like them young and fresh”? Bucking disgusting piece of trash!” she yelled furiously to him. I don't think I've ever seen her as angry. He pleaded for mercy, but we were bloodthirsty and only fueled by his pain and screams. We needed his blood to spill. Dashie wasn't done with him though. She then placed another nail under his chin and nailed again as hard as she could.

The boss wetted the floor with blood, piss, and tears. But we were far from being satisfied yet. I wasn't a violent person, but I actually enjoyed this. The dark justice was satisfying. But it wasn't enough. I always felt like he got less than he deserved.

Next came Rainbow Spurt. She subtly walked up to him and punched him as hard as she could into his broken face. Then she used the scissors to cut out his tongue, and one of his ear off. The boss was on the edge of being dead, but was still conscious due to his massive size. But Rainbow Spurt was far from being over. Next up, she picked a rusty saw she found lying on a table in the next room.

"No!!" he managed to yell despite of having his tongue cut out when he figured out that she planned on sawing his wings off. "Puease!" he yelled again but despite the immense pain and the lack of energy, he tried everything he could to free himself. But to no avail. Dashie and I held him still as she started sawing his wings off him. The yelling and screaming were so great that it even started reaching uncomfortable levels for us, but we ignored it. Our lust for his blood overcame every other feelings we had.

But we all got enough when we realized how far it went. We were acting just like the monster he was. So we all decided to stop the tortures and just end his miseries. We had broken his knee, burnt him, nailed him a couple of times, beat him viciously, cut off his tongue and ear with scissors, and sawed off his wings; completely destroying him as an individual. We thought about leaving him to rot in the darkness, but we considered that maybe too much. We still wanted to show that we were the “good guys” by ending his pain. The agonized look on his face screamed for death, and that was exactly what we were going to do. “P-P-Puease?” he whispered through his unbearable pain. But despise the dark and demonic treatment, we felt for no sympathies for him.

“He's all yours, Dragonborn.” Rainbow Spurt said and walked away out of the room.

Dashie saw what I had in mind, and she nodded; agreed by my decision. “Let him burn.” she said and held my hooves firmly.

I inhaled the air and shouted “YOL... TOOR SHUL!” at him. Completely killing him instantly. All these years and he didn't change by a bit. He clearly had no soul, or a really corrupted one. It was a good thing we ended his life; we were doing the world a favor.

“Thank you, Drake, for everything you've done for us.” Ghost said and lowered his head for me when we walked out of the room and outside into the comfortable rain. “You've reunited this family again. You've made us all happy. I wish I could do something in return.”

“In a matter of fact, you've given me more than I've given you.” I responded and looked at Dashie. “Thank you.”

“How did you find us? How did you know we were there?” Rainbow Dash changed the subject.

“We know you, Dashie. I knew you were going off to kill him, but I didn't stop you since I believed you were in good hooves. But then I realized that the exact same thought made me lose Spurtie. I planned on going out of the shelter to go get you; to bring you back home, when Spurtie suddenly woke up!” he said full of joy and kissed her on her cheek. “I asked Daring Do to take care of the shelter in the meantime.”

“I see...” Dashie said and looked at her parents full of happiness and satisfaction. They were finally there in front of her; alive and reunited again. “But I'm afraid we're going to have to leave now. It's getting very late and we're both very tired.”

“That's alright. We'll see you tomorrow then?” asked Rainbow Spurt who seemed eager to spend more time with us.

“Yes, we will.” we both said at the same time and looked at each other. We hugged, kissed and told each other goodbyes many times over and over again. It was just so hard for Dashie to leave them again, even though it was just for a short while.

But at last we walked together side by side out of the dark alley and towards her apartment to end the long, yet successful day.

Chapter 8: Gains and Losses

3 years earlier

I inhaled the cold, yet not fresh air as I walked across the street. I was on my way home from school and I was getting pretty tired after a long day. I was very unhappy and a bit scarred after my recent accident that occurred not a month or two ago. Don't really remember exactly when. My amnesia hadn't vanished completely, but I knew by now what had happened.

My chest was still numb, and my headache was still bothering me.

But I somehow felt like everything that happened to my family was my fault, despite the fact that nobody could have seen it coming. I tried moving on but it was just too bloody difficult. I even sometimes broke down in the middle of my class. Awkward silence always followed but I didn't care at all.

It was snowy outside but the weather was calm. Nothing quite like walking home from school with my heavy bag on my back in the snow. I didn't have a car despite of having my license, so I had to do with the walking. Fortunately, I didn't live very far away.

I inherited everything my parents owned when they died and they were very rich. That's why I didn't have any difficulties with money. But I planned on moving away from that big and fancy house anyway; perhaps into a small apartment. It was just too hard living there without my family like I was used to. I also planned on getting a job like an average person. I wanted to earn the money.

My bag was filled with all kinds of books, as well as drawings I made when I got extremely bored in class. Most of those drawings were of ponies. I'd been a brony for two and a half months now. I got hooked after the first 3-4 episodes. Since then I'd been trying to draw a perfect picture of a pony in an epic battle against impossible odds. Yes, I did like to play with my imagination a bit. Especially in class. It made the whole course seem faster to pass.

I wasn't a bad drawer either and I did pretty good to be honest. But despite of my love to the show, I was still a bit scared of other people finding out about my secret interest. After all, I only just “recently” found out about it. At least in comparison to other bronies I met online.

I always walked the same way from school and took a shortcut through a long and a dirty alley. I couldn't help but to jog through it. Walking through it always gave me a bad feeling and the creeps, since I always expected something to attack me out of nowhere. But I still always walked through it anyways.

I got a bad feeling as I walked through it. A feeling like somebody was watching me. My heart started beating faster, my lungs automatically started inhaling more oxygen than usual and I started pacing myself forward. I was convinced that it was just the dirty and depressing environment, but then I found out the real reason...

All of a sudden appeared three guys on the other end of the alley. They wore black gangster outfits and had black caps on their heads. I knew those guys, for we shared the same high school once, but they dropped out. I heard some news of them becoming drug addicts and having pretty fucked up lives, but they were just rumors.

But even though I knew them, they weren't my friends... far from it. In fact, those guys loved to make my life even more miserable than it already was. They even made fun of my dead family, and myself. Attacking them was tempting, but I always managed to keep calm. Peace was in my nature. I only used violence when necessary and that didn't happen very often, fortunately.

I thought about turning around and run but then I figured that I wasn't a coward. I didn't run away from trouble; I preferred facing it. That was who I was. It was in my blood to stand up for myself.

I quietly, yet determinedly, walked up to the grinning...thugs... but didn't dare looking at them in the eyes. I just had to hope that they weren't in the mood for “kicking my ass” as they always referred it as.

“Well, well, well! Look at what have we here!” one of them said amusingly. He was petite, but looked physically strong. “It's Drake.” he hissed and laughed. “How's your mom? Oh! Clumsy me, I forgot about the fact that she's dead!” he spat out, laughed again and shoved me. His friends joined him in the laughter.

I tried muttering something in return, but couldn't. I didn't know how to respond to this. I had no idea how a person could be that cold hearted. “I-I...”

“I-I what?” Another one added. He was tall and skinny and didn't look nearly as tough as the other two in appearance, but in fact he was the strongest of them three. “Take off your bag.” he then insisted and shoved me again. But this time, I fell to the ground and into the cold snow.

“No.” I responded calmly. But as I was about to stand up, the leader kicked me directly in my face. It hurt as hell and it made me cover my face in my palms. I was pretty sure he broke my nose. The stream of blood gushed and coated my hands in red liquid. I grunted, but tried to minimize the sounds I made. I didn't want them to be satisfied by it. I had to stay strong.

While I was lying helplessly on the ground, I felt for one of them harshly grasping my bag off my back. But I didn't bother resisting even though I wanted to. I just focused on minimizing the bleeding.

After a little while I slowly opened my bloodied and possibly swollen eyes again to see them opening my bag and searching for valuables. They knew I was rich and they seemed positive to find something worthy in there. I smiled to the thought of them being disappointed when they'd realize that I don't take anything other than necessary with me to school.

“There's nothing in here! Just some... wait. What's this shit?” One of them said and picked up my book that was filled with my drawings of pony related stuff.

“Oh, shit man!” the tall guy said. “He's a brony!” he added with disgust and a mock in his voice as they turned the pages.

“What's with those ponies? And what the fuck is a brony?” the small guy asked, and seemed to be interested by my secretive passion. A new material to harass me with.

I simply lay there in the snow very weak. I covered my swollen and bloodied face in the snow to cool it off. It was a good feeling; a relieving, yet a painful feeling at the same time.

“A brony is a guy that likes My Little Pony. Those little faggots are all over the internet.” he explained as he looked at me full of hate and spat on me. I didn't know what I did to earn that, but I certainly wasn't popular among them. Not that I wanted to be, anyways.

“You mean, that this little faggot in the snow over there...” the petite fiend said before he kicked me in my stomach as hard as he could. “...faps to ponies?”

I grunted again as I tried to gasp for air. I started shuddering and very slowly tried to crawl my way out of there. But the tall guy harshly held me down with his foot.

“Yes. He's a sick bastard. I knew he was faggot to start with, but this is something else!” the amused leader said and knelt next to me. “You pathetic piece of shit.”

I didn't bother explaining to them that I didn't personally masturbate to ponies but I figured that they wouldn't believe me. I didn't seek their approval anyways, so I just let them say whatever they wished to say to me.

“I... I just want to go home.” I muttered and tried to stand up, but the tall guy kept crushing me with his foot. I could barely breathe. “Let...go of me.” I added painfully.

The three guys just stood there with their merciless smirks on their faces and looked down on me like I was a bug. A bug about to be squished.

“You hear that guys? Drake wants to go home!” the leader said in a mock and offered his hand. “Common. It's alright. We're cool. You can go home now.” he added and put on a subtle fake smile. I knew he was bluffing, but I decided to take his hand anyway. Maybe I could evade them and quickly and smoothly get the hell out of there before they could do their will against me.

I was right. After I was back on my feet he stabbed me in my stomach with his hidden sharp blade he kept in his left hand, followed with a laugh. I immediately fell to the ground due to the sharp and sudden pain and started groaning and grunting once again. I pressured on my wound to keep the blood out and pushed out “S-stop. P-Please... help... me. H-hospital.”

“Y-you don't deserve anything, orphan. Y-you sad fuck!” the small guy said, a little hesitant this time, and kicked me again. Maybe because he didn't approve of the leader stabbing me. But he still wanted to keep his reputation among them, so he played along.

They were seriously damaging my body with their attacks, and I could just sense my body failing me. Like my organs were slowly giving up, especially my wounded stomach. I felt like death.

“People like you disgust me. It's for the best that we teach you a lesson before you start molesting children.” the leader told me as he knelt next to me with a fake pity.

“F-Fuck... you.” I managed to growl at him and spat some of my blood at his white, shiny shoes. It was satisfying, even though I knew that this would only get the situation worse. I knew that I would have to stay at a hospital bed that night, or even weeks. That is if I'd live through it. Speaking of killing me, I never thought they'd have it in them to actually risk taking a life away no matter who it was. I always just considered them as obnoxious, bored bullies and nothing more. But I guess they were more than met the eyes.

He harshly rubbed his shoes up to my face and looked at me with fire in his eyes. Deadly, hateful fire. “You disrespect me?!” he yelled before punching me in my face again. “You're into animals; hell, you even jerk off to cartoon ponies! You don't deserve to fucking live!” he yelled and ordered his gang to beat me up.

I tried covering and defending myself as they punt kicked me and stomped on my limbs. One knelt next to me and started strangling me. It was getting bloodier than ever; I even lost more blood than in the car crash.

The vicious attacks on me lasted for minutes, but at last they let me recover and waited for me to stand up. Idiots. Did they really think I could stand up after being stabbed and beat up like that?

I think they had waited for something about ten minutes when the leader made a blow to my skull before I lost all my little strengths I had left in me; a punt kick to my face as I decided to get on my knees and possibly try to stand up and get away despite my wounds..

I immediately collapsed to the bloodied snow again and just lay there as if I was dead. I didn't even try to move. In fact, I was just an inch from being dead for good this time. My vision, as well as my hearing, had gotten significantly worse. I started hearing buzzes and uncomfortable, unnatural noises. I also felt for my heart beating irregularly.

Out of  nowhere, the leader pulled a pistol from his pocket and pointed it at my head.

“Shit, man! What the hell are you doing?!” the smaller guy asked in a panic and disapproval, but he didn't take an action towards it. The tall guy was neutral regarding the leader's action. He didn't care if I'd live or die. He just watched without an emotion and without sympathies.

“Don't worry. Nobody will miss this piece of shit. He's of no use to this world, and he'll never achieve anything in his life other than being a sick pervert. It's for the best to end his life right now. I've always hated that fucker anyways.” The leader responded and loaded the gun. The loud click that indicated that the gun had been loaded echoed through the alley.

I simply gazed into the barrel of the gun and waited for the bang. I was too weak to move and I hadn't enough willpower to force myself to do anything about that situation. I simply had to wait for my undeserved and unfair death. But there is one thing I managed to do... a final attempt for convincing them to change their minds and let me live.

“P-Please. J-Just h-help me get to the hospital...” I whispered, but it failed. They didn't feel for the slightest sympathy, which was kind of expected.

When all hopes was lost for me, a guy walked past the alley and happened to notice the assault. That was pure luck because hardly anyone walked through the street anymore as the street was on the edge of being deserted. But I had to walk through it for my shortcut to my house.

“Wha-- fu-- you doing?!” I heard him yell through the buzzes over to my attackers. I wanted to raise my hand to let the man know that I was still alive, but my body wouldn't obey me. I was all out of energy.

“Get the f-- out –  here!” the man shouted with anger and furiously ran towards them to scare them off. It was a bold move by the man, but it payed off. The three “thugs” squealed and ran off at once. It was a good thing the leader didn't shoot the man.

“I'll call the cops if I see any of you again!” he yelled at their direction, but they kept running terrifyingly away. I just lay there on the snow completely powerless. But I regretted nothing. I was proud of myself for not showing fear or weaknesses and for never losing my temper.

“Hang on, kid! Just, hang on!” the fellow said shocked as he knelt next to me and quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket to call 911. I took a glance at him to see that he was perhaps mid thirties. He wore an expensive leather jacket and had a black baseball cap on his head. He obviously spent a lot of time in the gym, judging by his enormous muscles. But what got my attention was his scar on his right cheek. It was scary, but made him look more badass. Especially with those sunglasses on.

But at last I rested my head on the snow as my headache was getting immense. My body was still shaking in panic, fear and pain. My hearing slowly began to deafen even more, and my sight was starting to worsen. For a second I thought I wouldn't make it. Getting killed by an attack from those sad little guys that didn't have a proper life. I also found it pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by them. I knew I could handle them in a fight but I really didn't want to. I wasn't that kind of guy. I liked the peace so I always tried to solve problems with diplomacy. However, not everyone shared the same opinion...

“It's going to be alright. They're coming. Just hang on tight!” my defender said to me and put his hands on my wound to create a pressure and to stop the bleeding. “You're strong. It's not your time yet! Just, stay with me!” he shouted reassuringly at me.

“Th..thank..s” I managed to push out before I closed my eyes and slowly lost my consciousness...


“Drake? You there?” some seconds passed before the voice asked again “Drake? Hello?” but this time I woke up from my daydream.

I shook my head to wake myself up completely. “Huh? Sorry. There's been a lot on my mind lately.” I said and sighed. And it wasn't just a lazy response. I was still haunted by the memories of the attack in the alley, the mysterious man that saved my life and the car crash. Those memories would probably never go away even though I wanted them to.

“Would you like to get something off your chest? Stop your movement!” she ordered me and struggled in keeping me still.

“No, I don't think so. But what the hell are you doing? You still haven't explained to me what this is all about...”

“Stay still, Drake! I must measure your width, your height... everything. It may take a while, but your uniform is not going to make itself!”

“But I didn't ask for a uniform!” I cried out and sighed in boredom. “Can you tell me what this is all about?”

“What do you think?!” Rarity shouted out in surprise and stared at me with her big eyes. “We must be prepared.”

“Prepared for wha-- oh, I see. Is it because of me and Rainbow Dash?” I asked and rolled my eyes.

“Yes...” she whispered through her busyness while biting needles. She quickly measured my body, and everything related to making a costume.

“You know, we're not getting, uh, married... anytime soon. We're just engaged. We aren't doing anything about it at the moment. Equestria is at stake and the dragons are coming. We must all prepare ourselves for that.”

Rarity sighed. “Do you ever stop worrying? Live your life for once!” she said and facehooved.

“But there won't be a life if we don't stop Alduin. Everything depends on me killing the worm. That's my priority. Everything else is expendable.”

“What about Rainbow Dash? Is she perhaps not as important to you as this stinking dragon of yours? Is she perhaps expendable too?” she asked relaxed but still a bit unsecured. I could just see on her face how disappointed she would be if I'd answer with a yes.

I paused for a bit and looked at her before looking down into the ground again. “That's different. She means everything to me.” I spat out both angry and determined and sighed again in annoyance. “So.. are you done?”

“That's good to hear... but yes... yes I think I am done.” she said with a defeated tone in her voice. She really wasn't done at all, but I guess she didn't want to force me into anything. “Just...”

“Yes?”

“Just stay safe. But what are you going to do now?”

“I promised Applejack to help her with the apple buckin'.” I replied and walked towards the door of her carousel boutique. “Anyways, I'm sorry if I'd been rude or anything.”

Rarity simply smirked and shook her head slowly. “You know, you remind me of her.”

“Oh?”

“Well... considering that she's just as stubborn as you are. You wouldn't believe how frustrated she gets sometimes when I want her to try on a dress.” she said and chuckled.

“I can only imagine.” I said chuckling as well. “I gotta go. Take care!”

“Bye, darling!” she shouted out and waved her hooves while grinning widely at me before I closed the door behind me.

“FUS... RO!” I shouted at the apple tree to collect its apples. There must've been around thirty apples from that single apple tree and I got them all in a single Shout.

“Thank ya kindly for takin' yer time to help me out!” shouted Applejack at me through her sweat as she kept bucking the apple trees around us just a few meters away from me. “Ah wish ah had those powers of yours. It would be so handy for the Apple Family.” she added and bucked the tree again; with more power this time. The rest of the apples fell straight into the baskets.

“No problem! I'm always here for my friends.” I said and got myself ready to shout again at the next apple tree. But using my powers always drained away my energy, so I had to wait for a bit to charge it up. I carefully placed myself in front of the next tree and shouted at it as soon as I felt like I was ready for using it again. It usually took less than a minute to recharge my energy for a Shout, but it pretty much depended on the levels of Words I used for my Shouts. All three Words in a single Shout would require more energy.

“Ya know... Ah think we'll win this war.” she said all of a sudden just to start a new topic.

“What makes you think so?”

“Well... based on the fact that even death can't keep ya down, and that you've fought dragons with ease. Ah think ya'll send Alduin straight to hell.”

“Remember that he has loyal friends as well, and lots of them. This isn't going to be a simple “swing the ax and chop his head off” thing. We have to stand together. We have to defeat them all. I'm not sure how we're going to do that though.” I said and that made Applejack stop bucking.

“Even though we fall... Ah'd like ya to know that we'll follow ya into death itself if that's what it takes.”

“I appreciate your loyalty. But you shouldn't throw your lives away because of my job. It is my destiny to stop the chaos. And if that means that sacrifices will have to be made, then so be it. I'd gladly die for you all.”

“What ah mean is that we'll never betray ya. We'll never flee the battle. We'll fight by your side no matter the odds.”

I didn't respond to that but simply gave her an approved smile instead. “FUS...RO!” I then shouted at the next tree.

Some time passed before she pointed out that there were only a few trees left, much to my relief. I didn't want to seem like I was weak since Applejack was doing all the hard work, but using my Shout so consecutively was getting pretty tiring.

“Maybe the Princesses have plans for ya. Plans on how to stop the dragons or somethin'.”

“The Princesses!” I yelled out as I remembered the letter I received before I started the journey to the revival of Rainbow Spurt. “I was supposed to meet them as soon as possible. I hope they won't get angry for taking my sweet time.”

“Ah can take it from here. Go have your meet-up.”

“Thank you. I think I should. Sorry that I have to leave without finishing the job.”

“No problem. No problem at all.” she replied and smiled in appreciation. “You've helped me a great deal. Ah'll definitely get more sleep tonight, thanks to your help!”

“Before I go... do you know where Rainbow Dash went? She didn't really tell me.”

“Hmm, yes. Ah bumped into her earlier today. She mentioned somethin' about headin' to Pinkie Pie's to help her bakin' some cupcakes.”

“Uh...cupcakes?” I asked with a blank stare.

“Yeah. Is that a problem?” she asked me and glanced at me like I had something important on my mind.

I didn't respond her yet as I was lost in the thoughts of...cupcakes.

“No. Nothing. I just thought –  doesn't matter. I think I'll pay them a visit before heading to Canterlot. You know. To check if everything's okay. If there hasn't been any accidents... or worse.” I muttered that last sentence more to myself, but she heard it anyways.

She chuckled a bit before saying: “Ya know, you gotta stop bein' so worried all the time. Ya should loosen up a bit! What could possibly go wrong? Ah mean, they're only bakin' cupcakes! Not like there's any harm in that.”

“Yeah... right.” I muttered again and inhaled the fresh air and the smell of the trees. “Right” I repeated “Anyways, see ya later!” I added before I snapped my wings open and prepared myself to take off.

“See ya later, and thank ye for everythin'!” she shouted right back at me and waved her hooves.

I kinda felt bad for leaving her without finishing the job with her like I promised. It sounded like an excuse to leave earlier, but that was not what I intended. Screw the princesses. They shouldn't be more important than my friends. The princesses could wait.

“One second thought. I'd rather help you finish off.” I said and shut my wings close again.

“That's alright, Drake. But ah'm almost done. There are only like... three or four trees left. I can handle 'em.”

“No. I promised to help you finish up. I'm not leaving till every single one of those apple trees are bucked.” I demanded, not taking a refusal for an answer. I wouldn't budge anyways, no matter her response.

“Well... alright then. Thank you.” she said and nodded to me. “Ya take these ones on your right flank.”

I nodded and took position in front of an apple tree; not too close and not too far away. I had previously measured the distance I had to be from the apple trees so my voice would be perfectly effective. I couldn't be too close because that would destroy the apples; making them ugly and send them flying all over the place, and I couldn't be too far away either since my voice wouldn't be effective at all.

“No problem. I'd rather help you than talk to the princesses. With no disrespect towards them, of course.”

Applejack giggled and kicked an apple tree. “Do ya have any plans for this evenin'?” she asked me and moved to the next apple tree.

“Well... FUS RO!” I shouted at the tree. “I'm booked for the whole day. Fluttershy wants my help on something, a friend of mine in Cloudsdale wants my help, and I've yet to check on Pinkie Pie and maybe Twilight Sparkle. Did you have anything in mind?”

“Oh. Ah see. Well, ah just wanted to thank ya for helpin' me out with the buckin', so ah figured ah'd offer ya some apple goodies this evenin'. But ah guess it's going to have to wait for another day.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that. And believe me, I'd love to come. But the boring truth is that I'm busy all day and even all evening. I hope you keep your word on another day though! I'll get very disappointed if that day never comes.” I said and chuckled.

Applejack paused the apple bucking for a bit and took a glance over the trees to be sure we hadn't missed anything.

“Don't worry about it. Ah promise. Anyways, we're done! Thank ya for everything. Ya sure you can't stay for a bit longer?”

“I'm sorry. But duty calls. Take care!” I said and could now leave without guilt. I noticed how happy Applejack was; if I hadn't helped her, she'd be working all day long.

'Hmm... What’s next?' I thought to myself. I'd yet to help Daring Do and Fluttershy. But I decided to come by at Pinkie Pie's first. Check their progress and to make sure that...

I sighed again, rolled my eyes and shook my head as I took off.

As I flew past everypony in Ponyville, I started thinking about the situation I was in. I started thinking about how this all happened and how and why this was all happening. Yeah, I still couldn't believe I was really in Equestria, and I don't think that surprise will ever go away, despite the fact that this is my new home which was originally supposed to be my original home in the first place. But I was grateful that I was born on Earth despite the difficulties I had. I got to experience something nopony else would and I got to experience the thrill of the sudden turn my life took. But what surprised me the most was how much my life had changed in only a month or so.

I changed from being an anti-social depressed human being into the most famous stallion in Equestria. It even sounded surreal to me. My life completely took an 180° turn; I made some friends, got super powers, was given an important task by the gods themselves, cheated death, got help in maintaining my powers and most importantly, met the love of my life. And to be honest, she was probably one of the main reasons why I wanted to stay in Equestria. But of course, Rainbow or not, I'd still want to live here forever.

I slowed down a bit and prepared myself on landing as I wasn't in a hurry. I felt like walking at that moment and look around for a bit. I knew that it would lead to an unwanted attention and possibly giving autographs or something, but I didn't really care. In a matter of fact, I kind of wanted to talk to the civilians. Getting to know them better and get them to trust me. I didn't want to be that mysterious hero that everybody knew everything about, yet nothing about at the same time. I wanted to be more than their hero and leader, I mostly wanted to be their friend. A friend that was ready to die for them. A friend that was ready to do whatever it takes to keep them safe and happy. But of course I couldn't befriend everybody.

Everyone gasped around me as I landed in the middle of the town's square. I heard some whispers around me and the title “Dragonborn” being mentioned frequently. It saddened me how terrified everyone looked. All I wanted was for them to consider me as an equal to them; to see me as their friend. More than just the guy that had been given the task to protect them against his own will...

But I didn't see my unexpected quest as a bad thing. The sudden task I was given had changed so many things I'm so, so proud of; such as my lovable friends, all the support everyone's providing me, and Rainbow Dash who'd always been there for me. I could tell my friends anything I had on my mind without being considered an outsider; a freak. That's why I had the guts to show Rainbow Dash my human body despite the fact that her views on me might had changed which I kind of expected. But she took it pretty well, and that was just another reason why I loved being here. Why I loved everyone. Why I regained my ability to love again. And I who thought those feelings had completely vanished after my family's death.

“It's the Dragonborn!” I heard someone whisper around me. “It's really him!”

I took a turn and tried to figure out where that voice came from. The whispering pony tried to hide it, but I could see right through her. It was Bonbon. I slowly, but quietly walked towards her, sitting on a bench next to Lyra. I decided to start a conversation with them. Get to know them better and gain their trust. I just hoped it would go well.

“Hi.” I said with a smile. “Mind if I take a seat?”

“Here. Take the whole bench. Everything for you, my lord.” Bonbon said and quickly stood up. As did Lyra. But Lyra couldn't believe I was actually here, judging by her reaction to my arrival.

“No, please. Don't go. I'd like to talk to you two, in fact.” Now that got their attention, even though they seemed eager to leave me alone. They also seemed as if they didn't deserve to take a seat next to such an important pony.

“S-Sir?” Bonbon asked as she knelt down to me. When she noticed that Lyra just stood there still as terrified as before, she gave her a small nudge to give her the hint. “Oh!” she squeaked and quickly dropped down to her knees.

“Please, stand up. I'm getting tired of this. Can't we just communicate like equals? I'm sick of being treated like some kind of an altar.”

“Certainly, my lo-- I mean, Dragonbo--.” Bonbon said before facehoofing. “I mean, Mr..?”

“Drake. Call me Drake.” I said and offered my hoof. Bonbon hesitantly shook it but Lyra just stood there and stared at me with her small pupils. It seemed like she was emotionally offline.

“Hmm...” I murmured as I looked back at Lyra. “Anyways, what are your names?”

Bonbon took a seat next to me and surprisingly seemed to be pretty calm. “This is Lyra.” she announced and pointed at her who seemed to be fighting to mutter something to me. Her eyes were both full of fear and honor. “And I'm Bonbon.”

“Nice to meet ya.” I replied and gave them both a small nod. “Anyways, is there something wrong with her?” I asked a bit worried.

“Dragonborn... you're hu-- hu--” she stuttered, never taking her eyes off mine.

“Well, it happened to be that you were on our topic before you made your entrance. Lyra was explaining something about you being.. what did she call it again... human? I don't really know what tha--”

My heart stopped beating for a second when I heard her say that word. Did she just say human or was I hearing things? “Wait, did you say human?” I squeaked in startle.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Hu—hu-- hum—m--” Lyra kept stuttering.

I stared back at Lyra in fear and tried to solve the puzzle how she could possibly had known about me being a former human. I didn't know what to do, and started thinking about if someone else might had known about my secret identity as well. But there was no way they'd know about it, except...

“Lyra.” I said as I stood up. Lyra simply held her ground and looked at me with amazed eyes as a wide grin on her face started forming. I grabbed her arm and led her away from Bonbon. “Lyra.”

“D-Dragonborn. I-is it true that you're a h-human?”

I looked around in all directions, including up, to be absolutely sure no one was spying on us. I noticed Bonbon sitting on the bench curiously but she had the decency to respect my wish to speak to her in private.

“Was. How could you possibly know? Did Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash tell you about it?” I asked sharply, not pleased by the fact that she knew my little secret.

“My gods! You are human! I knew it!”

“Was!” I whispered loudly at her. “Now, how did you know about this? Where did you get the info?”

“Believe me, Dragonborn--”

“Call me Drake, please.” I interrupted impatiently.

“Drake... I've been studying on your race all my life. It's a shame no one knows about our creators. I think it must be shared with the world.”

“I disagree. I want to keep it a secret.” I spat out. “No one knows I was a human. No one. Got it? And tell me, how did you find out?”

“Like I said... I've been studying humans all my life with the little information available. I knew Twilight had something about the humans, so I decided to pay her a little visit earlier today. She happened to tell me more about them because I insisted. She agreed to tell me the info I needed with a condition; I couldn't tell anyone about it. And I accepted. It's funny though, she had this huge list of facts about humans. I had no idea how she got them at first, but now I'm pretty sure they're from you. You are human, aren't you? But how does that explain the pony form?”

This was really getting on my nerves now. She couldn't stop talking about me as a human. I'm not a human. I'm just as much of a pony as she, and everypony else is. “WAS! And you broke your promise by telling Bonbon about it!”

“Alright, alright. I'll never speak of it again. I promise. Just, please. Don't be mad at Twilight. It's all my fault...” she said disappointed, and even a little startled. She was getting a bit scared of me, exactly the opposite of what I had previously planned. I wanted to make some new friends but instead I yelled at her and told her to shut it. I felt a bit bad for that.

She had finally encountered someone who had experienced being a human, and I responded harshly. She had been studying the humans all her life; it was her interest. She must've been very disappointed.

“I'm sorry, Lyra. You just got to understand that I'm not a human anymore, and I don't look at myself as a better pony than you are. I... I just want to make some friends.” I explained sadly and gazed down to the ground. “I hate being treated like a god. I want to live among ponies. I want to be able to walk around the market in peace without being watched all the time.”

Lyra turned around to face me again and looked relieved into my face. She jumped into my arms and hugged me. “I'll always be your friend, and don't worry. I'll make sure that that won't be a problem anymore.”

I let go of her and thanked her for accepting my apology and for her offer to help me in becoming a “citizen”. I then told them that being a Dragonborn required a lot of work, so I had to keep going. But I thanked them again for showing kindness and understanding before I left them both.

“You big silly, Rainbow Dash; that's not how to make cupcakes.” laughed Pinkie Pie as I knocked on the door. “The bakery is closed at the moment!” she yelled towards door.

“Ugh... why did you want my help in baking those stinking cupcakes of yours? I'm not good at this!” complained Rainbow Dash with a sigh.

“Open up, Pinkie. It's me, Drake.” I said impatiently and a bit uncomfortable. I entered the room with a pace as soon as she opened up for me in excitement.

I was still disturbed by the thought of... those damn cupcakes. But I exhaled the air in relief when I found out that everything was in order.

“Drake! Thank the gods! I've been waiting for you.” Rainbow said excitedly. I noticed how her eyes and pupils widened, and how her grin got bigger by the sight of me.

“If it isn't my favorite...uh...dragonpony! Welcome! Are you here to help us out, Mr. Dragonborn? We can always use another hoof!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she jumped around the place.

“Uh...”

“I knew it! You can start off by-- wait... where's the flour? We need more flour!” she added as she ran around the kitchen to gather the necessary ingredients for another dosage of cupcakes. “WE NEED MORE FLOUR!” she repeated in a shout and panicked as she started searching high and low for a sack of flour. But she calmed down a bit when there were none to be found and changed her attitude from being happy to being angry.

“I can't believe we're out of flour! Grr!” she growled and gnawed her teeth in anger. “I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but no more cupcakes for today. Humph!” she added and crossed her arms in annoyance.

“Yeah!” shouted Rainbow Dash in relief. “Finally...”

“What's that supposed to mean?!” Pinkie Pie shouted and I could swear that her eyes were starting to melt in rage.

“Pinkie Pie, I suggest you relax. We can make some more later. OK?” I said to calm her down. I did not intend to find out what damage she could make if she'd continue the rage at that rate.

Pinkie Pie sighed and sat down against a wall. “Fine.”

“Hey, I promise.” I added to make her happier. I also rolled my eyes due to the fact how pissed off she became just because she was out of flour. She really needed to book an appointment with the Greybeards...

“Thanks Pinkie! I'll pay you a visit later. See ya later.” said Rainbow Dash and pulled me out of the bakery.

“No. Thank you, Rainbow! The bakery is back in business because of you!” Pinkie Pie shouted in joy. “Here. Take this one on the house!” she added and tossed a cupcake at Rainbow Dash. “You too, Drake! Have a cupcake!” Then she tossed a warm cupcake towards me. We thanked her for the cupcakes and gently closed the door behind us.

We decided to take a small walk outside in the beautiful weather and talked about how our day went and what we'd been doing. She also mentioned that she wanted to listen to my iPod again in the evening before we'd go to sleep. I was happy she liked it. She'd been listening to it every evenings for a week now, before we went to sleep.

She also asked me about other strange technologies back on Earth and I provided her some answers. Among the things I told her about, I mentioned the telephones, the internet and more. It was funny to see her reactions.

She even asked me how I could possibly leave those for Equestria. I gave her a very detailed speech why Equestria was a thousand times more important to me than anything Earth or humanity had to offer, and I seemed to have touched her heart by that speech, since I mostly included her and our friends in it.

We walked together slowly for about fifteen minutes through Ponyville before she got an idea. “Hey! I got an awesome idea!” she shouted out and heaved herself off the ground, flapping her wings in mid air.

“Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?”

“How about we take on each other? You know... fight each other?” she asked excitedly and punched the air a couple of times. “To show our strengths and endurance!”

“You mean something like a wrestle?”

“Yeah! Something like that. What do you say?”

“You really want to fight me?” I asked surprised, but couldn't help but to grin in amazement. I admit that I liked her plan. I knew she was tough and that she could take it.

“Of course! I hear it's a good way of relieving stress.” she pointed out and landed again next to me.

“You know... I know of another way of relieving stress. A less violent way.” I half joked and smirked subtly.

Dashie responded to that with a laugh and approached me. “I've no idea what you're talking about. Please enlighten me.” she ordered and wrapped her arms around my neck. I knew she knew what I had in mind, but she decided to tease me a bit.

“Isn't it obvious?” I asked as I nuzzled her snout with mine.

“Well... at the moment I like my idea a bit better. Don't worry... we can try out your way later.” she replied and gently nibbled on my right ear a bit. That felt incredibly satisfying and unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was curious about why she did that. I had noticed that she recently and suddenly started nipping either on my right, or my left ear and I wondered why...

“Why-- What's up with the nipping?” I asked with my upper eyelids half closed and a small smirk on my face due to the comfortableness.

“You don't like it?” she squeaked in fear and looked terrifyingly into my face.

“I do like it. I really do. It seems so... simple. Yet it brings those little feelings, you know? I feel safe; like nothing's going to harm me. It's so magical, if you want to add a little drama to it. It's also super comfortable. It gives me the chills.”

Rainbow seemed very relieved for some reason. She sighed deeply and smiled softly. “I'm glad that you like it. You know, there are reasons for why I'm doing that; why I'm... nipping on your ear.” she pointed out and blushed a bit with an awkward smile. Now that got me interested. Not only was it comfortable, but it also had a meaning. I didn't know what it was all about, but I got a strong feeling that I'd like it; something I'd hold dear to my heart.

“And those reasons are?” I asked interested and waited patiently for her answer.

“Well... it's something that is built into us all, into everypony. I don't know about you since you aren't... a complete pony, but the nipping does have a meaning. The nipping is mostly used by the mares, but is also sometimes used by stallions. They don't use it as much as we mares do, but it is a sign a pony does to another pony and it represents trust. It means that we trust the person we're nibbling on, and that we're requesting the same trust from them.”

“Why did you only just recently start doing it then? We've been together for some time now.”

“Well... it's not just about trust. There's more to it than that; it can't be used among just friends. I'd never nip on Fluttershy's ear for example. It's just used among mates. But the nipping is just the start; it means that I want to “mark” you. Being marked means that you'll be mine forever, but in a good way of course. We ponies never use it unless we're certain that the relationship will never die. But it's not for the purpose of everyone knowing about it. The purpose of it is more personal. More like a commitment to each other.” she said and paused for a bit. “But marking, or being marked is a once in a lifetime thing. One cannot mark another pony or be marked by another one if they'd done it before. But among trust and marking, it also represents love, loyalty and honor.” she explained and blushed even more than before. I didn't know if she blushed in awkwardness, shame or something else, but I knew it wasn't a negative sign.

“Wow... why didn't you tell me about it earlier in the first place?” I asked amazed and incredibly touched. I didn't know that a simple nip would have such a strong meaning.

“I- I don't know. I guess I was just too afraid because once you're marked, everyone will know. You may not notice it, but everyone around us will. I'm sorry... I should had told you about it earlier.” she said and looked ashamed down to the ground.

“That's more than fine to me.” I reassured her. “But how does one mark another? And are the mares the only one to mark their mate, or is it also used by stallions?”

“Well... it may sound weird to you, but one -either a mare or a stallion- has to pierce the right ear of the mate with their teeth.” she said again and started chuckling awkwardly as she didn't know what to expect of my reactions. But I personally loved the idea. It sounded a bit weird to me like she predicted, but I still liked the idea.

“You said something earlier about it being a once in a lifetime thing? Why?”

“If a pair breaks up or if one of the mates dies, it would bring shame and disrespect to the marked pony, as well to the pony that marked him or her. Like I said before... marking another pony represents loyalty, trust and uttermost love to the individual being marked.”

“And what happens if someone marks another pony anyway?”

“It hasn't happened for centuries since there have only been few cases nowadays about marked couples. And love is really hard to find these days and mostly everyone do it the other way. That's why we use the Amulet of Mara if we're looking for a partner. Anyways, it is said that if someone marks another pony despite having marked someone else, it would bode very bad luck for both the marker and the marked ones. And since it's being done under the sight of Mara herself, she'll curse you for the rest of your life. I know it seems pretty harsh but it's necessary so one wouldn't make the bond in such a haste. Breaking the bond is like breaking a holy promise to the goddess herself.” she explained and rubbed her nape.

“Please, tell me more about this. How does one realize when he or she is ready to mark someone else?”

“You know... I'm not an expert regarding that subject, but it just comes from within when someone feels like the time had come. It usually starts with light nibbling on the ear, indicating that he or she is interested in marking that individual. We never do it without his or her permission though.”

“So that's why you've been nibbling on my ear lately? Because you want to... mark me?” I asked with all kinds of touching feelings such as excitement, honor, and burning passion. I didn't have a clue that her respect towards me was actually so enormous.

Dashie didn't answer me but simply gazed down at the floor and blushed like never before. I noticed how nervous she was getting, how scared she was and how overwhelming this was for her. I walked over to her, pushed her chin up to see her eyes, and said:

“I'm very touched. I'm honored and thrilled by the fact that you want me to be your marked person. I-I simply don't know what to say.”

“So... You do want me to mark you?” she asked and lightened all up like the sun in a sunrise.

“I'd be honored. But I hope that doesn't mean that it'll be the last time you'll be nibbling gently on my ear, because it's such an amazing feeling.”

Dashie exhaled and looked at me relieved with a small appreciative smile on her face. I gently grabbed her arms and put them around me for a hug. I just rested my body in her arms and inhaled the oxygen. I started thinking about the recent misfortune we got ourselves into not a week ago. The dark, dirty place. How he raped her in front of me... how he made me watch as he made her feel miserable and how she almost lost her wings that day. If Spurt hadn't interfered... I didn't even want to think about the outcome. The image of the boss in my head still brought the furious feelings forward. Torturing and killing him didn't seem to do a damn thing. It didn't matter how much I thought about the misery we put him through, I always got a murderous and a dark feeling telling me to hunt down everyone related to him and slaughter them all without a hesitation or mercy.

It was a dark and a twisted thought but I didn't plan on killing his relatives since they didn't do anything personal to me. I wasn't proud of these thoughts, but it was still how I felt.

“Thank you, Drake. Oh, gods. I don't know what I'd do without you.” she said and squeezed me even harder. I said something similar and nuzzled her nose.

“Do it.” I whispered in her ear and that made her shudder in my arms. She looked at my face still with her wide smirk before she slowly moved up to my right thick ear and bit me as hard as she could. It physically hurt, but spiritually “healed” me at the same time. I felt like I had been given a boost.

I expected the wound to be rather big, but to my surprise it wasn't. It was just a tiny uneven hole, but a cut nevertheless and big enough to show. I felt for a burn, but it only made my passion grow and grow stronger.

We hugged and kissed again after she marked me. This was an official way she used to prove her love and loyalty to me, and that made me the happiest person in the world.

“Let me do the same to you.” I said but watched out to make it sound like a question so it wouldn't feel like an order.

“Whoa, Drake. I only just told you about this. You need to carefully think this over. It may not seem a big deal to you, but it is to me and the rest of us ponies. You remember about Mara and her punishments? It's more serious than you think.”

“But... I do take this seriously, and I love you. I want to be with you forever and no one else. I know I'm ready, so please just let me mark you.” I pleaded in a disappointing tone.

“No. You must feel it from within that you're ready to bond. You cannot just force that time to come.”

“But..”

“No buts. As much as I want to be your marked person, I'm only preventing you from doing it because I care for you. I don't want you to make such an immediate and unexpected action.”

“But it doesn't make any sense! Why would you mark me and prohibit me from doing the same to you? Isn't this what it's all about? Couples showing each other their loyalty? How can we do that if I'm the only marked one, and you're not?”

“The bond and the promise to Mara won't take an effect if only one of the couples is marked. The bond can be postponed for maximum of two weeks but the marking won't count after that time. After that time, the marked pony usually seeks the magic of the Unicorns to heal the wound to get rid of a scar. But please, just trust me. I want you to think this over.”

“Fine...” I muttered again in disappointment. But if she said I wasn't ready for bonding... wait... bonding. “Bonding? Is this some kind of a-a marriage?” I asked surprised but very interested. The thought of this being another version of a marriage was abrupt. I didn't originally look at it that way, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to see that it all fit together. Like two puzzle pieces. It somewhat made more sense to me now.

“Well.... yeah. It's not the original way, but as long as we mark each other as Mara of our witness it's as legit as the other original way.”

“Wait. Does that mean you're married to me but I'm not married to you yet?” I asked quizzically. I didn't even try to hide the confusion in my voice. I didn't know what to feel about this, if I should be thrilled, scared or maybe both. But I wasn't disapproved. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I was happy she mentioned it. I knew we'd have no time for a formal marriage, but the fact that we could do it in a quick, alternate way that was as legit as the other way, meant that we could undergo it without the loss of time it would otherwise require. It wasn't just something in our "to-do list after we've stopped the dragon threat" anymore.

“Like I said: The commitment, marriage or whatever you want to call it, won't take an effect until you've marked me. Don't worry, Drake. Your time will come. Just think about it for a while. Take a week to consider it, and then we'll talk.”

“But it isn't fair...”

“Don't...worry. I only played my part. You just have to play yours, which you will next week if you're still interested.”

“You know, we could get this over with right now if you only just let me play my part.”

“No. End of discussion!” she hissed and crossed her arms. I decided to let it go, because I knew how stubborn she could be sometimes. I just sighed and gave up... for now.

“Anyways. You were talking about a wrestle earlier? How about a last pony standing match?”

“Last pony standing? Now we're talkin'.” she said and smirked. “Meet me in front of Twilight's house in two hours. But right now I've got a thing to do with the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh? What are you guys up to?”

“It's classified. But before I go, may I ask you what happened to your helmet?” she asked as she quickly brushed over my mane.

“I left it at your apartment.”

“It's not my apartment.” she pointed out. She walked closer to me with a small smile and put a hoof on my right shoulder. “It's ours now.”

“It would be completely legit if you'd only just let me--”

“No!” she spat out in annoyance and quickly turned around from me. “See you in two hours by Twilight's house, Dragonborn. Remember, it's a last pony standing match with no referees and no countdowns. The first to be knocked out loses.” she pointed out before spreading her wings and got herself ready to take off. “This is going to get bloody. Don't disappoint me.” she added before she flew away in an incredible speed without giving me the chance to give her an answer. The suddenness left me stunned.

She wanted to fight me but I didn't know if I had it in me to hit her, let alone knock her out since most human males didn't have it in them to hit girls. It just wasn't considered manly. I may not be human anymore, but I still have their ways and I still have their nature imprinted in me whether I liked it or not.

But I agreed to fight her since she was different from other girls. She could take it. She was tough and she was raised to be both physically and spiritually strong by her fearless and determined parents. Her father was courageous enough to face the dangers for the sole purpose of defending his family, while her mother was perhaps the toughest, the most bad-ass pony in all of Equestria.

And to add to that, she was later on trained by a police detective to stand up against bad habits and crime. She knew how to handle just about anyone, perhaps even the Dragonborn himself. If anyone could take me out, it would be her. No doubt.

I knew she wasn't going to play fair but I didn't care. I wouldn't hesitate using my Shouts if she tried anything suspicious.

I decided to pay Fluttershy a visit to kill time. After all, it had been a long time since I spent any time with her.


The quietness had overtaken the cozy and warm house of Fluttershy's. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. In fact, it was that kind of a silence that made everything so much better. We still spoke to one another but I mostly took care of the talking since she wasn't really the social type. I couldn't blame her though. I was just like her as a human.

I had been helping her out feeding her little animal friends since she couldn't do it all by herself. There were a lot of critters to be fed, and strangely enough they all seemed welcomed into her apartment. That mob of animals just invaded her home and Fluttershy accepted it. I couldn't see the reason for it, but she had free will. If she wanted her little furry friends inside her home then so be it.

“Come over here you little...” I muttered in annoyance as I started losing my temper. I never liked furry little animals and there I was, feeding them. I only fed them because of Fluttershy's request. Otherwise I'd let them take care of their own skin.

I personally thought of the perspective of feeding the critters all the time a bad idea. It would only enhance their laziness and would in time completely take their ability to take care of themselves if there would be no Fluttershy around to feed them.

“I once again want to thank you kindly for coming, Drake.” Fluttershy suddenly said as she struggled with feeding the little rabbit of hers called Angel. She gave up eventually when her patience had ran out and sighed in defeat.

“No problem. It's always nice to help a friend.”

“May I ask you... no forget it. Doesn't matter. Sorry.”

“No, please. Tell me what you have on your mind.”

“Well.. I'd noticed you got a wound on you ear. I was too afraid to interfere but do you want me to patch it up?” she asked kind of ashamed in an awkward way.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I want it to show.” I stated with my closed eyes, full of pride.

“W-Why? What happened?” she asked before she realized the unbelievable truth. “Is that a-a mark?!” she squeaked. She fearfully gazed at the wound and seemed as if she didn't know what to think of it.

“Rainbow Dash marked me earlier today.” I explained with a weak smile. "I'm proud of it.”

Fluttershy started pacing around the room and she seemed like it was a bad sign. But I wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. Was she jealous? Was she afraid of the feelings Rainbow and I shared? Or was she perhaps afraid that we'd break “Mara's promise” and be cursed for eternity?

“Fluttershy?” I asked and put my hoof on her shoulder to calm her down. She simply looked me in the eyes and now I could see what she had on her mind all along. She was happy. In fact, she was extremely happy.

Rainbow Dash had been her friend since they were fillies and now that it was official that she had found the person she wanted to spend the rest of her days with, she actually felt for happiness on our behalf.

She suddenly jumped into my arms and hugged me with a surprising force. She was much stronger than she looked.

“I'm so happy for you!” she 'shouted'. “So... you're officially--”

“Not really. She prohibited me from marking her. She wants me to wait for a whole week to think about it. But that's bullshit. If she wanted me to wait, then why the hell did she mark me in the first place? That pretty much confirms that she wants me and no one else. And I really want to do it to her, but she won't let me yet.”

“Oh. I see. Well, I'm proud of her. Can't you see? That means she really takes this seriously. You should stop being naïve and start looking at the big picture.” she said but regretted it immediately. She couldn't believe that she actually spoke up to the Dragonborn himself. She gasped and covered her mouth with her forehooves as she quickly let go of me and squeaked again. “I-I'm sorry. I s-shouldn't have said that.” she whimpered and reacted like I was about to hit her despite the fact that I'd never hit anyone I cared about.

I sighed when I realized that she spoke the truth. Rainbow Dash had done something remarkable... something that was very important to her, something she wouldn't be able to do again. She chose me, and I couldn't seem to see the big picture. She wanted me everything for the best and that's why she wanted me to wait for a week before taking the action despite the fact that she probably didn't want anything else more at that moment than her own marking.

“You... you're right. I'm sorry.” I muttered and walked slowly away from her up to her kitchen window and looked outside. “I'm too focused on my personal feelings. Today is no time to get too emotionally attached. Alduin is coming and he won't be alone.” I pointed out and looked despaired down to the ground. “I-I don't even know if I can do it.”

“I know exactly how you feel. But you mustn't lose hope in yourself. If you do, you won't succeed. So please. Win. Win for us all. The last thing we want is another Dragon age.” she said and slowly approached me.

“I'll try... I'll do everything in my power to stop them. But I can't do it alone. Don't worry, I won't ask you to come with me into the battle when the time comes. I know about your phobia.”

Fluttershy wanted to say something but couldn't due to the overwhelming shame. She was ashamed that I offered her to stay out of the war against the dragons. She knew the war concerned all of us, but we all knew that she wouldn't be of any use in the battle, that is if she wouldn't do anything about overcoming her fears.

“I-I'm sorry.” she whispered.

“It's alright. Just promise me to leave Equestria if they...win. Get the hell out of there.” I said and turned around to face her. “I want you to be the one to tell everyone outside of Equestria about what happened if we don't make it.” I added and put both of my front hooves on her shoulders. “Would you do that for me?”

Fluttershy felt like a coward. The shame didn't even hide itself. I could see it in her eyes that she truly wanted to do everything she could to help us win this war, but she just lacked the courage.

She lowered her head and didn't dare looking at me in my eyes. “Y-Yes, Drake. I-I can do that.”

“Good.” I said and walked towards the front door. “I have to go. Rainbow wants to fight me. Wanna come with?”

“Fight?!” she asked surprised and by the way she said it she wasn't very fond of that idea. “Why would you fight each other?”

“It's a way of relieving stress. That's what Rainbow said anyways. And besides, I believe she's the only one capable of knocking me out in a fist fight... Uh, I mean in a hoof fight.”

“A-Alright. I'm coming with you.” she said hesitantly and probably because she was too afraid to reject me. Especially after I pretty much told her that I knew about her phobia and that she wouldn't be of any use in the battle itself.

“That's good. Don't expect this fight to end without the shed of blood. It's going to get pretty nasty. If you don't feel comfortable about it, you may leave at any time. We'll still be appreciated that you showed up. But don't worry about us. We'll be fine.”

Fluttershy didn't respond but instead nervously opened the front door. “After you.” she said still a bit hesitant. She had a bad feeling about this, but she trusted us. That's why she decided to come with me to witness the probably unforgettable fight.


The sun was still shining high above us as we arrived at Twilight's place. Rainbow Dash was standing there impatiently with Twilight Sparkle by her side. She was leaning on Twilight's house and had her arms crossed as her angry and determined eyes were fixed upon me. She wanted blood. I could see it in her eyes. It wasn't a hateful look, but more of a determined look. A look that indicated that she was ready to tear me apart if that would mean victory for her.

But they weren't alone. Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were there by their side. It also seemed like they were all trying to convince her to prevent the fight from happening, except Pinkie Pie who was already seated on the grass with a popcorn. Maybe they didn't like it because I was the Dragonborn, or maybe because they simply hated the idea of us beating every inch of our lives out of each other.

I didn't care. I lusted for her blood just as much as she lusted for mine. It was a new emotion for me. Me wanting someone's blood but without hate. It felt more like proving myself to her and everybody else that I was not to be fucked with.

Fluttershy subtly galloped over to her best friends and sat down next to Pinkie Pie; leaving me all alone in front of them all. Now it felt like I was about to get attacked by them, until Rainbow Dash finally spoke.

“I see you kept your promise.”

“Wouldn't want to miss this.” I responded and didn't show any kind of emotion. Only minor anger and a determined look on my face.

“Good.”

“How was the...thing... you had to do with the Wonderbolts?” I asked and once again showed no emotion. No happiness, no interest. Nothing but determination.

“Went well.. anyways, should we begin?” she asked and walked up to me without a second thought.

I thought about it for a little while and looked thoughtfully to the ground before I looked at her again with my determined and brutal looking face and said “Fuck yes.”

Rainbow Dash got herself into fighting stance and waited for me to make the first move. It seemed like she wanted me to make the first move, but that's exactly what I was trying to avoid. I wanted her to make the first move since I didn't feel very comfortable starting a fight. I'd never started a fight in my life and tended to keep it that way.

“Come on. Hit me!” she shouted at me when I didn't show any kind of reactions. “What are you waiting for?”

“I just simply think you should make the first move. I may not have told you before, but human males never make the first move against females. It's just wrong.”

That made her get off her fighting stance. “Oh come on, Dragonborn! You know me better than this! Where is the Drake I know and love?”

“I can assure you that I'm still me. But I'm not starting that fight. And stop calling me Dragonborn! I want you to use my name. It's more personal that way.” I spat at her and looked angrily into her furious and blood lusty eyes.

“You aren't human anymore, so stop being a bucking pussy and hit me... Dragonborn!” she yelled right back at me and made sure to make the Dragonborn title as clear as possible.

“Stop...calling me Dragonborn! I'm fucking serious!” I furiously yelled back at her. I'd be clenching my fist if I still got my hands.

“Are you supposed to be our savior? Are you supposed to lead us into battle and slay the god of all dragons? You couldn't even harm a butterfly! Equestria is already doomed, and it's all because we got a weak protector. The gods chose poorly.” she mocked me and I noticed how she tried everything in her power to break me down. I knew she didn't mean those things, but she truly knew how to break one's temper. Maybe she learned a thing or two from the boss that held us captive. “Dragonborn.” she added.

“Dashie...” I said with my closed eyes and tried everything in my power to keep calm.

“We would all be better off if you'd never appeared.” she whispered to me.

That made me lose control of myself and I did something I'd never even think about doing. I suddenly smacked her in the face as hard as I could and that made her fall straight into the ground. I groaned in pain as I hit her and held my hoof tightly. I also noticed the unpleasant sounds the rest of the mane 6 produced and heard their conversation about interfering and put a stop to the fight. “That was too far!” shouted Rarity and started heading over to us. But Applejack stopped her. “Don't. Ah wanna see what happens!” she said.

“Sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Are you alright?” I said and knelt down next to her to check if she was alright. Rainbow lay on her stomach and didn't move for a little while. I thought she was out until she finally made a signal that she was still in the game. At last she spat some of her blood on the grass before she laughed in approval.

“That's what I'm talking about...Drake. That's the spirit!” she said and grunted. The thing that got me worried was that she seemed pretty weak by that brutal punch of mine. I offered my hoof to help her get her back on her feet, but then I realized one thing... I wasn't fighting just an ordinary pony. I was fighting Rainbow Dash. She wouldn't go down that easily. I came to realize that I had fallen straight into a trap... twice. The first time when she succeeded in breaking my temper and the second time when she acted like she was hurt. But she wasn't hurt. Far from it.

She quickly got up and struck my stomach with a vicious punch. That made me lose my balance and made me fall down to one knee. She decided to use that opportunity to recover instead of continuing her assault. She snap opened her wings and floated in the air while she rubbed her jaw and tried to figure out a tactic to knock me out.

After I had recovered from her punch I decided to go fetch her. I spread my wings and attempted to fly up to her, only to be greeted with an impact from her. She had launched herself at me in mid-air and that made us both crash into the ground, but she was fortunate enough to land on a soft body. I, however, wasn't as lucky.

We both groaned in pain by the impact and completely forgot one another for a second. The only thing on our minds was to get up and continue the fight.

But there was something I noticed. The crowd, originally a crowd of 5 ponies, had increased. There were at least 20 other ponies watching the fight. Some cheered for me, but most of them cheered for Rainbow Dash. That was understandable. They had known her for longer.

She was the first one to get on her hooves but I remained still on the ground since I had a trick up my sleeve.

Dashie limped over to me and got herself ready to kneel beside me to punch the shit out of me and hopefully knock me out. But as she approached me I shouted “FUS... RO DAH!” at her.

It was unexpected for her and sent her flying with great force well away from me. But fortunately she was able to save herself from crashing at the ground by using her wings.

“Breaking the rules--” she shouted over to me and paused to catch her breath. “I see.”

“I didn't think you were the "rule type”. I thought this... I thought there were no rules.” I pushed out and tried to get back on my feet.

“Fair enough.” she responded and flew up to me in great speed in the purpose of landing another punch at my face. She succeeded and that busted me wide open. I got a huge crack beside my right eye and blood was starting to enter the picture for me. She knocked me down on the ground again by bucking straight into my face and that took away a great deal of energy from me. Now it was my turn to spit my own blood at the grass. This situation really reminded me of the attack I received from the thugs three years ago.

She once again knelt next to me as she was about to hit me again, but this time I blocked it. Subtle as a snake, I successfully and quickly rolled away from her and stood up. I prepared myself and got into a fighting stance. Rainbow Dash ran towards me but suddenly stopped in front of me instead of charging at me like I originally thought. She tried to hit me a multiple times, but I managed to block all of her attacks. The sides turned and I tried to hit her this time when I saw an opportunity. It failed though. She grabbed my arms and delivered a headbutt into my already bloodied face. That stunned me, and she used the opportunity to buck me down to the ground. The impact was painful.

I felt extremely dizzy; like I was about to vomit. But despite my dizziness, I noticed that Rainbow was stumbling on her way over to me. Her hooves and some parts of her body were covered in my blood and her face was a bit bloodied by her own blood. She got a murderous and a merciless facial expression and didn't seem hesitant.

I quickly stood up, still a bit dizzied and waited for her to approach me. But Rainbow Dash seemed to be panting. She was getting tired, but she was far from being restless. As soon as she closed up on me, I shouted “Wuld...Nah Kest!” to spurt past her. But it only made my dizziness worse. I was starting to get a double vision. I turned around to face her and decided to run up to her and hopefully manage to pin her down to the ground. Rainbow Dash turned around confused and seemed surprised by my Shout.

She didn't have the time to realize what was going on and got hit by my powerful punch. But she didn't fall down. She didn't even budge. I simply stared surprised at her. How could she possibly still stand after that strike?

Rainbow Dash used that opportunity while I was confused, to buck my tibia. The sudden and extreme pain dropped me down to the ground. She didn't buck very hard because she knew that it could easily break my fragile bone. She didn't want that. So, instead she bucked hard enough so I'd fall to the ground. After that she walked away from me to show off to the crowd. She was flexing and posing in threatening positions, making the crowd go wildly entertained.

I forced myself to get back on my hooves. Rainbow still thought I was down though, and she was stupid enough to have her back turned against me while she continued pleasing the crowd. I managed to run up to her and took her down to the ground and into a submission. The crowd went “Ouch”, and “Ah!” once in a while and that made the fight so much more epic. I also noticed the rest of the mane 6 completely frozen and biting their lips in nervousness.

“You give up?” I asked as I noticed her agonized face. She tried everything to break the hold, but I held her in a submission that was almost impossible to break from.

“Not an option. Only... knockout!” she shouted but much to my surprise she was able to break it off. It had to happen eventually anyways but I thought she didn't have enough strength left to break it off so early.

She stood up but I didn't let go. She tried to shake me off, but when she realized that didn't work; she let herself fall to the ground. That made me loosen my grip on her.

I grunted and groaned again as our bodies hit the ground again. But our fight wasn't over. I still had some fight in me.

This time, I was able to shake off the dizziness before she could. I slowly and painfully crawled over her wounded body and landed powerful and merciless punches into her face a couple of times. Rainbow Dash couldn't defend herself. She simply lay there all bloodied on the ground and didn't move. The only noticeable movement was her own breathing. My heart stopped for a second when I noticed that. When I was about to call the game off, she grabbed my hoof and looked at me with determination in her eyes.

“Is that all you got... Dragonborn?” she mocked me and smirked.

“No... no it isn't.” I responded before I bent over her right ear and bit her as hard as I could. I felt for her hooves wrapping tightly around my waist, but she didn't try to stop me. When I felt for her skin giving in and busting open, I let myself collapse on her body and managed to whisper “You're mine now...” into her ear before I closed my eyes and exhaled the air in exhaustion. Her reaction was not how I'd imagined. Maybe she was just too weak to protest. I expected her to be mad, but instead she used the rest of her energy and strengths into a small passionate hug. We looked into each other’s eyes and nodded. Agreeing that this fight would end in a draw.

Everyone went wild after I marked her. The crowd, which had been somewhere around 25 ponies, had increased into maybe 50 ponies while we were busy fighting each other. 50 ponies witnessed the fight and the confession.

“I didn't mean anything I said to you earlier. But... I'm still going to keep calling you Dragonborn.” she whispered right back into my right ear with her very weak and powerless voice and chuckled feebly. Her once blood hungry eyes were now full of passion and satisfaction. In her eyes the fight was totally worth it. And I agreed completely. Otherwise I'd have to wait for a week before officially confirming to her and the goddess herself that I wanted her to be my special somepony for the rest of my life.

Another good thing about this fight was that I saw for myself how tough she really was, and she didn't disappoint. Even I couldn't beat her, and I was supposed to be the toughest living thing that has ever been in existence.

She slowly and without a warning started to nip on my left ear lightly again because she knew how much I liked it. We both just lay there in the pool of our blood and sweat before we both blacked out in each other’s arms.

I woke up in the hospital and strangely enough, my savior was right beside me. The tall muscular man with the black cap and the leather jacket.

He just sat there on a chair by the right side of my bed and didn't seem to notice that I had woken up yet. He didn't seem very worried nor was he scared. He just had this secured look on his face and waited patiently for me to wake up.

I coughed weakly and inhaled the air. That got the man's attention and made him stand up quickly.

The man didn't say anything though. He just stood there by my bed and waited for me to say something. I also noticed that he had a small smile on his face; a proud smile. He actually saved a life.

“Thank you.” I murmured to him and bowed my head in appreciation. “If you hadn't come..”

“No problem. It wasn't your time yet.”

“Eh... why do you say that?”

“Believe me, kid. One day the world is going to need you and you're going to be there for it when it needs you the most.” he responded and smiled again subtly.

“What do you mean? I'm just a normal guy. And who are you?” I asked puzzled and tried to contemplate about his strange response.

“You'll see for yourself when the time comes. Just remember; You'll never be alone.” he said reassuringly and gently shook my right shoulder. “Believe in yourself. Stay strong and never lose hope. You're going to need it.” he added with a wink before he let go off me.

“What do you mean? What are you talking about? Who are you?” I asked again more rapidly. But he simply gave me another subtle smile. Something strange happened after that. He disappeared from my very eyes as I blinked them. He was just there in front of me not a half second ago. He just... vanished.

Was he imagined? Or was I perhaps losing it? No... he couldn't be imaginary since he helped me get to the hospital. That ruled the imaginary theory out of the picture and left only one option left I could think of at that moment.

But I didn't really care about it at that moment due to my massive headache and my incredible exhaustion. I decided to get some sleep and speculate about it the next time I'd wake up...


I woke up the next morning in a bed with absolutely no bad effects of any kind from the fight. No pain, no bruises, no swollen body parts, no sprains in my muscles, no broken bones and the ugly cuts I got on my face was gone. I didn't see it, since I had my eyes closed, but I could feel it.

In fact, I felt more than fine. But if there was no sign of any harm on my body, would that mean that my marking had magically vanished as well? I hoped not.

I quickly touched my ear and to my surprise, I felt for the little malformed piercing in the right place, making me sigh in relief. I wanted it to become a scar. Dash hadn't told me if it was supposed to turn into a scar or not. But whether it should or not, I decided that I wanted it to show anyways.

I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I could make out of the environment was Daring Do's angry face. She stood in front of my bed with her crossed arms and didn't look very happy. But she didn't need to tell me the reason for being mad since I already knew it. She was pissed because I'd been delaying her quest for too long. It had almost been a week since we revived Rainbow's mom, but I happened to postpone her request for far too long. The deal was to help her with her quest as soon as we had completed Ghost's personal quest.

“Dragonborn.” she said, waiting patiently for my response. Her disappointed pink eyes gazed into my red and terrifying eyes, making the situation so much more difficult. I always intended to help her out, but other things came in the way. And since I had to leave Ponyville, I figured I'd finish everypony's requests in Ponyville before heading out. But one thing more important than taking down Ahuizotl was to meet the Princesses. They urgently needed to speak to me about something important and I had been delaying that as well. The more I delayed the meeting with the princesses, the more time the dragons got to prepare themselves. Alduin would get even more time to revive the fallen dragons from the old times, and I doubted they'd return with smiles on their faces.

The situation I was in was killing me and was starting to give me headaches. Even though I was the most reliable pony in perhaps all of Equestria, I was still a mortal like they were. I wasn't a super hero, but the ponies wanted me to be the bad-ass they'd been imagining in their wild tales about me.

But before I replied to Daring Do, I looked around the room to realize that I was in Twilight's home. No surprise there. The fight took place in front of her big tree house of hers, and the fact that I was completely healed must've meant that Twilight had used her magic to heal me all up. She had the decency to leave the mark untouched. Why would she take that away anyways?

“Daring Do? Nice to see you again.” I asked and sat up while still in bed and under the covers.

“What the hell are you doing? I'm starting to wonder if you'll ever help me out like you promised.” she said in disappointment, and I completely understood that.

“Look. I haven't forgotten about you or our deal and I can assure you that I'm not breaking my promise. You'll get your things back. That, I guarantee.”

“That's good to hear. I'm ready to go now. And since Twilight used her magic to heal you back to 110%, we can leave at once.”

“Wait. I'm sorry, but I have one more thing I must attend to before we leave. Can you meet me at Rainbow's apartment in two hours?”

“Ugh. Fine.” she said before leaving the room without a good bye. But as soon as Daring left, entered Twilight. She sat down on my bed and looked at me with a small smile.

“Twilight! Good to see you again.” I said and offered her a hug which she accepted in a heartbeat. “I'm sorry I'm always making you go through these troubles because of me all the time. I really should stop putting my body on the line unnecessarily. But thank you for healing me once again.”

“Just be more careful next time and please promise me never to fight her again. It really hurt my heart to see you guys beating your life force out of each other. You're supposed to look out for each other. Stand together. Not fight each other.”

“I understand that. And I really appreciate that you care for us, but it was simply for fun and for practice. We didn't, nor do we have any bad blood against each other. You may have noticed that I marked her after the match.” I said with both pride and a small embarrassment.

“Yeah! That's exactly what I wanted to congratulate you on. I gotta admit that when I said that you guys would get along fine, I'd never thought it would go this far. I meant only as friends. I still can't believe my best friend is...married... to a random pony I encountered dying at the entrance of Ponyville. The pony I nursed back to health. The pony who turned out to be the prophecy from the Elder Scrolls themselves. And to think about the fact that my best friend is married to that guy; that legend, is just too... surrealistic.” she said, but whispered the last word. I didn't know if that sudden volume decrease in her voice was a good or a bad sign. Either way, I knew that she was either just too surprise or saddened by the fact that Rainbow's life had changed so much. Maybe she wasn't the same Rainbow in her eyes anymore.

“I-I had no idea that I was stealing her from you. I... to be fair, I didn't even plan on having a special somepony at all. It just... happened. I don't know anymore. Maybe...maybe she was happier when I wasn't in the picture. Maybe she...I just...I don't know anymore.” I repeated and rested my face on my hooves. I somehow felt like I had weakened their friendship, and I felt terrible about it. At least Twilight seemed like she was giving me a hint about it or something.

“Why would you say that she's not as happy as before? As far as I know, she's never been happier; you reunited her family, brought her mother back to life, inducted her into the Wonderbolts, and you've always been there for her. And don't ever say you stole her from us. I'm actually happy you found each other. She's been through a lot and the fact that you're there for her only strengthens all of us, not only Rainbow. Nobody could do it but you. So please. Never let her down. Because if you do, we'll become enemies and I wouldn't give a flying buck about your powers.” she said with determination, yet without doubting me.

I was impressed she had the guts to speak to me like that since I could easily tear her apart with my voice right there, right at that moment. I highly respected her honesty. I guess nothing's more powerful than the power of friendship. But part of me also doubted I could take her on. I had seen her magic, and knew of the time she took on an Ursa Minor.

“But I trust you, Drake. You're my friend and one of the nicest, most loyal ponies I've ever met. I know you wouldn't hurt her in any way. Well, except when you guys fought but that doesn't count. I'm very positive that you two will live a happy life.”

“Hurting her should be the least of your concerns. I don't even think I could hurt her even if I wanted to. Well, not physically anyways.” I said with a giggle. “But where is she?”

“She went home. You were still asleep when she woke up and she didn't want to wake you up from your rest, so she asked me if I could deliver you a message. She said she wanted to visit her parents again in Cloudsdale, but by the time you'd wake up she'd probably be back in her apartment waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” I said and paused. That made Twilight nod and stand up. “I guess I should leave. You know... meet the princesses, help Daring Do and do the average thing as a Dragonborn.”

Twilight nodded again with a weak smile. “Sure. Just be careful, and don't do anything stupid.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” I said as I jumped on my feet. I stretched my limbs and my wings. Stretching those wings felt good. It felt refreshing and somehow made me feel more energetic.

My next destination was Cloudsdale to have that little meet-up with the princesses. I just hoped they wouldn't bring any bad news...

“Drake. We've been awaiting your arrival.” said Princess Celestia with her soothing and mild voice, yet powerful as I entered the columned great hall.

“Your grace.” I responded as I walked along the red carpet leading me to the princesses in their iron thrones. The princesses waited for me to get up to them before saying anything else.

“Where have you been? We've been waiting for you. We said it was urgent to meet you at instance!” said Luna with her loud and powerful voice.

“Calm down, Luna.” Celestia said with her calm voice. “Drake. There are matters we need to discuss with you.”

“Yeah. I'm sorry, but I was delayed. You have no idea how much--”

“Wait... is that a marking I see?” Luna asked and stood up from her royal throne of hers. She approached me and carefully examined my wounded ear. “You have my congratulations. This hasn't happened for at least a century. Normally, we'd be throwing a great feast in your honor, but this is no time for celebrations.”

“And I wonder why...” I said as I rolled my eyes.

“Of course you know why! Your purpose is to--”

“Relax. I was just being sarcastic.” I muttered. I didn't really like being there in front of them. I hated that big, empty place and itched to get outside into the vast skies and fly as fast as I could against the wind.

But I had to take them seriously. Everything depended on me on killing the mighty World-Eater, like the ponies around Equestria used to call him. World-Eater sounded appropriate, since Alduin would kill every living thing and turn Equestria to ashes if we'd lose this war, then he would spend the next few centuries eating our souls. That's why I had to take everything seriously, even though I wasn't that kind of guy. I just liked to do things. I'd rather want to follow orders instead of giving them. But, this mighty task was appointed to me so who am I to brag about it?

“But thank you, my lady.” I added with my head lowered. “Now, why have you summoned me here?”

“We have new information about the movement of the Dragons.” Celestia took over and stood up from her throne. “Reports are coming in from other major cities. So far, the Dragons have been very coordinated and merciless. We're even getting reports of smaller towns being burnt down to the ground. Thousands of innocent ponies have already died.” she said with sorrow in her voice.

“And how does that help me?” I asked in sympathy.

“It means the Dragons are growing stronger with each day. So far, they've almost completely ignored Canterlot and the towns around that area. I don't like it, Dragonborn. I have a feeling they're going to target Canterlot soon enough. At this rate, we'll never be able to defeat them. Odds aren't exactly in our favor this time.”

“But you have something up your sleeves?”

“This is a... crazy idea. But it's the only option we have left. We want you to get out of Equestria and seek support. We cannot defeat them alone. That, you know. You must gather a strong army.”

“How the hell am I going to do that? I don't know anything about Equestria, let alone outside of it.”

“Hmm... yes. About that matter. We've been getting rather unbelievable rumors about you.” Luna pointed out as she walked up to me, and stared deep into my eyes with her sharp ones.

“R-Rumors?” I asked. I have to admit that I was a bit terrified of her.

“My sister's student has been sending us information about you. And the latest one she sent us is just beyond ridiculous. We just want you to confirm that it's rubbish.”

“You don't trust your student, my grace?” I asked Celestia and noticed how she reacted to that.

“Well... it's just very hard to believe that you're a human. Doesn't it sound a bit ridiculous to you? I mean, surely you are the Dragonborn, but the chance of you being a human as well are slim to none.”

“Let me ask you. Do you believe your student?” I asked, but this time I wasn't actually afraid of confessing my true identity.

“Of course I do. But this time... I don't know.”

“Well, you should.” I said with a small frown.

“A-Are you confirming it to be true?” Luna hesitantly asked with awe.

“Was!” I responded and tried to calm myself down. It was just so annoying to be called a human.

The princesses exchanged stares at each other and eventually stared at me in silence. Then they fell to the knees before me and didn't dare looking into my eyes. It was weird to witness the princesses kneel before me.

“D-Dragonborn. W-we didn't know.” said Luna, still without looking into my eyes. “We shall dedicate this day to your honor, Dragonborn.”

“Please, don't. I'd rather prefer to be an unknown. I want to be a normal citizen. Is that to much to ask?” I asked in slight anger. I was getting very tired of all the “We're so honored, please, have my kids!” attention. I just wanted to be considered normal. Not like some kind of an altar.

The princesses looked at each other again and nodded as they stood up again. “I-I'm sorry. But it's just so unbelievable...” Celestia said but then immediately shook her head. “Anyways. The Northlings are the residents of the land directly in North of Equestria. Seek their assistance. They don't speak Equestrian, so maybe you'll have to hire a translator or something. That's it for now. We'll give you more info in the future. You are dismissed.” Celestia explained and sat down again on her throne. “Don't disappoint us.” Luna added with a respectful nod and sat down on her own throne as well.

“There's something I have to attend to first... but I'll get it done sooner or later.” I simply said and lowered my head again to them.

“Just don't delay for too long. We don't have much time left.” Celestia pointed out with her smooth, yet cautious voice.

“I won't.” I responded, turned around and ran as fast as I could out of that boring and lifeless castle.

Trees. Trees surrounding us as we walked a path across a forest. The environment was simply breathtaking. I could never get used to it; it was simply magnificent. The birds singing, the sound of the leaves from the smooth, warm wind and the sun shining like never before. Before we set out, we looked out to have enough water and food, such as apples and bread, for this trip. I also made a stop by Rainbow's... I mean... by our apartment to retrieve my helmet again. I couldn't bear leaving without it.

Daring Do almost galloped the whole way due to excitement. There was nothing else she desired more than to take Ahuizotl down and obtaining her possessions again. Her well deserving treasures she obtained all by herself. But that Ahuizotl seemed to be a bitch to her. Always throwing her into life threatening situations. But she always managed to escape. I seriously hoped she would stick around for a bit longer after taking him down though. She seemed to be a valuable asset to my little team, and surely would be of great use if we happened to search for something inside a cave or something.

She was like Indiana Jones; loved adventures, adored treasures and had a passion for dangers and life endangering puzzles. I liked that, and she was exactly a pony I needed. But I didn't bother asking her to stick around just yet. I decided to wait with it after she got her artifacts back. She'd without a doubt be in an even better mood then than now.

We spoke the whole way, and this time we decided to actually walk instead of flying. I kind of suggested it, since I wanted to explore the beautiful nature around us. And we didn't walk in the mud. We walked on a stone made path which made this experience even better for me. I could stay there for the rest of the day and just enjoy life but we had to keep moving. I couldn't afford to delay anymore.

Rainbow Dash couldn't seem to keep her eyes off of me the whole time. It didn't bother me, but it sure was disturbing in a way. She simply just gazed at me with her eyes half closed and with a small smirk on her face. I was successful in being subtle enough for her not noticing me looking from time to time at her to check if she was still staring at me. Daring Do seemed to notice it as well. She decided to tease her a bit.

“Rainbow?” she asked barely audibly and fought to prevent laughter.

Dashie didn't answer, but I was pretty sure she didn't hear her. “Rainbow?” she asked again a little louder. But still, nothing. All of Rainbow's attention seemed to be fixed upon me. Maybe she was still stunned about the fact that we were officially and legally married. I don't know... but I surely didn't mind her attention. It actually made me feel proud of myself. It made me feel like I'd accomplished something.

“Rainbow?” Daring Do shouted in the end, making her finally wake her up from her little daydream.

“Huh?” she asked in a startle and looked around in every directions. “Yes?”

“Actually... never mind.” Daring Do responded and chuckled very lightly to herself.

“Huh?” Rainbow asked me and had her eyes wide open as if surprised.

I chuckled and slowly shook my head. “Nothing, my dear.” Rainbow Dash simply shook her head quickly again and blushed a bit as she realized what was going on. “Daring. You know where we're heading?”

“Yes. And surprisingly enough, it's not far ahead. You see this big mountain over there?” she asked and pointed at a big pointy mountain in front of us. It seemed to be pretty close to us. “He's hiding with my things in one of the caves.”

“Then let's not waste time. Come on.” I said and started to speed up a bit. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. “You coming, Rainbow?” I shouted without looking at her.

“Of course I am!” she answered. But she got tired of walking so she used her wings instead. She flied at our speed. “Another thing I want to talk to you about.” she added.

“Oh?”

“Regarding your action in the fight...”

“Look, I'm really, really sorry I hit you like that without a warning. I--”

Dashie facehooved and landed again next to me. “I'm not talking about that.” she said and looked at me with a warm smile. Then I realized what she was talking about. She was talking about the marking.

“Rainbow. I don't care what you say. I'm absolutely two hundred percent certain that I did the right thing. I don't need to think about it. I want to be with you. I don't want anyone else. Deal with it.” I said determinedly but not angry. I was actually glad she mentioned it.

“Gods damn it, Drake!” she said and grinned with a small squee. She kissed me lightly on my cheekbone. That made me grin with her. “This is exactly why I love you.” she added with a chuckle.

“Hey, love birds. We're here.” Daring Do said and determinedly smiled as the big gracious mountain covered the view. We were at the root of the mountain.

“So, are we supposed to climb it?” I asked with a gulp.

“Nope, the entrance of his cave is on ground floor, fortunately. It's just on the other side of that mountain. Let's go!” she responded and started galloping away around the mountain.

“Wait, wait. How do you know these things?”

“Please. Remember who you're talking to.” she said and let that answer alone satisfy. “C’mon. We're almost there.”

It took little more time than I'd imagined, but we finally reached our destination. It looked like someone had built a small shelter of some kind around the entrance to the cave. A door was also built to block the path. All we had to do was to open the door and go get her things.

We took our position before we opened it. Dashie positioned herself at the right side of the door, while Daring Do went to the left. I took a big breath before kicking the door down. We all stormed inside, but surprisingly enough, there was no baddies to greet us. But Daring Do's possessions were there. All of them. All from tiny golden rings to a goblets and other relics.

Daring Do was tempted to take them all, but wasn't quite convinced. She was a professional when it came down to traps and dangers, so she decided to examine the things at first without touching them. “I-I don't like this, Drake. He would never leave without someone guarding the artifacts. I have a strong feeling that we've walked into a trap.” she explained slowly and in a small panic.

“Well, what the hell are we waiting for?” I shouted at her. “Go get your things, and let's get the hell out of there!”

Daring Do stared at me and nodded a couple of times quickly before she put her things into a bag. After the very small cave had been emptied, we rushed outside. But we were too late..

Ahuizotl stood there before us with three of his personal body guards. He was much bigger than he appeared in the show. He was purple, with cyan colored strokes from his belly up to his chin. The shape of his body was like it was mixed with an ape and a lizard. He had a tail and on the end of his tail was another hand with four fingers, so he had three pairs of hands. His arms were strong and could easily crush a human with one punch.

His extremely sharp teeth and his pointy canine teeth showed very clearly as well.

“Daring Do.” he simply said with his dim voice. “Good to see you again. Got any more valuables for me?”

“Ahuizotl,” Daring Do said with an angry frown. “I'm here to retrieve my things back.” she answered coldly. “They're mine! I found them! I went through a lot of trouble to obtain them and you did nothing. You don't deserve to have them.”

“I don't play fair.” he responded and giggled evilly with an hideous grin.

“I'm warning you. Let us pass with Daring's artifacts, and I might let you live.” I said and took a step forward. “I won't warn you again.”

“And who the hell are you to threaten me?” shouted Ahuizotl and approached me with fury. But I stood my ground as he roared at me. “You got yourself a tough one this time, Daring Do. But that's not going to save you.” he added as he stared at my face only inches away from me.

“Phew... your breath stinks!” I said to mock him, and waved my hooves around. “Don't you brush your teeth?” I continued with an amused smirk.

The body guards chuckled, making Ahuizotl look bad. He didn't take it very lightly, so he smacked me in my face and almost knocked me out. I grunted as I fell hard to the ground. Ahuizotl unsheathed his big blade and got himself prepared to slice me in pieces but Rainbow Dash interfered. “Get away from him, you bucker!” she shouted and flew up to him to punch him in the face. But he caught her before she could land the blow. He captured and made her a hostage. He put the tip of his blade to her back instead of the traditional hostage take, which was usually done by putting the blade against the neck of the victim.

“One step closer, and she dies!” he yelled. I simply lay there both stunned and panicked. My pupils shrunk down to dots in fear. I didn't dare move in the fear of provoking him. I didn't know what to do, but I was ready to do whatever he had to offer just to see her out of danger.

“Let me go, you bucker!” she shouted but groaned a bit as he pulled her mane. “Shut up!” he yelled at her and pushed his pointy end of his blade more against her skin. That made her groan again in small pain. I even noticed blood dripping down.

