A Sanguine Dawn

by DualSoul1423

First published 20th of January, 2013

What happens when a pegasus raised for war moves to Ponyville to escape his blooded past? Romance, drama, and even a little bit of comedy in between. (Not a bleedin' 40k fic, ya grot munchaz.)

(ATTENTION: STORY IS CANCELLED AND AWAITING REMASTERY)

I am Red Storm, son of Red Wing, and heir to the Sanguine Throne. For centuries, our kingdom has thrived in prosperity and peace, but since my father's rise to power, things have changed. War has erupted across the lands, and blood flows beneath my hooves.
A wise stallion once told me:
'Blood is the vessel of the soul, and the mind is the vessel of the heart. Without one, you are lost. But if you lack both, you are no better than the damned.'
Let me be damned, for there is nothing for me in this life but bloodshed and deceit, and damnation is preferable to the evil that is this life. Let me flee this accursed land and seek a new life, one pure of sin and terror. A new life, in a new land; one where my father cannot find me. Overseas and far away, where the lands are rich with life and color.
Now, what is this? Perhaps a new begining? A new home?
No. Something better.
Kindness.

Rated Teen for Mild Language, Mild Sexual Themes, and Mild Blood and Gore.
(Awesome cover by Genbu!)

Foreword

Firstly, I must thank you for choosing my story before the thousands that you could have chosen. Secondly, this story isn't actually "Grimdark" Dark, but it does have some underlying Dark bits. Therefore, you shouldn't mind the "Dark" tag too much.
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I said "Dark" too much.

Another thing. This is a story involving a lot of purposely placed plot holes, meant for filling later. Don't nag me. Most are planned. Some are intentional. On that note, unless someone has already noted a plot hole in the comments, don't bother. It's a waste of perfectly good electrons. But do make comments about your opinions and thoughts. They're fun to read, and I will always personally reply to them. Fun comments and feedback are never a waste of electrons.

Oh. And also, this is two things. Firstly, my third story I have ever written. Secondly, it is designed to be a challenge to myself, to create a memorable story with a cliched plot and characters. Obviously, I'm adding some original ideas and plot devices, but more or less, this is going to be your standard "Prince humbled and enlightened" story. Like the the tale of the Buddha. But with ponies. And war. And demigods. And lots of homosexual undertones.
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Anywhoo... yeah. If you don't like the idea of this, click away. You tease.
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Oh. You're still here. Cool.

Also, unlike many fan-fictions on the web, this one will have short chapters, but lots of them. I am planning on having 50 500-5000 word chapters, increasing in length as time wears on. Cause I'm a lazy fuck. Several more little things I must cover are the possibility of “Lemons” in my story. I may or may not have erotic scenes, but most likely not. If I ever do, I will inform you, the reader, of their presence at the beginning of their respective chapter. More likely, I will post those chapters in another side-story. Likely on my co-author's profile.

Lastly, I will be making dozens, if not hundreds of references to pop culture, history, and things of the like. Try to spot them, if you can… that covers it (I think), so stop reading my ramblings and get on with the story, my fellow Brony/Pegasister!
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Thanks for reading all that! :3

Author's Notes:

Author's Author's Note Note: After much debate and discussion, I have convinced my co-author that lemons are not necessary for this story. Her disappointment is palpable, yet the decision is for the better.

Further Update: A fellow brony on youtube wished to be advertised by me, and so I will. You can find his game walkthroughs and whatnot here. Please lend your support to a fellow member of the herd, and I will always shoutout to bronies and pegasisters if you ask. /) Brohoof to him, and visit him please.

Update. Again: My good friend Lophane has started a story, but he is lacking support. His story is even better than this one, so check it out here. I hope you enjoy this story, and his too!

Hard Landing

I pumped my jet-black wings harder as the wind blew faster, slowing me down, if not sending me backwards. In a storm like this, I began to guess if I was still on the right track. All I knew is that I couldn't land now, as a huge forest lay below me. Lightning flashed in the distance, my golden carapace shining in the light. At least, I thought it was a forest. I couldn't see very well through the rain and blinding winds. All I knew was that landing at these speeds into trees could prove to be fatal, demigod or not. My red and black striped hair flew into my eyes, and I had to throw back my head to clear my vision.

*FLASH*

'That one almost hit me. What in Luna’s name was the weather team thinking, putting together a storm like this?' I squinted through the storm, trying desperately to see any point of light. I was headed to Canterlot, but any village or town will do for now. And no matter what land one hails from, lights mean someone is home.

*FLASH*

'Again, too close for comfort. Maybe wearing metal armour in a lighting storm was a poor decision on my part. In hindsight, perhaps leaving my home in the first place was a bad idea. But the evil that we were committing… that was truly unaccepta-'

*FLASH*

Searing pain gripped me, from my tail tip to my nose. I quickly seized up, the electricity from the lightning strike pulling my muscles taught. I began to fall, faster and faster as gravity took its hold on me, and my vision started to blur. “Damn” was all that could escape my lips as I hurdled to the ground. The lightning was incapacitating, but not lethal; another perk of being a member of the Sanguine Nobility. Now, about that fall…

I built speed as gravity took its hold on me. The trees grew clearer as they grew closer. Closer and closer they came and right before I thought I would feel the sharp branches rend my flesh they suddenly disappeared. Below me now was a large clear field of grass.

‘Great,’ I thought; ’Now instead of being shredded by the trees, I get to hit the hard ground.’ That was the last sarcastic thought I had time for before I got to meet the ground personally.

*THOOM*

The first impact brings my mind forward again as the bones in my left wing shatters, leaving a crater in the ground. But, thanks to physics, I get to bounce instead of stopping.

*THOOM*
'ow.'
*THOOM*
'OW.'
*THOOM*
'OW!'

I finally stop. I opened my eyes, and I see that I’m lying in a crater about a meter in diameter. Then the pain hits me like a train, a train that then backed up and hit me again. Little else in my life compared to the pain I was feeling at this moment. I was certain that while my wing was broken, I had many other injuries and broken bones. I begin to black out, the only thing I see is a light in the distance. Just as my eyes were closing, they snapped open. ‘A light! Salvation!’ I thought as I struggled to stand up, fighting the urge to cry out. I squinted through the rain, seeing a faint light ahead… nay, not one, but many. ‘A small town… or a home with windows… in this weather, it is impossible to tell.’ I flinch as another wave of pain comes in. Gritting my teeth I turned around, as I had the urge to look at the destruction I had caused from my crash landing. I looked behind me to see three craters, easily visible even through the rain. The furthest was easily 7 meters in diameter, the second about 5, and the third about 3. Water was pooling in each one slowly as I thought, ‘The landscaper’s going to have a fit.’

I began to trudge through the mud and rain, my once golden armour caked with filth. My left wing hung limply by my side, dyed scarlet as I made my way to the light, becoming dizzy from blood loss and likely a concussion. ‘To do list: One. Get to the pretty lights. Two Pass out. Three. Find an apothecary. Four. Drug up on pain killers until I pass out again. No real reason to go to an infirmary for something that can heal on its own.’ The lights I saw earlier belonged to a small hut, whose windows were open allowing the light out. I limped to the door and raised my hoof. I knocked three times and stood there, waiting. I heard shuffling inside before the door opened, revealing a buttermilk mare with aqua blue eyes. Given different circumstances, I might have complimented her beauty, but now was not a good time, myself dying and all. She looked at me once, before her eyes went wide and she screamed.

“And good evening to you too, miss,” I said before collapsing. The last thing I saw was a seemingly annoyed rabbit at the mare’s heel. Then everything went to black as I lost consciousness…

My Loving Sister

Memories… and darkness. But mostly darkness. Am I dead? I think I’m dead. Or dying. They do say that your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. Let us see here… embarrassing moment… embarrassing moment… REALLY embarrassing moment… ah… something happy…

I’m in the courtyard of Red Mane Keep with my sister. Scarlet Rain, my older sister… yes, I remember how nice she was to me. Her glossy black coat shined in the sunlight as her purple and black mane blew in the wind. Her bright violet eyes glistened as she charged up another shot. Her horn glowed bright orange before she let the shot loose. I flew up above, deftly dodging the shots. As each one misses, I hear the impact on a wall behind me, each shot shattering hardened stone bricks like glass. Each shot could easily hurt me, but we weren’t fighting, we were playing. Our father Red Wing had us spar 8 hours a day, but we had been doing it since we were foals, and sparring seemed like a game at this point. Another explosion of stone sounded, directing my attention back to my sister.

She fired another rapid volley of concussion blasts, and I dodged to the right, down, right, left, then up. She was immensely powerful compared to normal unicorns, but “average” for a Sanguine Family unicorn. The only ponies that could cast greater magic were our mother, Scarlet Glimmer, and the Three Princesses themselves. Powerful magic was just another perk of being a Sanguine Noble.

