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.

Next Chapter: Chapter 13: An Unforgotten Past - Part 1 Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 19 Minutes