“Wait!” I shouted. “I'll do everything. Everything you want. The artifacts of hers, you can have 'em all.” I begged on my knees.

“I want my things back. Now!” he shouted at Daring Do, but she wouldn't object.

“No! They're mine!” she shouted back at him without a second thought. I couldn't believe my ears. I snapped my head towards Daring Do and stared at her with my jaw wide open in disbelief.

“Sorry, Drake. But I've earned for--”

“Fair enough. She dies.” he answered. But before he could do anything else, I interfered him.

“Wait! Just think about it. Let it go. I promise to repay you. I promise!” I begged, feeling for tears running down my cheeks. “Just...no. Please. Don't.”

“Tell her to bring me back my artifacts, or she will die!”

“Drake. Shout them to death!” Rainbow Dash groaned angrily.

“It's true! I am the Dragonborn. If you kill her, you'll die. I guarantee that.” I added with a glimpse of hope. Surely he wouldn't dear messing with the Dragonborn himself.

“I don't believe you.” he said with a curious look on his face.

“Let me show you.” I shouted FUS into the air. The body guards bought it, but Ahuizotl wouldn't object.

“Anyone can learn that with constant practice! This is getting me nowhere. You asked for it! She dies!” he growled before he gutted her with the big blade of his. The sharp, rusty blade was thrust into her back, causing her to bleed. She looked into my eyes, tears beginning to fall down her cheek. The look she gave me was of pain and fear. She gasped once in agony as her eyes began to dull. Ahuizotl kicked her down, producing a wet, sickening swoosh as the sword of his exited her body.

“NO!” I screamed. Instead of killing Ahuizotl I ran up and knelt next to her. My eyes started to fill with wetness in shock and disbelief, and this time I knew that she wouldn't make it. “No, no, no, no, no...” I cried as I looked into the sky. “Please! Help her!” I shouted, hoping that the gods would do me yet another favor. “Please, don't leave me! Please don't! That's an order!” I added, still in a sad shout, as I held her firmly in my arms. “You can't leave me now. Please... don't die. I don't know what to do without you! Please!”

“I-it's alright.” she whispered before coughing up some of her blood. She started panting for air and gagging lightly in pain. She pressed on the wound on her stomach with her hoof to minimize the bleeding and had her other one around my neck. "D-d-drake?"

“I'm here, Silvermoon. I'm here.” I answered as I covered my wet face on her neck.

“S-Silvermoon? Heh... I-I think I-I like... it.” she responded and chuckled feebly before grunting again, her coughing becoming worse with each one. She looked at me as if she was only just half alive, drooling blood at the same time. “P-pl-lease. N-never give up. S-Stay strong for our friends.” she pushed out. I noticed how the colors from her body started to fade to gray. “For Equestria... f-for us...” she groaned and pulled me near so I could give her a one final kiss.

While all this was happening, Daring Do fought her enemy and it seemed like she managed to kill Ahuizotl and his body guards all by herself. She came up to me and dying Dashie with her bag and knelt next to us with a shocked expression on her face after he'd been taken care of.

We kissed again and I knew this was going to be our last moment together. I hugged her tightly and held her shaking body close to me, but she couldn't return that hug. She was too weak.

“I-I promise.” I whimpered as I sobbed. She just simply nodded a couple of times and asked me to come near. I obeyed. As soon as I got closer to her, she started nibbling gently on my right ear around my marking and licked the small wounded area lightly. “Oh god!” I cried out again as soon as I felt for her nibble. “Please... d-don't die...”

“Drake... it's... b-been an h-honor.” she whispered, never taking her eyes off mine. But I comforted and held her firmly in my arms, shushed and hugged her again. I felt for her heart slowly failing her, my grip on her tightening with each weak heartbeat, until it completely stopped beating. She exhaled softly, her small smile faded, and everything began to dull. That is how she died, with my arms wrapped around her.

Chapter 9: Rainbow in the Dark

I'd like to express my gratitude to Nazidash for his work in editing. Thanks!

I couldn't let go of her corpse. I simply refused to face the fact that she had been taken away from me. I was a fool. A goddamn fool! I shouldn't have taunted him! I could've resolved this with diplomacy like usual, but instead my confidence got the better of me and I let it screw everything up. But it wasn't only my fault. It was mostly Daring Do's fault. Her own fucking greediness killed her.

Dashie had her mouth opened a bit but her eyes closed. I held her still warm corpse against my chest and cried for gods know how long time. Daring Do just stood there the whole time with her bag of gold. I told her to leave me alone for good and never to show herself to me again, but she ignored it. She offered her service in return for the misfortune. I was on the edge on taking her down and kill her right there. I could feel my blood boiling and my hooves itching and crying to kill her. Burn her with my Shout and send her straight to hell. But I wouldn't. For Rainbow's sake.

I pressed my head against hers as I continued my crying and sorrow. I still couldn't believe she was gone. I just simply refused to believe it. I already felt the depression taking over again. And the bitter blood taste mixed with the sweet skittle taste in my mouth just made everything worse.

I carefully placed her on the ground and managed to stand up. Then I slowly fixed my teary eyes full of fury and rage into Daring's eyes. I gnawed my teeth and felt the same feeling that drove me forward to torture the boss on Cloudsdale.

She noticed it, but she didn't retreat. I guess she felt bad enough for being the cause of Dashie's death. Without a warning I launched myself harshly at Daring Do, took her to the ground and slammed her against the mud.

“The fuck is wrong with you?!” I shouted at her face. “You killed her!” I growled and punched the ground next to her head as hard as I could. Her skull would completely crush if she'd be in the way. I seriously considered whether I should let her live or not. But I made up my mind that I'd leave her to see another day.

I let her go and let myself collapse on the ground next to her. I held my hooves firmly against my eyes and started sobbing yet again. This was too much for me to cope with.

“This isn't fair!” I shouted to myself. “She didn't deserve this!”

“Drake, I'm so, so sorry.” she whispered and started to tear up herself in sympathies mixed with startle. I noticed her looking at the bag full of valuables with guilt. The longer she stared at her bag, the worse she felt. That's why she tossed it away from her as far as she could.

“That changes nothing!”  I snapped and shot my sharp eyes into hers.

“Maybe not. But I want to let you know that-“ she sighed before continuing. “Never mind. Nothing I say can ever justify Rainbow's fate.” She then gazed down into the ground and lowered her head.

“And please, take your bag with you. So she didn't die in vain.”

Daring Do nodded slowly, but hesitantly, and walked towards her bag of gold.

Meanwhile, I crawled up to Dashie's body and cuddled next to it, even though there was a big pool of her blood around her; so red and liquidity, I simply didn't give a fuck about getting covered in it.

I just had to feel for her warmth again before she would cool down. But it was just so painful looking up to her fainted body. Her once colorful cyan colored and energetic body, as well as her rainbow colored mane, was now grayish, colorless and lifeless.

I rested my head on her chest and gnawed my teeth even harder when I didn't hear her heartbeats like I was used to.

“I'm taking her back with me to Ponyville.” I exclaimed after a while and harshly wiped the tears off my eyes. “I'm...I'm getting her out of Sovngarde, and nothing is going to stop me!” I vowed, still gnawing my teeth in rage like never before, and pulled Rainbow's body onto my back before I stood up. “I don't give a fuck whether you follow me around or not. But I'd rather want to see you gone for good. It could end very badly for you if you decide to stick with me.” I warned without looking at her.

“Drake! I'm sorry, alright?!” she shouted again as she approached me, but without anger or fear; rather in guilt and sorrow. “I'm so gods damn sorry! I didn't think he'd actually do it! I-I know it's my fault--”

“Then stop trying to justify yourself!” I cried back as I turned around, gazing hatefully at her with my red furious eyes.

“Drake...” she mumbled and sighed. “Look. I'll help you on your new quest. Even though the chances of success are slim to none.”

“Chances don't mean a damn thing to me.” I spat out still pissed off and sighed. “But if you really want to come, you could start off by strapping her to my back so she won't fall off while we're flying.”

“You can't fly with her on your back. It'll be too heavy for you.” she objected.

“Are you going to tie her on my back or not?” I asked again whilst raising my voice at her.

“Certainly.” she said a bit startled and slowly walked to her bag of supplies to fetch the rope.

I looked into the blue sky and quietly in my mind prayed to the gods why they allowed such a thing to happen. I know they weren't my servants, nor did they have to do my will. But if they wanted me to keep focused on the goal, that is to kill Alduin, they'd at least support me in every possible way they could. Besides, they were gods! They could do everything they wished; even without an effort!

But now that a great deal of my determination died with Rainbow, I therefore lost my will to do anything else, and it only weakened my strengths I desperately needed to finish what I was appointed to do. And I, who had been starting to get so confident and very determined to slay them all. Before Rainbow's death, I actually lusted for Alduin's blood. It wasn't something I had to do anymore, it was something I wanted to do.

But now, I suddenly felt for carelessness. A part of me didn't care anymore whether the dragons would rise or not. I knew it was wrong of me to think like that, but I couldn't help it.

Rainbow Dash would surely not appreciate my disloyal thoughts since she was the loyalest of them all. But in order for me to regain my strengths again, I had to bring her back. No exceptions.

I just had to find a way to cheat on death again. I had to find a way to bring her from the land of the dead. But I had no clue where to start or how to do it.

I couldn't seek Ghost's assistance, since I'd rather avoid telling him about the death of his daughter. And besides, the blood ritual of his was rare and could only be done once anyway.

My best bet was to seek the help of the princesses or Twilight Sparkle. Yes... I decided to go to Twilight with her body to start with. Maybe she had something useful for me.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I fought to maintain calm. I fought the urge to kill something. I actually wanted to slay something. I hoped a dragon would land near me so I could mercilessly attack it and kill it in a brutal way before he could even react.

“There. She shouldn't fall off your back. I'm an expert in making knots.”

“And carry our bows. Mine and Dashie's.” I ordered her and pointed at them at the ground beside me with my head. She didn't dare denying me and immediately wrapped the bows around her.

I had given her a choice to leave me alone, hell, I even kind of ordered her to go away, but she wouldn't. No matter how cruel I'd been and would be to her, she seemed to want to stick with me. I had to admit that I felt a bit appreciated by that. It meant that she really was sorry for what she did, and that she wanted to make it up to me. But no matter how much she would do, even though we'd somehow manage to resurrect Dashie, I'd never be able to fully forgive her. Ever. Her greed led Dashie to her certainly not deserved death, and she'd have to live with that forever.

“We'll head to Ponyville. There will be no stops, not even at Canterlot. We will fly until we get there. Got it?”

“Yes, Drake. Wherever you go, or whatever you do; I'm with you.”

I fought the urge to break down again when I felt bit of Dashie's blood leaking on my body. I felt the red liquid slowly running down the sides of my back and it made me even more angry and sadder than ever.

“Just...” I said but my voice failed me. “...let's go. I'm sick of this place to last a lifetime.” I whispered.

Daring Do nodded slowly. “Drake. I know this isn't easy for you. But you need to rest a bit. We'll get her body to Twilight, and she can put a spell on her or something so she won't decompose. But please, go to your apartment and take a nap. You look exhausted. You can't win this war unless you're in perfect condition.”

I really wanted to object to that, but she was right. I was exhausted and weak. I didn't even know how I could manage to fly with Dashie on my back all the way to Ponyville, which was 4 hours away from us. I sighed and accepted her suggestion. I needed to replenish my energy, and I needed to be alone. I was in no mood for a company. I just wanted to isolate myself from everyone for a very long time.

“Yeah... I guess you're right.” I said with my powerless voice. All the sorrow and pain totally drained everything that kept me forward. I didn't even know how I still managed to keep my hooves on the ground.

“Let's get you home. We'll continue tomorrow, and I vow to you that I won't leave you until the dragon threat has been dealt with. Free of charge.”

“Yeah...” I whispered and slowly sighed. “Yeah.” I repeated and closed my eyes.


Daring Do was right again. I couldn't fly with Dashie on my back because I lacked the energy. However, I could run with her. It was also exhausting, but I tried my best to ignore it. My eagerness to revive Rainbow Dash was too strong. I strongly believed I could bring her back. I had to believe; there wasn't any other option. Equestria depended on it. Any chance of her breathing the air again dies, and I might as well count everything else dead, too. I hated to admit it, but I shouldn't have started a relationship with her at all. I should have remained strong when my feelings started to kick in. I should have stayed determined and just reject her when I had the chance. But, of course, I couldn't reject someone I fell in love with, and the person that affected my life so greatly. That's why a big part of me didn't regret anything, despite her death.

But none of this would've happened and she'd still be alive if I hadn't started a relationship with her. She would probably be safe in Ponyville with her friends, and Daring Do and I would probably manage to take Ahuizotl down. Hell, I wouldn't even have met her if not for Rainbow Dash.

It would be a win-win situation for everyone if none of this would've happened. Now I had to walk into Twilight's apartment and tell her that her best friend had died, and it was all my fault.

If I had the choice of preventing everything from happening, even me being drafted into this world, I'd do it without a second thought.

But at last we arrived to Ponyville. It was rainy, windy and dark outside. We were soaking wet due to the thunderstorms and the gray clouds but I didn't care by a bit. The sudden weather suited my mood perfectly. I felt like the winds were blowing the colors away from this world; like the gray clouds were closing in on me. But like I said; it suited me.

Daring Do, however, eagerly wanted to get to Twilight's place as soon as possible. But I didn't see why she was in such a hurry. The rain wasn't cold. It actually felt kind of warm; refreshing. Maybe it was because I had been running for hours with Rainbow Dash on my back.

I looked up into the gray sky again and let the rain hit my face. I took my sweet time enjoying the heavy rain before Daring Do shouted at me that we were almost there.

I knocked on Twilight's door heavily and got myself prepared to tell Twilight and Spike all about what happened. It wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. I squinted lifelessly into the ground yet again and fought the urge to stay calm as I waited for the sounds of locks being unlocked. I completely closed my eyes when someone finally managed to open the door.

“Oh, hey Dra--” Spike said but was cut short when he noticed Rainbow Dash on my back. That made me open my eyes. I simply stared into his eyes and sent him a message with them that what he saw was true; Rainbow Dash was no more. He noticed the sorrow reflecting from my eyes immediately. “R-Rainbow?” he stuttered and walked slowly at her unconscious body. “N-No... NO!” he shouted and stirred all up. “Twilight!” he then shouted into the apartment and ran off to get her as fast as possible. That baby dragon sure could run...

I stood there stiffed and didn't dare to move. I also felt my salty tears blending with my already soaked face. But my helmet prevented the rain from wetting my mane.

“What's this hurry, Spike?” I heard Twilight's voice coming from inside her house. It hurt me to be the bearer of such bad news.

“T-T-Twilight...R-R-Rainbow...!” he said very quickly as he tried to gasp for air. He then put his right hand at his left side of his chest as to feel for his heart pumping and tried his best to calm himself down so he wouldn't get a heart attack.

“Drake, what's going--” she said before she came across Rainbow Dash. Her reaction was unexpected at first. She simply stared at her and didn't show any kind of emotion for some time before she finally showed that she was still alive by screaming in disbelief.

She pulled me inside the house and didn't bother closing the door. Then she used her magic to cut her loose from my back and that made Rainbow's body collapse to the ground. After that she fell to her knees beside her and started crying.

“No, no, no!” she shouted through her tears. “You can't be dead! You're... you're Rainbow Dash! You're my friend! You wouldn't leave so suddenly! You wouldn't just die like this! We...we need you!” she shouted again loudly and hit the floor as hard as she could like I did earlier. She even broke the tiles on her floor. “What happened?!” she added with her eyes full of tears and mental pain.

Her reaction broke me down again and I let myself fall to my knees next to Twilight and Rainbow. “She was taken away from us.” I managed to say and tried my best to comfort Twilight by hugging her. But I wasn't doing a very good job because I was also mentally wounded.

I still managed to hug her, and I tried absolutely everything in my power to minimize the sorrow and pain. But like I said, without any kind of success.

“This isn't fair!” she shouted and squeezed me as she sobbed. “She's my... my friend! She's your wife! She wouldn't just suddenly die like this. She wouldn't... it's just not possible!” she said and swallowed to get rid of the big lump that had formed in her throat. “I-I'm so sorry for your loss.” she then said and wiped her tears off with my shoulder. That made me touch the marking on my ear. It triggered a memory of all the great times we shared together, and it made me even more miserable, yet increased my determination to bring her back. To resurrect her and to get her the hell out of Sovngarde.

But I was convinced that I'd be able to pull it through. I knew I could to it. I'd done it before, and when I would bring her back, I'd protect her with everything in my power so she wouldn't die again, even though she didn't need any protection. It was a clumsy move by me that killed her; as well as Daring Do's greed. It was a mistake that wouldn't repeat itself.

But this also got me thinking about Rainbow's dad. He went through this horrible stage that no one should be going through. But his situation was far more brutal, to be honest. Now I truly knew how he felt. That desire to bring his wife back kept him forward and still sane despite the treatment he received from the criminal gang. He used all of his free time learning about death and a treatment to it. Years of research clearly paid off. I just hoped I wouldn't have to wait for so long to get my Dashie back.

Spike just lay there on the ground and rolled around. He was wetting the floor with his tears and made unpleasant noises as well as loud sobs.

All of a sudden Twilight got filled with rage. She gnawed her teeth in rage before she suddenly and without a warning shoved me out of her way. It wasn't intended, but the rage made her completely lose it. She roared as her horn started to glow like never before. She sent the books in her library and living room flying all over the place. She started destroying her own possessions, due to her blind rage. Statues, pictures, notes, books... you name it. She sent all kinds of objects flying around the place in rage.

I should've stopped her, right there. But I let her continue because she reflected my feelings. I wanted to smash and brawl everything in my way, too. Why would I stop her from doing something I greatly desired as well? But unlike her, I actually maintained to keep calm.

Spike slowly and terrifyingly backed away from Twilight and made his way up to me for protection. He hugged my front left leg and stared, while shuddering, at Twilight who seemed to be completely destroying everything, not only in her living room, but also in the other rooms.

“I'll kill them all!” she shouted and growled before she eventually fell to her knees due to fatigue. Everything in her house was totally in a mess but she didn't seem to care. I slowly approached her and gave her a small tap on the back.

“Twilight... we'll bring her back to life.” I said and waited for her response. I expected her to object and to lecture me about how it wasn't possible, but to my surprise, she agreed with me. She just nodded slowly a couple of times but didn't look at me. “Can you cast some kind of a spell on her so she won't....decompose?” I pushed out the last word. The thought of her dissolving was just too disturbing and heavy.

“Y-Yeah.” she said and nodded again quickly. “Yes. I can do that.” she added before she stood up and walked over to Rainbow's corpse. A small spark, and a moment later a fainted bluish light of some kind overcame her body. “There.”

Daring Do had been standing there by the door all along and didn't utter a word. She just simply gazed at the ground with light tears of her own while she pressed her hat against her heart. All the sorrow and pain around her was too much for her. Spike stood there by Daring Do and seemed lost in his own thoughts. His agonized facial expression also showed how miserable he felt. He really cared for Rainbow Dash. Hell, everyone in Ponyville and Cloudsdale cared for her. She had many friends that loved her. No one wanted her any harm; even though she could be arrogant from time to time.

“Twilight, is it alright for you to keep her here while I go home and get some sleep? I'm really exhausted and want to be left alone for a while. I'll stop by tomorrow and we can talk then.” I kind of whispered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Sure.” she responded with a dead tone in her voice. “Daring Do can also stay here, if she pleases.” she added and sighed.

“I would be grateful.” Daring Do finally muttered in a regretful voice and immediately walked into the guest room without further goodbyes or gratitude. I couldn't blame her. She had to live with the guilt of being responsible for all the sorrow and the death around her, as well of the death of the Dragonborn's partner. It couldn't have been easy for her. Despite the regrets, I still was extremely mad at her.

But it was even harder for me and Twilight. We knew her better than anyone else. Well... maybe I knew her a bit more than Twilight did. But they'd been friends for longer than I've been with Rainbow, so it was as difficult for her as it was for me.

“Come by tomorrow. We'll figure something out.” Twilight said and tried to be as hopeful as she could, but easily failed. I saw right through her. I didn't even think she actually believed we could bring her back. Even I got my doubts. But I couldn't afford it to keep me down.

“Hey. We will bring her back. I promise.” I said as we entered another hug. This time it lasted for some time. “I just hope that if... and that's a big if, we wouldn't be able to bring her back, I'd be able to do my part. That is, to guard Equestria from the Dragons. I- I don't know if I could, even though I desire to protect you all from them. I really want to. But I don't know if I--”

“I know how you feel. But you must stay strong. For Equestria's and Rainbow's sake. She'd want you to keep on fighting. She wouldn't want you to give up.”

I didn't respond but exhaled the air and started sobbing yet again. It was now her turn to attempt to comfort me. She shushed at me and gave me light taps on my back.

After a while I finally let go of her and bid my farewells. But before I left her apartment, I reached into the pocket of Rainbow's torn Wonderbolt costume and carefully pulled out two photos. Those two photos of us together. One picture was of us sleeping in each other's arms in the hospital bed the same night we expressed our feelings to one another, while the other was taken when we officially kissed in front of our friends for the first time the next day. I would never forget those moments. I took a look at those pictures again but immediately looked away. Those pictures made me feel even worse. But I still wanted to keep those pictures with me forever. Wherever I'd go, she'd always be there with me, dead or alive. I hoped for the latter though.

I suddenly opened the door and vanished into the storm...


I stayed in the rain for a while and walked slowly through the lifeless town with my eyes half closed. Nopony was outside due to the bad weather. But I didn't care. It wasn't as bad as it looked like anyways. But I decided to stop by in The Prancing Pony for a drink as I was getting extremely thirsty. But I didn't plan on getting drunk. I simply wanted a cranberry juice.

Once inside the Inn, I took a seat by the bar and ordered a big mug of that special cranberry juice that was not like the ones back on Earth. The barkeeper nodded and made the drink ready for me. But while waiting for it, I noticed that I was the only one in the inn, except a mare sitting in the corner in the other side of the saloon. She was cloaked in a gray robe and apparently was there to entertain guests, but there were none at that moment except me. She was a singer and played on a flute and a...guitar? I didn't even know they had guitars. It was interesting because I knew how to play myself. Well, when I was a human anyways. But I wasn't sure if I could play on the Equestrian guitar.

She didn't play those instruments at the same time, of course, but she sometimes switched them in between songs. It really just depended on the song and what instrument fitted better.

I listened to her beautiful voice singing a song in my honor and about me, while playing on the guitar:

Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior’s heart

I tell you, I tell you, the Dragonborn comes

With a Voice wielding power of the ancient Nord art

Believe, believe, the Dragonborn comes

It’s an end to the evil, of all Equestria's foes

Beware, beware, the Dragonborn comes

For the darkness has passed, and the legend yet grows

You’ll know, You’ll know the Dragonborn’s come.

I clopped my hooves at the end of the song and that got her attention. It also got her a bit startled knowing that she was singing about me and she didn't even notice that the Dragonborn himself was listening to her. She must have realized that I was the Dragonborn by descriptions of my body or perhaps because of my helmet. I was Ponyville's top subject, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone was spying on me to gather some information what I did in real life, or to get a better look on how I really looked like under that helmet.

“E-Excuse me, Dragonborn. I-I didn't know--” she said and fell to her knees, still at the other side of the room. I told her to stand up and that's exactly what she did.

“You have a beautiful voice. Thank you for honoring me with your singing.” I simply said and gave her a small smile.

“A-A pleasure. I was just... training for tomorrow's performance.” she stuttered and bowed her head. “It's an honor to meet you, sir.” she said again and tried her best to look lesser than me. It was considered to be respectful.

I gave her an honored nod before I turned away from her and fixed my attention to the red juice in front of me. I really wanted some alcohol, but decided not to drink any. I wanted to stay sober and have a clear mind for tomorrow. Because tomorrow would be the day I'd cheat on death yet again. I was certain and determined that I'd succeed. Anything was possible in Equestria...

I carefully opened the door to the room 303, but had to use some of my force because the door was stiff as usual. I turned on the lights. Everything was just as we left it as I entered the apartment. I quickly gazed around the apartment and the first thing I noticed was my iPod on a table next to the big bed, and my headset besides it. I slowly entered the apartment with a sigh. I'd never felt more alone in my life.

I had been living there with Dashie for a week now, but I still got the urge to take a look at the pictures again. I examined them; hanging on the wall, but the picture that got my most attention was the family photo. It was the most heart-warming of them all. I didn't even dare imagining her parent's reaction to the unfortunate news about her daughter's fall. That's why I decided to keep her death a secret from everyone; even the rest of the mane 6. They had every right to know, but I planned on bringing Rainbow Dash back before anyone would notice she was even gone. It was a stupid and surreal hope, but still a hope I was ready to count on.

Another photo I hadn't noticed before got my attention. I found a picture in one of our drawers. It was actually a picture of... me. My cyan colored body and face was turned in the direction of the camera, but I didn't seem to notice that I was being shot. It was surprisingly a very good photo of me; it was a close up picture of me. I was standing there like I was about to launch myself at someone with my helmet and my red, determined and fearless eyes. But I also had a small grin on my face. I guess Twilight took that picture when I was unaware of it, and gave it to Rainbow Dash who had been keeping it a secret from me for some strange reason I couldn't come up with. I stared at the picture for minutes before eventually putting it on top of the drawer and gently put the other two photos of me and Dashie on top of it.

After having examining everything closely again, I let myself collapse on the bed. But it wasn't the same as before. I wasn't used to being alone in the bed and that increased my anger and bitterness even further.

I decided to listen to some songs in the purpose of making my pain go away, even though I doubted it would actually do anything other than making the time quicker to pass.

I wanted to listen to something that fitted in with this depressing situation I was in. Rainbow and I had a mutual favorite band; Wintersun. That's why I decided to listen to some of their songs in her “honor”. But before I turned on my iPod, I took my helmet off and put it in the same rounded table next to the bed. I lay on the soft bed and listened to the whole Wintersun's first album to start with. Afterwards I switched over to their second album called "Time I".

I started sobbing lightly yet again as soon as Time started playing. The lyrics reminded me of my situation too. But it wasn't solely because of the song that I got sad again but rather because it reminded me that it was her favorite song by that band. Well... her favorite part of the album, since their second album was like a one big song. Technically, there weren't any individual songs. It was kind of like a movie in music form. What impressed her the most about Wintersun and their songs were the lyrics and the complex, but beautiful orchestral tones. She was especially fond of "Time I", their second album, which was filled with both. And I completely agreed with her.

It triggered memories from when I explained the iPod device to her. I still remember her facial expression; she was so amazed and so astonished; checking out every inch of that strange technology so unknown to everyone in her world. I couldn't help but to chuckle as I thought about her facial expression when I told her what it was for.

I turned off my iPod as soon as the short but epic album ended and decided to get some sleep to wake up “fresh” in tomorrow morning. I was absolutely determined to bring her back. She just had to come back. I'd experienced being without her for three months, and it was harder than it seemed. I didn't want it to repeat itself. And that was only for three months...

I got under the warm blanket and covered my whole body. But there was one thing missing and I knew exactly what it was. I sighed, rolled my eyes and just hoped I'd be able to get some sleep.

But before I let myself fall into the dream world, I started thinking about what Rainbow might be doing in Sovngarde. But then it hit me. An hour or so in the land of the dead equals to 28 days in Equestria. So she must be still unconscious or slowly waking up in the home of the dead Nords. At least I could find comfort in that she was safe now...


I knocked heavily on Twilight's door in the morning's mist. It was still extremely early in the morning and nopony had even woken up yet. I was just so desperate to get to work that I got up earlier than planned, despite the restless night. It was perhaps the worst sleep I'd ever had. My eyelids didn't get heavier with time, nor would my mind obey to go to sleep. No matter how hard I tried to fall asleep, I just couldn't get any at all for a very long time. I did fall asleep in the end, but it took me hours.

Twilight Sparkle was the one to open the door for me this time. But she was a sore sight. Her mane was a mess, she had her eyes wide open and she looked extremely tired; like she hadn't slept in days, and I could see on her that she had been weeping all night, too.

“Twilight. You're a mess! What happened?”

“I've been awake all night; looking into resurrections and revivals. I've found nothing so far.” she stated and stared into my eyes. “Come, help me.” she then said straight out and pulled me into her tree house. The living room was still a mess since yesterday's evening. I guess she didn't bother cleaning up, even with her magic.

She pushed me into the library and simply said: “Search.” and resumed her reading. There were a big piles of books surrounded around us. They were all books Twilight had been skimming through. “Start with the book over there.” she said and didn't take her eyes off the book she was reading.

“Twilight. We won't find the answer in a book. Do you really think there would be a book with the recipe of resurrection? There is only one book in existence with that kind of information and it can't be used anymore. We need to find a way of our own.” I said in a negative tone but not harshly.

Twilight sighed when she realized that I was right. We wouldn't find the answer in a book, but I was confident that Twilight would suggest an idea crazy enough to be worth a shot. I was willing to do anything.

“Just... just let me take a look at her again.” I said to Twilight and gazed into the floor so I wouldn't tear up again by her reaction.

“S-Sure. She's in bed.”

“In...bed?” I asked with a big question mark on my face.

“Well, not exactly in a bed. But I made a bed, or a “tomb” out of books for her. She lies on top of it. We don't want to keep her body on the dirty floor, now would we?” Twilight said as she led me to a room I've never heard of before. It was some kind of a secret chamber of some sort that was located beneath the library. No one knew about this chamber but Twilight and Spike, and they did a good job in making it a secret. I didn't know what it was for, but I didn't really care either. The walls in the room were made of stone. I noticed Rainbow Dash lying on a pile of book in the other end of the secret chamber, and a chest next to that pile that was filled with magical food that wouldn't rot. Yet another reason why being a Unicorn would be so handy. She could practically do everything she wanted. I'm pretty sure she could even defeat me, if she really wanted to.

But what was interesting about this place was that it was underground. So, if she would have to hide herself for some reason, she could always flee to this chamber until the danger had passed. She would have plenty of food and water for both her and Spike to last months.

The walls were decorated with torches like the ones at the Greybeards; Torches that lit up with a flame that wouldn't go out, and wouldn't harm anyone.

Twilight Sparkle led me across the room and up to Rainbow Dash who peacefully lay there on the books like she was asleep. I noticed that her wounds from the blade had been cleansed and that her torn Wonderbolt's suit had been removed. I appreciated that. It meant that Twilight “respected” the dead. She wanted everything to be proper for her, and that was the least she deserved.

Seeing her so gray and lifeless was just too painful. But it also brought a passion and determination to bring her back. Seeing her in this stance brought sorrow, but also fury.

She didn't deserve her sudden death. Of course, she'd die in the end, but dying like that was just not acceptable. A sacrifice would suite her better, seeing as she was more loyal than anypony. That kind of death would only be her true death. But what she got was a disgrace to her and her friends.

“Twilight, can't the Princesses help her? They brought me back to life once before. They could do it again.” I said but didn't allow myself to get my hopes up.

“I really, really doubt that. Remember how exhausted they got when they brought you back? I doubt they'd be able to do it again.” Twilight said with regret in her voice.

“But, what if you'd help them? Maybe... maybe the three of you could bring her back!” I said and grabbed her both shoulders. “Think about it! It may be tiring, but you gotta try at least! Isn't it worth a shot to bring a soul back?”

Twilight turned around from me and thought about it. She took her sweet time before sighing in defeat and said: “I'm sorry. But I don't think that would work. You see, when the princesses brought you back to life, they kind of sacrificed some of their own life force into you to bring you back from the dead. Their lifespan was greatly reduced by bringing you back. But there wasn't any other option, and that's why they did what they had to do, for Equestria's sake. And I doubt they'd want to do it again, simply because it could kill them.” Twilight said and sighed again. She really wanted Rainbow back, but understood that this wasn't the way to do it.

“But... but... they just gotta try!”

“Why would they? I feel guilty for saying this, but she isn't as important as you are. We need you more than we need her.” she said and closed her eyes because she knew I was going to react to that response.

“Then I threaten them! If they don't revive her, I don't guard Equestria. Simple as that.” I half whispered to her and crossed my arms.

That brought anger within Twilight. She frowned and stared into my soul with her sharp eyes. “Are you listening to yourself? You can't just threaten the princesses!”

“And why the hell not?! What do I get from killing Alduin and the dragons? Nothing!” I snapped at her. “I lost everything and you ponies just expect me to do all the hard work for your beneficial? Hell no! I refuse to be a part in any of this if I can't even live my life properly! Is that too much to ask? So... if she doesn't get revived, I'm out. You'll take care of yourselves.”

Twilight gasped and couldn't believe her ears. That I actually said those things. “And you may lose even more if you think that way! You know, you're not the pony I used to know. Where is the Drake that eagerly hungered for the dragons' blood, and the Drake that vowed to protect us with everything he had? Where is the pony I used to know? Where is my friend?” she said before she started tearing up lightly. “Just think for a second! What would Rainbow think of this? Would she approve that you would so suddenly bail on us on times like this, especially now that the dragons are on our doorsteps?! She was my friend, too, you know! I know exactly what you're going through, because I'm also fighting those feelings you're letting out. So just listen to yourself and stop acting selfishly!”

I backed against the wall behind me as she said that and thought about the promise I made to Rainbow before she died: I had to stay strong. Not only for me, but for everyone else. And everything I just said was completely against everything I promised her. It was selfish and disloyal of me to think this way. I loved everyone, and I deeply wanted everyone to be safe from any kind of threats. But the sorrow and anger in my heart completely clouded that view.

“I'm so sorry, Twilight. I-I really am. I didn't mean those things.” I said and hid my face in my hooves. My humbleness and apologies calmed down Twilight and brought a very small relieved smirk on her face. She sat down next to me by the wall and put her left hoof around me. “I just... I just miss her so much!” I continued and rested my head on her shoulder as I started sobbing lightly again.

Twilight brushed over my mane and quietly shushed at me to calm me down. “Hey...” she said calmly and looked passionately into my eyes. “We'll bring her back. I promise.” she said to cheer me up. I still didn't know if she actually believed we could pull it off, but it sure made me feel better. I nodded quickly a couple of times and swallowed.

“Can't we at least talk to the princesses?” I asked barely audibly and with my eyes closed. “Maybe they know of other ways.”

“Sure.” Twilight responded and hugged me again. “Sure. Let's do that.”

I let out a relieved sigh and stood up, a bit hopeful. I knew convincing the princesses wouldn't be easy. But if they really wanted the dragon threat dealt with, they'd at least try to support me and my quest in any way possible.

“We should go now. But we can't travel with the Friendship Express train.”

“Then what? Are we just going to run off like that?”

“Yeah. We can ask Daring Do to tie Rainbow on my back again. I can run with her.” I said and walked up to the lifeless Dashie. I scanned her face again before I lightly kissed the marking I gave her. “I'll get you out of there.” I then whispered to her.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Twilight asked but hesitated when she noticed that my attention was fixed upon Dashie. I lightly brushed her mane again before I sighed and turned around to face Twilight.

“Go fetch Daring Do.”


“I'm truly sorry for your loss. She was a great pony who didn't deserve what she got. We'll make sure a statue will be raised in her memory. But we simply cannot revive her. It's not an option.” said Celestia with her voice full of sympathies, yet also with determination.

“But...you've shown that you possess the power of bringing someone back from the dead! Please, if you want me to do a good job against the dragons, you'd at least consider it.” I begged on my knees before the two Princesses on their iron thrones.

Luna wasn't as heartless than I originally thought. I noticed how teary her eyes was and how her heart was full of sympathies, too. Maybe it was because she was so amazed on my marking earlier because it hadn't happened in centuries. But whatever the reason, she proved right there that she had a good and a pure heart.

Celestia was sad, too. But she didn't show it nearly as much as Luna did. Which was kind of strange, considering Luna once being evil that wanted Equestria to be graced in eternal darkness.

“You have to do something. Anything!”

“We're sorry, but we can't be of assistance. There's nothing we can do.”

“But, Princess. Isn't there anything you could do? The tiniest bit on information can make a difference.” said Twilight who kneeled before them next to me. Dashie was on the floor in front of us. She was so well protected with Twilight's spell that she seemed only to be sleeping. Luna couldn't seem to get her eyes off her. She just simply stared thoughtfully at the body on the floor with her teary eyes.

“I wish I could do something about this. But unfortunately, we're too weak for an attempt of another revival. It's just not possible.” Celestia continued patiently.

“I'll ask you again.” I said impatiently. “Is there anything at all you can do to help us? Maybe you know of a...a ritual or something. Like Twilight here said; every minor details matter.”

“I'm sorry...” she said and didn't dare look into our eyes. “I'm very sorry for your loss. I truly am. She'd saved Equestria twice. She will be in our memories forever.”

I noticed the shame that formed in Luna's face when her sister mentioned Rainbow saving Equestria twice; knowing she was the reason for the first time. But she wasn't evil anymore, thanks to the mane 6.

“I see that this is getting me nowhere.” I said, full of disappointment. “I'll seek help elsewhere then.” I added and quickly stood up. “Common, Twilight. Let's get out of here.”

“Wait...” interfered Luna. “Follow me into the next room. There's something I need to tell you in privacy.”

“You want to speak to me?” I asked hopeful and prayed in my head that she'd have some information for me that I needed.

“Yes. And only you. Twilight Sparkle will have to wait outside.”

I looked at Twilight who nodded at me and pointed at the next room with her head.

“I'll wait for you here.” she said and shot a smile at me.

I nodded back to her with a small smile and quietly followed Luna into the next room which seemed nervous. I didn't know what this was all about. Whether she wanted me to know a secret about the dragons, or if she had some information for me about how I could revive Rainbow Dash. I hoped for the latter.

Once inside the room, she shut the door closed and looked into my eyes.

“Now, Dragonborn. I know that you were close to Rainbow Dash. I know how you feel--”

“No you don't. You haven't lost anyone you cared about.” I interfered, but with respect.

“You're lonely. Believe me... I know exactly how you feel. I'd been dealing with that terrible feeling for the last thousand years. I was banished to the moon, if you didn't already know. My sister... she did the right thing. She banished me to the moon because I was starting to get jealous. And I was starting to become a threat to the civilians. Those thousand years were pure hell. I'd never felt more alone.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked with sympathies. No one should be going through being alone for thousand years, evil or not.

“Because I want to help you get her back. Since you are doing us all such a big favor by guarding something you aren't even originally from. You were suddenly told that you had to protect us all from the dragon threat and you didn't even object to it. You chose peace and order instead of power for you own beneficial. You'd been doing everypony favors, and you've never hurt us in any way. You're simply... pure. Always positive, always helpful.

But then you lost the person most important in your life in return. I don't know about you, but I don't think that's fair. I don't want you to live a lonely life. I don't want to see you miserable. So hear me out. I really shouldn't say this, but there is still hope for Rainbow Dash.”

My heart stopped beating for a second when she said that. Hearing her saying that not all hopes were lost for her kindled a fire within me. “Wow... thank you. Thank you for supporting me, and thank you for letting me know that she can still be saved!” I said loudly and almost threw myself into her arms for a hug, but then I remembered that she's a princess. I had to keep it civil. “But why do you say that?”

“She died an unnatural death. The only death that cannot be cheated on is time. That's the real death. And since her “time” was cut short, she can be brought back because she still has her lifespan left. That being said, you'll have to search for a way to bring her back from Sovngarde if you want her back. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about that matter. But... there is one person who might be able to provide you some answers.”

“And that is?” I asked excited and couldn't keep still. I paced around the room with a big smile on my face. Just the fact that she could be brought back was extremely relieving for me.

“Have you ever heard of the name; Paarthurnax?”

“Yeah... he's the Greybeard's master!”

“Yes. Go to him. He might have more information for you. So far as I know, if he does have something for you, you'll get your wife back.” she said and gave me a small smile.

I couldn't help myself anymore and I launched myself at her and gave her a big hug. She had given me some hope, and I was going to do whatever was required to get her back.

Luna returned that hug and laughed softly. “You're welcome.” she said and gave me a pat on my back.

“Thank you so much! Now I have a start. I will go on from here. Don't tell Celestia, but you're the best Princess ever!” I said and chuckled with her. “But why did you want to hide this from her?”

We let go of each other and looked into each other’s eyes. “Because, if Paarthurnax has something for you, do you honestly believe it'll be easy? It could, and most likely will, be life threatening. Celestia doesn't want you to risk your own life because we need you now, more than ever.”

“But how about you? Why don't you feel the same way?”

Luna sighed and turned around, turning her back to me. “You've lost your old home and you've lost the person in your life that made you happy. Believe it or not, but that person means a lot to me, too. She was one of the brave ponies that saved me and brought me back into the light. What was once Nightmare Moon, is now only Luna. Thanks to her and her friends. But enough about that.

Like I said, you remind me too much of myself when I was on the moon and I don't want anypony to feel like that. The least you deserve is to be happy since you're doing us all the biggest favor in Equestrian history. But please, don't get your hopes up.” she said and turned around with a warm smirk on her face. I'd never seen her smile like that before, and I gotta say that I didn't get how she possibly could have been evil once. Her heart was made of gold!

“Words cannot express how grateful I am.” I said and found myself smiling clumsily again. I knew that she didn't give me the information I needed, but she told me of a person who might. She gave me hope. And that was enough for me to cheer me up.

“That's alright, my dear Dragonborn. Just remember: Don't get your hopes up, and do not mention this to my sister. I've no intentions in getting banished again.” she joked and chuckled softly. But I wasn't quite sure if she really meant it or not.

“Not a word.” I said and moved my right hoof up to my mouth to ‘zip’ it. “But there's another matter... you said that I had to speak to Paarthurnax, yes? Estimated time to the Throat of the World is around 3 days in Pegasus flight. But since I have to carry Rainbow Dash on my back, I won't be able to fly. I'll have to run. And that will make a three day trip into a perhaps one week trip.”

“Yes. It will take time. And if you want to revive her, I suggest you get into it right away. You cannot delay. The dragons are coming.” The Alicorn then suddenly turned around and opened the door for me.

“I... I will.” I said and kneeled before her. “Thank you for everything, my Princess.”

Luna slowly shook her head in disappointment. “Do not be all formal on me. You know for yourself how it feels like.” she said before she left me alone in the room and headed to her iron throne in the middle of that vast, columned and empty room. I simply gazed after her and nodded in approval.

Twilight seemed to be having a chat with Celestia while I was speaking to Luna. It didn't seem like a casual conversation; more like she was begging and pleading for something. Probably regarding Rainbow Dash.

But now that I knew what must be done, I had to act like I had given up so I wouldn't evoke suspicion within Celestia.

“Twilight.” I said and sighed “Let's get out of here. We're not getting any help here.” I said with a depressing tone in my voice.

“D-Drake?” she asked me surprised. But she knew I wouldn't so easily give up, and that's why she got the hint. It was perhaps a little too obvious, but Celestia didn't know me personally. That's why she'd take the bait. I gave Twilight a small subtle wink. She looked at me and told me with her eyes that she got the hint. “Alright, Drake. Whatever you say.” she said and gazed into the ground yet again.

“Thank you for your time.” I said and managed to wet my eyes by forcing myself to think of Dashie's death. “It was worth a try.” I added and swallowed.

“Hey, come here.” Celestia said and looked at me with her own teary eyes. She was hurt by seeing me in the position I was in. I could just see the sympathies in her facial expression.

As I approached her, she gave me a big hug. She firmly pressed my body against her and rested like that for some time. I returned it, because there was something about her that made her so... huggable. “You have my deepest sympathies. You know, I knew her personally. She saved Equestria twice. She'll forever be in our memory, like I previously stated. She'll live on. But inside our hearts. Believe me, if we could, we'd without a doubt help you. But we simply can't.”

“I-I understand.” I said and bowed my head for her. “It's just...”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.” I added and closed my eyes. “Thanks for your time.” I then forced out and slowly turned away and walked slowly and miserably towards Dashie who lay there on the ground.

Daring Do, who had been silent all along, came up to me and tied Rainbow Dash on my back. She was a master survivalist, thus, knew how to make proper knots. She nodded to me as soon as she was done. Now we could finally get the hell out of there and begin the quest to Rainbow Dash's revival. I've revived someone before... I could do it again. In fact, I meant to. Failure wasn't an option.

“Do you have a plan?” Twilight asked excited and hopeful as soon as we got out of that big castle. She was somehow convinced that Luna had told me something she wasn't supposed to tell me about.

I put on a small determined smirk on my face. “I do. We're going up the Throat of the World.”


So, on we went with our Quest. We had to climb the biggest mountain in Equestria to meet this Paarthurnax who seemed to be living at the very top of it. I didn't understand how he managed to live up there; if he was perhaps living in a small comfortable house made of strong materials or something else. I wondered about it for a while before I decided to drop it. I didn't want to waste my time wondering about something I'd see for myself later that day anyway. I'd rather want to keep focused on our goal.

Before we left off, I asked Twilight to write a letter to the rest of our friends to tell them about our sudden disappearance. We lied by telling them in the letter that something came up and we were sent to investigate and therefore wouldn't return for at least two weeks. I felt bad for lying to our friends, but it had to be done. I couldn't tell them about Dashie's death because I didn't want to be the bringer of sorrow and pain. Instead, I planned on bringing her back to life. We'd act like nothing had happened, and we'd continue with life.

On earth, that wouldn't be an option. If someone died, it was the end for that individual. No exceptions. But almost everything was possible in Equestria.

We had been running almost constantly for a week. It was tiring, very tiring, but I managed to keep my focus sharp and my legs moving, despite the weight of Rainbow Dash's body on my back which seemed to be getting heavier and heavier with every minute that passed. What made the journey tougher was that the weather used to change very subtly from time to time. It would go from being sunny in one moment into a blizzard the next. Sometimes it was windy, sometimes it rained heavily. But despite everything that tried to slow us down, we didn't stop.

I ordered Daring Do to carry everything we needed. Our supplies, weapons, med kits; everything. Daring Do seemed to be having trouble carrying all that weight, but she didn't complain. She understood that I disliked her and that I would be anything but fair to her. But she still wouldn't leave me. I even bet she'd come back to me if I'd Shout her away from me.

I was somewhat sure I'd get some answers from this Paarthurnax. He knew everything about me. And judging by the environment he lives in, the praise he'd been getting from The Greybeards and Luna's recommendation to meet him; he just had to have something for me.

But I couldn't reach him yet. I'd yet to learn the Shout that calms the sharp blizzards; control over weather. I couldn't help but to smile when I thought about possessing that power. But what I wanted more than being able to calm the winds was to be able to bring blizzards, inferno, thunders or something else to my aid against powerful foes. That would be so effective. But perhaps it would be dangerous, too. Not to me, but to my friends.

As we were approaching the Throat of the World, a loud and a sudden roar could be heard from above us. We stopped when we heard that and got ourselves ready for a fight. We knew a dragon was nearby.

The dragon just flew around us in the air. He wasn't black, like the ones I'd met, but blood red. He was terrifying and threatening. I'd never seen a dragon as powerful as this one. At least judging by his appearance, it looked like that dragon was stronger than the rest of them, excluding Alduin. But he didn't take any action towards us. He just flew around us and roared loudly.

“Eh... there's a dragon flying above us.” said Daring Do and just stared at him flying around us.

“No shit.” I responded without looking at her.

Twilight seemed to be quite fascinated by the creature. She sat down and just watched him flying in circles with a big smile on her face. That got my attention.

“Twilight. You seem to be quite fond of him.”

Twilight looked at me, but before she could answer me, the dragon landed on the ground in front of us. Now that I got a close look at him, he seemed much scarier than before. He wasn't like the dragons in the show, nor was the rest of them. He was brutal looking, and smelled of death and blood. But his red color really fitted to him. It made him much cooler.

The dragon took a step towards us. Twilight and Daring Do backed away, but I didn't. I stood my ground.

“What do you want?” I asked the dragon who seemed to be staring at Rainbow Dash. He didn't reply, nor did he act like he was about to attack me. “What the hell do you want?!” I yelled at him angrily and took a step towards him. I frowned and gave him a message that he didn't scare me.

“Dovahkiin.” he finally replied. “Honored to meet you in person. Truly, I am.” he said with his deep voice.

“Aren't you going to attack me?” I asked him a bit surprised and very curious. Was he perhaps a friendly dragon?

“No.” he answered and waited for my next question.

“Why?”

“Because I have no intentions in harming you. Do you want me to?”

“No, of course not. I'm just... surprised. I thought I was the main target among the dragons.”

“We are individuals with different opinions, just like your people. Remember that.” he answered kind of offended.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” I asked fascinated. I was really interested in getting to know him better. Maybe he had a message for me? Maybe he wanted to help me rebel against the dragons? Maybe... maybe he wanted to offer his allegiance? Probably not, but I could always hope.

“My name is Odahviing. I am...was... the right-hand of my “master”, Alduin.”

“Was? Why aren't you his right hand anymore?”

“Because I'm not like other dragons. I don't want to be a part of all the murders, all the death we've been causing. I tried to reason with Alduin to abandon our objective. He didn't take it very lightly. Normally, I'd be killed. But since I am... was... a good friend of Alduin, he showed me mercy by banning me away from our home instead. That's why I have to find a cave or something in Equestria instead of sleeping safely on the ground somewhere in Sovngarde...”

“Sovngarde?” I interrupted and got now more interested in his story. “You live in Sovngarde?”

“Of course, my fellow Dovahkiin. As long as we're alive, we can Shout our way from Sovngarde and into Equestria. As soon as we die, we'll get stuck in a place far worse than Sovngarde. That's why we've been behaving, But... time has made my kin far more greedy than we already are. Sovngarde ain't enough anymore; we want Equestria, too.”

“But, there is this palace of some kind in Sovngarde..”

“The Hall of Valor.” he interrupted. “Please note that Sovngarde isn't small. We live somewhere far away from Hall of Valor. We've made an agreement not to interrupt that palace, since the god of Death himself lives in there. He could banish us from Sovngarde, and send us to a much worse place. That's why we made a deal that he allowed us to live in his land if we didn't come a thousand miles near it. But Alduin is getting ridiculously self confident. He believes he can overthrow Sithis, the god of death, from his throne. His plans are to attack the Hall of Valor after he'd taken over Equestria.”

“I see... but that's not going to happen. But can you teach me that Shout? To get into Sovngarde?”

“I personally cannot. But there is one Dragon I knew who could. He's the world oldest rebel. He sided with the ponies in the old war. He still lives, but his whereabouts is unknown. There is another dragon who knows about the ways of revivals, too. But I recommend you seek the other one instead. I'm talking about none other than Alduin. And I'm pretty sure he's not interested in helping you out.”

“I see..” I muttered in disappointment. If that dragon he spoke of could teach me that Shout, I'd use it to get into Sovngarde and make a deal with the god of death to get Dashie out of there. It was the perfect plan. But I guess I had go with my hope with this Paarthurnax having information about the ways of resurrection, for now.

“I see why you want to learn it... you want to get in there to save Rainbow Dash. Am I correct?”

Hearing him saying her name was like a slap to the face. How did he possibly know her name?

“How do you--”

“Know Rainbow Dash? Please, don't even get me started. Let me tell you a little secret. There are two ponies Alduin fears. The one he fears the most is you, of course. But he always speaks about this other pony that was supposed to be the Dovahkiin's mate; called Rainbow Dash. He fears her, too. I personally don't know why. He didn't tell me the reason, nor did he tell anyone else. I just found out about it by accident one day. I overheard him.”

“Wow.” I said as I thought about it. Did the master; the god of all dragons really fears us? That was good news. It meant that we were a threat.

“But I just wanted to let you know, Dovahkiin, that I will support you if you'll get in trouble.” he stated and nodded. “They made me an outlaw. I don't have any choice now but to help you kill my brother, Alduin, so I can return to my kin and inherit the throne for myself.”

“Your... brother?” I asked surprisingly. “And won't killing him be treason?”

“Yes, he's my brother. And no. I won't be a traitor as long as you make the killing blow. There are different laws among the Dragons, you know. But enough about that. If you'll ever get in trouble, just shout my name. I'll hear it, and I'll be there to help you.”

“Thank you for you sudden offer in your allegiance... I think we're going to be a great team.” I said and lowered my head in respect. “But I mustn't delay. I must go meet this guy; Paarthurnax.”

“Did you say Paarthurnax?” Odahviing asked and gasped. “He's the one I talked about earlier; the dragon who sided with the ponies in the old war.”

“He's a dragon?” I shouted surprised, but as I thought about it, it only made sense. Given by the fact that he lived at the peak of the Throat of the World; the largest mountain in Equestria.

“Oh yes, he's a dragon and a good friend of mine. Where's he at?”

“He's at the peak of the Throat of the World.”

“Of course! Why didn't I think about it before?” he asked to himself. “Anyways, I must take my leave. It's getting dark and I'm going to have to search for a place to sleep. Farewell, Dovahkiin.” he said before he took off. He didn't even give me a chance to bid my goodbyes. He just flapped those big wings of his and vanished away from our sight.

I turned around to Twilight who seemed to be drooling a bit in excitement. She was using her magic to write down our entire conversation. “More information about the Dragons!” she then shouted triumphantly and with a big grin on her face.

Daring Do came up to me with a small smile and started asking me questions about what I felt about all this. She even asked me what I would do after we'd revived Rainbow Dash, and offered to buy me and her a beer in celebrations.

I guess she just wanted to gain my friendship back and to make me forget about her past actions. I was slowly letting it go, but I was still mad at Daring Do. I was not ready in a friendship yet.

But on we went with our Journey. Walking with Rainbow on my back up the 7000 steps was hard. Very hard. But Twilight aided me by using her magic to give me a small boost. If she hadn't, I probably would have collapsed on the way and fall down the stairs which would be very...painful.

It took some time, and it was getting pretty dark, but we managed to make it through the steps.

Arngeir and his friends welcomed us to High Hrothgar appropriately. They didn't cheer at my arrival, nor did they show any signs that they were happy to see me again. They just greeted us with a traditional hoofshake with sympathies in their eyes. They knew what had happened to Dashie, and they knew what I went through. But we didn't take time to talk. We got right to business; to learn that Shout so I would be able to reach Paarthurnax without difficulties. Arngeir said that using this Shout would disperse clouds and clear away fog and poor weather. It also dispels any poison gas traps. It was one of the non-combat Shouts, or one of the tactical ones. I seriously needed more of those.

One hour later, and I had mastered the Shout; “Clear Skies”, or “Lok Vah Koor” in the Dragon language.

I followed Arngeir into the backyard and up to a large bridge. From there I could continue my journey to Paarthurnax. We were almost at the top of the mountain anyway, so the walk would probably take around 5-10 minutes.

Twilight Sparkle and Daring Do stood next to me as I gazed into the strong blizzard in front of us. We'd easily die without the Shout I learned. Good thing I knew a Shout to help us with that.

I took a deep breath before Shouting: “LOK...VAH KOOR!” in its direction. A sound of thunder followed, and after that the blizzard quickly vanished away. The passage was clear now. We could continue to walk along the path up to Paarthurnax, but we had to be quick. The blizzard would return after a specific amount of time had passed. That's why I had to stay on guard, and as soon as it would kick back in, I'd just shout again.

After ten minutes of walk, we encountered some enemies. But they weren't ponies. They were some kind of ice wraiths. They were transparent and thin in appearance, and often came in groups. While they weren't very powerful, their swiftness fixed their disadvantage. They could slow down their prey and feast on them alive as a group. They weren't as strong as individuals.

Three or four wraiths attacked us, but we easily managed to kill them all before the blizzard kicked in yet again. I could've used my fire breath to take them all out, but I didn't want to take the chance of draining all my energy for the Clear Skies Shout.

At last we reached the top of the mountain, and Paarthurnax. He was sitting on a big “Word Wall” like he was guarding it. I gasped when I saw him. He was greenish in appearance and seemed a bit older than the rest of the dragons I'd encountered. The youngest one I've met so far must've been Odahviing, judging by their physical appearance. But Paarthurnax was just as terrifying as the rest of them, if not scarier. But I knew he was on my side, so I had no reason to panic or to stay on guard. Twilight and Daring Do, however, didn't quite trust him. I even noticed a small growl Daring automatically made.

“Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax. Who are you? What brings you to my strunmah ... my mountain?” he spoke first, sitting there comfortably on the wall. He stretched his neck towards me and that made our faces only inches away from each other.

“I-I'm Dragonborn. Also known as Drake.”

“Dovahkiin, you say? Hmm. If you truly are Dovahkiin, show me what you can do. Greet me not as mortal, but as dovah! Use your firebreath on me. Let me feel your power!" I bet he already knew about me being the Dragonborn, but maybe he wanted to see the power I possessed for himself.

I hesitantly positioned myself without asking him why and Shouted with all my might at him: "Yol, Toor!" I didn't dare use three levels on him, because that might hurt him. But as soon as the fire hit his face, he nodded a bit in approval.

"The dragonblood runs strong in you!"

“I seek your help. I've been told that you could help me with one thing.” I said to get straight to the point. I didn't want any delays.

“Ah, yes. You want to learn the ways of revival. Ain't that correct? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have that knowledge.”

Now that was a punch to the face. I simply stared at the dragon lifelessly. My lips started shivering in disappointment and my eyes started twitching in both sadness and frustration. Luna warned me not to get my hopes up, but that's exactly what I did. My disappointment was bursting out of me. I didn't even try to hide it.

“What do you mean you don't have that knowledge?!” I yelled at him furiously. “I need to know! I need to get her back!”

“I'm sorry... Dovahkiin. But the only one who possesses the ability to resurrect is Alduin and the rest of the gods. I'm just an old outlaw. Nothing more, nothing less.”

I thought about it for a while. But then it hit me. Of course! Odahviing said that Paarthurnax had the ability to create a bridge between Sovngarde and Equestria.

“But can you get me into Sovngarde?” I asked excited, but I watched out not to get my hopes up like Luna advised me.

“Hmm...” he muttered thoughtfully. “I cannot send you to the land of the dead. But... I could teach you the ways to get in there.”

I couldn't believe my ears. He actually offered to teach me a Shout to get into Sovngarde? I couldn't help but to grin widely.

“Yes, please! I would be grateful!”

“Then let us begin...”


It took some time, but I finally learned the new Shout. A Shout that enabled me to visit Sovngarde. But he told me I could only use it once per month. A dragon could use it whenever they wished, but I couldn't, as I wasn't a complete dragon.

He said that I had only one hour in Sovngarde before I'd automatically teleport back to Equestria. He also notified me that my body would remain in Equestria, but my spirit would leave my body and travel into Sovngarde.

“Hun, Kaal, Zoor” is what the Shout was called in the dragon language or “Call of Valor” in pony language.

I found myself whispering to myself; “Yes...” over and over again with a creepy smile like a madman.

“I'm one step closer in succeeding, thanks to you.” I then said when I snapped out of it.

I noticed Twilight exploding in excitement. She was writing a lot into her little diary or whatever it was while Daring Do carefully and awkwardly examined the area. There was nothing up here but snow, cold winds and that Word Wall, so I didn't really get what she was searching for.

“Dovahkiin. Use the Shout wisely. Sovngarde may be the land of the dead, but you can still die in there. So, if you die in Sovngarde, you die in Equestria. This is not a dream. This is reality. And one other thing. Watch out what you say to the god of death. He may not be pleased of your whereabouts.”

“Noted.” I said. I trusted that dragon in front of me. He was wise, old, and knew almost everything about me. I could trust his warnings. But his warnings didn't intimidate me. I was still as determined as before in getting Dashie back. Even if it would cost me my life. Others might not agree with me, since I'm so important for them, but I personally didn't care about their opinions. My priority was to see her alive again. Watching her flying in the skies, performing Sonic Rainbooms, feeling her hugs again and everything else she liked doing. I could turn my full focus on the dragons after that.

“Twilight.” I finally said and turned around to face her. She looked up to me and hummed. “An hour in Sovngarde is something about 28 days in Equestria, yes? Do you think I'll have the time before the dragons attack everyone on sight?”

“No, no, no, no. You misunderstood us. What we meant is that you were out in 28 days after we revived you. In this situation, you're not physically dead. That's why you'll have plenty of time in Sovngarde without having to worry about us. However, time in Sovngarde is still slower to pass than here in Equestria. I'm not quite sure, but I guess an hour in Sovngarde equals to a full day here. Something like that.”

Wow... that was good to hear. Now I had no worries, and was even more ready than before to visit Sovngarde. I was absolutely hundred percent sure I would bring her back that day.

“Before you leave, Dovahkiin. I want to bless you with another Shout. Go up to the Wall, and learn its secrets.”

“I-I don't know what to say.” I uttered and smiled in appreciation. “Thank you, kindly.” The dragon didn't respond to me but instead gave me a small nod.

Before I went for the Wall, I asked Daring Do to cut the rope and to place Rainbow Dash comfortably on the ground next to me. After that had been done, I slowly walked up to the Wall to learn the new ability.

The procedure was same as before. As I walked closer to the wall, I started hearing those Nordic chants again like last time. Everything around me started to fade in black and only left the words visible. They were lit up by bright blue light. It was a good thing that everything faded to black. That way, I could turn my full attention to those words without an interruption.

A little while, I felt that sharp sting in my brain that imprinted my understanding of the new Shout.

I gasped in surprise when I found out what I had unlocked. I only unlocked one level of that Shout, but as I understood it, it was a Shout that allowed me to summon thunders straight from the heavens. “Thunder Call” or “Stuun” in the dragon language. The first level of the Shout only summoned a single one, though.

I got dizzy as the darkness left me and the brightness of the snow suddenly blinded my eyes. But I quickly managed to adjust my sight. I slowly walked up to Dashie and kneeled next to her. I came to realize that it was time for me to pay a little visit to Sovngarde.

I slowly bent over and kissed on her right eye very gently and put both of her front hooves up to her heart.

I slowly turned my head in Twilight and Daring's direction and gave them both a small warm smile before I turned my head to look at Dashie again. I inhaled and exhaled the air a couple of times in nervousness before I eventually breathed in until my lungs couldn't take more in and shouted “Hun...Kaal Zoor!”

“How in Sithis' name could he wake up in the Hall of Valor? Everypony are supposed to wake up in front of it!” questioned a deep Nordic voice from an unknown pony.

I kept my eyes closed for a while and just enjoyed lying there on the warm floor. I felt a numerous ponies gathered around me; all staring at me and whispering to one another how this could be. Why I appeared inside the Hall of Valor instead in front of it.

“Wha- What's going on?” I suddenly said and tried to sit up with my eyes still closed. My limbs felt weak; like I'd been working out for hours without stopping.

“Get out of the way!” another female voice said. I recognized that voice, but I didn't quite remember who it belonged to. I waited for a bit for the person to approach me. Finally after what seemed like five minutes, she came up to me. “Dragonborn? Did you die again?” she added in disappointment.

I opened my eyes to be greeted by Gormlaith Golden-Hilt and the rest of her friends: Felldir the Old and Hakon One-Eye.

“Well, that explains why he woke up in the Hall. He had proven himself worthy enough last time he visited us by completing Tsun's trial.” said Felldir the Old.

“Dashie? Where is Rainbow Dash?” I shouted at them and looked at everybody around me. She was the only one on my mind at that moment.

“What brings you here, Dragonborn?” Hakon asked and ignored my question. “Please don't tell us you died aga--.”

“Where is she?” I asked again in annoyance. I wouldn't respond their questions until they'd answered mine.

I looked around the hall to notice some ponies sitting by the big table and feasting like they hadn't eaten for centuries. Nothing stole their attention from the food.

But most of the ponies were either gathered around me, or looking through the windows; looking at something.

“Rainbow Dash you say? Hmm.... ah yes! We'd been expecting her. You're talking about the mare with the cyan colored body and the multicolored mane?” asked Gormlaith with a small smile on her face.

“Yes, exactly!” I shouted in joy. The fact that she knew about her must have meant that she was nearby.

“She hasn't proven herself worthy to enter the Hall just yet. She's undergoing Tsun's trial as we speak.”

I ignored her, jumped on my feet and made a run to a big window in that spacious room.

“Move!” I shouted and everybody obeyed me without protesting.

My eyes almost popped out of my skull when I noticed Rainbow Dash outside fighting that big monstrous pony with the two hooved battleax. They had been brawling for some time, judging by the blood on them.

Pretty much everybody had been watching the fight from the Hall before I interrupted their little fun.

Rainbow Dash had a determined look on her face; absolutely eager to defeat Tsun and to gain access to her new home. She did an impressive job evading his attacks, as well as landing her blows on him at the appropriate times when he was unable to defend himself. She used her wings to her advantage.

The fight went on for a long time, but I was too busy admiring Rainbow to notice the time flying by.

At last, Tsun was downed to the ground in his own blood. But he didn't yield yet. Dashie used that opportunity to fly up as high as she could into the air. Her next move was stunning and very eye appealing. She actually landed a Sonic Rainboom into his face!

Everybody gasped and cheered, but I simply stared with my eyes wide open and my jaw almost falling off.

“Now, that's a true warrior of the North!” shouted a random pony behind me in approval.

From all the smoke and mist formed by that colorful boom, stumbled Rainbow Dash towards the bridge. I couldn't see her face clearly because I was still pretty far away from her, but I could easily notice that she wasn't smiling, nor showing any kind of pride. I guess she fought like a true warrior. She showed much greater strength than me, when I fought him. I just evaded him like a coward and used luck for my advantage. She, however, fought bravely and truly earned her place among the ponies in the Hall of Valor.

“Everypony! Be ready to greet our newest arrival!” shouted Ysgramor; the same pony that greeted me when I arrived for the first time.

I eagerly and impatiently waited for Rainbow Dash to walk through that door. I would finally meet her again! Those last days without talking to her had been tough. But now I could finally hear her voice again.

At last she knocked on the big door. Ysgramor cleared his throat before opening the door for her. I didn't see her yet, but I could hear their conversation. I felt my blood pumping in my veins as I heard her voice. It was only a matter of time before I'd meet her in person again.

“...to Hall of Valor!”

Everyone were having a feast like last time and cheered for her arrival. Did they always do that?

“Eh... thanks. I guess.” she muttered, without any kind of appreciation. She slowly entered the room and walked past the ponies that wanted to talk to her about the boom. But Rainbow didn't show any kind of interest. She just quietly and steadily walked past everyone with her head lowered.

She was in pain, I could see it on how she walked and by the fact that she was sighing quite often. She wasn't in a physical pain, but I bet it had something to do with me. Maybe she was sad by the thought that she had to leave me, or that I'd feel depressed about her death. Maybe because she missed me, or maybe because she lost her life and wouldn't see her friends for a very long time.

The moment couldn't be described when our eyes met again from across the room. There were a lot of ponies around us, so it was hard maintaining that eye contact. But I noticed how her eyes widened and how fear overcame her in disbelief. Her legs started shuddering. She very slowly, and hesitantly, walked towards me with her eyes still wide open and her mouth opened a bit. I saw it in her facial expression that she didn't believe it was actually me. She thought she was starting seeing things. I was just as surprised in seeing her, despite the fact that I knew I'd meet her again. My heart was beating in an abnormal speed. I started breathing faster and I felt like I was about to get a seizure.

As soon as she came near me she asked: “Drake?” barely audibly.

I very slowly nodded without breaking our eye contact. “Dashie?”

We stared at each other for quite a while. The immense noise around us was blocked out of our minds. The only thing our focus was fixed upon was each other.

“Drake!” she finally shouted and ran up to me and into my arms for a big hug. I welcomed her into my arms and squeezed her as hard as I could; without hurting her, of course.

We both started shedding light tears.

“I'm here.” I said and laughed in happiness. “I'm here!”

We both rested in each other’s arms for what seemed to be a long time. I carefully stroked her mane and touched her ear to feel for her mark. It was surprising, but she still had it. Which was weird, considering that she wasn't in her body. We were only spirits who could bleed, judging by Tsun.

It sounded silly, but maybe I marked her soul, too.

After some time, we finally examined each other with big happy smiles on our faces. “What are you doing here? Did you die?” she asked very fearfully. She didn't want to believe that I had died. Because if I had, I wouldn't be able to stop Alduin and his plans and everyone would be good as dead. Our friends, and everyone we cared about would either be slaves to the dragons, or die and be sent here for eternity.

“No, I didn't.” I said and couldn't help but to laugh again. “I found a way into Sovngarde. I'm here to bring you back.” Rainbow smiled with that and hugged me again, even harder than before. “Oh gods... I've missed you so much!” I added in a whisper and started tearing up again. “You have no idea how hard it has been without you.”

“It's over, now. I'm here. Look, I'd really like to return back with you to Equestria. I can't stand being here. But I don't know how you can bring me back.”

“Don't worry, I'll find a way.” I said seriously. “But listen. I don't have much time left. I got maybe 10 minutes before I get teleported back to Equestria. I met this friendly dragon that told me that the god of death lived here. Where is—”

Suddenly a dead silence overcame the vast room. It stole both our attentions. Everypony kneeled as a strange, big and cloaked.... thing.... entered the hall. His appearance wasn't visible. I wasn't even sure he had a physical form at all. It was just pure darkness. That thing also leaved a small shadow traces as he moved.

A slow and a whispery; yet very mysterious and a creepy voice said: “I smell a living soul among us.”

Nopony said anything. Everyone just lay on the ground and didn't dare look at him. Dashie and I just stood there in the other side of the room by a corner and stared at that void moving across the room.

“Would anyone like to tell me who's here without my permission?” it asked again, but again, no response. “No?”

“I am.” I suddenly said and that made everyone gasp, but they fought to keep their curiosity down.

The mysterious pony, void or whatever it was slowly turned around to face me and smoothly made his way up to me.

“You...” it whispered sharply. “You're not supposed to be here.”

“I know, and I apologize. But I'm here to fetch someone that shouldn't be here, either. And with all due of respect my lord Sithis, and with your permission--”

“Who do you think you are?!” it answered sharply. “That soul is mine! What rights have you to ask me of anything?”

“By right of birth. I am Dragonborn.” I answered loudly for everyone to hear. Everyone gasped again, but tried hard to keep still.

“Are you mocking me?” the voice hissed very displeased.

“I'm not. I have an offer for you. She returns with me to Equestria, and in return I'll kill all the dragons and get them rid of Sovngarde once and for all.”

“The dragons haven't been a threat to me. They've kept their word.”

“That's not all. I've talked to the right-hand of Alduin himself. He told me that Alduin was planning an attack on the Hall of Valor after he had taken over Equestria. So, if you want me to get rid of the dragons for you, which I would, I suggest we co-operate.” I explained without being threatened by him.

The cloaked being turned around quickly and thought about it. That made my hopes go high.

But he turned around to face me again and harshly pinned me up to the wall behind me. The shadow like skeleton hoof pushed me harder against the wall and didn't let me go. “I don't take orders from a mortal.”

“This... isn't... an order!” I pushed out to gasp for air. Normally I wouldn't need air since I was supposed to be dead. But I wasn't dead, and that's why I could still die, even in Sovngarde. And if I'd die in Sovngarde, I'd be stuck there forever. I didn't mind it though. At least I wouldn't be alone.

“I don't believe you. We've made an allegiance! He'd never betray me!”

“Odahviing told me! I swear!”

That released his grip on me. He just stood there in front of me without saying anything for a little while. But he eventually spoke. “Did you say Odahviing?”

“Yes, sir! He told me about it... and, and Paarthurnax, too!”

“Odahviing and Paarthurnax? They're your friends?”

“Yes, they are. And I vow to you, that I will send all the dragons to hell for their treachery!”

He turned around again and seriously started thinking about it again.

But while he was making a decision about it, I started to feel like my time in Sovngarde was ticking away from me. My right front hoof slowly began to fade away.

“What say you?!” I shouted at him in a hurry.

Dashie noticed that. She gasped in fear and hugged me again. “Don't leave me again!” she shouted.

“What say you?!” I repeated with Dashie still in my arms. My eyes was starting to see a white light and my hearing started to get deaf. But Sithis just stood there and did nothing. My body was starting to fade away completely.

“WHAT SAY Y--”

Before I finished that sentence, I suddenly woke up in a bed in a familiar place. I was back to Equestria in High Hrothgar. I guess Twilight and Daring Do returned me and Dashie's body while we were out, and into High Hrothgar while Paarthurnax cleared the weather for a safe passage.

Dashie's body was in another bed next to mine.

“You...” I finished off the sentence. The disappointment that followed didn't hide itself. I was so close! I almost convinced him to return Dashie to me.

I moaned in disappointment and gnawed my teeth in anger. But all of a sudden I thought I saw a small movement in Dashie's bed. Maybe I was imagining things, but that greatly increased my hopes and my curiosity. I slowly got out of bed and walked up to her, lying there in the big bed like she was asleep.

I sat down on the bed and put my ear next to her chest but, to my disappointment again, didn't feel for a heartbeat. I refused to let it go, though. I kept my head on her chest and prayed yet again for the last time to the gods to do me this one last favor.

But out of the blue, I felt a single beat from her heart, then nothing. I was sure of it. Her heart did beat once! I excitedly tried to listen to another one and pleaded inside my head that Sithis took the offer. Surprisingly, I felt a second heartbeat!

“Oh my gods!” I shouted and started tearing up. I had a shocked grin on my face. A second heartbeat confirmed that I wasn't imagining it. Or maybe I was. Maybe I was just going insane. But I seriously doubted that.

I hugged her and hoped with everything I got that this was a sign that she had returned.

But by a miracle she took her first breath, too! I also noticed that her heart was starting to beat again regularly!

I laughed through my tears as I waited for another sign of life.

After a while, she started to breathe normally, too! By now I knew that Sithis took my proposition. But that wasn't enough for me. I still had to know if he returned her consciousness as well. It'd be a sick, cruel joke if he'd return her back as a vegetable.

I slowly approached her face until I was inches away from hers. “Dashie?” I whispered. But nothing happened. “Darling?” I asked, but yet again, nothing happened. It was too soon to tell, but I was starting to fear that he did indeed betray me by sending only a part of her back. That way, he'd benefit from it by keeping a part of her, and I'd be forced to do my part of the bargain. It would be a win-win situation for him. The more I thought about it, the more I started to lose hope.

I lowered my head, closed my eyes and started sobbing. It went for some time before the impossible happened. I felt something touching my teary face. It was Rainbow's hoof.

“Drake?” she asked me with her crispy and weak voice, but with a small and loving smile on her face.

Chapter 10: The First Confrontation

Here it is, at last! Enjoy!

Chapter edited by: Nazidash - Thanks!

I was finally out of that hospital after countless of surgeries. It appeared that my injuries were more severe than they originally thought, more deadly than they dared to think. But several operations later, and I was back out on the street. Again I was informed that I was “lucky” to survive that brutal assault, but again I told myself how that wasn’t true. As far as I could tell, I was one of the unluckiest persons in the world; at least in my own personal opinion.

I knew there were countless of people around the globe in far worse situation than I was in, so I couldn’t complain. I could only be grateful to be still alive and still breathing the air. I got to see another sunset and, unfortunately, not everyone gets that chance.

I decided to move on and to forget about the past. But it was harder than it seemed. In fact, life started to get significantly worse after the assault. Despite of everybody’s knowledge about my misfortune, I got bullied again in school by another gang. They even humiliated me in the school’s hallway day after day by tossing my bag around, putting me into a headlock, hitting me, slapping me, calling me names and lots of other humiliating ways to break me down spiritually. But I always stayed strong and stood my ground. I never gave them any satisfaction by holding the peace.

No one seemed to do a thing about it, though. Everybody either just watched or ignored it. And by no one, I mean that not a single person decided to even lift a finger for my aid, not even the teachers. Maybe they didn’t want to mess with them, or maybe they wanted to stay out of it, or perhaps they simply didn’t care. I did notice from time to time a person who felt sympathy; a person who wanted to help me. But they did nothing about it anyways. Even my ex-girlfriend didn’t pay attention to it, and she knew I still had some feelings for her. That one girl with the brown, silky smooth and long hair, and her beautiful blue eyes. Once always smiling, once always laughing and helping. She was the only one for a while to keep me happy.

But bad company changed her with time. She stopped smiling and laughing, started dressing up inappropriately, started abusing alcohol and drugs and all that stuff. And suddenly, I wasn’t good enough for her anymore, so she dumped me and got a new boyfriend. A guy who beats her up, I’m pretty sure of that. But no matter how screwed up her life had become, I still had feelings for her; because I always hoped she’d return to the normal, funny, lovable girl she once was. Back then she understood me, and took our relationship seriously. I even rejected the opportunity of sex, due to nervousness. I wanted it to be perfect. It was tough, considering hormones being strong, but I still managed to avoid anything I might have regretted. But she completely understood and supported me.

We were only 16 or 17 back then, but it was still a pretty serious relationship in my opinion. But unfortunately, our relationship didn’t last long. At least not as long as I’d hoped.

But even though I still had some feelings for her left, I didn’t let it keep me down. I was letting her go out of my life. Especially after she didn’t even visit me at the hospital, nor did she show any kind of sympathies when she heard about my family’s death. She didn’t even give me a hint that she appreciated the times we had together. She simply didn’t give a fuck about me being still alive.

A part of my misery was because of her actions. A part of my depression was because of how much she had changed, and how she had transformed into a totally new person. Everything good about her had died. Now she was a heartless bitch that I could probably easily forget. That was my plan, anyways; to just go on with life.

Anyways. Suddenly, everybody in school knew about me being a brony, and it seemed to amuse them all. They started giving me nicknames, such as: “Pony lover”, “Faggot”, “Pedo”, and some even called me “The Pony Wanker”. I was suddenly the most hated guy in the whole school and I didn’t even know why. There was nothing in my behavior that made me weak, or any different than they were. The only difference was a cartoon I watched.

It seemed like I was the only brony in the whole school. Perhaps not, but if someone in my school was indeed a brony other than myself, they’d probably try everything to hide it due to fear, judging by how bad I came out of it. I didn’t blame them, but it sure did hurt me a lot.

Life was super hard. I woke up each day with a panic attack and cold sweats. I wanted to stay asleep; keep on dreaming where everything was peaceful and lovely. But dreams aren’t a reality, and I had to deal with that fact. Try to make it a better place for myself instead. Try to adapt to it.

But I also always woke up with this confident feeling. A feeling that ordered me to stay strong; to stay sharp and to never give up. Because I knew someday my life would take a turn.

I must admit that I started thinking about whether the thugs that attacked me were right about me all along, though. Maybe I wasn’t of any use in this world after all. Maybe I was just a sad loner, destined to die alone without achieving anything. But I let myself hope that I’d achieve my long term goal in life. In fact, I meant to, one way or the other. It was a goal I set myself after my family’s death, and a goal I promised my mom I’d achieve; to find happiness.

The days were growing darker and darker with each day in Equestria. Not yet in Canterlot and the towns around, but in the other major cities. And not only in the cities, but also in the smaller towns. Mortality rate was going nowhere but up and death was reeking around in every corner of Equestria; stealing their innocent and once happy lives.

Cities were burning to the ground and the dragons showed no mercy; not even to the younglings. They slaughtered them all according to the reports I'd been given via letters from Celestia. Ever since we set off to Rainbow’s revival, I’d been getting those letters from Celestia regularly; mostly once per day. Letters to update me with the situation to keep me going, and to let me know about their whereabouts; where dragon activity was the most. I somehow got a feeling that they were also as a reminder; reminding me that each day was worsening. And if I couldn’t stop them...

What bothered me the most was that I couldn't do anything to help them, and that really hurt me. Being fed by reports of innocent and surely lovely and friendly ponies being slaughtered by the dragons ignited a fire within me. They didn't deserve their fates, and that's why my hate grew larger and larger with each update from the Princess. But my hatred towards the worms propelled me and made me more eager to send them all straight to hell where they belonged.

But the good thing was that I knew that I wasn't alone. We were outnumbered, yes, but what do numbers matter if we all have the courage and the eagerness?

We did not underestimate the dragons though. We knew what they were capable of, and we knew that it was not going to be easy. But as far as I could tell, my friends had agreed to help me take them down.

Joy and happiness had filled High Hrothgar. Dashie was a bit weak after she woke up, but I was there for her. And she could be reassured that her friends supported her, too.

I didn’t take my eyes off her as she lay there peacefully in the bed with her passionate eyes fixed upon me; smiling and warming my soul with her beautiful facial expression. It filled me with pride, extreme joy and relief beyond belief. I felt like the luckiest guy in both worlds.

I still thought about the moment when she touched my face when I had lost all hope; crying in defeat and utmost disappointment. I knew she got resurrected, but I was so convinced that Sithis had kept her consciousness for his benefit, that I completely lost all hope of ever seeing her in a conscious state. However, he did send her back in whole piece, and that surprised me a lot.

Feeling for her hoof on my wet face was very startling at first. My heart stopped beating for a second in shock and I lost my breath. But when she asked for my name in her weak, hoarse voice and smiled at me with her lovely, irresistible smile, I knew that I’d done it. My wife was back. I returned the mane 6 their friend, even though they didn’t know about her death. Except Twilight, who’d been a big part of her revival. Therefore, I prevented a great deal of sadness and sorrow from happening which was my plan all along. Like I said before: it was a stupid and surreal hope, but still a hope I was ready to count on. And it clearly paid off.

“D-Dashie!?” I shouted in surprise and flung myself at her; hugging her again like I hadn’t seen her in ages; very much like I did in Sovngarde. “My gods! Y-You’re back! You’re alive!” I continued in a triumphant and a cheery voice, followed with a happy laugh. My eyes got misty and wet due to overjoy. I was also filled with disbelief and shock that I’d actually brought back a person from death itself for the second time. But this time, it was the person I loved more than anything else in the world.

Dashie was no longer a gray, lifeless body, but had slowly regained her cyan color and the rainbow colors in her mane and tail. I even noticed as the grayish color faded away and the colors replacing it.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I made that stupid decision that got me killed. I promise never to leave you again.” she responded still with her dry, crispy voice, and barely managed to hug me back. I noticed that it took her some efforts. She hadn’t eaten anything for a week, or so, and she hadn’t drunk anything either. Her body simply lacked the energy.

I started to sob lightly in relief and disbelief at the same time. My joy didn’t hide itself, and I even tried everything to let it show as much as I could. “You’ve got nothing to feel sorry about, my love. You’re back, and that’s all that matters.”

“I- I guess so.” she responded and smirked weakly, yet also with a little shame. I could see it on her that she was ashamed of her actions; of what she did when we confronted Ahuizotl and his bodyguards. Her action led to her death, and created sorrow for the rest of us. But I was more than willing to forgive her. It wasn’t her fault; she was just Rainbow being Rainbow.