She fired faster and faster until it was nearly impossible to distinguish two bursts apart. However, where my sister had power, I had dexterity and speed. I ducked, dodge, rolled, and twisted, but a single blast struck home, dead center of my chest. Thank Luna I was wearing my armour. I flew backwards into a wall, smashing into it with enough force to break a pony’s back, obliterating the stone.

*CRACK*

The sound of shattering stone echoed through the morning air. As I rose to my hooves, my sister came trotting up to me, giggling as she neared. Not mockingly so, just in a friendly way.

“Come now, brother. I didn’t hit you that hard, just hard enough to crush a boulder. You’ve been through worse, even without your enchanted armour.” I looked up to my elder sibling, grinning.

“I’m tired of getting shot at. Why don't we WRESTLE?” I lunged at the unicorn, hooves up, battering her as she tried her best to block the blows. We began to wrestle in the dirt, each missed blow causing showers of dirt. After several minutes we stopped, the both of us bruised and weary.

“Dear brother,” my sister began, “I am four years older than you and still you make me look weak in a fight!” She finished with a laugh, and I quickly joined in. Suddenly, a thundering boom sounded, signaling summons.

“Oh my, it appears we have been at it all morning. It’s time for lunch, brother. Let us go meet mother and father in the Great Hall and see what the chefs have prepared for us.” She giggled before adding: “And if the food isn’t to our liking, like last night, we can always feed the chef to the hounds!” Scarlet Rain started to laugh gleefully, but I simply nodded with a frown. I liked that chef, and I still think the food was fine. The two of us began to trot indoors as the memory faded to black.

I suddenly feel something pressing my side, but at the same time, it’s a numb feeling. At least I can feel anything. That tells me that I’m not dead. I strain to open my eyes, and an unexpected sight appears before me. I appear to be on a bed, on my back, looking up. All I see for a moment is blinding light. Then, I see an Angel, looking down at me.

Author's Notes:

Quick little diddy, Here are the codes for the pony creator for Red Storm and his sister Scarlet Rain, in case anyone REALLY had to know how they look. Could just be me though.
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=pony+creator#/d47efz4 = link
451P1O5010191919FFC49D00000EAFE00NN1837203000001U1000000FE00000L107F3FCC004CB2 = Red Storm
4G3P000100111111FE171700A01B412FERH18370030200005100052D7300FE05107F3FCC004CB2 = Scarlet Rain
Just a little touch of OCD. You never know, y'know?

Two Angels and a Stallion

I lay staring at this beautiful sight for a moment, taking in the Angel's features. She had beautiful blue eyes and a long, flowing pink mane. Her coat was of a light yellow buttermilk color and her features were soft. This however, did not dampen my surprise. I quickly got up from the bed without thinking, wincing from the pain of moving so fast while so badly injured. The Angel stood there, gawking, mouth open and eyes wide. I looked around the room, trying to take advantage of her distraction to gain as much information as possible. I appeared to be in the cottage that I collapsed at, the “Angel” being the mare who answered the door. i felt like I was wearing bandages in several places, and a quick glance proved it. Notably my injured wing was wrapped tightly and in a sling. I was also naked… but so was the mare. I turn to the “Angel” without warning, causing her to jump. I clear my throat before saying:

“I am only going to ask this once… Who are you, where am I, how long was I out, and why am I naked?” I thought about it before adding, “And why are you naked, if I might ask?”

The mare stood there, shivering. Her aqua eyes slowly shrank as I tapped my hoof on the ground impatiently. Finally, she gestured with her eyes to somewhere behind me. I slowly turned around, keeping my eyes on the mare before looking. There, on the floor, were several pillows with my armour in pieces on top. She clearly recognized their value, but did not make away with them.

I nodded to her before making my way over to them, intent on dressing myself. However, after taking just a few steps, I collapsed onto the ground, my legs giving out. I grit my teeth, hissing in pain. My injuries were far worse than I initially expected. However, even now I could feel my bones mending and my flesh stitching itself together.

“EEEP!” The mare flew to my side, obviously worried for me. “Oh please don’t move!” she squeaked, barely audible, “You’re hurt! You mustn’t move!”

I looked over my shoulder at her, eyes burning. I stood up slowly, causing her to cower down. I then slowly said:

“I. Just. DID.”

The mare quickly scooted away into the nearest corner, scared senseless. It quickly became apparent to me that not only was she the most skittish pony I had ever seen, but I was also being rather asinine to the mare who saved my life. I turned my back to my armour and faced the shivering mare, (who I just now realized to be a Pegasus) and I took a few steps closer. I then straightened up, inhaled deeply, and softened my gaze.

“I must apologize for my inappropriate manner,” I began softly, “But I can’t help but feel alarmed when I wake up from what appears to have been a coma, naked, in a strange mare’s home. Pray tell, what is your name, Miss…?”

“F-f-Fluttershy,” She breathed, eyes locked onto mine.

“Miss Fluttershy, I do again apologize, as we appear to have gotten off on the wrong hoof.” I then took a few steps away from her, and that seemed to have allowed her to relax… a little.

“I am Red Storm, son of Red Wing, and heir to the Sanguine Throne. Now, if I may ask again, where am I, and how long was I out of consciousness?” the mare stood a bit taller now, but was still uneasy. She took a deep breath, and then began:

“You are in my home in the outskirts of Ponyville, near the Everfree forest. Ponyville is part of the Equestrian Empire, ruled by Princess Celestia and her younger sister, Princess Luna. You were in a coma for almost three days, and I thought you were going to die. You definitely have a broken wing, lots of bone fractures and minor lacerations, but you may also have a concussion.” The mare stopped to take a breath before continuing:

“I was afraid to take you to a hospital in your condition, and I didn’t want to leave you alone to get help in case you woke up or something happened. The storm you arrived in stopped yesterday, and would you like something to eat for breakfast?” As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. We both looked at each other uneasily, but after a moment I nodded. She then bowed her head slightly and hurried away, presumably to the kitchen.

I looked around the room again, but this time I saw something that surprised me. Along the wall near my armour were dozens of small woodland creatures, crammed into a corner. Every last one of them had a look of horror on their faces. I looked to my right and saw a mirror, instantly realizing why they were acting like that.

I looked like a corpse that just climbed out of my grave. My coat was stained red in some places, brown in others, and ruffled in all other places. My mane was doing no better, and upon closer inspection, my bandages were dirty and hastily put on, dyed a sickly yellow from infectious fluid. However, the worst was my once handsome face. My eyes were bloodshot, my nose and mouth circled with dried blood, and I had a thick layer of dirt along my cheek.

“Wow” was all I could say as I forced down the urge to gag. I must give Miss Fluttershy credit for even being able to look at me, let alone perform first aid on me. Then I heard tapping below me. I looked down to see that same rabbit that I saw before passing out standing before me. He had a scornful expression on his mug, and his left hind leg was tapping the floor, front legs crossed. ‘His courage is certainly larger than his wit,’ I thought. I leaned in close to him and made a savage look, baring my teeth and staring into his very soul. His will held strong however, as he just stood there. Glaring.

“You have earned my respect, small one.” I said to him before turning away and looking for where Miss Fluttershy had gone. I found her in the kitchen, in a floral apron preparing breakfast. I cleared my throat to attain her attention before asking:

“Excuse me Miss Fluttershy, but you wouldn’t happen to have a shower that I may use, would you?” She looks at me sheepishly before quietly responding:

“Yes, I do. It’s upstairs to the left, your highness.” This made me pause. I looked at her and smiled.

“Thank you. And please, just ‘Red Storm’ is more than sufficient.”

Talking Over Breakfast

I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling much better. Since my wounds were properly dressed I felt that much more presentable. I slung my towel over my shoulder as the steam from my shower drifted onto the floor. I then adjusted my clean bandages, and attempted to brush my mane back, to no avail. ‘I might need a mane-cut soon,’ I thought distastefully. I had always had a long mane, but cutting it shorter could keep it from blowing in my face during flight… like during that storm. Tilting my head back as I inhaled deeply, my nostrils were met with an intoxicating variety of scents; including fruits, leafy greens, grains, and a few other things I couldn’t quite make out. I reminded myself that I was now in a foreign land that no doubt was home to exotic plants I had never seen before.

I made my way to the kitchen and there I saw quite the sight. Before me was dozens of plates and platters with food of all sorts, some I had never even seen before, stacked onto a small table. I gawked at the display, and turned to the mare who stood near the table, pawing the ground with her hoof. She looked up for a moment and saw my surprise and averted her gaze again before beginng to explain herself:

“I’m sorry, Mr. Prince Red Storm. I had never had royalty over before, so I decided to prepare a little of everything.” She stared shyly at the ground, not knowing what to expect from me. She jumped when I broke out laughing. I quickly made my way to the table, bowing my head before saying:

“Miss Fluttershy, I’m sorry for not making this clear, but I do not wish to be treated like royalty. The flashy introduction is simply second nature to me, but I would certainly prefer if you treated me as an equal, and I will try to do the same. It would likely be better that way.” She nodded slowly to this, still obviously nervous regardless of my calmer demeanor.

“Despite my poor first impressions, I would like for you to just treat me like a normal stallion, ok?” I said while smiling lightly. The mare before me meekly nodded with in return. I then nudged the mare over to the table, setting a chair for her. Once she sat down, I sat on another chair across from her.

I could hardly see her over the mounds of food she had prepared, but something did catch my eye. I saw that the rabbit had seated himself next to Fluttershy. I began:

“Pray tell, what is that creature?” I said, gesturing to the rabbit. “He shows no fear towards me like the other animals do, and he persists on making rather rude gestures at me.” Fluttershy straightened up to see me over the food before speaking:

“Oh, that’s Angel. He can be a hoof-full at times, but he is really a dear once you get to know him.” I looked again at the rabbit, who then began to shake his head before miming the act of slitting one’s throat and pointing at me.

“Indeed,” I said as I turned my attention back to Fluttershy. “Quite the… charmer.” She smiled innocently and moved her hoof as to indicate for me to start.

“Please, after you, Miss Fluttershy,” I said, trying my best to sound polite, if not friendly.

“Oh! Why thank you,” she said, before serving herself, trying her best to cover up her forming blush. I then began to sift through the mounds myself before spotting something. Wheat cakes. I snatched up three of them and without thinking dug into them losing myself, much to Fluttershy’s shock. Stopping myself at her expression, I patted my mouth with a napkin, blushing before speaking:

“I apologize for that savage display. I have not had wheat cakes in almost ten years, due to a rather strict diet my father had proposed back home. I am also quite famished, and the favorite food in front of a starving stallion is just asking for an empty platter.” The yellow pegasus just nodded, as if trying to understand. I added a few more wheat cakes and tied my napkin around my neck before beginning to cut and eat them more formally when she spoke:

“So, Red Storm, what exactly brings you here to Equestria?”

I paused for a moment, not expecting the question. I knew it would be coming, but not at this nice moment. I sat there, chewing slowly while I thought of a way to tackle this with some tact. I put down my utensils and said:

“I am looking for a new place to settle, as I did not like my life back home. I put on my armour, took some bits, and started flying. Honestly, I was headed for Canterlot, but that wretched storm landed me here.” I chuckled lightly, but Fluttershy looked on inquisitively.

“You said you were a prince. How was your past life not enjoyable?” I frowned slightly, realizing my blatant error. If I never mentioned the royalty I could have passed for a soldier. ‘Damnit. I set myself up for that one.’

“My father is not like your Princesses. He is a... warlord, so to speak. He trained my sister and me for battle, every day since we could speak. And I know what you’re thinking; ‘Oh but you’re the HEIR. You can’t just run away from that responsibility!’ Well, I actually can. When I left, my sister became heir sibling. I just keep the title because if I were ever to go back, I could easily take the throne, even if she were ruling at the time. Not like I ever will.” The yellow mare just nodded. I mentally kicked myself for such foalish explanation. I was getting nowhere fast. I picked up my silverware again and took another bite as she asked:

“How come I’ve never heard of your family?” Pausing again, I thought more carefully about my next words. Swallowing my mouthful, I replied:

“I’m not surprised. We only have influence in our lands, and we are also overseas. My family rose to power during the Great Nightmare Moon catastrophe, because... she actually enlisted my ancestors in the takeover of our half of the world. She failed on her front, but she made us powerful enough to build a kingdom out of ours. We actually are considered some of the best and most powerful rulers in our country’s history, which makes sense as nopony had ever rebelled. In theory, we could invade if my father cared enough, but he is too busy dealing with civil skirmishes around the kingdom itself.” She just nodded again as I finished my meal with some vegetables. After we were both done eating, I helped her wash the dishes and wrap up the leftovers.

We sat in silence, sipping tea in the living room together on her couch. After about ten minutes of this, she spoke up.

“I should let you know, I have friends in town I could introduce you to. And I’m sure there’s plenty of work you could do as well, after that storm and all.” I thought about it. Meeting new ponies and helping out are essential to make a standing for myself in this new community. I put down my tea and nodded with a smile.

“Yes… I think I would like that very much.”

The Blue Baron

As Fluttershy gathered herself and cleaned up her coat and mane, I began to put on my armour. I first put on the chainmail under garb, but while putting on the Carapace, I decided against the idea. 'I’m trying to make friends, not followers.’ As I put it back down, I saw the small, blood-red ruby in the center of the chest. The ruby was cut with extreme skill and was in a teardrop shape. But seeing the ruby reminded me of my Cutie Mark. I spun around to look at my flank, and when I saw it I sighed.

The Cutie Mark showed a golden shield with a sanguine droplet in its center. ‘Anypony with knowledge of ancient history and kingdoms will recognize that mark… oh well. Nothing I can do about it,’ I thought glumly. ‘Let’s just hope none of Fluttershy’s friends are bookworms.’

I met the yellow mare at the door, where she was waiting. I noticed that as before, she wore nothing. I realized that she had not answered my question from earlier, so I asked her about this matter again, saying:

“Pray tell Miss Fluttershy, why don’t you ever wear any form of dress?” The mare blushed in response before saying:

“Well, I guess you can say that Ponyville is a nudist colony. Nopony here ever dresses unless it’s for something special. Other places like Manehattan and Canterlot would frown on upon the idea, but we usually keep to ourselves.” I nodded at this, and then thought about removing my clothing. I shrugged before removing my under garb. I could have sworn Fluttershy’s eyes went wide as I undid the fastenings, but when I looked at her, she was facing away. When I was finished, I folded up the mail and laid it next to the rest of my armour.

"Very well then. I have no desire to stand out. So I suppose I shall simply follow your local traditions." I paused, half-frowning. "No matter how... alien they may be to me." As I walked back to the door, Fluttershy opened it for me, gesturing that I should go first. I instead took the door, and gestured for her to go first. She went ahead, nodding in thanks, and I then followed. I took the keys from her and locked the door. As I handed her back the keys, I heard a very faint but distinct whistling sound. I knew this sound well, from every time I flew at high speeds. My eyes went wide, as I feared the worse. I jumped over to Fluttershy and pushed her to the ground. Unfortunately, that’s all I had time for.

“Halloa! Below there! Lookout, LOOKOUT!” were the last things I heard before something smashed into my left side with incredible force. Upon impact, I heard and felt my wing break again. Tears welled up in my eyes as I was flung to the ground, with my assailant soaring over me. ‘Wow… this hurts more than a little bit. At least it's not as bad as the first time…’ I sat up, wiping my eyes from the accumulated tears and trying my best not to scream bloody murder… at least for Fluttershy’s sake… ‘Fluttershy! I had just thrown her to the ground, forgetting my strength! I could have killed her! I could have-‘

“Oh my goodness, Red Storm! Are you ok?” My mind slowed back to normal, hearing the squeaking voice behind me. I turned around to face the owner, and relived to see that she seemed ok.

“Peachy,” I breathed, still trying to swallow my agony. I got up, and looked her over. She seemed unscathed, except her once straight, well combed mane was now a bit frizzled. Oh well. Better than a compressed ribcage any day. Then, to my right, I heard a mare yell:

“That. Was. AWESOME!... But I probably should have pulled up sooner…” I looked to my right and saw a pegasus mare with a neon blue coat, magenta eyes, and an unusual rainbow-colored mane trotting towards us. From her build I could clearly tell she was an athlete, and a strong flier too. I found it a touch odd that she seemed fine from the crash but I brushed the thought aside. I was more angry with her than anything.

“Who are you? What were you doing flying like that?” I demanded, furious over the mare’s lack of responsibility, endangering myself and Fluttershy. She looked up to me, confused expression on her face. I quickly realized that this must be normal for her, and she was genuinely confused if not sorry.

“Whoa, sorry. I was trying out a new stunt,” she said. “Heyy… I’ve never seen you before! Name’s Rainbow Dash. I see you’ve already met Fluttershy."

“Red Storm, this is one of my friends that I wanted you to meet,” Fluttershy said, smiling. I blinked a few times, surprised that the quiet Fluttershy would associate herself with a mare of this caliber. But then I remembered to introduce myself, even if I was still a bit annoyed.

“I am Red Storm, son of-" I stopped myself, making a silent reminder to stop that. I chuckled “Sorry. Old habits die harder than a Germane.” Upon saying this, both mares looked at me sideways, rather confused. I quickly realized that this expression was probably foreign to them.