All the cheering and shouting lured Twilight and Daring Do into the room with a pace. Twilight’s face enlightened as she noticed Rainbow Dash alive. Her jaw almost fell off her at first, and her eyes were as big as ever. She managed to close her mouth, but she was still paralyzed by shock. I noticed a single tear running slowly down her right cheek, but she broke out of the imaginary wall that kept her from moving.

Daring Do, on the other hand, seemed a bit afraid. She was scared of Rainbow hating her for her selfish action that led her to her death. That’s why she slowly backed off to the wall in the other side of the room and remained silent. But she also had a relieved and joyful expression on her face.

“Twilight!” Dashie managed to utter in happiness before Twilight launched herself at her.

“Rainbow!” she shouted back, but hesitated when she noticed that Rainbow grunted a bit in pain as she flung herself at her. “Oh, sorry. Here, don’t move.” she added before she made her horn start glowing. Then she touched Rainbow’s forehead, creating a sparkling sound and a bright light gracing the room for a second.

“What-- what did you do to me?” Rainbow asked a bit relieved. “Did you heal me?”

“Heal? Nah, I didn’t heal you since there is technically nothing wrong with you, but I only boosted your body system in adapting to life again. After all, you’ve been dead for a week and two days now. And oh, I also boosted your strengths. You’ll still need food and water to regain your strengths completely, though.” Twilight explained with a big grin on her face. “I’m so, extremely happy to see you alive again!” she then squealed and resisted to fling herself at her again.

“Yeah, it’s good to be back. And I’m very happy to see you again!” Rainbow stated very appreciated. She was as happy as we were.

Twilight made another unexpected move by hugging me when I wasn’t ready for it. She squeezed me and said “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“We did it.” I uttered, still in shock as I returned the hug hesitantly. I couldn’t believe we actually pulled it off; managed to revive someone again. Especially when that someone was the person that affected my life so greatly. A person I couldn’t bare live without.

Daring Do finally found the guts to come near Dashie. I nodded lightly to her when I noticed that she wanted to say something, as did Twilight. Dashie waited patiently, still with a small smile on her face, for her to say something.

“Rainbow... I’m.... I’m sorry.” she muttered in guilt. She lowered her head and ears and closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry.” she added with a whisper and started to tear up a bit. “Greed... greed overcame me and poisoned my mind. Can you ever forgive me?”

Rainbow forced herself to sit up and stretched out her arms to pull her into a hug. Daring Do hesitated a bit in surprise when she noticed that, but accepted her hug in a heartbeat when she realized that Rainbow was willing to forgive her.

Seeing how Rainbow was immediately ready to forgive her, even though Daring Do valued her gold more than Dashie’s life, made me feel like a bad person. I put her through unnecessary troubles; made her my personal slave. I knew she felt sorry for what she did, and I took an advantage of that. Made her carry heavy burdens, reminded her regularly how this was all her fault, and I wasn’t fair to her in any way. I sighed, and backed away a bit in shame.

Daring Do and Rainbow hugged tightly and didn’t let go of each other for a while. Especially Daring Do, who didn’t seem to want to break that hug. “I’ll make it up to you.” she whispered with a whispery, shaky voice, but it was audible enough for the rest of us to hear.

“It’s alright. Really, it is.” Rainbow replied with a small smile. “But, ya know, if you really feel bad about it, you could always buy me a drink in apology or something.” she joked and chuckled with her eyes closed. The rest of us chuckled with her, even Daring Do.

She seemed extremely relieved; much more alive. Ever since Rainbow died, she had always had this depressing look on her face. Great deal of mental pain reflected from her body and everybody noticed it by miles. The way she moved, the way she talked, the way she reacted to my commands. But now, she seemed more alive than ever. She seemed happy and, like I said, extremely relieved.

“I told Drake I’d buy you two a beer. And I tend to keep my word! And you too, Twilight! I’ll pay you a beer!” she said full of confident and now very joyful. But I noticed that there was still something bothering her, and I knew exactly what it was.

“Why, thank you.” responded Twilight with an appreciated smile. Daring Do returned that smile and nodded to her.

“Daring, could you please come with me for a sec?” I suddenly asked her mildly and tried not to make it as an order, like I’d been doing for the past week.

Daring Do nodded hesitantly and a little scared. But she trusted me. “After you.” she said and waited for me to lead her wherever I wished to.

I led her out of the room, and I closed the door behind me. Then we looked at each other’s eyes and remained that way for some time. I noticed that she was getting pretty disturbed and more scared. She knew I wasn’t very fond of her, but she also knew I wouldn’t do her any harm.

Without warning her, I wrapped my arms around her to give her a big hug, which she accepted hesitantly. I felt for her body shivering. This was like a dream coming true for her. She’d been longing for my friendship, and she’d hoped I’d accept her apology. I know I’d been cruel to her, but that’s very understandable. I was mad, and with a good reason. I wasn’t ready for her friendship. In fact, I tended to keep it that way.

But the fact that Rainbow Dash so easily forgave her made me feel ashamed of myself. Made me even feel a bit evil. That’s why I decided to let it all go. Rainbow was back, and there was no point in holding out a grudge anymore. It would only keep me back.

I felt for Daring’s tears slowly run down my nape as I held her closer to me. She was shivering like she was freezing, and I responded to that by tightening the hug; as if I was trying to keep her warm. I shushed at her gently and closed my eyes. “It’s alright. I forgive you.” I whispered to her.

Daring Do may be fearless, courageous, adventurous and eager, but she was still a person with feelings. After I stated that I’d forgiven her, she broke down in my arms. She started sobbing and she even tightened the grip she had on me even more.

“It’s alright.” I added and somewhat felt more relieved than I already was. But it wasn’t enough for me to accept her apology. I felt like I had to apologize to her for how badly I’d been treating her. She had been nothing but fair to me, but she made a rather big mistake, which destroyed the views I had for her. I suddenly forgot everything good about her and answered her actions, which she regretted, with hate and unfairness.

“No, it’s not. It’s my fault you lost your... your wife. It’s my fault!”

“It doesn’t matter now. She’s back and you can stop feeling guilty now.” I said calmly with a friendly and trustworthy voice. “Besides. I wanted to apologize for the way I’d been treating you. I’ve been everything but fair to you, and I--”

“Please, don’t apologize.” she said determined. “You had every reason to be mad at me. I deserved it.”

I nodded and took another breath before I loosened my grip on her and gave her a warm smile. As did she. Now she seemed much more relieved than she already was. “Thank you, Drake.” she whispered, still insecure but with a lot more confidence than before.

We both entered the room again. Twilight was having a conversation with Rainbow Dash. She didn’t seem to stop talking. She just talked, and talked and talked, and Rainbow just silently listened to her very interested with a smile on her face. I felt bad that I was about to interrupt that, but I figured I’d go thank Paarthurnax for giving me the opportunity to save her. It was because of him that I was able to bring her back. The least I could do was to thank him. That’s why I had to interrupt their little talks to let them know that I’d be away for a little while.

“And then this big, blood red colored dragon landed in front of us! He stated his name was Odahviing, and he claimed that he was a friend--”

I made a fake cough to interrupt that. Twilight immediately stopped talking and fixed her focus to me. As did Dashie and Daring Do.

“I only wanted to say that I’m about to head out. I’ll be back before you even notice.”

Rainbow’s facial expression changed into a frown. “What? No! You’re not going anywhere!” she protested with a power despite the rawness in her hoarse voice. “You’re not going anywhere without me!”

I somehow felt appreciated by her answer, but I still wouldn’t back down. Besides, Paarthurnax was only 10 minute away from this place. I’d be back before she’d even know it.

I walked towards my wife and sat down on the big bed besides her with a big smile. She hugged me as soon as I sat down. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m not going far, I’m not even leaving the mountain.” While I was talking, Dashie slowly removed my helmet and put it right beside the bed on a small rounded table. “...just going to thank Paarthurnax for helping me retrieve you from Sovngarde. He lives at the peak of the mountain and--”

Before I could finish my sentence she kissed me on my left cheek. That cut me short and made me forget what I was about to say. “I-I uh... I just want to--” I tried to continue with my eyes closed to concentrate, but she kissed me again, this time on my mouth to completely shut me up. That put me off guard, but also made me very happy. I opened my eyes again to notice Twilight and Daring Do nodding a bit in approval with amused smirks on their faces and chuckling a bit.

“Dashie, I--” but again, she interrupted me with another small kiss. I sighed and rolled my eyes in pleasure before I muttered ‘fuck it’ in a defeated tone and leaned over to return it to her. I shoved my mouth into hers so hard it hurt, but in a good way. That long lonesome week without her reflected in that kiss, making it not like the other ones we'd had, but a lot more passionate. A way more emotionally driven than the other ones we'd had so far.

I rapidly brushed her mane in the meantime with my left hoof, and stroke her back excitedly with my other one as we went on.

Twilight and Daring Do both giggled sheepishly before they slowly backed out of the room without us noticing. We were too focused on each other to bother with anything else around us.

She had her arms wrapped around my neck and both of her hooves messing in my mane. She was also slightly pushing my head more towards her. Gods... how much I’ve missed that. That was our first real kiss since her revival, and it truly showed me what I’d lost. Fortunately, I gained it back.

I wanted to crawl under the blankets and pleasure her, to make her feel satisfied and happy. I wanted to penetrate her, and to listen to her breathe pleasurably as I did so. And she felt the same way, judging by her passionate bedroom eyes and how she constantly tried to get near me. But I had to go meet Paarthurnax, so I forced myself to break out of our moment.

“Believe me, Dashie. There’s nothing I’d like more than spending my time with you, but you’re still weak. You need to recover.”

“Do you honestly think that can keep me away from you?” she asked and didn’t try to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“No, but--”

“Please, stay. For me. I’ve returned to life because of you, and the first thing I want to relive is to spend the night with you again. Please?” she asked me with her pupils wider and sparklier than ever. Also, the way she said it made it even more difficult for me to resist.

She grabbed my hooves and held them tightly; refusing to let them go. I perfectly understood, though, because that’s exactly what I wanted, too. But I couldn’t ignore Paarthurnax. I believed I had to go thank him.

I looked into her eyes again to give her the message that I’d be fine. That I’d be back for her. She sighed and slowly nodded to me when she got that and regretfully let go of me.

“Like I said. I’ll be back in perhaps 30 minutes or so. We’ll continue our little “talk” when I return.” I answered quickly with a subtle grin on my face. “I promise.”

“Don’t keep me waiting.” she responded and gave me a small wink.

I gave her another short kiss, grabbed my helmet and rushed out of the room before she could change my mind.

“Welcome back, Dovahkiin. Is there perhaps something else you’d wish to discuss?” asked Paarthurnax in all his might, still sitting on the Word Wall.

He didn’t seem as strong as the other dragons I’d encountered, but he certainly was the wisest of them all. He’s friendly, old and has seen many centuries come to past. He even sided with the ponies in the Old War. Luna had recommended his wisdom, and the Greybeards praised him. He taught me the way into Sovngarde and therefore helped me save Dashie. Those facts made him trustworthy enough for me.

Instead of answering him with words, I kneeled before him and put my right hoof in front of my heart.

“Oh?” Paarthurnax questioned and made it sound like he didn’t know anything.

“You have my eternal gratitude.” I said with a shaky voice. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?” I barely managed to add. I felt like I was about to explode due to overjoy. But I tried everything in my power to remain calm and to stay professional.

“Rise. I only did what I had to.” he responded with his deep voice. “I saw into your soul and I realized that in order for you to do your job properly, I had to help you.”

“So, you’re with us against the dragons again?” I asked but I didn’t doubt him. I knew he wouldn’t respond with a negative answer, I just needed to have it confirmed.

“Of course I am, Dovahkiin. This is your home. My kind has no part of this world, and that’s why I will honorably fight beside you when the time comes, and I will make sure Equestria stays in your little hooves.”

“That’s good to hear.” I said in approval. “Anyways, that’s all I wanted to say. Goodbye, Paarthurnax, and may you live in peace.” I continued with a smile and gave him a slow nod. But as soon as I turned around to leave him, he stopped me.

“Not so fast, Dovahkiin. There is another matter I’d like to discuss.”

“Yeah?” I asked curiously and turned around again to face him.

“It’s regarding your ultimate quest. That is, the part where you slay Alduin.”

Now I was getting a little worried, but also very curious.

“What about it?”

“As you know, you absorb dragon’s soul as you kill them, yes? Alduin, however, is more corrupted than the rest of them. Even his soul is corrupted.” he explained with a rather depressing tone in his dim voice.

“What are you getting at?” I asked worriedly and also a bit scared. Corrupted soul... that can’t be very healthy.

“What I’m trying to point out is that... I hate being bearer of bad news, but where I’m getting at is that his soul is too corrupted for you to handle. Your soul won’t be able to resist his.”

I felt for my heart stop beating for a second when he said that. I completely froze and just stared at him without saying anything for a while. I wasn’t afraid of death, if that was what he was pointing out, but I did fear for my friends. I’d experienced losing the person most valuable in my life, and I didn’t want Dashie to relive those feelings again. Losing her parents was hard enough.

She grieved and cried for me day after day while I was dead, and she didn’t even know me properly. But now that we’re a married couple, how much pain would that bring her? What would she do if I’d die? Would she grieve me so deeply she’d be willing to try anything to bring me back, like I did? Would she lose her sanity, or would she perhaps fall into the pit of depression?

As for my friends. I know I’ve been kind to them, but am I really that good of a friend that they would really be willing to set out for a quest to revive me? I know it would be possible since my time would be cut short, but would they actually do it?

I swallowed hard before asking: “Are you talking about my death?”

“Well... it’s a slow, evil death. With short time, Alduin’s soul will corrupt your pure one. And you’ll find the same greed and evil that’s currently blinding him in you. You will lose your sanity, and you will lose everything good in you. You’ll technically be living as Alduin for a very short while until his soul will eventually become too much for you to handle. His soul will be your fall.”

“Is... is this inevitable?” I asked in great shock and disappointment. In all honesty, I wanted to cry right there. I hated the thought of me slaughtering ponies, perhaps trying to overthrow Celestia from her throne, and most importantly; hurting Dashie or my friends in any way.

“I am sorry.”

“No... No! That’s not going to happen!” I snapped. “I will find another way! One way or the other!”

“And I truly hope you do, Dovahkiin.” he responded but with a doubt in his voice. “But for now, go to your wife. Forget about what I said for a moment and enjoy and celebrate her return. You’ve earned it.”

All this was too much for me to handle, but he was right. I’d just retrieved my Dashie back, and I couldn’t let the news break me. I decided to let it go for now. I’d try to find a solution before it would come down to the confrontation.

“Alright. T-Thank you, Mr. Paarthurnax.” I sadly half whispered and slowly turned around with my head and ears lowered.

“Wait...” he then added out of the blue. “Dovahkiin. Perhaps there is an alternative way for you to defeat Alduin; without any casualties.” he announced a bit excited, but stayed professional.

Again, my blood turned to ice. I couldn’t help but to grin widely when I heard that.

“What is it? How can I kill him without a casualty?” I asked hopeful and very relieved. The fact that I didn’t have to transform into a monster and slaughter everyone on sight against my will was extremely relieving.

“I must meditate about it. Come back to me later. I’ll explain everything to you in our next meet-up.” he replied and nodded to me. “But for now, go to your friends and enjoy yourself while you still can.”

I wanted to hug something, but instead of making a fool out of myself, I put on my default, badass look and nodded to him in respect as a thank you.

By the time I got back to High Hrothgar, the sun had already vanished down the horizon. Arngeir let me in with a big rejoiceful smile on his face and congratulated me for succeeding my task, that is to bring Rainbow back. As did the other Greybeards.

He offered me to stay as long as we pleased, but we both knew that I’d leave with my companions first thing in the morning. That is, if Rainbow was ready for a return journey.

After a long, interesting conversation with Arngeir about the Greybeards and their origin, he led me up to my room, even though I pretty much knew where it was. He led me through a hallway; on each side were a lot of doors leading into other rooms. But he didn’t lead me into one of those rooms. He led me up some stairs on the other side of that hallway which led into another hallway, but on that hallway were no doors but one. And that room was located in the other side of that hallway. Far away from the other rooms below. Arngeir even stated that the room chosen for us was sound proof.

‘Sound proof’. I thought to myself. Did they specifically want to put us in there? Did they expect us to make noises in there? Maybe they just wanted everything the best for us-- well, for me, since Rainbow wasn’t alive when they brought our unconscious bodies into the room.

Perhaps they only wanted to respect my privacy, and honor me with the best room available.

But that made me smile. I didn’t want anyone to listen to our conversations, or anything else that might happen in that room...

Arngeir gave me a final nod before he left me in front of the door. I nodded back and put on a wider smile before opening the door.

Dashie was still lying on the bed with a bored look on her face, staring at the ceiling and didn’t seem to notice me entering the room. There was a plate on the table beside her, and an empty mug. That must’ve meant that she had eaten something while I was gone, and that made me sigh in relief. She looked a lot better than when I left her for Paarthurnax. In fact, she looked better than ever.

“Drake!” she shouted as soon as she noticed me enter the room with my wide smirk. “Finally! The last hour or so has been pretty boring. And you said that you’d return in thirty minutes.” she pointed out happily and without any kind of disappointment. But this time, her voice was as clear as before she died. Must’ve been the water, or whatever she drank that fixed that.

She was extremely happy to see me again, as was I in seeing her. The sight of her made my worries vanish away; the thoughts about the dragons and my responsibilities as a guardian of Equestria.

She sat up as I sat down next to her on the bed again and waited for her to say something, but she didn’t utter a single word. She simply gazed into my eyes with her wide pupils and tilted her head a bit with a smile.

I slowly approached her and rested my forehead on hers. “Well, I’m back.” I half whispered, barely closing my eyes. We waited for a bit and just enjoyed each other’s presence; nothing else was required. The atmosphere, her soft, warm breathing from her nostrils hitting my face was enough to calm me down in about any situation. But then I broke the silence and opened my eyes completely. “You should get some sleep to regain your strengths.” I added, but as soon as I was about to stand up, she grabbed my nape. “The hell I ain’t. You promised me that we’d continue where we’d left off.”

A relieving feeling came over me, forming a small smile on my face. “That I did. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to break that promise." I explained. "I’m more worried of your health. You should rest a bit before we take this any further. You only just--”

She rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. “Shut up, Dragonborn, and come over here.” she interrupted me in an order, already pulling me closer to her. But before she did anything else, she removed my helmet once again in a hurry and threw it away from us with determination. It clearly showed that she wanted this moment, that she needed this moment.

We exchanged stares only inches away from each other before she suddenly and without a warning threw the blankets off of her and quickly embraced me, wrapping her forehooves around me in a tight hug, making our chests press firmly up against each other's. We hugged each other tightly for a minute, caressing each other's backs at the same time, before we examined each other, again only inches away.

Her body made me shiver a bit in excitement. She had such soft, perfect curves, and the rainbow colored mane fitted her cyan colored athletic body perfectly. Also the way she arches her back always managed to steal my attention and forced me to examine her hotness.

Not to mention her face. It's like it was carved out by a mysterious paranormal spirit of beauty. Her feminine muzzle and her big sparkly eyes caressing me with her look was enough to shut me, and just about everyone up.

I let my hoof explore her body by stroking her sides, making her shiver a bit by my loving touch. She caressed my chest lightly with her hooves and gave me a warm smile.

After we had admired each other, she gave me a smooch. Her soft lips gently touching mine was overwhelming. The way she led the action reminded me of Rainbow's attitude of being in charge. She was crazy for me, and she clearly showed there how much I meant to her. That power, the way she moaned softly into my mouth, all those little feelings... it was driving me wild.

We made out on our knees, still embracing and rubbing each other’s bodies on the bed for quite a while before she let herself fall down and pulled me down with her. She clearly didn’t lack the energy; just as I remembered her. I lay over her and held her very close to me as I sucked gently on her tongue. Her saliva, as always, was so sweet and tasty; it really got into me.

But as a Dragonborn I got reborn with a soul of power and confidence. I, too, wanted to lead. I held her hooves firmly against the bed, but stopped licking her inner cheek. We looked at each other with our pleasurable gazes before I started kissing and sucking her carotid artery; her sensitive spot, which resulted in another pleasurable moan as always.

I knew how Rainbow wanted it. She wanted a good build up, start subtly and end with a bang. And that was just what I was gonna give her. Explore every bit of her body before we get to the brilliant part...

We were both pretty experienced by now, considering that we’d been living together for a week before she died. But now she was back, and I intended to make the night as remarkable as the other ones we’d spent together, if not more so.

She started panting in excitement, as well as in pleasure, and closed her eyes while I slowly made my way down from her neck to her chest, and from there I planted lots of small kisses towards her stomach. I noticed that the wound she got from Ahuizotl’s blade had magically vanished away. A scar had replaced the cut. I focused on kissing her tummy, her waist, and the area around; licking and tasting her sweat. But then I let her go. With my feelings driving me forward, I ordered her: "Turn around."

She responded by staring at me with her bedroom eyes, and I noticed that she was a bit confused. But she did not dare disobeying, and turned her flank towards me without taking her eyes off me. I smiled and smoothly ran over her flank with my right hoof. I caressed her plot and softly slapped once, making her sigh in small pleasure. Her breathing made me a little more excited, so I pressed my tongue against her cutie mark and slowly licked. While she let her upper body fall down to the bed and tried to focus her breathing, I rested both of my hooves on her flank, as if I was trying to keep balance, and bent over to eat away her wet slit. She gasped in surprise before letting out another pleasurable moan. She started breathing faster and heavier, trying everything to remain calm before the highlight of our moment. But she easily failed. She was way too excited. It’s also a fun fact that she was the first pony in Equestria to experience that, since oral wasn’t from around here.

I really enjoyed myself as I licked her off. For a long time I had wanted to do that, and now that I was doing it, I wanted to enjoy myself and satisfy her as much as I could. The taste of her marehood was just as sweet as her saliva. It was like eating candy; but no ordinary candy. The more I sucked on her wet clit, the more she breathed out my name. But I ignored her pleasurable whimpers. Instead, I answered by being as loud as I could by making slurping sounds to turn her on even further. She let herself fall onto her back and spread her legs wide. She looked at me with her big sparkly eyes, her mouth opened and her tongue slipped out as she panted in a rather high pitched tone, begging me with those big eyes to continue. I happily smirked at her and gave her a wink. I spread her nether, sealed my lips over her drenching pussy and licked her insides this time. It was so satisfying for her that she started pushing my head against her marehood without even realizing it. "Oh, y-yes! Oh, Celestia, yes!" she cried out.

She made a sudden scream of pleasure when she reached her first orgasm. None of her fluids escaped my mouth; I made sure of that. She cummed almost a mouthful into my mouth and I enjoyed every bit of it. I kept it in my mouth and stared deep into her eyes, questioning her what she wanted me to do with it. Rainbow panted, slowly licked her lips and watched my mouth with a longing. She bent over to kiss me, clearly indicating that she wanted to taste on us both at the same time. I shoved my tongue into hers and transported her juices into her mouth. She swallowed it at an instance and cleaned my teeth with her tongue by running over them.

My priority was to make this night... her night... remarkable. I wouldn’t even care if I wouldn’t get anything out of it; I just wanted to satisfy her. Although, I had to admit that my own stallionhood was almost on fire. I don't think I'd ever been as erected in my whole life. Her sweet moaning and groaning was enough to send pleasurable electrocutes along my cock.

We were both extremely horny, and the burning passion we had to one another only extended it. She suddenly grabbed me, turned me around, took me down to the bed and sat on my chest. She slowly placed my forehooves on her flank without ever taking her eyes off mine and gave me a wild look. The way she looked at me and her amazing slow thrusts on my chest made me even kinkier than before. I really liked what she was doing and where this was going. She bent over to my marked ear and whispered “Y-you're such an amazing stallion. You deserve to be rewarded.”, but her voice cracked a bit in the second sentence, making my ear twitch automatically in a reaction.

“Everything for you, my love.” I answered, still panting in excitement. “What do you have in mind?”

“You’re amazing with your tongue. How about we test mine?” she suggested with a soft murmur before she turned around without getting off my chest. She turned her flank towards me and made sure I got a clear view of her dripping marehood by swishing her tail to the side.

“Fuuuck!” I gasped accidentally with my eyes wide open. I indulged myself and gazed into the ceiling in slight confusion. The way she teased my cock with her tongue made me immediately look forward again, only to be greeted by her sex. The longer I stared at it, the hornier I got, so instead of doing nothing I decided to make this a little more interesting. I started  playing with her warm, drenching nether with my hoof while she was busy licking and wetting my cock with her saliva, and softly caressed her cutie mark again in small circles with my other, making her back arch and a moan escaping her mouth with each stroke I gave her marehood.

The slurping sounds she made as she slowly, but passionately sucked and gobbled on my stallionhood really turned me on. It was so satisfying that I had to fight the urge to thrust the rest of my cock down her throat. And it sure was challenging.

While still at it, she got off my chest and turned around. That way, she had more space and a bit more freedom; making all so much better than it already was. She looked deep into my eyes with her sparkly ones; asking me with them if I liked what she was doing. I inhaled in a response and held the air inside my lungs as I nodded quickly in a pleasure. I then slowly exhaled the air and started stroking her mane, as if I was complimenting her for her fine job.

This was the first time she dared giving me a blowjob, since she was too nervous to try it the other times. But I completely understood her. Such a thing didn’t even come across the mind of the people in Equestria. She was still willing to try something nobody had ever experienced in her world.

But she was very good at it. Much better than she thought she’d be.

After she had pleasured me for some time, I quickly grasped and pinned her against the bed to start the physical connection. We were both as ready as we could ever be.

I originally wanted to wait with anything sexual related until she was back to perfect shape, but since she showed no signs of fatigue or weaknesses, I decided to give her what she wanted. Besides.. I lusted for it myself.

With her enticing bedroom eyes, she leaned over to me and moaned into my ear: "D-Drake... I-I'm all yours tonight. I want you to have your way with me. Take me as hard as you want, as rough as you can, whatever your heart desires. I want you to dominate me. I want to be your dirty little mare."

I stared into her eyes in utmost surprise. I didn't expect her enthusiasm to be so enormous. But her dirty talks made me so excited I couldn't help but to drool a bit at what was ahead. I nodded quickly but happily a numerous times and smiled widely at her. "Ooh, Dashie... I didn't know you were such a naughty mare."

"E-everything about you, Drake. Your taste, your smell, the feel of you against me... it's all so amazing. It's almost intoxicating." she answered as she gently stroke my lower back with a small adorable giggle, fondling my balls with her other.

I got filled with pride and accidentally let out a groan by her touch. I smiled very lovely to her as I blushed, and replied. "Y-You mean it?"

She nodded immediately without hesitating. "Having you inside me feels so amazing, Drakie. I just love feeling for your enormous cock throbbing inside my pussy. P-please... let me feel for you inside me again."

With that I let out a very surprised chuckle. "Whoa... you're kinkier than usual. And gods do I like it!"

"Only when I'm around you, my dirty, naughty little stud. Now, shut up, and make me your dirty little plaything! Take me as fast as you can, as much as you want and as rough as you desire. Ask me of anything... anything at all... and I will make it happen. I'm all yours."

I grinned widely at her and shook my head slightly in appreciation. I really liked that new side of her. There was no one quite like her. And she must've been hornier than the other times we had sex because she wasn't as wild then as she was now.

I didn’t even warn her before I shoved deep and powerfully into her. But she didn’t seem to care for the suddenness. Her facial expression did twitch a bit, though.

She just stared at me with that determined and extremely satisfying look on her face as I fucked her. The way the walls of her warm marehood clenched around me was heavenly. I almost felt like her powerful eyes were stabbing me. And as always, she exhaled the air in great pleasure with each thrust I made. Oh, gods I loved that. It made me more excited. It showed me that I was doing it right, and that she was very satisfied. Exactly what I was aiming for.

“Yes! Oh, yes! My gods!” she whispered in overwhelming satisfaction. She got a tight grip on my waist while I was doing her. “I... fucking... adore you...” she barely managed to add in all her pleasure. That took me by surprise in a good way. Did she just use a human curse? Now that brought an even wider grin on my face. Also the fact that she used “adore” instead of “love” really touched me.

She was so satisfied that it seemed like she was about to pass out. She also had her second orgasm; coating my stallionhood with her fluids. But she wanted more, and she didn’t want our moment to end just yet. That only extended my already big smile. I started to slow down a bit to “let her breathe”.

But more than being slightly wet in her saliva and pussy juice on certain areas on my body, the rest of me was covered in both our sweats. And we were both a bit slippery because of it. But it didn’t bother us. In fact, it actually made everything more enjoyable.

I completely stopped for a second and stared into her eyes; looking into her very soul. She did the same, and I swear she had control of my body and mind. I felt for a sting in my heart when I noticed the sparkles in her seducing eyes, her irresistible bedroom eyes scanning my face and the obvious passion reflecting from them.

“You’ve no idea how much I’ve missed you.” I pushed out and watched out not to break down in front of her since I was still shocked by the fact that she really was back.

“I-I think I do.” she whispered to me in response. “Because I missed you too, back in Sovngarde. I thought I’d have to wait for an eternity to get to see you or any of my friends again.” I noticed small tears forming in her eyes in appreciation and utmost love. “I-I’m so happy you got through all your trouble just to bring me back. It means everything to--”

Before she could continue, I shoved deep into her again, cutting her short and replacing what she was about to say with a soft moan. But she was determined to finish off her sentence. I made that little tease to show her what she did earlier when I wanted to tell her something, but she always interrupted me with a kiss. “Oh, you were saying?” I mocked, and shot a wide subtle grin at her.

She immediately saw what I did there and that brought a smile on her face, followed by a small chuckle. “...t-the fact that you went through all that--”

Again, I interrupted her with my slow passionate thrusts, making her lose her concentration. “Ooohhh!! Ff--- Gods... d-damn it!” she moaned loudly. Her sweet moaning fueled my eagerness to fuck her brains out. I stared down at her with love and passion bursting out of me and she looked back up at me, panting loudly and pleasurably. It was so satisfying for both of us that she even allowed me to keep on going for a little while until she gathered enough willpower to turn me around; making me lie down on the bed. She sat down on my chest again and held my hooves against the bed, like I did earlier, so I could not interrupt her again. I felt for her warm fluids on my chest and that made me bite my lips in excitement.

“The fact that you went through all that trouble to bring me back is so incredibly touching!” she quickly finished, having trouble to talk because of the heat in her begging for more cock.

“And the fact that you’re alive again has greatly increased my happiness and determination to send those fuckers to hell where they belong.” I responded with an amused whisper.

Dashie chuckled again by my response. “We’ll send them all to hell.” she slowly shook her head with the widest grin ever and analyzed my face once again. “Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” she added and kissed me again, aligning my cock against her pussy. She sat down, pressed my chest down with her hooves and started riding me passionately. I grabbed her hip and guided her with a moan.

After further sexual experimentation and more touching and fucking, I finally started feeling for my climax building up. She even noticed it for herself by how I was acting. My facial expression also gave that away, so she ordered me to stop. With confusion I obeyed her. "Let me help ya out." she suggested. Her voice cracked a bit again in that sentence, making me shudder. I loved when that happened. "Y-You sure?" I asked thrilled.

"Let me do the rest." she demanded and put her right hoof on my snout, implying that I should just shut up, sit back, and enjoy. Without hesitating, I lay back and put both of my front hooves behind the back of my head. Out of curiosity, I couldn't help but to tilt my head forward to give her a look. She licked her lips before locking her eyes onto mine, and slowly ran her tongue from the base of my cock to the tip, making me moan softly. My groan made her wink seductively. She wrapped her lips around it and started off by licking and kissing it slowly to "warm up". After a while she suddenly took it all in and started pumping my cock passionately, massaging it with her tongue at the same time. Regardless of the size of my stallionhood she managed to ingest it all, but not without trouble. It was too big for her, especially considering that she was not experienced in that division. She coughed and gagged, but determinedly forced it down her throat until her nose bumped my pelvis. She clenched her throat around my cock and stayed like that for a second or two, creating pressure and pleasure I'd never felt for before, making stream of energy shoot through my body. I moaned and groaned loudly, my body aching and crying for more. It was beyond amazing. I was in the seventh heaven and it was all her to thank. But since I was already on the edge of having my release, it didn't take long before I released at least a mouthful of my seed down her throat. She was so wild and so horny that she even enjoyed the part when my warm, sticky seed filled her mouth. She swallowed it all at once, but didn't dare leave my dick until every bit of cum had been milked out. Afterwards she licked her lips happily to clean up the rest that had escaped her throat.

I was amazed. She had never given me or anyone else a blowjob before and she ended our sex with... that? I stared at her with my eyes wide open as I gasped in a small shock. I kept my mouth open widely, my body still shivering in joy. I didn't even breathe for a second, despite being in need of much more oxygen. She replied by blushing and giggling a bit. "Oh, you... I just realized you needed to be rewarded for being such an amazing stallion." she breathed out and giggled exhaustively.

She panted for air, let herself collapse on the bed and cuddled herself up to me. I lay behind her, wrapped my arms and one of my wings around her and got myself comfortable. She rubbed her flank gently up against my hip and hugged my hoof. We were both almost soaking wet due to sweat, but that didn’t matter. I closed my eyes with her locked in my arms and whispered, “W-Welcome back to the land of the living, my little angel.”

She responded by nuzzling my chest with her back, and before she could respond to me with words, she fell asleep.

This was perhaps the best moment I’ve had with her so far. Surely our best night together, since we both had missed each other so much. We let out all our feelings we’d been holding; all the feelings we couldn’t express to each other while parted. That’s what made our moment so great. Also the fact that we were reunited again increased the feelings that followed even further.

I felt like the luckiest person on both Equestria and Earth. I almost got everything I’d dreamt of having. Well, except a relationship with Rainbow. That was unexpected, and being interested in her didn’t even come across my mind as a human, although I do admit that I've had some brief dirty thoughts about it before...

But the things I wished and dreamed for came true: I got Equestria as my new home, befriended the main 6, got superpowers and etc.

But I didn’t only feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I was the luckiest guy in the world. I saw that now. Everybody on Earth always told me how lucky I was, but I couldn’t see it myself. I survived the car crash which was considered a miracle; an ugly crash such as that should’ve killed me instantly. But somehow I got out of it with a few broken ribs and a short amnesia.

The brutal assault in the alley: I was kicked in the skull a numerous times, and I got stabbed in my stomach. I lost a great deal of my blood, but some guy happened to walk past that alley just in the nick of time. Again I shocked the doctors with my great resiliency. I was a special, one of a kind human being. That’s what they called me.

Then the sudden collapse in my apartment: I died, but they still managed to revive me. And yet again, I shocked the doctors. My body recovered in 21 months, but that was still an incredibly fast recovery. Most of the doctors even declared that I wouldn’t wake up ever again, and the most positive ones predicted that I wouldn’t wake up for maybe twenty years or so. But they decided to keep me in a machine anyway, in case another miracle would happen. And that’s exactly what happened.

But all those miracles didn’t have a meaning to me since I was unhappy. I didn’t think about it, and I saw myself as the unluckiest guy on Earth.

What if the gods have been protecting me all along? What if they were really the ones behind my unexplainable luck, and why I was still alive? Were they protecting me because I was the One and my time hadn’t come yet? I somewhat found that very likely.

But I stopped bothering about it all and decided to let it all go for now. With a sigh, I closed my heavy eyelids again, resting my head on Dashie’s mane who slept as a rock, and whispered “I did it, mom.” to myself before I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning with Dashie still in my arms and her head still resting on my chest. I didn’t open my eyes yet, but I sensed that she was still fast asleep, judging by her rhythmic breathing.

I felt for the sun shining on my face from the big windows; making me feel warmer than I already was. Dashie made sure that I was warm. Her body heat was as effective as the blankets.

Also, I was almost falling out of the bed. It wasn’t designed for two persons. That’s why there were two beds in that room. Supposedly one for me and one for her. Besides, they wouldn’t let my unconscious body rest next to a body in the same bed.

I lay there for some time before I decided to get up. There was a lot I had to do, and I couldn’t delay: I had to arrange our trip back to Ponyville, and I wanted to have a talk with Twilight and Daring Do about our plans if there was perhaps an easier route to Ponyville, armies from other countries and so on. I also wanted to bring Dashie food in bed, make her feel as comfortable as she could.

I carefully and smoothly let go of her and put her head slowly on my pillow. Then I slowly got up from bed and the first thing I did was to pick up my helmet. It was on the floor since last night; after Dashie threw it away from us. I put it on with a small smirk and walked up to the big window to open it. As soon as I opened the window, a cool mountain breeze entered the room. I inhaled the fresh air with my eyes closed and kept the air in my lungs for a while. I felt like the cold air was cleansing my lungs. Then I exhaled it in relief. That totally woke me up, and completely increased my energy and will to get today’s things done. But before I left the room, I gave her a small kiss on her head. I noticed that she smiled a bit as a response, but I doubt she had woken up. It was just a reaction, it seemed.

I carefully tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind me so she could sleep in peace.

Arngeir led me, Twilight and Daring to a meeting room where we could discuss our plans in peace. In that room was a long table. A very long stone made table, clearly made in the purpose of important meetings. But since they weren’t using it, they allowed us to use it for our meeting.

I nodded to Arngeir in appreciation before pointing inside the room. “Ladies first.”

Twilight and Daring both smiled to that and entered the room without hesitating. I followed them and closed the door behind us.

We took seats at the end of that long, stone made table. I sat at the very end, while Twilight sat by my right and Daring by my left.

“So, what’s this all about?” Asked Twilight curiously and eager to get to business.

“I want to talk about our plans. Celestia recommended to me a week ago, or so, that we should head to the land above Equestria. She mentioned the “Northlings”?”

“The Northlings, huh?” said Daring Do with a small amused grin and leaned on her chair. She seemed to be thinking about something. “I’ve encountered one before. Nasty son of a bitch. Toughest guy I’ve ever seen.” she added and chuckled a bit.

“Oh? Dare to tell me more about him?” Twilight asked interested.

“It isn’t the time for that.” I interrupted and sighed. “Anyways, Celestia also told me I had to look out for a translator, since they didn’t speak Engli-- uh, Equestrian?”

“That won’t be necessary. I know a translation spell that should fix the problem.” she added with a smug face and her eyes closed.

“Excellent. But Daring, you said you’ve met one before. Can you be more specific?”

Twilight shot her eyes at me with a frown as soon as I said that. “It isn’t the time for that.” she mimicked.

“Well, we gotta know more about them, don’t we?” I replied and laughed sheepishly.

Daring Do grinned in response and was delighted that she was allowed to tell us her story. “The Northlings are brutal looking ponies; in appearance anyways. They’re enormous and well trained for war. They live in the far North, and that’s why they have to live with difficult situations, such as terrible winters and poverty. But being raised in a situation such as theirs, has also blessed them with time. They can endure just about any weather, and they know how to take care of themselves. They’re even practically immune to cold. There aren’t many of them in Equestria. In fact, they don’t like Equestria very much and that’s why they’re keeping themselves away from here.” she explained. “Anyways, I met this one Northling once. A strong brown, Earth pony that shared the same interest as I. We both desired to obtain treasures and gold.” she continued and chuckled. “There was this statue inside a big cave we both wanted. To make a long story short, we both got up to the treasure in the end. But we both wanted it...”

“So you guys fought over it?” asked Twilight with her eyes wide open in interest.

“Unfortunately, we had to fight over it... to the death.”

“I see...” I interrupted thoughtfully.

“So.. there we were, staring at each other with our death stare. We both desired the treasure, and we both understood that only one would walk away with it--”

“Why make such a big deal out of it? Is a statue really worth more than a life?” I asked confused and a bit disapproved.

“Drake. We are treasure hunters. We are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what we set out to do. He had the same point of view.”

“So you guys fought to the death, and you came out alive?” Twilight asked very thoughtfully, undoubtedly trying to imagine the whole situation.

“Correct. Like I said, he was a tough son of a bitch. Seriously, I must’ve fought him for an hour or so. I got pretty badly out of it, too. I broke my wings, got shallow cuts and multiple sprains. But I managed to stick him in his throat in the end. Well, I did trick him at first by making him run into a spike that came out of the wall. I remember how he gurgled his own blood. How he slowly drowned in it. I still remember the look in his eyes. They weren’t full of hate, as you’re probably imagining it, but respectful. He understood and respected me. That made me feel a bit bad, but he understood. I had the decency in putting him out of his miseries.”

“Wow... that’s brutal. More brutal than necessary.” I added and twitched my face a bit as if I felt for his pain.

“Nope. It was necessary.”

“I disagree.” I replied and frowned. “You could’ve let him have the treasure, and make him owe you. You could’ve used him in obtaining another, perhaps even more valuable treasure. A treasure harder to reach.”

“I don’t regret what I did. Nor would he in my shoes.” she replied and crossed her arms and by that she showed that she sticked to it.

“Alright then. But now we know a little bit about the Northlings: They’re big, honorable, resilient and get shit done. We need them. We desperately need them.” I said in approval. The thought of an army of them made me rub my hooves together with an evil grin.

“It may be harder than it seems...” Daring Do muttered to herself and looked away.

“Why?”

“Didn’t you listen to anything I just said? They don’t like Equestria, and to add to that; they don’t follow orders from ponies not from their kind. Whatever the cause, I fear that they won’t listen to you.”

“Then I’ll make them listen! Whatever reasons they have to dislike Equestrians, they should put it aside this one time. Because we need them, and they surely don’t hate us enough to want to see us extinct.”

“We could always try. But then, you could always go for the Argonians instead. They’re more likely to accept our friendship, and I bet they’ll make an allegiance to you.” added Daring Do with her closed eyes. Twilight widened her eyes even more in excitement.

“I know them! There aren’t many of them in Equestria either, but I’ve met a couple of them. They’re very nice people.”

“Uh, Argonians?” I asked in confusion.

Twilight smiled and cleared her voice. “Yeah. The Argonians, or Saxhleel in Jel, their native tongue, are the reptilian denizens of a place called “Black Marsh”. Little is known and less is understood about them. But years of defending their borders have made the Argonians experts in guerrilla warfare, and their natural abilities make them equally at home in water and on land. They have developed natural immunities to the diseases and poisons that have doomed many would-be explorers and conquerors of the region. Their seemingly expressionless faces belie a calm intelligence, and many Argonians are well-versed in the magical arts. Others rely on stealth or steel to survive, and their natural agility makes them adept at either. They are, in general, a reserved people, slow to trust and hard to know, yet they are fiercely loyal, and will fight to the death for those they have named as friends.” she explained like she had done nothing with her life but to study their race. I swear her speech almost gave me a headache.

“Wow... then I guess we’re going to have to befriend them, too.” I said impressed. “But are they ponies? Or are they completely another race?”

“Not ponies, no. They walk on two legs and surprisingly, are fairly similar to humans. Well, their body structure is anyways.”

“What do you think about this, Daring?” I asked to make her a part of our conversation. I wanted to hear her opinion and perhaps see if she had some more information about them.

“Me? Argonians are nice people.  I’ve met two or three before. But Twilight pretty much said everything you need to know about them.”

“Alright. It’s settled, then. We will recruit the Northlings and the Argonians. But first we leave for Ponyville and we’ll discuss our plans further when we get there. For now, make yourselves ready or get a nap or something. We’re not in a big hurry as of now. You are dismissed.”

Twilight and Daring both nodded before they quickly stood up and stormed out of the room without even muttering a word; leaving me alone in that big, quiet room.

As soon as they were gone, I sighed and buried my face in my hooves. I seriously didn’t know how I was going to do this. I’ve never met those races before, and I didn’t even understand their language. This was going to be tougher than I dared to think, but I was determined to do everything I could to at least try to persuade them into joining us into battle against the dragons.

Dashie was still asleep as I entered the room. But she wasn’t in the same position as I left her. Now she had overtaken the bed, completely lying horizontally on her back. I couldn’t help but to giggle a bit when I noticed that. Her right leg twitched a bit and her facial expression was as if she was having a good dream.

I didn’t want to wake her up, but since I had brought her food and since it was still hot, I figured that she would want me to wake her up anyways. I wanted to surprise her with the strawberry tasting food she introduced to me in Cloudsdale a while ago. I was lucky The Greybeards had the necessary ingredients, but Daring Do had to help me make it since I still didn’t quite know how to make some myself. It was simple, but I’d never cooked with hooves before, even though I’ve been here for some time now.

But in my free times, and mostly at nights before I went to sleep, I trained myself at the basics the ponies grew up with, such as writing and so on. They wrote with their mouths, and that was a bit difficult for me since I was used to write with my hands when I was a human. Surprisingly, I learned how to write with my mouth in only a week or so. It wasn't flawless, but it got the job done.

I put the plate and a mug of water on the table next to the bed before I carefully sat down beside her. “Dashie?” I half whispered with a gentle nudge. She responded with a small annoyed moan, but it didn’t wake her up. “It’s time to wake up.” I added, but slightly louder this time.

She murmured and refused to open her eyes. “Go away...” she muttered, but still half asleep.

I chuckled again and shook my head in amusement. “Seriously, though. Wake up.” I added in a more serious manner and quickly wiped the smile off my face, yet still with a joke in my voice as I stood up.

She moaned again in annoyance and tried slapping me to shoo me away. “Go away...” she muttered again, still with her eyes closed.

I hummed as I thought of something that might get her attention. “Spitfire and Soarin are here to see you. They said it was urgent to meet you at once.” I added and tried my best to prevent laughter.

That completely woke her up. She suddenly opened her eyes and jumped out of bed hastily. “Where? Where are they?” she asked in disbelief and quickly looked around the room.

That made me burst out in laughter. Dashie looked at me with a confused look on her face and just waited for me to say something. “You should see the look on your face!” I added and couldn’t help but to laugh even more. I even started tearing up. It seriously wasn’t that funny, but the thought of that actually working, made me even more surprised than when I woke up in Equestria as a pony.

“They’re... they’re not here to visit me?” she asked and panted in worries.

“I can’t believe you actually fell for that!” I added and collapsed to the ground in laughter.

Rainbow blushed in awkwardness and shame as soon as she figured that I so easily fooled her. “You asshole!” she said, but found herself laughing a bit with me, even though she tried everything she could to be serious. “You’ll pay for that.” she added and backed away from me to make sure I couldn’t see how much she was blushing.

After minutes I finally managed to calm myself down. “Phew.” I added and carefully wiped a tear from my right eye. “Anyways, I brought you your breakfast.” I managed to say.

“I noticed. Thanks.” she said, and that made her forget about that little awkwardness I put her through. She was starving, and she was relieved that I had brought her her favorite breakfast. And before I could even answer her, she had already emptied the dish and the mug of water. “Thanks, Drake. I was pretty damn hungry.”

“It was the least I could do.” I answered and made my way up to my unused bed beside the other bed we both slept and did...other things...in.

I sat down and waited patiently with a smile as she stretched her limbs and wings and yawned a couple of times. Then she walked up to me and sat down next to me.“Wha- what happened while I was asleep?” she asked and squinted her eyes at me in fatigue.

“I had a meeting with Twilight and Daring Do. We were only discussing our plan, that’s all.”

“And why wasn’t I invited to that little party of yours?”

“Uhh... because you were fast asleep? And you must’ve been exhausted. Especially after your performance last night.” I said with a small flirt and winked her. “Beside, you only came back to life. I want you to take it slowly.”

“You’re right. Last night did drain away my energy.” she half whispered with a smile. “But you know I hate taking things slowly. It’s not my style.”

“Still leaves the fact that you needed your sleep. Besides, you love sleeping.” I pointed out with another chuckle.

“And what about you? Are you perhaps more energetic than I am? I know that you tend to get a little lazy, too!” she objected in a jest.

“Well, I am the Dragonborn.” I pointed out again and smirked with my eyes closed in pride. “I’m quicker to regenerate stamina than everypony else, and as a Dragonborn, I have responsibilities, duties and orders to follow. I can’t let myself afford the comfort of staying late in bed, not even with my lovely wife.”

“Blah, blah, blah... duty, honor, responsibilities, dragons, killings... You have the same right of enjoying yourself as everypony else. It isn’t fair that you can’t have any free time.”

“But I do have plenty free time. I get to travel with you everywhere, I spend a lot of times with my friends and I always feel safe and determined around you all.”

Dashie didn’t answer me back but smirked at the ground and contemplated whether she should just let it all go or not. I brought reasons good enough for her to agree with. She couldn’t say anything against that, because in fact, I had perhaps the best job in the world.

“Anyways, why do you always wear that helmet of yours? I can barely see your face, and I must admit that it bothers me a bit.” she pointed out, but even though she informed me that she'd prefer seeing me without my helmet, she still admired it. I looked terrifying, powerful and wore a sign that indicated that I was not to be fucked with. She liked that. She liked all the power and fear my helmet created.

“It’s grown on me. It’s comfortable, and it fits perfectly. I also like to see my helmet as a symbol. A symbol that tells everyone that I am Dragonborn. That I am their protector and guardian. That nobody should fear me, except my enemies. Besides, I look kind of badass with it on, don’t you think?”

“Sure you do. You look terrifying to be honest, and that’s why I don’t get the point about the fact that it’s supposed to be a sign of trust, like you pointed out. But I get everything else. It’s just that I feel like you’re the Dragonborn when you have it on, but my Drake when you don’t.”

“I... I didn’t know you felt that way. But I can assure you that we are the same person.” I said a bit surprised.

“You don’t understand. When my feelings started to kick in, and when I realized that you were the pony I wanted to spend my life with, you were only the determined, friendly and the nice pony I lost a race to. You were just Drake. I didn’t even know you were anything more than that.”

“And I really appreciate that. Don’t worry, I know you don’t solely love me because of me being a Dragonborn. I noticed how you acted around me, even before I announced to you that I was the prophecy.” I said with a smile and reflected my appreciation with my eyes.

“Of course, Drake. You’ll always be the determined and a bit clumsy pony I fell in love with. Don’t get me wrong, I like your helmet, and all; It really shows our enemies that you’re not to be fucked with, and I also see it as a sign that you really are the Dragonborn.”

“Hey, there you used it again. A human curse; why would you do that?” I asked with an approved smile.

I noticed that she started blushing slightly in embarrassment. She avoided eye contact and smiled clumsily. “I just… I just noticed that you used it sometimes, and I kind of like it. Gives the sentence more power, you know?” she pointed out and chuckled in awkwardness. I was also surprised that she knew how to use it. I guess I’d been using it more than I realized, and perhaps she figured out where that word was acceptable in a sentence.

“Please, use it. You’re so cute when you do.” I said with a laugh.

“What do you mean? I’m not cute. I don’t want to be cute. I’m Rainbow Dash! Being cute is more of Fluttershy’s style. Cuteness is not acceptable in my situation.” she said with closed eyes and crossed arms to let me know that she meant every word.

“Alright then, how about adorable? You’re adorable when you use it.” I corrected myself and closed my eyes with a smile.

“That’s... acceptable. But only acceptable. I don’t want you to think of me as an average “cute” mare. I fight like a warrior and I’m quick as a lightning. Cuteness is not among my traits.” she stated and put on her determined look. She also said the word “cute” with disgust.

“Of that, I have no doubt. I’ve seen you in action myself. I’ve seen that your heart is filled with honor, loyalty and courage. I couldn’t ask for a better companion.”

“Only the best companion?” she asked and looked at me with a flirtatious glance.

“You know what I mean. Companion, friend, lover, wife. Everything that follows.”

“So you’re saying you couldn’t find a better person overall than me? I don’t find that hard to believe, actually.” she said high in confidence, which made me crack up a small laughter.

“Oh, Dashie. You admire yourself way too much sometimes.” I pointed out and grinned.

“But it’s the truth! Why would I hide something I am? Of course, I know that you’re...better...than me, but I don’t count you. You’re not normal and besides, you aren’t even a complete pony.”

“Sure I am. Remember that I was always supposed to be born in this body. But by some unexplainable misfortune, I got born as a human on Earth instead. But I somehow am glad it happened. I got to experience something no one else will.”

I noticed how jealous she got. Not only because I got to experience being a human, but also because of me possessing the power of the dragons; being the Dragonborn and being so highly ranked among the ponies. Practically everyone loved me, if I exclude the dragons and my other enemies, and Rainbow wanted that. She desired attention, and she always felt like she didn’t get enough.

“Anyways, I’ve been thinking about an idea. What do you say about settling down somewhere in the beautiful forest in a nice cozy house after Alduin has been slain? Just you and me. And maybe... just maybe in the future we could...ah... you know...” I said in extreme awkwardness and tried to give her the hint, but gave up immediately when she didn’t get it. “Heh...nah, forget about it.” I added and looked away to hide my burning blush.

She cocked her right eyebrow and looked at me suspiciously. “Sure. I have always wanted to live somewhere in the woods in a nice cottage. But what were you going to say? Something about something happening in the future?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” I quickly excused myself and rubbed the back of my neck. “Anyways, I’m glad to hear that. But let’s focus on the here and now, shall we?” I added and laughed in embarrassment.

“Hmm... alright.” she murmured but had this weird look on her face. A part of me knew that she knew what I was talking about. It’s just the fact that I ended my bloodline on Earth, and I figured I could perhaps start a new one here, in Equestria, instead. Not while we were still young, of course, but perhaps in the future when we’re a bit older, I’d love to start a family. My legacy would carry on, and I’d leave something behind.

But of course, only after Alduin and the evil he’s bringing with him are dealt with.

I just hoped that Paarthurnax’s plan on an alternate way to kill Alduin without casualties didn’t involve a dark ritual where I’d have to sacrifice someone or something... I’d rather sacrifice myself.

“Tell me, and be honest with me. Are you ready for a return journey?”

“Definitely. I feel as good as ever. I’m ready to leave whenever you give the word.” she said with determination and snapped opened her wings. “Anyways, I have an urge to fly around. Do you think I have the time to test my wings again? To stretch ‘em out? I want to test if I still got the moves.” she said with a chuckle.

“Sure, go ahead. We’re not in a big hurry right now, but I guess we should head out after perhaps two to three hours. Just try not to tire yourself, and keep it simple. I’m personally going to take a nap, so I’ll be here if you need me.”

She saluted me with a military look on her face; a look of determination and obedience. Then she suddenly stormed out of the room without a hesitation.

After she was gone, I lay down on the bed to try to get some sleep. But I didn’t seem to get any. I just lay there without any progress, but I tried everything I could to relax and to try to fall into the dream world.

I didn’t seem to get any sleep because I was constantly thinking about the dragons and the pony casualties. Those thoughts haunted me. Those worries were buried deep into my brain and it seemed stuck in there. I couldn’t get them out of my head.

But at last I finally felt like I was about to pass out, but before that happened, someone interrupted me with powerful knocks.

“Drake! Open up, it’s important!” someone suddenly cried out behind the door and didn’t seem to stop pounding on the door. I was pretty sure the voice belonged to Twilight.

“Wha- what is it?” I asked in confusion and stood up, kind of worried. “Oh, of course...” I muttered while rolling my eyes when I realized my room was soundproof. But if Twilight said something was wrong, I had to expect the worst.

As soon as I unlocked the door for her, she stormed in with her horn glowing purple and a small letter floating over her head.

“Drake! You've got to read this letter!” she shouted with her eyes as big as ever. “It's from Princess Celestia, and it's urgent!” she was starting to breathe in an abnormal speed and even started to sweat a bit.

“Calm down. Take a deep breath.” I said with a calm, confused voice, yet a bit afraid to read the letter. Whatever was written in there shocked Twilight, and it would probably shock me, too.

I slowly opened the letter and read the following:

“Dragonborn, whatever you are doing, or wherever you are, you must postpone your current objective and return to Ponyville as soon as possible. I regret to inform that Ponyville is under attack by a group of dragons, and I want you and your friends to get over there to protect it at any cost. My sister and I have already sent our best troops to Ponyville, but I’m afraid it’s not enough. Go over there at once and deal with them! Failure is not an option!

Princess Celestia.”

I stared at the piece of paper for some time in disbelief and read over it at least three times to be absolutely sure that what I read was indeed true.

Twilight stood still as a statue in front of me and tried her best to calm herself down.

“We must go, now!” she said loudly. “Ponies are dying, and our friends are fighting while we're having it comfortable here, in High Hrothgar. Please, we must take our leave at once!” she begged and judging by the look on face, she trusted that I'd make the right decision by taking her suggestion.

“I-I can scarcely believe it!” I uttered and shook my head slightly in shock as I stared at the piece of paper. “Go gear up, get our things ready and go fetch Daring Do and Rainbow Dash. We're leaving.” I added as an order, and before I could even look up at her, she had already stormed out of the room to do my bidding.

We ran and ran for gods know how long time. Well, Twilight, Daring and I ran while Rainbow kept up with us, flying at the same speed. Estimated time to Ponyville on hoof was around two and a half days, so we didn’t have the time of taking it slowly. We had to run till we’d literally collapse, and we could only stop to sleep for maximum five hours or so. It was unhealthy, and we all felt its effectiveness, but Ponyville was being attacked, and who knows, maybe Ponyville would be a big pile of ruins by the time we’d get there. And that’s exactly what I feared.

But we had to hope that the dragons would take it slowly on Ponyville. We just had to rely on the hope that Celestia’s troops were doing their duties by putting up a fight against the beasts.

Daring Do and Twilight were getting a little tired, and it showed. But Rainbow and I still had the desire and determination to get there at once, and those feelings drove us forward. Gave us extra boost and energy to keep going. Of course, Twilight was as eager as us to get there, but she simply lacked the stamina, and her body wasn’t trained for such a run. She wasn’t used to running great distances, and I understood that.

But Daring’s reason for her exhaustion remained unknown. I couldn’t figure it out, since she was the adventurer type. And since she had to use her flexibility and stamina to reflect traps and dangerous situations, I’d imagine she’d have a great stamina. Maybe she just wasn’t ready for such a trip.

It also surprised me how much energy Rainbow had already regained. She hadn’t used her muscles for a week or so, and still she acted like nothing had happened at all. In fact, it looked like she was even stronger and tougher than before she died. Maybe the magical strawberry tasting food I gave her two days ago boosted her recovery.

It was nighttime, and we were almost there. I could already feel that the air wasn’t as fresh as always. Now it was infected with venomous, thick smoke coming from Ponyville. Only one hill lay between us, and the view of Ponyville. In a matter of second we’d get to see its situation.

“C’mon! We’re almost there!” I yelled towards the two exhausted mares.

“I know... I know.” replied Twilight with a tire in her voice.

I couldn’t help myself, so I ran up the hill before anyone else, only to be greeted with a disturbing sight. I gasped in disbelief and shock as I saw the red, dark sky gracing over Ponyville, and at least three dragons flying above it; spewing fire at the little town. I detected four dragons overall; one was sitting comfortably on the carousel boutique, I guess, while three other dragons flew around it, like I previously stated. I could also hear the screams and popping sounds. Whatever that popping sound was, I did not want to find out. The only thing in my mind was to rescue as many as I could and to kill those fuckers.

“T-Twi?” I asked and didn’t know how to feel. Was I angry? Sad? Shocked? Was I perhaps all of the above in the same time? I didn’t know how to make of this, neither did Rainbow, who had landed beside me as silent as a statue.

“Ah’m... I’m comin’!” she replied and tried her best to keep on going. I decided to go down and help her by giving her a hoof, which she gladly accepted. “You’ve gotta see this.” I said saddened and swallowed.

“Is it as bad as we think?” she asked sadly, yet a bit hopeful.

“Worse, I’m afraid.” I answered her regretfully and sighed.

As soon as we got up that steep hill again, we all sat down to rest a bit. We couldn’t just join the party and lack the energy to fight. We simply had to sit down for a bit and get something to eat and drink, but in the meantime we had to listen to the agonized screams from the residents of Ponyville and those gods awful popping sounds. We couldn’t stand it, and I even noticed Twilight starting to sob a bit. She turned around so we couldn’t see her face, and tried everything she could not to let out a cry, but she failed.

She started sobbing and crying in great despair, and she buried her face in her arms.

Rainbow was about to go over to her to comfort her, but I stopped her. I slightly shook my head and whispered to her. “Let me.”

She understood that it wouldn’t be good for Twilight if everyone came up to her to comfort her. It would only lead to discomfort and disturbance due to her lack of personal space. That’s why she simply nodded to me and sat down next to Daring Do who had been staring at Ponyville ever since we sat down. I could notice the fire from Ponyville reflecting in her eyes, but I could also see the fury and determination in them. The longer she stared at the dragons assaulting Ponyville, the more hateful her eyes became. Especially since Ponyville was her favorite town, and the town she had almost dreamt of living in.

I walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her and shushed her a bit to calm her down. She reacted to that by hugging me back, and she used my shoulder to cover her wet, teary face.

“Hey, hey. It’s alright--”

“No, it isn’t. Everyone I know is dying, and we can’t do anything about it. ”

“That’s not true, and you can’t know for sure whether they’re dying or not. We’ll get there after we’ve rest for a bit. You know yourself it would be a suicide to run into battle without the required energy. We would simply pass out and then everybody, as well as Ponyville, would be destroyed.”

“I just hate the fact that.. that we’re sitting here while our friends are dying. Even Spike is all on his own in there.”

*Pop*

“And that gods awful popping sound is driving me crazy! What are they doing to my friends?! What the hell are they doing?!” she added with a furious yell and growled in anger. I felt for her body shivering in anger and fury, but I tried my best to calm her down by tightening my grip on her.

“You have my word that we will retake Ponyville. We will find our friends, we will avenge everyone that has fallen and we will kill the dragons. This, I swear.”

“I hope we will, Drake. I surely hope we will.” she said and whispered the last sentence. “But hey!” she suddenly said as she got an idea.

Rainbow Dash turned her head towards Twilight in curiosity, and it even broke Daring’s concentration.

“How about you call Odahviing? He said he’d help you whenever you needed him! You could call him to help us retake Ponyville!”

“Don’t you think I’ll have to learn that power first? I mean, surely he can’t hear me from this distance.”

“Just give it a try, please? And besides, he stated himself that he would hear you if you’d call for him.”

I sighed, but nodded as an agreement. I decided to give it a shot. What have I got to lose? My friends were dying in Ponyville, and we were wasting time here.

I cleared my throat and shouted with all my might into the dark, red sky: “OD... AH VIING!” and shockingly, it was indeed a Shout. I actually Shouted his name, and I hadn’t even learned it in a Word Wall, nor gained the understanding of it! Did that mean my powers were evolving? Maybe with time I wouldn’t need to understand the powers. Maybe in the future I could just learn the words, but not necessarily the understanding of it. I really hoped so.

“What the hell!” I shouted in confusion and surprise. “I... I actually Shouted his name, and I hadn’t even learned how to do it in the first place!”

I noticed how interested Twilight had become, and how she desperately wanted to let out a theory about how that might be, but the situation we were in didn’t allow it, so she remained silent.

Before I could let out another sound, a creepy distant roar; not coming from Ponyville, could be heard from afar. It was heading towards us, and soon the sound of wings flapping started to come into the picture.

Rainbow Dash backed away very confused and a bit terrified, since she wasn’t sure whether the dragon was an ally or not. She simply didn’t trust dragons. Well, except Spike, but he was only a baby dragon and was raised with ponies. He was even a lot different from the other dragons; both physically and mentally. The ones we had to deal with were reeked with death and blood and smelled of rotten flesh.

It didn’t take long for Odahviing to arrive. He didn’t land, but flapped those wings in front of us, since he couldn’t land anywhere due to the narrowed hill we were standing on.

“You called my name, Dovahkiin?” he asked, and a bit interested. “Surely you want my aid against the dov raiding your precious Ponyville, yes?”

“We’d like that, yes.” I said in great exhaustion. Calling his name surely drained all my energy I had just regained. It took a lot more than I thought, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to shout for some time. Maybe when we reached Ponyville.

“It shall be done.” he replied and looked at the terrified Rainbow Dash.

She may have been terrified, but she was also in great awe. That mighty beast in front of us was actually on our team, and the thought of that made her drool a bit.

“I see that you’ve retrieved your wife back. I’m happy for you, Dovahkiin. She’ll be a big part of taking down Alduin. Make sure to take her with you in the final onslaught against him.” he said and I swear I could see a smile on his face. A first time seeing a dragon smile, and it somewhat gladdened me.

“W-W-Why d-d-do you say that, Mr. O-O-Odahviing?” she asked in admire and awe and couldn’t help but to step one step closer.

“Alduin fears you almost as much as he fears Dovahkiin.”

“Really? He... he fears me?” she asked and slowly grinned evilly. “Heh... no surprise there!” she said proudly, but shook her head when she realized she wasn’t getting to the point. “But I won’t ever leave him. Ever!” she almost shouted with a determined force in her voice.

“And I’ll make sure of that. But for now, we must get Ponyville back.” I state and turned around to face my three loyal companions. “Let us march to Ponyville, and let us retake it!” I said very loudly to pump the eagerness into them all. I had no doubts of Rainbow being eager and determined already, but I may had to pump it into Twilight and Daring Do, since they weren’t trained for battle.

But I’ve seen them both in action, and I knew they could handle themselves:

Daring Do - She single “handedly” killed Ahuizotl and his two strong bodyguards, and she also managed to kill that monstrous Northling when she fought for her artifact.

Twilight Sparkle - She helped me take down the thugs on our journey to the mysterious mountain that held my first Word of Power. And she helped me kill the hordes of Draugrs back in the Nord’s cave, tomb, dungeon or whatever it was. In both these situations she showed me how valuable her magic could be against our foes.

But they weren’t used to combat, and that’s why a little pep talk could do the trick to pump the determination into them.

“The dragons may be powerful and perhaps idealistic. They may be reckless, dangerous and merciless. But we must not forget who we are! We are the bane of Alduin! We are the force that shall save all of Equestria!” I shouted with a furious look on my face as I paced around determinedly. “We have something they don’t.” I pointed out and paused to swallow. “We have hope! We have a future! Our hearts are filled with love and passion. Theirs are not! And what have they? Brute force? That is nothing, nothing, when compared to passion! They underestimate us, and that’s why we will succeed!”

As I said those things, I noticed how they all put up their fearless expressions on their faces. Even Odahviing was getting pretty pumped up, even though he was a dragon himself. He apparently loved us ponies, just like Paarthurnax, and that’s why it affected him as much as it affected my companions and friends.

“Nothing will stand in our way, and nothing will take our loved ones away from us! We will fight to the last drop of blood, and we will show no mercy in return! So I repeat, let us march to Ponyville! And let us show them that we will not fall, that we will not bend to their will, that we will not be beaten!” I continued in a powerful shout.

My little speech worked. Even Rainbow was getting more eager than she already was to get to the killing. I noticed how she itched to get to combat, and I really admired that courage and determination.

Even Twilight, who preferred reading a book in peace and quietness, wore this powerful looking, murderous facial expression on her face. She was frowning and repeatedly nodding in approval to my speech.

Daring Do looked as determined as ever. She fixed her hat and squinted her eyes towards Ponyville with a powerful looking frown on her face.

After the pep talk they all let out this battle cry to signify that they were affected by my speech and that they were ready to crack some dragon skulls. And that relieved me. Maybe I wasn’t such a bad leader after all.

But I knew, and they did too, that this was just a taste of the real battle that would take place furthermore into the future. I guess this was a good training, but a lot of lives depended on it.

We all turned around in Ponyville’s direction. The mares and Odahviing waited for my word to march to Ponyville.

But before I set the orders, I closed my eyes and lowered my head. I started breathing heavily and a bit nervously. But I also started praying silently in my head to the gods to give me, my companions and the ponies in Ponyville, the strength to resist the dragon attack.

As I was about to open my eyes, I felt for a hoof on my shoulder. I looked to my right to see Rainbow looking worriedly at my face. She didn’t say anything, but nodded slowly to me.

I didn’t say anything in return, but slowly returned that nod. I then added another, quicker nod before I gave a signal to march on.

We all ran as fast as we could towards the burning Ponyville. The popping sounds and the screams from the ponies were closing in on us, but we didn’t let it affect us. Of course, we were greatly saddened and hurt to hear those cries, but we had to focus on getting rid of those dragons at once.

I was mostly disturbed by that popping sound. What the hell were they doing? What was causing that popping sound? I really hoped the reason for it didn’t include ponies, or anything else that breathed the air.

Two dark gray colored Unicorn guards stood by the gates to greet us as we arrived to Ponyville. Both of their armors had been torn somehow, and they both didn’t look so good.

They were both heavily geared, and wore beautiful armor and helmets which covered most of their faces. One of the guards had a big symbol of a sun carved on it, while the other had a moon. One of them must’ve been Celestia’s soldier while the other was Luna’s.

Luna’s soldier had a huge bloodied scar near his left, blue eye. He would without a doubt lose his eye if he wouldn’t get to medical care, but he was a tough son of a bitch. He had refused medical care and toughened himself up by continuing doing his duty.

The other one had cuts and bruises all over his legs and body. He was bleeding, too. But fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious.

“Dragonborn.” they both said simultaneously and kneeled for me. With a sigh I told them to stand up with my hoof.

“Wait! Dragonborn, there’s a dragon behind you! Watch out, he has landed!” one of them shouted and unsheathed his blade.

“Stand down! He’s with me.” I yelled and frowned at them. “He’s a friend and is helping us.”

“I-I see...” Celestia’s soldier said fearfully and sheathed his blade.

“It’s good you’ve come...” Luna’s soldier added, but was interrupted with a loud roar coming from one of the dragons and a sound of a building collapsing.

“Casualties? I want a number.” I said before he could continue whatever he was about to say.

“Way too many.” he stated. “We’ve done what we could to get them to safety, and I am pleased to announce that there probably won’t be any more casualties since you’re here and since we’re gathering the rest of the civilians in a huge secret bunker beneath Ponyville.”

“Can the dragons gain access to them?” asked Twilight in fear.

“No. They’d have to dig deep to scratch the surface of the bunker.” answered Celestia’s trooper.

“And do they have enough food?” asked Rainbow.

“As far as I’m concern, they’ll be fine. But they won’t last for long. That’s why we need to hurry up and get rid of those dragons as soon as possible.” he continued.

“But we’ve been hearing those screams and those popping sounds? What the hell are they?”

“You see, we’re working really, really fast and the civilians are cooperating with us. Only fifteen minutes ago, everyone were running through the streets in panic. We finally managed to calm them down and we’re now getting them to safety. They’d been staying in their homes, or running around the cities for two days. And the popping sounds... you don’t want to know. Let’s just say it is a sound of a certain death.”

“I see.” I said with disgust as I thought about it. “But you’ve been defending Ponyville for how long now? Two days?”

“Yes. The dragons took it very easily the first day. They kind of flew around and just were there to threaten us. They didn’t really attack until yesterday.”

“I see... Good job, soldiers. But now that we’re here, what do you want us to do?” I asked and got myself ready to do whatever task they were about to give me.

They both looked at each other before stating that they weren’t the leaders.

“Then who is?” I asked confused. I was pretty sure they were the ones leading the assault on the dragons, based on their physical appearance, but perhaps the general or commander or whoever it was, was busy inside and sent those two to greet us.

“Our Commander. She’s been a valuable asset to all of us. Without her, we’d already be dead.” said Luna’s trooper with admire. “The one and only Commander--” before he could clarify his answer, a yellow, heavily geared mare with a pink mane brushed in a ponytail showed up.

“I’ll take it from here, soldiers.” she replied with a frown, but smiled as soon as she saw us. “Long time no see, my friends.” she said and lightened up.

I couldn’t believe my own eyes; nor could Twilight or Rainbow Dash. We all stared at the yellow mare with our eyes wide open and our jaws almost falling off.

“F-F-Fluttershy?!” yelled Rainbow Dash in utmost shock and disbelief. “W-Wh-What the hell has gone into you?!” she shouted, but threw herself at her into a hug with a squee. She hadn’t seen Fluttershy for a long time, and the fact that she had died made it an even more emotional moment for her. Fortunately, Fluttershy didn’t know anything about Rainbow’s death.

She was a mess. Her face was covered in dust and she had gained a scar on her forehead recently judging by the blood still dripping from the wound. She had two razor sharp knives sheathed on her belt and her armor was a military like vest.

“At ease, Dash.” she replied and returned the hug with a laugh. “But there are dragons to be killed, and we cannot delay.”

I couldn’t help but to laugh. “Wow... this is a whole new Fluttershy.” But I shook my head as I realized that this was no time to laugh. We could all have a big laugh after the dragons have been dealt with.

“It’s so good to see you!” Twilight said and hugged her, too. She returned the hug with a smile.

“It’s good to see you, too, Twilight. And oh! Spike is doing just fine. He’s safe with the other ponies in the bunker.”

“Good... that’s a relief.” Twilight replied and let out a small relieving sigh.

Before Fluttershy could say anything else, two earth ponies ran up to her and awaited her command.

“You go help the guards in the bunker section transporting the food, and you grab a bow. You’re joining the archers.”

They both saluted her and ran off to their points.

“Wow. You look like you’re a born leader.” I said and chuckled a bit in amusement. Who would’ve guessed that Fluttershy of everypony would be chosen to be their commander? Especially since she was terrified of dragons. I couldn’t wait to hear the story after everything’s been taken care of.

“Where are the others? Where are Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity?” Rainbow asked in a pace.

“They’re safe, as far as I can tell. Applejack has been a big part of killing the dragons. We’ve killed four so far, and there are three left, now.”

“Three? We noticed four not fifteen minutes ago.”

“Yes, we recently took down another one while you were having a chat with the soldiers.” she said with her eyes closed. “Anyways, Applejack’s moon boots have been of great help. Rarity has been treating the wounded in the bunker and Pinkie Pie... Pinkie Pie has been trying to communicate with the dragons, but with no success. I’ve already ordered her to help out in the bunker, but she won’t listen to me. She’s confident the dragons will listen to her and make them a deal. She’s almost gotten herself killed many times! Please, go in there and talk her out of it. Please.”

“I- I’ll see what I can do... let’s just get in there and take a look at the situation, shall we?” I asked and gulped. I wasn’t eager to see Ponyville’s situation, but it had to be done.

“Dovahkiin, should I perhaps start my assault on my fellow dov?” asked Odahviing in all his might. He was ready to get into battle, and he wasn’t afraid of attacking his own kin, based on how he said it.

Fluttershy hadn’t noticed him before, and only just fixed her attention to him now, now that he has spoken. Her happy face changed into a fearful frown again and she started growling a bit.

“You are not getting anywhere near my friends!” she shouted and got herself ready to charge at him. “Get out of the way! I got this!” she shouted and unsheathed her blades.

She had already started charging at Odahviing by the time I was about to stop her. He simply stood his ground and waited for the mare to do whatever she was about to do to him. He was honorable, and I noticed that he wouldn’t attack her back. Maybe it was because he knew we would stop her, and prevent her from harming him, but I somehow got a feeling he was ready to die for us.

Rainbow Dash, as quick as a lightning, took Fluttershy down to the mud and held her down. “Stand down! He’s an ally!”

“No dragons are my allies! Let him feel my blade! I’ll make him taste his own blood!”

“Stand down!” Rainbow shouted at her on the ground and looked at her furiously. “Drop whatever act this is, and get it through your head that this dragon is a friend!”

Fluttershy didn’t dare to move. She simply stared at Rainbow in utmost fear and started breathing faster.

She may have been tough when she was against the dragons; considering that she was willing to do anything for her friend’s safety, but she was still the same old Fluttershy when no dragons were in the picture. She was still our clumsy, adorable, shy, awkward Fluttershy.

She simply nodded quickly a few times as an agreement.

“Good. Sorry I was aggressive, but I had to stop you. Odahviing is here to help, and we need every help we can get.”

“She’s right.” I added and walked up to them. “We cannot win this war on our own. And this is only the battle for Ponyville. Just imagine the real battle. No... we have to seek help elsewhere, too.”

Fluttershy nodded again with a tear in her eye. She did not trust Odahviing, but she trusted us. And that made her willing to cooperate. “I got my eyes on you.” she said towards the dragon and squinted her eyes at him before turning around to face the burning Ponyville.

“Yes, Odahviing. Make your assault, and slow them down as much as you can.” I said as I turned around to face him. “See you on the battlefield. Give them hell, and be careful! If you are wounded or if you are facing impossible odds, retreat. This is not a suggestion, this is an order, do you understand?”

“I do. It shall be done.” he replied and nodded with his eyes closed before he flapped his menacing wings and let out a big, terrifying roar.

“But, Fluttershy. Can you show us around? Fill in the blanks as we check the situation and the damage the dragons have been causing?”

Fluttershy nodded and ran into the town without notifying us. We all followed her.

The town was a mess. Fires, ruins and smokes covered Ponyville. And the bodies... the bodies on the ground made me gnaw my teeth in fury and sadness. I was completely disgusted by the sight of all the death around me.

Some of those bodies were in worse condition than I thought. Some of them had their head blown off, some were half bitten off, and some were glued to the ground; possibly because of a dragon’s stomp.

Gore and blood lay everywhere. I almost threw up, but managed to keep it down.

It was a bit of a relief for me that I didn’t know any of them. That must’ve meant everyone I knew were either safe in the bunker underground, or managed to get away from Ponyville. But the fact that nopony I knew was dead didn’t make me any less sad.

Twilight started to breathe faster and faster and she looked like she was about to faint. But fortunately, she got her shit together and tried not to look at the dead familiar faces.

I also noticed two dragon corpses in the middle of Ponyville. They were pretty bloodied with both theirs and pony blood, and they were well sliced and gutted. I guess those poor bastards didn’t have a chance at the furious pony soldiers as they made the mistake of landing. That was my bet, but the damage on the dragon truly showed what the ponies were capable of.

After a bit of roaming around the lifeless town, Applejack appeared and quickly ran over to us. She also wore a military vest like Fluttershy, and also wore the boots Luna gave her.

“Mah friends! So mighty good to see ya’ll again!” she said with a relieving tone in her voice and hugged us all, sounding like we were the news of the week. Well, I understood her. There wasn’t anything positive going on at those moments, and just the fact that we were alright was such a relief for her.

“Join us.” I suggested and forced a smile on my face. It was very hard to smile, since I was hurt and wounded mentally due to all the death around me. But I sure was happy to see Applejack safe and sound.

“Lead the way!” she said and got in line.

After a while, we were located at the middle of Ponyville, and the sight of the town only worsened the further we investigated. The fountain was broken, most of the houses were in ruins and everything green and beautiful had turned gray and ashy.

“As you can see, the dragons have been busy. But let’s pick up the pace, we aren’t safe so out in the open. We must take cover at--”  Fluttershy said, but before she could finish that sentence, a coal black dragon landed roughly in front of us. He wore a menacing look on his face, and his blood red eyes reflected the hate he had on us. His wings were more terrifying than death itself and his spine was protected with horns of some kind standing out of his back. There goes my plan on paralyzing him...

He wanted nothing more than seeing us dead. I also got a feeling he wanted to be the one making the killing blow to the Dragonborn.

But as I kept staring at him, I began to realize one thing. He wasn’t an ordinary dragon. He was the dragon I noticed in Sovngarde; the one making the painful roars. That dragon was none other than Alduin himself.

He let out a small, evil laugh when he noticed he had me; the Dragonborn himself and my friends in his grasp. “Dovahkiin--”

A white Pegasus archer interrupted him and shot an arrow at his head, but the arrow inflicted no damage on him. He was stupid to face him alone, and he shouldn’t had done that. But fear leads to many stupid things.

“Get back! Now!” I shouted at him. He nodded, terrified, but before he could obey my order, Alduin grabbed him in a tight grip with his talons. His next action revealed to me how they made the popping sounds... he crushed him, and with his strength, the ponies head blew up to pieces. It was disgusting and filthy, and I had to watch as the blood sprayed from his throat and colored his talons red. Next, he slammed the body into a pile with the rest of the dead civilians.

This situation was killing me, and my blood was boiling over my soul. I wanted Alduin dead-- no, I wanted him slaughtered. I wanted all of his friends murdered, and I wanted to be the one slaying them.

“Dovahkiin... it’s an honor to meet you, at last.” he said, and never before had I heard a deeper voice than his. Even Paarthurnax sounded like a filly in comparison to him.

It looked like Alduin just arrived and joined the party; since Fluttershy announced that three dragons were left only 5 minutes ago, but I could count four with Alduin.

“Is this really the way you wanted us to meet?” I said loudly with a frown and looked around the ruined town.

The fight suddenly stopped, and the three other dragons landed on houses to listen to our conversations. As did the guards and the soldiers of Ponyville. Even Odahviing stopped by and landed on a house.

Odahviing clearly did some damage on two of them. I noticed teeth marks and scratches on two of them and their injuries were pretty severe.

Rainbow and my companions were the only ones who weren’t intimidated by him, but I didn’t blame the ones who did. Alduin was slightly smaller than I had expected, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. He was evil looking, merciless and brutal. I know I should be terrified, but somehow, I wasn’t. Rainbow and my friends were beside me, and that made my confidence shoot up.

“Well, it surely called you out. And besides, I wanted to see the powerful Dovahkiin with my own eyes. I must say, you disappoint me.”

“Well, I’m glad to disappoint you.” I spat at him furiously. “You haven’t even seen what I’m capable of.” I continued and took a step closer. “You invade my home, and you kill my people. You’ve made me very angry.” I stated and gazed at him with my sharp, red eyes.

“Do your worst, Dovahkiin! Let us all taste your power!” he mocked me and let out another laugh. His three other servants joined him in his laughter.

I looked at Rainbow who was eager and thirsty for their blood. She had this furious look on her face and gnawed her teeth in anger. She looked at her bow and back at me. I subtly nodded to her, but whispered to her to wait for my signal.

Twilight also had a determined look on her face. She was as eager as the rest of us to attack them. She wanted to use her magic and to kill those fuckers as brutally as possible.

Fluttershy surprised me the most. She had a crazed look on her face and had to fight to remain still. She was breathing fast and her pupils had completely shrunk to dots.

Daring Do just frowned and waited for my signal to start her assault.

I noticed Pinkie Pie from afar. She was wearing a strange magician robe, and had all kinds of voodoo artifacts around her neck. I rolled my eyes as I thought about her acting like a mage; trying to communicate with the dragons while everybody else were actually doing anything useful. She wasn’t even a Unicorn, and therefore couldn’t use magic. What was she trying to prove?

“Drake! Rainbow! Twilight!” she shouted and waved towards us as loudly as she could when she noticed us. I swear the Greybeards could’ve heard that yell...

Then she ran over to us and took a place by my left side.

“You big ugly dragons! This is not a very nice way to introduce yourselves! And I who wanted to make you a welcome party! You’re all just a bunch of meanies! You should be ashamed of yourselves!” she shouted at Alduin and frowned like never before. She was on the edge of snapping.

“Come here, you filthy--” Alduin said impatiently, but was interrupted.

“Enough!” Odahviing shouted as he joined in on the conversation and landed between us and his brother. Alduin let out a gasp of shock, but looked at him furiously in disapproval.

“You! This is none of your concern, brother!” he spat out and took a step forward. “Go away now, and I’ll spare your life. Stay, and I’ll throw your corpse away with the rest of them!” he shouted at him.

“No, brother. This doesn’t have to be this way. We can still go home. We can still live happily in Sovngarde! This is not our place, and we have no part of this world. We can’t just take Equestria away from their residents! Please, just listen to me. It’s not too late to change your mind.”

Alduin growled and got even madder than before. “You are starting to sound just like them! You’re not my brother anymore and you’re not worthy enough to be called a dragon! You’re a disgrace and weakling. Always have been. You shall die as one of them!” he shouted before he suddenly attacked him.

He sunk his teeth into his neck and shook him from right to left quickly and clawed at his head repeatedly, causing fountains of blood to pour out.

Odahviing let out a pained cry as he crashed unconscious down to the ground due to the unexpected attack and the powerful blow to his head.

“No!” I shouted and fought to prevent myself from running over to him. “You’ll pay for that, worm!” I shouted as angry as I could get.

“What are you going to do about it?” he mocked again.

I turned my head to look at my team who were more ready than ever to start the attack. I frowned and gave a small nod to them all before I shouted “STUUN!” at Alduin.

I hadn’t used it before, but it looked like I summoned a huge thunder. It struck Alduin directly on his head, and that made him stop his laughter. But, unfortunately, it didn’t do much damage on him, even though it looked very powerful. It did stun him, though, and it gave us enough time to attack his friends in the meantime.

But I was surprised how powerful it was despite of it only being the first level of that Shout. I hadn’t learned the other two words yet, but based on how powerful that Shout was on its first level, it must’ve been one hell of a Shout.

We couldn’t kill Alduin yet, since it would surely destroy me and my friends if I’d inherit his soul, but we could perhaps make him flee and give him a message that he’s underestimating us, by killing his friends. Three more souls for me. I just hoped Paarthurnax had something for me by our next confrontation.

“Don’t attack Alduin! Kill his friends, instead!” I shouted over to my friends. They all nodded and unsheathed their weapons. “And Twilight, can you hold him paralyzed for some time?”

“Only for a short while, but we must be quick. And another thing, we cannot harm him while he’s in the stasis, for it also protects him.” Twilight answered and didn’t waste any minute. Alduin was coming back to his senses, but she successfully cast the spell on him in the nick of time.

A purple magical stasis of some kind was holding Alduin paralyzed, but we had to work together to kill his friends as quickly as possible, and before Twilight’s spell would vary off.

“That’s fine! And Daring...” I said and unsheathed my bow. “Do you know how to use it?” I asked loudly and in a pace.

“Sure I do, just give it to me.” she responded and grasped the bow from my hooves. “Give ‘em hell!” she then shouted and saluted me. I nodded quickly and brought out my daggers.

Dashie had already loaded her own bow and started flying in the direction of one of the dragons located on a tall house. “I’ll take care of this one!” she shouted over to me, and was gone from my sight before I could even react. She wasn’t far away from me, but the black smoke around us almost blinded us. Fortunately, Rarity had already cast a spell that helps with the breathing before she went down to the shelter to take care of the wounded.

The dragons finally came to their senses from the suddenness and took off with roars. They were getting ready for another assault, but this time, they were facing stronger opponents. The good part was that they were already wounded by Odahviing’s attacks, making it easier for us to slay them.

Daring Do and Twilight Sparkle worked very well together by focusing on one of the three dragons. Daring Do loaded the bow while Twilight enhanced the arrows with all kinds of elements and poisons. She mixed it all together into one powerful mix and enchanted the arrows. It took some time to enchant each arrow, but it was very effective and slowed the dragons down.

They had almost taken one of them dragons out, before I noticed the dragon Dashie was supposed to take care of had landed in front of Twilight and Daring and was preparing himself to attack them with his fire breath.

I immediately flew towards that dragon in a great speed when I noticed it. I was determined to save them from their deaths.

“YOL... TOOR SHU--” before he could finish his sentence, I flung myself at the dragon with my blades. The impact was great, due to my speed, so I managed to pin him down to the ground.

I sat on his head, with my blades stuck into his cheek. He let out a cry, and I watched as his left cheek burnt and froze him in the same time, as my daggers were enchanted with fire and ice.

I quickly, and with a force, pulled my knife out of his flesh and stabbed him with both of my daggers into his left eye before he could try to shake me off. This made him cry out even louder in pain.

I stood up, and pressed my left knee on his cheek as I attempted to pull out the knives from his eye. I knew it would result in a lot of blood, but I had to kill the dragon.

I panted and tried everything I could to loosen the blade from his eye to ease his miseries, but my daggers wouldn’t budge. They were buried deep into his eye and wouldn’t loosen up. I tried another attempt by stirring the blades out of there, but still resulted without success.

While my teammates were busy killing the other two dragons, I was wasting my time trying to loosen my blades from his eye. I didn’t even know why it was so stuck. What was causing it? Did my blades perhaps hit his skull?

Despite of the dragon’s death shrieking, I managed to plant an idea into my head.

I focused on my blades and Shouted: “SUF... OR!” and that worked. But it was a lot gorier than I thought it would cause. My Shout was so powerful it actually pulled out his damaged eye out of his skull alongside with my knives. A great deal of blood spat out of the ugly wound, and most of it landed on me.

But the dragon was still barely alive. He was on his deathbed, but was still breathing. I did feel a bit sickened by how I treated him, but it was no more than he deserved.

I was getting pretty tired after how much I’d been trying to loosen the blades out of his stinking eye, but I still wasted all my remaining force into another stab; this time into his skull to completely kill him off. That resulted in even more blood...

By the time I turned around, I noticed that my friends managed to take one down and started focusing on the final one before Alduin broke out of the spell.

I suddenly felt incredible power. I was automatically absorbing both souls in the same time. It was weird absorbing two souls at the same time, but made me much more powerful for a short period of time.

They were all fighting the dragon who had landed beside Alduin. He wanted to protect his master at any cost, but unfortunately for him, he wasn’t handling his situation very well.

Fluttershy was absolutely crazy. She was throwing knives at the dragon, but she didn’t seem to understand that it wasn’t doing much damage on him.

Dashie had sheathed her bow and decided to fly around to confuse him while Daring Do and Twilight attempted to take him down with their teamwork. Pinkie Pie was standing a bit farther away, and was singing some chants that were supposed to take control over the dragon, but of course, it was nonsense and we all knew it beside Pinkie, who was sure it would work.

All in all, they were doing a fine job and they were handling the dragon, so I decided to take a look at the dragon they recently killed.

I noticed his body was graced in a lot of arrows, but the killing blow must’ve been the two arrows buried deep into his right eye; one was shot from Dashie’s bow, and the other one from Daring Do, judging by the glowing arrow. I shook my head and walked away from the dragon corpse.

But before I could join the party, the dragon crashed down in front of me with three enchanted arrows in his chest. He wasn’t dead, but he surely looked more dead than alive.

“Finish him off!” shouted Dashie over to me when we all noticed that Twilight’s stasis spell was wearing off Alduin.

The dying dragon in front of me stared into my eyes, full of hate, and waited for his death. But before he’d die, he wanted to say his farewell to Alduin. He managed to look at Alduin and said: “I have failed you, my--”

I plunged my blades directly into his scaled skull before he could finish; he would not die with any honor.

Alduin was almost waking up now, and we used that time to line up exactly as we were before we attacked them.

“What is this?” he asked when he came back to his senses. “Where are my--” he stopped whatever he was about to say when he noticed we had slaughtered them all. He also twitched in anger and hatred when he noticed that I was completely covered in one of his buddy’s blood.

“You were saying?” I asked and couldn’t help but to grin a bit. The mares behind me also wore a disturbing looking murderous looks on their faces. They were bloodied, too. But not as much as I was. The blood on my body was warm and sticky, and I hated it. But this was no time to complain. I’d just have to take a bath later.

Just now I started automatically absorbing the soul of the dragon I just killed, and Alduin noticed it. I saw in his blood red eyes how terrified he was of me, although he didn’t show it.

“This is not over, Dovahkiin!” he stated furiously and suddenly took off before we could answer him. He completely vanished, and fled away. His hatred towards me and my friends has significantly grown, but we didn’t care. My hatred towards him had also grown, too, anyways.

By the time he took off, I knew we’d done it. Ponyville was ours yet again, and it would be safe from a dragon attack for a long time. I knew they wouldn’t dare attack my town ever again.

“We... we’ve done it.” I whispered and let myself collapse to my knees. I couldn’t believe it. We actually saved what was left of Ponyville. It may have been in ruins right at that moment, but I knew it could be rebuilt in no time. Ponies are hard-working people, and never quit unless given a reason to.

Rainbow landed next to me and put her hoof on the dry spot on my left shoulder. I looked at her and nodded. “Good job.” I whispered to her and gave her another nod.

The rest of them; Twilight, Daring, Fluttershy and Pinkie, gathered around me and hugged me, despite the fact that I was covered in dragon’s blood.

“Twilight.” I said in a hoarse voice. “Can you check if Odahviing is alright?”

Twilight nodded without a second thought and ran off.

“And Daring. I’d really like that beer now.” I added in exhaustion, but managed to crack a smile. Daring Do chuckled and grinned at me.

“Sure.” she said and nodded in amusement.

It may have been clouded due to the black smoke, but I could still see the sunrise. It was as beautiful as always. So bright, so incredibly beautiful. I couldn’t help but to tear up a bit; not necessarily because of the sunrise, but also because of the good company I was in. The support I’d been given, the love I’d been shown, the trust I’d earned in.

Those little things were the reasons why I wasn’t afraid. I was facing impossible odds, but I wasn’t alone. My trusted friends were by my side and they would all die defending me. Although, I would never let that happen. Rainbow died for me once, and I’d not let it happen again.

I stared at the sunrise as I realized one thing: The battle for Ponyville may have been won... but the battle for Equestria had just begun.

Chapter 11: Dealing with the Consequences

Edited by Nazidash. Thanks!

I'm also sorry for the delay. I'll try to prevent it from happening again.

Darkness. Shadows. Dead trees. Dark ashes. Mist. Whispery voices. Fire. Agony. Death.

All of the above was surrounding me. I didn’t know where I was located, for I didn’t recognize the plain, dead environment. There wasn’t much to see anyways. This place was beyond horrid. It was just how I imagined the home of the dead to be before I saw it for myself.

“Hello?” I tried calling out, but my words only vanished into the mysterious haze. It was pointless. No one alive was around to greet me.

The echo-y, whispery voices in my head didn’t help my situation either. Those weren’t just random voices, but voices that belonged to people I knew. The voices of my mom and dad, my sister, the doctors in the hospital that were starting to recognize my face, everyone that hated me, my friends in Equestria, Dashie..

They were all slowly whispering events that occurred at some point in my life:

-“Wake up, son. We’re going camping!”

-“Be strong... we’ll meet again.”

-“How are your dead parents?”

-“Your cutie mark. It’s so... spectacular.”

-“I like you. I think we'll get along just fine.”

-“The patient is waking up!”

Not only did that bother me, but also did it trigger flashbacks from those times. They weren’t all bad, though. Some of them were actually pretty good. Especially the pony related ones. But the negative ones sure tried hard to break me down.

I really didn’t want to go anywhere, nor did I dare to move my limbs. But I couldn’t just stay there and do nothing, so I forced myself to keep on moving whilst listening to my memory. Like I said; some of them were great, but some of them nightmares, such as the times I got beat up in the alley.

The poisonous mist in the atmosphere around me made me feel weary and a lot worse than before. I didn’t know what exactly was causing it other than the the environment, but I felt like something was draining liquid from my body. I was in desperate need of water, or any liquid.

I kept going forward, but the further I went on, the worse I felt. My body even started to mysteriously malfunction. I felt for a sharp pain in my brain and suddenly, just out of the blue, I somehow managed to forget how to walk on four legs. I tried to fly instead, but crashed immediately to the ground. It was like forgetting how to use your hands or your feet. It was scary beyond belief. As if I wasn’t freaked out already anyways...

My mind was also affected. I didn’t know why, but I was starting to mentally resemble my former self again. The thought of me being a pony disturbed me. The worst part was the fact that I had mated with another pony. It completely disgusted me. I got awkward cold chills when I thought about me and Dashie together. I completely froze and squinted my eyes to the ground in shame. I wanted to reset my mind and go back to my old self. I was starting to miss Earth... my true home.

I didn’t know what kind of unknown force was taking hold of me, but I couldn’t fight it, even though I tried my best to. I wanted to peel my skin off; get rid of the cyan and replace it with tan. I needed my old body back. I even started searching for sharp objects around me to cut my wings off with. And I didn’t care whether it would be painful or not. I just wanted them off and that fast.

I hated this. I hated everything, even my “friends” back in Ponyville. Ponyville, Equestria and its residents became unreal to me. I started telling myself it was all made up and that I was probably just insane in a mental hospital back on Earth.

“This is all just a fucked up dream. I’ll probably just wake up in a bed back on Earth. Either in a mental hospital or in my apartment. Either way, I will go back to my normal human life.” I thought to myself. A part of me, the real part of me that still belonged in Equestria, resisted the sudden change of heart. That part was my only hope left of getting rid of my negative thoughts for good.

Oh yes. I was completely aware about it. I knew that this wasn’t me. I just couldn’t do anything about it. I felt like I was somebody’s puppet, and whoever was controlling me was pulling the strings.

But I’m a fighter, and I don’t give up despite difficulties. I forced two rough slaps to my face, and that somehow managed to get my mind back to my old self again. The hate, the urge to get rid of my pony body left me. My negative thoughts about my friends and my relationship with Dashie vanished away, and I regained my knowledge on how to walk and fly.

I swallowed hard. I felt very ashamed that I actually felt for disgust when I thought about the love of my life. But then, I couldn’t help it. Whatever it was that caused it, was gone.

Everything got weirder and weirder the further I went on.

I noticed bloodied and battered corpses all around me. They too had familiar faces.

The first one I noticed was none other than my best friend; Twilight Sparkle. I gasped, let myself fall to my knees next to her and put my right ear by her mouth and my hoof by her carotid artery. But I couldn’t find a life sign. She was dead.

After hugging her body and mourning her for a while, I stood up and continued my journey to the unknown.

I couldn’t believe it, but I noticed my family dead next to all the ponies I knew. My dad, mom and my little sister. All covered in blood and certainly not alive in the mud.

I lost my breath as I approached them. I let myself fall to my knees again next to them and just stared at them full of sadness and hate. Hate towards the drunken man that killed them. The flashback came back to me from that terrible night. The night I lost the people so important in my life. I watched as my sister died only one seat away from me. I will never forget those teary green eyes. I’d gladly die for her place if that was available.

I realized that whatever was causing this wanted exactly my sorrow. I bet it nourished on my grief. That’s why I decided to close my eyes, stand up and go away before I would feed it even further.

Or maybe there wasn’t anything trying to take a hold on me. Maybe I was just going insane...

But I couldn’t let those thoughts poison my mind. Whatever it was, it was trying to take control of me. Make me insane.

I continued my journey, but I didn’t know where to go. I just walked in a random direction and hoped for the best.

Yet another sight got my attention. And this one was different; the most special of them all. This one was the most heartwarming, most effective, even the most inspiring of them all. Definitely unexpected, too.

Now I came to realize what was going on. There wasn’t any evil supernatural force trying to take over my mind. I was dreaming, and everything I’ve been experiencing was an insight all along. I was looking into my life; into my past and into my future. The time when I wanted to become a human again; when I wanted to cut my wings off and peel my skin off probably resembled the times I couldn’t believe that I was in Equestria and that I was utterly terrified of my new body. The chills I got when I thought of my Dashie must’ve been from the times when I was against a relationship. And the bodies and all the blood and death around me must’ve been a sign of what would happen if I were to fail my mission.

I know I can see into the future, but it can’t be counted on for its inaccuracy. That’s why I wasn’t too upset when I saw Twilight’s corpse, because I can’t rely on anything I’m experiencing. But this before my eyes... this was believable. In fact, I wanted it to happen someday.

In front of me were spirits; some kind of holograms of my future family. A family I apparently would start if this part of my little dream would indeed come true and if I were to succeed my mission. Actually, it wasn’t hard to believe that it would happen someday. But I’m not an ordinary person. I live a dangerous life, and so does Dashie. Death is waiting for us at every corner, ready to take us in a cold embrace. We’re playing with death, and there’s a high chance of getting killed before our time. Well, we’d both experienced death. We just had to make sure we don’t have to experience it again for a very long time.

I saw my Dashie with two younglings next to her. From what I could see, there was a colt and a filly. The filly was orange colored like Rainbow’s mom, while the colt was cyan colored like us. But they both resembled us quite a bit.

The filly had heterochromia iridis. Her right eye was red, while her left one was magenta colored. It was amazing and utterly adorable. That was a proof that she was indeed my offspring. I already loved the “person” in front of me.

She apparently inherited Dashie’s mane color, but the pattern wasn’t quite the same, and there were a few different colors here and there.

And by the look of her, she was as wild, eager, and as energetic as we were.

I knew she couldn’t see me, as she wasn’t real. But I felt the image in front of me make eye contact with me, a warm smile on its face.

The colt, however didn’t look at me.

He had a black mane like I did. I also noticed that he had red eyes; the same red color as mine. He was like a mini version of me, which stunned me in a good way.. I felt like I was looking at myself. I completely forgot about time or anything around me while I stared at them with my mouth a bit open in amazement. I was completely speechless.

I watched them, amazed as they ran around with their big smiles on their faces. Rainbow was entertaining them and trying to teach them how to fly. They were both determined to learn the element so important to the Pegasi. To become great fliers.

I yelled out to them on accident, but they didn’t react to it.

Dashie couldn’t see me either. But it didn’t matter. I knew they weren’t real. This was all made up in my head. However, what I just saw might be my future if I were to stop Alduin and his madness.

Before I turned around to leave, something else happened. I saw a hologram of myself walking in their direction. That put an even wider grin on Rainbow, and on the kids... my kids.

The other me and Dashie nuzzled noses before he knelt down before the younglings and gave them a big hug, which they accepted in a heartbeat.

I must admit I was getting jealous, and intrigued where this was going. It didn’t make any sense, considering that this was supposed to be me, but I was still getting pretty anxious. I couldn’t help but to feel like this was really happening. And the fact that it may not happen at all made me sad.

But that wasn’t all. The next thing that happened was terrifying, and totally ruined that peaceful moment. All of a sudden I was surrounded by fire and flames. The dead trees around me started burning and I couldn’t go anywhere to get some shelter. I was once again surrounded by death, venomous smoke, and fire.

I heard deadly, distant roars from dragons. I couldn’t see any, but I could definitely hear them. Then I felt for Alduin’s deep voice again, completely killing off the peace of mind I had formed. The sight of my family cleansed my mind of any negativity. I felt like I was free from everything. But now that Alduin had disturbed that, I got filled with hatred and anger again. His sharp, dark voice boosted my urge to slay that beast.

I couldn’t see him anywhere, but I felt for his voice in my head. And this wasn’t a hallucination. This was real. He was actually speaking to me.

He was trying to break me down; trying to feed me false reports about my friends being false and fake. He told me that they were only using me to get to power. Some of them would even eventually betray me and turn their backs on me in the most inappropriate time. And that wasn’t all. He had to rub salt in the wound by saying that one of them would be very close to me.

I didn’t believe him, of course. But it still bothered me. What if someone would actually stab me in the back? The thought of someone close to me betraying me was a disturbing thought.

Twilight’s my best friend. She’s actually my first best friend ever, and she’d saved my life so many times. She would never betray me. Not in a millennium.

And Dashie, who’s way more than my best friend, a person who will be by my side for the rest of our lives. The person that supports me in any situation and the person who died for me; my soul mate.

She’d never do such a thing. And to add to that, she’s the embodiment of loyalty.

Daring Do, however, did fail me once. But she obviously felt bad about it, so I doubt she wants to repeat the same mistake again.

But if what Alduin said to me wasn’t a lie... no, I can’t think like that. Nobody is going to betray me. Not my friends, at least.

“You know of whom I speak of...” his slithering voice pierced into my brain.

“Go away!” I shouted into the air and grasped my head; as if I was trying to block his voice from reaching into my ears. But his voice didn’t come from the outside, but from the inside. His voice was wandering into my brain, and I couldn’t do anything about it.

“You don’t want to admit it, but--”

“Shut up!” I yelled again, determined to ignore the ideas he was trying to plant inside my mind. I knew he was trying to break me down, destroy my trusted fellowship and to get rid of his only threat once and for all. But suddenly, just out of the blue, he stopped talking. Whatever I did, I managed to get his voice out of my head. Thank the gods... his voice was as sharp as my blades and I couldn’t take anymore of it.

The heat was slowly killing me. I felt my energy being sucked away from me. The deadly hot flames around me made me weary, weak and extremely thirsty.

But that wasn’t all.

In a blink of an eye I was surrounded by violent looking foes. They were no dragons, but ponies. And that was something I couldn’t understand. We ponies had to stand together. It’s stupid to fight each other while the real threat is lurking at our doorstep. I guess some ponies just want to see the world burn, like the dragons...

I could only see four ponies in front of me, but I knew there was at least one behind me.

They didn’t say anything, but I knew they were here to kill me. I heard hoofsteps behind me, and realized that the first pony was about to make a move. I quickly unsheathed by blades, automatically turned around and swiped into the air. As the pony’s windpipe made contact to my blade, he disappeared.

So they wasn’t real either. They were just images.

A pony in front of me with a spear got up to me, but I didn’t try to resist this time. What’s the point of resisting and burning out energy if they weren’t real anyways?

I started hovering in the air with my wings, and crossed my arms whilst staring at the imaginary pony in front of me with a small frown. I wasn’t really in the air though. Merely an inch above the ground. My hooves barely touched the ground.

But something strange and unexpected happened. We actually made a physical contact as he stabbed me with his sharp, rusty spear deep into my intestines. The spear actually made its way through and out of my back. The pain of impact... god, it was like a small death.

I immediately fell to the ground gasping in pain, and violently started coughing up and drooling some of my blood as I watched the foe before me grinning with a victorious smile. That was one of the worst experiences I’d ever been through. Not as painful as when I crashed to the ground to win Dashie in a race, nor was it as painful as when I was being transferred to Equestria for the second time. But that definitely hurt.

I noticed that the enemy was still holding the shaft of the spear, so I used that opportunity to force myself to get up, turn around and therefore put him linear in front of his friends.

I knew I was done for, so I put all of my remaining strengths and energy into a one last Shout.

“Yol, Toor Shul!”

As soon as my fire breath made an impact on the imaginary, but somewhat real foes, they vanished into the air and turned to dust. Nothing was left of them.

The fire around me had suddenly quenched out, and I was back at the area with the bodies.

My legs gave up on me, making me fall down to my knees next to Twilight’s body. I had difficulties in breathing, and I had an urgent feeling to just lay down and get some sleep.

I looked up and saw yet another sight. Rainbow Dash was perhaps 15 feet away front of me. I noticed that she was crying and in desperate need of reaching me. But two soldiers kept her from running up to me. They held her steady and slowly and walked with her away. “We must get you to safety, he’s done for. He cannot be saved. I’m sorry.” one of them announced in a echo-y voice. She tried to fight back, but the guards were too strong; even for her. She was yelling my name with everything she had and I read from her lips a couple of “No’s”. “Let me go! It’s my job to keep him alive! It’s my responsibility!” she added, shouting in fury and sadness I’d never heard in her before.

I couldn’t do anything but watch and force a smile on my face while grunting in pain. I felt a single tear running down my face, both from the pain and the sight of my beloved Dashie. But they disappeared from my sight soon enough, leaving me alone yet again.

I knew I wouldn’t make it, and I didn’t want to die with the spear still stuck in my body, so I forced myself to remove it. Its removal was actually worse than being gutted by it. As soon as I ripped the weapon from my insides, I screamed in pain. I started getting incredibly cold, and my limbs began malfunctioning yet again. I still managed to toss the bloodied spear away from me before the rest of my body collapsed to the ground due to lack of blood and energy. I gasped and gasped. I felt like a fish on land. My body started to crumble. With each breath, my pain grew stronger and stronger and I couldn’t do anything about it.

I put pressure on the wound with my hooves to minimize the bleeding while I laid on the ground in the pool of my blood and tried to breathe lighter to minimize the pain as well as much as I could. With great effort, I put my left hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and whispered with my stuttered, but determined voice, “I-I’ll s-see you s-soon, Twi”, before I completely lost my breath. I closed my eyes and listened to my weak heartbeat pumping the liquid of life through my veins before it completely stopped.

“I know that, Rainbow. But recruiting allies are a necessity and a priority to everything else. Duty always comes first. I expected you of all people to know that. Just ask Drake when he wakes up, he’ll agree with everything I say.” whispered Daring Do.

“Could you relax a bit? We just reclaimed Ponyville. I think we’ve earned a bit of rest, don’t you think? And besides, you said you wanted to pay us a beer. I’m holding you to that.” Rainbow replied, also in a whisper. They clearly didn’t want to wake me up from my beauty sleep. But they didn’t realize that I had already woken up. I just didn’t show it yet.

My first reaction after I woke up was holding my hooves firmly against my still agonized tummy. I searched for a wound that never existed. However, I still felt like my insides were all cut up and sliced.

My first thoughts, however, led to the memory of my future family. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those astonishing eyes of my daughter.

“You saw for yourself how most of the residents of Ponyville ended up like! We can’t let that happen again. We need to get rid of the threat as soon as possible. Only then can we cheer and celebrate all we want. But not until Alduin’s head is on a spike!” Daring Do spat out and tried as hard as she could to persuade her. Being persuasive was another trait she had obtained through her years at the Bards College before her dedication as an adventurer.

“Come on. We shouldn’t be too worried. We did weaken them and their cause when we showed Alduin that we are strong and resilient. I even heard rumors about rebel groups forming among the dragons ever since Alduin’s defeat in Ponyville. So maybe we could recruit some of those rebels. Get them on our side.”

“Oh, we shouldn’t be too worried? Well, that’s where you’re wrong. You saw those bodies back in Ponyville. You saw yourself what they did to them. Oh, no my friend, we have every reason to be cautious. Speaking of which, aren’t you worried now that Drake has been out for what, three days?”

Rainbow hesitated a bit when she heard my name mentioned. She looked at the table in front of her and somehow seemed to be getting nervous. She exhaled and looked into her eyes before answering: “Of course I’m worried. He keeps blacking out and I have no idea why. My bet is that it has something to do with him being a former human, but... I’m not sure.” she said with a sad tone in her voice. She sighed before continuing, “Anyhow, I hope it stops soon. I can’t help but to worry that he will eventually go into a deep sleep someday, and won’t wake up. I don’t know what to do if that happens. I know I’m being pessimistic again, but what if it does happen? And with the dangerous life he’s living, what if he... what if he actually dies soon? And that brings up another question I’ve been wondering myself for quite some time now. What if he dies after killing Alduin? What if he sacrifices himself for the greater good or something? Or if he doesn’t die, what if he gets into a tragic accident, resulting in a serious injury that will slow him down for the rest of his life? Or if he gets teleported back into his former world and gets stuck there for the rest of our lives? Or what if he-“

“Shh, shh. Your worries for his mental and physical health is natural. Don’t dwell on it though. I’m sure he’s fine, and I’m sure his unexplainable blackouts aren’t because of his former life. It must be Alduin having an effect on him, or the fact that he shares the same blood as the dragons and is somehow influenced by it or... something. I’ve no idea. But don’t worry, I’m sure this isn’t permanent. He’ll slay Alduin and his servants and you two will live a happy life. I just know it.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering: “This isn’t a fairytale, you know?” she pointed out both in a joke mixed with seriousness. “ Eh... you may be right. But enough about that. And to get back to our former conversation; you don’t expect us to travel North as soon as he wakes up, do you? We must take it easy. He’s not ready for such a long voyage yet.”

I had my eyes wide open, but hidden from view the whole time after I woke up. I somehow wasn’t surprised that I had blacked out in Ponyville and woke up three days later in my apartment, even though I probably should be. But what Rainbow said did sort of make sense. Did my sudden collapses have something to do with my former life? Was I still somehow connected to Earth or the humans, and did that have an effect on my life here?

I slowly got out of bed and stood up but they didn’t seem to notice anything. They were too focused on their little conversation that they had blocked out everything that was happening around them. I took my sweet time stretching my limbs and wings, and even yawned rather loudly. But still no reaction and that surprised me a bit. Then again, they did have their backs turned on me and they were in the kitchen.

“I know I owe you guys a drink, but can’t that wait for a bit? You know yourself that we live in crucial times. First of all--”

I faked a cough and knocked on the wall beside them, and that finally seemed to steal their attention. They both stared at me in startle, completely speechless, before they quickly stood up from their chairs. Rainbow gasped in surprise before flinging at me into a tight hug. I returned it without any hesitation, gave her a pat on the back and chuckled a bit. It sure was good getting back into her arms again. I inhaled the air and closed my eyes while the moment lasted. I then let go of her and gave her a small kiss on her temple.

“Why so surprised to see me?” I asked and pretended I didn’t know anything about me being out for three days.

“Gods damn it, Drake. You’ve been out for three stinking days. I was starting to fear for the worst--”

I put my right hoof on her snout to shut her up and said: “Hey, it’s alright. I’m up now and ready to kick ass.”

I turned around to face Daring Do who wore a small relieved smile on her face as well. She was happy to see me up again, as was I in seeing her.

“How are you both? Anything new while I was out?”

“In a matter of fact, yes. We have much to talk about.” Rainbow simply notified me and walked into the living room towards the sofa. She expected us to follow, but Daring Do hesitated.

“You go ahead and fill him in on the details. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get a nap. See you guys later.”

After Daring was gone from our sight, and we had taken our seats next to each other, she continued: “Ponyville is currently under reconstruction as we speak. The markets have been opened again and ponies are allowed to go to their homes.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“That’s not all. Our victory in Ponyville didn’t only send a message to Alduin, but also to all the dragons. We’ve been getting reports about rebel groups forming among them. Just like in the old war when ponies turned their backs on each other in fear of being killed. That’s a good sign. That means we’re weakening them. In addition, we could take an advantage of that. Maybe we could recruit them? That would be so cool! And that would also seriously help our cause.”

“An army of dragons... I like the sound of that!” I said very interested and nodded a couple of times. I closed my eyes and started imagining the big fight. The armies of rebellious dragons, Argonians and ponies united as friends and allies; storming their gates and bringing the fight to them. I just hoped everything would go according to plan. “But what about Odahviing? He got a pretty bad wound from Alduin, if I recall correctly. How’s he doing?”

“Odahviing’s better than ever, thanks to the Unicorns’ healing spells. He left as soon as he recovered, which didn’t take more than a single day. He said he was heading to the peak of the Throat of the World. Apparently, Paarthurnax allowed him to stay there with him. Before he left, he told me to deliver a message to you that you could always reach him by Shouting his name, or just by visiting him whenever you’d like. He won’t go anywhere unless summoned.”

“Good that he’s alright. Frankly, I’m more worried about you.” I said. I know myself that I’ve put her into a lot of stress and worries lately, considering that I’ve put my life on the line so many times.

Rainbow sighed and stood up, turning her back to me. “Well, I’m still having those bad dreams ever since that fucking pig sexually violated me. I keep waking up in the middle of the night, but having you around me helps calm me down and to get me back to sleep. Just the fact that you’re here with me makes me feel safe and secured. But other than that, I’m fine. You shouldn’t be worried of me. In a matter of fact, I should be worried of you.” she added and turned around to look at me deep in the eyes. She had this look on her face that scared me a bit.

“Please don’t talk about him. We’ve agreed never to speak of him, or the thing he put us through ever again.” I answered and stood up as well to face her. I noticed how nervous she was getting. She gazed at the ground as she was overtaken by a somewhat sad feeling. “But I know why you’re worried of me. I can feel it. And I know that you’re scared of losing me. But I’ll never leave you.” I whispered to her and pushed her chin up so I could look at her face. Her eyes were full of worries, but still with the confidence she always had. I got a sting in my heart by looking at her in that stance, but I gave her a small smile in return in the purpose of making her feel better. “Never.” I repeated to be absolutely sure that she caught that.

Dashie turned her sad frown into a smile and hugged me again tightly, but I still felt her slight distrust. I decided to ignore that and returned it with a grin of my own and smoothly nuzzled her snout in the purpose of getting rid of that distrust that she had formed within herself.

I loved hugging her. There wasn’t anything quite like it. Her soft body, smooth mane, and just being in her presence was now as important to me as breathing. I knew that, more than anything, it was her I was fighting for.

While still locked in a hug, I rested my hooves on her shoulders and smiled widely to her. “I overheard your little talk with Daring Do. I gotta say that I agree with you. We’ve earned a little rest. What do you say about having a drink or two at the bar later tonight? We can bring Daring Do with us and the rest of our friends and have a good time before heading out to... wherever we’re going.”

I noticed that my suggestion clearly got her attention. She slowly turned her warm smile into a big happy grin. “Yes! I’d love that!” she replied happily and gave me a small smooch which didn’t last for very long.

I laughed back a bit awkwardly, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. We both sat down on the sofa again, and as usual I let her use my chest as her pillow while I brushed her mane softly. “Dashie?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes?” she reacted without looking at me. She was in a position way too comfortable to ruin.

“Alduin spoke to me in my dream. He told me one of my closest friends would betray me.”

Rainbow twitched her ears as a reaction. “Meh. Don’t listen to him. You know we’d never betray you. Not in a thousand years.” She was so confident about it that she didn’t even turn around to look me in the face properly. She took it as a joke and she even laughed at it. I looked down to her and noticed her confident smile, which made me feel pretty secure.

“I know that neither you nor any of my other friends would ever betray me. I just can’t picture it.” I said but sighed. We didn’t say anything for a while. I noticed that Dashie was getting ready for a small nap. The complete silence was comfortable and tiring but I decided to break it anyways. I swallowed before continuing “Anyways, while I was asleep I saw... I saw both of my families.”

That, however, made her open her eyes and turn around to look directly at me. She had a surprised look on her face. “What do you mean?”

“You remember the last time I blacked out? I was brought back to Earth. But this time, I woke up in a dead, plain environment somewhere far beyond both Earth and Equestria. It was a horrific sight. Dead trees, haze, mist, smokes, ashes and fires everywhere. But that wasn’t all. I actually went through the stages of my life.”

Rainbow was both interested and surprised in what I had to say. “W-What do you mean both families? You were a part of two families?” she asked just as surprised and confused as I was.

“Well, one of them was my family from the past, the one that died in the car crash, but the other one was from the future.” I swallowed hard before continuing. “It was... beautiful. I...I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It was simply--”

Rainbow now completely turned around and sat up on my lap. She put her right hoof on my snout to shut me up like I did earlier. I didn’t know how she’d take the news. If she would be happy, scared or angry about it. I gulped as I looked into her magenta eyes.

“Wh-what did you see?” she asked calmly in a half whisper, but still a bit startled and couldn’t help but to open her mouth a bit.

“I saw... our family.” I explained and pointed first at my chest, then poked lightly at hers. “A family we’ll start according to my little vision. I know we can’t rely on anything I see, but I actually saw into our future we’ll have when we defeat Alduin. I’ve never seen myself as a family person, but I gotta admit... after seeing that--” I paused and hesitated. I sighed and swallowed before continuing: “Never mind. It doesn’t matter anyways. It can’t be trusted and it may well be that it won’t ever happen. Forgot I said anything. Let’s just focus on--”

“Please, tell me.” she demanded as seriously as she could, but still mildly. She was still piercing me with her stare. And I still couldn’t analyze her; how she felt about it. Well, except for the fact that she was both excited and interested.

“In my dream I saw a hologram of us, as well as of our...future children. A colt and a filly. The filly had different colored eyes. Her right eye was red, while her left one was magenta; like yours. She was orange colored like your mom and had multi-colored mane as you. The colt was just a mini version of me. Cyan fur, black mane, red eyes.” Dashie lost her breath for a second as I talked and turned her full focus on what I had to say. I noticed the sparkles in her eyes. “I saw you teaching them how to fly. They were both eager and happy, as were you. Before the image disappeared, a hologram of me entered the picture and gave the children a hug. That’s how it ended.”

Rainbow didn’t say anything. She was as still as a statue. The only movements were from her chest and her eyes analyzing my face. She swallowed hard before hesitantly hugging me again. I returned it, and we rested in each other’s arms for what seemed a long while.

“What... what do you think of it?” I hesitantly asked and hoped for the best. I wasn’t hoping for acceptance, but for honesty. I knew she wasn’t a family type, and neither was I. But after I saw that vision, I think a big part of me had changed. I wanted my own family now. But I still wasn’t quite ready for it. And the times we lived in didn’t allow it.

“I don’t know. I just-- I just don’t know. As of now, I’m not ready for such a thing, and neither are you, I take it. But this-- I just... I don’t know. This is all so sudden. I have to digest this. Let’s speak of this some other time.”

“Like I said. It may well be it won’t happen at all. Maybe the gods showed this to me to boost my eagerness. But whether this will happen or not, I think it’s something worth fighting for. And if it doesn’t happen, or if we decide to ignore it... well, at least we got each other. Hopefully...” I said but whispered the last word. I had no idea what would happen to us in the future, but I knew it wasn’t bright as of now.

“We have to go through this. Alduin will try harder than ever to crush us, especially after his defeat in the fight for Ponyville. We must get ready and stay on guard.” she pointed out and put her hooves on my shoulders. I didn’t respond her but looked deep into her eyes once again, and without a smile this time. I was too confused. “Alduin said someone would betray you. I don’t believe him, but if it actually does happen. If anyone does betrays you...” she added and poked at my manubrium. “They betray me too. And messing with me is not healthy.”

I grabbed her forehooves and said, “That’s not gonna happen. We have good friends. Trustworthy friends. Together we will face Alduin and his army. And together we will defeat them.”

That brought a determined, approved smile on Dashie. “Now that’s what I like to hear!”

“But today we rest and enjoy ourselves.”

Out of the blue, Rainbow gasped as she remembered something. “Oh! I almost forgot! Celestia and Luna would like to speak to you.”

“Really? Huh. Alright. But tell me. How did they react to the news of you being alive?”

“They invited me to her castle for a little talk as soon as they got the news. I explained to them that you managed to bring me back. Celestia had mixed feeling about that. Of course she was happy to see that I was back, but she seemed a bit annoyed that you spent your time trying to save me and risked your life unnecessarily instead of focusing on the dragons. But she understood your intentions, and is more than happy that I was brought back. But one thing’s funny. I noticed that Luna had a small, subtle, proud smile on her face. She was obviously trying to hide it, since she tried everything in her power to prevent eye contact. And when Celestia asked her if she had something to do with me being alive, she just denied and looked away nervously while chuckling clumsily.”

“Ha, well, don’t tell Celestia, but if it wasn’t for Luna, you’d still be dead.” I pointed out and closed my eyes pretty amused. “Anyways. We shouldn’t keep them waiting, should we? We’ll go talk to the Princesses, and then we can go meet our friends and have a drink or two at the Prancing Pony. What do ya say?” I suggested and smiled clumsily.

Rainbow got off me and stood up. “Hell yeah!” she almost shouted. She quickly flew away to the other side of the room next to our bed and returned back with my helmet and handed it over. I smiled widely when I saw my beloved helmet once again, but I didn’t accept it.

“Put it on. I wanna see how you look like with it.”

“You want me to... try it out?” she asked rather confused, but I could see it on her face that she had always wanted to try it out. I had noticed that she was very fond of it, even though she did point out that I should wear it less in privacy or when I was off-duty.

I nodded and waited patiently for her to put it on. Dashie gave me a small squee and a smile as a response and didn’t hesitate putting it on.

She looked like a true warrior with it on. Even I was terrified of her. Did that mean I really looked much scarier when I wore it? Was that perhaps the reason why she wanted me to wear it less? Knowing Rainbow, that couldn’t have been the case. Whatever the reason, if she wanted me to wear it less, I’d be happy to oblige. Although, the helmet made me feel safer than I already was.

She flew over to the mirror next to the exit door and admired herself. She started posing in mid-air in threatening positions, punching towards the mirror and whispered to herself how awesome she looked; how mighty and powerful she was.

Her confidence always cracked me up. I loved how determined she was. I stood up, slowly walked over to her and looked at myself in the mirror.

I still hadn’t gotten used to my pony body. I had been a human for many years, and was accustomed to two arms, two legs, and everything else that goes with being human.

My new body still reminded me of the mysterious stallion that saved my life when I was about to get beheaded. And ironically, my freedom was also of Alduin’s doing.

I wanted to meet that pony again, but his whereabouts remain unknown.

I stared deep into the red eyes of the person in front of me. I blinked a couple of times and turned my head a bit to the right to take a good look at my ear, mane, and cheek. The other guy responded by doing the same thing.

Rainbow was still admiring herself in the mirror with the helmet. She seemed to like it, judging by how proud she was of herself. She got into an aggressive stance, frowned at herself, gnawed her teeth and growled a bit as if she was practicing for her next opponent.

I quickly shook my head and fixed my attention to her. “You look pretty badass with it on.” I pointed out, “Might have guessed you were the Dragonborn.”

“Heh... maybe I am! Maybe I just haven’t found out about it yet.” she half joked and grinned widely at me with her eyes closed. “In all seriousness, who knows? Truly. Maybe I am. There have been multiple Dragonborns over the years.” she continued her little joke that was starting to take a serious turn and chuckled.

“I hate to break it to you, but the gods themselves told me I was the only Dragonborn in our times.”

“Pfft. You’re a mood killer.” she muttered and took my helmet off. “Take it then. Wear it as a true Dragonborn would.”

“Why don’t you hold on to it a little while longer? Tell you what... you can wear it for a full day!” I suggested and made it sound like a joke, although I did mean it. “It fits you well. I’m sure our enemies won’t even dare messing with you with it on. But I’ve gotta get it back after a day or two. I feel... naked... without it.”

“Heh. Not messing with me would be wise. I know that I look powerful, but there is still more about me than meets the eye.” she boasted full of herself and closed her eyes. “But I think I will hold on to it for now. Thanks, Drake. It shall be put to good use.”

I slowly walked away from her and towards the big window in the other side of her apartment. The view was beautiful as always. Especially at nights when the big moon was out and the stars shining brightly. The big colorful Northern Lights furtherly added to the magic. Sometimes they were yellow, sometimes blue, red or the traditional green. Sometimes, but rarely, they were a mixture of all above. And sometimes two big planets next to each other turned visible. Either way, I never got tired of watching the lights, stars and the immense planets that appeared so close to us. They reminded me of beauty; that there was still something beautiful in this world. Although Equestria was still filled with peace and beauty, the days were growing darker and darker, thus, completely clouding that view within many. But I meant to change that one way or the other. There would be enemies in my path. They would try anything to prevent me from reaching my goal. But that’s not going to happen. Because I’m not alone in my quest. I got my faithful comrades by my side. Together we will face them and together we will defeat them. One way or the other, Alduin and his servants will fall.

I got lost in my own thoughts, and that’s why I didn’t notice Rainbow approaching me from behind. She got up next to me and put her right arm around me. She didn’t say anything either. She just stared through the window and tried to spot the point I was looking at. But I wasn’t looking at anything specific. I was merely thinking about life and death, and the consequences should I fail my mission.

“I know what you’re thinking about. Quit it.” she ordered me and started to frown a bit. “You can’t dedicate your life to your assignment. Live your life while you can. Your job shouldn’t be the main goal in your life.” Before I could object, she continued. “And drop the speech about how important this is, because I know it is. Even the world depends on it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t allow yourself to... enjoy existing, being with your friends, have fun. Ever had fun, huh?”

“You don’t understand.” I sighed sharply and looked away. “I can’t help it. It’s buried deep in my brain, and I just can’t block it out. I literally can’t ignore it. I just... have this urge. It’s extremely irritating. Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like more than being free from these thoughts.”

“At least that’s a sign that you’re a good person.” she reassured me and shook my left shoulder. I however didn’t say anything in response, nor did I look at her. “Hey, look at me.” she continued and turned my head to her direction. “We’re going to this little meeting with the Princesses. Then we’re going to have a good time with our friends, and I’ll make sure you’ll get your mind off your worries. One way or another. You copy?” she asked.

I didn’t dare do anything but nod quickly a numerous times. That brought a relieving smile on her face.

“Good. Now, let’s wake up Daring Do and get the hell out of this place.” she demanded as she pointed at the door. But I still wouldn’t budge. I was still bothered and annoyed by my constant thoughts of Alduin, his plans and what would happen if he’d win.

She rolled her eyes when she noticed that I wasn’t convinced. “C’mon. Whenever I feel worried, depressed or whatnot, I take a good route around Cloudsdale or Ponyville. Always clears my mind. Wanna try it out?” she suggested pretty excited. We hadn’t flown together in our free times since the night at the bar, our second evening together.

But I liked her plan. Flying around with her would surely take my mind off things I didn’t want to think about.

With a smile I said “Yeah... let’s do that.”

Dashie was thrilled that I had agreed to fly with her. And she was right. Breathing in the fresh cool air and racing her from Cloudsdale to Ponyville and back again really did remove my thoughts of death. She was quicker than me this time, but I wasn’t really putting effort into it like I did when we raced for the first time. Back then I really wanted to beat her with all my heart. Now I just wanted to have a good time and take it easy. She boasted about beating me, of course, but I didn’t mind it. It actually kind of amused me when she did that. After all, that was one of the reasons why she was my favorite pony back when I was a human.

After all that, we went back home to go get Daring Do. It was time to check on the royal Princesses. I didn’t have a clue what they wanted, nor did I care. But I didn’t want to ignore them, so I decided to attend their little meeting and just get it over with. The reason why I didn’t like visiting them was because everything they had to tell me always concerned my job as the Dragonborn. I wanted to just ignore that for a little while. I wanted to enjoy myself a bit like Dashie suggested. Make my stay here in Equestria as enjoyable as I could.

At last we arrived to the royal castle. A couple hours of flight felt like ten minutes since the three of us communicated the whole way, making time seem faster to pass. And I finally managed to keep my thoughts of Alduin away this time. Dashie and Daring made sure of that.

“Dragonborn.” said Celestia, full of honor, when she noticed me by the entrance. “Please, approach.”

I nodded to both of them and did as she requested. Dashie and Daring Do silently followed and made sure not to create unnecessary noises by shutting their mouths. The atmosphere felt holy. I sensed no evil of any kind in that room.

We got up to the two apparently happy Princesses. They wore big smiles on their faces, and looked very happy and relieved. At least in comparison to last time I met them, which was when I brought the deceased Dashie with me. The look on Luna’s face is still fresh in my memory. And I was a bit surprised that she was actually sadder than Celestia over Rainbow’s death. But in the meantime, I understood why. Luna’s convert into the light was partly of Rainbow’s doing. Without her, she’d without a doubt be lost in darkness for eternity, and surely banished again to the moon. She would crave for freedom in her darkness for another millennium or so.

The first thing we did when we got up to them, we knelt down and bowed our heads towards the ground. Daring Do even removed her hat and put it next to her chest in a matter of respect.

“Dragonborn, step forward.” demanded Luna in all seriousness.

I stepped a small step forward and gulped. I didn’t know what they wanted, but the tone worried me a bit.

“We told you to go to Ponyville and deal with the dragon attack. You did. And not only did you save the town, but you also saved many lives. If you hadn’t brought them down...”

“I wasn’t alone. I was only a part of the triumph. You should thank your soldiers who clearly did their jobs. And my comrades. I couldn’t had done it without them.” I interrupted. “You see, I don’t want all the honor because I’m just one guy. And does me being a Dragonborn make me any better than the rest of you? I may wield an incredible power like none other, but I’m certainly not a better person than anyone else. I could never have accomplished Ponyville’s retake without my friends and the soldiers you and your sister sent out.”

Luna suddenly stood up furiously from her throne and looked me sharply in the eyes. “Drop thy hero act! We both know that thou served the biggest part of our success! We’ll make sure we honor the ones that participated in Ponyville’s defense, but if thou hadn’t come along, there wouldn’t be a Ponyville at all anymore! So be silent and let us speak!” she shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice. She seemed to have learnt to control it, but decided to unleash it upon me to shut me up. And it worked. Maybe I deserved it.

“She’s right. You really should allow yourself to take some credit. You’re the biggest reason why Ponyville still stands. You know this. You just don’t want to admit it.” Dashie pointed out and put her hoof on my shoulder. “It’s alright.”

I sighed and nodded in defeat. Although what they said did make sense, I still felt like all the honor and gratitude they showed me wasn’t deserved. I felt like I was part of a whole. But since they demanded it to be this way, then who am I to argue? I just do what I’m told. And this situation was no different.

Luna cleared her voice before continuing. “By our right as Princesses, we name you Thane of Ponyville and Canterlot. Congratulations. You have now the rights to buy a property in either of those holds. We’ll also notify the Guards of your new title, wouldn't want them to think you're part of the common rabble now."

I heard Daring Do and Dashie gasp in excitement behind me. But I didn’t get it. What’s the purpose of Thanes?

“I don’t quite follow. I thought I was already not a part of the “common rabble”. And what is a Thane?”

“Please note that even though you’re the Dragonborn, you must follow the common rules. You being a Dragonborn didn’t give you any more rights than the others. But now that you’re our Thane, you’re now higher ranked than the civilians and therefore have more rights than most ponies. But crimes such as murder and stealing is obviously never acceptable under any circumstances. Well, self-defense is another matter.” Celestia added mildly and a bit proudly. She was still under the influence of our victory in Ponyville.

“But what about the fact that I’m able to purchase my own property now? Does that mean everybody that owns a property in either of those holds are thanes as well?” I asked confused.

“Of course not. You may be the Dragonborn and the prophecy the Elder Scrolls had predicted, but due to your criminal past, we couldn’t allow you to become a resident in either Ponyville or Canterlot. You, however, live in Cloudsdale with your wife. That’s not our hold and therefore not our business. But now that we’ve named you our Thane, it cleared your name at the same time.”

“Now wait just a minute!” Rainbow interrupted. “Drake is no criminal! He was framed!” she added and allowed herself to frown at the princesses.

I felt anger and disappointment building up within me, but I remained calm and mild at Rainbow. I slowly nodded to her and indicated with that that she should drop it. I had it under control. Dashie nodded back and backed away. But she didn’t regret anything.

The reason for my anger and disappointment was because I just woke up in a carriage on my way to get executed and was blamed for something I didn’t even do. Or whatever I did, I wasn’t aware of it. But that thought was pretty disturbing. If I wasn’t controlling my body back then, then who was? I got goosebumps when I thought about it and shook my head.

“What do you mean Cloudsdale ain’t your hold? Aren’t you two the rulers of Equestria?”

Celestia and Luna both looked at each other and laughed softly before answering me. “Oh, gods no, my dear Dragonborn. We are two of many royals throughout Equestria. For example, there’s a king in Solitude, or well, there was a king before he got killed--”

“Yeah... The Stormcloaks’ leader; Ulfric, Shouted him to death, didn’t he?” I interrupted a bit surprised. I had always thought they were in charge of the whole land. Clearly, I was mistaken.

“Yes. He’s now the Jarl of Windhelm, another hold in Equestria if you didn’t already know.”

“But...but, you two raise the sun and the moon! That’s got to make you superior to the other royals, right?” I pointed out really surprised. This was getting very interesting.

“No. We’re only doing the parts entitled to us. The king in the north, for an example, brings out the Northern Lights, while the Queen in Markarth, another beautiful hold in the west, brings out the stars. We all have our roles. We’re all equal, and we have been given the responsibilities to watch over the holds we had been provided.” Explained Luna.

I was starting to understand a bit. Kings, queens and princesses didn’t have the same meaning as on Earth. Instead, they are another name for guardians. They’re the ones making sure everything’s alright. But everything started to make a bit more sense for me. Before our conversation, I had been wondering about the king that got killed. I was puzzled by the fact that there was a king at all since I thought Celestia and Luna, as well as their family were the only royals in Equestria.

“I... I see.” I murmured and tried to wrap my head around those facts.

“Anyways, now that you are Thane, you will be given a housecarl--”

“What is a housecarl?” I interrupted again.

Luna and Celestia were starting to get a little annoyed. “We would appreciate if you’d let us finish for once.”

“Sorry, won’t happen again.” I excused myself and blushed in shame.

“A housecarl is a formidable warrior who is entitled to defend their master at any cost. They must be close to their master at any times. If their master is attacked, the housecarl will be the first to enter the battle to fight for his or her liege's life. That is, if help is needed. We know you’re already in good hooves, but as a part of your role as a Thane, you must get a housecarl.”

I nodded pretty interested. “And may I choose whoever I wish to be my housecarl?”

“No. We will grant you one of our finest warriors to accompany you wherever you go until you relieve him off duty. But that’s not recommended.”

“Well, sorry, but I don’t want your elite warrior.” I turned around to look at Dashie who seemed to be focusing completely on our conversation. “I want Rainbow Dash to be my housecarl.”

Both Rainbow Dash and the princesses gasped when I said that. Judging by Rainbow’s facial expression, this was like a long lost dream coming true. Actually getting a job as the Dragonborn’s bodyguard.

“Sorry, but that’s not possible--”

“It’s either her or nobody.” I pointed out with a confident smile as I looked at the Princesses.

“Dragonborn! We told you--”

“Just let it go.” Luna intervened. “Let her be his housecarl. She had proven many times to be a great warrior. I bet she will do her job just fine. And besides, I think they’ll work together better than the random warrior who’s supposed to accompany him.”

Celestia sighed and nodded in defeat. “So be it. Rainbow Dash, you are hereby stripped of your current job as a guardian of the weather, and are named the housecarl of Canterlot and Ponyville’s thane; Drake. From now on you two are inseparable. This is your new job so you will receive payment each month to keep you both fed and for a roof over your heads. Is that clear?”

Rainbow dropped to her knees, completely speechless, and couldn’t help but to stare at me and the Princesses. She slowly nodded in amazement and swallowed hard. “I-I will do my best, my Princesses.”

“We’re sure you will. Just remember that his life is in your hooves now. It’s your job to keep him safe and alive. His life is your responsibility. So you better be prepared for whatever difficulties may lie on his path. Shouldn’t be too hard for you, since you two are so well connected already.”

Rainbow Dash stood up, put on a small determined frown and saluted them. “You can count on me!”

That brought a wide smile to all of our faces. “Good. Now that that’s been dealt with, and if there isn’t anything else, I’ll be going now. I have business elsewhere. Thank you again, and I’m honored to be your, eh, Thane.”

“And Drake?” Luna shouted after me when we were halfway down the hallway on our way to the exit. I turned around and looked at her.

“Yes?” I responded, kind of surprised that she used my real name instead of my title. It was more personal that way and I liked it. To be honest, I was getting a bit tired of being called Dragonborn. It made me feel like I was just some tool.

“I’m happy for you.” she added and winked at me subtly. I smiled at her and nodded slowly before I turned around and left the empty room with my comrades.

Walking into the Prancing Pony reminded me of why I had gone there before; to drown my sorrows at Dashie’s death away. I had wanted to keep drinking, and never stop. But I hadn’t, and for that I was glad.

Fair sums of ponies were on the dance floor, drunk, dancing to electro music. Electro music.. that made me wonder. Since everything is so medieval, then why did they have electro music but no computers? But then, I wasn’t on Earth anymore, so it didn’t really surprise me.

Rainbow Dash was already drunk and speaking and laughing with Soarin’ while Daring Do was talking to random ponies I’ve never seen before. Twilight was seated and spending her time with the rest of her friends while I sat by the bar next to Spitfire with the beers Daring Do paid for me. Apparently, she decided to pay more than one beer as an apology for keeping my drink waiting. I was fine by that. I had drunken them all, but I wanted more.

Equestrian beer, however, much to my surprise, is much stronger than the stuff back on Earth. I was pretty damn drunk myself, but I was having a good time and that was just what I needed.

“Hey.. you!” I shouted after the bartender with a clumsy smile. “Put more of the liquidity... stuff... in the.. the thingy in front of me.” I continued and let out a random squeaky laugh.

The bartender, light gray unicorn, rolled his eyes and sighed annoyingly, but obeyed me.

I took big gulps of the ice cold beer and exhaled in relief. “Now this thing is good! I’m having fun! This is... I mean, no dragons! No dragons at all! Just... fun! So much fun!!”

“Aye!” shouted Spitfire in agreement and gave me a reassuring pat on my shoulder. “I second that!”

“Hey... Spittie? How is Dashie doing in your little... group of yours? Ain’t she like... amazing?”

Spitfire wasn’t nearly as drunk as I was, but she was still affected by alcohol. I had been talking to her for quite some time now, and she seemed like a really decent person. I wanted to get to know her better and she undoubtedly wanted to get to know me better as well.

“Oh, yes! She’s a great flier. She reminds me of... of her mother. Maybe she’ll become the next Wonderbolts’ leader after me! Who knows?”

“That’s good to hear. But excuse me, Spittie--” I uttered with a smile and turned around to face the bartender once again.  “Hey, Mr. Provider! You heard any...like... rumors lately or somethin’?”

He sighed sharply before answering me. “Well, there is this colt called “Aventus Aretino” in Ponyville who’s been trying to perform The Black Sacrament. Apparently he wants someone dead. He’s locked himself in a house two blocks away from here and won’t let anyone but the assassin in.”

“The Black Sacrament? That sounds... silly! What is it anyways?” I asked without taking him seriously and laughed.

“You don’t know about the Sacrament? If you want someone dead, you contact The Dark Brotherhood. To do that you must perform a dark ritual to call out for an assassin. Once you two meet, you arrange a contract. The person gives the assassin some valuables and the assassin takes out the victim for you.”

“The Dark Brotherwhat? Assassins? Hah! That’d be the day! And please, give me more of that good stuff!”

“No, you’ve had enough!” He shouted at me ferociously. “Now, go somewhere else or I must ask you to leave. I refuse to give you any more alcohol.”

“Geez... calm down bro. You should lighten up a little! Hey, Spittie, come with me. This... man over there, eh, sorry, I mean, stallion over there, he doesn’t like me very much.” I tried to explain but was way too drunk to think straight. I gently grabbed her hoof and stood up.

Spitfire simply laughed and didn’t hesitate following me wherever I was leading her.

I noticed Dashie dancing with Soarin’ on the dance floor. They were both obviously drunk, and truly reflected that by how they acted. Rainbow noticed me, shot a grin and waved over to me. I waved back.

“You see that, Spittie? She’s mine. All mine!”

“Hah! Yeah, she’s... lucky to have you, Drake!” she answered and punched me in my shoulder again.

“And Soarin’ is lucky to have you!” I replied and gave her a light tap on her back. “Come on! Let’s party!” I added.

I led her to the middle of the pub and up to a big table. A lot of drunk ponies were gathered around, since someone had apparently accepted a drinking challenge from someone. He was standing on a table and drinking something really strong. Everyone were cheering the poor bastard forward. But he couldn’t really handle it. He threw up all over the floor before he could even finish, which pretty much drove most of them away. Some stayed and laughed their ass off, and I noticed some of them exchange coins. Bets I guess...

“Move!” I ordered loudly and shouted “Fus!” at the drunken pony in front of me. He fell off the table and hugged the ground as he made contact.

“Mmmm... cold floor.” he murmured and fell asleep.

Two other ponies, supposedly his friends, picked him up and walked away with him from the inn and out into the darkness. Then the bartender furiously walked over to the puke and cleaned it up with his magic. He gave me a disliking glare and frowned, telling me with his facial expression that he wasn’t afraid of throwing me out if necessary.

I climbed up to the table and cleared my voice before shouting loudly, but proudly; “Everyone! Can I have your... attention, please?”

The music stopped playing and everyone immediately focused on me. Even the ones that seemed too busy drinking themselves to death looked upon me and postponed their activity.

“My fellow... friends and allies and buddies! We got Ponyville back!” Everyone cheered and yelled in victory and success. “Now, drink and dance! Enjoy existing! You’ve earned it!” I added and gazed through the cheering crowd. I looked over to Spitfire and gave her a small smile. She had a huge impressed grin on her face. I also noticed that she was trying to seduce me by the way she was around me.

Whatever was in the drinks messed with our brains. I actually liked the way she tried to impress me. But I bet that she just had too much as well. We were both unavailable and we both knew our mates were a couple of feet away from us.

Or maybe she wasn’t trying anything on me. I’d just had too much. Anyways, it wasn’t working and I was glad because of that.

“Uh... Spittie? Wanna go over to our... our... uhh... friends?” I suggested before I’d do something stupid.

“Uhm, yeah, sure, lead on.” she replied both disappointed and relieved.

“And hey, could you go get us some more... booze? The bartender guy won’t give me more. And I... I just wanna have fun, man! I wanna... I need to dance. See you at the dance floor!”

“Sure, I can do that.” she replied without any hesitation. “I’ll meet ya there!”

I nodded to her before I turned around and headed to the dance floor where Dashie and Soarin’ were dancing next to each other.

I woke up with a terrible headache the next day in my bed. My arms were also numb for some reason; they felt very heavy. I didn’t remember anything about the night before, nor did I want to. I felt for the sunshine warming my body from the windows, and I felt for Dashie’s body pressed up to me. I smiled widely without opening my eyes. Although I did not remember anything about the night before, I did remember that it was fun. I had a good time, which was exactly what I needed.

I finally opened my eyes, only to find out that it may have been the biggest mistake I’d ever made. The reason for my numbness in my arms was because they’d been used as a pillow the whole night. I actually woke up not only next to Dashie, but also next to Spitfire... and Soarin’. Spitfire and Dashie were both lying on their stomachs and with their arms around my waist while Soarin’ was lying on his back and completely knocked out by our “feet”.

I almost jumped in panic. What the hell happened?! And did I really just have an... an orgy with them?! I didn’t know whether it was a good thing, or if it was a bad thing. Either way, I’d never want any of this in a normal state.

I continued looking around, pretty damn scared, and noticed something that confirmed that something definitely happened in my apartment last night. Dashie was choking on a pink gag ball. Her mane was a mess and she had definitely had it rough. There were bite marks on her neck and flank. I gagged and almost threw up when I tried to imagine how she got it. Spitfire was outfitted in a sexy tight torn latex leather suit and had a leather whip next to her mouth. The outfit was torn like it had been ripped by a predator or something. Her mane was wet in her sweat and actually brushed. Gotta admit that she looked much better with her mane brushed down.

Soarin’ was completely out of it and wetting the floor with his droolings. He seemed exhausted, and not without a reason...

I looked around again and couldn’t help but to smile widely. Not in appreciation, but in shock and disbelief. I simply couldn’t believe it, even though there was proof all around me. I laughed to myself and shook my head slightly. “Fuck...” I muttered and nodded a couple of times. This was all like a big joke to me. I was still pretty damn mad that it happened. I felt like I was going crazy.

I wanted to punch something, but instead, I nervously swallowed and tried my best to get them two off of me without waking them up. I needed some time alone.

I succeeded in being subtle and managed to get into the kitchen without alarming anyone. Once there, I sat down on the chair and held my hooves firmly to my head.

“Oh... my...fucking... god.” I slowly moaned, both because of the headache and also by the fact that my fun turned a little out of hand. “Please... I did not-- I refuse to believe that-- no... just no.” I whispered to myself, disappointed. “For fuck’s sake!” I cried out in a whisper. I didn’t want them to wake up and face them and its awkwardness. It would be best if I’d just go out for a walk or something and stay outside long enough until it’d be safe to return back home.

For a long time I stared at the table in front of me with both of my front hooves on my forehead. I was trying to wrap my head around this, but I couldn’t. The immense headache prevented me from doing anything.

It was so bad that it completely stole my focus from my surroundings, and that’s why I didn’t notice Dashie sit down next to me. She didn’t have the ball in her mouth anymore, but nor did she look panicked or anything. She acted like nothing had happened. Although, I did see it on her that she wasn’t happy. She was in physical discomfort; lightly bruised on some areas and she looked very weary.

Looking at her in that situation made me gnaw my teeth in disappointment. I really hoped I didn’t cause that. Anyhow, I really didn’t want to know how it happened.

I lost control of myself due to my madness and harshly took her hoof and pulled her out of our apartment. Once outside I furiously let go of her and frowned. “What is this?! What the hell happened?!” I shouted at her in utter rage, though not at her, and pointed at the door. “Why the fuck are they inside our apartment?!”

Dashie frowned at me in return, not approved of my sudden aggression. “What the hay do you mean? It was your idea!” she replied and poked harshly at my chest. “You wanted this!”

Her response was like a slap in the face, and my face twitched as if I had just received one. “Bah! My idea? I don’t think alcohol can change me this much! I’d never... fucking... screw Spitfire with her... her mate! This is... this is absurd!” I hissed as I turned around and banged my head to the wall in the hallway. “My fucking headache is destroying me, and I just woke up not only to my wife, but to two other ponies I don’t even know properly! What the hell is this? Some kind of High School party or something?! We’re adults for Christ’s sake! God... I have to get out of here.”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t in a good mood. She was both confused and angry at me for being so harsh due to my apparent sudden change of heart, since I supposedly asked for this last night. “Get over it! You think I wanted this?! I only accepted because I was under the influence of a lot of alcohol and because I wanted to make you feel happy! I said I was going to do whatever it took to take your mind off your worries, and I’m a mare of my words!”

I got a bit calmer and grabbed both her shoulders a bit powerfully. “You... know me. I’d never want this in a normal state.” I let go of her again and turned around with a sigh. I leaned on the wall next to me, covered my face in my right arm and groaned as the headache grew. “It couldn’t have been the alcohol alone that changed me. Someone must’ve put something in my drink. I’m sure of it.”

“I-I don’t know anything about that, Drake. I’m sorry, I really am. But I’m happy to know that you didn’t really want this.”

I feebly turned around again to face her. Her response calmed me down, but I was drained. All that rage that built in within me stole away my energy. She offered a hug I couldn’t decline.

But I still felt super bad for about what happened. I was disappointed in myself. It was my fault she had to go through that.

She stroke my mane smoothly and gave me a pat on my back with her other hoof. “Hey, it’s alright.”

“No, it’s not. You’re a mess. I don’t know what happened to you yesterday, but I can clearly see that you had it rough... I just... I don’t want to imagine Soarin’...” I was getting angry again when I thought about him, but I had no reason to stay mad. I bet I probably did some things to Spitfire too.

“Hey! Stop thinking about it! I... I don’t want to think about it either. Hey, look at me!” she tried to reassure me and turned my head again to her direction. “What’s in the past is in the past. We have to move on. What do you say we go for another tour around Cloudsdale, huh? It worked the last time.”

I breathed in and breathed out before swallowing and nodding a couple of times. “OK. Let me go get my helmet, I don’t want to leave without it. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, I’ll wait here.” she answered in relief and managed to crack a small smile at me.

I was still a bit angry and disappointed by how the night had ended, but like Dashie said, what’s in the past is in the past. And it needs to stay there. I just had to be careful next time.

The stiff door finally opened after a couple of careful pushes. I had no intentions in waking them up, but I just wanted to go fetch my helmet. The air was certainly not fresh and the temperature was hot inside.

I used my wings to smoothly and quietly fly over to the left side of the bed where my helmet was located.

There it was, in all its glory, sitting on the table beside the bed, waiting to be picked up. I carefully picked it up and put it on. Somehow, I felt slightly better already.

I gazed through the room again and had to fight the urge to growl in anger. Both Spitfire and Soarin’ were snoring and they were both a sore sight. I just hope they’ll feel as bad as me and Dashie about that unfortunate incident when they’d wake up.

But one thought crossed my mind. Where the hell was Daring Do? She lived with us, well, rented with us. She got the guest room and she paid a one-time fee for it. She gave us an artifact more valuable than anything in the apartment. That one artifact, which was made of gold and graced with diamonds and shiny stones, was enough to feed a whole family for the rest of their days. She told us that that one was one of the hardest obtaining. It was a statue of some goddess; most likely Mara, and we were all pretty fascinated by it.

But she wasn’t visible anywhere, and I doubt she was in her room. She must’ve slept over at Twilight’s or something, so I stopped thinking about it.

As quietly as ever, I flew up to the door, but as soon as I was about to open the door, I heard a voice mutter: “Huh? Hello? Anybody?” Apparently, Spitfire had just woken up. No sign of Soarin’ gaining consciousness anytime soon though.

I lowered my head with my hoof still on the doorknob. “Fuck!” I whispered loudly to myself, but quietly enough. I awkwardly turned around and slowly walked over to the bed. I didn’t dare look into her eyes because I didn’t want to enhance the embarrassment.

I stood silently over the bed but neither of us said a word for what seemed like a long while. Although I avoided direct eye contact, I still noticed that she was analyzing my body with a longing. She was also drooling a bit. She definitely had something on her mind and that made me a bit scared. I took it as a hint that she was fully aware of our activity last night. I swallowed hard and decided to be the first one to break the silence. “Uhm...hi?”

“Heya, Drake. How are you? Already up and ready for more?” she asked flirtatiously. “Had fun last night, big boy?”

“Wait... what?!” I uttered speechless and utterly surprised. I slowly backed away with a lump in my throat. “You-- you...”

“Sshhh... I enjoyed it too. You’re so good at this. Clearly shows that you’re experienced. Say, if you ever wanna hook up again, just send out the word. I’ll keep you warm and satisfied whenever you want.”

“Wh- what... what...” There were a lot of questions on my mind I had to ask her, but nothing came out. The only word I could produce was “What”. All of a sudden I was stopped by the wall behind me. I wanted to get away from her, but I couldn’t because the wall was in the way. I would have just stepped aside, but my head was a mess at that moment and I couldn’t think straight.

She erotically stretched her back and limbs on the bed and stared at me the whole time. Her eyes told me she wanted something more. What? Didn’t she get enough last night?!

At last she stood up and slowly walked over to me. I was stunned and found myself starting to sweat a lot more. I had nowhere to go.

“W-What about Soarin’!” I managed to squeak. I was starting to pant in panic.

“Sshh. He doesn’t need to know.” she replied very attractively. Next up she stroke my cheek with her right front hoof. Then she removed my helmet and tossed it away from us. “Don’t be scared. I want you no harm.” She approached my face, but she didn’t kiss me. Our lips barely touched though. “I think you need to be rewarded for your performance last night, big boy. The way you screwed me last night cannot go unrewarded.” she whispered.

I felt like I was about to get a seizure. I was completely petrified. “P-Please. I.. I don’t want... Dashie... she’s the only one... I don’t--” before I could finish whatever I wanted to let her know, she kissed me to shut me up. She pushed me firmly against the wall and started to caress my body. Her leather outfit rubbed up to my body too and created a small grated sound.

I was defenseless. But despite everything that was going on, I noticed one thing that explained everything. Her pupils. They weren’t normal. She was still under the influence of that strong, weird drug or whatever it was that caused her inappropriate behavior. Probably the same thing I got last night. Wow... I’d never heard of such a drug before. It was probably only available here in Equestria. Its effects sure could last. Maybe she got a bigger dose of it than I did.

She was physically strong though and pulled me over to the bed and held me down. She pressed me against the mattress and continued her will against me; tasting my saliva and furtherly stroking and caressing my body. I was completely paralyzed. I couldn’t move, even though I wanted to push her away from me and just flee back into Dashie’s arms where everything was safe.

I could probably shout her away from me, but like I said, I wasn’t thinking straight and my headache didn’t help. I’ve got to admit that the way she licked my inner cheeks and the way she rubbed my pelvic area was pretty damn good; disturbingly satisfying. But that was just my body speaking. I had no urge to go further.

But I also had to admit that she was one of the cutest ponies I’d ever lay my eyes on. She was as cute as a kitten, if not cuter. There was just something about her smile, her eyes and her colors that charmed me. However, I was far from having any feelings for her.

But just when I pulled myself together and broke through my paralysis, she had already “handcuffed” me to the bed with the handcuffs we apparently used last night. I was stuck to the bed, and she wouldn’t stop “rewarding me” by stroking my body softly.

“R-Rainbow! Dashie! Help!” I managed to shout. It didn’t even take her two seconds to break up the door. Dashie gasped and frowned malevolently before launching herself in an incredible speed at Spitfire and taking her down to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she snapped at Spitfire, who didn’t seem surprised or startled at her sudden entrance.

“Well, well, well! Rainbow delicious Dash. Mmmm. Here to take pretty boy away from me, eh? I can understand that. He was amazing last night. But hey, since you’re here, what say you about you join in on the fun? You were amazing last night. You’re so good with your tongue. The way you licked me yesterday and the way you penetrated me with it while they watched was so good. I sure could use it now. And your moans when I flogged you… come here, girl, let me repay the favor.”

Dashie froze for a second and just stared at her lifelessly, but managed to shake her head and quickly backed away from her with a disgusted facial expression. “Drake? W-What the--”

I nervously sighed. “She’s still under the influence of that fucked up drug. She went absolutely crazy! Tied me up to the bed and started to--”

“I don’t need to know!” she interrupted me to shut me up. “Good to know that the drug is the responsible thing. It should wear off her soon enough. Let’s just get out of here before she comes back to herself.”

“You two are leaving? Aww... and I wanted to satisfy you both. Please, Drake, can’t you just screw me once before leaving? I really miss that big--”

Before she could finish off the sentence, Dashie smacked her as hard as she could, resulting in knocking her flat out. The noise of the impact echoed around the apartment, and I twitched a bit in a reaction. “Fuck. You.”

I couldn’t help but to chuckle a bit. The way she cursed after she knocked her down somehow amused me. “Whoa, Dashie. Take it easy.” I said in a giggle.

Rainbow Dash didn’t move. She simply stared at the knocked out Spitfire with both sympathy and anger. She looked up to Spitfire; always had. But she was still pissed off at her, even though she knew she wasn’t being herself.

“And yeah... I noticed a piece of paper on the kitchen table. Apparently it’s for you.” she muttered annoyingly.

“Eh... mind unlocking the handcuff-- I mean, the... hoofcuffs first?”

“Oh, right.” She walked over to the table next to the bed and picked up the key. After she had freed me from my mini prison, I jumped to my “feet” and headed to the kitchen.

I noticed a brown piece of paper lying on the table. It was folded, so I couldn’t see what it contained. Somehow I got a feeling that I didn’t want to open it. It looked... evil.

Maybe I was just being paranoid.

I hesitantly unfolded it and twitched a bit in reaction when I saw what it held. It contained simply a black hoof-- hoofprint with the words "We Know", scribed beneath. Nothing else.

“Wait.. what the hell is this? Some kind of prank?” I asked a bit worried. I didn’t know why, but that note scared the hell out of me. What did “they” know?

“Dashie? You know anything about this?” I asked as I walked over to her.

“Let me see.” she answered. I unfolded the paper again and revealed its contents to her. She simply shrugged and shook her head as a response. “Sorry, don’t know anything about it. Seems pretty weird to me though.”

“I know, right? I’m still worried about it. What do these people know? Why the secrecy?”

“I don’t know. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

“I agree. Let’s go before Soarin’ wakes up and tries to rape us too.” I joked and chuckled lightly. Dashie tried to stay professional, but found it pretty funny too, so she decided to stop trying and let out a chuckle of her own.

I hesitantly picked up the helmet Spitfire tossed away and put it on, ready to take on the world once more.

I wanted to find out who drugged us; perhaps find out if I did something else I wouldn’t do in a normal state. But whoever drugged me was going to regret it. Nobody messes me up without a cost.

We arrived in Ponyville in no time, only to find out that there was a huge investigation going on. Apparently someone had died and the guards were already on the case. The funny thing was that nobody even cared. Whoever died was such a bitch anyways, according to the citizens. The hag who got killed died due to an arrow straight between the eyes. Her name was “Grelod the Kind” and was the headmistress of the “Honorhall Orphanage” in Ponyville. But she was far from being kind. She was just called that because it was ironic. She was quite the opposite in fact; harsh, bitchy and downright cruel. At least that’s what I could gather from the orphans I talked to. They also told me that “it” worked and that they were happy that it did. Someone had performed some kind of a ritual called “The Black Sacrament” to summon an assassin from “The Dark Brotherhood”.

Dashie and I decided to pay Twilight a little visit, and I was glad we did. We found out that Daring Do did indeed stay at her place for the night. I was also glad she made that decision. Otherwise she may had been a victim of that unwanted orgy the drug made possible. I couldn’t help but to shudder to the thought of it. Especially after seeing the effects the drug could have on one. Spitfire got completely out of character. I got to admit that she was kind of...attractive... in the uniform, but I was still shocked at her inappropriate actions towards me and Dashie. Sure she wasn’t being herself, but it still caught me off guard.

Fortunately, Twilight nor Daring were drugged. They were only wasted after that previous night. I was also glad on their behalf that their night didn’t end up as screwed up as it did with me and Dashie.

I asked Daring Do whether she wanted to tag along or not, and she accepted happily. She clearly enjoyed our company, as did we enjoy hers. But we didn’t leave yet. I had to ask Twilight some questions first.

“Twilight. Do you know anything about what happened last night?” I asked feeling like a detective. We were all rounded up in her kitchen by her table with small lights and some kind of weird drinks and refreshments in front of us. I’d never heard of such a drink before, but it was hot and tasted deliciously. It was an Equestrian version of a coffee. That’s the best I can describe it.

“No, sorry. After your small speech at the inn, you just disappeared. Nopony ever saw where you went or what you did. Some said you went outside to finish up some “unfinished business”. Others said you went home. I didn’t know what to believe. I was starting to get a bit worried too, but then I figured that you’re Dragonborn and you got powerful friends by your side. So I stopped worrying about it.”

“Hmm... do you have any idea who might have a clue about what I did last night?”

“My bet would be Pinkie Pie. She may have the information you need. After all, she was the one making sure that everyone had a good time.” Twilight explained with her eyes closed in confidence. She knew we’d get something out of her, but the fact was that I didn’t really feel like meeting up with Pinkie Pie since I already had an immense headache, and I had no intentions in increasing it further. I also didn’t feel comfortable enough to ask Twilight if she could cure it. It was my fault, and I was more than OK to face the consequences I deserved. I shouldn’t had drank so much anyways.

“One other thing before we leave. It’s another matter, really. But I’ve been wondering. Can you send objects through dimensions? Like... teleport stuff from here to, for example, Earth?”

Twilight hummed as she scratched her head with her right hoof. “Maybe... I think it may be possible. But nothing big. I think I could only transfer something as big as a book. Why are you asking?”

“I was just wondering...”

We bid our goodbyes before leaving her tree house and head straight to the bakery. I really didn’t look forward to meet her, but my curiosity led me to her anyways. I wanted-- no, I had to know what happened last night.

We positioned ourselves in front of the door, but as soon as I was about to knock, she opened it up and greeted us with a big smile. “Heya, friends! Had fun last night?” she asked loudly.

“Yeah, about that...”

“Drake. Did it work? Did you have super-duper fun time like Dash wanted you to have?” she asked again with the widest smile ever and patiently waited for an answer.

“Wait. What are you talking about?” I asked confused and looked at Rainbow who seemed to be as confused as I.

“Duh! The stuff I provided you last night! Dash told me she wanted you to have something special to take your mind off something that seemed to be bothering you. I told her I could take care of it and I did, didn’t I? I put the powder of ecstasy into two or three of your beers and you drank them all with best appetite! Well, all except for the one which you gave to Spitfire... but anyways, poof! Happy Drake was happy! From a scale to 1-10, what would you rate it, huh?”

“You... you were the one who drugged me?!” I shouted at her both angrily and surprised. But it didn’t surprise me either at the same time. I quickly turned my head to Dashie who seemed to be speechless. But she managed to speak anyways.

“Pinkie, y-you brat! I didn’t want him drugged! I wanted you to entertain him! Pull a few jokes, hire musicians! Make a party or something! Not mess his brain up with a... fucking drug that caused him to make unfortunate and fucked up decisions!”

“What’s that word, Dashie?” she asked, still smiling as always and ignored our worries. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that weird word. Well, except for Drake. I’ve heard him using it quite a lot. Especially when he’s upset or mad. But then, what isn’t weird about him?” she asked and giggled. “I mean, come on! He’s a dragon-pony!”

I simply stared at Pinkie. My right eye twitched automatically in annoyance and I had to fight the urge to attack her on sight. She was my friend, and she was a good friend. But what she did was too extreme and I couldn’t tolerate it.

“And Drake. Why did you do it?” she added. “Why did you kill poor old Grelod? She was a meanie, I get that. But did she deserve death?”

“What the hell are you-- are you accusing me of killing her?” I shouted at her again in a panic.

“Well, yeah, silly! I saw you speak to the colt who wanted her dead. Then you snuck up into the Orphanage with your bow and killed her dead. Accurate shot straight between the eyes! And considering that you were under the influence of a lot of alcohol, it was a pretty impressive accuracy! But if I were you, I’d be more concerned about The Dark Brotherhood. They don’t really like when someone steals their jobs.”

I tried digesting the sudden facts about me, but my mind didn’t seem to want to accept them, even though I believed Pinkie. I started to breathe faster and I couldn’t stay still.

“You alright?” Rainbow asked as she came up to me and smoothly brushed over my mane as an attempt of calming me down. “You weren’t aware of what you did last night. Don’t blame yourself over something you don’t even remember happening.”

“I-- I don’t..”

“Don’t worry, Drake! I’ll keep it a secret.” Pinkie Pie interrupted.

“Whatever.” I muttered not the happiest and turned around to leave her. I didn’t even say goodbye, a “thank you” for the clarification or anything, I just walked away. My companions didn’t say anything either and silently followed me.

“Goodbye, friends! Give me a “shout” if you ever want more of that stuff! Did you see what I did there? Did you?” she yelled after us, but we ignored her. I expected Dashie to respond to her, but she wouldn’t. Probably because she was angry Pinkie misunderstood her and drugged me without my approval.

I also noticed that Rainbow looked ashamed; embarrassed the way it turned out. She wanted me to have a good time, but she never asked for this. She knew how much I hated the fact the night ended and she realized that she was the source of that unfortunate disaster.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m not angry at you.”

Rainbow quickly looked back at me with a look as if she was offended. “I’m not. And...”

“Yes?”

“And I’m sorry. I... I ruined everything. Turned your mind into something you’re not.”

“Hey! Didn’t you hear what I just said? Don’t beat yourself about it. And I’m not angry at you. I could never stay angry at you. You know this. Besides, you couldn’t had known. Now, let’s just forget about what happened and get to Fluttershy's. I want to hear her tale about her sudden courage and what drove her to lead the soldiers on the battlefield.”