“It’s a thing from my homeland… A joke, I suppose but... never mind.” Everypony stared at each other awkwardly until Rainbow Dash saw my good wing. Her expression changed from confused to excited in an instant, and the fire re-lit in her eyes.

“Hey! You’re a Pegasus too! We should race sometime!” I turned to my right so she could see my now-bleeding left wing, vermilion dying the bandages. It certainly looked worse than it really was. “Oh…Oh! Did I do that? Oh man, I am SORRY! I will make it up to you! I promise!” I just shrugged.

“Oh well. Accidents happen. No need to go and start saying you owe me for something so insignificant. “ The mare stared at me, gawking at my indifference of the fact she just re-broke my wing. She then just sighed and said:

“Well… alright. But at least promise me we’ll race when your wing is healed, ok?” Her eyes wore a look of regret, but behind them was a fire of passion burning… maybe fire is inaccurate. Perhaps an inferno is a better word to use. It reminded me of my youth, for better or worse.

“You’re on,” I stated plainly, grinning widely and abandoning my formal form of speech. I quickly added with a blush however, “Though, you should know… I’m a bit of a weak flyer. My wing power average is only a sixteen-point-five.” I smiled meekly, but was surprised when the two mare’s jaws dropped.

“A sixteen-point-five wing power average?!?” Rainbow Dash bawled, “That’s the same as my average! And you’re trying to tell me that you’re SLOW? I’m the fastest in Equestria!” Fluttershy then joined in:

“That’s more than four times my average! How could you ever think that you’re slow?” I looked at each mare, blinking. Then I burst out laughing.

“I say that I’m slow because my father, Red Wing, has a top speed that is at least ten times that of my own! He is so fast, that when we tried to measure his top speed, the wing power meter was utterly destroyed!” Immediately after saying this, however, my smile turned to a frown, as I then remembered my reason for leaving. The two mares stared in disbelief. Rainbow Dash then broke the silence by saying:

“WELL! This just means I’m gonna need to train my tail off! Where’s Micks when you need him…” And without further ado, she took off, her air displacement showing she was going at least a dozen wingpower upon takeoff. Once the cyan blue Pegasus was out of sight, I turned to Fluttershy and asked:

“So, I suppose that that’s one ‘friend’ down; who’s next?”

Author's Notes:

Now I know what you're thinking; "Oh my! Red Storm is as fast as Rainbow Dash? Booo! This fanfic suddenly sucks!" This is not so. One of many plot devices... and very well planned ones, at that... And NO by "plot devices" I dont mean a contraption for a pony's rump... you sick-minded individual, you. Well, anyways, read on if you're not tired of me yet.

The Voice In My Head

Fluttershy told me that the next friend she wanted to meet was a mare named “Rarity”, as that was her next best friend, and she lived nearby on the way to the rest of her friends. As we trotted through the town headed for what Fluttershy called the Carousel Boutique, which is apparently Rarity’s home and clothing store.

“I think the two of you will get along very well,” Fluttershy began. “Rarity is classical in nature, like you are. She also uses a lot of the vocabulary you do, and she is also really into politics and other things like that. I have a feeling that the two of you will be getting along rather well…” Fluttershy seemed especially shy in saying this, as if she were left out somehow. Seeing this, I took action, saying:

“Perhaps, but I’m sure that she is nowhere as charming as you are, Miss Fluttershy I do say that however similar in nature to me this Rarity may be, I'm sure that she shall not trump your allure.” She squeaked, blushing at my remark before responding:

“Oh, please, really. There’s no need for that. And you can just call me ‘Fluttershy’.” I got down on my knees as knightly as possible, head down and my tail flat before saying slyly:

“But of course, m’lady. Your will be done.” We then both laughed at this, before continuing. Fluttershy began to try to make small talk about weather, but I hardly heard the mare as we continued, as not only was she speaking rather quietly again, but mainly because how busy the town was… in a weird way. Everypony was working today, trying to repair all the damages caused by the storm; patching holes in walls and roofs, replacing broken windows, and cleaning debris. The reason why this was weird is not the activities being preformed, but the way they were doing them. For some unfathomable reason, everypony was singing and dancing as they worked, all in sync, not a single step faltered, not a single lyric missed; not by anypony. I asked Fluttershy about this. She thought about it for a moment, before saying:

“Honestly, I’m not sure. This sort of thing happens every time there’s a big project or event. It was going on as a tradition long before I came to town. I think it’s because almost everypony in town knows each other, and because everypony is just really friendly.” I simply nodded, most of my attention focused on watching the spectacle before me. What really surprised me is how much work they were getting done in this fashion. In the time it took for us to trot past, they had rebuilt a fence and swapped all the windows in a house, while singing a cheery (and rather catchy) tune.

We continued walking, and as we did, Fluttershy would point out places of interest, such as Town Hall, the local spa, and a new restaurant that had just opened called the “Cat’s Eye Café”. She also told me the names of many ponies as we walked by them, waving when they saw us. She pointed out Miss Lyra Heartstrings and her marefriend Bon-Bon Sweetie Drops; a strange stallion that went by the name “Doctor Hooves”; a carrot vender named Golden Harvest (nicknamed “Carrot Top”); and the odd couple Octavia And Vinyl Scratch, the local cellist and Disc-Jockey. What was especially odd about them as a couple was that Octavia had her tail and mane well groomed, and stood with a perfect posture. Vinyl Scratch however, had a wild mane and tail, and was slouching slightly. She was also wearing dark violet shades. ‘I can’t help but wonder how two totally different ponies could live together, let alone court each other… then again, I don’t even know them, so who am I to judge?’ I then heard Fluttershy begin to talk again, so I turned back to her.

“Well, there it is, up ahead,” the mare said, pointing to a building that did in fact resemble a boutique made from a carousel. “And one more thing: Rarity may be tempted to give you a ‘makeover’ when she first sees you. And don’t worry; she does that to everypony who’s new in town. Don’t fight it; it’s easier to just go with it.” She finished with a small smile as we trotted to the door. I returned the smile as I opened the door for her as made our way inside. However, as I walked in behind her, I heard a faint voice behind me say:

“How so very cute.”

Black Knight, White Princess

As we entered the boutique, my eyes were greeted with the greatest thing I have seen since I had left home. Genuine fashion. As I traveled many lands, making few stops, something I had not seen was a good taste in fashion. Many ponies were draped in rags that passed for clothing in almost every village or town that I stopped in. Here in Ponyville, I was shocked to find that everypony was actually nude. But here, I found dozens of beautiful suits and dresses, all at surprisingly affordable prices. I found it ironic that the one place that offers such wares on a farmer’s salary was in a nudist colony. I trotted around the room, admiring the elegance and care of each unique outfit and even the decor of the building itself. I could tell that this Rarity character was truly an artist who took great pride in her special talent, as well as her work. Soon however, I realized that Fluttershy was speaking to me, trying to get me to focus again. Then, I heard a delightful voice sound from the next room over.

“Hold on, please! I’m busy at the moment! I will be right out! Do please look at the displays while you wait!”

I obliged, returning to gaze at the several suits on display, awed at their attention to detail, every seam made with the skill of an artisan. Most were simple black tuxedos, but some were unique suits, ranging from grey to pale blue, or maroon to violet. The dresses outshined everything however, many made with the finest silks, threads, and adorned with gems of all shapes and colours. Some were so beautiful, so stunning, that they could have only been made for nobility. This realization proven by the price tag. 2000 bits for a sapphire-gemmed dress that also had frills along the edges. Very nice, but very expensive. Unfortunately, my browsing came to an abrupt end when the mare who spoke earlier came out of her back room.

I instantly had the urge to get down my knees and recite poetry, an urge I thankfully fought down. Before me stood a simply stunning mare, one who rivaled her artisan wares in beauty. She was a unicorn, and her coat was a pure white, not a particle of dust or dirt on it. Her mane and tail were both a gorgeous purple colour and were clearly well-groomed. She also had eyes as blue as the diamond cutie marks on her flank… 'Wow. That is a nice flank.' a voice chirpedin my head. I shook my head briefly to rid myself of the thought. 'No need to go lusting for a mare whom you just met,' I thought to myself before shaking my head again. I look up again to see her giving Fluttershy a friendly hug. I quickly make my way over and introduce myself to this new and stunning mare.

“You must be Miss Rarity, the mare that Fluttershy brought me here to meet,” I said, hiding my awe like a professional, “My name is Red Storm, and it a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The white unicorn turned to me, and jumped back in horror.