“Oh, yes! I haven’t spoken to her since after Ponyville’s reclaim. In fact, I haven’t really gone outside the whole time you were out of it. Didn’t feel safe to leave “Alduin’s bane-to-be” knocked out by himself with no one to protect him.”

We set our course to Fluttershy’s house and used the time to get there to speak to one another. I personally couldn’t wait to get there. I still couldn’t figure out why she was chosen to lead the assault on the dragons, since she was afraid of her own shadow!

“About that. Can you tell me a bit more about the time I blacked out? When and where did it happen?”

“Well, after Twilight left us to check on Odahviing, you kind of started to feel dizzy. Your eyes started to roll without any reason and you started to babble nonsense. We tried to shake you out of it, but then you just completely collapsed to the ground as if you were dead. We all got very worried, especially me. But we found out that you were still alive, thank the gods. We rushed your unconscious body to Zecora, since we thought she might know a thing or two about how we could wake you up. She told us that there was definitely something that was behind your blackout, but she didn’t really know what it was. What she did know was that you had to sleep it off yourself. Only time would help you. Full of disappointment, Daring and I moved you over to Ponyville again and up to a lake not far away. We had to clean that blood off of your body. Well, I took care of that. Next up we aided each other carrying you up to Cloudsdale, and fortunately, you weren’t as heavy as I expected. In fact, you’re not heavy at all.”

“Wait, wait, wait...” I interrupted. “Clean my body?”

“Well, yeah. You were covered in blood! I couldn’t just put you in our bed all covered in that filth.”

“Just a suggestion, Drake.” interrupted Daring Do. “You really should start eating more, and I’m serious. You barely eat, and it’s starting to show. Just the fact that we had no problem carrying you up to Cloudsdale proves it.”

She was right. I hadn’t eaten much lately, and that was because I simply lacked the appetite. Although I’d been without a proper meal from Earth in a long while, I still craved for more than just vegetables and fruits. Even though some of their meals were a delicacy, my body wouldn’t accept pure vegetarianism. Not now, not ever. My tongue cried out for the taste of meat. Day by day I’d been eating less and less. And now it was indeed starting to show.

“I know... It’s just that... I feel like I still have a stomach of a human, ya know? There was some stuff on Earth I ate, filled with protein that isn’t available here. I crave for it every day, but I can’t get it, and it’s driving me crazy. I know it’s just food, but so long without it has pretty much made me lose my appetite for anything else.”

Rainbow shrugged and, fortunately, didn’t even bother asking me what it was. I wasn’t in the mood for making up a lie, and I had absolutely no intention of explaining to them that I ate meat. “I understand. But you have to face the fact that this is your new life. Try to get used to it.”

At last we came up to Fluttershy’s cozy house. The strong smell of the flowers and the plants filled my nose the closer we got. We knocked on her door and waited for gods knows how long before she finally showed that she was still alive by opening up for us.

“Friends!” she shouted silently as soon as she saw us. She wasn’t the same as when I saw her the last time. She wasn’t in the army clothes anymore, nor was her mane brushed in a ponytail. She was just the way I remembered her. I noticed her scar above her left eye though and it somehow made me feel sad. It looked just like someone had hurt her. But how she got it, I do not know.

If there was something she didn’t deserve, it was pain. In whatever form it’s in. Fluttershy was pure and kind. Someone hurts her, and they meet my wrath. “Come in!”

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow said excitedly as we entered her home. Fluttershy led us into the living room and bowed her head as she offered us a seat on her comfortable sofa. We all nodded back to her and got ourselves seated as she went into the kitchen to fetch us something to drink.

“Just water for me, thanks.” I called out to her and was answered with a “No problem”.

Daring Do got some kind of tea while Rainbow got more of that weird drink we got at Twilight’s.

At last Fluttershy sat down on a chair facing us and smiled warmly to us all. “It’s so good to see that you’re awake, Drake. But how have you all been?”

“I’m good, been better though.” I answered and rubbed my head because of the headache.

Daring Do and Rainbow agreed with me and showed it by nodding a couple of times. Rainbow also had some pains on her body since last night, after the rough treatment we put her through. It wasn’t anything serious, gods be praised, but she still felt its effects. I personally don’t remember what we did to her, nor did I want to know. Rainbow remembered all about it though, and preferred not to talk about it. Although, she said I shouldn’t worry about it. What we did wasn’t in the purpose of injuring her, and she agreed to it herself. Well, it was the alcohol speaking which allowed her to participate in the weirdness.

“However, we just stopped by to see how you’re doing and so on. I’m also a bit curious about your leadership on the Ponyville’s defense. Care to tell us about it? What made you so courageous to stand up and fight?” I asked pretty excitedly. Rainbow nodded quickly numerous times in agreement.

“Well...” she said and blushed a bit. “When I looked out my window and saw those horrifically ugly looking dragons flying around Ponyville I got filled with… anger. I don’t know... I felt like I had to do something, but... but I didn’t. I went, worried, to bed and it took me ages for my eyes just getting heavier. I woke up to terrifying, agonized screams from other ponies in the middle of the night and then I realized that what I feared was indeed coming true. I looked out the window above my bed and I was correct. The dragons had started their attack on Ponyville, and with you gone somewhere far away, I realized that there was no hope for us. But it filled me with anger once again. I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing, so I decided to take the matter into my own hooves. Nobody would harm any of my friends! And to get to the point, I just started ordering everyone to do this and to do that. I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously, but they all listened. We all worked very well together, and that shot my confidence up. And when I got reports from the princess via Spike that you guys were coming to help us, I couldn’t help but to smile widely. I knew you were coming, and that ignited a fire within me. A burning light. I announced it to everypony and that clearly made a difference. Everyone looks up to you, Drake. You’re the hope and spark that drove us forward. We just had to survive until you’d be here. Eventually, I was chosen to be their leader despite my lack of knowledge of military warfare. Celestia sent me my own personal, magical uniform that was enchanted with... courage. It would help me stand my ground at the most impossible situation. It would take away my feebleness and replace it with, as I said before, courage. But without it, I’m useless. I’m... I’m no use at all without it.” She finished.

“Well, that’s not true. You decided yourself to go out there and give those dragons hell. It was your heart that drove you into the battlefield. You don’t need that armor to feel assertive; you already have it imprinted in you. You just gotta let it out. Know what I mean?” I replied reassuringly and very impressed. Fluttershy was no leader but still managed it quite well. She acted like she knew everything about leadership; like she was experienced in that matter.

“Yeah, Fluttershy! You kicked flank! Seriously, I just met a whole new side of you I didn’t even know existed!” Dashie joined in on the conversation. “Like Drake said, you just gotta let it out. Once you’ve broken the little prison you’ve formed inside of you, you’ll be unstoppable!”

“I-- I don’t know...” Fluttershy uttered quietly and looked away shamefully. “It isn’t the matter of being assertive. It’s the matter of what had to be done. I couldn’t sit by as Ponyville burned.”

“But there was something in you that ignited that fire; a passion that drove you out there to help your people. You could’ve ran away. But instead you decided to stand and fight! And considering that you’re really not the action type, I gotta say I’m damn impressed.”

“Yeah, well... never again.” she squeaked and closed her eyes firmly.

We stayed at her place for a while and forgot all about time as we talked about our situations and what we were up to. In fact, we stayed at her place till evening. It wasn’t really intended, and I had previously decided to continue my journey up to the far north across the borders and into the land of the Northlings. However, my unexpected headache crushed that idea. Instead, I decided to hit the roads the day after.

After a rather decent day despite my headache, we finally left Fluttershy alone. She was getting tired and so were we, so we decided to hit the hay.

Fortunately, my headache was getting a little better after the peaceful environment and the freshness in the air. I just hoped it would completely vanish overnight.

But I was still nervous of getting back into my apartment. When we left it, both Soarin’ and Spitfire were knocked out in there. They were probably gone by now, but I still got a feeling they were waiting for our arrival to kill us for what we did. It was a ridiculous thought of course, but I was paranoid.

The apartment was dark and deadly silent as we opened the stiff door. The air was better than last time, but it was still a bit foul. Getting back into that from being in the cool air outside made the air unbreathable at first. I desperately wanted to open the windows, but I was still scared of what might be lurking in the dark. Soarin’ with a knife... Spitfire with a katana! I quickly shook my head when I realized how nonsensical my thoughts were.

We both hugged Daring Do again before she left us and into her little room she bought from us.

Dashie stood next to me as I inhaled the air before I turned the lights on. Much to my surprise, the place was cleaner than ever. Everything was in order and well made. The sheets on the bed had been changed and everything.

“Wow...” Dashie uttered. We both walked further into the apartment and allowed ourselves to admire their fine work. Why would they do such a thing for us? I imagined them being angry at me for being the source of that little mishap. Or perhaps they did it solely because they liked our little out of controlled activity last night, and wanted more. But I seriously doubted that.

I noticed a little formal note on the bed. It was sealed in an envelope and everything. I slowly walked over to it to pick it up and carefully unsealed it.

There was a letter with a picture attached to it with a paper clip. I separated the picture from the letter with my mouth and put it down on the bed so I could take a better look at it. It was a picture of us four, that is of me, Dashie, Soarin’ and Spitfire. We were located at the bar on that pic, but that moment took place before we got wasted. I was in the middle, kneeling down on one knee in front of the others. My arms rested on that knee, my head was tilted a bit to the left and I was squinting towards the camera without a smile. In my pony body, I was a mess of twisted limbs. I had this: “I am the boss and they are my muscles” look on my face. I looked like a freakin’ mafia boss, and somehow, it filled me with pride. Slap my helmet on and I can’t picture anyone fucking with me.

Soarin’ stood in the middle behind me. He had his arms wrapped around Spittie, which was by his right side, and Dashie which was by his left. They were all grinning and laughing. It clearly showed that we were having a good time. Well... it clearly showed they were having a good time. It seemed like I was all serious and nothing could ever make me smile. Which was false. There were a lot of things that made me laugh. I just prefer being all serious on photos; always have been that way. No idea why.

I remember when they took that picture. Twilight took it with her portable camera. I hadn’t really seen the outcome of it yet, but now that I did, I couldn’t help but to smirk like the idiot I was. It was a good picture, and I wanted to go with it to Twilight tomorrow morning to enchant it with that spell of preservation.

Next up I picked up the small note that came with it. I read:

“Dear Drake and Rainbow Dash.

By now, you clearly know the reason for this small letter. I know I was out of character yesterday. Soarin’ and I both want to bid our sincere apologies for what happened and for what we did. I also know that you and I were both drugged last night. I do not know who did it but I do know it led to unfortunate, inappropriate outcomes none of us really wanted. Although our night ended in a way we did not expect, everything that happened before that were golden moments for Soarin’ and I. We’re happy and thrilled we got to know you both even better, and we both sincerely hope our friendship doesn’t die here.

P.S I want you to deliver a message to Rainbow Dash for me that there is no meetup tomorrow. We’ve decided to take a week off to get over things.

Peace and love forever;

Soarin’ and Spitfire.”

I was a bit moved by the letter they wrote. They took their time writing this beautiful message for us, cleaned our apartment and stated that they enjoyed our company. I was happy they liked us. I liked them too. I surely would never allow our friendship to die because of what happened. I was ready to bury that down and keep on going.

“Hey, Dashie. Come on over here, take a look at this.” I whispered over to her because I always had the feeling I’d disturb Daring Do, even though the walls in the apartment were solid. We didn’t have to whisper to each other. But I still liked the quietness. Especially now that my head felt like it was on fire. The faster my heart beat, the worse my headache got. I could feel for the blood pump into my brain at the same rhythm as my heartbeat and it was uncomfortable. But nothing I haven’t faced before.

The first thing she did when we got into our apartment was looking for something. She seemed a bit nervous at first, but finally when she found the object at the right place, she exhaled the air in relief. She didn’t want to tell me what it was though, but I got a glimpse at it and couldn’t see better than it was the picture of me. The picture I found when I was sunk deep into my depression. It disturbed me. Why the secrecy? Why didn’t she want me to find out about it?

“Yeah?” she shouted out in startle, quickly closed the drawer behind her and leaned towards it so I couldn’t gain access to it.

“Uhh... they wrote us a letter. Come on over here and take a look.” I responded suspiciously. “And what are you hiding in there?”

Her eyes shrinked to dots. “M-Me? Hiding something from you? I’m not hiding anything from you! H-How could you even suggest such a thing?” she asked nervously.

The way she got all worked up made me lose interest in teasing her. I was going to notify her that I had already seen that picture of me, but decided to drop it for now to make her feel a bit more relieved. The explanation for her subtlety around that picture had to be postponed for a more appropriate time. Maybe when she was ready she could tell me all about what her secrecy was about.

I just sat down on the sofa while she read over the note. I looked up to the ceiling and closed my eyes; trying to concentrate. Tried to breathe lighter in a small hoped attempt of getting rid of my unbearable discomfort in my head. I would take medicine, but we had none. I was starting to regret not informing Twilight about it...

“Wow. That’s cute of them. And that picture! So awesome. I’ll frame it and put it next to the other photos tomorrow.” she said and walked over behind me and the couch. I stretched my neck and looked up at her. “But I’m going to sleep. G’night.” she added and bowed down to give me a small kiss on my forehead. I answered by grabbing her head gently and did the same to her.

“G’night.” I whispered back. “I’m not going to sleep just yet. There’s this thing I gotta do first. Don’t wake up for me.”

“Suit yourself.” she replied and gave me a warm smile before turning around. She got under the blankets and closed her eyes with a wide smile as she tried to sleep. I just watched her for some time with my thoughts out of this world. It didn’t take Rainbow long to fall asleep, and soon she started to snore a bit, implying that she was out of it.

I carefully stood up and walked over to my desktop which was located at the front of the big windows. It was the desktop that contained all my papers regarding my work. My plans, maps, all our things we needed for our voyages and everything related to being a Dragonborn. I sat down on a chair and picked up a small quill and a blank paper. I knew there was a chance I may lose my life when this was all over. But somehow, I had this urge to write down my life story and ask Twilight whether she could make a copy and perhaps send one to Earth. Whoever finds it could choose whether to believe me or not.

I gulped before I put the quill into my mouth and wrote:

Where do I begin?

I guess I’ll have to start off by introducing myself. My name is Drake, and I’m just a normal 22 year old guy... wait, normal isn’t right. In fact, I’m far from being normal...

I woke up, not lying in a bed like I expected, but lying on the cold floor. I immediately knew that I wasn’t at home anymore. I was cold, and I had no idea where I was.

I quickly jumped to my feet and looked around like my life was at stake. I noticed three other ponies in front of me on their knees with bags over their heads. However, they had their hooves tied up so they couldn’t go anywhere. They were all conscious judging by their murmurs and moanings.

I was located in an abandoned shack. It was deserted and creepy, and like I said, cold.

“Sleep well?” a calmed, slow female voice asked me coming from behind me. I quickly turned around to see a mare in a tight red and black leather outfit sitting on an emptied bookshelf. There were candles at the end of that bookshelf. Her outfit was made from fine material, I could see by miles. She also had a bandana to cover her snout, and a black hoodie. Tailored to fit the outfit. So the only thing I could see were her brown eyes. There was another thing I noticed. A black hoof on the middle of the uniform. I immediately recognized it. The same hoof was on the piece of paper I received yesterday. The note with the “We know” scribbled beneath.

“What? Where am I? Who are you?” I asked confused and furtherly analyzed her uniform. She looked like an assassin of some kind.

“Does it matter? You’re warm, dry and still very much alive. That’s more than could be said for old Grelod, hmm?” she answered.

“I’m not exactly warm... but you know about that?” I asked her confusedly. Was I dreaming again? Did I perhaps black out again and am having another insight?

“Half of Equestria knows. An old hag gets butchered in her own orphanage? Things like that tend to get around. But oh! Don’t misunderstand. I’m not criticizing. It was a good kill. Old crone had it coming and you saved a bunch of orphans from their miseries.”

“But... it only happened a day or two ago! No way it could spread so quickly!”

“Welcome to Equestria.” she answered and chuckled.

“Right...”

“Anyways, there is a slight.... problem.”

“I don’t think I like where this is going. Would you please kindly release me? I gotta get back home. And where’s Rainbow Dash? If you so much as--”

“All in good time. Let me explain first.” she interrupted, still as calm as ever. “You see, that little Aretino colt was looking for The Dark Brotherhood; for me and my associates. Old Grelod was by all rights, a Dark Brotherhood contract. A kill... that you stole. A kill you must repay.” she clarified. Not angry, nor disappointed. But rather interested.

“Wait, wait, wait... you want me to murder someone else?”

“Well now. Funny you should ask. If you turn around, you’ll notice my guests. I’ve collected them from... well... that’s not really important. The here and now. That’s what matters. You see, there is a contract out on one of them. And that person can’t leave this room alive, I’m afraid. But.. oh... which one?” she asked in an obvious bluff. She knew who it was. But I saw where this was going and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. “Go on. See if you can figure it out. Make your choice. Make your kill. I just want to observe... and admire.”

I gulped. But I had nowhere to go. The house was locked tight, and I couldn’t shout my way out of there. If I’d burn the house down, the three victims behind me would surely die anyways. But I didn’t want to kill any of them.

“I’ll have no part of this insanity! Now, let me go!”

“Now, that is a shame.” she answered a bit harsher. “But what you fail to realize is that you involved yourself in this “insanity”. When you took Grelod’s life, you made your choice! Now it’s time to face your consequences of your actions. You don’t leave this shack until someone dies!”

I tried muttering something in return but I couldn’t. She had a point. I may have been drunk when I killed her, but that doesn’t mean anything. I hated to face the fact, but I had to go her way. I had to find out who the contract was set out on.

I nodded to her in defeat and a bit disapproved. I saw her cheeks move upwards and that told me she was smiling behind her mask.

I turned around and walked over to the three captives which were kneeling before me with their bags on their heads and their hooves tied behind their backs.

There were all kinds of weapons on the table next to them. A sword, an ax, a bow, a dagger. I couldn’t burn my victim with my voice since the shack was made of wood, so I decided to pick up the bow. That way, I wouldn’t have to physically touch the victim.

I walked over to the first person, but as soon as I wanted to ask him who he was he shouted out through the executioner bag: “Please, don’t kill me! I didn’t do anything wrong. This is a mistake! I-I’m just a poor single father looking out for my children. I’ve lost everything: my lovely wife, my house, my job. I had to steal so they wouldn’t starve!”

“It’s alright.” I whispered to him kindly. “I’m not gonna kill you.” I added and gave him a small pat on his shoulder. He twitched a bit in a reaction. I noticed how hard he was breathing. How scared he was of his life. He could be lying, for all I know, but if he was indeed telling the truth, I couldn’t kill him. I don’t want to be the responsible one for killing a father trying everything he could to look out for his children.

I walked up to the next victim, which was supposedly an old mare judging by the physical appearance. She shouted over to me “Get these things off of me!”

“Who are you?” I asked calmly in return.

“None of your damn business who I am! If you want to kill me, just do it already! With Mara as my witness, if I didn’t have this hood on right now I would spit right in your face!”

“Would someone pay to have you killed?” I ignored and asked again calmly as I knelt beside her.

“What kind of question is that?”

“It’s alright. Just tell me what I need to know. It might save your life.” I reassured her mildly. I noticed that she calmed down a bit with my response.

“I... I don’t know.” she replied. “I don’t think so.”

I nodded to myself and walked over to the third and last victim.

“Whoever this is, clearly this has been a misunderstanding. But no worries. I’m not scared. This is not the first time I’ve been bagged and dragged.”

“Who are you?”

“Ah. Vasha, at your service. Have you not heard of me? Perhaps I will help my people carve a name in your corpse as a reminder.” he said, full of self-confidence. He was obviously not from Equestria. He had a whole different accent and everything. I didn’t see how he looked, but he was definitely not from around here.

“Would someone pay to have you killed?” I asked again patiently.

“Me? Hah! Are you serious?” he asked a bit offended. His cockiness and disrespect towards me really got on my nerves. I was getting impatient and a bit angry at him.

“Answer me, or I’ll paint this room with your blood!” I shouted at him and made a sound with my bow by stretching the strings, giving him a hint that I was ready to kill him.

“Fool! Don’t you get it? I live in the shadow of death every day. If one of my enemies would not pay to have me killed I’d take it as a personal insult! Now, let me go or my people will find you, peel your skin off and leave your body to rot!”

I left him without saying another word and looked at the three persons in front of me. I had no idea who the contract was set out on, but I couldn’t imagine the first victim being the one. I felt he was speaking the truth. The shock, the power in his voice convinced me. However, I had a feeling the third one was the one. He was disrespectful, cocky and clearly a douchebag. I didn’t have it in me in killing that old woman anyways. She was scared of her life, and angry that her life was placed in my hooves. I understood that.

I took place in front of the third victim and without even notifying him, I loaded the bow and buried an arrow deep into his skull. The agonizing screams and the terrified yells from the other two filled the abandoned shack as I stared at the assassin who was sitting proudly and very approved on the bookshelf. I still felt incredibly bad for what I did and I couldn’t prevent throwing up. I let it all out on the floor and fell to my knees. But I forced myself to immediately stand up again. Then I turned around and walked over to the assassin.

“I see you chose number three.”

“So who was it? Who had the contract?”

“Ohoho, no no no.” she giggled. “Don’t you understand? Guilt, innocence, right and wrong: irrelevant. What matters is that I ordered you to kill someone, and you obeyed.”

“So... I’m free to go?” I asked exhaustively.

“Of course. And you repaid your debt in full. Here’s the key to the shack.” she said and tossed it over to me. I caught it with my mouth. “But why stop here? I say we take our relationship to the next level. I would like to officially extend to you an invitation to join my family; The Dark Brotherhood. In the South-West region of Equestria, in the Pine Forest, you’ll find the entrance to our sanctuary. It’s just beneath the road. Hidden from view. When questioned by the black door, answer with the correct passphrase: “Silence, my brother.” Then you’re in and your new life begins. I’ll see you at home.”

“No thanks. I want no part in your organization.” I yelled over to her coldly with a frown. “You made me execute someone I didn’t even know. That’s not the way I roll.”

“That’s a shame. You have a skill for that sort of thing.” she answered disappointed. “Anyways. You know where you can find us if you change your mind.”

“And where is Rainbow Dash?” I shouted again nervously.

“She’s safe at your home. We had no reason to abduct her. She wasn’t the one poking her head in our business.”

I sighed in relief. “And you’ll let the others go, right?”

“Of course. There is no need to kill them. They are free to go.”

I nodded once to her. “Good. And do not interfere with my life again, or else...” I threatened and squinted my angry eyes at her.

Then I unlocked the door with the key she gave me and didn’t even hesitate before I left that cold place with a frown on my face and into the misty darkness.

Once outside, I looked around cluelessly. I didn’t know where I was, and I had no map or a compass to guide me. “Perfect.” I muttered to myself in a sarcasm. I was surrounded by trees. Lots of trees.

It was also very dark, so I couldn’t see very well. But I swear I could see two red dots between two trees. Blinking...

“Who goes there?” I asked, but I wasn’t scared. I knew someone was hiding there, it just startled me a bit to see those red dots which resembled evil eyes. Maybe that was the case...

A coal black pony; darker than the darkness itself stepped forward and revealed to me what those red dots were. They were his eyes. Not like mine, but his whole eye was red, and it was bright. Like some kind of led light. Smoke and shadow reeked around him, and he was perhaps the most terrifying pony I’d ever seen. His mane was coal black as well. I tried to check out his cutie mark, but it was too dark.

“Dragonborn.” he whispered with a icy voice.

“Who are you? What are you?” I asked both disturbingly and in awe.

“I’ve been called Shadowmere by my brothers. I guess that ought to do. I, for one, welcome our newest addition to the family. Welcome, my brother.” he said and I couldn’t make out whether he was happy or not. He seemed emotionless.

I guess he was from The Dark Brotherhood then. After all, he was wearing the same outfit as that mare inside. I didn’t dare explaining to him that I had declined her invitation, so I just nodded quickly a couple of times with a fake smile.

“We’ll see you at home, brother. I can’t wait to hunt with you one day. I’ve seen you at work. You have skills.”

“You’re not the first one to point that out. Thanks.” I replied and couldn’t help but to stare deep at his red eyes. Those bright, red eyes.

He noticed it, but he didn’t do anything about it. He just frowned a bit. “Go east if you want to go back to your home. Just head out that way, and you’ll be back to Cloudsdale for your breakfast.” he added and chuckled slowly.

“Yeah, well... I think I’m going to bed as soon as I come home. I hope you don’t mind, but what were you doing in cover? Why were you hiding?”

“I wasn’t hiding. I was guarding the place until you’d done your job. You took your sweet time, by the way.”

I swallowed. “I see. Well, it was nice to meet you. I think I should get going now.”

I hoped never to see those people again. Although they seemed pretty nice, I didn’t want anything to do with their organization.

The shadowy person in front of me bowed his head for me and closed his eyes. “Farewell, Dragonborn. It was an honor meeting you face to face. And sorry about the abduction. It wasn’t anything personal. We just needed to sort out this mess.”

I bowed my head back to him as my response, but didn’t respond him with words. Then I quickly snapped open my wings and flew up into the air. I could see Cloudsdale from afar, and fortunately, it didn’t seem very far away. Perhaps thirty minutes of flight. With a small smirk, I started my small journey.

Well, it took forty minutes. But I was finally home. It was still dark outside and the city was still sleeping, which was relieving. I could go back to sleep and act like nothing had happened.

Rainbow Dash was still sleeping, but she had taken over the bed; lying horizontally. I didn’t bother gently pushing her back into the original sleeping position, so I lay down on the bed next to her, also horizontally, and closed my eyes.

My life was a big fuckup. After everything that happened, I stated to myself that I’d never get drunk again. However, I felt like the headache had slightly reduced. The freshness in the air cured the most of it.

My fatigue was starting to kick in. One big yawn later, and I fell asleep.

I needed as much rest as I could, because tomorrow, I planned on heading out on another journey. This time, out of Equestria and into the land above; into the land of the Northlings.

I just hoped they’d listen to reason and help us out on the war despite their hostility towards us. Because without their help, we might already consider our race extinct. Everything depended on my diplomacy. Equestria was at stake. But I tend to get them on our side... one way or the other.

Chapter 12: An Unexpected Misconception in Elyntis

Edited by Nazidash.

Sorry for the delay again. :/

I’m being chased by a dragon as I sprint towards another fallen beast, ready to take his life away and rip his soul out of his body by absorbing it. Jumping onto the wounded dragon in front of me, I stick my dagger in his head. I take no chances and stab him quickly a numerous times at the same spot to make sure he’s completely dead. But all of the blood spurting from his ugly wound convinces me that he’s more than deceased.

I leave the dagger inside his head when I hear a dragon behind me preparing for an aerial attack. Quick as lightning, I turn around, unsheathe my daedric bow and load it; all in all taking less than a second. I let go of the string and watch as the arrow strikes straight and true, hitting him between the eyes. He dies instantly and falls heavily down to the ground in front of me, causing the plain landscape to quake a bit.

The fight has been going on for quite some time now, and I’ve already lost count on how many dragons I’ve slain. But in a long and endless battle, I don’t feel like a hero. I don’t feel like a great person. I just feel tired. I’m in discomfort and burning pain. I’ve been battered and sliced all day; making my body shake and tremble. Aching wounds on my legs make me limp a bit, but I refuse to let it affect my spirit and soul.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of dragons flying around in the dark ashy air. They’re very well organized and working together just fine. The airborne dragons are providing support while the rest wander around on the plain ground, spewing fire and unleashing hell upon my army. To me they’re just dragons to be slain. But I’d been preparing myself for this moment. And now it’s finally it. I’m still scared and hesitant about my fight with Alduin, but my thoughts of everyone I hold dear pushes me forward. I’m not going to like the outcome, but it’s everyone for the best and it’s the sacrifice I have to-, and am willing to make. I realize it will be the end of both of us.

However, I must confess that I’m tired. Both physically and mentally. I feel like I’m giving up. My pain, the death around me, this war... it’s making me more pessimistic than I’ve ever been. It’s making me want to just lie down and rest.

I feel like the stars that has been lighting my way the whole time have dimmed. My goal that seemed so clear at first was fading away. Come to think of it, what a relief it would be to end this all now. How easy it would be to just wave the white flag and give up. But would I run today just to die another day? Would I give up now and everything I’ve done; everything I stood for would be in vain? But then, I do feel like the spark I once had have died a bit.

I fall to my knees. Catching my breath and sighing in despair like a tired old man. Thinking about whether I shouldn’t just leave with Dashie while I still had the chance. Live somewhere far from Equestria; far from everyone. Start a new life somewhere happily, far from any danger where I can take care of my family in peace. Isn’t it better to just give up now while I still can and get out of it in one piece? Try to convince her that we’ve lost and retreat is our only option left? That way, I’d spare her the pain of losing me and I could take good care of us somewhere nice. And if we were to raise a family, I’d be around and my children wouldn’t have to grow up without their father. It sounds so... tempting...

No... No! Stand up, Drake, and keep on fighting! I think to myself and shake my head a numerous times. Giving up is not an option! I made it this far! I’m no loser! I don’t give up; I never give up! I am a fighter and if I want something, I fight for it with blood and sweat! This is where my burning passion lies; My love for the prophecy has to be fulfilled! This isn’t solely about me or Dashie, this is about everyone! And I’m damn sure going to see this to the end, even though it means losing my life! One will die for thousands. But of course, I’m not the only one to die in the end. There will be others joining me as well. Both ponies, dragons and others. But I’m damn sure not giving up now! Not now when we’re so close. The only thing I gotta do to end this is to slay Alduin. But he hasn’t showed up yet.

I don’t want to waste any more time than I already have, so I quickly pull my dagger from the dragon’s head and fly up into the air towards the third worm. Flying faster than sound, I flew up to the beast and rammed my knife into it again, this time into his thick throat. Although I’d just stabbed the beast in his windpipe, he doesn’t fall like the others. He swipes his razor sharp talons at my direction and lands a hit on my face; ripping the steel covering my forehead open. I can’t do anything to defend myself, and I fall down to the ground. I grunt as I land on my back on the wet grass. It’s nothing severe, but the dragon busted both me and my helmet open. I can taste the bitter iron taste of my own blood. I feel it flowing from the wound next to my left eye and I don’t even bother wiping it off.

However, I do notice that I must’ve cut his artery, since the dragon is bleeding tremendously through the dagger and is gagging and shrieking a lot. Removing my dagger from his flesh should finish him off, so I stand up and refuse to be slowed down by the sudden sting in my back and lungs. I’m still having a bit of a trouble breathing due to the impact and the ashes around me, and I’m in pain, but I try my best to ignore it. The best I can do is to pull myself together and continue fighting.

The dragon’s moving a lot in the air when I get back to him. He’s fighting for air but he can’t seem to get any. That dragon is a tough one. Despite his difficulties, he still manages to grab me again with his talons. I can’t budge and I feel his raw strength crushing me. I have to do something to get out of his grasp. If not, I’m surely dead.

The dragon falls to the ground eventually, refusing to let me go. I try to stir me free, but he still has a lot of strength in him left. I feel the shockwave from the crash swimming through his body. It’s not comfortable, at least not in comparison to what I’ve been through, but I have enough to worry about. I have to focus on getting away from him before he takes me with him to his grave. He’s tightening his grip on me with each second. I feel immense pressure in my head, constantly pushing and pushing against the wall of my veins.

I manage to turn my head to face his and shout with all my might and fury: “Yol, Toor Shul!”

My fire breath is so powerful it manages to melt the thick scaly skin on the dragon’s face. He lets go of me and I’m free once again. But he’s still not dead yet.

I quickly shake the pain out of my body, fly up to his throat and furiously pull my well used dagger out of his body, painting the grass around us red with his blood.

I get away from his body, panting and breathing heavily as I try to gasp for air. The air is not fresh because of the deadly flames, smoke and ashes, so it’s a bit difficult for me to inhale.

Another dragon instantly tries to grab me in mid-air with his talons, but I successfully manage to evade it. I notice him taking a turn and attempting another attack, but I Shout: “Stuun... Wrah Raak!” to tear the dragon apart to pieces with my extremely powerful Thunder Shout before he reaches me.

The dragon’s massive body is no match against the abnormally powerful thunder I summoned straight from the skies. His body completely ruptured open, revealing all his insides. I’m very tired after having used the fire breath and the thunder shout in such a short time in between. It drained all my little energy I had left, and in addition, I’m still in great pain. My eyes slowly slunk down, and I knew I would need to rest soon.

I listen to the pouring rain from the dark clouds land on the damaged steel of my helmet and let the heavy raindrops wash the blood off my face. Its coolness is extremely satisfying.

It’s a good thing the Pegasi set up the rainy clouds before the battle began. It’s refreshing and it helps us more than it helps the dragons.

I allow myself to take a look around. I see Equestrian ponies and other species fighting fiercely for their lives. Fighting for survival. Fighting for their and their beloved’s future. Everyone seem pretty occupied in the killings but despite of everything that’s happening around me, I manage to spot her. Dashie. She’s handling herself quite well, but I notice a cut or two on her. The edges of her mane and tail were grayish, probably after the power of the dragon’s flame. But I let out a small relieving exhale when I notice she’s doing fine.

A second later, I’m being charged by one of my enemies. But he is no dragon. He’s a pony; one of the ones too afraid to oppose the dragons. He’s one of the ones that decided to join them, thus, being spared when Equestria falls. What a fool. He does not realize that the dragons aren’t known for being honorable. If we die, he, and everybody else dies anyways. But he's just a kid. Probably around the teen years. He doesn't know what the hell he's doing.

He raises his battle axe with an overconfident grin, completely positive about being the one to take me down after so many failed attempts by so many, ready to bury his weapon deep into my skull and end this war by providing victory to the dragons. Slightly disappointed, I fly towards him and attack with my knife, shoving it deep into his abdomen. His foolish grin turns into an agonizing grimace of pain. I twist my blade, slicing his organs to shreds and look at him deep into his eyes; telling him that it was his fault he received that fate. I carefully put him down on the ground and make him lie on the grass comfortably. I respect his somewhat courage, so I whisper into his right ear before he faints: “Rest, my brother. May the gods show mercy on your soul and may Sovngarde treat you well.”

He looks back at me with guilt, now realizing for what he had done. He was opposing against the Dragonborn, even a bigger threat than the dragons. He betrayed his own race. He understands that he’s a coward. So he leans forward and indicates that he wants to tell me something. He’s too weak to sit up on his own, so I help him by letting his body rest in my arms. He then whispers into my ear: “F-Forgive me, master. S-Slay Alduin... slay them all and put an end to this war. Make sure our people survive... M-may you live long before we meet again in Sovngarde... brother.” with that, his eyes dull and his lungs exhale softly. He dies in my arms.

My sadness surprises me. This kid was just ready to kill me, to betray his own race, yet I feel sorry for him. I look back, back at my old life. A life of being human, with no thoughts of dragons or honorable combat. It wasn’t glorious, but it made sense at the time. I look at the scene around me, and I see what has become. My friends fighting dragons, ash and smoke filling the sky, and the smell of blood everywhere. I haven’t been here very long, yet something has seeped into me. Since I came here, I became a true warrior. Not just stronger, but more honorable, and more respecting of those with it.

I stand up and try to spot my other friends. I see Twilight and Daring Do working together, as always, and trying their best to fight off the dragons. I’m not close to them and there are other soldiers calling my name in desperate need of my help, so I can’t really go over to help them. But I notice the worries on their faces. They seem like they can’t handle the overwhelming situation.

They’re being overrun, but they can’t flee anywhere. They’re trapped and the dragons are preparing themselves for a feast. Other dragons join in for they all understand that they two are one of the crucial, priority enemies that must be eliminated at once.

Twilight stares at me from afar and I notice the look on her scared face. Her facial expression tells me “Help us, Drake!”

“No! Get the hell out of there!” I shout towards them. “Retreat! Retreat now! That’s an order!”

But they can’t go anywhere. There are too many dragons surrounding them. Perhaps six or seven of them. Even Twilight’s magic can’t do anything about that situation. “Drake! Help us!”

“No!” I shout again full of worries. I fly towards them as fast as I can despite the stiffness in my sore wings; determined to save them again from their deaths.

I can’t see them anymore because of all the dragons around, but I can still hear their shocking screams and terrifying yells. I can hear them shouting my name in desperation. Screaming for help. But I can also hear the razor sharp talons from the dragons.

“Twilight! Daring! No!!”

6 months earlier.

I felt for someone shaking me repeatedly. Gentle determined pushes on my back. It was almost like a massage. But I thought it was just a part of the messed up dream I was having. It wasn’t an insight like I’ve been getting recently, but just a normal nonsensical dream. Thank the gods. I was getting sick of all the seriousness. It was good throwing my worries away from time to time.

“Your boy sure is hard to wake up.”

“Yeah, he’s a deep sleeper.” explained Rainbow Dash to who seemed to be her dad according to his familiar but friendly voice.

What confused me the most about her dad is how young he seems. He looks and sounds just as young as me, although he was perhaps twenty years older than me. Same goes to her mother. She was just as energetic as Rainbow and behaved much like a teenager. Although, they were both wiser and more cautious than before.

I slowly opened my weary eyes, only to be greeted by both their serious yet smirking faces. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but I got over it in the next second. Their friendly faces made me smile automatically in return. Always did. Always will.

I was still lying on my bed, but looked at them both consecutively. “Did I ever tell you how much you resemble your father?” I asked her tiredly but still in a small amusement.

“Everytime my parents come over for a visit.” she pointed out and giggled softly. “Get up. We have to talk. We’ll wait in the kitchen.”

I was still exhausted. Overall I got perhaps four hours of sleep since I was kidnapped earlier. I had to execute someone with a background unknown to me. Perhaps that bastard was a father, perhaps he was poor, or maybe he was innocent. No point in dwelling on it now. I had to get up and prepare myself for the journey to the land above Equestria, also known as Elyntis. For a long while I didn’t know what it was called, but only just recently was I told about its name via Celestia’s weekly letters. I didn’t care though, I just wanted it over with.

As always, I stretched my limbs, wings and back before standing up from the soft, warm bed. I didn’t want to leave it yet, but I didn’t really have a choice and I didn’t want to keep Rainbow and her parents waiting with whatever they wanted to discuss.

“Here, have a seat. We just wanted to tell you something.” Ghost said and pointed at the unoccupied chair next to Dashie in front of the kitchen table as soon as I appeared. Spurt was leaning against the wall and Ghost was seated next to his daughter.

“Something wrong?” I asked a bit surprisingly. This was all so sudden. Not two minutes ago I was fast asleep and now I was in the kitchen, preparing myself for a speech from Rainbow’s dad. All the suddenness confused me a bit. My brain wasn’t fully awake yet.

“No, nothing’s wrong.” he pointed out. “Dashie, do you remember where we lived once?” he continued.

“Of course. Why?” she replied, but the way she said it indicated that she suspected what this was all about.

“We’ve decided to move into that very house again. Fix and upgrade it. Live there in peace until the end of our days.” he announced proudly. He loved that property of his, he loved the land and he loved the house. And that property was still considered blessed by the gods. That was the reason for their departure.

Rainbow Spurt nodded and put up a small awkward smile. She was pretty silent since she decided to let her husband take care of the talking.

“T-That’s great, but isn’t that far from Equestria?” Rainbow asked. She was a bit sad about their decision because she loved having them around. But she was also happy for them at the same time. They’d live in peace and they’d be safe from the dragon threat with enough food to last a lifetime.

“It is. And that’s why we fear that this will be the last time we’ll see each other. Alright, I don’t want to go that far. Let’s just say that we’re not going to see each other for some time.” Ghost added and gazed down at the table in front of him. “But don’t worry. You two got your own future to take care of. And we’ll be there if you ever need our help, which I seriously doubt you will. You’re tough. And the boy of yours is too. You two will be fine.”

Rainbow didn’t hesitate standing up from the chair and hugging her father tightly. He slowly hugged her back and gave her small pats on her back. “Don’t worry. I was just kidding when I said we wouldn’t see each other again. We’re not dying or anything. You can always visit us if you have the time.” Rainbow let go of her father and hugged her mother as well. I decided to wait with the hugging before they’d leave.

I should be happy for their decision, but I somehow wasn’t completely. I felt like I didn’t know them as well as I’d hoped for, even though we’ve had good contact. And now that I felt like we were finally getting along pretty well, they were leaving. Nothing I can do about it. I just hoped they’d get what they sought. But in the meantime, I understood that this was good for them. They’ve earned a rest, and they’ve earned peace. After everything they’ve been through, I can’t help but to admire how resilient both of them are.

Rainbow, however, felt like she was losing her parents again. She didn’t want to let go of them. But she did realize that this was a good thing. A fresh start for them. And that’s why she was happy about their decision regardless of their departure from Equestria.

They didn’t stay for long, they understood we had to prepare for our long, tough journey. We had to enter a land neither of us had ever been before. Had to meet an almost unknown race, often considered to be our foes. But we had no choice. We had to try persuading them to join our cause against our enemy; the dragons.

I opened the door for them when they decided to leave and politely bowed my head. I highly respected both of them. Their life story was inspiring, and they’d gone through a lot in the past. I could learn from them.

Before they left, Spurt turned towards me and gave me a quick surprising hug I hadn’t seen coming. But I returned it nevertheless. “I wanted to thank you again for strengthening my family. For bringing me back from the dead. For making my daughter happy. I am eternally grateful and couldn’t be prouder to have you as my son in law. Now, go out there and kick some flank! Just make sure you’re there for my girl at all times, or there’ll be hell to pay, Dragonborn.”

Her compliment made me tighten the grip on her soft body. It really meant a lot to me that I had such a huge impact on her family in a good way. “Of course. She’s the priority in my life. And thank you kindly, Spurt.” I replied both softly and proudly. “Take care.”

She let go of me and put on her default look. Her familiar badass look. The look I saw so often on her daughter. She saluted me like a general. I did the same, which made her nod once in a response. She then turned around and walked through the doorway without saying another word.

Ghost, however, didn’t leave just yet. He turned to me and spoke: “Ya know, it’s good to know there are still people in this world such as yourself with such a pure heart. Speaking of your heart, you have a strong one. I can clearly see what my daughter saw in you which impressed her. Because I’m damn impressed myself. But not in that kind of way!” he joked for a second but then grabbed my left shoulder determinedly with both of his front hooves and continued: “Just promise me one thing. Don’t let anything bad happen to you, or to my girl. You know what happened to me. Don’t ever let something of that sort happen to you two. You got that?”

I gulped and nodded quickly a couple of times. “I’ll make sure we’re both safe. You don’t have to worry about us. Have a good trip. After everything you’ve been through, you’ve earned a rest. I sure do hope to see you again in the future, Ghost.”

He gazed at the ground and hesitated a bit, but looked back at me again after a minute or two and replied with flash in his eyes: “No. Not anymore. Call me Starfire.”

With that, he vanished into the darkness of the hallway and didn’t turn back.

Dashie and I stared silently into the dark hallway for what seemed like minutes. I was still trying to figure out the whole situation while she without a doubt was thinking about her parents. The parents she had regained. The parents that were leaving. And it did not sit well in her.

“Is your father’s name really Starfire?” I asked kind of confused. The name of the ponies were unique and always, or most of the times, had a meaning. Although mine didn’t, since it wasn’t from around here. But I was interested and a bit curious about her father’s name. “Why Starfire?"

She nodded a couple of times without taking her eyes off the darkness of the hallway. “My father has always been a determined person. Ever since he was born. If he wanted something, he normally got it. Because he fought for it. He still fights over the things he owns. Like he fought for mom. Like he fought for me. He’s always fought for everything that held him dear. He has this fire in his heart that doesn’t quench out. A fire that drives him forward.”

I turned around to face her and continued: “I can learn a lot from your father. He’s inspiring and a very interesting person. I need to be more like him, especially at times such as these.” I said. However I did pause for a bit, but took off where I left after a couple of seconds. “But is that the reason for his name?”

“I guess. My grandfather adored astronomy and my grandmother was as energetic as us at her early years. Hence why they named him Starfire.” she replied emotionlessly. “Tell you what, I’ll tell you more about it on our trip. Just let me go get my things so we can get out of here.”

“Sure.” I replied softly back at her. But as soon as she was about to turn away back further into the apartment, I stopped her by grabbing her right hoof. “Hey. We’ll-- you’ll see them again. I promise.”

She looked back at me and noticed the hesitation in the sentence. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked a bit baffled.

“What I’m trying to say is...” I hesitated again and looked into her eyes. I saw it in her that she knew I was going to tell her something she wouldn’t like. However, I didn’t look at it the same way. I wanted to tell her an honest answer and that was exactly what I was going to do. “I’m trying to say that I can’t guarantee that I will ever come back from the big fight. And if I do, I probably won’t be the same. You, however, will. You will see your parents again and you will live a normal life. I fear that my chance isn’t as bright as yours, and that’s why I don’t want to make hasty promises I may not be able to complete in the future.”

“Shush!” she replied harshly. “Stop this nonsense talk! What will happen is that we’ll go into the fight with a powerful army, we’ll slaughter them all, and you’ll destroy Alduin’s soul and body. The rest of the dragons will bow down to you since you outsmarted their leader, and we’ll continue with life however we want to live it. That’s going to happen. So don’t ever say you’re not going to survive this or that. Because you will! And I feel like I just lost my parents again. I do not want to lose you too. I’ll make sure we both get out of it in one piece.”

“You didn’t lose your parents.” I muttered. “You don’t understand.” I added. I closed the door, walked up to my bed and sat down with a depressive sigh.

Dashie hastily followed me, determinedly put both of her hooves on my shoulder and waited for further explanation with a small frown. She wanted to give me a chance to convince her why I wasn’t sure about my future, although she’d probably never buy anything I’d say to her. I considered telling her what I had in mind, but I had my doubts about it. In the end I decided that I should wait. She had enough to worry about, and telling her about the facts I just realized may not be good for her or even me. It would all unveil in good time.

When I was on my quest reviving Rainbow, Paarthurnax told me that if I would absorb Alduin’s soul, his soul would corrupt mine and take over my body. So I’d technically be living as him in some time. But eventually I’d die because of his soul being too much for me to handle. However, he did add that he had an idea so I would get through it without casualties. For a while I thought he meant that I’d chop Alduin’s head off and live like a hero in peace for the rest of our happy lives. But no... I now realize that he wasn’t talking about me when he mentioned that I could do it without any casualties. By “casualties” he meant the civilians. What he meant is that I won’t hurt anyone and I won’t live as Alduin. But that doesn’t prevent my death. That being said, no matter how I kill him, I will die with him. It is inevitable. I finally understood that now. But I didn’t want to tell her about it. She wouldn’t get it off her head and I’d be forced to do something about it. But truth to be told, I didn’t have time for saving my own skin. My priority was to ensure the safety of the civilians. And I intend to do just that.

“Tell me.” she whispered to me reassuringly. She put on a smile indicating that I could trust her and slowly, but very soothingly, rubbed my trapezius.

“I... you’re right. We’ll see them both after we’ve taken care of our business.” I answered in a defeated tone and with my eyes closed due to the comfort. I let her rub my muscles for some time before I grabbed her shoulders, opened my eyes and continued: “I promise we’ll see your parents again.”

“Good. Now stop being so damn pessimistic! It gets you nowhere.” she demanded in a calming manner.

She’s tough, strong and sometimes ruthless when it comes down to facing our enemies, but when we were at private, she was a master at calming people down. The thought of my inevitable death was really starting to stress and scare me a bit. But she made sure I got rid of those negative emotions for now.

“Anyways, I’ve been wondering where Daring Do was?”

“She decided to pay Twilight a visit. You know how it is, they’re best friends now.”

“Alright. Good. In that case...” I murmured and pulled her closer. I stared into her eyes and saw my reflection in them. “I think all I need right now is something to clear my mind. If you know what I mean.”

“Mmm, I think all you need is a rest.” she half whispered with an interested smile.

“Oh?” I asked and subtly put my right arm around her waist. She responded by wrapping her arms around my neck with a smile. “Well, I had something diff--”

Before we could go any further we were interrupted by loud knocks on the door. With an annoyed moan, I rolled my eyes; not happy for being interrupted. Just when things were starting to get interesting, someone ruins it. Perfect timing. Even Dashie had a disappointing look on her face.

“Can’t we just ignore it?” she suggested to me in a whisper so the person behind the door wouldn’t hear.

“Believe me, I’d like to. But I have to go get it. What if it’s important? Just wait here, I got it.” I replied, still a bit disappointed. But then, I was pretty curious. Surprisingly, we didn’t get many visitors. And that was one of the things I couldn’t understand. If I was so popular, why did everyone leave me in peace? Hmm... Lyra did say they wouldn’t be a problem after I talked to her some weeks ago. Maybe she did something to keep everyone off Dashie and me.

I quickly kissed her before jumping out of the bed. Then I hastily got up to the door and opened it, only to be greeted by the unlikeliest person.

“You-- what the hell? What do you want? I told you people not to interfere with my life ever again!” I growled at Shadowmere. He stood his ground with a small frown on his face and slowly shook his head.

“I know all about your little secret, Dragonborn. Or do you want me to call you Drake instead?” he replied coldly.

I stared at him confused and a little hesitantly. I didn’t know what he knew about me, what he wanted or what the reason was for contacting me again. I doubted it was a good thing. “Alright, come in.” I whispered sharply at him. I didn’t really want him in my apartment, but I wanted to sort this out now. Deliver a message through him that I didn’t want them ever coming near me again.

He nodded once and followed silently to the kitchen where we could talk in peace. Rainbow stared at his eyes from the bed and didn’t take her eyes off him. They startled her a bit, but they also amazed her. However, she decided to leave us alone for now.

I pointed at the seat by the table and he answered by sitting down. He was still in his Dark Brotherhood suit. He looked like a professional and a threat. But I knew he wouldn’t try to harm me.

“Hmm... there ain’t much I can offer you. We have--”

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t need anything, thank you. Let’s cut right to the chase.”

I shrugged and sighed, but decided to do his bidding. I sat down on the chair facing his and couldn’t help but to stare at his eyes again. They were like magnets.

“So, what’s your business here?”

“Drake, I did some research and I know for a fact that you’re a human. Is that not the truth?” he asked pretty anxiously. He really wanted to get right to the point.

I sighed sharply and rolled my eyes yet again. “Was. And what about it?” I was starting to get a little annoyed. How did everyone know about it?

He opened his mouth a bit in surprise and acted like I was telling a lie. He whispered slowly: “Can’t be.”

“What does it mean to you?” I asked impatiently. I didn’t trust him, but I was curious.

“Halle-fuckin’-lujah! I can stop being so formal now.” he answered with a big relieved sigh. “Thank the Lord! I thought I was the only one.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked again hesitantly. The curse in his sentence put me off guard. Could it really be?

“You think you’re the only one the gods sent from Earth? You think you’re the only human being in a pony form? Look into my eyes. Look at them! How could this even be normal?”

I stopped breathing for a second and looked at him very confusedly. How could it be? “What?! Y-You were sent too?”

“Yeah, against my free will. And my name ain’t Shadowmere. It’s just something I took up. I wanted to hide my true identity. My real name is Isaac Frost and in fact, I have no idea how I ended up here, or what the gods want with me. I know they’re real, for I’ve spoken to them myself. But they didn’t tell me what to do. The only thing they did explain was that I’d figure it out myself when the time would come.”

I slowly stood up and backed away, completely stunned. I didn’t know what to think, “Holy shit! Y-You’re crazy!”

“Listen to me, Drake! From the moment I heard about your name I knew you were one of my kind. All the ponies around here have fucked up names. But yours... it didn’t add up. It was too normal. That’s why I did some quick researches after our little chat last night.”

“Who are you?” I asked terrifyingly. But I was also quite impressed. If he really was from Earth too... it could mean we weren’t the only humans in a pony form. Perhaps there were more of us under cover. But it sure would be interesting to speak to another human soul again after so long.

“I am... was... a family man. Had a wife back home and one kid. Huh... he’s probably an adult by now. Hell, he’s probably fucking dead by now. I’ve been here for way too long, and I know time on Earth is quicker to pass than here. I didn’t spend much time with them though. You see, I was in the marines. But you probably want to hear about when it happened? When I got drafted here? The year was 1974, if I recall correctly. We had an assignment in Russia. There were hostages in a warehouse and we had to save them. We’d already scouted the area and we’d figured out when was the best time to break into the warehouse. It was supposed to be simple. But things didn’t go as planned, we got ambushed. Apparently, we had a rat in our squad. Anyways, we had to fight off the enemy. But they were too many. One by one we fell, a squad of seven became a squad of two. Eventually I got a bullet to my chest, and my trusted friend and medic, Mark, tried to treat my wounds behind cover. But I was fading away and it wasn’t the bullet that caused it. I felt the single most painful experience possible, like someone had ripped out my very soul. I couldn’t close my eyes and I didn’t lose my consciousness. In fact, it seemed like I was. The last thing I heard and saw before drifting away was my best friend being shot right beside me. A bullet to the forehead. He could’ve ran and get away, but…he didn’t. That was the end of his blessed life and I couldn’t show any emotion towards it. My body was simply... dead. Then I woke up in this colorful fantasy world. New body, new environment, completely alone. I thought this was some kind of an afterlife at first. But no. There weren’t any of my kind around, and my only friends I ever got were murderers in a pony body.”

“1974? You sure?” I asked amazed. Was he really from the past? His story sounded legit, but I still had a hard time accepting it; Let alone the fact that I wasn’t the only human in a pony form.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Because I was from the year 2012.” I pointed out and sat down again next to him. “How long have you been here?”

“2012? Really? Wow. I’ve been here for maybe seven-eight years. All those years I’ve been running away. Starting a new life. Created another personality out of me. I didn’t trust anyone at first, but, ironically, my friends in the Brotherhood are nice. They’re my family. They were the ones that helped me when I got here for the first time. I didn’t know how to walk, I was cold, hungry and lonely. But I bumped into one of them, and he took me home to take care of me. He apparently sensed I had skills in killing. Perhaps that was the only reason he brought me in. Either way, I’m eternally thankful for his help. But tell me, how was it back in 2012?”

“I personally didn’t have a very good life. But a lot has changed since 1974, that’s for sure. Anyways, I’ve been wondering about your eyes? Why are they so... led-y?”

“Hell if I care. Why are you a Pegasus? Why are you cyan colored and I’m all pitch black? Don’t ask me, it’s just the body I got.”

“Speaking of which, you’re an Earth pony. How the hell can you stand in here? You’re not supposed to. Only the Pegasi can walk on Clouds.” I explained pretty damn confused. There was so much going on I didn’t fully get. It messed with my brain.

“Oh, yeah. I can’t be here for much longer. That is, if I want to get down to the ground safely without the express elevator. The magic I’ve been exposed with can only work for so long. Look, before it wears off..”

Before he could continue, Rainbow Dash appeared by the doorway. Apparently, her curiosity got the better of her. But she didn’t hear our conversation, so she was clueless about his true identity. Which was probably good for now.

“Who’s that? Your friend?” he asked me in confusion. I had a feeling he already realized that she was more than that, but he chose not to jump to conclusions.

“My wife.” I replied as clearly as I could, yet also a bit offended. I didn’t like the way he said it. “You have a problem with that?”

“Wife?!” he asked inaudibly. “You nuts? You belong on Earth! You’re a human being! You can’t just...” he continued in a disgusted, shocked whisper.

“Hey, Dashie. Wanna join us? This is Shadowmere. Shadowmere, this is Rainbow Dash. Or was it Isaac Frost? Sorry, I’m not good with names.” I mocked him. He looked back at me in disapproval. Apparently he didn’t like the fact that I’ve bonded too much with this world, but that was none of his business. “And don’t ever tell me how to live my life.” I growled harshly at him in a whisper so Dashie wouldn’t hear.

“Nice to meet you, uh, Shadowmere? I think I’ll just let you guys sort it out.” she replied and slowly backed away into the bedroom awkwardly. “I’ll be taking a nap if you need me.”

“Drake. This is so wrong in every aspect. She’s not human. You two are a whole different species! You’re breaking the law of nature, man! This is scandal! It’s not supposed to be--”

“You think I care? You think I haven’t noticed that she’s a pony? And did I ever tell you that I was originally supposed to be born one anyways? Even despite that fact, I love her with all my heart, and nothing you say will ever convince me otherwise. Now, is that all, or was there something else?” I replied coldly. He was really getting under my skin and I could only tolerate it for so long.

“If you say you were supposed to be born as one of them, I guess it’s... barely acceptable. However, I still think it’s wrong. But have it your way. Anyways, I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here for something else. I came here because I want to join you. I want to help you end the war against the dragons and ensure Equestria’s safety.”

“And why would you be interested in that?”

“It’s the only hope I ever get to see Earth again. I only now realize what my purpose here is. I have to help you stop the dragons. When they’ve been dealt with, I’m sure I get sent back to Earth.” he explained with his obvious homesickness in his voice. “I have to hope I get sent back to 1974. The same time I was brought here. I miss my family. I want to hold them close to me again. You have any idea how rough it has been for me? How lonely I’ve been? I just want out of this damn place and into the world I grew up in.”

“I understand that you want to see your family again. But that many years? You know, a day here equals to numerous months back on Earth. I don’t even want to calculate how much time has passed there.”

“Like I said. I have to hope I get sent back to 1974 after the dragons have been dealt with. I know it’s a fool’s hope. But it’s the only hope I have left.”

I sighed and thought about it for a while, but in the end decided to allow him to tag along. If he was in the marines back on Earth and an assassin now, he’s proven himself good enough to handle combat. Perhaps I could use him. And besides... I did pity him. I knew how he felt. Being away from his loved ones for such a long time; I’ve experienced it before. And that was only for three months. That’s why I wanted to help him get back to his family. “Fine. But I’m not leaving Equestria with you. This is my home now.”

“I get it. This world has much to offer. It is colorful... maybe too colorful for my tastes, but it’s peaceful and the civilians are nice enough. But Earth is my home. I can’t so easily ditch it like you can. I can tell you truly do care about her.”

“How so? I just told you about it not five minutes ago.”

“The fact that you’ve been constantly glancing at her while we were talking proves it.” he pointed out without any emotion. I laughed back awkwardly and tried to object to it, but I couldn’t find anything to say. So I decided to change the topic instead.

“You know what? Let’s drop it for now. You said you wanted to join me. Fine, but I can’t plan everything from scratch, so you’re going to have to wait till I get back. Is that alright?”

“I guess. You should stop by at our sanctuary. I believe Astrid has told you about it?”

“Astrid? Is that the mare that abducted me last night? If so, then yes. She has.”

“Good. We’ll talk better about... things... when you get back. But I must be leaving. I’ve no intention to experience falling down from such a distance at a great velocity. So, goodbye for now. And good hunting, brother.” he stood up and got up to the door, but hesitated. “And oh, goodbye, Miss Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you.” he shouted over to her and bowed his head in respect before he left in a rush. Rainbow smiled and nodded back but didn’t say anything in return.

Everything happened so fast I didn’t even realize he was gone until the door had been slammed and the dead silence had taken over. I stood in the kitchen for a while and tried to figure out what happened. Apparently, I wasn’t the only human in a pony form in Equestria like I originally thought. I didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing, but it sure did surprise me a lot. But having another person who fully understands me around can be a bit of a relief for me. Could be fun getting to know his personal background better when I’d get back.

“Who was that?” Dashie asked from the bed. She was lying on her stomach and rested her chin on both of her front hooves. “And how could he walk on Cloudsdale? I didn’t notice any wings.”

“He was very vague on that subject. He just hinted that he had been exposed with some sort of magic to temporarily prevent him from falling.” I answered. I got up to her and sat down on the bed again next to her. Looking at her with an enticing gaze, I asked: “Now, where were we...”

We had to take the train as North as we could and walk from there. The train voyage took something about two days or so. I had already ordered my companions not to take anything unnecessary with us because it would only slow us down. Everyone respected my request and did as I asked, which was good. That way, it was easier for me and everyone else to get the job done. I’d been planning this trip ever since we decided that it must be done. However I did sneak my iPod with me without letting anyone know. But this wasn’t going to be easy, and none of us has ever really been out of Equestria. Except for Rainbow, but she was only a filly when she was brought back here.

Me and my comrades, Twilight Sparkle, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, remained silent the first day on the train. It was still pretty early in the morning when we hit the roads, so everyone either slept or didn’t feel like talking. However, Dashie and I had been awake for the past hours. We were already ready to start the damn journey, but for now we had to be patient. I was fine with that, to be honest. The cabin was big enough and it was pretty cozy for a train. And since I had to wait for I didn’t know how long, I decided to take that opportunity to rest a bit. I haven’t slept well lately for reasons I didn’t even bother thinking about again.

The closest we could get to the borders separating Equestria from Elyntis, the country of the Northlings, was a small dirty town practically no one lived in anymore. It was very snowy and the winds blew aggressively. But we all knew this was just a taste of what was to come.

The walk was rough. Even harder than I imagined. We had to climb steep snowy mountains, fight off ice wraiths and other enemies in our paths, kill a blood dragon in the process, cross glacier rivers and camp in the dangerous wilderness in the intolerable cold. Sleeping was pain because of the icy winds. However, it was a bit warmer for me and Dashie because we kept us warmer with our body heat by sleeping in each other’s arms under a thin blanket we took from home. My other companions were completely on their own. They had to endure it by themselves. Applejack was the only one who completely resisted the cold though. That’s the benefit of being an Earth pony. They can endure pretty much everything. But it was a challenge for the rest of us. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. Although, it didn’t need much more for that to change.

My worst fears came true on the eighth day. We got critically low on food and we had no idea where we were or where to go. Our energy was wearing thin and the cold kept it that way.

I still remember the difficulties we had withstand on my first journey. Applejack, Twilight and I had completely ran out of food and water, and we had to walk in a god’s forsaken desert for a full day. The unbearable heat... the lack of liquid and food... it was horrible.

We knew we’d already traveled into Elyntis, but we were located somewhere in the southern wilderness. We hadn’t encountered a single Northling yet, but I had a feeling we weren’t far away.

“You know, our trip sounded way more tropical at first.” Twilight pointed out in a small joke. She tried to keep optimistic even though the situation of the weather was extremely bad. She could’ve used her magic to keep her warm, but she considered it to be an unfair advantage over the rest of us. And since she couldn’t help all of us in that situation, she decided to drop it altogether. I tried convincing her that it was alright, and that she should totally use it. But she stuck to her decision. And when Twilight sticks to something, nobody can do anything about it.

“Hah! You can say that again.” I shouted over to her in a reply. I tried myself to take Twilight as an example and stay positive, but it sure was easier said than done. I tend to complain a lot when I dislike something.

We had predicted that this was supposed to be our last day camping in the wilderness. We’d get to the capital city tomorrow according to my map and compass. Right now we were pinpointed at a tall mountain near its peak in the middle of the night. We just had to get down from there and walk a few miles north-east.

Lucky for us, the weather had calmed down a bit. The wind and the sharp blizzards had vanished and it became calm for the first time. However, the cold remained. But it was much more tolerable now. We could talk to each other calmly without having to shout.

My companions celebrated by starting a small campfire to keep them even warmer. Dashie and I didn’t join them though, we were both tired and therefore decided to get to sleep early. Well, I was really the one to be tired. I had a feeling she was only going to sleep to be with me.

It was a good thing we brought our tent. It would be impossible to fall asleep under the sky in the frost. In addition, we brought a little blanket. So, the cold wasn’t a problem that night.

“May I ask you a question?” Rainbow asked me hesitantly. She was trembling a bit under the blanket at first, but I wrapped my arms and wings around her to warm her up a bit. She responded by hugging my right hoof.

“Of course. What’s on your mind?”

She turned around to look me in the eyes and asked me: “I hope you don’t mind... but be honest with me. Do you ever miss your old homeworld? Your kind? Don’t you ever feel like going back?”

I hesitated a bit and contemplated whether I should tell her the truth or not. But in the end I sighed and answered: “No matter how difficult it has been for me, Earth still feels like... home. I admit that I do miss it a bit. The scenery, the nature, the environment. And my people... I miss them too. I would like to see their smiles again. Making people happy has been one of my main pleasures in life. Both now and then. So all in all, yes. I do miss Earth a bit. But hear me out; I’d never leave you or anything else this world has to offer to go back. I’m very happy here. This is my new home and I have everything I’ve ever wanted here. I made friends here. I have a purpose here. But most importantly, I met you. That’s more than I could’ve hoped for.”

Rainbow blushed a bit, gave me a feeble smile and hugged me weakly, but passionately. “Thank you... for everything. There are so many things you’ve done for me. So many sacrifices on your behalf. And I’m not only talking about what you’ve done for me, but what you’ve done for everyone. You’re not even from this world and still you’re so incredibly eager to defend it. To protect us from harm. You’re the single most generous person I’ve ever met. You never ask for anything in return, and you always put your own body on the line to save others.”

“I’m just going to stop you here. That’s not entirely true. I do get something in return.” I interrupted.

“But I’ve never noticed you ask for a reward. What are you talking about?”

“Well, no matter what I do, I always get your plot by the end of the day.” I pointed out in a subtle joke and softly slapped her flank. She gasped a bit in return and that made me let out the giggle I’d been holding within.

“Oh yeah? Screw you.” she replied with a laugh of her own and pushed me a bit away from her. “You know what? I don’t think I’m tired anymore. I’m going outside to my friends.” she added with a fake smile, trying to get me disappointed. It kinda worked though. I wanted to cuddle next to her.

“Aw, I was just kidding!” I uttered in disappointment and participated in the small half joke. However, I meant everything I said. “But still... I know you can’t resist--”

“You better not wait up for me. I’ll be gone for a while.” she interrupted me this time and extended her fake smile. Before she walked out of the tent she hinted that she agreed to everything I said though by softly slapping my face with her tail. I speechlessly stared at her body while she slowly crept out of the tent. However, she poked her head in again and added: “Try to get some sleep. You’re going to need it.”

I answered her by slowly nodding with my eyes still fixed upon her until she completely left me. It was like I was snapped back to reality as soon as she was gone. I quickly shook my head once and exhaled. I was a bit tired, but I also wanted to enjoy the company of my friends. I decided to get some sleep in the end. My best chance of getting a good rest was now, now that the winter winds were calm. And I was gonna need that rest for tomorrow, so I figured it would be a good idea to get a good night’s rest for the required energy if we were going to have to fight for survival... that is, if they choose to reject my proposition.

“Who let those Equestrians into my halls?!” the king’s growly voice echoed loudly from the throne through the big, spacious hall. It was designed like the one back in Canterlot and only by the comparison of those two castles, I noticed a strong connection. Maybe the royals were all connected somehow. But I somehow doubted that.

I had been warned that they spoke in a different tongue, so apparently he either knew our language or Twilight’s magic had already started speaking for itself. However, I couldn’t understand a thing the guards and the civilians shouted at us when we showed up. Half surprisingly, It sounded like a weird combination of an old Norse-Icelandic language. So the fact that the king knew our language was likeliest. But when I thought more about it, why would he speak our language if he despised our race so much? No... It must’ve been Twilight activating the translation spell instead. And that seemed to be the case, because when I looked back at Twilight, I noticed a purple fainted light glowing on her horn for a second.

The king was bigger than I’d imagined. He was huge; probably around double my size, although he wasn’t very thick. In fact, he was kind of fit. As were the guards and the rest of the Northlings. Exactly the opposite of how I’ve been imagining them.

He was very muscular though and could easily crush his opponents. I even considered him a bigger threat than Ghost’s... Starfire’s former “boss” was.

He looked at us with disgust; like we were trash that had to be thrown away for everybody’s satisfaction and relief. His eyes were blue, his fur dark gray, and he had a big crown as his cutie mark. He was an Alicorn like all the other royals throughout Equestria, but he refused to use his magic or his wings. No one truly knows why, but some say it’s because he has something against the Pegasi and Unicorns and prefers to live as an Earth pony instead.

I was pretty exhausted. Me and my friends had to fight off all the guards without killing them just to get a chance for a glimpse at the king. They were almost as threatening as the king himself and they’d been well trained for their jobs. I couldn’t use my Shouts without killing them, of course, so me and my companions had to take them down with the old traditional way.

We got outnumbered in the end, and the sharp winter winds was clearly not in our favor. The Northlings were immune to it and even used it for their advantages. They all targeted me, because they all understood that I was the biggest threat. Six guards beating the shit out of you doesn’t tend to be very comfortable. Rainbow tried to come to my aid, but she and the rest of my companions were being held while the rest of the guards fought to tie me down.

There was one guard on each of my comrades. However, it needed more than one to keep Rainbow down. When she’s in her fighting, she’s almost unstoppable. In that case, three of the strongest guards had to fight to maintain her on the floor. That was pretty impressive and, like so many times already, showed me how strong she was and what she was capable of. After all, she was Rainbow Dash. One of the six brave heroes of Equestria.

But I didn’t go down easily either. I counted fourteen guards I took out separately on my own before another six entered the picture. I had the energy for more fighting, but six of them versus one of me was pretty unfair. I tried to Shout them away from me with my unrelenting force, but apparently, the Dragonborn was also known in their land. They knew who they were dealing with. That’s why the first thing they attempted was to choke me with a cloth. And they succeeded.

“Those intruders attacked us and demanded to have a word with you. They deserve to be punished for their insolence!” answered a thick accented guard.

Our hooves had been tied up and we had been made kneel on the ground before the king. We’d all been battered up pretty badly too. My body trembled and I had no energy to stand up. I didn’t even try to. But I did utter muzzily through the cloth: “Let go of me!”

I forced myself to try loosen the rope holding my hooves behind my back with the little energy I had left but to no avail.

“You’re not going anywhere, Equestrian!” the guard loudly replied and punched me once in my sore stomach. But giving the fact that he understood me, Twilight’s magic seemed to be working both ways. So I guess they heard us speaking in their tongue and vice versa.

“I decide who gets punished or not, you imbecile!” the king answered harshly. “Now, scram! I want to have a word with those... Equestrians...”

“But, my king. It is strongly recommended that you keep at least three guards in the room with you. They’re a threat and we must act quickly if they try anything funny. We should throw them down into the dungeon. Better safe than sorry, right?”

The king responded by looking coldly into the guard’s eyes. “Begone from my sight, or your head will be the next in my collection! I wish to speak to the Dragonborn and his party in private. And loose them up before you leave!”

“A-as you wish, my lord.” he replied terrifyingly and bowed his head towards the ground before he determinedly did his bidding.

We were free again. It sure was comfortable to get rid of the cloth and the ropes but I was still pretty restless. As were my friends. “You alright?” I whispered to Rainbow, who was by my right, panting angrily for air. She swallowed and nodded back with a frown.

“Now... what do you want? What are you doing in my halls; my land?” asked the king powerfully and a bit angrily. He clearly didn’t like us in his property.

I looked up at him without showing any remorse or fear for what I did to his personal guards and tried to stand up. It was a bit challenging, but I managed to get to my feet in the end. I spoke back to him without hesitance: “We’re here because we need your help. The dragons are here and they’re back to finish the job they set out to do thousands of years ago. To wipe us all out and to claim the world for their own. Their first target is Equestria and we can’t face them alone, so we come here humbly to ask for aid.”

“You know how to make an entrance, I give you that. But why should we help you of all people? Why should I throw my own troops into a war that doesn’t even concern us? You know, I think the dragons may actually be a good thing for us. They can take care of you for us. Good riddance, I say.”

With a frown I looked at him without the respect he deserved and replied: “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so against us? Whatever did we do to make you so filled with hatred about us? And you should worry about the dragons. Because they won’t stop after Equestria. They’ll conquer the world if we don’t do anything about it! And if you think they’ll ignore Elyntis, you’re more blind than I thought.”

The king stood up from his throne and approached hastily at me. “What did we do? No, my friend. Our hostility towards you is because of what your kind did. It is the Nord’s fault that we had to undergo through trial and errors. Your kind broke our allegiance and declared war upon us! Invaded our land and tried to take it for your own; tried to rule over it. But you were denied! Our elite warriors drove you back to the hell you call Equestria. Now, you have two minutes to change my mind. After that time, you’ll be cast in the dungeons to rot. And believe me... you do not want to go there.”

“Look... I don’t know anything about what happened. It sounds personal and it clearly looks like we made an error. An error we seek to fix. So hear me out: You help us out and I promise that you and your kind get the long lost glory you so desperately seek. Join me! Let us fight side by side as friends and allies against the real threat. Our common enemy! Because if you don’t... we’re talking about the extinction of both our races. So please, help us! That’s all I’m asking for. And I’m speaking for behalf the residents of Equestria. Their lives are in your hooves.”

“Cute speech. But you have to try harder than that.” he replied with a big laughter.

It was a bit embarrassing and I was starting to blush a bit in shame. But before I could even notice it myself, Daring Do was standing next to me and spoke with high confidence.

“Hey... you. Tell me. Do you care for your people?”

“Well, of course! They mean everything to me.”

Daring Do shook her head slightly in disappointment and added. “Then you of all people should understand what Drake is talking about. You think we’re here because we’re lazy and want you to do all the dirty work? You think we’d walk into hostile grounds to mock the king himself? Are you really that short sighted? If you really loved your people you would have sensed the passion in Drake’s words. The love for his people is driving him forward. He came here willingly to try to reunite us again, despite the unknown greetings he’d receive. He’s willing to die for his people. Now that he sees that we might go extinct, and the people he’s fighting for has a big chance of dying, he’s trying everything he can to ensure their safety. He even seeks help from his enemies for a slight hope of cooperation. The only person who can make a difference in this situation is you. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here. We know it’s your choice. You decide whether you help us or not. But if you decide to ignore us, know that we fell with honor. And the day will come when the dragons attack Elyntis. And you’ll be all on your own; regretting with all your hearts and spirits for not ending the threat in Equestria as allies. Now, make up your damn mind and tell him what your answer is. We don’t have all day.”

The king tried to look confident, but Daring’s silver tongue was enough to crack him. Even the cold hearted king started feeling for slight sympathy. I just saw it on his face. However I was still unsure if it truly changed his mind. We could only hope.

“Hmm... you clearly don’t lack the enthusiasm, that’s for sure. I respect your courage, Equestrian, to speak back at me with such a power and little respect. Such a thing would no sane person do if they’d truly want to keep their heads. Heh, maybe that was just what I needed. I’m starting to get tired of all the praises. However, I must confess that I was touched by your little speech.”

“Does that mean we get your support?” I asked full of hope.

“I cannot spare any of my soldiers. We have enough problems as it is. Removing my army from Elyntis would weaken it, due to the Orcs lurking around in their camps around the capital city. Those damn monsters... won’t leave us alone and they’re already too many for us to handle. I’m sorry, but my answer is no. Now, be gone from my sight before I toss you all into the coldness of the dungeon.”

“Wait! I have a suggestion. What if we take care of that problem for you? If we get rid of those things lurking around your city.”

He let out a laughter, even bigger than his previous one, and acted like he hadn’t heard a funnier thing. “You really think you can take them all out? Equestrians? Nords? Taking care of a problem not even we can take care of? Hah! I should probably just get you all killed for suggesting such a thing.”

“Hey, fucker. You have any idea who you’re speaking to?” Rainbow Dash shouted furiously and quickly flew up to the royal without landing. “You’re speaking to the Dragonborn himself! The prophecy that the Elder Scrolls had been foretelling about for centuries! Show some damn respect or I’ll kick your teeth in and decorate the walls with your organs!”

“Dashie, stand down! I got this.” I commanded hastily. She was getting out of hoof and I had to stop her before something would break out. The least we want is another pointless war over such a small dispute. However, Rainbow didn’t obey. She quickly looked at me with a frown, but then turned her head back at the king, still floating in the air.

“No. This piece of shit has to understand some manners. Might teach him a thing or two! Common! Show me what you got! You big ugly--”

“Now, this is what you Equestrians have been lacking!” he said loudly with a big smile on his normally angry face. “She understands our ways! Say, you sure you’re a Nord? You sure don’t act like one.”

“Take a good look at me!” she answered sharply. “Do I look like I’m one of your kind? Do I look like a fucking lizard? Or do I look like an Orc perhaps? I’m as much Nord as one can be! Now, stop playing games with us and send your troops to Equestria already!”

I’ve never seen anyone so entertained in my life. The king admired Rainbow’s enthusiasm. The power, her courage to be so disrespectful towards him. He loved it, and I must confess that I did not like where this was heading.

“Dragonborn. I am ready to negotiate. I send all of my troops to Equestria. You will get all of them and they will be ready to sacrifice their lives for you and your people. But... instead, I want her to stay here with me. She is a mare of my tastes and is fitting within my halls. She has proven herself good enough to be here, and I want her to give birth to my heir.”

Rainbow furiously gnawed her teeth and prepared herself to strike him down, but I grabbed her arm just in the nick of time. “No.” I whispered to her, still trying to understand what the hell was going on. She nodded back angrily and crossed her arms with the biggest frown I’ve ever seen on her.

Then I turned my head to face him again and let out the biggest laugh I’d ever had since I fooled Rainbow back on High Hrothgar. “Ahahaha, yeah? Good one! That’s not gonna happen and you know it. Now, what did you want me to do again? Kill those Orcs for you? Where can I start?”

“I’ve made my proposition. If you don’t like it, you may leave my land empty hoofed now and never return. She stays, you get your army. Now, you have five seconds to make up your mind, or I will have you thrown out of here.”

“Hey, asshole! I can’t be bartered! I’m the Dragonborn’s spouse, and I will be by his side until the moment I stop breathing! Besides... I’d never want to be with you of all people. Not even if thousands of lives were at stake! And you know what they say about me... I’m the loyalest of them all. Now, stop being such a pussy and get out there and show those dragons what you’re made of!”

“Ohohoho, yes! She’s definitely fitting here! My heir would be powerful if he’d come from someone such as her. Say... you sure you don’t want to be here, doll? They say I have the best bed in all of Elyntis. Mmm... you may be a Nord, but the strength in you actually makes you quite a dish.”

“Alright, fuck it!” I growled very angrily. “FUS... RO DAH!” I shouted at the king, making him fly around the room with such a force. Rainbow’s frown turned into an amused grin by that and she let out a big laugh.

But before he crashed at the stone wall behind him, he used his magic to prevent himself from harm, creating a blue magic bubble around him. He landed safely at the ground but he sure looked pissed off.

“I’m tired of being reasonable!” I said, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t burn you all to ashes with my voice and destroy what’s left of your miserable city! If you’re not gonna give me your support, you’re no use to me! Give me one reason why I should still keep you alive!”

“You’re lucky I’m a patient king... if you weren’t so special, your whole family and friends would’ve been executed and erased from history or worse. Hell, you even made me break my own law by using my magic! I may be patient... but I can feel that my patience is wearing thin. Very thin.”

“Then start talking! And she’s NOT for barter! She’s mine, go get your own girl!”

“You disappoint, Dragonborn. You want to keep me alive because I’m the only one who has the power of balance and organization between our races. Only I have the power to send my army to your precious little Equestria. So, if you want to threaten me, you’ve gotta do better than that. Now, I tire of you all. You’re boring me and I don’t take threats lightly. You leave me no choice. Guards!”

As soon as he finished that word, entered three guards in a haste. “Yes, sir?”

However, I was still kind of puzzled why they didn’t enter when I shouted at the king...

“Escort our guests to our “nice” little dungeon. All except the blue mare. I have something extra special in store for her. As for the rest of them... introduce them to our little “toys”. And put a collar on the blue mare! Wouldn’t want her to go somewhere she’s not supposed to go.”

“With pleasure.” one of the brute guards replied with a big evil grin on his face.

Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have a choice but to try to fight back. But I really, really couldn’t Shout. I was completely out of energy. The fight earlier and the time I Shouted at the king really was the last drop of juice I had left in me. Me and my friends tried to fight back with our goofy punches, but the guards easily blocked them. One of them headbutted me ferociously, making me collapse down to the ground and removing the tiniest energy I had left. I was almost out of this world, but the last thing I heard before I fainted was Dashie yelling my name. Reminded me back when I blacked out in the desert. When Rainbow shouted my name. It was still fresh in my memory.

Applejack was the only one who managed to take down a guard with her moon boots, but that was it. Even Twilight was out of juice and therefore could not use her magic. Even her translation spell was glitching.

“Teg mun dús í kjallr í-- long time!” said one of the guards. I just squinted at him confusedly.

“Drake! Get up!” shouted Rainbow. She landed next to me and tried to shake the energy into me, but without any result. The distraction completely made her blind to the guards approaching her from the back. Like last time, three of the strongest guards held her down while the fourth put a tight leather collar around her neck. She fought back by bucking at them, but was no match against the strong brutes. They choked her with cloth and something similar to chloroform, putting her easily to sleep.

“D-Dash--” I murmured and tried to reach out to her before I got another unexpected blow to my skull, and the darkness quickly consumed me.

I slowly opened my eyes. My vision was bad and everything was blurred. The first thing I noticed when I woke up was small chandeliers slowly rocking back and forth. The lights were pretty dim. I immediately figured that I was in a small room, possibly in a cell or something. However, the room wasn’t like the typical steel cell made of bars. It was a room made of stone and there was no door or windows to separate that room from the hallway.

I was tied down to something, but I didn’t really know what. The only thing I knew was that I was lying horizontally and my hooves were tied down to the four corners to what seemed to be a stone table. My wings were tied down as well. I also had an iron ball attached to my mouth, possibly in the purpose of preventing me from Shouting.

None of my friends were visible or audible. I was all alone in the darkness. I was a bit scared, not solely because of my situation, but rather because of my worries for my friends. I was unsure whether they were safe or if they had been harmed, but one way or the other, I was determined to get out of this place, sooner rather than later.

After adapting a bit I took a notice to another pony in the same room. An Equestrian mare, judging by her physical body structure. She had been blindfolded and was imprisoned by shackles, keeping her attached to the wall by my left.

I tried to break myself free, but the chains holding me were made of strong material. This situation reminded me of the time when I was a hostage at the warehouse back in Cloudsdale. When I was held by shackles against the wall like the mare next to me and made watch as the boss of the criminal organization violated my Dashie and threatened to harm her in more ways than one. I got disturbing, hateful shudders when I thought about it. My anger built up again. How much I wanted to resurrect that fucker just to enjoy torturing him again.

There wasn’t dead silence. I heard agonizing screams echoing through the maze of a dungeon. The foul air smelled of rotten flesh, death and blood. The cries from the other prisoners creeping into my brain made everything worse. I started breathing faster. What if my friends were being tortured? What if they desperately needed my help at that very moment?

I must have waited for an hour or so when a big shadowy figure entered the room silently. He was hooded and wearing black robes; all covered in blood. The visible area of his body was the lower part of his face. His grim smile.

He was biting on a handle of an iron pot and a torch in his hoof. I knew exactly what he was going to do to me... but I stayed calm and tried not to think about it.

He laughed a sickening laugh before he placed the pot on my stomach and didn’t waste any time by adding the torch into that pot. The heat... the burn... the sting. It was horrible. I couldn’t do anything but to let out a painful muffled yell through the iron choking me.

With a satisfying smile, he awaited patiently before he got enough and removed the pot to let me recover a bit. I looked at him and shoved my sharp eyes at him, imagining what would happen to him if I would break myself free.

However, he didn’t put it back on my body like I expected, but instead, turned around and walked towards a table I hadn’t noticed before. On the table were all kind of tools... tools that could inflict serious damage on one’s body. He picked up a rusty saw and turned around again with his disgusting smile. He slowly walked towards me and enjoyed watching as I tried everything I could to break myself free. “Holy shit! No, no, no no...” I thought to myself in panic.

I noticed the mare stuck up to the wall getting a bit paranoid. The clenching sound of the steel from the tools he’d been using made both of us uneasy.

The person laughed his dark laughs again and placed the sharp blade right above my right knee.

Only then did I understand that I wasn’t only being held a prisoner... I was also a victim. They were going to torture me for fun. I panted through my nose loudly and shook myself to force the chain loose. But nothing happened. The only thing I could do was biting the iron in my mouth while he snapped my leg off. I had to wait for it to be over.

He started cutting slowly, teasing me a bit. The tears soon covered my face due to the agonizing pain. I made loud painful muffled sounds again, still trying everything I could to get away from here. The horribleness, it was a lot worse than being burnt by the hot iron. He didn't cut far down, but he definitely destroyed some of my muscle tissues in my leg. Seeing that much of my blood again put me in a slight shock.

He laughed again and, much to my surprise, stopped sawing. He turned to the table again and came back with a pile of salt and a slice of lemon with him. “Fuck no!” I thought to myself and stared at him with my eyes wide open. I shook my head quickly and panted heavily again.

He squeezed the lemon, making the juice drop like an hourglass to the fresh wound on my leg. I twitched and sobbed through the iron ball. Swallowing hard and shaking my head quickly from side to side, he rubbed the salt on the burning meat of my leg, making everything so much worse than it already was. I moaned painfully again. I was destroying my teeth because of how hard I was biting the iron ball.

“Hey! You thar!” I suddenly heard someone say, confidently, with obvious fury in her voice.

“Huh?” the cloaked figure answered, only to be bucked in the face by black boots as soon as he turned around. He fell straight dead to the ground, revealing his fucked up face. His head was like a pez dispenser. That kick was so powerful it nearly split his head in two pieces.

“Mmmfff...” I murmured feebly, but in relief. My eyes were barely open, but I could see Applejack standing over his corpse, looking at me with a shocked expression on her face. Sad that she was too late. Sad that I had to go through torture, even if it was just the beginning.

She didn't hesitate and freed me from my prison by loosening the chains and removing the iron ball. I peered my eyes at her and moaned slowly: “A-Applejack?”

“It’s alright. Ah’m here now.” she replied, hugged me tightly. I returned it, but it took some effort.

“T-thank you, Applejack. Thank you so much.” I whispered into her ear, showing my gratitude by squeezing her a little.

“It’s alright.” she replied. “Geez, yer leg looks pretty bad. Ya think ya can walk?”

I tried stroking my wound but as soon as I touched my sore leg my hoof twitched back automatically due to the pain. I let out another agonizing scream and firmly closed my eyes, sobbing a bit. Breathing very heavily, I answered: "I-- I don’t think so.”

“Then let me be yer support. We’ll find Twilight and she’ll heal ya all up. You’ll be good as new!”

“Y-Yes... But how-- how did you manage to escape?”

“Let’s not worry about that now. We should try to find a way out of this gods’ forsaken place!”

I nodded once and forced myself to sit up. She helped me by pushing my back with her head. “Let’s find our friends first.” I replied.

She nodded and helped me get on my feet. I tried to take a step with my wounded leg but the pain was way too much. I couldn’t even set my hoof on the ground.

I put my right arm around her and let her lead me towards the doorway but then I remembered something. “Wait.” I murmured. I turned around and looked at the mare imprisoned by the wall. She didn’t even ask to be freed.

I wanted to ask her some questions. I wanted to free her too and everyone here in the dungeon. I bet no one in this dungeon deserved those treatments they received, and this only showed me the Northlings’ true face. It wasn’t the Equestrians who pissed them off. It wasn’t us who broke some kind of an allegiance. They lied. They were generally an evil race. Loved to torture and slaughter ponies. We had nothing to do with their cruelness.

Applejack helped me walk over to the imprisoned mare. She panted and swallowed once before asking: “A-Are you here to free us?”

“We’re going to get you out of here.” I answered. “Your pain ends here.”

“T-They made me watch. They made me watch as they... ate my husband. T-The mares... they rape them too. And the children they skin alive and leave them to rot in their pain. Before they killed and ate my husband, they made him watch... watch as they.... they...” she said with a stuttering voice, starting to breath harder than before. Then she broke down into tears and hid her face in her hooves. I couldn’t see her eyes because of the covers, but I could only imagine how teary they must’ve been.

I was disgusted. Angry. Furious. I’ve been in similar situation. But this? Cannibalism? Rape and torture? Skinning children alive? I did not want them to be my allies anymore. In fact, I was gonna bring that place down. I vowed to myself to burn this city to the ground. I’d slaughter everyone in my path. I’m not the “good guy”. I’d never been the “good guy”. I tend to choose neither side, to do what seems best. But when someone is cruel, I will end their existence; I will show no mercy. Although, I preferred being kind to people. I loved to make people smile... but this... this could not go unpunished. This was the breaking point, and all my anger and hatred was spilling out on the Northlings. Their time had come.

Everyone is both good and bad. It is up to us to choose which to be more of, and I liked staying good. Like everyone, though, I still had evil inside me. The ability to hurt. These Northlings would tremble in fear when they realized what they had unleashed; I would become death, and I would destroy them.

I removed the cloth blinding her. The first thing I noticed was her green eyes. Those tearful eyes, thanking me for saving her. “It ends here.” I repeated myself reassuringly.

“Don’t believe their lies. The Orcs... they’re not evil. The Northlings... they’re the evil ones. They eat other ponies... they... they torture and rape! All of them, not just the king and the guards! Please... please! You must end it!” she begged. “We must get out of here... we must save the others. We must hurry. The world needs to see their true face.”

I nodded once to Applejack and she reciprocated. Then she freed the mare. Fortunately, she hadn’t been tortured yet, as far as I could tell, so there was nothing physically wrong with her. Well... except the fact that she had been raped. However, I did fear for her mental stability. The way she talked indicated that she had lost a small portion of her sanity. But she was fine, and that’s why I didn’t dwell on anything. The first thing in my mind was to find my friends. I wanted to find Twilight first, because it’d be impossible for me to travel with my crippled leg. The pain increased vastly with each minute.

Together we left the room and ventured forth into the darkness of the hallway. The other mare decided to assist me by positioning herself by my left. I appreciatively wrapped my left arm over her neck and let them carry me away. We moved slowly but silently.

The disgusting sounds of a whip, chains and something frying became clearer than ever before. The screams of the mares. The laughters of the torturers. The begging from the stallions for their lives. We all knew what was happening around us. My heart demanded I did something about it. But I couldn’t. Not in this state. The ones needing my help just had to survive for a little while longer while I fix myself up with Twilight’s magic. But first, we had to find her.

There was blood and gore smeared all over the walls of the hallway, making me gag a bit. I turned my head away to take my mind off it, even though I knew that wouldn’t be possible. But my mind mostly turned to Dashie. Was she alright? Did she need my help? I was worried sick. I did know that she wasn’t sent to the dungeon, though, and that was a relief for me. But then, maybe she wasn’t doing any better than we were. Who knows what they were doing to her. The thought of it angered me greatly. In fact, it angered me so much I forced myself to put my front hooves on the ground. I refused assistance. I harshly put my wounded leg on the ground and grunted loudly, but the thoughts of the king doing something against Dashie’s will made me furious. It was very painful, but counteracted the hate.

I determinedly forced myself forward and entered the first room by our right in the slightest hope of finding some, if not all of my friends.

The sight I was greeted with was utterly disturbing and sickening. I saw an half-eaten stallion on the ground, lying in his own blood. It was a fresh kill. Probably happened earlier this hour. But that wasn’t all. On the table was a mare being raped by one of the torturers. She was tied down to the table with her hooves separated from each other, lying on her stomach. Her snout had been covered with a black tape. Her red-blue eyes was very teary. Her caramel brown body was being rubbed intensively by that dark gray stallion as he roughly pounded into her with his stallionhood. He didn’t notice me at first because he was too busy enjoying himself, groaning with each thrust. I also noticed that his snout was bloodied, probably from the little feast he had earlier. But the mare saw me. She looked deep into my eyes; begging me to help her. I noticed the sadness in her eyes. Not only because of what was happening to her, but also because I came to realize that the half eaten stallion on the floor was related to her somehow. Someone that meant a lot to her.

I firmly grasped the area where my heart pumped and exhaled heavily. It stung. Looking up to that fueled the hatred that was already taking a hold of me. It activated something within me I hadn’t felt for since the torture of the boss back on Cloudsdale. It’s like someone had turned the “berserk mode” on.

At last the soon-to-be-dead fucker noticed me. He widened his eyes in startle and pulled out, being too slow. I spurted towards him with my wings and slammed into him at great speed, taking him down. The impact on him was brutal. Must’ve broken some of his ribs. I sat on his chest and started smacking him with my front hooves as hard and as fast as I could. Cracking his skin and skull against the hard floor with each blow, his blood sprayed in all directions. The wet sound of his liquids and the sound of his skull cracking was the melody of death. He tried to defend himself, but was weak compared to the righteous fury of the Dragonborn. I bashed his face in so many times, it was nothing but mush, however I managed to do that. My hooves got very sore, but I continued my assault on him nonetheless, without showing any signs that I was getting done anytime soon. Even though he was long dead, even though I was just punching into the ground and at the remains of his brain, still I continued. I growled angrily and started using my other hoof too. I completely lost myself, got on my fours and started kicking into the slippery pool of his brain and blood with my non-injured back hoof in all my fury, cursing at the body.

Applejack stopped me in the end by putting her arms around me, holding me still. “Easy there, pardner! He’s a goner. No point in wastin’ all yer energy on a corpse.”

I breathed heavily for a while until I calmed down a bit. As soon as my adrenaline decreased, I started feeling for the immense pain in all four of my hooves. “Fucking ouch.” I muttered to myself annoyingly, rub my forehooves intensively.

It seems like while I took care of the torturer, Applejack and the other mare freed the victim. The first thing she did when she got back on her feet was to kneel beside the corpse on the ground and sob deeply. She cried and cried for Gods know how long. She was still crying when I got up to her. I decided to give her some time, because I knew what she was going through. I had experienced it myself when Dashie was taken from me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head downwards in sympathy.

“I... I’m sorry.” I said in a low voice, giving her small friendly pats on her back.

“H-He made him watch first... then he killed and ate him in front of me. Then... he touched and had his fun on me again. I... I will slaughter them all!”

“I’m so sorry. Come with me, and let’s have our revenge on them. Let’s end this madness” I replied. She responded by looking me in the eyes again, then she nodded. She stood up and carefully wiped the tears off her face. “You know why they’re doing this? Is there a reason for those demonic treatments?” I asked, completely disgusted by the thought.

“No particular reason. They enjoy it. It’s their fun. They kidnap Equestrians travelling in Elyntis. They bring them here... and here they wish for death before the seriousness begins. Please, let’s get out of here. Please! Before they catch us again. Let’s go up there and get our revenge. My husband deserves vengeance.” she begged with her hoarse voice. She had almost lost her voice by all the shouting and yelling from earlier. But I replied her by nodding my head two times in complete agreement.

“Oh, they’ll pay alright. They will all fall by my voice. Let’s get the buck out of here.”

I still refused to be assisted with the walking. I wanted to do it myself, no matter how painful it was.

Room after room we ventured forth. In each of every room were torturers either torturing or raping. We took them all down with ease. Some of the victims were already dead when we entered certain rooms, and in most cases we came up to them being eaten by a pony savage. I made sure they all died in a brutal, painful way. The thought of my friends propelled me. Especially the thoughts of my love. My Dashie. Her safety was my priority. I just hoped she was doing alright.

I didn't remember anything when I woke up. My neck itched somehow, a feeling like something was strangling me. I touched my neck, but something prevented a contact. I felt for leather of some kind. It was a collar. The collar was tied with a chain, which was attached to the wall. I tried pulling at it to break it off, but it was way too strong, even for me. I also noticed that I was dressed in some kind of leathery uniform instead of my Wonderbolt’s uniform. It seemed like some kind of clothes for a foreplay. I really didn’t want to wear it, but I couldn’t tear it off either.

I wasn't scared, but I had a bad feeling about it all. I was locked up in some kind of a prison. But it wasn't like the typical ones. It seemed to be a bedroom of some sort, fitted for kings.

Now it hit me. I knew exactly what had happened. The Northlings’ king imprisoned me to be his personal slave, I bet. They took my friends away! Where were they? What were they doing to them? I was worried, but not completely. I knew Drake would take good care of them, even if he had difficulties of his own. But I still missed them. I was lonely in the dark and I knew I wasn't in good hooves. Here I was powerless. If he wanted to, he could do anything to me. My thoughts turned to Drake once more. He’s coming for me, I know it.

I tried looking for something sharp around me, but I couldn’t seem to find anything to free myself with. “Fuck...” I whispered to myself. I was anxious. I hate being imprisoned. The freedom and I were made for each other. I wasn't used to being allowed such a limited space. The little room I had to move around was troubling and uncomfortable. However, the thoughts of my friends probably having it worse than me shut me up.

At last I heard slow steps. I started breathing faster. I tried to free myself again, but the chains were way too strong. I couldn’t do anything about it. But I didn’t give up. The steps were getting louder, but the louder they got, the more I started fighting for my freedom. No luck so far. I tried my best to break myself free until I stopped hearing the steps. I slowly turned around to see the king looking at me with a disturbing look on his face.

“Vest tu at--” he said but then remembered that he needed to reactivate his own translation spell for us to be able to communicate. “--you know, I’m not very fond of Equestrians. But you? You’re something special. You don’t behave like most.”

“Yeah? Well, buck you too, you ass! Bring me back my friends!” I shouted at him angrily, trying to reach out for him to give him a piece of my hoof.

He smiled even bigger. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You behave like a true Northling! That’s why I’ve chosen you to house my heir’s fetus. You see, the females here serve a great purpose. In most cases, our offspring turn out with a personality like their mother’s. And seeing how powerful yours is, I’ve decided that you are to be the one to be honored with carrying my colt. You will be my lovely wife. Imagine the wealth! The fame! The power! All yours. All I need is someone to inherit my kingdom after I fall. And you... you are perfect for the role of giving birth to him. Just imagining my son with a personality such as yours makes me drool already.”

“The fuck is wrong with you?!” I yelled at him again. “Let me go! I’m already married! To the Dragonborn! And believe me... he’s not going to be happy when he gets here. So I suggest you walk away while you still can. Let me and my friends free, and your life will be spared.”

“Such enthusiasm! Come here, let’s start the procedure. And don’t worry... we’re all alone.” he replied, getting closer up to me, completely ignoring my warning. As soon as he touched me I bumped my knee into his groin as hard as I could, making him grunt in a small pain. “Oh, yes! The power in you... please, yes! Let it all out!”

He pushed me up against the wall and held my front hooves against it. “You’re making a huge mistake!” I cried out.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle... that is, unless you want it rough. I do not care about how we do it. The important part is that I plant my seed into you.” he answered, lightly nipping on my right trapezius. I tried to fight him off but he was way too strong.  I did manage to deliver an elbow strike as hard as I could into his stomach. He groaned again, but, like the boss in Cloudsdale, he was only propelled by violence and power.

Fortunately, before he could go further, the love of my life broke up the door with the rest of my friends and a lot of other ponies I’d never seen before. They were all a sore sight, especially the random ponies. But Drake and my other friends were covered in blood and gore. I could almost literally see the fire in Drake’s eyes when he noticed the king. I also sensed the reek of hate around them all.

“Drake!” I shouted out in utmost relief. “Help me! Kill the fucker!”

I’d killed many people that day. I’d encountered a lot of things I wouldn't even dare mentioning. But this... this is what crossed the line even further. Nobody touches my wife but me! “You deceptive motherfucker! We didn’t do anything to make you savages angry; you lied to us all along! You kidnap my people and fucking feast on them! You rape and torture them! I’m here to end it all! By the end of the day your city will be in ruins! I will make sure of that!” I shouted at the king as angrily as I could be. Meanwhile, Daring Do limped a bit over to Rainbow Dash to free her in a very depressive manner. I was still hurt that I was too late... that she was already getting gang banged when I got up to her. I literally shed tears after I freed her. I cried and sobbed for quite some time. Surprisingly, Daring was the one to comfort me. We made sure that those piece of shits paid for their deeds. Fortunately, I freed the rest of my friends in time.

The first thing Rainbow did when she was freed was hugging Daring Do. She didn’t know about what happened to her, but was too relieved to see another friendly face again to ignore showing it.

The king slowly walked over to me. He looked me in the eye and put on a fake smile. “We believe ingesting your bodies will grant us longer lives. You Equestrians are too soft and too weak to understand! Let alone listening to reason! I warned you to get out, but you wouldn’t listen!”

“You grotesque shit! And what about the torture and the rapes? Huh?! What about the children you skin alive for your own fucking entertainment?! You made me and my friends go through hell! You’ve made us very angry! It’s time to pay the price! I think I'm going to start with your eyes, gouge them out. Every cut after that will be a surprise. I’m going to shove this blade into your urethra! You wanna know what I’m going to do then? I’m going to dip this knife of yours, ebony I believe, in lemon and give you a nice cut in the chest. One for each life you’ve ruined.”

Rainbow seemed to be following suit. Her lips began to shudder and I noticed a glimpse of her teeth. She started growling and frowning. Looking upon the king with a hateful look, she prepared herself for an assault. She tried to charge at the king, but Daring Do stopped her by putting her arms around her, even though she wanted payback herself.

“You fool! Are you allegedly blaming me for what’s going on down there? Do you have any--”

Before he could finish that sentence, I sent him flying again with my powerful Unrelenting Force. Twilight had already subtly cast a spell to disable his magic and wings, thus, not being able to save himself this time. Without his magic, he was no threat to me. Not in this state.

The king hit the wall at the end of the room with such a force. The sound of his body slamming against the stone wall was loud and satisfying.

Twilight walked up to him and cast yet another spell on him, tying his hooves to the ground with some kind of magical arc restraints. He tried to break off of it, but was no match against Twilight’s powerful magic.

“You kill me, and you’ll never get out of here alive!” the king cried out, trying his best to fight against her magic, but to very little avail. “Guards!”

“Save your breath. We killed them all.” I replied without looking at him. “Daring...” I added, looking down onto the ground. She didn’t let me tell her twice, and quietly limped over to me. “You want the pleasure?” I asked softly, offering her my new dagger I got from one of his royal torturer. It was shiny and, like I said, made of Ebony. It was beautifully crafted and designed to inflict pain.

She hesitated, but accepted it with a deep sigh. She examined the weapon without a smile. Without any emotion. But at last she fixed her hateful attention to the downed king without moving her head. She slowly knelt down next to him and showed him the razor sharp dagger. The light from the torches on the wall reflected on the blade, blinding the king a bit. “You organized this... you... you put us in there.” Daring Do whispered hatefully, without looking at the king. “Time to die.”

“I have coins! I have power! Dragonborn, the army? It’s yours! You can have them all!” he replied in a frightened shout. “Please, I can’t die! Not like this, not now!”

Daring Do looked into my eyes, and I replied by nodding once to her with a determined frown. Daring approved of my answer and answered back by smiling malevolently. She didn’t even hesitate before she started slicing into one of his big, gracious wings.

Even I twitched my face in a reaction when his screams filled my ears. I got a sting in my own wings, like they were automatically trying to avoid the dagger. It was a feeling very much like when a person scared of heights looks down.

“Twilight, keep him alive.” I ordered her. Twilight answered by saluting me. I walked over to Dashie, while Daring had her fun, and held her close to me as we watched the torture. I’d had enough of all the pain for that day, but I couldn’t help but to imagine that Daring must’ve wanted vengeance. And who could blame her? I couldn’t blame anyone but myself. My guilt bit me. I knew I could’ve been faster. She was violated because I wasn’t fast enough. Not by one, not by two, but by three stallions. No use in dwelling on it now.

At last both of his wings had been cut off of his body. His pupils were a dot and he was breathing very fast, but very lightly as well. By now I was used to all the blood. I did pity him a bit though, despite the fact that he deserved every bit of it. It’s just that this almost happened to Dashie before my very eyes. That must’ve been so painful.

“Stargazer, did it work? Did you send the message to the Orcs that this city is now vulnerable?” I asked one of the random unicorn stallions I met along my way to our freedom. At his unexpected rescue, he stated that he had connections to the Orcs, and therefore could send a message to them via magic that we needed assistance. At first I thought they were evil, after all the stereotypes about them being evil back on Earth in all those fairy tales. But in reality, they were as kind as lambs. Didn’t look like it, but they surely were as lovely as everyone else. But, of course, they could inflict tons of damage if provoked. They weren’t in the shape of ponies, but had the basic human structure, with some changes; greenish skin, big jaw, pointed ears, huge lower canine teeth, big noses... they ate meat. However, eating a fellow Equestrian or anyone with dependence was considered cannibalism among them. They only ate cows, sheep and the other animals that just lived to eat.

In fact, some of the Orcs had been kidnapped and sent to the dungeons for no particular reason. I freed two of them; was too late for the others. They looked terrifying, especially now that they were in berserker mode. I even noticed one of them ripping the horn off one of the Unicorn torturers with his bare hands. Such raw power...

“I’ve already sent the word ages ago, Dragonborn. As far as I know, they’re on their way. They’ve been dying to get revenge on those bastards.”

“Why? Did they know the Northlings enslaved travelers and cast them into the dungeon to receive their undeserved fate?”

“Yes. They even tried to consult the Queen in the west about it. But who would believe the Orcs? They’re very misunderstood.”

“Y-You’ll never... get away with this...” the king whimpered, more dead than alive.

“Oh, shut up, you.” I replied without showing care. I turned to Dashie again and asked her with my obvious worries, “Are you alright? Did he hurt you in any way?”

“I’m fine. Good timing, though. That bastard was really pushing it.” she replied, still pissed off at the earlier incidents. First the imprisonment, then the fact that they’ve been feasting and sexually assaulting other ponies... I haven’t seen her this mad in a long time. “Let’s just get the hell out of here. I’ve had enough of this country to last a lifetime.”

“Yes, we will. But I don’t want to see this place still standing. After everything that’s been happening around here? After all the painful and undeserved death of so many innocents; they deserve vengeance. Let’s wait for the Orcs to arrive. They’ll help us transform this city into rubble. I’ll summon Odahviing. It’ll be just like a party.”

Daring Do looked at the king without any pity. She was staring at the poor royal before her. Her lips started shivering in utmost disappointment. She had met a Northling before, but he was completely different from them. Or maybe he was just playing games with her. Anyhow, she thought of them to be a little... different. Thought they were honorable. Thought they were brave and protective like the one she fought for over the treasure. But no... they were a lot different than she had imagined.

Without showing any kind of warning, she yelled loudly before shoving the blade deep into his forehead; killing him instantly. She panted and started sobbing again, hiding her face in her hooves.

I walked over and knelt down beside her to give her a reassuring hug. I quietly wrapped my right arm around her and rubbed her right shoulder. She responded by hugging me back with a tight grip on my body. I felt for her body trembling with sadness and hate. “Thank you, Drake.” she whispered into my ear. “T-Thank you for helping me.”

“I wasn’t fast enough.” I wept with a disappointed sadness of my own. “If I’d been faster--”

“Sshh. It’s alright.” she whimpered back at me and started rubbing my back reassuringly. “You did what you could. I’m just happy that you came for me. I’m happy that you care for me. I... I’m proud to be your friend.”

That last sentence made me weep even more. I held her close to me, as if that would soothe my disappointment. It sure did make me feel a bit better though. “Of course I care for you, Daring. You’re my friend. We’ve been through a lot together.”

“I promise I won’t slow you down. It’s going to take some time for me to get over this... but I won’t slow us down.”

“Take your time.” I replied and slowly let go of her. I stood up and sighed. Looking into the ceiling, I contemplated about everything that we went through. The misconception. But now that it was impossible for us to get the Northlings’ help, we had to hope we could get the Orcs instead. Surely they will help us after taking the Northlings down. The Orcs has been at their throat for a long time. Being the only ones to know about their dirty secrets must’ve been tough. But now that their king has been killed, they were vulnerable. And that’s exactly what the Orcs wanted.

I turned around to see Stargazer grasping his head. His eyes were white as if he was communicating with someone with his mind, which actually might’ve been the case. He could contact them with his magics. “You alright?” I asked him a bit worriedly.

He ignored me for a little while. He was too focused on something nobody else could sense or see. He nodded a couple of times, as if he was talking to someone. But at last his eyes normalized and he stopped the weirdness. “They’re here...”

“What? You mean they’ve arrived? Already?”

“They’re at the gates. Yes, they’d been planning an invasion for a long time. Do not underestimate them.”

I could hear fainted battle cries coming from the outside. Like a mob of people protesting. I looked out the big gracious windows and was greeted by an incredible sight. The army wasn’t very large, at least not as large as I’d imagined, but there were enough to take the city down. The city was surrounded and its citizens was trapped behind the wall. I bet not every Northling behaved so monstrously, but my blind fury clouded that view. I actually wanted to kill them all. No matter how good I generally am, how pure my heart has been so far... it wasn’t enough to save them all. Which still managed to sadden me.

“Good. Let them in! You, you, and you two... go open the gates.” I ordered; two of them being the Orcs I freed. I figured sending them would evoke more trust within them, and the Orcish army. Also... it’d be good for them to see friendly faces again. “The rest of you, follow me! Let’s tear this place down to the ground!” I yelled to beat the determination into them. I needed them strong. However, they weren’t all suitable for violence and war, so I’d understand if someone wouldn’t want to participate in the raiding. “Stargazer, before you go, I want you to lead those who aren’t prepared for violence to safety. Get them out of here and make sure they get some shelter and something to eat.”

He nodded once to me and kept his head down for a second in a matter of great respect. It truly reflected how grateful he was for his, and everybody else’s rescue. “It shall be done, Dragonborn.”

Those who weren’t fitting, which was about sixty percent of the group, followed Stargazer. I wasn’t afraid sending them all alone out there because I knew they were in good hands. The Orcs I just freed were amazingly strong. And seeing how strong they were despite the torture, and the bad condition they were in when I freed them, truly showed me how powerful the Orcs really are. I craved for their support, which I would beg for after we had taken this city out.

I was still angry, even though I was around good people now. I went through a lot today, and I somehow felt like I lost some of my sanity. But, fortunately, I still had people I cared about. They made sure I was under control. I felt safer when I was with them.

With a tired smile, Dashie walked over to me and didn’t even warn me before she rested her forehead on mine. She closed her eyes and inhaled the air. I did the same. “Let’s get this over with. I’m tired and I want to go home.”

“After everything that has happened today? I’m still surprised we’re even standing.” I replied with a half whisper. “I’m tired as hell too, and I’m going to have to spend even more of my energy when I call for Odahviing. But we mustn’t give up now, my dear.”

“That’s not what I meant. I just want out of here. I’m not saying I don’t like the action, it’s just that I wasn’t prepared for anything quite like it. And I’m not talking about what happened to me, but what has happened to all of us. Tortured and worse. I like to fight baddies, but this? Hell no. I just want to--”

“It’s almost over. We’ll end this day with our triumph.”

She put her right hoof on my nape as we rested on each other’s heads and that way we remained for a minute a two. That moment was just what I needed to carry on. A reminder that I wasn’t facing my difficulties alone. And with everything that has been going on, I think something as simple as a presence of the person you love the most is more than enough to keep you going.

The day went a bit faster after I got reunited with my friends again. And it didn’t even take us long to destroy the city. The Orcs were many and they were furious. Most of them had someone they cared about as a victim in there. The vengeance was sweet, but unsatisfying.

I personally avoided killing the women and children. I felt a little hesitant about harming unarmed citizens. I was angry and I felt for the evil driving me forward, but I still didn’t want to kill those who looked weak. Those who couldn’t fight back. It felt like an execution. I even prohibited my team from killing anyone I didn’t want killed. But I couldn’t say the same about the Orcs. They slaughtered everyone they came across, with their longswords. I wasn’t bothered about it. I didn’t even care what they did to them.

However, I did wonder if the citizens knew about those demonic treatments... if they truly were all so corrupted; so evil.

I summoned Odahviing, like I said. What surprised me the most about it was that it only took him something about an hour to reach us. Such speed... I didn’t know how he could manage to fly that fast. We weren’t even in Equestria anymore, and still he showed up. Still he heard my voice!

By the end of that miserable day, and when the sun had vanished down the horizon, we had taken the whole city down. It reminded me a bit of the Trojan war. Back on Earth, I was a huge fan of history. Especially of the Greek history and mythology. Alongside history, I was very interested in astronomy as well. And I still am interested in it. But now that I was in a whole other universe, and in a whole other planet, I could start anew. I could perhaps visit Twilight one day and get to use her books to educate myself. History. Their history. I bet there was something other interesting in their past apart from the Old War against the dragons.

With a tired look I gazed over the ruined city. All that redness on the ground. All those limbs and gore smearing over everything. I was sick and tired of it. Like Rainbow, I wanted to go home. Get over everything that has happened.

The Orc’s leader was terrifying. He was very muscular and, like I said before, very human. It was weird. Very weird. Seeing another being with a similar body as of a human stunned me a bit. Was I really like that once? But then, it wasn’t very long ago since I drifted back to Earth as a human. I was really used to the pony body by now, though. I felt like I had been one since I was born.

“So.. where is the one responsible for our victory?!” their master shouted with his deep, raw voice. “Where is the pony who helped us take down the Northlings?!”

I stepped forward and approached him without hesitating. “Here I am. Gotta say, your people are strong. Fierce warriors. I was honored to fight beside you today.”

He knelt down beside me and looked me in the eyes; scanning and analyzing my spirit as if he was trying to verify the power I held. He then stood up again and shouted at the warriors behind him without turning around: “This pony is the one who took down our arch enemies! He is the one who freed two of our people and put an end to this demonic madness!”

Everyone gave a loud shout in a response. Cheering for our victory. However, I didn’t have the energy to put on a proud smile. I just wanted everything to be over with. I wanted to go home. To sleep in my comfortable bed again. Just the thought of it put me under a daydream where I was cuddling against my warm blanket. That managed to put a smile on my face. But I soon snapped out of it when the Orcish leader spoke once more.

“Is there anything we can do to repay you? Anything at all?”

“In a matter of fact, yes, there is one thing I need.” I replied in relief. “I need an army. The dragons are back and we Equestrians can’t face them alone. We are hoping to thwart Alduin’s plans. But for us to be able to do that, we need help. A strong army. And I clearly see you don’t lack that.”

The Orc knelt down again in front of me and firmly grasped the back of my neck. “Give the call, and we’ll be there when you need us. We would be honored to fight alongside the one and only Dragonborn and with your people.” Then he bowed his head for me. I did the same to pay my respect, and with that, he stood up. “Move out! We’re going back to our homeland. Our job here, in Elyntis, is finished! With the king dead, the rest of the Northlings living in Elyntis will slowly vanish. Time will take care of them. But there’s a long road ahead! So we head out at dawn. For now, we feast! We drink! Today we have won!” he ordered his men loudly. With cheerful shouts and yells, they soon vanished from my sight, leaving me and my comrades with our very wide smiles on our faces.

Finally... the light at the end of that very long tunnel was even more satisfying than I’d hoped for. I finally got my army I’d been craving for. However, we were still outnumbered. I still had to grow a larger army. But so far, so good.

We took our time looting valuables lying around. This city that used to be inhabited by people, was now a pile of rubble and ruins. My voice, friends, the ones I freed that were fighting fit, Odahviing and the Orcish army made sure of that. We were so powerful we managed to take this place down in less than a day! However, most of the building were still intact. We didn’t waste our times destroying completely everything. Just enough so nobody will bother rebuilding it. We mainly focused on the people... savages living here. Huh... some even had bloodied snouts when I came up to them, likely because of cannibalism. Just the thought of it made me want to throw up.

The good part about the return journey is that Odahviing carried us back. He was big enough for three to ride him, while he held two comfortably with his hands. Instead of wandering into the unknown for more than a week, it took us only an hour or two. His abnormal speed was no match against any other flying creature I know of. However, Rainbow could be a bit faster than him, considering that she could break the sound barrier if she really pushed herself. I’m also pretty confident that I could beat him, that is, if I really try my best to. But he was able to keep that speed up for much longer.

But the reason for our slow progress at the start was because we were lost. We walked in circles many times and we had to climb over mountains and whatnot. Odahviing, however, knew exactly where he was going. He didn’t have to climb, he didn’t have to take longer routes. He just flew past everything; shortening the trip home so vastly.

Dashie, Applejack and I rode Odahviing, while Daring Do and Twilight lay down on their backs comfortably in his grasp.

At last we reached the near dead town we ventured through at the start of our journey. The town that was located by the borders of Equestria. I looked down as we flew past it, reminding myself that it really was over a week since we set out.

Odahviing obviously couldn’t land anywhere near the cities or towns, so he dropped us off maybe two miles from Ponyville. We all humbly thanked him; reminding him that he spared us a lot of time. With a proud smirk and a nod, he flew away towards his new home. That is, towards the peak of The Throat of the World.

I was so tired. So, so tired. I thought for a second I was gonna collapse, but I managed to keep myself awake long enough to reach our apartment. Flying up to Cloudsdale was pain, but I was soon rewarded when I opened the stiff door to our apartment. The feeling couldn’t even be described when I inhaled familiar air again. The smell I knew too well. The feeling of being home again. Nothing quite like it.

The first thing Daring Do did was to enter her room. She didn’t say anything, didn’t show any emotion, nothing at all. She just left us without a word. But I couldn’t blame her. She probably went through the worst of us all.

Before I did anything else, I decided to take a shower. Wash the sweat and the dried blood off my body. Dashie decided to join me, enhancing my shower trip by so much.

After our very comfortable shower, we let ourselves collapse on the bed with our tired minds. Enjoying the softness of the blanket like I had imagined not three hours ago. It didn’t disappoint. I closed my eyes with my Dashie in my arms and started thinking about what Shadowmere, or Isaac Frost, told me the other day. We had to meet up again. That meant I was gonna have to travel to the Dark Brotherhood’s sanctuary. But that could wait.

I really thought about continuing with my little life story, but my fatigue was way too strong. The position I was in was too comfortable to ruin and feeling for Dashie’s wings wrapped around me was heaven.

Chapter 13: An Unforgotten Past - Part 1

3 years earlier:

“...that’s why I’m leaving this world in small hope to reunite with my family in a better place.” I wrote on a piece of paper with tears streaming down my face. I had given up. I couldn’t go on anymore. There was nothing in this world I enjoyed anymore, so why live in pain? Why not just end it all now?

A month ago I got beat up in the alleyway. The thugs that attacked me opened my eyes. I understood that they were correct. I had nothing to live for. I would achieve nothing in the future. I had no reason to keep on going.

I pinned the note on my shirt and looked at the noose above me without stopping the sobbing. I was still scared about doing it, but I knew it would only take a short while. A short while and my pain would end for good. I just hope my neck will break so I don’t have to suffocate.

I stood up on the chair and hesitantly wrapped the noose around my neck and narrowed it until I felt for the rope pushing firmly against my laryngeal prominence. It hurt, but I didn’t care.

I swallowed once as I nervously looked around me for the last time before I frowned in anger and kicked the chair away from me.

My neck didn’t break, making me start gagging and drooling. Only then did I realize that I didn’t actually have it in me to kill myself. In all my fear, I grabbed the rope and tried to loosen it up as I wriggled my feet around to search for something to stand on. I was so panicked that I didn’t know what to do. I tried everything in my power to gasp for air but the loop was so firm against my neck that it blocked my windpipe.

When everything started to fade to black, the impossible happened. The rope broke, making me collapse to the ground. As soon as I hit the floor I hugged and covered my face with my knees. I started shaking and trembling, crying loudly in shock and fear. I hesitantly loosened up the loop around my neck and tossed it away from me.

“I-I’m s-so sorry.” I whimpered with my almost gone voice. “I-I failed you, mom and dad.”

I crawled up to the sofa and grabbed a blanket to cover myself with. I wrapped it around me and eventually fell asleep on the ground.

“I still don’t get it. Why me? Why was I chosen for this role? I was just a normal guy. There wasn’t anything special about me or my background. Well, except me being half pony. But I was no hero. Am I only gifted with the blood of the Dragons because I’m not a full human?” I asked confusedly. I had no idea why fate chose me to be the Dragonborn, but whatever the reason, I knew there was something the Gods saw in me they approved of.

It was all confusing to me. Did they know how I’d turn out to be before I was even a fetus?

“It was the joint decision of the Gods, the angels and mostly destiny. We knew you would have something nobody else would ever have. You are, and always will be, the only one who has a brain of a human and a heart of a pony. Nobody would’ve been able to accomplish what you’ve done. Everyone else would’ve slowly lost their sanity. Humanity’s natural hunger for power would blind them from the real goal and they’d use their gift for their own needs. And we could not use a pure pony because they’re not ready for such a power yet. The dragon blood would corrupt and enslave them to the will of the dragons. You, however, are neither complete human nor pony. You are part of both; Making you so much stronger than everybody else. Not solely physically, but more importantly: spiritually. You have the strength to resist the corruption in your blood and you have the willpower to use it for the aid of the civilians and against their enemies. You have a passion to use it for the greater good. We sensed this from the beginning. Ever since you were born we’ve been guarding you. Blessing you. Making sure you stayed alive until your time came.”

I was located in a white void of some kind. My eyes were a bit blinded by the brightness but I still managed to fix my attention on the heavenly creature before me. He wasn’t a god, but an angel sent to speak for them. That’s why the angel spoke as if I was speaking to the Gods directly. It seemed like they wanted our conversation to be more personal. However, they couldn’t speak to me face to face because their appearance isn’t meant for mortals. The sight of them alone would kill me in a heartbeat. So, instead, they sent an angel. He wasn’t in a human form like I’d been imagining angels to be throughout my years on earth, but more of in a pony form. He had big gracious wings, a big pointy horn and looked pretty physically strong. His body and eyes were graced with holy light that weakened my already feeble eyes. However, he wasn’t as big as Celestia or Luna. He was about my size.

“Blessed? You call my former shitty life a blessing? “Life” didn’t even want me to be happy! The only one to make me happy temporarily excluding my sister was my ex-girlfriend, and even she stopped liking me! No... there was nothing about my so-called life a blessing. I didn’t get blessed until I was sent to Equestria.”

“Dragonborn, Think about it. Do you honestly believe your willpower would be as strong today if you’d be living comfortably as a human? Do you really think you’d have what it will take to slay Alduin if you hadn’t learnt to stand up after falling? Your eyes define a blessing as an easy way of life. We see it as the hard path of life. Only then can you truly be powerful.”

“So... are you saying killing my family was deliberate only to make me stronger?” I asked angrily, “Am I some kind of an experiment to you?”

“Oh, no, not at all, my dear Dragonborn. We did not kill your family. We had nothing to do with that. However, we did make sure you stayed alive throughout your years as a human, including that devastating car crash.”

“The man that saved me when I got beat up in the alley... did you perhaps send him too?”

“Yes, we sent him. He’s an angel who took up a body of a human temporarily. We normally don’t do this kind of thing, considering that we are not the Gods of your former world, but we believed it was necessary that one time. Your death would cause doom upon our world.” he explained.

That explains everything, I thought to myself. Ever since he disappeared from my very eyes, I’d been bothered and puzzled about whether I was partly insane or not. But apparently he was an angel all along. But it didn’t surprise me. Actually, it made all sense now. How else would I be so lucky to be saved at the last moment, just in the nick of time before the bullet pierced my brain?

“I... I see. But what now? What am I supposed to do? Alduin is getting stronger with each day and I feel like I’m at a dead end here. Give me a sign. Please, anything!” I begged on my knees.

“But, my dear Dragonborn, you already know what must be done. You just need to seek it out.”

With a sigh I responded: “But what’s the point of all the struggle? Why not just show up and kill the beast? Why complicate things? I know I’ll die either way.”

“Unfortunately, Alduin’s death will mean your own, yes. But you must keep on going until then. Not for your sake, but for everyone’s sake. You want everyone you love to live, right? Only you have the power to make that happen. Do not fight for yourself. Fight for your loved ones. Fight for every form of life upon this planet, for all shall die if you fail.”

“I’m still sad about it. I-... I’m not ready to die. I want to enjoy life, even if it’s just for a short time. I don’t want my life to end just when everything’s improving. But I suppose this has never been about me.” I whimpered sadly with my head bowed towards the ground. “Will it... will it hurt?” I swallowed. “You know... when Alduin’s soul eats mine from within?”

The angel took a deep breath, pressed his lips together and nodded regretfully but otherwise ignored my question. “Before we wake you up, there is one other thing we wish to show you.” he added without looking into my eyes. “Close your eyes... calm your mind.”

I hesitantly obeyed, but as soon as I closed my eyes I felt for the air getting a bit thinner. A bit cooler too. But at the same time I felt for something soft touching my face. Something I haven’t felt for a long time. I felt for lovely touch of fingers. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up, only to be shocked by the being before me.

“Sarah?” I stuttered in complete unexpectedness. Was this just an image like so many times before? Or was she really there before my eyes, ruffling my shaggy mane by the back of my ears? I wanted to believe it but it was too forthright to be true. It was too... sudden to be true. But then, why did I feel her soft hands running over my mane; her smooth skin touching mine under my fur? The touch of her fingers smoothly caressing my head and ears? Or even her beautiful green eyes, warming my heart like she did so many times before back when she was alive?

Her brother wasn't the same anymore and she knew it. But that didn't stop her from quickly wrapping her arms around me. The firm grip she had on my soft body. My fur touching her skin. My front right hoof being firmly grasped in her left palm and my left arm around the back of her neck; running my left hoof over her silky smooth coal black hair. But despite my new body, she didn't feel like she was hugging an animal.

This was all too sudden. The angel before me had vanished and was replaced with my dead, but alive, sister. I was still in the mysterious white void, though. I didn't even try to convince myself that she wasn't really there. Instead I felt wetness forming in my own eyes. Light tears clouding my sight; blinding me for a short while. But as long as I felt for her cheek against mine I was satisfied and happy.

“Brother!” she answered in delight, still running over my thick mane with her right handed fingers.

“S-Sarah? I've missed you.” I stuttered again solemnly. I tried to stay professional since I was supposed to be such an important person. But this was my long lost sister I was talking to. My only true friend as a human. I allowed the rest of my tears run to along my cheeks. Tears that I'd been holding from within.

The grip she had on me tightened as soon as she felt for my tears touching her tan colored skin.

“I've missed you too, big brother.”

“A-are you really here? Or am I imagining things again?”

“Not really. I'm only in your imagination.”

“Oh....” I whispered.

“But don't take me wrong. I’m not… completely fake. I’m contacting you with magic.” she explained as she looked deep into my eyes. “I am, in fact, closer than you think.”

I took a sharp breath at that and kept the air in my lungs for some time. “What do you mean?” I exhaled. “A-are you perhaps here, in Equestria?”

She scoffed, smiled a soft smile and answered. “There is a dirty city in the southeastern corner of the Rift called “Riften”. A city full of lies, deception and unfairness. ‘Tis a city ruled by thieves and criminals. Go there. At the inn you will meet a stallion dressed in a black robe of some kind with the name “Reaper”. And he is not called that without a reason. He is ruthless and friendless... and very strong too. He is...special. He uses a magical scythe as a weapon. A very dangerous scythe, undoubtedly the most powerful weapon in Equestria. Do not underestimate him. And do not provoke or anger him. Just go to him and be civil. He will introduce you to a mare--”

“But why? What am I searching for?” I interrupted her. “And how do you know these things?”

“You'll see soon enough. But for now, go to Riften as soon as possible.”

“I will... and hey; Can you believe it? I actually befriended the mane 6!” I boasted full of pride. I knew she had always wanted to meet them. Hell, I even married one of them. I couldn't wait to tell her about that part.

She opened her eyes and mouth in disbelief and put both of her hands on my cheeks. “No you didn't!”

I let out a big laughter. “I totally did!”

“S-So you actually met Applejack?” she asked in her obvious jealousy. I let out another laugh since I remembered that AJ was her favorite pony.

“I even helped her gather the apples from her trees. Heh... she's even traveled with me. We've been through many adventures together.” I pointed out and bowed my head upwards with a proud smile as I closed my eyes.

I noticed in her jealous eyes how much she wanted to attack me. She bit her lips in small anger and clenched her fists. “So they are real...” she half whispered to herself. “You... lucky bastard. But I can't contact you for much longer. The connection is getting fuzzy.”

“But you're dead and you're in my imagination. You're not really talking to me so why does it matter anyway? Why should I trust a dead person?”

“Oh really? Go to Riften and see for yourself.”

“Wait.. are you confirming that--” before I could finish that sentence she vanished before my very eyes. Her fingers once caressing my mane were gone. Her smooth skin of a human's no longer petting me. “N-No...” I whispered into the whiteness in disappointment. I reached my front right hoof forward, as if I was still expecting her to be there. As if she had only turned invisible. But I knew from the bottom of my heart that she was there no more. However, she told me to go to Riften. She had hinted that there was a possibility of her being in Equestria. Perhaps it was all my imagination. Or maybe, as an old excuse of mine went, I was just going crazy. But this information I got from her was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She told me of a stallion who possessed the most powerful weapon in Equestria. And she told me that he would introduce me to some mare... I couldn't help but to think that that mare was my sister. I could only hope.

I intended to go to Riften, but only after my little visit to the Dark Brotherhood's sanctuary in the west. I had to go pick up my new friend; a powerful ally with experience in killing. He had killed men. He had killed ponies. He could without a doubt kill dragons too. And I needed someone like him; someone with a background similar to mine. Well, excluding the killings and the adventurous life he had as a human. But he was a human once. He was perhaps the only one in this gods' blessed world that could truly understand me, and that was one of the main reasons for why I accepted his assistance.

Unlike most times, I suddenly got snapped back to reality. I closed my eyes once and opened them again, only to find out that I was in my bed back at home. I dizzily looked around the familiar environment as I breathed heavily. I pressed my eyelids together once, as if I was checking whether I was really back or not. But everything matched. My desk was untouched, the pictures on the walls were undisturbed and my Rainbow was sitting on the bed next to me. But she had my headset on and her eyes were closed. She was biting her lower lip a bit in enjoyment. It seemed like she was listening to something in my iPod that apparently affected her feelings. In most cases, the only kind of music that was able to do that was her favorite band. She was even mumbling the lyrics of the song she was listening to, to herself.

Hearing her soft voice muttering those familiar lyrics made me chuckle lightly within myself and it made my mouth move upwards into a smile. I nodded to myself a numerous times in approval as I thought about what she sang about. Reminded me of us and the dragon threat.

I started thinking yet again how lucky I actually was. I pretty much got everything I ever wanted; I got the inborn power of the dragons, I'm in the same league as heroes, I technically met my sister again, I got trustworthy and reliable friends and my wife is none other than Rainbow Dash herself which was the weirdest but best part in my opinion. Who would've thought I'd bond with her? The thought of it made me scoff. But I regularly reminded myself of those things. I liked to think of it as karma. It's like everything bad that had happened to me as a human had been repaid.

I just watched her for a bit and allowed her to finish up the rest of the song. She was listening to it so loudly I could hear it almost as clearly as if I was listening to it on a radio. That way I could enjoy it too, hence why I didn't interrupt her moment.

But at last she opened her eyes with a wide smirk. She looked to the left, undoubtedly to check whether I was awake or not. But the sudden sight of me chuckling startled her a bit. She quickly removed the headset and put it on the table next to our bed. She just stared back at me with an awkward grin. Her cheeks covering most of her eyes because of her awkward smile.

“Listening to my iPod again, I see?”

“Huh? Me? No-- I mean... yeah. After discovering the music from your world I don't wanna listen to anything other than what your iPod has to offer. But seriously though.. I can't get enough of your device.”

“And I don't blame you.” I laughed and nuzzled her snout with mine. And she reciprocated by doing the same. “You can listen to it all you want. It's just so cute when you start singing with the lyrics.”

With that she giggled awkwardly. She blushed a bit but tried her best not to show it. “What did I tell you about cutesy? I'm not cute!”

“You can deny it all you want but I'm still sticking to it. You are, in fact, the cutest mare I've ever seen. How is that a bad thing?” I continued with an amused grin, still chuckling a bit since earlier. Her denials always amused me. And they always will.

“It just is, okay? And don't you have a job to do as the Dragonborn or something? Like, dragons to slay? Allies to recruit? People to meet? Haven’t you delayed it for long enough?” she added to change the topic.

I sighed sharply at the thought of it. She was right. I had a lot to do. I had to go meet Shadowmere again, as was I commanded to go to Riften by my dead sister. Also the fact that I had to go South-East out of Equestria to enter Black Marsh, the land of the Argonians. I just hoped they would be more generous than our previous hosts.

I was still a bit scarred after the “Elyntis incident” that took place not two weeks ago. I don't think my soul will ever recover from the time the torturer almost snapped my leg off. Not only did it leave a mark on my leg even Twilight’s magic couldn’t get rid of, but it also scarred my soul. Fortunately, it wasn't anything severe. I was still sane and it didn't affect my family and friends, which was the most important part.

But the only thing I really ever wanted was to spend less time on duty and more time with Dash in privacy. I wanted to move away from this apartment and into a house with a little more personality. Perhaps into a cottage in the middle of the forest with a nice view of the beautiful green scenery, where the night was kept alive by shooting stars and northern lights. Where we could get into a hot spring and enjoy existing. Enjoy the bright, plentiful stars above and inhale the completely pure, cool air.

But as long as Alduin drew breath I knew that that would not be possible. In order for me to restore Equestria to balance, I simply had to take care of the dragon problem. And time was fading away. I could feel it. I didn't have much time left and that's why I kind of regretted taking a two week pause from duty ever since after the “Elyntis incident”, as we called it. But at the same time I realized that it was the right thing to do. I couldn't even leave our apartment the first few days. I got a bad fever; I was mentally ruined. But Rainbow Dash was there for me. She was still disturbed, of course, but wasn't as greatly affected by what had happened than I was. After all, she underwent the best of it. She got almost raped again though, but fortunately I got there in time. And for that I was utterly grateful. I wish I could say the same for poor Daring Do. As for her, she took the worst hit. Not solely physically, but also spiritually. But, surprisingly, she put what happened aside pretty quickly. I bet she was still scarred but she definitely didn't show it. Just like she stated she would.

“Yeah...” I answered. “I must get to the Dark Brotherhood's sanctuary. Then I'll be going to Riften. I have an unfinished business there I must attend to. Should be home in perhaps two weeks at minimum. That is, if everything goes according to plan.”

“So, when should we leave?”

“Well... I figured you’d stay at home this time. Y’know. Take a small rest an--”

She put her hoof on my snout to shut me up before I could continue. “Excuse me? Do I look like the kind of mare who would let you get into trouble without the most awesome Pegasus in all of Equestria to back you up?”

I sighed with myself, completely aware of Dashie’s imprinted stubbornness in her heart. I knew she wouldn’t back off and I knew she wouldn’t take a “no” for an answer. But I still had the feeling she was exhausted. I felt like she needed to stay at home for a while: Go back at being one of the mane 6; spend her time with her friends. She hadn’t done that in a long time. But at the same time I knew she had great passion for travelling dangerous roads, beat up baddies and get into adventures. I had nothing against taking her with me but her mental state was more important to me than her company.

I snuggled up to her and rested my left hoof on her right shoulder as I rested the right side of my head on her left one. She started stroking my hoof with hers very lightly and used her other one to play with my mane at the back of my head, which made me close my eyes in comfortableness. It also somehow drained my energy. “Fine... but are you sure you don’t want to take two weeks off? I mean, it’s no harm. I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, yeah... I’m sure. Let’s just go out and save the world. Come to think of it, that part of my life hasn’t really changed much since you came.”

“We’ll go in a bit, I’m comfortable right now.” I said.

Dashie smiled and said simply “I’m in no rush. After all, you’re the Dragonborn and I’m your follower.”

“You’re more than just my follower and you know that. Remember what Odahviing said? He told us that you’d serve a big part of taking Alduin down. He also said that he feared, not only me, but also you. That has to count for something.”

“Heh, relax, guy. I was just sayin’.” she said and laughed a little louder. “You’re too serious sometimes.”

“Yeah, so I’ve been told before.” I replied in small embarrassment. “Enough about that. I've been wondering... have you ever thought about where you might be today if we hadn’t met? Like... if your life would be a lot different?”

“It’s funny, I was just thinking about it the other day. So yeah, I have. Sure, I would have had more time to spend with my friends, but you’re the best mate I could ever hope for. We regularly go out and adventure. And there are…other things...” she pointed out and punched me lightly on my shoulder.

With that I cuddled more up against her warm body. “Oh, you...” I said to her and tried to hide my blush, but she noticed it. And that somewhat sweetened her chuckle. “I constantly think about how my life here in Equestria would be if not for you. Where would I be sleeping? Would I be living in Ponyville? Would I get the job done? I don’t know. It’s just fun to think about those things once in awhile. But I know for certainty that my life is perfect the way it is. Heh... I couldn’t ask for a better person than you to keep me company. In fact... you’re the most exquisite mare I’ve ever seen, and you already know that.” I added and gave her a warm smile. And she smiled back at me with her heart molten and her eyes sunk into mine with a deep sigh.

I regularly reminded her of my thoughts towards her and she never seemed to get bored of it. Every time I told her about how exquisite she was she always gave me that passionate look. A look that never grew old on me.

“Oh yeah?” she murmured warmly and bent over to nibble on my right ear. It had been a while since she did that to me and only now did I remember how comfortable it was. I moaned very lightly and closed my eyes as I bit my lower lip. But then she suddenly stopped and slapped me softly once across my face. “Get up. We’ve got a lot to do.”

I moaned again reluctantly and rolled my eyes. “Fine... let’s just get this over with.” I muttered and stood up tiredly. I was still a bit dizzy after the unexplainable mini blackout I had but I recovered pretty quickly. At least quicker than the other times.

But the very first thing I did after I stood up and stretched my limbs as usual, I picked up my helmet from the table next to me and put it on. As soon as I got it on I closed my eyes and sighed. Rainbow Dash, donning her Wonderbolts outfit, nodded towards me to show she was ready.

I really liked her goggles. They were dark gray with yellow glasses. But the glasses were so clean, so pure, that they could’ve been used as a mirror. She looked ready to take down anything.

“Heh... eager to get to work? Relax, we’re not going just yet. I’ve gotta look over my papers first.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, shrugged and sat down on the sofa. But soon enough she stood up again and started pacing around the room in impatience. In the meantime I was seated by my desk which was covered in papers and whatnot. I read through my notes and noticed that we still had to recruit the Argonians and the rebellious dragons. However, I didn’t know where their little group was located nor did I know where the leader was. So I figured I could ask either Odahviing or Paarthurnax about it. Surely they must know something. And in the meantime I could ask Paarthurnax if he’s contemplated about the alternative way to kill Alduin without turning me into an ugly monster like him temporarily.

Rainbow was still roaming around. She seemed eager to get outside. There wasn’t anything in the face of this earth that satisfied her more than the open sky and speed. There was no Rainbow Dash without that love. And I think imprisonment is the only torture she couldn’t bear. It was her worst fear and her worst enemy. I agreed that it would be horrible, but what I feared more than being imprisoned was death itself. I don’t want to die. Not after the blessings I’ve received. I didn’t much care about death as a human, but now that I’ve tasted happiness, I’ve changed my mind. And death wouldn’t only be bad for me but also for the people who care about me. In fact, that was the main reason why I didn’t want to be death’s victim. The painful misery I was put through at Dashie’s death was beyond comprehension. Her death killed off all of my positive emotions and replaced them with pure sorrow, hate and pain. It made me vow to myself to search for a way to resurrect her even if it would take my whole life. I needed her with me. And the fact that I couldn’t have her around anymore was too painful to cope with. That’s why I don’t want to die. I don’t want her to go through the pain I had to withstand.

“Please, can’t we just get going? I need to spread my wings. I want to fly!”

I opened my mouth but before I could answer her I heard Daring Do leaving her room. She was smiling and apparently in a good mood. She gave us a look and widened her smile as soon as she saw both of us. “Drake, Dash.” she said and bowed her head slightly.

“Oh, hey Daring. We were just about to leave.”

“Leave? Oh, sorry! I didn’t know we were leaving. Let me go get my things and we can be on our way.”

I smiled to her and replied: “Not this time, Daring Do. I won’t be taking you with me on my next journey. It’s your time off! Enjoy it. You’re in charge of this apartment while we’re gone. We should be back in two weeks. Go visit Twilight and bring her out for a dance in the inn or something. You both could get use of it. In other words, have fun!”

Daring Do twitched as a reaction but it wasn’t a disappointed one. Rather in a surprised matter. “Are you sure? You won’t need my help?”

I smiled, stood up and approached her. “We’re just going to pick up some new... recruits. No danger, adventures or mind boggling puzzles this time.” I pointed out and closed my eyes but never broke my grin. “Just enjoy yourself and relax! After all, you offered me your service free of charge. The least you deserve is a small rest.”

Daring Do put on a determined, but serious facial expression. “As you wish, Drake. Thank you.”

“And Daring, listen to Drake’s iPod while we’re gone. Seriously, you’ll love it!” added Rainbow Dash in excitement. She always mentioned my iPod whenever she got the chance. She was so passionate about it that getting her to part from it was harder than my life back on Earth.

“Ehm...” was the only thing Daring murmured in return.

I gently pushed Rainbow Dash ahead of me towards the exit of our apartment and changed my happy grin into an awkward one. “Heh, we gotta get going now!” I changed the subject. I felt for Rainbow pushing her body against my hooves.

“Listen to it, Daring! I swear you won’t want to listen to anything else!” she shouted towards the confused Daring Do.

Daring Do simply scratched her head with her hoof and looked confusedly towards the eager Rainbow Dash. Before I pushed her out of our apartment I noticed Daring Do hesitantly looking at my audio device by my bed.

“So, where are we heading?” Rainbow asked me curiously as we walked across the old stone made road. We’d been flying for quite some time, but we both decided to rest our wings for a bit. I also personally wanted to use this opportunity to take a good look around the scenery. I didn’t need a map to guide me anymore. I’ve been here long enough to recognize most of the environment. Of course there were always areas I’d never explored before, but I never got tired of the sight of animals eating grass from afar, the mockingbirds singing a beautiful melody to keep things alive, the green of the herbs, the colors of the flowers and the smell of leaves and honey.

The clopping sound of our hooves hitting the stone made path was something I could listen to all day. The sound of it reminded me that I’m not a human anymore. It reminded me of Earth, humanity, Equestrians and the sudden turn my life took.

“You know of The Dark Brotherhood, right?”

“Of course. Everyone knows them. They used to be the most fearful and the most respected organization in Equestria once.”

“Yeah, well, remember that coal black stallion that payed me a visit before we started our journey to Elyntis?

“The earth-pony who could stand in our apartment? The guy with the shadowy mane and the literally red eyes? Yeah, of course. Wait... is he a member of the Brotherhood?”

I nodded without looking at her. “Yes. And he is more connected to me than I’d imagined. He wants to help us deal with the dragon problem. I see no reason why I should refuse his assistance. We could use the extra hoof.”

Rainbow Dash squinted at me. “Can he be trusted?”

I looked at Dash and smiled feebly. “Even if he couldn’t be trusted, I’m pretty sure he’s no threat to us. We’ve faced worse than assassins.”

“Yeah, you’re right. He seemed civil enough.” she answered. “I trust you, Drake. I do not doubt your decisions.”

“I know, Dash. Thank you.” I answered with a smile. “Let’s pick up the pace. The sooner we get this done, the better. Say, wanna test our wingpower? A little race?” I asked her with a small challenging frown.

Rainbow lightened up by my suggestion and took off without saying a word. I grinned and followed her.

After a long but enjoyable trip we finally reached the entrance of the sanctuary which was guarded by a mysterious, ominous door displaying the carving of a skull. The eyes of the skull were lit with red light. As Astrid had told me, the door was hidden out of view so we had to search for it for quite some time. But we found it in the end. And when we did a part of me regretted that we were even here.

I gingerly knocked on the door and placed my hoof on my blade by my belt to be ready for unexpected attacks. Rainbow nodded once to me with a frown and started caressing her own bow very carefully; also in the purpose of being ready if they tried anything funny.

Our trip to Elyntis taught us a valuable lesson: Never trust anyone we haven’t named friends yet.

We both jumped when the door took to speak and asked us in a dark whisper: “What is the music of life?” The voice was as sharp as a well-crafted blade and I swear I could almost feel it in a physical form.

I nervously cleared my throat and spoke after the voice of Astrid in my head: “Silence, my brother.”

The door suddenly opened and the voice replied: “Welcome home.”, still with its extremely cold whisper.

I stared into the darkness of the entrance and was a bit hesitant about going inside. But it had to be done and I knew that clearly. I gave Dashie a small insecure gaze and nodded once to indicate that we were going in there. Rainbow just smiled with her well known confidence, put on her goggles and walked inside without the hesitance that came from me. I blushed a bit when I realized a mare was more courageous than the dragonborn but comforted myself in the thought that this was Rainbow Dash we were talking about. She was more courageous than anyone else, including me. Seeing her so calm and so eager to get this done shot my confidence up like it normally did. With a small frown I walked into the darkness and hoped for the best.

By the entrance was a steep, slippery stairway that led downwards. The walls were made of stone and the temperature was very chilly. I looked around the dark environment and realized the sanctuary was built inside a cave. It was a big cave that was perfect for their little hideout. The narrow hallway we had to walk through led us into a small room. The temperature got a bit warmer, but in that first room was a big table by another passage that led to a vast space where most of the Brotherhood’s members was resided. The table was graced and covered with papers, contracts sealed with the Dark Brotherhood’s logo; some of which were bloodied, gold pouches and other shiny things.

My frown extended even further the deeper I went down into the sanctuary. I could smell the same foul smell that filled my nose back in Elyntis: The smell of blood. The smell of death. I didn’t feel safe at all. Rainbow, however, didn’t seem to care about the environment at all. She just led me across the hallway without hesitation.

Astrid, the mare that abducted me, was the one to greet us. She was still wearing that typical Dark Brotherhood garb consisting of shrouded armor, gloves, boots, and a cowl. She gave me an unsurprised look as if she’d been expecting my arrival. But at the same time I noticed the approval in her eyes.

“This is not how it looks like...” I muttered to her before she could say anything. “I’m just here to fetch my friend. That’s it.”

Rainbow Dash hastily gave me a nudge and turned me away from Astrid to tell me something she apparently mustn’t know about. “Drake. What are you doing? Act like you want to join them. They’ll give you a uniform of their own that you may wear.” she whispered to me.

“And why would I want to dress up like an assassin?” I asked her confusedly.

Rainbow gave me a long stare of uncertainty before adding: “I don’t know if magic exists in your former world or not, but keep in mind that it does here. That shrouded uniform of theirs will only make you stronger. Why do you think they’re such good assassins? Their key element is in their suit. It’s their uniform that gives them the ability of being so sneaky; as swift as shadow and as subtle as a snake. Imagine if you’d join them. You’d get your hooves on those abilities. You don’t have to do their dirty work, just join them solely to get the uniform.”

Astrid gave us both a suspectful gaze but was civil enough to let us finish our private conversation.

“How do you know this?” I asked her both interestingly and confusedly at the same time. But the more she told me about the uniform’s magical enhancements, the more I wanted it.

“Because I grew up in this world. I know how the system works. Every single organization or a group has a special uniform enchanted with magic to improve the abilities that are required for the specific type of work. Take my Wonderbolt’s suit as an example. Not only am I quicker and swifter with it on, but also is it enchanted with lightning. You see? Passing up your own suit would be unwise. And it’s a Dark Brotherhood’s nonetheless! Their suit is perhaps the most appropriate for the Pegasi.”

I didn’t answer her but nodded once to her in agreement to evade suspicion. “But I’m not gonna assassinate anyone.” I added in a whisper before I turned around to face Astrid again. “I... I’m also here to join the Dark Brotherhood.”

“I had a feeling you knew your place. I knew you couldn’t pass up my invitation. It felt too good didn’t it? When you shot that arrow deep into the stallion’s head? You tried to bury what happened under the bridge but the more you thought about it, the more you realized that you actually enjoyed taking someone’s life away that was placed in your hooves. You wanted more, am I correct? Don’t be shy... that feeling is mutual. We’re a family now.”

Both Dashie and I stared deep into the mare’s eyes a bit disturbed. Rainbow gave me a questionable glance that asked me what the hell she was talking about. I just shrugged at her and stuttered to Astrid: “Eh... that’s one way to put it.” Although I didn’t mean it. I hated the fact that I had to execute someone. In fact, I didn’t even tell Rainbow about it. And I usually never keep things away from her.

Judging by Astrid’s cheeks she was grinning behind her cowl. “Let’s get to work, shall we? Follow me.” she said and wandered off. I tried to mutter something after her but sighed instead and gingerly followed her. She led me into a room by our left. I quickly analyzed it and immediately realized that it was her room. It wasn’t quite how I’d imagined it. It was actually pretty cozy. Small, but warm and comfortable.

She bent over, grabbed a big black chest that was under the bed and handed it over to me. “Open it.”

I frowned and gave the black lid of the chest a long stare before I finally opened it. As expected, my suit was in that chest. It was in the same color and style as the one Shadowmere and the rest of the Brotherhood was wearing. And the fabric was strong. A bit tight for my tastes, but that was just a minor complaint. As soon as I put it on I could sense the shadow by my side. As if I’d gained a new subtle ally. And to be honest, it felt surprisingly good. I passed on the cowl though, since it got in the way of my helmet.

Rainbow Dash pouted and nodded a couple of times thoughtfully. “Not bad.”

I gave her an awkward smile and thanked her. But then I turned around to face Astrid again who looked at me with her dead facial expression. “C’mon. Follow me and let’s get straight to business. The contracts can’t fulfill themselves.” the assassin meekly pointed out.

“Wait... aren’t you going to introduce yourself or something? I barely even know who you are.”

“Hmm... I guess you deserve to know a little more about me. Fair enough.” she answered but I could sense slight annoyance in her voice. “This Sanctuary has been my entire life since I was a young mare. That's when I first discovered my, shall we call it "aptitude", for elimination. I had an uncle, you see. He made certain... unwanted advances. So I killed him. And liked it. Then I killed again. And liked it even more. Later I was recruited by the Dark Brotherhood, and have been here ever since. I met my husband Arnbjorn, who rose to leadership. And now here we are."

I gave her a blank stare and nodded very slowly. “Interesting... but if you don’t mind, we’re just gonna go fetch my friend and be on our way.”

I was kind of creeped out of this place and a part of me even regretted that I was wearing their costume. But the abilities it granted me and the fabric itself actually felt quite comfortable so I kept it on nonetheless.

“I’m ready to leave whenever you are.” a familiar voice suddenly interrupted. I turned around to be greeted by the person I was searching for. That scary looking pitch black half-pony with shadowy mane and red as fire eyes. He had a small determined frown on his face. A facial expression that told me that he was ready to get on with it. And I couldn’t agree more. This place was horrid and made me feel sick.

“Good to see ya again, Shadowmere.” Rainbow Dash added and saluted him with a small honorable frown. “I’ve been told you are to be our newest recruit? Can’t wait to hunt with you. You seem like a decent killer.”

“Better than decent, actually.” he responded and returned the salute with his own. “I would be honored to slay dragons with you two.”

“Good. Now that you’re here, we can get the hell out of here.” I muttered solemnly and without showing much interest in him. I half-rushed towards the exit without a word. I could hear my companions following me. It seemed like they were already having a conversation and that made me glad, considering that they were getting to know each other. I needed them to get to know each other better; form a friendship. I wanted them to trust each other so they could rely on each other whenever we get into a fight. I knew that I was no exception. I had to get to know him better as well. But at the moment I didn’t feel like talking.

Somehow I had a feeling Astrid would stop me but, to my surprise, she didn’t. She just let us pass without a word. But before we vanished into the light again I could hear her subtle chuckle echoing along the narrow hall.

We had been walking for hours under the northern stars. It was pitch dark outside, summoning the dancing colorful northern lights for us to admire. But our next destination was Riften. I had no idea what waited for us there but I was willing to trust my instincts. So far most of my dreams have come true... well, partly true. I had a feeling the one featuring my sister was no exception. Rainbow and Shadowmere had been talking for quite some time, but he never mentioned being originated from Earth. They shared tales about their adventures and they argued about who was the better fighter. But it was all in light joke. I, however, didn’t speak to them for a long time. I was too focused on my thoughts. I allowed myself to hope my sister was really here in Equestria, although a big part of me knew she wasn’t.

“...what about you, Drake? Do you have anything interesting to say?” Rainbow amusingly asked me in a small shout. “Join in on the conversation! Stop being so boring.”

I quickly turned around and opened my mouth as if I was gonna object, but sighed instead in defeat. “What about me?”

“We were talking about interesting activities in our lives. Do you have anything to share? Can you perhaps tell us more about your life as a human?”

“Yeah, Drake! Tell us about your exotic planet known as Earth. Tell us about yourself!” Shadowmere added with a subtle smile Rainbow didn’t notice. “I’m dying to know.”

I gave Shadowmere a sharp look, indicating that I hadn’t forgotten that he was from Earth as well. But I decided to keep quiet about it. I understood that he wasn’t ready to expel his true identity to her yet and I respected that.

“Well... there’s really not much to say. I’m going to spare you the lonely and depressing part of my life and focus on a more brighter note. For example, I’ve many great memories of--”

“Tell us, Drake. Was there a girl in your life?” Shadowmere asked, but I wasn’t quite sure whether he was interested or just pretending to be.

That question made Rainbow very curious. She had never wondered about it before and now that he had planted that thought into her head she gave me a look indicating that she demanded an answer. But she didn’t look at me in seriousness. She actually had an amused look on her face: smiling widely and chuckling bit.

“Ehm... you don’t want to hear about that. It’s depressing and embarrassing.” I came up with an excuse since I didn’t want to talk about her in a millennium. She broke my heart and spat on our memories of us together. She was lucky I didn’t break her fucking face. But I wouldn’t do that anyways.

“C’mon, Drakie! Tell us about her!” Rainbow urged me on; creating a pressure I couldn’t get rid of until I told them the miserable truth.

I gave them both an unsecured, nervous look before squinting at the ground. “Yes... there was a girl in my life. Her name was Natalie, but I just called her Nat. She had long brown hair and blue eyes. She was without a doubt one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen. Too bad she wasn’t as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. One day she completely changed. Went from being the most lovable person into the cruelest one. After everything started to go downhill in my life she dumped me. Wouldn’t bother being around me anymore. She got into another relationship with a, pardon my language, douchebag and started hating me. I’ve no idea why but I have a feeling it’s because she wanted to blend in with the others, or maybe because of the same unknown reason everyone else hated me for. Either way, she crushed me. I felt like she was only using me all along.”

Rainbow gasped a bit and hesitantly put her hoof on my mane. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. Not at all.” I answered as I looked into her eyes with a small smile. “I’m with you now. You’re a thousand times better than she’ll ever be.”

“Aww... thank you.” Rainbow said with a sigh. She slightly nibbled on her lower lip before delivering a small kiss on my left cheek, just below the steel of my helmet. “I can’t believe she’d do such a thing. How could anyone dump you?”

“Quite easy, in fact. I was a whole another person before I got my pony body.”

Shadowmere looked at me with a rather amused smirk on his face. “Sorry, but, your former life sounds extremely boring and depressing.”

“Tell me about it.” I answered in agreement. I put my left forehoof around my Dashie and added: “At least I was lucky enough to be given a second chance.”

Rainbow looked back at me with a big proud smile before nuzzling my neck with hers.

Shadowmere’s facial expression changed a bit when he noticed how strong our feelings were to one another. But unlike last time he didn’t look at it with disgust. His amused smirk changed into a rather sad one. I bet it had something to do with his wife back on Earth but I wasn’t sure. He thoughtfully gazed at the ground before he quickly shook his head and changed his expression back into a serious one. “Rainbow, may I steal your husband for a second?”

Rainbow looked at me with a slight confusion. I nodded back at her and gave her a small kiss before I walked over to Shadowmere. He sighed before asking me in low toned voice: “I’ve been here for about eight years now. I’ve tried moving on, damn it! I’ve tried everything in my power to accept the fact that I’m here to stay. But I just... can’t. How could you fall in love with another pony? Why is it so easy for you and so hard for me to adapt to this world?”

“The difference between you and I, my friend, is that you had a wife and a child back on Earth. It’s only understandable that you want to go back to them. And believe me... I had just the same point of view towards the ponies before. But, I don’t know... it just happened. Just take a good look at her and tell me she doesn’t at least seem appealing to you.”

“I’m happy for your sake. Unfortunately, I’m stuck here forever. I had a vision last night. The gods told me they couldn’t send me back to earth after I’d complete my mission. Simply because it’d be too risky. I’ve been here too long and sending me back through dimension and time could destroy my sanity and/or personality. Apparently I’ve adapted too much to this world, but that’s bullshit. I’ll never see my son again.” he added with a deep sigh.

I hesitantly put my hoof on his back. “I’m sorry to hear that. Truly, I am. I know exactly what you’re going through. Human doctors snapped me out of this world once. I had to wait for three months to get back. I missed my Dashie so much I could barely tolerate the absence.”

“Look... can we talk about this over a beer once we get to Riften, okay? I don’t feel like talking any longer. But thanks for an attempt to cheer me up.”

“No problem. Just let me know if--”

Before I could finish that sentence we could hear laughter coming from the dark mist ahead. A small fainted light caused by what I assumed a fire emerged from afar and I immediately knew that they weren’t from the friendly kind. “Get down!” I ordered my comrades. But both of them gave me a confused look.

“I’m pretty sure we’re more than capable of taking them down.” pointed Rainbow Dash out. Shadowmere nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. “I know. But I got a new suit.” I pointed out. “I want to see what it’s capable of. You guys stay hidden in the bushes. I’ll take them out.”

They both shrugged and obeyed my order without objecting. They hid in the bushes by our right and curiously watched my progress as I snuck to the other side of the road. As quiet as the shadow, I moved closer to the light undetected.

Apparently we had stumbled on a small thug camp. There were tents, crates and stuff that didn’t belong to them all around the place. I got as close as I dared but there was one thing I noticed when I got into the shade. My uniform summoned small dark shadowy mist around me, making me harder to spot. But it only happened whenever I was in the dark. I pouted and nodded a couple of times but then fixed my attention at the thieves by the campfire. I could count 6 enemies.

“...was hilarious! The way he looked at me as I gutted him with my blade; absolutely priceless!”

“Hah! Know what you mean.” the second thug laughed in approval and took a sip of his beer. “But I’ve been thinking about that dragonborn guy. Y’know... the guy who tortured and feasted on our deceased former boss?”

“Yeah, what the buck is that all about? I know that I’m not the most honorable stallion, but at least I don’t feast on the flesh of the dead. Ponies nowadays make me sick...” added the third thug. “And he’s supposed to be our “savior”. You know what? Buck him. If I see him anywhere on sight I’ll slowly gouge his eyes out.”

I frowned and opened my mouth in disbelief. I never “feasted” on anyone! Such lies and slander! My sudden rage almost blew my cover but I managed to keep a low profile.

“Stop being retarded! He’s no ordinary pony and you know that. And he’s not alone. If you want to eliminate him you must focus on his weaknesses first.” the fourth thug explained before poking at his chest. “His heart.”

“His heart? Easy enough. A blade should take care of that problem. One thrust to his chest and we’ll be famous!”

“Infamous, you mean. The Dragonborn is loved by mostly everyone. We would be even more hated for it. But we’d be feared. And fear equals power.”

“You idiots! I’m not talking about his physical heart. I’ve heard that if you really want to beat him, you got to take out what matters the most to him. Make sure he watches as we skin his little mare and cut out her still beating heart. That should crack him. As long as he has his little dove by his side he’s unstoppable.”

I completely lost track of time and my surroundings for I was too focused on what they had to say. I found myself nearing closer and closer without even realizing it.

“Tell me genius. How the buck are we supposed to capture them? By asking them? Stop daydreaming. He could be anywhere for all I know. He could be murdering, screwing or soothing his hunger with pony meat. Just thinking about it makes me shudder in disgust. It’s only a matter of time before everyone realizes that there is more to him than meets the eye.” he responded in anger. “And stop being so bucking naive. His wife is none other than Rainbow Dash, who is already pretty famous for “saving Equestria from total chaos”. She’s the one they call the fastest flier in the whole country and she’s tougher than any stallion I’ve ever met. I’d even bet on her if I were to fight her one on one. And how are you supposed to capture a mare as strong, as loyal as she is? And with her dragonborn by her side they’re unstoppable. Face it. We’ve to be lucky to even get a glimpse on them.”

I had had enough of their lies so I silently called Rainbow and Shadowmere over. “Come over here.” I waved and whispered loudly to them but silently enough to remain undetected. As soon as they came up to me I added: “Rainbow, take position at the other end of the camp. Load your bow and take a shot on my signal.” Dashie smiled with a frown and saluted me like a general. I turned around to face Shadowmere. “Shadowmere, as soon as Rainbow Dash fires the bow, make sure no one escapes. Become a part of the shadow and herd them into one group. If anyone tries anything funny, kill them.” Shadowmere nodded and punched his other hoof. “Now, I’m gonna get up to the guy on the far end of the camp. As soon as I slit his throat you, Dashie, attack them with your bow; that’s your signal. Shadowmere will make sure they can’t go anywhere. But do not kill them all! I want at least one alive to interrogate. You got it?” I ordered them, feeling like a commando. I’ve never been much into the leading role but I gotta admit that commanding people around felt surprisingly good. They both nodded before taking their positions.

I slowly unsheathed my ebony blade and gnawed my teeth on the handle as I silently slunk around the camp in the grassy jungle. I appeared as black as shadow because of my suit. It almost made me invisible.

“You guys go ahead and try taking them down, let alone tracking them down. I’m staying out of it. I don’t want to get on his bad terms.”

“Hah! You a pussy, Bloodlust? You’re clearly not living up to your name.” his pal amusingly exclaimed with a loud sickening laughter before taking a bite on his red apple.

“It was given to me! I’ve never really liked it in the first place! But I’m sticking to it. I’m staying the hell out of it. I don’t want him to melt my body into liquid with his powerful firebreath and I certainly don’t want to be his next meal. So, I don’t give a buck about what you think of me.”

I rolled my eyes and slowly approached my victim-to-be. It was the strong looking stallion who called that Bloodlust guy a pussy. He was sitting on a tree stump, facing his back towards the darkness and his face towards the campfire and his friends.

“You’re too soft, Bloodlust! If you don’t want the honor of killing the dragonborn then so be it. We’ll just use you to dispose of the bodies. But first, before we kill them, we’re going to torture him spiritually. Oh, yes. Slice the throats of his comrades and--”

Before he could go any further I harshly wrapped my left forehoof around his snout in utmost anger, making him create muffled fearful sounds. I roughly pressed my sharp, cold blade against his thick neck and slit it wide open, making his blood spray towards his companions in the same rhythm as his heartbeat.

As soon as I killed him an arrow out of nowhere headshot the second thug, making the rest stand up in utmost panic and fear.

“We’re being ambushed!” someone yelled in fear. “Where in Sithis’ name are they?!”

Two of them tried to search for their weapons while the other two tried to escape. But the ones trying to escape were found to be pushed back into the center. Shadowmere’s red-led eyes made sure they didn’t go anywhere. And soon enough we got them all rounded up in a small group by the campfire. They had their backs turned against each other’s, holding their weapons high in the air to be ready for another attack. But they still didn’t spot us. We were as silent, as invisible as the shadows.

“Where the hell are you?!” One of them yelled loudly in great panic. “Show yourselves!”

I pointed my hoof upwards for Rainbow to see and let it fall down, indicating that she should take another shot. As soon as my hoof fell down, another arrow took out the third thug, making the rest of them squeak in fear.

“What do you want! Please, don’t kill us!” Bloodlust begged on his knees. “We promise to leave! Just don’t hurt us!”

I picked up my second dagger and flew up to them, revealing my appearance to them in all my might and glory. The three thugs before me gasped loudly at the same time when they noticed my red blood lusty eyes scanning their faces malevolently. “You wanted me?!” I yelled in both anger and in the purpose of intimidating them. “Well, here I am!”

“P-please don’t eat me!” Bloodlust squeaked in fear. I stared deep into his eyes and I knew they noticed my angry frown behind my helmet. Without taking my eyes off him, I stabbed two of his friends in their necks; pressing their bodies together with my blades for more force, they gagged and spouted blood all over the place but as soon as I removed it from their flesh they fell down completely dead.

Bloodlust let himself fall down on his knees before me. “Please! I-I’m not like them! I was forced to join their group! Please, don’t stab me or... or turn me into soup with your firebreath!” he begged with all his might and power. “I swear I’ll--”

I got a harsh grip on him and shouted only inches away from his face: “Who’s been spreading lies about me? Who said I was a cannibal?!”

“W-wait... you aren’t?” he asked in a half scream with his fearful gaze. “B-but I thought--”

I punched him once in his stomach, making him grunt in pain. “Why can’t you leave me alone?! Who’s your new boss?! What do you want?!”

“L-look... there’s a bounty on your head. H-he wants you dead or alive!”

I headbutted him this time, making his snout bleed a bit. “Who the buck wants me dead or alive?! Who’s your boss?!” I repeated myself in a shout.

He stared deep into my eyes, breathing very heavily as if he was about to have a heart attack. I started gnawing my teeth but before he could answer me his eyes dulled and he passed out due to his utmost fear. I sighed and harshly let go of his body, making him collapse to the ground.

“Heh... I gotta agree with the one whose throat you slit. That guy IS a pussy.” Rainbow Dash appeared by my side with an amused laugh.

“Well, that was easy,” added Shadowmere. “Too easy.”