“Oh my!” she started, “It’s nice to meet you too darling, but we really must do something about your MANE. It’s… it’s… DREADFUL!” I blinked a few times before looking up at my mane. All that seemed wrong with it was that it wasn’t combed like it normally was, and perhaps a bit long. She picked me up with her magic before sitting me down in a nearby barber’s chair. A gown was then thrown over me and before I knew it, she was giving me a manecut. I looked at Fluttershy, who just shrugged and smiled weakly. As odd as it may have been, I sat patiently through the ordeal. Fluttershy did, after all, forewarn me of Rarity's tendency to give out "Makeovers". After about five minutes, the chair was spun around and she began to work on my tail. I simply sat there, back straight, staring forward, like a statue. After another five minutes, Rarity said:

“Dooo-ne!” Rarity crooned as the gown was removed, and a broom floated over and began to sweep the floor. I got up, and a large oval mirror was floated in front of me. I looked into it, and saw that my mane was much shorter, as it was almost non-existent around my neck, and it didn’t have as much length to the top either. However, with the shorter mane, she managed to spike my mane up at the front, in a rather appealing way. It was also just generally neater, with just as much attention to detail as her outfits. No hair was out of place nor longer than any other around it. She had also shortened my tail, but didn’t seem to have altered it in any other way besides brushing it straighter than before. I looked over to Rarity, who stood there, facial expression showing that she wanted my opinion. I looked at my reflection again, taking a moment to truly appreciate the work she had done. I was certainly far better looking than before.

“It’s perfect, Miss Rarity. I don’t believe I have ever had a manecut this marvelous. Thank you.” The white unicorn grinned widely at this, before trotting back into the center of the room, head high, saying:

“Well, one can only expect perfection from moi! And don’t you worry about a fee, that one is on me.” She said, fluttering her eyelashes. She then turned back around to face Fluttershy, a look of glee on her face. “Now, remind me, what is it you came here for?”

“Well, we had come here so that I could introduce you to Red Storm,” Fluttershy said, “Seeing as he is new here in town, I had suggested that he should make some friends around here. You being one of my own closest friends, I thought to start with you.” Fluttershy paused before adding "Although we did bump into Rainbow Dash on the way over. Or rather, she flew into us." Rarity tilted her head to one side as if to think about this, before turning to me and saying:

“That makes sense. Well, anyway, if you don’t mind, I need to ask you to leave. As pleasant as it was to meet you, Red Storm, I have much work that needs to get done. A very big order for a wedding in Manehattan, you see. The bride demands the best, so I need privacy and concentration. Maybe we can speak again later, once I’m done.” Rarity smiled widely at me. I looked over to Fluttershy, who nodded to this. I then said:

“Very well then. That sounds nice. We should get going as well, as time waits for nopony!” With that, Fluttershy and I moved to the door, waving goodbye and giving our final farewells as we exited. Once outside, I asked the mare beside me:

“What is our next plan of action? Judging by the angle of the sun, we have about three-to-four hours before dusk. Who do you wish for me to meet next?” The pegasus mare thought for a moment about it, before saying:

“We should go meet my friend Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner, then go to Sweet Apple Acres to meet Applejack, and then go to the Library to meet Twilight Sparkle.” Sounded good to me.

“Ok. Seems like a good plan to me. Let us-“ And that was all I managed to say before a Pink Mare jumped out of the bushes next to us, scaring me terribly.

Blood, Balloons, and Butterflies

“RAAAAR!” the mare roared as I jumped back, defensively covering Fluttershy with my own body. My battle instincts took over and I was suddenly rearing back, preparing myself for a fight.

“Back away, creature! I won’t tell you twice!” I said, waving my forelegs at the strange pink assailant. The mare then sat down and laughed.

“HA-HA! Got you!” she laughed, rolling on the ground now, “You should have seen the look on your face! I was like RAAAAR! And you were like AAAHHH! It was too funny!” I stood there, baffled. I lowered myself back to ground as Fluttershy moved beside me.

“This is my friend Pinkie Pie,” whispered Fluttershy, requiring me lean in to hear her. Pinkie Pie was an earth pony, who was well-named as she was quite pink in colour. Her mane was a slightly darker shade of pink, but pink nonetheless. Her Cutie Mark depicted three balloons; two blue and one yellow. Having never seen any cutie mark like it, I wondered what it stood for.

“Hey, wait a moment! You’re new here in Ponyville, right?” She suddenly said, shattering my thoughts. “I mean, I know everyone in town, but I don’t know you. Which brings me to the conclusion that you’re not from around here… AM I NOT CORRECT?” She was suddenly wearing a detective-style hat as she added that last part. She held a magnifying glass close to me, examining my face. I didn’t even see her put on the hat. It just… appeared.

“Uh… yes. I am new here in Ponyville. My name is Red Storm. Pleasure to meet-"

“Oh, but the pleasure is mine, Red Storm! I finally get to meet someone NEW! It’s been over a week since I made a new friend, and I was beginning to think that I had already met everyone there is to meet! I know everypony in town, in the Crystal Empire, and I even know all of the Royal Guards in Canterlot! But now you’re here, and that means I get to throw you a WELCOME TO PONYVILLE PARTY!” I swallowed at this notion, and my eyes went wide. Primarily because in place of the detective’s hat, there was a party hat, and there was suddenly balloons and streamers surrounding her. 'WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?' But a party? For me? I cannot allow it. Someone in town is bound to know about my hieritage, and if I am discovered, then it would only be a matter of time before I would be run out of town, followed by an angry mob armed with pitchforks and torches.

“You don’t say?… That sounds wonderful, however,” I began, showing her my wing, “I am in no condition for a party. Can we perhaps… delay the event? I would prefer to just meet the rest of Fluttershy’s friends, then find a nice hotel to stay at for a week or so. Then, once my wing is fully healed, we can talk about planning such an event. Until then, can you promise me that you’ll pretend we never met?” Pinkie Pie jumped at the word “Promise”. She shoved everything she had on hand into a nearby tree trunk before saying:

“I promise! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” As she said this odd rhyme, she, well… crossed her heart and then poked herself in the eye. Then she turned away from me and faced Fluttershy.

“Hiya Fluttershy! How are you today?” The mare pretended as if I wasn’t even there anymore. A strange one, that one is. I attempted to not ponder the contents of her mind.

“Didn’t you already say hello to me?” The buttermilk mare asked, playing along. Pinkie Pie looked straight up before saying:

“Nope! Just look at paragraph three! I scared you, then I started to laugh at scaring you, but I forgot to say hi in the process!” We both looked at her sideways.

“Paragraph three? What are you talking about?” I asked her, but she just kept on looking at Fluttershy. Fluttershy, taking note of this, asked her the same question.

“Oh, never mind!” the pink earth pony giggled, “Just breaking dimensional laws again! Anyway… I need to get going. The Cakes have a lot of work for me today! Got cupcakes to bake, and walls to break! See you later!” And with that, she jumped into a nearby bush, vanishing without a trace. I stood gaping for a moment or two, before I checked the bush. Nothing. No secret tunnel, no trapdoor, no magic residue. Nothing at all. She had once again broken all logic and laws of nature. How does the pony do it? I turned to Fluttershy, who stood waiting for me to finish my little investigation.

“You act as if this is normal, or even possible. Why?” I asked. Fluttershy simply shrugged and plainly responded:

“It’s just how Pinkie works. She’s impossible to understand… She’s a force of nature, in a sense.” I thought about it for a moment, before saying:

“Yes, well, if I didn’t know any better, I would say that she is Discord in disguise.” I paused, wondering the plausibility of that. No… definitely not. “So, we are off to ‘Sweet Apple Acres’… to meet…?”

“Applejack.”

“Right then! Off we go! From her location, I presume she is a farmer? We have but a few more hours, and I shall not keep you up into the night!” I then leaned in close, putting on a suave grin. “I would say that a mare needs her beauty sleep, but you seem to get more than plenty!” She blushed, running a hoof through her mane, before leading on at a brisk pace. As I trotted to keep up, I heard the same voice from earlier:

'Flattery will get you nowhere here, mongrel.'

One Friendly Bushel

Author’s note: Also, the thing I forgot about in the prologue was that in this fanfic, all the ponies have human-length life spans… just wanted to clear that up. Red Storm is in his late twenties, as are the mane six. Anypony else of significance will be talked about later. Thanks for your support, and read on!

Fluttershy and I trotted on at a steady pace rather quietly, which was just fine. I don’t mind not talking, and it also allowed me to look around to see my surroundings. Call me paranoid, but this also allowed me to mentally mark spots that would be good for an ambush. Perhaps it stems from trauma I suffered living with my father, as he trained me to expect attack anytime, anyplace by… well, attacking me at random points throughout the day. He once attacked me from a pantry. He had been waiting in there for three hours, just so he could surprise me. So much for a childhood…

“Well, here we are!” Fluttershy said, breaking my concentration. I hadn’t even noticed we had arrived at the orchard, let alone the ponies working there. I looked around, seeing the beautiful trees around me, filled with even more beautiful apples of all colours. The most common colour however, was red. So many beautiful red apples surrounded me, I forgot where I was for a moment, indulged in the simple pleasure of being able to behold nature’s splendor. Then, a voice awoke me from my trance… a rather odd one.