“They called me a cannibal! They said I feasted on the boss after we tortured him, Dashie!” I said in a slight shock. “Who the hell has been spouting lies about me? And who is after us? Why can’t they just leave us alone, damn it!”

“What? You ate him? Ew! How does a pony taste like?” Dashie joked as she let out a big laugh. I snapped my eyes and squinted at her in slight annoyance. She answered by closing her eyes and smirk widely in amusement.

“Let’s just get out of here.” I muttered with a sigh. “It’s still a long way to go and we have no time to lose.”

“What about that Bloodlust guy?” asked Rainbow. “We can’t just leave him here.”

“And why not?” asked Shadowmere. “He’s a criminal. I know it seems kind of odd but at least I don’t kill for my own personal benefit.”

Rainbow flew up to him with a small frown on her face. "You don't know that for sure. Maybe he was held captive like my father. You heard him. He clearly didn’t have the same attitude as the rest of them."

“Or maybe he’s a cold blooded killer who happens to be too scared of the dragonborn.” Shadowmere added with slight anger in his voice. “We might be doing the world a favor if we--”

“Cold bloodedly kill him while he’s unconscious? We’d be no better than them!” Rainbow snapped back. She turned to me and powerfully put both of her hooves on my shoulders. “Drake, tell me we’re not seriously considering killing him.”

“Who said anything about killing him?” asked Shadowmere with an angry frown. His frown mixed with his red eyes made him look more evil than ever before. I was actually starting to wonder whether he was good or not. But I couldn’t judge him by his appearance alone. “I think we should tie him down and leave him here. And since he’s a unicorn, we’ll write a letter about his whereabouts and make him send it to the guards in the nearest town.”

“I doubt his magic is good enough for sending messages. Even Twilight Sparkle can’t do that yet.” I pointed out thoughtfully. “I don’t want to leave him here though. He might tell his boss about us and I’ve no interest in being bothered by another criminal gang. So, if we’re gonna have to send the guards a letter we need a dragon to send it. And the only dragon I know of who has that ability is Spike, who is miles away.”

“So what shall we do?”

At last we arrived to Riften. The city was, as I’d been told, dirty and ugly. It wasn’t nearly as colorful as Ponyville. In fact, the whole city was graced in a grayish scale. Everything looked dead and parity in a bad way. The city smelled of wet dogs, fish and other things an average person would not consider attractive. But my sister in my vision told me to go there so there I was.

“Odahviing didn’t seem very happy about the fact that you summoned him solely in the purpose of sending a letter.” Rainbow pointed out in a laugh.

“Well, he did say I didn’t have to hesitate calling him whenever I needed his help.” I replied in amusement. “Besides, he had nothing better to do.”

Shadowmere followed us a couple of feet back as quietly as a mouse. It would seem like he was my bodyguard by the way he walked and acted. He had in infinite frown and never even hinted at a smile the whole time. “What are we even doing here?”

“We’re searching for a stallion called “Reaper”. Or, well, that’s his code name anyway.” I answered as I opened the door to the dirty little inn in the middle of the city. The inn was called “The Bee and Barb” and was perhaps the ugliest inn, let alone house, I’d ever seen. It had two entrances: one positioned near the marketplace in the middle and the other north of that door. It looked out of shape as the upstairs area was bigger than the tavern area, and thus it had wooden supports holding the second floor up. Fortunately, the interior was better looking, but not by far. It consisted of three tables, each with chairs where the visitors would sit to drink and eat. And on the upper floor were rooms you could rent to stay for the night. But what immediately got my attention was the person behind the counter, which was by a fireplace in a small corner of the tavern. It was actually an Argonian; the reptile like race. I just knew it, based on the descriptions I’ve had on them.

I walked up to the Argonian and cleared my throat. “Hi there.”

“Hey, what can I get you?” the female reptile answered with the rawest voice I’d ever heard. She sounded like a male.

“Nothing, I just want to ask you a question. Where can I find Reaper?” I asked but before I could let go of the last word a deep voice interrupted: “I’m over here.”

I slowly turned around and noticed a black hooded person sitting by a table with a beer by his hoof and a long pipe in his mouth. He was dressed in all black and I immediately knew that he was the one I was looking for. Especially when I noticed that big terrifying, yet beautifully crafted scythe strapped to his back. I walked closer to him but I couldn’t see his face because of his cowl. “What do you want, whelp?”

“We’re assuming you’re Reaper?” asked Shadowmere with as cold voice as his.

“That’s what they call me. Now, get straight to business or buck off. Tell me what the hell you want.”

I gave him an unsecured, somewhat offended glare. “A common friend of ours told me I should speak to you if I wanted to see her. So--.”

He quickly stood up and revealed his face by removing his cowl. His face, as well as the rest of his body, was dark gray. But he had red natural stripes on his face which was just a part of how he was born. He had fainted blue-ish eyes which seemed more like a fainted light. But he had no horn so he must’ve been either a Pegasus or an Earth Pony. I couldn’t tell since he was still wearing that robe of his.

“And why should I trust a pretty boy scum like you?”

“Look, pal. You don’t have to trust me.” I answered harshly. “But my sister told me in my vision to meet someone here so I could get my questions answered. Now, can you take me to her or not?”

“At ease, Reaper. I’ve been expecting them.” the soft voice of a mare came into the picture. My eyes immediately snapped at the stairways towards its source, making me gasp a bit at the appearance of the unicorn before me. I admit she was one of the most gorgeous, most beautiful living beings I’d ever seen. She had yellow colored fur, same color scheme as Spitfire’s; red-orange, sparkly eyes and dark gray mane with dark orange highlights. Her mane was brushed in a style very much like Rainbow’s, making her look so much more attractive than she already was. Her colors, mane, eyes and her soothing voice mixed so well together she seemed like the female version of the angel I spoke to in my dream. Even Shadowmere couldn’t stop gazing at her. “So, you must be the dragonborn? The one they call... Drake?” she added as she came up to us, but whispered my name as if she didn’t really believe I was here.

Rainbow gave me a small glare and rolled her eyes when she noticed how fond I seemed of her. “Yes, he’s Drake. His friend is Shadowmere and I am Rainbow Dash, his spouse.” she answered on my behalf since I seemed completely out of this world. It appears the mare didn’t notice Rainbow at first because as soon as Rainbow spoke, she turned her head towards her hastily in a slight startle. “We’re here because of Drake’s vision. He was told we should meet you, so here we are.”

The mare’s eyes got filled with fear and awe. Her facial expression was as if her face was melting. She backed away in slight shock and pointed at Rainbow in all her awe. “R-Rainbow Dash?!”

Rainbow’s frown changed into a proud smirk. “Well, well, well! Looks like I got another fan.” she said to herself in pride. “I’d give you an autograph or something but I don’t have a paper. Sorry.”

“Y-y-you’re Drake’s spouse? His wife?!”

“Yeah, she’s my wife. And Shadowmere is my companion. Please to meet you miss...?”

“Holy mother of f-- you can’t really be that stupid, can you?” she asked with her startled orange colored eyes locked into mine as she approached me. “Come on, cut the crap. You know who I am.”

I didn’t want to jump to conclusion but I had a strong feeling she was the one I’d been strongly longing to meet again. I slowly asked in a doubtful whisper: “S-Sarah?”

She put on a small, weak smile and hugged me tightly. “Brother...” she replied with a whisper of her own, but everyone around us heard her, making Rainbow Dash and Shadowmere gasp with their eyes and mouths wide open. As soon as she said that my eyes widened, my pupils shrunk and my body completely froze. I felt like I was being held captive by invisible chains. I also couldn’t help but blush at the fact that I was pretty attractive to her before. But that embarrassing feeling was nothing compared to the relief I felt for.

“I told you we'd meet again in another life.” she half jested, making me snort a bit in slight shock. I was overwhelmed; wasn’t completely aware of what was going on. I couldn’t believe my very eyes and ears.

“A-am I dreaming?”

She slapped me once across my face. “Was this real enough to you? It’s me, Drake!”

I hugged her back tightly and held her close to me. I let out a shocked chuckle and stared at the wall in front of me as I held her in my arms. “H-how can this be?! Y-you died!”

She looked into my eyes, still locked in my hug. “And so did you, Drake!”

Rainbow was as surprised as I was. She walked up to us in confusion and looked consecutively at us. “W-what the hell is going on?” she asked in a slight startle.

Sarah quickly turned me around for some privacy with me and asked in a whisper: “Don’t tell me this is true. You did not marry R-Rainbow--”

I looked back at her with a wide smile. “Your big brother is a married man now. Ehm... stallion if you’d prefer.”

She punched my shoulder once, making me groan lightly, and quickly hugged me again with a firm grip. “You fucking bastard.” she added with an amused laugh.

By that time I finally completely realized that my sister was here in a pony body. I had no idea why nor did I know the reason why the gods decided to send her to this world too, but what I did know was that there was a valid reason for it. If she was here solely to boost my moral or if she had a part to play in the dragon war; I simply didn’t give a fuck. My sister was here and that was all that mattered to me.

“Even though you didn’t change your name, I did. I am known as Citrine around these parts. I prefer it stays that way. Sarah is no more. Got it?”

I hesitantly nodded back without questioning her. I hadn’t thought of it before, but changing a name was a good idea. It’s too late for me though. Everyone knows me as Drake now.

Shadowmere hastily approached us and got a grip on my sister. “Wait, wait, wait... were you a human too?!”

“Wait... you were a human too?” she replied in disbelief. As soon as she noticed his happy and somewhat relieved nod, she let her jaw drop again. And soon enough we were found in a tight group hug which was quite unexpected, judging by how cold Shadowmere seemed earlier. But only now did I truly understand that he only needed a little something from home. He needed someone else to share his load with. Someone who could understand him. And now that he finally realised that he was not the only human in a pony body anymore; that he gained two friends who could fully understand him, put a very wide smile on his face.

Reaper didn’t give two shits about this whole situation though. He just sat back down and slowly downed his beer as he rocked back and forth in his wooden chair with his pipe, which left Rainbow alone in the confusion. “Drake! What’s going on? I don’t follow!”

In all my overjoy, I let go of them and flung myself into Rainbow’s arms. She hesitantly hugged me back. “It’s my sister! She’s here!”

Rainbow’s pupils shrunk to dots in slight fear. That meant she was a human too, which gave Rainbow a pessimistic idea that she might dislike of our marriage and therefore dislike her. “R-really?”

I let go of her and quickly cleared my throat. “Rainbow, this is Sar-- I mean, Citrine, my sister. And Citrine, this is Rainbow Dash, my wife.” I introduced them, but knew it wasn’t necessary. My sister knew everything about Rainbow while Rainbow knew her well enough based on my description of her.

They both seemed terrified in an awkward way of each other. Rainbow was mostly scared of her reputation and of how my sister would feel about our relationship while my sister was full of awe meeting her second favorite pony. It was like a dream coming true for her.

They both analyzed each other in small fear as silent as a crypt; mirroring each other’s movements. At last they just looked at each other’s faces without moving. But as I was about to break the awkward silence, my sister finally found enough courage to speak up.

“H-hey.” she whimpered and offered her hoof for a hoofshake.

Rainbow reacted the same way she did when we first met. She refused the hoofshake and flung herself at her into a hug instead. “I-I don’t do hoofshakes.” she said, just as she did when we first met.

Witnessing that was like a flashback. It was perhaps the biggest déja-vu I’d ever had. The thought of our first meeting, our first hug made me smile widely. I remember everything as it had happened yesterday. The same distrust I felt for as they felt. The same weird feeling when I hugged a pony for the first time. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

But of course, my sister didn’t expect that from Rainbow Dash. She hesitantly wrapped her forehooves around her and looked at me in all her confusion and fear. “I’m hugging Rainbow Dash!” she said inaudibly with a shocked gesture, followed by a small squee. As soon as I read her lips I let out an amused chuckle.

“Honored to meet you. Drake told me a lot about you. Sarah was it?” Rainbow asked, still locked in the hug.

My sister shivered a bit in disbelief. “Y-you know my former name? H-he even told you that?”

Rainbow let go and looked at her without that distrust she had formed with herself moments ago. “Of course. He really missed you. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

“Are you really my brother’s wife?” she replied as surprised as ever.

That, however, made Rainbow’s confidence drop down again. She scratched her left front hoof with her right one and looked everywhere but into her eyes. “Y-yes--”

“In all honesty, what do you think of my brother?” she interrupted.

“Well--”

“Wait, you’re even marked?!” she interrupted again in a slight surprised shout when she finally noticed that malformed small piercing in her ear. “Drake!” she added and turned herself to me to take a good look at mine. “Is it really that serious?” she whispered into my face with her hooves on my cheeks and her new eyes desperately scanning my face.

I gently pulled her hooves down and answered in a calm, serious whisper. “It’s that serious. We’ve even talked about starting a family. I’ll tell you the whole story over a drink. Okay?”

Citrine nodded quickly, never taking her eyes off mine. She slowly shook her head and whispered: “I can’t believe--”

“So... what happens now?” interrupted Shadowmere with a rather confused look on his face. There was so much confusion, excitement and happiness it seemed to draw everybody’s focus towards us. Soon enough we began to notice everyone’s eyes fixed upon us and that only added to the awkwardness.

“Come with us to Ponyville, sis. I have lots of questions that needs answered and I’ve got things to take care of, so I can’t stay here for much longer.”

“Oh, I got a helluva lots of questions I need you to answer too. I’m not leaving you again. I’m with you.” she said with tears in her eyes. She hugged me again firmly and gave no hint at letting go. I reciprocated with a big happy smile on my face. “But I’m not going anywhere without Reaper. He’s teaching me how to fight. Has been teaching me ever since I got here. That was 2 years ago.”

“Alright, fine. Take him with you. But he’s your responsibility.”

“I know how to handle myself. Like I said, I’ve been here for approximately two years.”

I wanted to let out all of my questions, but decided to drop it for now. I looked at Dashie and nodded once. She nodded back with a warm smile on my behalf. Shadowmere had a smile and a very interested look on his face, for he seemed quite curious about my sister’s background. Reaper didn’t seem to care about any of it.

As dirty as this place was, my long journey payed off better than I’d expected.

We didn’t waste any time and immediately head out. Instead of speaking to my sister, I decided to let my friends get to know her a little better. Shadowmere and Citrine talked for a long time about Earth, humanity, their personal backgrounds and what they missed most from Earth. Shadowmere seemed absolutely delighted talking to her. Meanwhile, Rainbow and I chatted and laughed while Reaper quietly followed without muttering a single word. It was the way he preferred. He wouldn’t talk to anyone but my sister for a reason I’d yet to get an explanation of.

Then Rainbow and my sister talked for an even longer time. They were both excited and didn’t even pause for a second for a breather. They just asked each other endless questions they eagerly wanted answered. For example, Rainbow asked her about life on Earth, what kind of brother I was and how she liked it in Equestria. And for hours my sis asked Rainbow questions she’d been dying to get answered, such as: How we met; why she loved me; what she’d been through; how she became a Wonderbolt and what she thought of the fact that I was once a human.

I talked to Shadowmere in the meantime. I tried to start a conversation with my sister’s companion, but he harshly pointed out that he wanted to be left alone, so I decided to respect his wishes. “So, Shadowmere. How old are you, exactly?”

“You may, or may not believe it. But I’m 29 years old. I was 21 when I was summoned here.” he answered with a small smile.

“What? I thought you were a married father with a child? 35 would seem more likely.”

“Yeah, I got married very young, at the age of 18. We got our first child a year later. I also happened to be one of the best soldiers despite my young age. I was put as the squad leader on our assignment in Russia. And you know the rest.”

“Whoa. So you never really saw your wife or kid due to your service in the army?”

“I did see them from time to time. But not as much as I wanted. That’s one of the downsides of serving in the military. Serving in the army isn’t for everyone, and someone has to do it. I had the will, the body and the determination. That’s why I was one of the best; why I was chosen to lead my squad. There’s no room for a weakness.” he pointed out, still smiling widely. In fact, he hadn’t stopped smiling ever since we met Citrine, my sister.

“You know what makes me happy?” I asked him with a smile of my own. “The fact that you’ve been smiling ever since we left Riften.”

His smile quickly turned into an awkward grin. “Yeah, well, I just realized that you two are the closest thing I got from home. I mean, sure, we’re still strangers. But I have a feeling this is a beginning to a new chapter in my life. I have a feeling that we’ll become close in the future. Does that sound weird to you?”

“No, not at all.” I quickly answered. “To be honest, I’m still quite puzzled about the fact that you’re an assassin who kills without remorse. You seem like a decent guy to me.”

“I never said I killed without remorse.” he answered in a small disapproving manner. “Like I said, I was kind of “raised up” by the Brotherhood. I was lost and confused when I got here. But let’s not talk about that. Tell me, how old are you, Drake?”

“I’m 22--”

“22 years old? Hah! You’re barely an adult!” he interrupted with an amused laugh. “I thought you were a little older than that. Y’know, considering that you’re the dragonborn, married and all that. I expected perhaps around 30 years old.”

“You’ve no right to be surprised!” I objected with a giggle. “We’re both younger than we appear to be it seems.”

Before Shadowmere could answer, still with his wide smile on his face, my sister interrupted with her pure voice, asking Shadowmere: “Can I steal my brother for a sec?”

He answered by gesturing that I was all hers. He walked up to Rainbow and started talking to her again. It seemed like Shadowmere was starting to get more and more open. First time seeing Rainbow, he didn’t really like her that much. Mostly because she was married to me, and that somehow made him dislike her. But now they were actually getting along. They still argued, though. But in an amusing way, meaning I didn’t have to interfere.

“Drake, how were you on Earth? Rainbow told me you went through hell.”

“I... I don’t want to talk about it, if that’s okay with you.”

“Well... alright.” she responded. She paused for a bit with a rather sad facial expression. The fact that I had it rough made her sad. “Our parents didn’t make it, did they?” she added. I slowly shook my head without taking my eyes off her, making her drop her head again in sadness. “Damn.”

I put my hoof gently on her soft mane. “Look, let’s not live in the past. Tell me, how did you end up here? Why are you even here? Is there a purpose for why you were sent to Equestria?”

“I still remember it, Drake.” she responded as she gazed down to the stone made path beneath her. “As if I was really there. I still remember the pieces of our car scattered around us. The cool icy wind. All the blood around me...”

“Sarah--”

“...our unconscious parents in the front seats.” she added in slight anger. She firmly closed her eyes as she gnashed her teeth. “Your screams and cries from your agonizing pain. My agonizing pain. Death slowly taking me into a cold, dark eternal hug.” She looked back at me with tears in her eyes and a facial expression as if she was terrified. “The way you looked into my eyes before I fainted...”

“Sarah! Drop it!” I ordered her harshly. “It’s over! We’re here now. We have each other and that’s all that matters now, damn it!” I stopped, pulled her into a hug and closed my eyes as I tried to remain calm. I did not want an emotional outbreak.

She started sobbing lightly and got a firm grip on my body. She rested her chin on my trapezius with her wet eyes closed. “And please, call me Citrine.” she added in a whimper.

“No. Everyone else can call you that. I’m sticking with Sarah whether you like it or not.” I responded, still in her hold.

I finally opened my eyes and noticed everyone looking at us in dead silence. I could read sympathies all over Rainbow’s and Shadowmere’s faces for they knew what this was all about. Reaper seemed to be a little affected as well, but only because my sister was in tears. He had his forehoof bent forward with his mouth opened a bit, as if he was going to interfere, but decided to let it go. It seems like he really cared about her. He didn’t give a fuck about me though, which I didn’t mind so much anyway.

Rainbow walked up to us and put a hoof on my sister’s back. “I’m sorry.” she whispered to her.

My sister let go of me and inhaled the air without opening her eyes. She sighed it out and awkwardly wiped her tears off her face. She nodded once with a small smile to indicate that she was fine. “Sorry. It’s just that I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“It’s alright, sis. Now, is there a reason for why you’re here?”

Sarah turned towards Rainbow and smiled. “Thank you, Rainbow.” Dashie returned that smile and gave her a friendly wink, indicating that she'd always be there if she wanted to talk. "And yes... there's a reason for me being here. The voice in my head, presumably some kind of god, told me that my purpose was to work beside the most important person Equestria would ever see. But he didn't tell me when he'd show up, so I had to wait." she explained. “I remember my first moment here, in Equestria. I gasped and breathed in as much oxygen as I could. It was a feeling like I’d been underwater for way too long. I was lying on the grass beneath the warm sun and the cyan sky. At first I thought I was in heaven, since I remembered everything about my death, but that changed after I discovered that I wasn’t even in a human like body anymore. It made me wonder if I was in an afterlife or if I was just dreaming in a hospital back on Earth.

“I noticed my hooves at first, putting me off guard, of course. But after I had accepted the fact that this was all real, I discovered that I had a horn, which meant I was a unicorn. I looked at my flank and noticed that my cutie mark was a red cross. At first thought I connected it with the ability to heal, but I don't have any healing abilities or spells beyond the basic healing ability all unicorns are born with, so, I have no idea what it means. Anyway, I had never felt more alone. I was terrified, lost and weak. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I couldn’t walk either, since I wasn’t used to four legs. In other words; I felt like I was dying again. I was lucky Reaper stumbled across me, who offered to take care of me.”

“He just came across you?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I felt like a peasant comparing to that big, strong Pegasus. He was so menacing at first glance. Those bright blue eyes of his weren’t malevolent though. He just looked at me with pity as if he recognized me from somewhere. He offered his hoof and took me home to his place in a nice little wooden house in the middle of the forest. He offered me food, shelter and warm blankets. I didn’t know why he was doing this for me, but I happily accepted his assistance. I didn’t have much choice anyways. After I had been fed and rested, he knelt down by my feet and swore an oath of allegiance that he would protect me from any harm; that he would accompany me as a bodyguard if I wished. He also offered me training in combat. Since I didn’t know what the hell was going on, I accepted. Since then we’ve been inseparable. He’s ruthless and has always been alone, so don’t take it personally if he doesn’t like you. You’ll grow on him.”

“Interesting... have you any idea why he helped you?”

She shrugged. “No idea.”

“Sorry to interrupt...”, Shadowmere interfered. “But this is a good spot for camping tonight.”

I looked around to analyze the environment and nodded once to him when I realized he was right. The trees gave us shelter from the wind, there was a lake nearby, and it wasn’t too much in the open, meaning that it would be harder for wanderers to stumble across us. “We’ll stay here for the night. Reaper, Shadowmere, and I will inspect the area for any dangers, and gather wood for the fire while Rainbow and my sister will prepare the tents.”

Everyone had gone to sleep but Sarah and me. Reaper, Shadowmere and Sarah all had their own tents, while Dashie and I just slept in ours. They were all rounded and close to one another to minimize danger and to improve safety. It was best we stayed close. There were many creatures roaming around that could be poisonous, and if one, for example a snake, would enter someone’s tent and bite someone, we could react faster.

The comfortable fire was still burning in the night and kept us warm with its flaming tongues reaching out into the vast atmosphere. Sarah and I remained silent as we sat down on tree stumps and reached out our forehooves to warm us up. Neither of us dared to look at each other by an unknown reason. Maybe we were still a little afraid of each other. But thankfully, she decided to break the silence.

“Had a chat with your girlfriend--, I mean, your wife.” she said in a low voice and in respect for those who were asleep. She didn’t want to wake anyone up.

“I noticed...”

“She told me you had it rough. I want to know.” she added without looking at me.

I sighed deeply and looked at her with guilt. She has the rights to know. “Don’t tell anyone, but... I even tried to kill myself, Sarah.” I whimpered barely audibly. “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

She slowly turned her head in disbelief towards me and opened her mouth a bit with a pitiful look on her face. “What?”

I nodded once before shaking my head in embarrassment. “It was a stupid thing to attempt. I tried to hang myself. The rope broke and I lived.”

She walked over to me with a disappointing facial expression before slapping me once across my face. I closed my eyes. I deserved that. Then she sat down next to me and hugged me in compassion. “Let’s not get into that. It’s all behind us now. I’m sorry I brought it up. If you don’t want to talk about what happened, that’s fine. Tell me, how did you meet Rainbow Dash?”

I gave her a small smile for understanding me. “I thought she already told you about how we met.”

“She did. I just want to hear your version of it.” she said with a small laugh.

“Twilight introduced us. I met Twilight after I fainted just outside of Ponyville the same hour I was drafted into Equestria. She took care and nursed me back to health. Then we found out I was the prophecy they’d been waiting for. I met Celestia who ordered me to stay in Ponyville and get some new friends. That’s why Twilight decided to introduce me to her friends; the rest of the mane 6.” I cockily explained. “Anyway, Rainbow and I immediately got along. She challenged me into a race I denied at first. But the very same evening I decided to race her because I wanted to enjoy my staying here.”

“Yeah, you mocked and gave her a piece of her own medicine, I heard.” Sarah added in amusement. “You won her because you crashed into your own death because you wouldn’t slow down? Seriously, you should stop liking death so much.” she added in laughter.

“Heh... precisely. Rainbow felt extremely bad for what had happened. She blamed herself and wept for my death day and night until I got revived. We had a very emotional driven conversation in Canterlot, in the royal room where I was put in. We hugged each other tightly, and from that moment Rainbow realized that she was more than a little interested in me. I, however, only saw her as a friend at the time. Before she left she kissed my cheekbone. The next days I went out for a journey with Twilight and Applejack. I barely ate anything when I started that trip and I barely ate anything on our way there. On our way home I fainted in a desert just outside of Canterlot. Rainbow saved my life by helping me get to the hospital. When I woke up I felt for Rainbow’s hoof on mine. As soon as I looked at her I realized that it was destined for us to be a little more than just friends. She had this beautiful smile, full of passion and loyalty. It told me that she was ready to give her life for me if it came down to that. And that very thought touched me deeply. It affected my heart, you know. The fact that she cared about me was so overwhelming, I couldn’t do anything but love her back. So that’s where we had our first kiss...” I explained in small embarrassment.

My sister sighed in adorableness and gave me a small warming smile. “D’aww...”

“So yeah... I bet Rainbow told you about the rest.”

“Yeah, she told me about the time you explained to her that you were once a human.” she added a small amused smile. “She even told me about your little moment afterwards...” she laughed.

My eyes widened and my pupils shrunk as I started to blush. “R-really? Goddamn-- that’s nobody’s business. Why would she do that?” She let out an even louder laugh, but watched out not to wake up anyone. “H-how about you and Reaper? Anything between you two? You must be, what, 20 years old now? How old is he?”

“I’m 21. And no, there’s nothing between me and Reaper and there never will be. He’s like a father to me.” she answered hastily. “Well, I’m going to sleep. You better get some rest too.” With that, she vanished into her tent, leaving me alone under the vast starry sky.

I decided to do the same thing. As I was about to leave, my sister poked her head out of her tent. “Drake, do you really have your iPod with you? I mean, back at your place?” she asked in small excitement. I nodded with a smile, making her squee before vanishing back into her tent.

I slowly entered my own tent and lay down next to my sleeping Dashie. I wrapped my hoof around her and closed my eyes.

“Thank you for waking me up.” murmured Rainbow in sarcasm, still half asleep.

I gave her mane a gentle kiss and shushed at her. “Go back to sleep.” I responded with an inaudible laugh.

In a not so far away distance we all saw it: Ponyville. My sister gasped a bit when she saw it. She’d never been there before, although she knew it existed. But the part she was most excited about was that she’d get to meet my friends; the mane 6.

The weather was as good as ever. However, I heard that the Pegasi were planning on setting up rainclouds over Ponyville so the plants wouldn’t dry out. I didn’t mind it, though. It was good getting away from the sun from time to time. A little variety didn’t hurt.

I was still a bit nervous about the thing that Bloodlust guy told me the other day. He said there was a bounty on my head; dead or alive. Was it the same criminal organization whose boss I killed? Was it another gang? I wasn’t afraid, but I was still a little worried what they had up their sleeves. What are they trying to do? Destroy my reputation?

“Hmm... we haven’t been into any dangers on our way to Ponyville.” I said to Rainbow in a thoughtful manner. “Don’t you think it’s too easy?”

As soon as I let go of the word, a roar of a big dragon could be heard from afar. Rainbow rolled her eyes and locked them into mine with small amusement. “You just had to jinx it.” she laughed.

The dragon was heading this way, but it wasn’t any ordinary dragon. This one was a blood dragon. In other words, he was supposed to be a tough son of a bitch.

Everyone unsheathed their weapons. The one who got my attention was Reaper though. That scythe of his was even bigger than him. About his scythe: its blade was made of a material unknown to Equestria. It didn’t even have a name. It was the sharpest thing I’d ever seen in my life. “Bucking dragon...” moaned Reaper. “If it tries to harm Citrine, I’ll tear its spine out with my bare hooves.”

“It’s alright, Reaper. I’ve been getting lessons from you. I think I could take on a worm!”

“A normal worm, perhaps. But this is a blood dragon, one of the toughest in their ranks. You can’t win this one.” he explained. “Everyone get back. I got this.” he added with a furious looking frown on his face. We didn’t obey him at first. He turned around to look at us with his evil stare and repeated with a hateful growl. “Get...the buck... back!” Nobody dared objecting, so we all backed off as the dragon approached with its menacing roars. “Come at me, you big ugly piece of meat!” he added to himself in a whisper. I noticed his scythe starting to glow red. Reaper had a firm hold on the handle and as soon as the dragon got up to him he unleashed dark magic I’d never witnessed before. Two voids of some kind appeared by the dragon’s sides. Out of those voids appeared big demon-like hands with huge claws. But it wasn’t in a physical form; more of in a spiritual form. They got a firm grip on the dragon, making the beast screech. Reaper angrily shouted as the two spirit like hands ripped the dragon apart, summoning gushes of blood and gore all around us. Fortunately, we escaped being bathed in that filth.

Everyone, including me, stood still as statues as we gasped in disbelief. At first I didn’t mind Reaper, but now that I’ve seen for myself how powerful his scythe was, I didn’t dare do anything but to admire him and his weapon. I was full of awe.

Reaper fell down on his knees and panted for breath as soon as the voids and the demon claws disappeared back from whence they came. My sister ran up to him and helped him on his feet again. Rainbow eagerly followed with a small angry frown on her face. “What the hell was that?” she asked. “This weapon of yours is certainly not made in a holy environment, nor is it from Equestria. Where did you get this scythe?”

“That is none of your damn business!” he spat out. “Now, get out of my way, you rainbow maned bitch, and be thankful that I saved your sorry flank.”

“Fuck you, foal! I could’ve made him eat his own stomach!” Rainbow objected in anger. “You think you have any power over us because you got a shiny toy?”

“Drake, can you shut your mare’s mouth? This ungrateful bastard is starting to annoy me.” Reaper answered, looking deep into my eyes with his eyes full of anger. “Really though, you should teach your mare some manners.”

“You don’t scare me! I’ve faced worse enemies than you. Come at me you bucking pussy and let’s see who really is the toughest--”

“Oh, both of you, shut the fuck up!” I answered in an anger of my own. “The last thing we need is a dispute! Rainbow...” I added and stormed up to her until I was only inches away from her face. “Keep your nose out of his things. It is none of your business what he owns.” Rainbow exhaled the air in annoyance with a big frown. I turned around and walked over to Reaper. “And you... don’t you ever talk down to my wife like that ever again. Or there won’t be anything on the face of this earth that can save you from me. Not even this scythe of yours.” I growled angrily at him. Reaper just nodded once without looking into my eyes.

“I think all they need is a dance!” added Shadowmere in a small laugh. “Nothing like blowing off steam at the dance floor.” We all snapped our eyes at him in anger, warning him that we were in no mood for jokes. He apologized with an awkward giggle.

Before we picked up our trail, I automatically absorbed the dragon’s soul, making me feel slightly more powerful than moments ago.

Rainbow caught up and walked beside me. “I’m sorry... I just lost control. I wasn’t thinking straight. But you can’t blame me! We just witnessed paranormal demon hands rip a fuckin’ dragon apart! It’s not everyday that--” she paused and sighed. “Anyways, I want to thank you for putting a stop to the madness.”

I tried to be as mild as I could despite the fact that I was still pissed off. “It’s alright, my dear. I don’t like his weapon either, but I assure you that he knows what he’s doing. I think he can be trusted for now.” I took a look at my sister who seemed to be upset about what happened. “Excuse me, Rainbow.” I added. Rainbow gave me a small smile before nodding once.

“I can explain.” my sister hesitantly said as I approached her with an angry frown. “Look, I was gonna tell you about that--”

“Tell me his powers aren’t limitless. Tell me he’s not a threat to me and my friends!”

“He’s not a threat! I’ve known him ever since I was reborn and I can with pure conscious say that he’s as kind as a lamb once you get to know him”. she objected.

“What about his scythe? What the hell was that?”

“That was just one of many things he can do with it. Don’t worry about it, the scythe needs to recharge which normally takes a full day. In the meantime he uses it like any other weapon.” she hastily explained. She got even more agitated when she noticed my facial expression, as if I was planning on something she wouldn’t approve of. “No. No, Drake! Don’t you dare steal it from him. You’ve no idea who he is and I recommend you leave him alone. In fact, I demand you to leave him be!”

“Hey, easy there. I wasn’t planning on robbing him.” I answered meekly. I shook my head once in annoyance. “Just make sure we don’t have to put him down.” I noticed that she was going to object but I left her without another word. I made my way up to Reaper, still as angry as ever. “You owe me an explanation!”

“Back off, pretty colt.” he answered, giving only a glimpse of his eyes as he gnawed his teeth in annoyance. “I don’t owe you shit.”

Instead of creating another pointless argument that would get us nowhere, I decided to do the smart thing and walk away. I trotted again to Rainbow for I wasn’t in the mood for talking to anyone else than her. “That guy’s an ass.” I muttered in my angriness.

“Tell me about it...” Rainbow added as she rolled her eyes. “Let’s just get to Ponyville, get rid of the mob behind us and go to our place. Just the two of us.”

“I like that plan.” I pointed out, a little calmer, but still as mad as before. “Just the two of us.”

We had arrived to Ponyville at last. My sister had her eyes and mouth wide open in amazement. She pointed at the ponies she recognized from the show and squeed a bit in awe. It amused me, since it reminded me how I felt back when I was new in Equestria.

Reaper’s scythe seemed to absorb all the attention from the ponies around us. Some even fled the scene to safety just because of its menacing appearance.

I stopped for a second when I realized one thing. Where would my companions sleep for the night? They couldn’t all stay at Twilight’s. But I was mostly worried about my sister. I would happily offer her a place at my home, but she wasn’t a Pegasus, so there was no way she could stay in Cloudsdale. But she had been here for two years under Reaper’s protection. So I bet she could take care of herself.

“Sarah, Shadowmere and Reaper. Where are you going to stay at?” I asked a little worriedly.

“Oh, yeah.. I haven’t thought about that.” admitted Shadowmere with a silly looking grin.

“Don’t worry about us, Drake. Reaper and I will rent our own rooms at the inn like we’ve always done.”

I nodded. “Good.” I turned to face Shadowmere. “Shadowmere, I bet my friend Twilight Sparkle can take you in for the night.”

“I appreciate that.” he answered with a smile. “Shouldn’t we have a talk with her first or something?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” I agreed with a smile of my own. “You coming, sis?”

She regretfully shook her head. “As much as I want to meet them, not today. I’m feeling way too tired. I’m just going to rent a room at the inn and get some sleep. You go ahead though, I’ll just meet her tomorrow.” she answered with a yawn.

We all hugged each other before we parted, except that I hoofbumped Shadowmere and gave Reaper a quick nod. I wasn’t very fond of that guy, but I didn’t want to make any enemies so I decided to try my best to be reasonable with him.

Rainbow and my sister seemed to have the longest hug. Apparently they already seemed pretty fond of each other, which was a good thing. I really wanted them to get along. Friendship has been proved to be very crucial in Equestria. If it weren’t for my friends, I’ve been dead already. I owed them all my life.

I dropped Shadowmere off at Twilight’s who seemed more than happy to take him in for the night. She was quite startled at first, though, considering that both Shadowmere and I were wearing the Dark Brotherhood uniform, so I had to explain the whole story to her.

She was also quite interested in Shadowmere’s eyes. She let out a theory about why that might be, but I stopped her with a laugh before she could go any further.

Rainbow and I both gave Twilight a hug before we left. So many hugs, I could never get bored of it.

Rainbow and I didn’t stop by anywhere. We decided to immediately go home for a rest. After all, it was getting dark and the town was slowly going to sleep. Nothing was open during the nights but the bar and I had no urge for a drink.

The door to our apartment was stiff as usual, so I had to give it a gentle push. A part of me also expected the apartment to be a little messy since Daring Do had been using it. But to my surprise, it was as clean as ever. It was like she’d been expecting us because everything was as we left it and she wasn’t visible anywhere, which meant that she was in her room, presumably asleep. I did notice that my iPod wasn’t located at the same place I left it, though, which meant that she had been listening to it. I couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say about it.

With our hooves tracing along the ground, we headed straight for the bed.

“So... what do you think of my sister?” I asked, resting my head on my left hoof under the blanket as I looked at her face.

“She’s awesome. She really is. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

“That’s good.” I answered with a relieved smile. “How did she react to our marriage? What did she tell you?”

“It’s funny, I thought she’d disapprove of it. Seeing as you’re, well, not originated from Equestria.” she explained with a somewhat embarrassed laugh. “She took it well. In fact, she was thrilled. I have no idea why.”

“Let’s just go with that you’re famous throughout Equestria and that she’s a fan of yours.” I answered with a grin. “Now... there’s been an awfully long time since I had any privacy with you.” I added and winked.

“Ooh, I thought you were tired and wanted to go straight to sleep.” she pointed out, nearing me with her interested look.

“Exceptions can be made.” I whispered back and kissed her. She wrapped her hooves around me and answered by doing the same.

The door... someone’s at the door. They’re evil; malevolent. They want to hurt us. They want to kill us. Wake up, Drake! They’re breaking in. They want revenge. I know they’re there but I can’t wake up. They’re coming for both of us. The sound of steel; the sound of chainsaw. Visions of tests... visions of them crippling us... I can’t do anything about it... they’re coming. I can see it. In a matter of minutes they’ll break up the door... they’ll imprison us. Torture us. Make us their lab rats. It’s time to wake up, Drake! Wake...the...FUCK... UP!

“Wake up, Rainbow!” I shouted loudly in panic and quickly opened my eyes as soon as I was able to tear myself from the dreamworld.

Rainbow immediately woke up with a startled shout, gasping in panic of her own.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I noticed four evil looking stallions in our apartment, staring at us with their bloodlustful eyes. They were dressed in black and equipped with weapons and other equipment to imprison us with. In my fear, I Shouted: “FUS... RO D--” but before I could let it out, I was attacked and choked with a cloth by one of the stallions, cutting me off and interrupting my attempt to Shout them away.

“No!” Rainbow shouted in a small panic of her own. She tried knocking them off, but those guys had had special training in combat situations. They knew exactly what they were doing, and since neither of us expected that, they succeeded in imprisoning us.

From the other side of the room I noticed Daring Do with a shocked gesture on her face. It looks like the ones trying to abduct us hadn’t noticed her.

She quietly went to the kitchen and came back gnawing on a handle of a big, sharp kitchen knife. I subtly shook my head and signified her with my look that she should seek help instead. Daring Do fearfully nodded and quietly slipped past them and out the front door.

Rainbow and I looked at each other, telling one another with our eyes that everything was going to be fine. After they had tied our hooves they put bags over our heads. We tried to struggle some more, but that was a bad decision, because I was sent back straight to the dream world by a knock on my head.

Chapter 14: An Unforgotten Past - Part 2

It was still nighttime by the time the pegasus had reached Twilight’s house. Panting, she banged on the door. “Shit, shit, shit!” she whispered to herself in panic and impatience.

The purple unicorn opened the door with a tired look on her face, as if she’d just been woken up. “Daring Do?”

“They took them!” Daring squealed. A look of seriousness was plastered on her face. “Rainbow Dash and Drake... they’ve been taken!”

Twilight looked back at the panting pegasus, still not fully awake. Her eyes slowly started to open. “W-what?” she asked with a blank stare. “Come on in, and tell me everything!” she ordered, pulling her into the warm treehouse. “Sit down, I’ll be right back.”

Daring Do, driven forward by adrenaline, tried to calm herself down, but nothing seemed to do the trick. The only thing she could do was to pace around the living room to try and occupy her mind for a time.

A small moment later, Twilight entered the living room from the kitchen with two cups of tea, protected by her magic as it floated above her head. She placed the cups on the table before them, sat down by the sofa and said: “Now... tell me everything.”

Beep...Beep...Beep...

The noise of the beeps hammered themselves into my mind, forcing me awake. It was an all too familiar sound, one that greeted me whenever I survived trauma. The sound proved that I was still alive.

Without looking around, I knew I was lying on a metal table. A slight shiver ran through my body as I began to feel just how cold the table was. My hooves were cuffed, and I felt something being pumped into me. If the waves of calmness that assaulted my body and mind were any indication, the liquid was some form of sedative.

Elyntis was the first thing to come to my mind after my rudimentary observation of my condition. Every time I escaped a hell, I only wound up in another one. It was no different on Earth.

“Everything seems to be in order. The prisoner is stable and is ready for surgery.” I heard a female voice announce with professional coldness. Briefly struggling to get up, I found the cuffs did their job well enough. “Wait... he’s waking up!” The rate of the beeping increased as my heart raced with panic. “Cancel the procedure, inject him with--”

“W-what’s going on?” I murmured very feebly, still not realizing the situation I'd gotten myself into. I had my eyes closed for I did not dare look upon my captors. My memory from the previous night were fuzzy, so I wasn’t quite sure what had happened. But the fact that I was tied down meant that they didn’t have good intentions. Alternatively, it could mean fun times were ahead.

“Who the buck removed his cloth? This is the dragonborn we’re talking about! Put a muzzle on him, now!” somepony else ordered in panic.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed the room was, to my slight surprise, extremely clean. The walls were white, the room itself was pretty big, the floors were shiny and as clear as newly polished mirrors, and I noticed cutting edge gadgets around me in all sizes. By my left I noticed a big shiny machine with smaller gadgets and tools attached to it. They seemed harmless and pretty, but I had a feeling in my gut they could be used for anything but harmlessness if the user so chose.

There were several doctors around me, but I couldn’t get an exact number. The drugs clouded my mind too much for that.

“It’s alright”, a tuxedo clad unicorn stallion said, fixing the sunglasses he was wearing, “he’s doped up enough to be harmless. He doesn’t have the energy required to Shout. Give him another dose to be sure though.”

That stallion looked like a millionaire pretty-boy. The smug smile on his face made him seem like he was a cocky superhero. His head was held high in the air, making the belief of his superiority clear. His amethyst colored mane was brushed in a fancy manecut that would be more than appropriate for formal parties, and his coat was pink which surprisely fit him very well.

The scared look on everypony else’s faces slowly faded with soft sighs. The nurse obeyed with a smile and pushed a button on the machine to my left, causing more sedatives to flow through my veins.

I felt the effects at once, causing me to drool a bit in the overdose. I tried to mumble something but my words only died out at the tip of my numb tongue. I managed to give the stallion an emotionless glare and, despite the fact that he was wearing sunglasses, I felt his stare. The longer we looked into each other’s eyes, the more he started to smile.

“Leave us.” he suddenly commanded without breaking the eye contact, making everyone else snap their eyes at him in surprise.

“But, sir... the doctors are ready to perform the procedure--” the guy with him, also dressed in a tuxedo, pointed out. But before he could say anything else he cut him off by raising a hoof.

“That can wait. I want some privacy with the Dragonborn. Everyone out. You too, beautiful.” he ordered again, pointing the last part of his sentence to the female nurse with a wink and an enticing smile, making her blush a bit. But when nobody obeyed him, he turned towards them all and added in a growl, “Now!”

That, however, was enough to send them all out in a pace. Seconds later we were alone in that white, silent room. Minutes passed without either of us saying anything. The beeping sound from the machine was the only audible thing in the room. He just stood there as if he was expecting me to start a conversation. But when nothing happened he crept up to me. I never took my eyes off his sunglasses as he slowly approached. He gave me a small smile before removing his sunglasses, and therefore revealing his cyan colored irises in his eyes. They were pretty nice, and seemed somewhat friendly. It fit his pink coat very well too. “Mr. Drake.” he said softly.

“What am I... doing here?” I pushed out, squinting my eyes at him. “And who are you?”

He slowly walked around me, tracing his hoof gently on my sides as he did so. His touch was surprising, and it made me open my eyes completely. I felt his hoof digging into my fur, stroking me softly. His soft, gentle touch was somehow very comfortable, yet very uncomfortable at the same time. “It’s nothing personal.” he replied in a very friendly manner.

“Eh...”

“Well... in fact, it kind of is. But I’d happily put that aside if you answer for your actions regarding my brother.” He got up to me and looked into my face with a warm smile as he started to brush my mane gently with the same hoof. “You messed my brother up back at Cloudsdale. My guys reported to have found him in a pretty bad shape. It appears that he is almost nothing but ashes. However, my coroner told me that he went through hell before he died. There was gushes of his blood around, his wings had been sawn off, broken bones and whatnot.” He explained, still with a calm, kind voice, not unlike that you would use when talking to a very young child.

“He had it coming, that bucker.” I answered with obvious hint of hate in my voice despite my feebleness. “He... he raped my wife and made me watch. He was going to torture both of us, but--”

“He had his ways, sure.” his brother answered. “I never actually got it, how he was into little fillies. For that I lacked respect for him. But he was also my brother and co-worker, so I could never hate him. Just to be clear, I myself am bisexual and into adults, so don’t think I’m like him. That’s irrelevant though. You see, I’m not a bad guy. I’m not that kind of guy who wants bloodshed. That’s not how I want my revenge.” he said, now stroking my cheek with a very loving touch before bumping my snout lightly with his hoof. “I am a stallion of love and science. My dream is to make technology more advanced than most have ever dreamed of. I want to create something spectacular. Something for the “Royal Equestrian Army”, something for the civilians... you know. I have some great ideas but, as you’d expect, we need to test them out first before we can publish and sell them.”

“I-I thought you wanted me either dead or alive.” I pointed out, feeling more dead than alive.

“Dead?” he shouted back at me, surprised. He facehooved and sighed. “Did those useless imbeciles tell you that I wanted you either dead or alive? Idiots.”

“You... you’ve also been spreading lies about me. You said I... feasted... on your brother.”

“But of course! You killed him.” he pointed out. “What is a little white lie compared to that?”

“Why don’t you want me dead?”

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying? We need your brain...” he knocked on my head “...functional and intact so we can perform tests on you. Killing you would defeat the whole purpose of capturing you.”

“So... you want me alive to be your little test subject?”

He approached my face and touched my nose with his before answering in a soft whisper, “Precisely.”

My head twitched a bit, making him back away. “Wh--what do you have in mind?”

He smiled very softly with a loving look on his face. “I have plenty in mind. And to be honest, you may actually like some of those things. Others, mmm...not so much. However, I can give you a bonus for your trouble... a more pleasant test.” he giggled. “If you’re interested.” he suggested with a wink, still softly caressing my body with his hoof as if I enjoyed it.

I just stared at him in small confusion. I didn’t expect that at all. “Fuck off. And stop stroking my fur.”

His head twitched back in confusion. He gave me a small surprised stare. “Huh... you’re the first to actually deny my affection.” he awkwardly, yet regretfully stopped touching me. “Shame... you have such soft fur.” he mumbled to himself before shaking his head. “Alright then. Let’s get straight to business, shall we?”

“What... what are you going to do to me? What surgery--” I asked, slightly annoyed. I did not respect him. He seemed to be flirting with everyone, and the fact that he even suggested that I would be so low to have sexual intercourse with my captor was just absurd.

“Testing. Don’t worry, I think you’ll like your neural implant. We’re going to implant a chip into your skull and one in each forehoof so you can actually summon a hologram of a weapon in any form you’d like on either of your forehooves. It’s made of silicon-carbide mixed with plasma, which will appear hovering around your preferred hoof. So technically your hoof is the weapon, or so it appears to be. You can use that to kill enemies, or even to cut through most substances without resistance. You just use your imagination to summon a hologram of a weapon in any form you can think of. Neat, huh? However, it does drain your energy, so using it too much would be considered unwise.”

“How would that work?” I asked, not really buying it.

“Let’s say you’re in a dire situation that requires you to summon a... uhm... let’s say, plasma whip... around your right hoof. The chip in your head will communicate with the one in your right hoof to make it possible for you to take an advantage of it.”

While I actually liked the idea, I was not convinced. It wouldn’t make any sense to capture me with the way they did if they wanted to improve my abilities. “There’s a catch, isn’t there?”

“Well, so far the chip that goes into the head has killed all the test subjects. Resistant little buggers they are. They just refuse to cooperate with us. They always seem to explode. But we believe we’ve fixed it this time. And with someone as strong, as resilient as you, we’re sure that you’ll survive it.”

“By the way... what the hell did you do to her?” I spat at him in anger. “I want to see her... now!”

“Her?” he asked thoughtfully. “Ah, yes! You mean, Rainbow Dash? Relax, relax. She’s safe.” he answered with a small laugh. “She’s our prisoner for now. You see, if you die, we got ourselves a new test subject.”

“I want to see her.” I repeated myself in a growl, staring at him with my hateful gaze.

“Hmm...” he thought to himself, scratching his head with the hoof he had been touching me with. “I guess it would be the least we could do. Seeing as there’s not a strong chance you’ll survive what we’re going to do to you. Very well, I’ll bring her up. You two can have some privacy for a minute or two. However, if she tries to free you or if she does anything else we won’t like, we’ll fill the room with neurotoxin. So, if you don’t want to die without hope, I suggest you cooperate. After your little chat we’ll start the procedure. If I were you I’d use this moment to say goodbye. You never know.” With that he left me all alone in that white, psychopathic room.

I had an itch on my snout and since my hooves were tied down, there was no way I could relieve me of it. It was pretty damn uncomfortable and did nothing but make me more annoyed than I already was.

I took a good look around and noticed ventilations all around me. So he wasn’t kidding when he told me that he could flood this room with neurotoxin.

Minutes passed like hours until I heard a soft swoosh of the entrance door. I opened my eyes and noticed that Rainbow, a bit battered, limped towards me, breathing heavily as she did so. As soon as she got near me she hugged me tightly. I would have hugged her back, but I was tied down. I couldn’t move a limb. “D-Dashie! You’re... a sore sight. What happened?”

She cocked her head with a small frown. “Don’t worry about it. I tried to fight them off but they were too many. I know I could’ve taken them down, but...” she continued, slightly sad. “I don’t know. The thought of them punishing you for my actions stopped me. Naturally I got beaten up in the process.”

“Come here.” I exhaled sadly. She nuzzled my neck with her snout while I kissed hers, but then looked into her eyes with a worried gaze. “Look, I have a plan. I think I might have enough energy for one shout. As soon as they come in here to take you back to your cell or whatever, fight them off and dodge when I tell you to. I’ll kill them with my shout and you can untie me. Then we’ll help each other out and send all of them to hell. Alright?”

“But... they said they were going to kill us with that toxin if we tried to resist.”

I shook my head feebly. “They won’t. They need us alive. He knows we two are the toughest persons in Equestria. We are his only hope.”

She nodded once, but not too obviously. “Regarding that. I’ve overheard some of the guards. They’re going to make us their lab rats.” she whispered into my ear, not scared or worried like I was, but rather in an angry tone.

“I know. They said they were going to implant a chip into my head. Look, just act naturally to evade suspicion. Whatever happens, just play along and follow my lead. Okay?” She nodded again. “Also.. I really think we should move away once we get out of here. Cloudsdale ain’t safe for us anymore.”

She looked into my eyes a little hesitant since she liked our current apartment, but sighed in the end. “You’re right, Drake. We can’t let something like this happen ever again.”

“Y’know... I promised your dad not to get ourselves into trouble. I’m terrible at keeping promises.” I sighed, making it sound like I was directing it to myself. “He’s going to kill me...”

“I think I can hear them coming.” she suddenly gasped. I looked at her and gulped in nervousness. I really hoped my little plan would work. She quickly kissed me, and said “I’m ready when you are, hun.”

"I'm ready." I answered in a weak whisper. "And hey... I love you."

She smiled softly and looked at me with her lovely, sparkly magenta colored eyes. "Love you too. Just hang in there, okay? We'll get through this."

Three strong guards stormed in through the door as soon as she let go of that word. They were equipped with cutting-edge bows that made our daedric ones look like a kid’s toy. Their arrows were transparent, almost invisible, and made of plasma that would burn anything it would pierce. Two of them aimed at Dashie while the third one had his aim on my head.

From the middle entered the pink guy behind it all, in a manner that was both extremely professional and extremely stylish. He had his sunglasses back on and wore a subtle grin on his face. “Time’s up.” he announced softly.

“Step away from the Dragonborn and approach us with your hooves where we can see them!” one of the guard spat at Dashie. “If you do not comply we will shoot the Dragonborn!” Rainbow gave me a quick surprised gaze before slowly creeping her way up to them with her head bowed down towards the ground. I felt for a “no” begging to leave the tip of my tongue, but I managed to keep it down.

“I said you two would be alone, I never said we wouldn’t be listening to your conversation.” he added with an amused laugh.

“You’re going to regret this.” I growled with my teeth gnashed in fury. “You harm her in any way and I quadruple the pain we inflicted on your brother on you!”

As soon as Dashie got close enough, she threw herself at them, making them lose their balance. But it seemed like there were more guards waiting outside because as soon as she performed her action three other stallions entered the room with tasers.

Rainbow hesitated but didn’t show any sign of exhaustion. She put on an angry frown, but when she was about to attack them she noticed a guard pointing his plasma arrow towards my head, ready to let go of the string to end my life if she wouldn’t stop. “I’ll kill him!” he shouted, but everyone noticed how hesitant he was. He was trembling a lot and I was actually getting worried that he’d let go of the string on accident. “I swear I’ll--”

“FUS... RO DAH!” I interrupted, launching the guard well away from me. The impact on that poor fellow was so heavy he got killed as soon as he slammed against the wall behind him. I only recently found out that I actually get more and more powerful the more dragon souls I absorb, meaning that all of my powers get slightly stronger with each soul-eating. Apparently I could kill with my unrelenting force now, but only if there’s something solid to greet my victim with.

I panted in utmost exhaustion. I really spent all of my little energy into that shout, and I could impossibly shout any more.

“Not so fast.” the pink stallion interrupted, pointing something at Dashie what appeared to be a ray gun of some kind. “Believe me, you don’t want me to zap her with this.”

While still panting, I stared at the weapon in my subtle surprisement. “I-is that a... a gun?”

“Gun...?” he asked confusedly, looking at me with a strange look. After a long pause he finally formed a subtle smile on his face and widened his eyes in amazement. “Gun! That’s the name I’ve been searching for! I’ll use that, if you don’t mind. Gun... genius! Short and simple.” he squee’d, obviously happy to have completed his search for a good name for his latest technology. “Now, tell your mare to give up and come with us or I will shoot her with this... gun.” he giggled excitedly, happy to use the name of the phenomenon he possessed for the first time. “Such a shame... I’d hate to use it on that beautiful mare. Like I said earlier: I’m a stallion of peace, love and science. But exceptions can, and will be made if threats arises.”

I sighed in defeat and nodded once to my Dashie with a sad expression, making her whisper a no back in surprise. I looked back at my cuffed hooves with another sigh. If I only had more energy, I could probably get ourselves out of this mess.

The pink coated pony smiled widely. He indicated something with his hoof, making the guards lead Rainbow Dash out of the room. She cooperated and let them take her away. Before she left the room I noticed that she was both sad and angry. Her facial expression told me that she felt for guilt and pity.

Once again we were left alone. The pink stallion sheathed his gun and walked up to me again. He waited for a little while, just looking at me before breaking the silence. “I’m back.”

“No shit you’re back.” I stared back at him and gave him a sharp look. He extended his smile into an amused grin.

“You’re so cute when you’re angry, did you know that?”

“And haven’t you noticed by now that your sweet talk isn’t affecting me at all?”

He shook his head slowly a couple of times in small disappointment. “My dear Drake. I’m just trying to make you feel welcomed. Besides, why should I hide my opinions of you? You and your wife are perhaps the most attracting, most exquisite creatures I’ve ever met. You should feel honored. I’ve met many ponies in my time, and you outmatch them all.”

“Do you flirt with everyone? Are you really that unprofessional?”

“I have my ways, and you have yours.” he objected. “Please note that my behavior does not in any way prevent myself from being a professional in what I do best.” he continued, slightly more serious than before. “And, no. I don’t flirt with everyone. In all honesty, I only flirt with those I’m attracted too. And I do admit that I am attracted to quite a lot of ponies. Don’t get me wrong, though. That’s just my personality.”

“Eh... alright.” I said, feeling slightly scared all of a sudden. I honestly expected him to go a little bit further, and since I was unable to shout due to my exhaustion and since I was tied down, I could not do anything to stop him.

“Time is running short. We should get that chip implanted into your head. Can’t wait to see the results.” he pressed a button on the big machine next to me, injecting another big dose of those sedatives. I got completely doped up at instance, and this time I could barely even talk. I could only move my eyes and lips, but that was about it. I even started drooling a bit again without meaning to.

He got up to me and caressed my mane again, only inches away from my face. “You know, I really hope you survive.”

My eyes widened a bit in surprise. “C-could you please back off a bit? You’re really getting into my private space here.” I pushed out barely audibly. “And for fuck’s sake, stop touching me.”

I don’t think he understood me, since I couldn’t even understand myself, but I was sure he got the message.

He ignored me. Instead he did something I kind of expected, but never thought he’d actually do. He closed his eyes and slowly kissed my lips a couple of times, and I couldn’t do anything to resist. The drugs pumping from the machine into my vein and the fact that I wasted every juice on that shout earlier prevented me from moving a limb.

I breathed heavily and tried to shake him away, but the medicine basically immobilized me. He slowly opened his eyes, still tasting on my tongue with his, enjoying himself as he did so, before receding. He licked his lips and wiped his mouth to clean our saliva off and sighed once. “That was for good luck.” he whispered with a wink, still brushing my mane softly with his hoof as he stared into my eyes with an interested smile.

Slightly shocked, I stared back into his blue eyes and fought to respond as clear as I could in all seriousness: “Y-you do that ever again...,” I stuttered, swallowing hard in the unexpectedness. “...and I swear to the gods that I’ll send you to Sithis the same way I sent your brother.”

“You’re such a violent person. I think all you need is--”

“And you... you’re just a horny playboy with shiny toys. You’re... you’re no leader.”

I finally managed to crack his lovely face and turn it into a small frown. He gave me an evil glare, not as amused anymore, before storming towards the exit. “Start the procedure!” he shouted nefariously into the blue before vanishing out of the room.

All the companions of the Dragonborn had been summoned for a meeting at Twilight’s house. Shadowmere was furiously pacing around the room while Citrine, Drake’s sister, tried everything in her power to track them down in the meantime with her magic, but without any kind of progress. Twilight gave her a boost with her own magic to look for clues and traces of where they might’ve been taken, but even with their magic mixed they weren’t strong enough.

Reaper seemed as cold as ever. However, seeing as how much their disappearance affected Drake’s sister, he couldn’t help but feel affected as well. Anything that hurt his only friend hurt him too, no matter how cold his heart was.

“This is unacceptable!” moaned Shadowmere, still aimlessly wandering around the living room as he fought to keep his rage in check. “This is outrageous! Oh, they bucked with the wrong ponies!”

“Yeah, well, I agree with Shadowmere.” muttered Daring Do to herself with an annoyed frown. She was sitting on the sofa with her forehooves crossed. “I’ll kill them all if it comes down to that.”

“Just make sure to leave some guys for me.” added Shadowmere in approval, obviously happy with the mare’s attitude. “And by killing them, I mean killing them. I’m not gonna cuff down anypony and send to prison. Oh, no. They’re going to the place even Sithis despises. First, I’m going to chain them up in a cold, dark room. I’m going to take a dull knife and slowly take off all of their skin. I’m going to bathe them in salt and beer. Then, when they’re begging for death, I’m going to send them to it.” he spat out, his eyes becoming redder than ever.

“Ponies! Calm down, please?” begged Twilight, grasping her head in her immense headache. “Instead of thinking of how we’re going to punish the captors, let’s focus on how to track them down first, alright?” she added, making Citrine nod quickly in agreement.

“I agree with Twilight. We can think about what we’ll do to them after Drake and Rainbow have been secured.”

“You’re right.” admitted Daring Do, still with a frown of guilt and disappointment. She knew that she could’ve done something to stop them, but instead she ran away like a coward. But then, Drake ordered her to do so, so she didn’t feel all that bad about it. “I just wish we had some kind of start. We have to be quick before the trail goes cold.”

Citrine held her head in her hooves as she fought to focus her magic. “Daring... you were there when they were taken. Can you describe the captors?”

“I didn’t get a good look at them. It was very dark, but what I did notice was that they were dressed in all black. They were trained and they knew what they were dealing with. That’s it.”

“Could it be the Dark Brotherhood?” asked Twilight, oblivious to the fact that Shadowmere was a part of said organization.

“It’s not the Brotherhood.” hissed Shadowmere with an icy voice.

Twilight facehooved when she realized it. “Of course, sorry.”

Reaper sighed in annoyance. “Look, this is none of my darn business, nor do I want to be any part of it, but I’d like to get this over with so Citrine can breathe lighter. Shadowmere here...” he said, pointing at him. “...was the only one accompanying Drake and Rainbow Dash to Riften.”

“Now wait just a minute--” Shadowmere interrupted, pacing menacingly towards him. “What are you implying?”

“Back off! I’m not done speaking.” Reaper spat at him, making Shadowmere give him a disapproving glance. “Anyways... what I’m trying to say is that Shadowmere might have some clues where we could start searching, seeing as he’s been with them more recently than anyone else here.” he finished, returning that evil stare with his own. “I wasn’t implying anything, dipshit.”

Shadowmere let out a small warning growl. He sat down on the sofa next to Daring Do and scratched his head, contemplating on the situation. “I really don’t-- wait... yes, of course!” he shouted, his eyes completely widened as if he’d come up with an idea. “Bloodlust!”

“Did you say “Bloodlust”? Who the hell is that?” asked Daring Do, starting to get a tad interested. Twilight, Citrine and Reaper also seemed to fix their focus on the black stallion.

“On our way to Riften we raided that one criminal camp. We kept one of them criminals alive for interrogation. He told us that there was a bounty on Drake’s head. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before...” he explained, completely shocked but happy to have found that start they had eagerly been searching for.

“Did you kill him afterwards?” asked Twilight, giving Shadowmere a small squint.

“No, we alerted the guards and they put him in prison in Markarth.” Shadowmere pointed out, leading him to another bright idea. “We could go there and interrogate him again? Maybe he knows where they took them!”

Citrine stood up determinedly with her horn not glowing anymore. “Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!” Reaper stood up by her side, obviously in agreement, and nodded to her with a determined look on his face.

“The sooner we get to kill those buckers the better. I’m in.” said Daring Do, also standing up from the sofa. It seemed her little betrayal earlier when she caused Dashie’s death strengthened their friendship after she had been forgiven. She both cared more, and considered them to be her only family. And now that they’d been taken away from her, she hungered to get the two ponies she cared most about to safety. “You in, Twi?”

Twilight looked at her companions-to-be and nodded without hesitance. “I’m not going to sit by as our friends are being held captured. We’ll go at midnight. But for now, go to your homes and get some rest. ‘Cept for you, Daring. I don’t want to send you back up there.” she ordered, thinking about nothing but her friends’ safety. “We’ll meet up here at sunset.”

I paced around the surprisingly clean room as I awaited updates on what they were going to do to us. Ironically, my little prison cell was one of the fanciest rooms I’ve ever been into. It was very cozy and I admit that it made me feel a little like home. There was furniture around, a comfortable sofa I could sit on, hell, there was even a kitchen in there. However, the walls were made of unbreakable glass, and that really made me feel like I was trapped in a box. Well, that was the case. It could be worse though, so I didn’t complain.

It’s funny how I’d never even heard of this organisation before, because their technology was so advanced that it would certainly be difficult keeping it a secret. But somehow they managed to remain invisible to the world. A lot of those new devices I’d been introduced to were actually quite impressive, but the fact that I was trapped in there while my Drake was being tested on filled me with the urge to fly. Not the normal urge that I get, the one that makes me so awesome. This urge was more the urge to fly away. To do something. Because, I had to save him before they seriously messed him up, but I couldn’t go anywhere. The electronic door was locked with a kind of technology I didn’t know even existed. It was locked up with some kind of combination code that was impossible to guess.

From the other side of the glass I saw him. That pink stallion walking towards me with a smug smile like a superstar. He had his sunglasses on and his mane a little wilder than the last time I saw him, but that didn’t make him seem any less friendly. I knew he wasn’t a friend. He was just subtle as fuck and I knew he’d try to flatter me to get me on his side. But that wasn’t going to work. I had to remain strong, whatever happened. But I had already thought of a plan, and I had to count on that working.

He got up to a telecom and said, “May I come in?”

“Sure.” I replied with a sad sigh, seated on the soft sofa.

He entered with an even bigger smile, trying his best to walk up to me in the least menacing way possible. He took a seat next to me, but I never even looked at him. I just stared out the thick glass and nibbled on my lower lip.

Neither of us said anything for some time. There was dead silence, the only things I could hear was our breaths and the buzzing sound from the electronics of the new refrigerator they invented. “How are you, Miss Rainbow Dash?” he broke the silence, removing his sunglasses.

“Look, before I do anything stupid and get myself killed--”

He cut me off with a serious facial expression. “Rainbow... your husband is in good hooves. Our surgical technicians are one of the best in Equestria. However, his fate is not bound to their hooves. It is bound to that chip we’re planting into his head. Whether it explodes or not is entirely unpredictable to us.” he explained, remaining serious.

I turned my head and looked at him. I admit that he seemed pretty attractive. Young, smart, and, frankly, gorgeous. Yet, at the same time, I realized he had a monster inside him. “Why are you doing this? We’re trying to save you all from the dragons! Release us, or else...” I expressed, trying my best not to let out my anger. I couldn’t finish up the sentence though, because in fact, I didn’t have a clue what to do if they wouldn’t release us. I was being held as a prisoner while they were bucking Drake up.

He looked back into my eyes and reached his hoof forward to give my cheek a small soft stroke. I had an urge to back off, but I decided to stay put. “I’m sorry you feel that way.” he whispered, looking at me with a sad facial expression. “I really do. I wish I could do something about it. You see, you two killed my beloved brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Back at Cloudsdale. You even tortured him first.”

I opened my mouth in disgust as it hit me. I frowned and felt for my body aching in hate again. “He’s your brother? That bucker deserved every bit of it!” I spat. “He got less than he deserved! I’d happily resurrect him just to torture him again if I could!”

He grabbed my shoulder with slight passion. “I understand that you’re angry. I’ve heard about what he did to you, and for that, I am truly sorry. I’m not like him in any way though. I’m not going to hurt you.” he pointed out, giving me a look that told me he could be trusted, at least about that part.

I loosened up a little and nodded. “Please, I beg you. Don’t hurt Drake.” I said worriedly. While I was acting about my kind behavior, and actually holding my hate and rage contained, my worries for my love was very much real. “He’s been through so much already. If anyone should be punished, it should be me. It’s entirely my fault your brother received that fate. I dragged him into killing him. Hell, he even tried convincing me to let it all go.”

The pink stud grabbed the back of my neck gently and gave me an interested look. “You two are the most beautiful ponies I’ve ever seen. I’d hate to buck you up. But no matter how evil my brother was, we still shared the same blood and I feel it’s my duty to avenge him. And I’m not going to do that with violence. I’m doing it for something far greater. Something more beneficial to us all. You two will be a big part of our country’s future technology! You should be rather honored for being a part of something as big as this.”

I grabbed both of his shoulders and looked deep into his cyan colored eyes. “Just let it go.” I whispered mildly to him, trying to win him over by being kind and seductive. “Please.”

He analyzed my face with a warm smile and sighed. “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are? Really, it’s almost... hypnotizing.”

I faked a giggle. “Yeah. The Dragonborn, my husband.” I answered, reminding him of that I was already engaged to the most powerful being this world has ever known.

“Y’know...” he added in a small whisper, now caressing my thighs with his hoof. I was on the edge of hitting him but I tried my best to stay calm. “Nobody’s going to enter this room but me. Nobody has to know.” he suggested, giving me a small wink. “What do you say?” He went for a kiss but I stopped him by putting my hoof on his snout.

“Who do you think you are? Do you really think I’m that cheap? Take a good look at my ear and tell me what you can see.” I hissed at him, giving him a sharp look.

“Maybe he can join us then, after his little surgery?” he suggested again, obviously excited at the thought of sleeping with two of the most famous, the most powerful ponies in Equestria. “You both could use a little relaxation.”

My patience was wearing very thin and I realized that my methods wasn’t going anywhere. However, I still believed I could get something out of him if I was civil enough, so I tried my best to contain my fury. “My flank belongs to him and him only.” I teased him with a small amused frown. “Sorry, big guy, but you’re going to have to leave this room disappointed.”

He bit his lower lip, still with that disturbing look. Alright, might want to toughen it up a bit. I’m being too soft on him.

I hadn’t seen this coming, but suddenly he went for another kiss, but this time he managed to deliver, shoving his tongue into my mouth. I completely froze and widened my eyes in shock. It was so surprising despite being so forthcoming that it managed to immobilize me. My body just refused to obey my mind.

He kissed me very passionately, as if he loved me with all his heart. The wet sound of our saliva mixing filled my ears and I couldn’t seem to do anything about it. He wrapped his forehooves around me and breathed heavily into my mouth as he tastes on my tongue. I felt like I was being tied down and I didn’t like one bit of it.

By the time I realized what was going on, he was already caressing my thighs and preparing to move on to the next stage. I snapped out of my small blackout and smacked him as hard as I could, making him groan as he fell down hard to the ground. I was still shocked, meaning that I couldn’t move the rest of my body. I just stared at him and panted in startle and panic. He looked back up at me and wiped his mouth quickly with his hoof to clean up our saliva and some of his blood. “S-sorry, I lost it there. I know that was unprofessional.” he almost cried, very obviously trying to contain his tears.

“Y-you do that again... and I swear with Sithis as my witness I’ll send you to him the same way I sent him your brother.”

He let out a small amused chuckle before grunting again a bit. He rubbed his jaw and answered: “Funny, your beloved Dragonborn said something similar.”

I stirred up, staring at him with my eyes wide open. My jaw dropped as I felt for the anger busting out of me. I swear I could almost imagine his skull cracking by my hoof. Fortunately for him, he sensed that it was time for him to leave. I watched him walk away dizzily, but still he showed the mock to turn around and give me a wink.

The hateful and somewhat envious rage that filled me at the thought of him kissing my Drake blinded me, making me charge towards him in utmost anger. I reacted too late though, since he was already out of the room.

I hit the glass between us with everything I had, hoping I could manage to at least give it a crack. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!” I shouted in blind fury, watching him leave the room without turning his back.

I woke up with an urge to throw up. A strong urge. I tried to gag to puke so I could get rid of that horrible feeling, but no matter how much I tried to let it all out, I just couldn’t do it.

My head was on fire. The abysmal headache I got after the wild night before going to Elyntis was nothing compared to this one. My head felt extremely heavy, as if it was about to explode to pieces. I couldn’t even move my eyeballs without feeling for agonizing pain. A pain as if I was being electrocuted. As if my brain was on eternal fire.

I wasn’t lying on a bed anymore. Now I was stuck to an experimental chair. I couldn’t move any of my limbs but my two forehooves. The other parts of me were strapped against the chair with their machinery made of steel.

I heard muffled, deaf voices around me before someone stabbed my neck with a long needle. At instant I felt relieved. My headache immediately vanished; only that little irritating electrocution from that chip in my brain remained. My sight and hearing got instantly better too, meaning that I could hear and see clearly again.

“Good job, ladies and gentlecolts. We’ve successfully implanted the first augmentations into patient #42265. Since everything went as expected, we may proceed to testing.” I heard a soft female voice speak.

“What the hell did you just put in me? Buck off... stop injecting shit into me.” I demanded, staring at the wall before me. I saw a dummy with a bullseye target strapped to its chest and somehow I didn’t like the sight of it. It seemed pretty far away and indicated that I had to interact with it somehow, which I’d rather not do.

“How is my favorite stallion today?” a familiar voice added. It was the pink pervert. He let out a small ouch, but I was too pissed to give a fuck.

“Fine.” I muttered, still not able to turn my head in his direction. “I hope you realize you’re not getting away with this. No matter how great everything will turn out, I will still kill you for kissing me and for forcing me to be your little lab rat.”

“Of course you will. And I don’t give two shits about it.” he responded. “My life is nothing, nothing, compared to the technology I’ve evolved. You may kill me, but my pride will always live in you. You are my legacy.”

“I bet my friend can help me get rid of your little devices with her magic.”

He let out a loud laugh. “Nothing will ever rid you of my work. That is, without killing you. Even the strongest magic cannot help you here.”

“Sir, the patient is ready and good to go.” the female nurse interrupted, smiling softly. He smiled back with a wink, making the female nurse leave with a small blush like last time.

“I’d cooperate if I were you. Something might accidentally hurt Rainbow Dash.” he pointed out, being very mocking about that last part.

I started breathing heavier. More than being filled with rage and hate, I was worried. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Where was she? How was she doing? Was she okay? Did she need my help? “Y-you wouldn’t dare.” I whimpered. “You wouldn’t--”

“Oh, I wouldn’t. You’re very correct about that. As I said, I’m not fond of violence. I’m not sure about my friend Bonebreaker though.”

“Fuck you!” I shouted. “You touch her and I’ll shove that plasma blade of yours down your throat!”

“That’s the spirit! But we’re not sure if it works or not. We’ve never had a patient living the operation before. That’s why we’re going to prepare you for the moment you end my life with your brutal ways.” he explained, letting out a small giggle. “Sounds good to you?”

“Ugh, fine! Let’s get this over with.” I growled, staring at the dummy before me in anger and defeat.

One of the boss’s agent came up to him, removing his sunglasses to take a better look at the bruise on his face. “Eh, what happened to you, boss? Your face looks pretty bad.”

“Nothing!” he hissed back. “Don’t ask about it ever again! Now, let’s get on with it.”

That made me smirk in amusement. I was positive Rainbow gave him that mark to teach him a lesson. That’s my girl.

I was also convinced that she was alright. That pink stud may have been an unprofessional pervert, but he was no rapist. He had not harmed Rainbow in any way and that made me breathe a little lighter. However, I could imagine why he got that mark and I didn’t like a bit of it.

The pink stallion indicated with his hoof that everything was in order, that I was ready and willing to start. Another female wearing a nurse outfit sat down behind me with a clipboard and announced: “We’ll start off with long-range weapons. Patient #42265, please correspond the following instructions. When you hear the buzzer, please summon a weapon of your own choice that can fire projectiles. It can be in a crossbow, longbow or in any other form, but--”

Before she could even finish her speech I summoned a transparent-orange rifle around my right hoof. It was slightly big, but light as a feather. I groaned in pain as I fired plasma rounds with my mind at supersonic speed, vaporizing the dummy to ashes as soon as I imagined pulling a trigger. The sound of plasma and the smell of something burning filled my nose and ears. It was tiring and very uncomfortable. I could literally feel the chip in my head electrocuting my brain. I let my body slunk down in exhaustion and closed my eyes with a tired moan.

“Whoa! You have a powerful imagination!” the boss shouted, clopping his hooves in awe and pride. He seemed extremely pleased of his work. It was he who invented that powerful device. Him. And he knew that mighty well.

I heard the nurse pony scribble something down in her clipboard before speaking once more, “Now we will proceed to melee combat. Please, lower down the next target.”

I heard a swoosh before the chair disassembled by itself and vanished down into the ground, making me fall down to the shiny tiles on the floor. I was powerless and dizzy, but before I could even try to stand up I felt for another needle stabbing me. Seconds later I got filled with energy again. I turned my head towards the nurse who kept injecting those medicines into my body and gave her an angry frown. “Piss off!” I hissed, making her hesitantly receding with a scared look on her face.

The room I was in was tight in security. It was pretty much just a huge steel box that no one could enter or leave without the correct combination of a code. At least, that’s what they told me. They knew I wasn’t stupid enough to engage them, and they were correct. The thought of them harming Dashie prevented me from doing anything they considered forbidden. Besides, I admit that I kind of liked that new upgrade. I was so much more powerful now. I couldn’t even imagine how unstoppable I’d be after I’d fully adapted to it. Now was a good time to train. Learn to control it so I can tolerate the sudden drop of energy the chip consumes. But the fact that I liked my neural implant did not mean at all that I approved of anything they were doing to me.

Another target was lowered, but this time it was something quite unexpected. From the ceiling they lowered down a living, breathing target. Another fellow Equestrian. He was a young red stallion with dark brown mane; blindfolded and hoofcuffed. He was breathing heavily in panic and seemed to be swallowing a lot in nervousness. “W-where am I? P-p-please let me go!”

“Combat training;”, the nurse continued, “subject will now engage the target with a melee weapon. Patient #42265, please correspond the following instructions. When you hear the buzzer, please strike the target down with any--”

“Wait just a minute here!” I interrupted, turning around to take a look at all the ponies scrutinizing me. “Are you out of your bucking minds?!” I angrily shouted in disbelief, giving everyone my disapproving shocked expression. “No. I’m not going to kill an innocent civilian! I refuse to harm him in any way!”

“D-dragonborn?” the red stallion asked, gulping. “D-Drake! It is you! Thank the gods! P-please... I-I have a filly sleeping back at home. My daughter needs her daddy around. She’s already lost her mother. Please, don’t do this to her. I don’t want her to be raised up in the Honorhall Orphanage.” he begged in a cry. He started sobbing quietly and I strongly sensed that he was telling the truth. He was not begging for his life, he was begging for his daughter’s, and I felt for great sympathy. Also the fact that he mentioned the Honorhall Orphanage meant that he was a resident of Ponyville.

I was just a normal guy when I got here. I hadn’t been raised to be a hero and face difficult choices, I just suddenly became one, and not by my will. In my heart I was still that insecured lowlife I was once, although a big part of me has changed.

“Oh, but you will.” the pink pony whispered into my ear, a bit agitated. “You either strike him down or we will kill Rainbow Dash. That is a fact, I guarantee you.” he added in an angry shout, only inches away from my face. It was the first time he raised his voice at me and somehow did it do nothing but make me angrier than I already was.

I turned around to face him and looked him in his eyes, fighting the urge to stab that fucker. I could do it, but there were too many guards in top form in this room with their advanced weapons, and I wouldn’t know the combination to get out of this room either way, meaning that I would die in here as the world burned. Also the fact that they got Dashie imprisoned. I don’t want her to suffer for my disobedience.

My heart was screaming to give in and unleash its monster side upon them all. My limbs shivered for I was stuck in a situation I could not handle easily. But my love for Rainbow Dash was too strong. There wasn’t anything I could do. It was either that random stallion or my wife I loved more than anything I’ve ever loved. She was going to be the one to be by my side as I slay Alduin. She was the person who’s kept me going. To me she was as crucial to Equestria as I was.

I closed my eyes as my tears started blurring my sight. I wasn’t crying, but realizing what had to be done put me on the edge on doing so. My mouth shivered as I whimpered barely audibly into the air, “I-I’m so sorry.”

“W-Wait...” he tried to reason in a cry with his voice full of innocence, yet surprisingly calm. This moment affected me so much I could almost imagine the laughters of his daughter, the love he had for her father, the passion he had for his offspring. And I was to be the one responsible for his death. “D-Drake, please... just hear me out. It doesn’t have to be like this. Y-you can save us both. I-I’m sure of it.”

I took a deep breath and kept it in my lungs for a second or two before exhaling it out in the purpose of calming myself down a little.

I opened my teary eyes and frowned as I regretfully, yet determinedly, stabbed him with the big, sharp blade I summoned around my right hoof. I gutted him so deep, my hoof, which was at the center of the transparent blade, bumped into him. I listened to that sickening hissing sound of the fat plasma blade slowly eating his body, making me growl loudly in hate and anger; hate towards the ones forcing me to kill an innocent, most likely a peaceful pony who did not deserve that fate. I grabbed the back of his neck with my other hoof and kissed his head, paying my respects in that way so he could at least know that I did not kill him willingly.

He was still on his knees. His mouth was slightly open and his body was completely stiff. He started gagging up some of his blood, but as soon as I made my plasma weapon disappear he fell flat down to the cold floor, dead.

I knelt down next to him and quickly mourned him. I closed my eyes and had my head bowed down. Now that I believed in gods, I had a quick, silent prayer to bless his journey to the land of the dead where he would be treated as one of their own, and that his daughter would make fine without her parents. “I’m sorry...” I repeated myself in a whisper.

I opened my eyes again with my lips still shivering in slight panic and disgust. I swallowed hard and didn’t even care for that small pain I got from the chip in my head. I simply didn’t give a fuck anymore. “I-I’m going to enjoy hurting you.” I murmured without looking at him.

“You did great.” He smiled in return, ignoring my threat, and gave me a pat on my head. "It's funny how cute you are despite of your violent behavior. Have I ever told you that?" He giggled softly. "And now you're so much more powerful than yesterday. Such a strong stud you are..."

Before he could touch my cheek again, I grabbed his hoof and twisted it. "Don't you dare touch me!” I growled loudly. “I’ll cut your hoof off if you don’t. stop. fucking. touching me!”

“I just wanted to bid you goodnight!” he cried out in his unexpected pain.

I hesitated a bit and let him go. “What the hell do you mean?”

He thrust his other hoof towards me, but much quicker than before. I tried to block it but he was too quick. As soon as he tapped my shoulder I felt for a sharp sting. I groaned once and gave the hoof he slapped me with a look. I noticed that he had a small pointy needle strapped to a gray circle plastic that was attached to him. “W-what the--” before I could finish the sentence I fell down to the ground and immediately blacked out.

It was nighttime. Not a certainty, but I was almost positive about it. I just had this feeling that everyone was sleeping safe and sound in Ponyville. I smiled as I thought about my people. They deserved to live in peace. They knew the time of the Dragonborn had come, and for that they were utterly thankful. They had themselves a protector that eagerly wants to defend them with everything he has. Well... that is, if they were still clueless about the fact that he was some secret organization’s lab rat in the unknowns of Equestria.

I was very lonely and extremely bored. I’d been there for an unknown period of time and I hadn’t had a proper conversation with anyone for a long while. The loneliness was tearing me apart from the inside. I was trapped in a glass box and I had nothing to do. Time seemed to be going so much slower and I couldn’t do anything about it.