“Well howdy there, Fluttershy! Fancy seein’ you here! And who’s this new stallion you got here with you?” I looked down from the tall branches to see a mare standing nearby at the end of the dirt road we were standing on. The mare had an orange coat with a blonde mane and tail, both of which were tied back as ponytails. She also had bright green eyes that shone with a will like I had never seen before. She wore a rather fashionable dusty-brown Stetson hat, and had some freckles. Finally, she wore a Cutie Mark of three red apples on her flank… I stared for a moment. Then I blinked, realizing I had been staring at her flank. This is the second time this has happened, and I really must stop.

“Well howdy to you as well, Miss Applejack," I said, bowing my head and crossing my forelegs, "Nice to finally get the chance to meet you.” I said, mimicking her demeanor in a respectful manner. I understood the root of it as well as the general "country" culture. While I lived in a castle as a noble, I did take trips out to the countryside to oversee the villagers quite often. This exposure taught me many good skills, as well as taught me about the "countryfolk." In response, Applejack smiled.

“Well lookie here. Looks like yer friend here is well-versed in country pleasantries. Ya look like ya know me, but whats yer name?” I lifted my head again to reestablish eye-contact.

“Red Storm's my name. Fine farm you have. Your trees are lookin' healthy and strong, and the fruit of your labor looks to be mighty juicy." Fluttershy raised an eyebrow to my informal speech.

“Why thank ya kindly, Red Storm. Not many ponies appreciate the hard work we put into our farm. Why dontcha come along this way and meet the rest of the family?” As we followed the mare over to a nearby farmhouse, Fluttershy leaned over to me, and whispered:

“How come you never talked like that before?”

“It’s mainly because I wanted to set a good impression on all of your other friends. It’s also because I hardly ever talk that way anymore. I was trained like a dog to be civilized to everypony, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I whispered back, reverting to my normal, formal speech again. “Although, I like to sneak it in here and there when I get the chance,” I added with a grin. Fluttershy rolled her eyes at me in a rather unladylike fashion as we trotted up to a large farmouse. At the front door stood a tall and very muscular red earth pony stallion. He had the same color eyes as Applejack, so I assumed that they were related. He was dripping with sweat and had clearly been working hard. He had a Cutie Mark of a split green apple, and had a manestyle similar to mine before it was cut, just a dirty blonde colour.

“This here is ma brother Big Macintosh. He does a lot of the heavy liftin’ around here,” Applejack said, gesturing to the red stallion with a nod of her head. “This is Red Storm. He’s new here in Ponyville, I’m jus’ givin’ him the tour of the place,” she said, this time to Big Macintosh. He nodded to me, but was obviously tired and didn’t move otherwise. As we made our way around to the barn, waving to Big Macintosh as we passed, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. Soon after, I heard a light “buzzing” noise, not unlike the sound of a fly. I looked to the source of the noise and saw a small wagon with a pair of fillies in it being headed by a scooter with another filly steering. From the erratic movements, I could tell they were out of control, as right when I saw them, the filly driving yelled:

“Lookout! Incoming!” This time, I saw it coming. I grabbed Fluttershy and Applejack, one in each foreleg, and jumped to the left, dodging the careening wagon by a few feet. After the dust settled, the wagon was tipped over, the fillies were dazed in a pile, and the two mares were brushing themselves off. The driver was orange with a purple mane, the first passenger was white with another purple mane (Looking a bit like Miss Rarity) and the final filly was yellow with red a mane, with a matching bow on top. I immediately knew the last filly had to be related to Applejack. The driver of the wagon got up and had a guilty look on her face. The other two untangled themselves and then got up to join the first. I then noticed that none of the fillies had their Cutie Marks.

“Oh man, I am so sorry mister!” the orange filly began.

“We lost control and didn’t see you until the last second!” The white one continued.

“We’re so very sorry ‘bout the whole thing!” The final filly’s accent proved her relation to Applejack. I then shoved my tail in their mouths to tell them to hush.

“It’s fine, really,” I began with a soothing voice. “Was anyone hurt?”

“No,” they all chimed together.

“Then everything’s all right,” I finished with a smile, standing tall again to face the two mares. Applejack stepped forward and opened her mouth to begin:

“Sorry ‘bout that Red Storm. These here are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The orange one’s Scootaloo, the white one is Rarity’s sis Sweetie Belle, and the yellow one is my little sis Apple Bloom”

“It’s fine, really,” I chucked with a smile, “No one was hurt, and besides, I love little ones. They are all so very cute with their hectic antics,” I added, looking at the three young fillies with a caring smile. Suddenly, a nearby door flung open, revealing a rather irritated looking green old mare.

“Wass all the commotion about?” She asked, eyeing the group, one-by-one. Then she saw me and pointed at me with a bony foreleg. “Who’s he? A trouble maker? A new farmhand? A colt-friend of yours perhaps?” She asked, facing Applejack. The orange mare blushed at this, before saying:

“Naw, Granny Smith, nothin’ like that. He’s new in town, and was just givin’ him the tour. His name’s Red Storm.” The old mare eyed me suspiciously before asking:

“What about all that ruckus that I heard?”

“These three here, Granny,” Applejack said, gesturing to the three fillies. The green old mare gave me one final look before saying:

“Well, all righty then. Nice to meet you, Mr. Red Storm. I’m gonna be heading back inside, holler if ya need anything.” And with that, she left. When I turned around, The “Cutie Mark Crusaders” were already back on their mini vehicle, speeding down the dirt road out of the farm.

“Well, that was interesting, to say the least,” I said to Applejack. “Thank you for showing me around, but we really must be going now. It’s getting late, and we had other plans for the evening…” And so with that, we waved goodbye, and started on our way back into town. Fluttershy looked at me while we walked and said:

“Well now, wasn’t that exciting?” I nodded with a grin. “All we have to meet now is Twilight Sparkle. She lives in the town library, so let’s head over before it gets dark.”

Author's Notes:

Another thing, this may just be the only appearence of Granny Smith for one good reason: I can't imitate her! I sorta winged it here, but it just doesn't seem quite right... oh well. Don't let me keep you.

An Inferno at Twilight's Light

Author’s Note: Prepare yourselves! The final chapter of Act I is here, and I hope you enjoy it! Read on:

We made our way to the library, I watched as the sun began its descent into twilight time. How ironic that I would be meeting a mare named Twilight at the time of day she was named after. The sky had few clouds left, and the suns final rays were casting beautiful colours upon them. Among the hues of orange and purple was an eerie blood red. I stopped to look at the sky, and when Fluttershy questioned my action, I simply pointed up. The two of us stared at the sky for several minutes before I looked at her again. The way the light played across her features was magical, making her aqua eyes even more brilliant and her face heavenly. I lost my focus in the sky and gazed dreamily upon her, until she noticed that my attention was no longer on the clouds. She looked at me, and I looked away, blushing. Luckily, the reddening of my cheeks was unnoticeable through the reddish light and my black coat. I started walking again, and Fluttershy followed suit; but we continued to look upwards as we walked. After a while, she said:

“It’s simply beautiful.” I looked at her, and with a dreamy smile I said:

“Perhaps. But its beauty pales in that of which is yours.” Upon saying this, my heart stopped. ‘What did I just say? Did I just call her beautiful? What is happening to me? Am I becoming a soppy romantic? Nay… this must stop’

“Oh, why thank you, Red Storm. That’s very sweet of you.” Her comment caught me off-guard. When I came out of my mind again, I looked around, noticing that the streets were oddly empty. ‘It’s not even that late yet… After all, it is early autumn.’ I also noticed that all of the damage was repaired around the town. So much for helping out. I looked at Fluttershy, who had an odd smile on her face displaying… hope? We stood, looking at each other. I then turned around and continued walking, and Fluttershy soon followed once more. The rest of the walk was in silence.

We arrived at the library quickly, and once we arrived, Fluttershy immediately stepped up to the door and knocked three times Knock-knock, “Twilight?” knock-knock, “Twilight?” knock-knock, “Twilight?” The butterscotch mare then moved away from the door and waited. Inside, I heard a mare’s voice, then another one. The odd thing was, the second voice didn’t sound like any pony I had ever heard.

The door was opened to reveal a small purple dragon, likely a baby. He looked at me, and I looked at him. Finally, he broke the stare by looking to the mare beside me and saying:

“Hiya Fluttershy! Who’s this creepy-looking’ colt you got with you?” Creepy I can understand, but upon hearing the word “colt” I snorted, standing up to my full height. The baby dragon immediately recoiled, saying:

“Whoa, sorry there buddy. I’m Spike. What’s your name?” I cracked my neck (much to Fluttershy’s anguish), relaxing my body before calmly saying to him:

“My name is Red Storm. It’s nice to meet you Spike. Would you be so kind as to let Fluttershy and I enter?” The baby dragon then stepped aside, allowing me access. I, however, allowed Fluttershy to enter before going in myself, as usual.

Upon entering, I saw hundreds, if not thousands of books adorning the walls of the library. In the center of the room, sat a purple unicorn mare. The mare (whom I guessed to be Twilight Sparkle) had a rather short dark-blue mane with streaks of purple and magenta in it. She bore a Cutie Mark of a six point star surrounded by five, smaller, six-point stars. She also had deep purple eyes, and a bright magenta magic aura as demonstrated when she used telekinesis to re-place a book she had been reading when we walked in. She looked over to Fluttershy and said:

“Oh! Hello Fluttershy! What brings you to the library?” Then she saw me. Turning towards me she asked: “And who are you? A friend of Fluttershy's? What’s your name?” I straightened up and smiled, introducing myself.

“Red Storm. And you must be Twilight Sparkle. It’s nice to finally meet you.” I extended a hoof, but she just stood there, staring. She appeared to be scanning me up and down, and it took only half a second for me to realize why.

‘MY CUTIE MARK!’ I tried to cover my flank with my tail, but it was too late. I was lifted in the air by her magic, before being thrown against the nearest wall. Fluttershy made her way over to Twilight as I regained my footing.

“Twilight! Why did you do that?” The quiet mare squeaked, surprised by her furious friend's reaction. Right as I got to my hooves and was about to explain myself, I was picked up again before being smashed into another wall, scattering books everywhere.

“Why are you here?!?” The purple unicorn shouted accusationally as I spotted Spike standing at the door, terrified. In another corner across the room I saw Fluttershy hovering, shocked into silence.

I got up again, but this time Twilight Sparkle shot a concussion blast at me. ‘Ah, just like home.’ I evaded the blast easily, dodging to my right as it hit the wall behind me. She was clearly too angry to think clearly as she could have just grabbed me again. More books scattered, some singed as I made my across the room, evading every spell she fired. Soon, I was but a few feet in front of her. Just as I was about to tackle her, she picked me up again. This time however, she wasn’t letting go. Quite the contrary really, as she began to squeeze.

“What do you want with us? Are you planning to invade? WHY ARE YOU HERE?” With every sentence, her grip on me tightened, and soon I began to feel my joints pop. Next would be my bones. I wailed in agony as I began to feel my bones audibly creak and crack from the force. I looked down at the mare who was killing me. She stared at me with utter hate. What I saw next really surprised me. I saw Fluttershy jump in front of her friend, before slapping her across the face. The unicorn’s concentration shattered like glass, dropping me onto the ground as the Pegasus mare confronted her friend.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?” The mare’s shouting quieted the room, including Spike who had been weeping in his corner. Twilight got up slowly and looked Fluttershy in the eyes before saying:

“I’m trying to protect you, and everypony else in Ponyville!” The purple unicorn then turned back to me, pointing a hoof. “He’s part of the Sanguine Nobility! An evil family who worshiped Nightmare Moon as a god, and had allied with her during the Great Nightmare Moon Cataclysm. He’s likely even more dangerous than Queen Chrysalis, Discord, and King Sombra COMBINED.” Fluttershy looked at me sideways, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Red Storm… is… is this true?” I looked away from her, closing my eyes.

“Yes,” was all that I could say. After a long moment of silence, I looked at her again. She now had tears streaming down her cheeks, and Twilight Sparkle glared at me, brimming with hate.

“When were you going to tell me this, *sniff* if ever?”

“I was going to tell you once I thought you could handle it.” I closed my eyes again as Fluttershy began to bawl. Then, I opened them again, my will renewed.

“However, Twilight Sparkle, there is one thing you are wrong about.” I said as I began to walk towards Twilight, pain shooting through my broken body. I stood up tall, facing the unicorn who was stunned. Honestly, I was trying my best not to scream in agony. I swallowed my pain as I raised my voice:

“I am indeed a Sanguine Noble. Their blood runs in my veins. But you are wrong about one thing; because even though I am the Sanguine Prince, I am NOT part of that sick and twisted family.” Fluttershy quieted her crying to look at me, but all of my attention was focused on Twilight Sparkle.

“When I found out… What they had been doing… FOR ALL THOSE YEARS… I left them. I left my kingdom. I left my subjects. I left that excuse of a family to find a new life. I can understand if you don’t want me here. I know the infamy that my name carries. But do not, I repeat; DO NOT say that I am part of that FAMILY!” I stood there, out of breath from yelling. Twilight Sparkle just stared at me, but suddenly Fluttershy ran across the room and hugged me.

A hug was the last thing I expected right now. I stood motionless, not knowing what to do. But after a few moments, I slowly wrapped my forelegs around the mare, meeting her hug with a hug of my own. For the first time in my life, I shed a tear; not from pain, but from joy. The joy of being accepted. Eventually, Fluttershy broke from the hug, and looked into my eyes. Tears were still apparent on her cheeks, but no longer from sadness.

“Promise me you won’t ever be like them,” she whispered feebly.

“I promise, Fluttershy. On my soul and the River Styx.” I whispered back.

‘Wow. What a corny thing to say,’ said the voice in my head. I thought back:

‘How about you shut the hell up for a change?’ There was no response. Twilight Sparkle then began to move towards us. I growled at her, but then she said:

“I... I'm sorry for my overreaction, Red Storm. I realize that I was completely out of line. I don't even know what really came over me; I'm never like that.” My snarl became frown. "Just from the fact that you clearly could have killed me now and didn't should be a sign that I misjudged you. And if Fluttershy can trust you, then so can I. A friend of my friend is my friend too." She clearly wore an expression of regret, and my frown quickly evaporated as well.

“I understand why you would do as you did. I am not saying that you were wrong in your actions. In your shoes, I would likely have done the same. I forgive you, Twilight Sparkle.” I removed a foreleg from Fluttershy and extended it towards purple unicorn who had nearly killed me mere minutes ago. Twilight took a few hesitant steps forward before taking my hoof. I gave hers a firm shake before returning my attention to Fluttershy. We all stood silent for several minutes before Twilight began to ask her questions. Apparently, it was hard to obtain pieces of Sanguinary literature outside of the Kingdom itself, at least through legal means. I decided to stay for a while and answer her questions. Hopefully if she knew me better, we could avoid another confrontation such as this one.

By the end of the night, the tensions had melted and we were being civil again. I would even go as far as to say friendly. Things will be akward for some time after this, but uneasiness is better than hate. However, it began to get late, so Fluttershy and I waved as we exited to library, with Spike and Twilight waving back. The last thing I saw before the door closed was Spike starting to clean up the debris from the fight. Poor guy. I will have to send him some nice gems to snack on as my way of an apology.

After a while of walking together under the moonlight, we reached Fluttershy’s cottage. She invited me over for the night, but I refused. However, she wouldn’t hear me out, forcing me to say yes, so it appears that I will be staying a while.

Act I Transition

Alexander: I must thank all of you for reading, and I must urge you to please, please post your opinions! I can’t make my story any better if you don’t tell me errors and imperfections! (Just be nice about it, ok? Love and Tolerance people). I also want to know any thoughts on the plot so far. I want to hear what you think will happen, and as of right now, I have a storyline, but I’m willing to listen to suggestion! One more thing; my current avatar is from the pony creator not to mention the fact that my cover has little to do with the story other than the name, and I would LOVE if someone were to draw me a professional picture of Red Storm. Any pony artists are welcome to volunteer, and if you do, I may just insert your OC. You know, just something to throw out there…(Its not a bribe, really!) Anyway, thanks for reading!

Annabeth: Hi! I am Alex’s co-writer and would like to go over any references so far:
-Die Hard
-Red Baron
-The Signalman by Charles Dickens
-Rocky
-Big Bang Theory (The show)

Sorry for the short list, but we are using a new version of the story. There was supposed to be more, but those are for Act II. (Act I and Act II were combined in the original.) If you found all of the references, good for you. And if the hints above aren’t enough, they are all in chronological order. That’s all you’re getting, and if you can’t find them now, you’re lame. Thanks for reading! Act II will be released soon!