I lay down on the sofa and exhaled softly as I looked up to the glassy ceiling. I started thinking about the songs that I’d recently been listening to. All those great bands from Earth and the meaning their songs had.

In all my boredom I started singing in an attempt to cure that a bit. I mumbled parts of lyrics of my favorite songs that I knew, but no matter how low I murmured it to myself, it always sounded like I was singing too loudly. I constantly tried to lower my tone since I had this disturbing feeling that someone was listening to me. In the end I dropped it altogether with a sigh, instead deciding to daydream a little.

I giggled feebly as I thought about the time I defended Fluttershy’s honor back in Cloudsdale as young mares. She was being harassed by other Pegasi since she couldn’t fly as... assertively... as the rest of us. I gave those bullies a good taste of my hoof and they never bothered Fluttershy ever again. I scoffed with another giggle. Hah... good times.

But then I thought about how much my life had changed for the past months. How my life took a whole different turn after I met Drake, Equestria’s hero and legend. Huh... never thought I’d start a relationship with anyone, least of all with him. I’d never been much interested in such a thing, but he managed to crack that.

I then thought about everything he had done for me. My induction into the Wonderbolts was his doing. He revived my mother, freed my father and crossed the borders of the land of the dead just to get me out of there after I died. And he... he’d always been there for me. He made me feel safer than I already was. I, on the other hoof, was the one who had been getting us into trouble. He was always the one to fix it, such as the time when I wanted to kill my dad’s former boss. I nearly ruined both of our lives. Fortunately my mom crashed the party in the nick of time. And now he needs me more than ever and I’m trapped in a glass box like a guinea pig. I had to put my trust in faith and hope, which was killing me. I even admit that I was scared shitless.

And by that moment I got a brilliant, yet idiotic idea that just might work to get me out of here. He’s a playboy that thinks of nothing but his fancy toys and sex. What if... I make it look like I want his affection because of my horrible loneliness that is tearing me apart? What if I try being gentle with him again, but this time I’m actually willing to go further? Whenever he delivers me food I’ve noticed him staring at my flank. He wants it, and it might just be my ticket out of here. Hmmm... yes. It just might work. As soon as things are getting tense I’ll pin him down, steal his weapon and knock him out. I’ll... I’ll make him tell me the code out of here.

“Can someone speak to me, please?” I shouted up into the ceiling. “You, pink guy, whatever your name is. I’m not gonna hit you again. Please, just come over and talk to me? Let’s communicate like adults. Let’s... let’s talk, okay?”

It didn’t take him a long time to answer me. He entered the room and approached the thick glass by the entrance with a small confused look on his face. He seemed pretty hesitant, but I noticed subtle passion on his face; like he was determined to get me on his side. “Please, have a seat.” I added as soon as he entered.

“What do you want?” he asked, taking a seat next to me once again. I took a subtle look at the dagger strapped to the belt of his uniform. He also had that weird weapon Drake called a “gun” strapped to him. It looked like it was getting in his way, yet still he managed to walk without trouble. I also noticed that he was wearing hoofcuffs. Perfect.

I slowly approached him and put up my innocent facial expression, one that was bound to make him feel sorry for me. “I-I just wanna talk.”

“Why? So you can hit me again? My face is still sore!” he pointed out in an irritated cry. “But... I guess I did deserve it.” he admitted with a sigh, looking away. “I should’ve known better.”

I slowly brushed his mane behind his ear, making him look at me in confusion. I smiled and gave him an apologetic look. “Look... you’re a strong stud. I just... didn’t expect a kiss, that’s all. But I... I liked it. I shouldn’t say this since I got a husband and all, but... I liked feeling for your soft lips against mine. And I... I’m just so lonely and... I’m in heat. I could really use some company.” I whispered the last word out, forcing a blush.

He gasped a bit, still as confused as before, before grinning widely. He reached his hoof forward and did the same to my mane. I kept smiling and gave him the same passionate bedroom eye look I constantly give Drake when I want something from him, making him crack immediately. However, he still seemed pretty hesitant about kissing me again. How couldn’t he be? I almost broke his face the other day.

So instead I decided to go for it. I closed my eyes, grabbed his head and slowly kissed him, trying to imagine that I was kissing Drake. However, they don’t feel and taste the same, so maintaining it was a little harder than I thought.

He excitedly kissed me back and took me down, leaning over me. Okay, he fell for it. Concentrate, Rainbow... only for a little while longer. Don’t lose it now, just keep on going until every bit of his defenses are down.

“Can you... turn off the security cameras? I’d like to continue in privacy.” I pointed out, hoping he would comply so I could proceed with my plan.

He smiled and murmured something inaudible as he reached the pocket of his black tux for his small rectangular device. He pressed a button and at instance I noticed that the red light on the cameras around me had been shut off. I felt for a subtle smile forming on my face and a new sense of confidence filling me.

I took him in for another kiss, making him do the same to me. “Mmmm... you’re a good kisser. I-I change my mind. I want you to take my flank.” I force a smile, constantly giving his weapon a subtle longing stare.

I could already feel for his half erect shaft on my abdomen through his pants, making me shudder a bit. I kept my eyes closed and swallowed, trying to calm myself down. “I gladly accept your offer.” he responded, overwhelmed by the surrealistic situation he’d gotten himself into. “Now, help me get my pants off.”

I kissed him yet again and pulled him closer to me, pressing his body up to mine. After making out some more, we finally got his pants off. He put his belt with his weapons on the floor beside us, making me smile even wider. I wrapped my hind legs around his waist and opened my eyes to give him an enticing wink. “You’re a smart stallion. I’ve never heard of such locks before. This cell really is unbreachable.”

He licked my snout before answering with pride, “It was my invention, ya know. It can be opened in three ways. Password, hoofprint or voice recognition. No one’s getting out of here without my consent.”

I let him touch me for a little while longer until I felt that he had completely put his guard down. “Is that so? Well, in that case...” I quickly went for his blade beside us and brought it up against his neck, pushing it roughly against his skin.

He gave me a shocked stare, confused and obviously disappointed as he realized that it was all a trap. “Oh, come on!” he shouted out, groaning a bit as he felt for the cold steel very slowly biting his skin.

I rolled us over and sat on his chest as I hoofcuffed him to the sofa leg, still keeping his dagger against his neck. “You free Drake and get me out of this box, or I will cut your throat and spill the liquid that’s keeping you alive!”

I noticed that he was panting and swallowing a lot. He had been pretty damn excited by the fact that he was going to fuck the Rainbow Dash, but now that he realized that I tricked him, he couldn’t do anything but squeal and sob in disappointment, anger and humiliation. I felt for his body stirring up. “I can’t do that.”

I gave him a sly smile. “How about I...” I receded the knife from his throat and quickly positioned the pointy end against his groin. “...threaten to destroy the area of your body you favor so much?” I gave him a light push with his dagger, making him squeal again in shocked pain. “Might start off by skinning your rod...”

“Okay, okay, okay! Let’s not do anything hasty here.” he quickly responded. “Y-you see, you can’t get out of here. There are, I’m not over exaggerating, hundreds of guards with high tech weapons ready to--”

“I don’t care! Just get me out of this room... now!”

“I’m actually doing you a favor by keeping you in here!”

I rolled my eyes and sighed sharply. “I don’t have time for this. Are you gonna help me or not?”

“Look... I have... a proposition.” he used his free hoof to put it gently on my snout, implying that he wanted me to hear him out.

“Go ahead. Speak.” I spat out, pushing the edge of the blade again against his neck rougher than before, making him bleed a little.

He sucked in air with a hissing sound. “We continue where we were heading... and afterwards I... I’ll let you out of here.”

Before he could even let go of that last word I smacked him so hard across his already swollen face that the sound of the impact almost echoed along the glassy room. He was knocked out immediately. I sat still on his chest for a little while longer, watching him angrily in his unconscious state as I contemplated about what I’d gotten myself into. I punched him again as hard as I could. “That’s for kissing Drake, you freak!” I shouted into his face.

Alright, step one’s done. Now it’s time for phase two. I took a look at that strange device strapped to his belt. I gingerly picked it up, as if I was expecting it to be hot, and hummed with myself. He pointed the barrel at me that other day... so I guess the projectile comes out of that end.

That strange weapon was pretty big. To power it up I had to insert my hoof into a slot by the back of the device. As my hoof slid into the slot I felt for the machinery automatically adjusting firmly to the size and thickness of my hoof. I heard a sound as if it is powering up and soon enough I saw a small vertical green light displayed by the handle, telling me that it was cooked and ready to serve. I closed my one eye and slipped my tongue out as I aimed at a vase on a table by the bed at the other side of the room. I held my breath and focused on that one spot I was aiming for. As soon as I fired the weapon my hoof forcefully kicked back, hurting me a little in the unexpectedness. I had not anticipated it to be so powerful.

I missed by a wide margin, hitting the glass well above and behind the bed. It didn’t damage it at all, not even a small crack, but it did leave a small black mark. Well, I’m not of much use if I can’t use it. The cameras are turned off and he told me no one would ever come into this place. I guess I have enough time to adjust to the weapon before I make my escape.

I rubbed my right shoulder and positioned myself again. I quickly shook my head and rolled my eyes with a sigh. Time to try again. Focus, Rainbow. Better do this fast before he wakes up.

I aimed again and pulled the trigger.

The moans and groans from the badly nourished prisoners filled their ears as they walked past their cells towards the one located at the other side of the room. The prisoner behind those bars did not whine or moan like the others. He just sat on the stone made bench with both of his forehooves on his cheeks, staring down at the ground in anger and boredom. He had been played for a fool, and he acted as a sissy in front of the mightiest, the most respectable pony in Equestrian history. He knew that. But he was not like a little colt without his mommy anymore. Now he was angry, disappointed and embarrassed. His comrades had been killed and he realized that he had failed his master, whom he’d forcefully vowed to serve well. But then, at the same time another part of him was grateful that he was in prison; far away and safe from his grasp.

Bloodlust slowly looked up with a small frown as he saw the five ponies approaching his cell with a jailer by their side. He made a small growl as he noticed Shadowmere. He recognised him instantly. However, he was a little confused by the fact that neither the Dragonborn nor his wife was anywhere to be seen.

Citrine’s glamour seemed to be a part of the reason for why they were allowed to talk to Bloodlust, but her beauty also seemed to have its downsides. Some of the criminals tried calling her over, but she ignored them all. She did not even give a hint that she knew about their existence.

“You know where to find me if you need anything.” the jailer said with his deep Nordic accent before he trotted away, leaving them alone in a room full of murderers, thieves and rapists.

Shadowmere nodded without looking at him. He was too focused maintaining that eye contact he had with the prisoner before him.

Bloodlust bore his eyes into Shadowmere’s. “You...? What the hell do you want?”

“Answers.” he responded, walking one step near. “Tell me where the hell your people took my friends.”

A small smirk formed on Bloodlust’s face, for he understood that by friend he meant Drake and Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know. I’ve been here for days. Weeks even. How could I possibly know where my buddies took them?” he answered, making Shadowmere’s eyes glow furious as hot coals. He quickly gripped the iron bars blocking the path to him and gnashed his teeth in anger.

“Tell me where he is or I’ll get in here and make this a little more personal.”

The prisoner extended his smile. “I’m in jail. You can’t just get in here and beat me up. It doesn’t work that way.”

“Not in this case.” answered Daring Do. “We’re acquainted with princess Celestia. We can do whatever necessary to get the Dragonborn back. You think she cares about a filthy low-life criminal? Oh, no. We could make a mess out of you right here, right now and get away with it.”

“We could’ve killed you back at the campfire. We went through a lot of trouble just by sparing your sorry flank.” added Shadowmere, still angry, but a bit calmed down at the same time.

Bloodlust didn’t seem to budge, but his smile slowly started to fade away. “Look... you, with the red eyes. You probably heard me before you ambushed us. I meant everything I said. I did not want to get anywhere near it. You see, we weren’t sent out to kidnap your friend. My boss tends to be a scientist too and he needed new materials, so he sent us out to gather useful resources for his latest invention. Capturing the Dragonborn was only a side project. We’d only go after him if we spotted him. The point is... I did not have anything to do with his disappearance. As I said, I did not want any part in it. And besides... they’d kill me for giving you information.”

“We can, and will, offer you protection and your freedom if you provide us the information we need. I am Princess Celestia’s personal student.” added Twilight.

“I know where they are!” shouted a random criminal. “I’ll tell you for my freedom!” Everyone ignored him, fully aware that he was fooling no one but himself.

“I know you, Twilight Sparkle. You’re one of Equestria’s seven heroes that still draw breath. Your princess has no authority over this territory.” he answered suspiciously.

“Move to Ponyville or Canterlot and you’ll be untouchable.” she approached him in a friendly manner. “You can start a new life and move on. You can start a family and actually give your unworthy life some purpose.”

“It’s complicated.” he added, looking down onto the ground. “He’d find me. He’d use me as a sick experimental--”

“Take a good look at us, scumbag.” interrupted Reaper with his usual frown. “We’re going in there. We’re going to free the Dragonborn and his wife. We’re going to kill anyone in our path. You’re just a criminal pawn that works for someone above you. You don’t understand power. We do though, and we’ll spill blood if it comes down to that. And believe me, it will come down to that. So tell us what we need to know or we’ll squeeze it out of you!”

He did not dare look into Reaper’s eyes, but the sight of the faintly glowing scythe strapped to him made his already waning confidence crack. “Okay, okay! J-just don’t hurt me. W-what I want is a guaranteed freedom. I want a property in Ponyville and I want enough gold to last me a lifetime.”

“We’ll give you a property in Ponyville. But the cash we cannot give you.” objected Twilight. “Your house will be under surveillance and protection by Equestria’s royal guards. You will be left in peace and you can start anew.”

He quickly shook his head. “That’s not good eno--”

“Not good enough?” shouted Daring Do. “What do you call good enough, you ungrateful bastard? We’re offering you free housing, free protection and your life back in return for letting your tongue loose, and you’re bargaining for more? Are you out of your damn mind? Y’know, we could just find another way and let you rot in here with those crazy assholes if you’d prefer to.”

“No harm in trying!” he quickly responded. “Okay, look... I want a guarantee that I get those things first.”

“I’ll talk to the princess.” promised Twilight.

“Okay, fine... they’re being held captive as lab rats by Equestria’s most secretive organization. Little is known about it and less about who’s behind it. They’re also the most technologically advanced in all of Tamriel. And I’m not over exaggerating.”

“What?!” shouted Citrine with her very soft voice, making the room go dead silent for a second.

“Shh!” shushed Bloodlust. “I don’t want anyone else to know. And I’d appreciate if you’d allow me to finish.”

“Go on...” growled Shadowmere.

“Alright, look. Their weapons are the most powerful this or any other world has ever known. They... my boss is a genius. If he gets an idea he normally makes it a reality, one way or the other. His researches often involves brutal experiments on living subjects. But his latest ideas requires strong willed ponies, and since the dragonborn and his wife are the strongest ponies in Equestria...”

“Jesus... just tell us where we can find them!” Insisted Citrine, obviously the most worked up of them all. The fact that her brother was being tested on by a mad scientist made her shiver in anger and disgust. He had been through too much already, and he did not deserve any more pain, in whatever form it was in. But at the same time she realized that the pain wouldn’t stop there. It wouldn’t stop until he had slain Alduin.

“The point is, they’re too well hidden. You can’t see it with your bare eyes, nor can I give you an exact location. However, I can draw you a map and pinpoint their base roughly.”

“Why is it so hard to spot?” asked Shadowmere, cocking his eyebrow.

“Because it’s underground.”

“I see. And how do we get in?”

Bloodlust didn’t say anything for a short while before he spoke again. “I trust you the most of your friends, no offense. I’ll only tell you. Come closer.”

Shadowmere approached the bars again until they were inches away from each other, the steel bars being the only thing between them. Bloodlust whispered something into his ear, making Shadowmere cock his eyebrows again and look at him with disgust. “What kind of twisted organization are you guys?”

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Now, do you have anything for me to draw a map on?”

Daring Do didn’t let him tell her twice, and snooped into her bag of supplies until she found a clean brown paper, a quill and some ink. “Take it.” she spat out, throwing them in between the small gap between the bars. Bloodlust knelt down and began drawing immediately by his memory. He closed his eyes a couple of times to concentrate, and sometimes he seemed lost. But he managed to complete it in the end. It didn’t help all that much, at least not as much as they’d been hoping for, but it was better than nothing. “Now... get me out of this shithole!”

“I’ll speak to the princess.” Twilight repeated herself. “After we’ve dealt with this problem.”

“Be quick about it! I can’t stand being here for much longer.” He growled back just before they left his presence.

There was no one in the room by the time I woke up. I noticed that they were still pumping unknown chemicals into my blood and again I could clearly feel for its effects. Except this time, I’ve never felt worse. I was very dizzy, I knew I had a bad fever, my headache couldn’t get any worse and my limbs were aching in response to the drugs. I was getting double visions and the colors were starting to fade a bit. I did notice that my cyan fur was slowly turning gray due to my illness, my tongue and mouth felt numb and my breathing was irregular, as were my heartbeats.

I groaned gently as I gained consciousness yet again. “G-g-get me... o-out of here... p-please. Anywhere but here. Please...” I whispered in a dry voice with my eyes only slightly open, but it only faded away into the blue.

The room was dark and silent as a grave if not for that small buzzing sound of the gigantic machine next to me and my heavy breathing. I managed to swallow once before I forced to add, “Y-you with the medicine... I-I change my mind. I’d appreciate a... a fix... please.” I pleaded, still with my dry, hoarse voice. What the hell did they do to me?

Time went on and each minute seemed as hours. I tried to fall asleep again to get away from the intolerable pain, but no matter how much I tried to sleep, I couldn’t lose my consciousness again. So instead I forced myself to reach my head over to the needles which were buried deep into my body, and gently pulled them out. I did not expect it, but suddenly I felt a tad better. But only a little. I was still in misery.

Suddenly the lights went on, brighter than ever. I peered my eyes for my pupils couldn’t handle the sudden change of brightness. I squinted into the direction of the entrance and tried to figure out who had entered the room. It was someone I least expected.

The cyan colored pegasus ran over to me, looking back in between to look out for the guards trying to kill her. She had bruises and red, shallow cuts over her body, meaning that she had been getting into close combat against some of the guards. “Drake!” she panted. “Wake up!”

“D-Dashie?” I moaned, not even excited at the sight of her. My confusion and illness made sure of that.

She hastily unrestrained me with her mouth and one of her forehooves, as she had a device like a gun strapped to her other hoof. “C’mon! We’re getting out of here!”

I sucked in some air. “I-I can’t... can’t move...” I pushed out, sounding more like an old man on his deathbed rather than the young guy I literally was. “C-Can’t...”

Rainbow gnashed her teeth in anger when she noticed my agony. The look she gave me was of pity and sadness. “We’ll get out of here and we’ll get you fixed.” she promised. “Now, come on!” she added, pulling my limping body onto her back.

“Hnnng!” I groaned, firmly pressing my eyelids together. “D-Dashie... d-don’t...” I tried objecting, knowing full well that I would only draw her back. “Just... leave me here. Go get some help... and come back for me.”

“Shush! We’ll get out today! Now, hang on! I can hear them coming.” she demanded, getting herself into a fighting stance. The cool thing about that gun she was wearing was that it was built in a way so one could walk normally without damaging the weapon itself. It was and fitted like a glove.

I carefully wrapped my forehooves around her neck and tried hanging on, but I only found myself slipping off. I had no energy to hang on. As I was about to fall off again, Rainbow helped me up by spreading her wing. “I know it’s tough. But you gotta hang on! You can do it, I know you can!” she added, trying everything she could to boost my morale, never taking her eyes off the entrance door.

“D-dashie... take me... to the medical lab. One of the nurses has medicine that will help me. Take me there... and... and... eugh...” I moaned, breathing heavier than ever before. I felt like I was breathing in thick, deadly, hot smoke.

“Try to relax... we’ll get you fixed up--”

“There she is!” a heavily geared guard behind the vast door made of clouded glass shouted. But he didn’t dare enter the room. “G-go get her!” he added in another shout, backing away a bit to let his comrades go in first.

Rainbow hurriedly analyzed the place for cover until she noticed a container of some sort made of steel a little to our left. She quickly flew over to the solid box and gently put me down behind it. “Stay here while I take out these bastards.” she commanded in a hurry before she left me all alone in my misery. I positioned my back up against the steel square and painfully sucked in air with my eyes closed; wishing I would just wake up from this bad nightmare safe and sound in my bed.

I listened to the threats Dashie and the guards exchanged, still with my eyes closed, before the shooting started. The sound of plasma and laser, the sound of sparkles, something disintegrating and the agonizing shouts of ponies. I forced myself to take a peek and noticed that Rainbow was behind cover at the other side of the room. She was behind a stone pillar that was slowly narrowing down with each hit it got from the guards’ plasma rounds and arrows. She tried shooting back, but she didn’t seem to hit any of them.

At last she was forced to seek cover elsewhere. But as she was about to get behind a steel crate at the back of the room, a plasma arrow flew through the room and stroke her leg, making her fall down to the ground in a scream of pain. “We got her!” I heard someone yell. “C’mon, let’s finish her off!”

My heart stopped for a bit, my eyes widening completely. She looked me in the eye from her position and gnashed her teeth in pain, her body shivering in the pain the burn from the plasma inflicted on her. That look she gave me made me growl in anger. My agonizing pain that had enslaved me had no hold of me now.

It is worthy to note the curious phenomenon often known as “berserker rage”. This was the only way to describe how I felt at that moment. Magma flowed through my veins, empowering me. My reactions quickened to the point where I was confident I could slap a bullet out of the air. Finally, there was no more pain. It’s said that pain is merely weakness leaving the body, and at that moment there was no weakness left to leave me.

I jumped up, got out of cover and faced at least 7 guards that were still aiming their weapons in our direction. I sucked in as much air as I could before forcing it all out in my favorite shout, “Yol, Toor Shul!”, burning them all alive with a fire that seemed it could outburn Celestia’s Sun itself... they never stood a chance. As they screamed and ran around in flames, my eyes dulled again and I slunk down to the ground. The rage had left me as quickly as it entered me. But it was worth it. The faint screams of the guards shouting in pain and a loud buzzing sound was the only thing I could hear. My pain struck back harder than ever, but despite all that, I could do nothing but smile from within. I saved my Dashie’s life, and that’s what counted.

Some time had passed before Rainbow found enough energy to stand up again. She limped pretty badly from the ugly wound on her right hind leg but still she managed to walk pretty fine. She knelt down by my side without bending her wounded leg and put her hoof on my sweaty forehead. “Whoa, you’re burning up. Come on... more are on the way. We gotta get to the med lab.”

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful sight I’d seen for days of pure torture. That alone made me feel slightly better. “Help me up then.”

I noticed a small smile forming on her face as she offered her hoof.

We supported each other as we walked along the clean, fancy hallway. The hallway was graced with deaf light. There was also dead silence, but we both knew the guards were regrouping somewhere, probably coming up with a brilliant plan to catch us both.

I almost jumped when the lights started to flicker; and the creepy slithering voice coming from the speakers in the darkness around us did not in any way make this place any less freaky. “Rainbow Dash... Dragonborn... why are you running?” it whispered teasingly, but we didn’t know where it came from. However, we both knew who it belonged to. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the sound of his voice.

I looked at Dashie and noticed that even she was getting pretty scared. She looked at me and didn’t even try to hide it. We were both terrified, and we both had a reason to be. We both noticed that hint of subtle madness in his voice and we both realized that if we got caught again, he would be doing more to us than just testing. Oh, yes. He would make us suffer more than we already had.

“Oh, shit... c’mon, we gotta move.” she said with a scare in her voice. “C’mon! Quick!” We picked up our pace, still supporting each other with our hooves. I let my other forehoof caress the wall as we limped through the dark silent hallway.

“Quarters...Bathrooms... Autopsy Centers, oh gods...” she shivered as we passed by the signs. “Ah! Here it is, Medical Lab.”

We entered the room in a haste but we weren’t alone as we’d hoped for. Two ponies; one male, one female were in the room. Their manes were messed up and their white robes creased. They were making out, the male having his back turned on us. We both awkwardly stood there and confusedly stared at them for a while, both wondering why the hell they were getting intimate while we were running loose?

Dashie pointed the gun at them. “Don’t move or I’ll blow your heads off!”

They stopped kissing and turned around in startle, backing away a bit in panic. “Please don’t shoot!” begged the unicorn mare, a little behind her stallion for his protection.

“Wait... you’re Rainbow Dash.” said the stallion in suspicion. “You’re one of Equestria’s heroes. You wouldn’t kill us.” he added with a relieved smile.

“I serve Equestria, you’re very correct about that part. But you’re working for a criminal organization that is an enemy to the throne. If you’re hoping I’m too honorable to take a life, guess again. I can take yours easily with full confidence without feeling for the slightest remorse.” Rainbow answered in an angry, somewhat panicked shout. “Help us get some medicine and I’ll let you live. Oppose us and we’ll treat you the same way!”

“W-What do you need.” the mare asked, still staring at us with her gaping eyes.

“Her leg.... fix her leg...” I uttered, feeling weaker with every moment.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Nevermind me. Just make him better. He’s in a terrible condition and needs treatment at instance.”

“I-I got just the thing, it’s over--”

“Here.” the stallion finished, already holding on a small vial with his teeth. “This will make him feel better.”

“B-but... that other medicine... the one they used to treat me after each test... they were in syringes.”

“Trust me, this is better.” he nervously pointed out as he hesitantly walked over to us. “Drink.”

I gave him a long suspicious glare, but in the end I removed the plug of the vial and chugged its contents, never taking my eyes off his.

I waited for a bit, looking at the floor as if I was expecting something extraordinary to happen. A minute or two passed until my eyes started to widen. I looked up at the stallion again in disbelief and dropped the vial, making the glass shatter. I held my throat as if something was choking me, and started gagging and coughing. I started feeling like my insides were burning up slowly; like my body was being cooked in boiled water. I tried screaming in pain, but no sound came out. My voice was already gone.

By now I had realized how stupid and unaware I had been. I got fooled by that doctor. He made me drink his dissolving poison.

Rainbow gasped when she realized it and immediately knelt down by my side, shouting something towards me I couldn’t make out of. The male doctor slowly backed off towards the wall, heading for a hatchet. Rainbow didn’t notice him at first because she was too focused on me, but as soon as she heard the doctor charging at her with his weapon, she quickly aimed for his head and pulled the trigger. The other mare screamed in shock as his warm blood sprayed over her face, parts of his brain sticking in her mane. “Shut up and help him!” Rainbow screamed back at her, hitting her in the head with the gun that was strapped to her hoof. “Or you’ll end up like him!”

I was kneeling and gagging, expecting to puke blood and innards. But nothing came. I could hardly breathe as the feeling of my insides boiling became stronger and stronger. I tried yelling for help but my voice was completely gone, just as if someone had taken my ability to speak from me.

The nurse hastily opened a drawer behind her. She digged into it like her life depended on it, which was kind of the case. She knew that if I died, Rainbow would happily kill her too. “Hurry up!” Rainbow shouted after her, giving her another slap with the gun.

“I’m trying, here!” the nurse snapped back, never stopping the search. “Now, listen carefully or he’s gonna die. He must throw up the poison. Make him inhale two full tablespoons of syrup of ipecac. After that you must make him drink a lot of water. You can find the ingredients necessary on the other side of the--”

Rainbow had already spurted back and forth, only taking her a second or two to get the syrup and a bottle of water.

I had no idea what was going on, but how could I when the poison was eating me alive? My organs felt like the guards I had toasted. I wanted to throw up, but I couldn’t, which made everything so much worse. But still I had a feeling that in a matter of minutes I’d throw up gushes of blood on the ground.

“Open your mouth!” Rainbow shouted, not giving me much time to react before forcing the syrup down my sore throat by opening my mouth with her hooves. I tried resisting but she held me down. Then she shoved the nozzle of the bottle up my mouth and squeezed the bottle, not giving me much choice of spitting the liquid out. The quantity of the water she made me swallow was so much I managed to throw everything up on the ground. I felt weak; my body ached so much I couldn’t manage to even kneel anymore, making me collapse completely on the ground in exhaustion. I tried to breathe lighter and murmured nonsense into the blue.

The nurse came back with another bottle of water, but she also had something else floating above her head. “Now, I’m going to add some activated charcoal into the water that he’s going to have to drink. It will calm the stomach and acts as a temporary neutralizing antidote.”

Dashie pointed the gun at her again. “Just... make him better.”

I moaned softly as my eyes rolled in confusion and sickness. I tried to focus on the nurse, but I couldn’t.

Soon enough I felt something touching my lips. Realizing it was a bottle of water, I slowly opened my mouth and let her feed it to me. I drank as I rested feebly in her arms, like a newborn baby. Afterwards she put me gently down, stood up and made her way to the other side of the room.

Dashie looked at me sadly. She couldn’t stand looking at me. She knelt down next to me and held me in her arms like the nurse did earlier. “It’s going to be alright.” she whispered to me, kissing my mane softly. “Just.. survive. Please...”

I shivered and nuzzled my head against her chest with a feeble groan, making her hold me tighter.

The nurse came back with a syringe filled with the familiar blue liquid I instantly recognised. I smiled a bit and allowed her to inject it into my body. Its coldness swam through my blood vessels, and I instantly felt a lot better. But my stomach and throat were still very sore.

“He cannot use his voice for a week.” she regretfully announced. “And even after that, his voice won’t be as clear as before.” Rainbow quickly snapped her eyes towards her. She didn’t say anything, just stared at her and slowly shook her head. “The poison inflicted serious burns on his insides. Any ordinary doctor has a medicine for that, but it’s not enough to get him back to 100%.”

“You’re wrong.” Rainbow answered back. “He can literally spew fire without hurting himself. He has the blood of the dragons flowing in his veins! A little poison is not going to harm him permanently.”

“If that is so, then I have no way of knowing one way or another. He is… unique in his nature. If the gods are with him, he’ll make a full recovery. But that does not prevent him from not being able to speak for a week. You must get him out of this place, somewhere he can rest in peace. Leave, and don’t let yourselves get captured again.”

I tried to speak back but no sounds came out. I literally had lost the ability to speak, and it was very startling. But I didn’t panic. I heard the nurse and she said it was only temporary. But what worried me is that we were attempting to escape, and not being able to Shout really hurt our chances of succeeding.

“Can you walk?” asked Rainbow in a hurry. I answered by slowly nodding a couple of times. “Okay, let’s get out of--” she stopped speaking as soon as she looked up. I had my eyes still fixed on Rainbow and noticed the most terrifying look I’d ever seen on her. I turned my head, but was greeted with an unwelcomed sight.

“There you are!” the pink stallion giggled, standing by the doorway with at least three guards behind him. But it was no ordinary giggle, nor was his appearance. His amethyst colored mane and his tux were messed up, he reeked of madness and his voice indicated that he was completely losing his mind.

He bore his crazy cyan eyes into ours and grinned widely with a loud evil laugh. He wasn’t the same “lovable” pony as before. Oh, no. Whether he actually tried it or not, his monster side had been revealed and it was not something we wanted or intended to unleash.

Somewhere over the plain, snowy landscape of Equestria they stood, looking around the scenery as if they were expecting something to emerge up from the ground. Maybe there’s a button somewhere that will summon this altar up from the ground, Shadowmere had thought to himself. But he saw nothing but nature. No buttons or levers to reveal the altar he was looking for. Nothing but tall trees and snowy landscapes.

“Do you dare tell us why you have a living rabbit in your backpack?” asked Twilight for the thousandth time, not giving away that she was getting sick of repeatedly asking the same question.

“You’ll see soon enough!” Shadowmere growled back, his anger not as subtle as it had been before. He shook his head. “According to Bloodlust, this is the place.” he added loudly enough for his friends to hear, still looking through the map they had been provided to make sure they were at the right place. He had pictured the place to be quite different in his mind.

Citrine walked angrily up to him. “Let me see that map he drew. You probably misread it.”

Before he could even react, she snatched the cloth from him with her magic and started analyzing it closely. It didn’t take her long to see that it was indeed the right place, but she wasn’t satisfied. What she had expected was something a little more...obvious. “Fuck.” she whispered to herself, throwing the map towards Shadowmere in annoyance. Everyone noticed the anger that had taken a hold of her. In fact, she had been hateful and angry the whole way. “I swear to god that if they hurt him, I’ll... I’ll--”

“Keep in mind that your brother is more than capable of handling himself.” Reaper pointed out, reminding her that Drake possessed powers beyond imagination.

“And if they touch Rainbow Dash...” she ignored Reaper, too busy dwelling in her rage and hate.

Twilight got up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I bet they’re alright. I’ve been with them in many dangerous times, and I’ve seen what they’re both capable of. Their willpower is so strong it’s almost unnatural. You should’ve seen your brother when he fought to get Rainbow out of Sovngarde. Such determination have I never seen before.”

Citrine nodded with a small giggle. “Heh...sounds like him.” she sighed. “Yeah, okay. Let’s just get on with it.”

While they talked, Shadowmere had been eagerly searching for something that would lead them to the next phase. He did not like what they had to do to get in, but it had to be done. “Come on, help me search around the place. There should be an altar somewhere around here.”

“An altar?” Citrine asked, approaching Shadowmere in a haste. “What the fuck do you mean alta-- oh, I get it... you’re going to sacrifice that bunny on said altar to gain access to their sanctuary, aren’t you?” she added in an annoyed, confused whisper.

Twilight frowned. “So that’s what it was all about. You’re lucky Fluttershy isn’t with us.”

“Look, it wasn’t me who made it this way. You want to save Drake and Rainbow Dash or not?” he spat out, giving them both an angry frown of his own. “I’d be more than willing to kill all the bunnies in the world if it meant our friends’ safety.”

They both sighed. “I guess you’re right. As Citrine said, let’s just get this over with.” said Twilight, joining the others in the search of something that could give them a lead.

“Can’t we just use that magical scythe or something?” moaned Daring Do in impatience, kicking the snow beneath her.

“No, we cannot.” Reaper answered with a hint of pride in his voice. “It does not possess the magic to bypass security, nor would it work as a replacement of the... blood ritual... that is required to open a way down to their base.”

“Damn it.” she sighed. “Shadowmere, don’t just stand there. Help us find this altar of yours so we can proceed!”

Shadowmere seemed lost in his thoughts. He had been wondering the whole way the last thing Bloodlust had told him before they left. Don’t trust anyone.

What did he mean? It’s not like we’re going to trust the ones who captured our friends.

“I think I found something.” called Reaper with his voice still as dull as before. But before anyone could get near him, he had already pressed on a button that was a little too subtle for anyone to notice with bare eyes. It was a little loose button made of stone on a big boulder they had all seen but not given much attention to before.

An earthquake struck as a big stone made table slowly emerged from the snowy ground at the middle of the vast area. They all approached the altar as the landscape calmed down again and just stared down at it. After they had brushed the snow off they noticed a drain in the middle of the table. The top of the table was not flat though; it was curved, supposedly in the purpose of sending the blood down the drain that led down through the table and into the ground.

They exchanged stares, giving each other hesitant nods, ‘cept for Reaper, who did not seem to like this plan at all. “I guess this is the part where we... sacrifice that bunny.” announced Shadowmere, suddenly interrupted by the increased movement in his bag. He let out a sigh before continuing. “I can do it, but I’ll need a unicorn to hold it by its ears while I slice its neck. Any volunteers?”

Citrine stepped forward. “I’ll do it. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Why the hell do we have to sacrifice a bunny to open a door? What kind of sadistic bastards are these guys?” asked Daring Do.

Shadowmere swallowed hard as he opened his bag and noticed the brown rabbit he had been keeping safe for a little while. Apparently it understood us, since it started resisting Shadowmere’s grip, as if it was trying everything in its power to stay away. “Come here, you...” he whispered to himself as he fought to get a good grip on the furry animal. Unfortunately for the rabbit, the bag was not spacious and therefore it had no way to go but in small circles. In the end he managed to capture it, but he had difficulties holding it, which made him blush a little in embarrassment. “Citrine... hold it by its ears.”

Citrine nodded and easily did as he asked. She didn’t even have to focus her magic on the rabbit, since only the very basic spell was required that all unicorns were born with. The animal tried to fight back for freedom but it was no match against Citrine’s magic.

Shadowmere approached with a knife, preparing himself to spill its blood. But before he could go on with it, Reaper stopped him.

“Wait!” he said in a haste. “Let me do something first.”

“We’ve wasted enough time.” objected Shadowmere, but Reaper ignored him.

He got near the animal and put one of his hoof on its back, shushing and stroking it gently. At first he just examined it, giving it a look of pity. With a deep eye contact, he started speaking to it in a beautiful language no one understood. It seemed as the bunny really understood him because it slowly stopped resisting as he went on. In the end he gave it a small smile and receded from everyone. He did not want to be a part of this, nor would he dare look at the butchering.

After the bunny’s blood had been milked down the drain, another earthquake struck, this one slightly more powerful than the other. Again something emerged from the ground, but this time it was an elevator.

Reaper was still on his own at the other end of the area. He was sitting on a rock in front of a small river and was softly stroking his precious scythe as Shadowmere walked up and sat down next to him. “What do you want?” Reaper asked coldly, not even hiding that he wanted to be left alone.

“It was just a rabbit.” he replied confusedly. “I expected you least of all to be affected by that.”

Reaper slowly turned his head in his direction with a frown. “Why? Because I’m not a people’s person? Because I don’t compliment you enough?”

Shadowmere quickly shook his head. “Look... it was just a rabbit.”

“Just a rabbit... is that what animals are worth to you? Animal or no, does that give one the rights to take a life without remorse? You’re an ignorant fool. I do not wish to continue this subject further.” he answered sharply and turned his head away in disapproval. “Now go. I’m right behind you.”

Shadowmere rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. But one other thing. What did you do to that rabbit? What language did you speak to calm it so?”

Reaper hesitated. “...the ancient language of the extinct Dragas.” he finally responded, giving him a suspicious glare. “It is not known to many today, but... legends say that the Dragas, who peacefully lived in tribes in the very woods of Equestria, possessed the gift of understanding animals. They could easily train wolves to fight by their side, or even mighty bears of the wilds. And that only by communicating with them in their magical tongue.”

“What happened to them?” Shadowmere asked, surprisingly getting interested in the subject. He, who had never been arsed about the ponies’ history and/or legends, was now getting drawn into their history, as if it was gonna help him somehow in the coming future.

“They were wiped out.”

“Wiped out? By whom?”

Reaper slowly tilted his head with a small irritated frown on his face. “I’ll tell you more about it later if you really are this interested. Now... let’s get down there and preach true power.”

“Right behind you.” Shadowmere smiled, happy that they ended their conversation in a somewhat positive manner.

Reaper grunted softly as he stood up, strapped his sharp looking scythe behind his back and led Shadowmere towards the iron box that was supposedly an elevator of some kind.

I couldn’t believe it. I wished with everything I had that I didn’t hesitate shooting him back when he found us. Why didn’t I shoot? Why the fuck did I hesitate? I had him in clear sight. I could’ve ended it right there. I had my husband on the death’s door in my arms and I let that pink bastard capture us again. I guess I was too terrified to shoot, and now we’re both paying the price. Fortunately, Drake was unconscious. Thank the gods... I would not want to be awake with what they’re doing to him.

He passed out after they hung him up with meat hooks. Strapped directly through the skin of his back. Through his sticky fur that was covered in both of his fresh and dried up blood, there were countless and countless of needles and wires attached to his body, and three thick plastic tubes forced down his throat. I heard him breathe rhythmically through a medical ventilator. He had to use that since he couldn’t breathe on his own. The tubes made sure of that.

I didn’t know what purpose it served, but I didn’t care at all either. I just wanted both of us safe and sound from this horrible place. I didn’t even try to cry out after him in the fear of waking him up. I begged in my head that he remained asleep for now. Please, don’t wake up yet. Don’t. Wake. Up.

But my situation was far from being any better. I woke up sitting in a leather chair in the same room as Drake, with my eyes being kept open with eye speculums. There were little tubes attached to it that wetted my eyes regularly. My hooves were restrained to the arms of the chair and my wings tied down, meaning that I couldn’t move a limb, very much like Drake earlier.

I found myself starting to breathe faster and faster, the beeps from the machine measuring my heartbeats increasing quickly. I hate to admit it, but I’d never been so scared my whole life.

“Test subject #31743: Enhanced sights.” a soft female voice announced. “Surgeons will operate on the patient’s eyes without anaesthetics in the purpose of practicing their precision once the patient starts wailing around in pain. Your goal, surgeons, is to implant these little devices into the patient’s eyes without damaging her sight in any way. Once that is complete, and if you succeed, you will be given further instructions.”

“Like hell you will!” I screamed back, struggling. “This is not a bucking game! I’m a living being, now get me out of here!”

I noticed two surgeons approaching with surgical masks covering their snouts. One is a male and the other female, judging by their eyes and the curves on the masks from their snouts. They’re both unicorns; they had to be. Being precise with a surgical knife required steadiness, so it was pretty self explanatory. “Get your bucking hooves off of me! Don’t touch me, you piece of shit!” I shouted in almost painful anger. “Rot in hell!” I paused to catch my breaths. “All of you!”

I tried everything I could to break myself free, with my rapid breaths and my heart sounding like jungle drums, but without results. I had a feeling that I’d get a heart attack soon if I didn’t calm myself down. My situation didn’t improve when I saw a thin, but very sharp surgical blade directly before my left eye. It was the last thing I saw before my vision tinted red and agonizing pain took over.

“I don’t like the looks of it.” mumbled Shadowmere as he and his group walked along a narrow, but long hallway. The lights were off; only a light bulb or two flickering. “It’s too dark, the air is foul and it’s too quiet in here. Where is everyone?”

“We better be cautious. This place is full of evil and terror. I can sense it.” said Reaper, holding firmly on the two handles of his glowing scythe. Despite his might and power, Citrine was the only one to notice the worries in him.

She put a hoof on his shoulder, making him look back at her with a frown. But as soon as he realized it was her, he loosened up and cracked a smile. “You okay?” she smiled. He nodded back, appreciated by her action. “Good.” she added, still smiling as beautifully as the morning’s sunrise.

Daring Do was cautiously creeping forwards, gnawing on the handle of her ancient dagger she kept with her at all times. Shadowmere noticed how furious her bite was, and that sight alone warmed his heart. He noticed the strong feelings she had for her best friends. He knew that Daring Do knew that Drake was originated from Earth, yet she didn’t look at him as any lesser than anyone else. In a matter of fact, she looked up to him. It shone through her how much she desired them safety, and that made him wonder about how his opinions of the Equestrian ponies had changed more this week than it had for the past years. Ever since he met Drake he has become a more friendly person. More open, more social, and easier to be around.

He looked around and took a look at his new friends. Twilight Sparkle; Daring Do; Citrine; hell, even Reaper. And of course, Drake and Rainbow Dash, had they been present.

He smiled, thinking to himself that these were his friends. They may be in a pony body, but that didn’t matter to him anymore. What was once filled with prejudice was now blooming with love and passion. And he loved that new side of him. It was like the burden of loneliness he had to carry all these years was gone, like he was finally free.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before.” Twilight gasped, staring up into the ceiling to take a good look at the flickering light bulbs as they passed by. “It is some kind of a device that creates light, I presume. Impressive.”

“Those are called light bulbs from where I come from.” Citrine added. “Now, let’s get a move on. We’re not alone in here.”

On they went until they reached a crossroad. They had three options to choose from: Straight ahead, left or right. But those routes seemed as endless as their previous path, so they had no idea on what route to take.

“Great, now what.” asked Daring Do, getting more impatient by the second.

“Let’s split up.” suggested Shadowmere, realizing that he had been the leader the whole time. He felt like it was his responsibility to plan their tactics and to keep the group alive. “Citrine and Reaper, you take left. Daring Do, you will take Twilight with you straight up ahead. I’ll go alone to the right.” Both Daring and Twilight nodded hesitantly, not quite sure what to think of the fact that he had to go alone.

Reaper stepped forward. “I’ll go alone. I have the most powerful weapon of us all and I have better senses than any of you. Just make sure Citrine is safe, or I’ll rip your spine out.”

“A-are you sure?” Shadowmere asked, a tad terrified at the thought of his spine being ripped out, but Reaper didn’t answer. He just left into the darkness without another word.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be alright.” Citrine said. Shadowmere seemed to be lost in his own thoughts again until he realized Twilight and Daring Do had already left them as well. “Lead the way.” she added, breaking his daydream completely.

He quickly nodded and led her to the right with their weapons unsheathed. Shadowmere had a bow attached around him and a small dagger sheathed on his belt while Citrine used her magic to hold her glass sword next to her.

Shadowmere really lived up to his name, since she almost lost him into the shadow a couple of times as he blended in with the darkness around them. Being pitch-black added further to his stealth.

“That is no toy.” teased Shadowmere with a voice as if he was talking to a child, his red eyes only visible. “It is not safe for dolls like yourself to play with swords.”

Before he could let another laugh, he felt for something tightening around his throat, as if someone was strangling him. He gasped for air as he felt for his body slowly floating up into the air.

It was Citrine, clearly showing him what she was capable of. “I’m no doll.” she slammed him up to the wall. “I could kill you right here, right now if I wanted to.”

“Y-you proved your... point!”

“Fortunately for you, I like you.” she let go of him, making him collapse to the ground. He panted and gasped, kneeling on four legs like a weakling. “And we got my brother to save. So stop fooling around and let’s get to it.” she added, already moving ahead and expecting him to follow.

Shadowmere stood up and smiled with a small laugh. He was impressed in the mare’s attitude. “You do realize I was only fooling around, right?” he said as he caught up with her. “If I was serious you wouldn’t even had the time to use your magic on me.”

“And if I was serious we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.” she smiled back.

“I like your attitude.” Shadowmere chuckled, “Have you always been this--”

“Wait...” she suddenly interrupted, putting a hoof on his snout to shut him up. “Straight ahead, two guards speaking.”

Fortunately for Shadowmere and Citrine, the darkness and their silent movement was enough to keep them out of sight, so they could proceed without further notice. “Let’s sneak up and take them down silently.”

Shadowmere nodded once and gnawed on the handle of his dagger, already blending in with the shadow before she could say anything else.

“I don’t like this.” said Twilight Sparkle after Daring Do, her friend, had twisted a guard’s neck that was on shift. She wasn’t afraid, but the evil atmosphere really got into her. She sensed strong impurity and her instincts told her to be anywhere but there. But she knew that they had to do this. For their friends’ sake. And she was more than willing to go through with this for their safety.

“I don’t like this either, Twi.” answered Daring Do. “And I don’t like how narrow this hallway is. If we get caught, there’s nowhere to go. Fortunately it’s dark in here, so we can at least stay hidden long enough to get into close range combat before they notice anything.”

“I agree. The sooner we get into a more opened area, the better.”

“Why the lack of light though? It’s like they deliberately took ‘em out to ease us a path or something. ‘cept for the few flickering lights here and there.”

Twilight stopped all of a sudden, positioning herself in the darkness with her eyes wide open in fear. “S-speaking of flickering lights...” she whispered, pointing forwards with her right forehoof. “...who’s that in the weak light up ahead?”

Daring Do stopped breathing for a second. “Shit, get down!” she whispered harshly, pulling Twilight down with her. They stayed low for a while, but the pink stallion before them just stood there. His physical appearance was a sore sight. His mane was messed up, his dirty clothes indicating that he had been there for months or even years. “Is it just me, or does it look like he’s watching us?”

They exchanged stares and swallowed hard before looking back up at the mysterious figure in the flickering light. “Well... it looks like he’s staring into our direction. Do you think he can see or hear us?” she added in an even lower whisper to be absolutely sure that he couldn’t hear them.

“Let’s just... let’s just sneak up at him and take him out.”

“He looks more like a prisoner to me than a guard.” Twilight pointed out, a tad uncertain about the idea of eliminating him.

“We can’t take the risk, Twi!” Daring pointed out. “Drake and Rainbow are more important than that no-lifer. Assuming he’s hostile, we must do it quietly, or else he’ll charge the alarms and we’ll jeopardize the mission.” Daring pointed out, slowly unsheathing her blade. Twilight sighed and nodded, realizing that she was right.

They moved as slowly as they could, focusing on being as silent as one could be, but the pink pony didn’t move. He just stood there, seeming to them like he was waiting for them to get up close.

“On my mark, you’ll hold him down with your stasis spell and we’ll finish him off.”

Twilight nodded, starting to breathe a little faster. She locked her eyes on the target and slowly licked her lips as she focused on her aim.

Daring waited at the edge of the borders where the darkness divided from the light, and looked at Twilight, looking for a hint in her facial expression that she was ready.

“Now!” Daring said, standing up quickly and stepping into the light towards the stallion before them.

But before Twilight could cast her spell or Daring thrust her blade, he let himself drop on his knees and quickly showed his forehooves, meaning that he was not armed. “Wait!” They both hesitated, giving him a confused look. “Wait, wait, don’t kill me!”

Daring Do harshly picked him up and put her blade against his throat. “Who are you?”

“I’m innocent! T-thank the gods you came, you have to get me out of here!” the pink stallion begged, staring with his beautiful cyan eyes into Daring’s. “I-I got kidnapped eight months ago. They were gonna operate on me; inject some stuff into my body. But I finally managed to escape. Please tell me you’re here to save us.” he begged in a cry, panting heavily in fear.

Daring Do let him go and sheathed her blade, making him gasp as he fell down on his knees again. “How many of you are imprisoned? And do you know any of them?”

“N-no... I-I didn’t know any of them. Never seen them before.” The unknown stallion started crying. “I-I..I don’t know! Six or seven, maybe? We were all separated from one another, so I only got a glimpse on them for a second or two from time to time, mostly when they were transporting me someplace else.”

Twilight knelt down next to him and started brushing his amethyst colored mane gently in the purpose of calming him down a little. “It’s alright, you’re safe now. But tell me... did you see a mare with a Rainbow colored mane or a cyan colored stallion with black mane who happens to be the Dragonborn?”

His eyes widened a bit as he looked up at Twilight, swallowing once before nodding. “Yeah, I saw them once or twice. She had the most luxurious cell, to be honest. Her husband though... he took the worst hit of us all. They’ve been putting him into all kinds of tests and brutal experiments.”

Twilight and Daring Do both froze. “You said you always saw them separately?”

“Y-yeah...”

“I-I never said they were together...” Twilight added in a half whisper.

The pink pony’s innocent facial expression slowly changed into a smile as he realized the mistake he had made, and only then did they both realize that there was more to him than met the eyes. He giggled amusingly, his eyes so innocent was now full of evil and deceit.

Daring backed away a bit, widening her eyes in startle. “Stasis, now!” she yelled to Twilight, going for her blade that was strapped to her belt. Unfortunately, they reacted too late. He stabbed both of them with a little needle on each forehoof before either of them could react properly, making them both instantly fall down to the ground, unconscious.

Getting through that maze didn’t seem to be any problem to Reaper, who downed his enemies with his sharp scythe before they could even let out a sound. One swipe and he easily decapitated them. The challenging part, however, was figuring out where to go.

But his hearing was excellent and his instincts had proven to be trustworthy over the years. He knew from the second he saw Citrine that he had to help her. Be her guide and trainer. It was something that was meant for him from the beginning, as if his Gods had chosen that role specifically for him.

His ear twitched as a soft, fainted scream emerged from afar. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the small sound that would be unhearable to everyone else. “Left.” he murmured to himself, walking straight up ahead until the first turn left. On he went with this routine, downing his opponents that had no chance against him, not even with their thick armor and powerful weapons.

Eventually he got into a new sector, but this one was quite different from the rest. This one had its walls made of clouded glass that no one could see through clearly. And apparently this is the sector where the activity was the most, judging by the lights and the light chit-chatting from the rooms up ahead.

Realizing how out in the open he now was, he understood that he had to use one of his scythe’s mystical abilities; this one turning him invisible for a certain amount of time. He closed his eyes and tightened the grip he had on his weapon’s handle as he focused on activating the power of invisibility. The blade glowed white once, then for the second time, then finally for the third time before making him completely transparent and invisible to anyone and anything.

He strapped his also invisible scythe to his back and walked steadily, looking to the right and then to the left, into the doorway of the rooms he passed through. He noticed that most of the ponies were wearing white coats, as if they were scientists, which probably could’ve been the case, judging by all the fancy tools they were using.

He did not like stealth. He preferred to face his opponents in a fair one-on-one combat so they could have an equal chance of succeeding, although Reaper prevailed all the times. He knew that he could take down anyone in his path with or without his weapon, and he had already taken down enough to know that they were of no threat to him. But he also understood that this time he had to be cautious. It wasn’t his life that was at stake, but the stake of other ponies’ life, including Citrine’s.

The screaming increased the further he went down the hallway. Eventually he got up to a big door made of glass that automatically opened when sensors sensed movement. Fortunately for Reaper, he was invisible, not only to organics, but also to synthetics. Apparently the source of the screams came from this room.

He looked through the glass and saw a very disturbing sight. As cold hearted as Reaper usually was, the sight of the cyan colored mare being cut made him gasp slightly in surprise. She was uncontrollable like a wild beast, fighting with every survival instincts she had for freedom, testing every muscle in her body to resist the strength of the steel holding her. But everything she did was in vain. They had cuffed her with such a strong material that even Reaper was no match of, cutting into her left eye with a very thin surgical blade. Reaper didn’t see it completely, for the surgeons’ backs was blocking the view, but he was not eager in taking a peek.

He shuddered once before manually forcing the slidey door open with his hooves. Only then did he notice the other pony he had been looking for. He saw that Drake was hung up into the air by razor sharp meat hooks that were shot straight through his skin. A little of his blood was seeping down his fur from his wounds as his powerless body slunk down like a ragdoll. His head was leaning downwards, his chin touching his chest. His wings were tied down with a rope made of something he had never seen before. It was purple, yet a little transparent.

Reaper had never seen such cruelty at this stage. It made him feel not only angry, but also a little agitated. Up to this moment, nothing had managed to disturb him.

Rainbow’s screaming slowly turned into a furious growl of power and anger, and seconds later the sound of metal giving in a crack stole Reaper’s attention. He turned around and noticed that Rainbow’s left hoof was free. She did not hesitate and delivered a blow to the surgeon’s face, the one who had been cutting into her eye. Reaper was stunned by Rainbow’s strength and resilience. He watched as she ripped the speculums off and tossed it away. The other surgeon tried to call for help while the nurse with the notepad ran off towards the other side of the room to ring the alarms. Reaper quickly threw a throwing knife at her direction and hit her in the back of her head before she could call it in.

“Reaper!” Rainbow moaned painfully, yet with a hint of appreciation in her voice. “Take her out! She’s getting away!”

Reaper quickly turned around, again surprised at the fact that she knew it was him, and threw another knife, this one hitting the surgeon’s left temple. She fell dead down to the floor and suddenly there was no one else in the room but the invisible Reaper and the injured Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow climbed out of the bed and barely managed to stay on her hooves. She closed her wounded eye and ignored the stinging pain. “Wh-where are you?”

Reaper deactivated his invisibility mode and gazed at her in surprise. They were just cutting into her eye moments ago and now she was acting as if nothing had happened? “H-how did you know it was me?”

“I had a feeling it was you.” she walked over to him with a small frown. “Bastards cut into my eye...” she moaned, trying her best not to panic.

“You’re a tough mare, Rainbow, I give you that.”

Reaper was not very fond of Rainbow, yet after this incident, she gained his respect. Not everyone could have busted the steel open and deliver a smack straight to the kisser. And all that while they were slicing into her eyeball. “But your friend might be able to fix your eye once we get out of here.”

Rainbow patched her bloodied eye with cotton and some tape she found at a small table beside them while Reaper spoke. She looked at him, still with a small unsecured frown. Where were their other friends? Why was he alone?

She walked past him without saying a word and up to Drake. He was a very sore sight; hung up in the air like meatsack. Her right eye filled with tears as she touched him. His body was still as a statue. Not even a twitch or anything. It seemed as if he was dead.

She touched her wet eye and looked at the tear on her hoof. The sight of that made her gnash her teeth in anger. “I’ll kill them for what they’ve done.” she half whispered to herself, fixing her attention to her husband in his terrible condition once again. “They’re going to suffer for what they did to us.”

Reaper walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. He did not even try to make her feel better. He had never been good at that sort of thing. But he realized that the longer they stayed there, the lower chance they had to get out of there without further bloodspill. “Snap out of it! Now is not the time! They know we’re here. We must cut Drake down and carry him out of here before they regroup.”

Rainbow slowly turned her head to look at him with her great frown. “Look at what they’ve done to him!” she snapped, suddenly pinning him up to the wall behind him. “Have you any idea what we’ve been through?!” she shouted. “Have you any idea how much we’ve suffered? We’ve been through nothing but agony, misery and tribulation! What the hell took you so long?!”

“We came as fast as we could.” Reaper snapped back. “You really think we knew where they took you? Now, let me go or we’ll both get captured and everything will be in vain!”

Rainbow gnashed her teeth as she felt for the white cotton already filling up with her blood and harshly let go of him. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s cut him down.”

“This is not gonna work, Shadowmere. Your red eyes will blow our cover.” Citrine whispered in a hiss, nervously looking around the lit up hallway.

“Trust me. They won’t notice a thing!” Shadowmere answered with an overconfident smile. After they took down two guards on their way they stole their uniforms and used it as their disguise so they could mingle with the group of scientists and guards as the progressed. “Just don’t give them attention and don’t over exaggerate your movements. Keep looking ahead without a facial expression that is driven by emotion and we should be fine.”

One of the guards nodded to them as they walked by, and both answered hurriedly by nodding back without giving him much attention. “No trouble so far.” she added with a small sigh. “Let’s just get--”

A loud buzzing alarm interrupted them and everyone around. Everypony stopped their current activity and focused on that immense noise that filled everyone’s ears before it suddenly stopped and was replaced with a soft male commander’s voice.

“All personnel, I repeat; all personnel, grab a weapon and head over to sector B. This is not a drill.”

Everyone, including the scientists and doctors that looked as if they couldn’t even lift a stick, donned their combat armors frantically without a word. They were so organized that it looked as if they had been practicing for this moment for years.

“You heard the stallion!” the pony in charge of that section yelled over. “This is not a drill, ladies!”

“Let’s mingle with the group and stay in the middle. We’ll keep a low profile and they’ll lead us straight to them. This is our shot.” Citrine whispered to Shadowmere without being too obvious.

“Okay, just remember. If anything happens, use your magic to grab your sword and swing away.”

“And you keep your hooves ready on your dagger. I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well.”

They exchanged nods before following the stream of ponies that headed out towards their destination they had been ordered to go to.

“Wake up...” Daring Do cautiously whispered to Twilight, nudging her with her hooves. “Wake up, filly!”

Twilight did not feel well. The mild paralytic poison she had been injected with seemed to have after-effects. She had a headache and she instantly knew that using her magic would not bode good for her.

She gasped after being so suddenly ripped from the dream world and into the cold reality. That cruel unholy environment that had no scent of purity or holiness in any way. For a second she even forgot why she was even there. Why wasn’t she back in her comfortable home, snuggling against a soft pillow and reading a good book while sipping on some tea with honey?

The mental image made her nibble on her lower lip, but when Daring’s voice interrupted her again she snapped out of it and fixed her attention to her. “H-hey... what happened?”

“We got fooled by one of their agents.” Daring scoffed. “And now we’re locked in this cell with this disturbing looking guard at the other side staring at us.”

They weren’t in a luxurious chamber like Rainbow had been put in earlier, but in perhaps the oldest, dirtiest cell in the whole building. The air was foul; there were cracks on the stone made walls and water drops kept dripping down from the ceiling, each drop creating a deaf repetitive tone that echoed around the basement as it hit the ground. The gates of the cell was made of rusty iron bars that may be able to give in with enough force.

Neither of them got it. Why would this particular cell be in such a terrible condition while the rest of the place was as clean as clean can be? Why is the walls of this cell made of wet rocks and the other areas made of glass; gypsum and clean, fancy, sometimes colorful stones?

They could sit there and contemplate about it all day, or try to think of something to breach the gates with. They decided to go with the latter.

Obviously, Twilight could not use her magic. It would require pure concentration and great will to break the iron bars, and she was in no condition to bend metal while the headache prevented most of her spells and tricks. They had to find another way, and that as soon as possible.

Daring Do had been in all kinds of situations before. She had many times been captured by Ahuizotl and left to die in life endangering situations. But each and every time she had managed to get out of it somehow, which is why her confidence was still as high as it normally was. To her, their situation wasn’t nearly as bad as one would think. She had been through a lot worse and she knew that. This time there was no short time limit; no spikes coming from the ceiling; nothing collapsing down on her; no hot sand trying to drown her, or snakes trying to bite and poison her. This time she had time to sit down and carefully think this situation over. Where was the weakness of the cell? With what and how could they bypass their security without alarming anyone?

But the more time that passed the lower their hopes of getting out of there became. Surprisingly, Daring found no way at all to go through. None of the cracks on the walls were big enough for their advantage; and nothing in the cell could be used to break the locks of the iron door, not even a lockpick. If only she had her bag; she had enough of those in there.

And that big stallion sitting on a chair in front of their cell who didn’t even bat an eyelash did not help their situation at all.

They also noticed that they weren’t the only prisoners. They could both hear discouraging moans, groans and cries of starving ponies from the other cells. Fortunately, they weren’t all that many. Perhaps four or five excluding Daring Do and Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay, look. I think I may have found a way out of here.” Daring eventually whispered over to Twilight. The purple unicorn slowly approached, intrigued. “This is what we’re gonna do. You distract--”

Before she could continue, the room was lit up with rays of bright light. They didn’t know if they were just imagining it, but the whiteness felt like they were warming up over a campfire in a cold night in the middle of nowhere.

The guard stood up, more terrified than he’d ever been his whole life as he realized what was going on. Out of the whiteness stepped out a heavenly creature; a white colored Pegasus with a perfectly shaped body and big gracious wings. Holy light shone around her and left smokey traces as she approached the terrified guard who was clumsily pointing the tip of his blade towards her.

The heavenly pony approached him with a small warm smile. With beauty so strong she could probably stop a war with nothing aught her smile. But that would never happen because it is said that the gods and goddesses have one rule, and that rule is that they should not interact with mortals. Breaking it would shame their name and they would be considered weaker than the rest. Most of the evil daedric princes have ignored that rule, having no seat among the gods. Now they have shrines scattered around Equestria, most of them indoctrinating ponies who show interest in said shrines to do their will.

Twilight was puzzled and amazed at that rare encounter. Why would Mara break that one rule now? And why there? Was it really that urgent?

The guard started shaking, swallowing a lot in nervousness. “W-who goes there?”

The white pony shushed gently at him. “Do not fear, child.” she said, indicating that she was no harbinger of violence or death. “Come here.” she added with her soft as silk voice.

The guard hesitantly approached her until they were completely face to face. Twilight and Daring Do both noticed that he was shaking and trembling in fear, but as soon as he looked into her heavenly eyes he stopped shaking. It seemed like he was hypnotized by her beauty.

The angel rested a hoof on his cheek and stroke him gently. “You know who I represent, do you not?”

The guard responded by kneeling down to one knee, using his sword for balance. “M-m-my goddess.”

She chuckled softly. “I am no goddess, but a messenger. Mara’s personal messenger.”

“I-I feel unworthy to look upon thee, messenger or not, my lady.” he added, still swallowing a lot. “But if a poor guard may ask... what message do you bring to such low ranked pony as myself, your highness?”

Twilight Sparkle, Daring Do and the rest of the prisoners watched in awe as they witnessed the heavenly creature interact with the mortal, an event such as this hadn’t happened for centuries.

“I come here with a message from Mara herself. She would let two particular ponies set free at instance.”

“A-anything for you, your grace.” he quickly responded, never even taking a peek at her beauty again. “I would be honored to serve you.”

“Mara would see no harm done to them. If you betray her bidding you, and the entirety of your future bloodline, will be cursed to the worst lives imaginable. Are we clear, mortal?”

“Crystal clear, m’lady.” he answered in awe, still bowing his head towards the ground.

“Set Twilight Sparkle and Daring Do loose.” she ordered. “And lead them to me. Mara has a message to them as well.”

“At once, m’lady.” the guard confirmed, standing up taller than he was three minutes ago. He headed over to their cell and unlocked it, opening the iron door. “Don’t keep her waiting, ladies. She wishes to speak with yous.”

Daring Do and Twilight Sparkle exchanged stares and shrugged both with a smile before walking out and towards the white holy pony before them. As they approached they both paid their respects by kneeling down. “Your grace.”

“Stand up, ponies.” she ordered, displaying the warmest smile they’d ever seen. They did as she asked. “And stand still. I will move us into a more private area where we can talk.”

Everything around them faded away and got replaced by pure whiteness at a blink of an eye. They looked around and saw nothing. They were literally in a place between reality and heaven; someplace like a limbo.

“Now. I know you have questions. I will try to answer some of them, but they must be brief and straight to the point.”

Daring opened her mouth to speak up with her eyes closed but Twilight interrupted her before she could let out a sound. “Why are you helping us? I thought it was forbidden to interact with a mortal.”

“It is. Which is why we must keep this short. Mara has no interest in shaming herself, but she is the only one among the bigger names that is willing to break that rule. No one knows she has sent me, but they will soon enough if I stay away for too long. And if that happens she could be banished, doomed to die or worse. Maybe she’ll get away with it. But we don’t want to risk that.”

“Why are you helping us?” Twilight added, her gaping eyes completely fixed upon the white mare.

“Because if the Dragonborn dies, your world dies.”

“Why didn’t you make your appearance to the guy who runs this place? Surely he would not dare oppose you.” Daring said, amazed.

“He is not worthy to look upon an immortal, nor would Mara dear let him speak to her messenger. His heart is too corrupted for her liking. Besides, he would never release the dragonborn. Instead we chose to appear to a guard that does not even know what is happening around him. He may not have the purest of hearts, but we knew he would never tell anyone of our conversation.”

“Why don’t you just make him forget? Surely you can do that.”

“We’re not supposed to interact with mortals, remember?” she answered, only a trace of a smile upon her face. “That includes meddling with their minds.”

“We understand. But what must we do? We’re outnumbered and this place is a maze. We’ll never find Drake and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight pointed out, not as despaired as before, but still a little doubtful. “And we’re nothing against his strength. They have weapons that--”

“Remember that the gods are with you. The best we can do for you is our blessings.” she interrupted with her voice even smoother than Celestia’s. “Once you get back to your world, the guard will give you armors and weapons of your needs. He will show you the way to the Dragonborn. Now go, ponies, and do what must be done.”

Before either of them could ask more questions, they were snapped back to the dirty basement of that underground bunker. It was astonishing to them how cold and dirty they felt after leaving the presence of Mara’s personal messenger.

They looked around in amazement, a little dizzy by the sudden change of environment.

The guard walked up to them and told them to follow him. They obeyed, remembering what she had told them.

He led them to the armory and provided them with everything they needed; each of them getting the finest armors they had; a bow made of titanium and ebony; and fifty plasma arrows.

It was enough to keep them alive and unnoticed, although they had to be cautious nonetheless. There weren’t many female guards around, the guard had told them. He also warned them not to make an eye contact with anyone.

Twilight and Daring Do both thought of going back and free the prisoners, but both realized that saving Drake was more urgent and definitely a priority. As much as they hated doing it, they left the armory and followed the guard to Drake’s location.

I reach out for the stars with a big grin. Bright stars. Perhaps made of brightness itself? Or maybe brightness is made of stars. Why are they surrounding me? Why am I surrounding space? How can I breathe space and the brightness made of stars? How can space and the stars made of brightness breathe me? How can I defeat gravity? Can gravity be defeated? Am I gravity? I don’t care. Let them come to me. Let me come to them. Those stars made of brightness made of stars made of gravity. Those stars of color and splendor and happiness and space and me. I’ve always been fascinated by stars. Or have they been fascinated by me? Are we one and the same, the stars made of gravity and I? And now here I am, and here they are, among them, and among me. We are one and one are we. In colorful space.

A sparkling shooting star flies by and I giggle. Or do I sparkle and shoot like a giggle in the heavens? Beauty. Peace. Relax. Happiness. Joy. Hope and wonder and pain and life and everything burning in beauty and grace and gravity and me and stars.

I am turned around and around me I am turned and I look down and see a map in life. It dances with me as I dance among the color. Equestria. Friends. I?  Why am I unconscious on Rainbow’s back and why does blood fall from my body? Why do I fall from my blood in little droplets of pain and dna and life and everything I ever was, am, and ever could be? Why is Rainbow’s left eye patching up with a patch? What is Reaper doing with his scythe? Why is Shadowmere and my sister fighting off ponies in their uniform outside the room? Maybe the ponies cannot see the color and the stars and life. I feel bad for them. And where are Twilight and Daring Do going with that guard? Probably towards us. Are we going towards them?

Why am I seeing this? Is it seeing me? Is this really happening or am I happening? Are they really here to save us?

Poison. Gagging. Doctor head going boom like a cannon for parties.

Laser. Plasma. Torture. Testing... so much testing. So much suffering. I grab my head. The pain is coming. The stars are fading. Time is leaving me and I am leaving time and I am time and pain and sorrow and rage and I am everything there ever was or is or could be. I’m alone. I scream; nothing happens. I shout towards my friends; not even an ear twitch.

When and what is happening now? Am I really watching us? Now we are reunited. Everyone. My friends and them. They dance upon the waves of a waking dream and I dream of blood and pain. They’re taking me out of here. Running towards the exit with an army behind and in front of us. Projectiles flying. Arrows leaping. Steel meeting. Heads flying. So much red. Too much red! Color and stars and space but this color is a sad color of pain and sadness.

I look. Him. They captured him? Seems so. He’s tied. Unconscious. Strapped to a stallion of shadow and darkness.

I grasp my head again. I’m going insane. Snap out. Wake up. Help. Stop watching and do something, you worthless prick. They’re all gonna die and I can’t do anything about it, so wake up!

My head... I feel like it’s about to explode. My throat... oh, no. Please, not again. Not pain. I breathe rapidly. I can’t speak. I can’t think. Much pressure. So much pressure. I fall down. I reach out to the stars again; my vision blurring. So colorful. So beautiful...

“Two o’clock!” Twilight screamed towards Citrine who was already quickly charging a lightning bolt with her horn as her mind processed Daring’s message. She unleashed it on a heavily geared unicorn guard before he could make a blow with his axe, shoving him into three of his comrades and knocking them down in the process.

They seemed to be limitless. Guards, scientists and most likely every single employee just kept on coming in waves. Rainbow and Shadowmere couldn’t move all that much since they had to carry Drake and the pink stallion.

Fortunately, they didn’t have anything with them when they were kidnapped, meaning that they didn’t have to go look for a chest where it would be stored. Instead they moved fast and helped each other out, heading for the elevator they used earlier to get in.

Twilight focused on defending the group with a large magic light blue shield to protect them from projectiles while Citrine slowed the guards down that were trying to break that said shield from the back with whatever she could think of. Lightning bolts, firebolts, ice spears, and even carved runes on the ground that imploded and damaged a group of enemies when someone stepped on it; everything she could manage to keep them from harm. From time to time Daring reached into her backpack and handed her blue potion that refilled her body and soul, giving her the strength and will to create more spells. In the meantime, Reaper and Daring Do took care of the guys at the front, making sure no one would get to them while Rainbow and Shadowmere took care of the few guys that managed to cross the shield.

Rainbow was limping pretty bad. They didn’t even have the decency to take care of the burn on her leg after she and Drake got recaptured. Twilight had promised Rainbow to take care of them both once they get to safety, but Rainbow’s first concern was Drake. He was still unconscious and in a terrible condition. He didn’t move at all, not even a twitch beside his regular breathing.

After she and Reaper had him down from there and unplugged him from the machines he was tied to, he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating from the sudden...disconnection. Rainbow immediately performed CPR, and it payed off. She almost had an heart attack herself when she noticed no life marks on him.

The next moment caught everyone’s attention, despite the fact that they were all busy fighting off enemies. Drake gasped for air as he suddenly regained consciousness. He grabbed Rainbow’s neck and held it close, almost strangling her. Rainbow almost lost balance when she felt that he had woken up. She had mixed feelings about that. On one hand she wanted him to stay asleep until they were out to safety, but on the other she was glad that he was at least not in a coma that’d last for days or weeks.

“Drake!” Citrine and Rainbow both shouted at the same time, making Citrine turn her head towards him and therefore lose her focus for a bit. Twilight had to take care of an enemy that got too close to the shield, making her have to maintain that shield and use an attack at the same time which really drained her energy.

“I’ll take care of Drake. Keep them from us, Citrine.” Rainbow yelled over to her, half dizzy by her wounded eye and leg. Drake looked around confusedly like a frightened cat, breathing heavily on Rainbow’s back as he tried in his head to match all the puzzles together. “Drakie! Just keep calm, okay? We’re almost out of here.” Rainbow exclaimed, turning her head towards Drake to take a look at him through her right, fully functional eye.

His appearance was horrid. His eyes were red-ish, his mane as messed up as wild grass and his body was shaking. His mental state was probably shattered. Rainbow feared that he might never fully recover, but she knew that she couldn’t think negatively. Not now. Not while their lives depended on each other’s.

After realizing what was going on, Drake tilted his head a bit to take a better look at Rainbow’s face until he noticed that her eye was patched up with soaking wet bloodied cotton. His eyes widened, his mouth a bit opened. “…” he tried to say something, pointing at her face with a shocked expression.

“I’m fine, Drake. J-just relax. We’re getting you out of here.” she answered painfully, her right eye slowly filling up with tears. “J-just...” she continued. She closed her eye and inhaled the air before opening it again with a frown. “Just hang on tight. I love you, you know that. Just hang on!”

Drake nodded with a sad expression as he panted, and nuzzled the back of her neck with his, holding her as tight as he could manage with the little energy he had.

“Jesus...” Citrine whispered, still with her guard up. “My brother was just an ordinary, unsecured guy... he’s not some hero that can take mental and physical torture and walk out of it unscathed.”

“Don’t underestimate him...” Twilight responded, sweating a bit with the struggle of maintaining the ward shield. “He’s capable... of many things...”

“Where the hell do these guy come from? It’s like he’s breeding an army down here!” Shouted Daring Do, pulling Citrine’s sword she got borrowed out of the flesh of one of the guard. “And watch our flank! We’re passing a crossroad. Rainbow and Shadowmere, you take care of anyone who tries to jump on us.”

Drake didn’t try to move. As much as he wanted to have his revenge on them and help his friends get out of there safely, he was in no condition to do so. He bit his lower lip in shame as he realized what a “hero” he was. Everyone thought so highly of him and there he was, Equestria’s mighty guard and legend, sucking on his hoof as his friends did the work.

Dashie shot a guy by our right with the gun she obtained once again from the boss they’d captured, while Shadowmere took care of the few enemies approaching from the left.

“I-I can’t...” Twilight suddenly mumbled, groaning and grunting a bit. “I can’t hold it for much longer!”

“Potion!” Citrine shouted, piercing an enemy with her Icy Spear spell. “Twilight needs a potion!”

“We’re out of potions.” Daring quickly shouted back, helping Reaper take down a well trained assassin dressed in all black. Daring Do recognised him. He was one of the guys that kidnapped Rainbow Dash and Drake from their apartment, and she was determined to see that bastard pay for what he had done.

Hoof hitting flesh, sword clashing sword and magic vaporizing to dust; both sides delivered their attacks viciously. The only difference is that the better team was stronger despite being fewer in numbers.

Drake squinted his eyes and watched as Reaper and Daring Do took out the black cloaked figure. Then he looked to the right and noticed that Citrine was by his side, constantly giving him a glance or two in between spells to make sure he was absolutely okay.

Drake gently gave his sister’s mane a few strokes and forced a smile, telling her with his facial expression that they was gonna be fine. Everything was gonna be just fine...

I couldn’t stop looking at our prisoner. The one who had been responsible for everything. The head of this organization. I thought about my options and deemed it justice that he did not deserve death. At least not yet. Death is too simple, too quick. Not enough suffering. Not enough pain. He’s getting the same treatment his brother got and he’ll be begging for death before we even start. But then I thought about it some more. I’m tired of pain and torture. Screw it, he’ll get a cell in the worst dungeon Equestria has to offer where he can rot, I’ll make sure of that.

“Okay, that was the last of those in our path. Twilight, where to next?” asked Daring Do loudly, panting a bit, but not wasting any time by going to the back to help Twilight and Sarah take care of the enemies that approached from there.

“Good job... everyone.” Shadowmere said, a little tired judging by his facial expression. The pink pony may not have looked like much, but he sure was heavy. And carrying him while everything was in chaos might not have been the easiest of jobs. He would much rather handle the combat, since he was trained to kill. But Reaper was more fit to be their tank, since he’s the biggest and could take in more pain than any of them all. That pony was incredible; it was like he was tailored to be a warmachine.

Twilight Sparkle didn’t have to focus on an energy shield anymore since all the remaining archers had been dealt with, so she quickly used her clairvoyance spell, drawing a line of blue energy along the floor which pointed to the exit.

The blue magical line pointed them towards a right turn, leading them into a familiar hallway. “I remember this place.” Shadowmere added. “We’re not far from the elevator. It’s just by the end of this hallway, if I’m not mistaken.”

Only one enemy remained. He suddenly stopped and lowered his weapon. Citrine and Daring Do slowly approached him with grins, making him run away in panic into the darkness.

Everyone let out a relieved sigh except Reaper, who did not show any reaction at all. “Don’t put your guard down.” he said. “We’re not out of this place yet.”

“This is a narrow hallway and we’ve taken out everyone on sight. I’m pretty sure we’re safe now.” Shadowmere meekly pointed out, breathing a little faster than before. “I can practically see the... wait... who’s that?”

Everyone turned around and looked towards the exit and noticed a shadow that definitely belonged to a pony. No one dared take another step forward, although they weren’t more scared than before. They had proven to be stronger than any of them, so one pony should not be a problem. “Step out of the darkness, miss.” Reaper shouted towards the shadow. “Although my associates cannot see you, I can. Step forward or I’ll make you step forward.”

At first the mysterious pony hesitated, probably considering her options. Would she run or would she reveal her appearance? She decided to go with the latter.

Out of the darkness stepped out a blue unicorn mare with monochrome mane dressed in a cape and with a pointy wizard hat coated with stars on her head. Her cutie mark was a wand with a star on the top and a quarter-moon of some sort. She did not smile, she did not say anything. She simply stared at the group with a smug smile, mainly at Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight gasped and almost jumped as she realized that it was her arch-enemy and nemesis, Trixie. “Is this the Dragonborn Rainbow Dash is carrying? Our great and powerful savior?” she shook her head slowly. “Can’t say I’m impressed.”

I wasn’t even surprised at her sudden appearance. I was on the verge of blacking out again and I could barely even hold my eyes open for much longer. I groaned in my weary, not even giving her a look.

“Trixie.” Twilight stepped forward with a small frown. “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t give me that look Twilight. No need to hold grudges.” Trixie sharply answered, holding her head just a tad higher than normal as if we were some peasants infected with diseases. “Trixie is here because of the Dragonborn.”

“Trixie? I’ve heard about you.” Citrine joined in, both a little surprised and excited at the same time.

“Of course you’ve heard about me.” she spat out somewhat offended, yet not giving much interest in her. “Now. The Dragonborn. The great and powerful Trixie need to speak to him.”

“He is in no fit to speak at the moment and if we don’t get out of here we will get jumped by the remaining thugs that are lurking in the dark. Let’s talk outside, shall we?” Rainbow added, not very thrilled at seeing her of all ponies again.

Trixie cocked her head. “Fair enough. Let us leave this forsaken place then.”

Everyone approached Trixie and the steel elevator, but my friends insisted that she went on ahead so they could keep their eyes on her. The last we needed was getting fooled by her and let her fuck everything up.

For a time while I was their prisoner I never thought I’d see the day I’d see the sun or breathe in fresh air again, but there I was, breathing in the cold breeze I was so familiar with. The smell I missed so much of trees and herbs filling my nose yet again, oh god, how I welcomed it. We managed to get out of there alive, and while I did not seem happy at all, I was bursting of joy from within. I knew I was in danger still, since there were still some scouts around and they could attack us from nowhere when we least expect it. Also the fact that my body was still aching of all the bad drugs they injected into me. But at that moment I didn’t really bother dwelling on those thoughts. I had a very limited ability to think and all I wanted was to contemplate about something beautiful. Something that would take my mind off this terrible place and bring me some more light in any form.

For a long while in the snow, but calm weather, my friends argued with Trixie about whether she could meet me or not. Twilight seemed to do most of the talking, refusing to allow her to get near me at all. Citrine had spent some time with me, checking if I was okay and if I needed medical treatments. While I actually needed them, I did not bother asking her for anything. Eventually, after I commanded her to, she left Rainbow and I alone. She joined their conversation and picked her side with Twilight about not wanting Trixie near me, while the pink guy who was responsible for everything lay on the ground unconscious next to Reaper who decided not to give a single fuck about Trixie or even us. Rainbow and I couldn’t care less at the moment. We were a little away from them, first of all focusing on each other. She put me down on a boulder I could lean against and encouraged me to stand up. It took some tries but in the end I managed to keep my shaky hooves on the ground without collapsing.

“There you go, honey.” she said, assisting me a bit. “There you go. Heh, you’re a tough son of a bitch, did you know that?” I smiled feebly, barely managing to keep my eyes on her. I slowly shook my head, but then I suddenly felt for unbalance. I quickly threw myself at the boulder and prevented myself from falling. I blushed a bit and coughed, my throat still killing me. “Yes you are! No one would’ve survived what they did to you. Yet here you stand victorious!”

Since I couldn’t respond with words, I answered her by gesturing with my limbs. I cocked an eyebrow and pointed at the bloodied cotton on her left eye and then at the gun that was still strapped on her hoof, indicating that she was a tough son of a bitch. She never even whined about her agonizing pain she must have been in.

Rainbow peered her right eye slightly at me with a small smile and got near, pressing her body up against me. I leaned my body on hers and let her carry me as I hugged her tightly. I hugged as tight as I could manage and she did the same to me. After realizing that we were finally into each others’ arms again, we both shed tears. I gnashed my teeth and firmly pressed my eyelids together as I wetted her nape with my tears. She did the same to me.

This had been a very, very tough, emotional and physical journey neither of us asked for and we were finally out of harm’s way, we had realized.

Despite those very slim survival odds, despite all the despair and all the misery they put us through... we were still alive. Always we were alive.

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Dovahkiin Ponyborn

Mature Rated Fiction

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