A Dark Night

42 days later…

I stood in the rain, but it didn’t feel like I was. I felt as if the rain fell through my body instead of striking my coat. I felt chilled to the very soul, as the cold rain passed through me. I felt like I was a ghost. That is not what claimed my attention, however. I was standing among a crowd, all dressed in black. The general atmosphere was dreary and sad. I soon realized that I was at a funeral. There were ponies of all colours and ages around me. Looking forward, I saw an old, black stallion Pegasus in a casket with ponies all around. Some were weeping, some were comforting the weeping ones, and some merely stood silently, solemnly. After several more grueling moments however, I saw that a group of five old mares (Two unicorns, two earth ponies, and one pegasus) made their way to the body before laying a wreath on his chest. The one in the lead closed the casket before stepping back again. Then they stood, their heads down as his casket was lowered into the ground by a large purple dragon who stood nearby. I was struck by the oddness of this. It seemed so familiar and yet so alien.

As the casket reached the bottom of the grave, the dragon began to pile dirt over it. He looked tired and sad, even through his hulking and terrifying physique. Every pony in the crowd now stood silent and still, the only audible sounds being the rain and the steady shoveling of dirt. Once the last of the earth was packed onto the grave, ponies began to turn away, walking down the aisle away from the grave. As all the ponies began to clear out, I made my way to the newly dug and muddy mound. I simply walked through the crowd, and nopony seemed to notice me. That was fine. When I reached the grave. I took a moment to read the epitaph. The tombstone read:

Here lies Red Storm; A loyal father, a husband, and a true Knight. 1982-2064 May he rest in the embrace of his Angel.

I was at my funeral. I couldnt help but shake my head in self-disgust. It was terribly obvious from the start, and I felt mixed feelings about it all. I had watched my own funeral, and I was too foolish to realize it until the end. After making this realization, I lay down on the wet grave. 'No point in feeling sorry. I'm dead now. Nothing I can do but linger, and perhaps rest. Just as quickly as I closed my eyes to sleep, I found myself opening them again. A force complelled me to look to my side, and I obliged the urge. I to my left I saw another grave. This one had a single wilted rose laying on it. It was also obviously quite old, as the stone seemed worn with years. Something about it caught my curiosity. Something made me pick myself up and move over to it to get a better look. There, on the tombstone, read

Here lies Fluttershy; A loving mother, wife, and caring Angel of the forest. 1983-2058 May she await her Knight.

It was Fluttershy’s grave. She had died six years before me. For reasons I could not understand, tears welled up in my eyes. I fell to my knees and I buried my face in the dirt of her grave, my tears watering the earth that entombed her body. I laid crying on her grave... but why? What was causing such an intense feeling? I heard the dragon who I realized to be Spike leaving, his steps echoing even in the rain. I lay alone in the field of tombstones and memories. Then I heard movement behind me. I turned around, and there stood a tall, alicorn mare, as black as night. She reached out a foreleg to me before saying:

“Come with me Red Storm. It is time to leave.” I wiped the tears in my eyes away before standing tall. Fury bristled under my skin. Once again, I lost myself to foreign emotion that I could not understand.

“No… I will not leave! Not now!” I roared as I lunged at her. There was a flash blinding white light as the alicorn's horn lit up.

Then, I woke up.

Feeling 20% Better

Authors Note: Nerdy-ass fact of the day! Many of you might belive that Rainbow Dash's "Sonic Rainboom" is what happens when she breaks the sound barrier. This is not so. According to studies of flight, the Mach Cone that appears around RD when she goes into the transition phase between "Just Flying" and "HOLY SWEET CELESTIA, A SONIC RAINBOOM!" is angled in such a way as to show that she is close to Mach 5, whereas you only need to be going at Mach 1 to break the sound barrier. Upon causing a Sonic rainboom, she instantly accelerates to Mach 10. In other words, she goes from "Jet Fighter Fast", to "How the Hell did she not explode from G-force" fast. I'm just gonna assume she's magical or something for this story. Just a little ditty to those who didn't know. Anyways, ONWARD TO THE CHAPTER!

I sat up, beads of sweat running down my forehead. I looked around the room, and I quickly realized I was in Flutershy’s cottage, as I had been for the last month and half. More specifically I was in Fluttershy’s bed, as she didn’t have an extra bed and wouldnt let me sleep on the couch. I stretched out my forelegs, still breathing heavily. Fluttershy wasn’t in bed right now, likely making breakfast. I got out of bed and checked my wing. It looked fully healed now, all signs of it ever being broken at all gone. I stretched it out to just to be sure. It felt great. It’s nice to see that my wing was able to heal in just over a month. But then again, it seemed a rather slow compared to normal. Either way, I can get around to racing Rainbow Dash… And now Pinkie Pie can throw me that party. I hate parties.

I have been staying under the radar for the last month and a half, so I’m excited to be able to go into town again. Not to say that my stay with Fluttershy was not pleasant. It was quite nice. Every day, I would wake up, and she would have breakfast ready. We would eat, I would clean up. I did the chores, and she would care for the animals. She would shop, and I would pay for the groceries. She would return, and we would talk, and have lunch. I would then wash the dishes while she relaxed. If she wasn’t with her other friends then we would sometimes play board games. Once the sun began to go down, I would make dinner, and she would settle the animals in for the night. After we ate, I would again wash dishes while she got ready for bed. I would then shower and join her in bed (There was not any intercourse involved), and then we repeat.

I left the room, rubbing my eyes. I entered the kitchen to find Fluttershy preparing the morning meal. She spun around when she heard me approach. She gave me a warm smile which I returned. She always could brighten me up with that smile.

“Good morning, Mr. Sleepy head. How did you sleep last night?” she said. I finished dispelling the drowsiness from my mind, my smile returning to a frown.

“Horrible. I had a dreadful nightmare,” I answered her. The mare's expression became one of empathy upon hearing this. Before I could say anything in my defense, her nurturing nature had kicked in.

“Do you need to talk about it?” she asked, seemingly worried. I shook my head in response. She frowned momentarily before beginning to set the table. Seeing this as a chance to test my wing, I flew across the room, scooping up the two plates before spinning around and placing them in one swift movement. A new smile then crept across Fluttershy’s face.

“I see that your wing is doing better. How does it feel?” I folded my wings, landing in my seat. Stretching my forelegs and yawning, I grinned widely with an amount of pride. This was the first time she would see me flying since we met.

“They feel marvelous. I must thank you for housing me after all this time and supporting me through this hardship. It means a lot to me.” And that was no lie either. I have come to see Fluttershy as a good friend, which is quite a feat, as I have had very few standard friends in my life, let alone good friends.

"Well of course I did! How could I not? You were just like any of my hurt woodland friends when you arrived at my doorstep that night. It's in my nature to help. If I didn't get a cutiemark in animal care, it would certainly have been for medicine." I chuckled at the thought, my mind drifting towards mental images of Fluttershy in a nurse outfit. I shooed the inappropriate thought out of my mind before continuing the conversation.

"Nonetheless. You saved my life Fluttershy. Not only that, but you welcomed me into your home warmly and without hesitation. It is a level of hospitality I have never before experienced, and I am forever grateful for your kindness." Fluttershy blushed at this, waving me off with a hoof.

"Oh, stop it Red Storm. Anypony else would have done the same for you. In fact, I bet some mares would love to have such a handsome prince fall at their doorstep." She caught her remark, but too late. I raised an eyebrow at her statement but let it slip. I shouldn't worry myself of such things.

The rest of the meal was silent. I ate quickly, and waited for Fluttershy to finish before I washed the dishes. The second that the last dish was washed I took out the window into the skies. The wind in my mane felt wonderful, as even though I manged to keep my sanity, being grounded for a month and a half was truly torture. I flew straight up into the sky, and when I looked down, I saw Fluttershy peeking her head out the window that I flew out of. I smiled for a moment before flapping my wings again and picking up speed.

I felt the wind rushing through my mane, my tail whipping from air resistance. But I went faster still, pushing my wings harder and harder. I never felt so good to be in the air. I felt a tingling sensation as I reached Mach 1, breaking the sound barrier. A huge BOOM sounded as I flew past that point, before going faster still. I did a loop, before turning right, and as I did, I saw Ponyville below me. The several ponies saw me and pointed, but it mattered not to me anymore. I can fly again, and thusly I didn’t have to hide anymore. Nopony could catch me if they wanted to now. I flew around in circles, and then did some more loops, before finally turning around and heading back.

Upon landing back at the cottage, I found that Fluttershy stood waiting on her front lawn. She was clip-clopping her hoofs in ovation for me, impressed at my aerial performance. She was awfully happy to see me recovered and so high in spirits.

“Did you have a nice flight?” she asked me as I made my way over to her. I gave her an enormous foalish grin before saying:

“Yes! I had SO much fun just now. I don’t think you realize how GOOD I feel right now!” I jumped up, doing a back-flip, to show my excitement. Suddenly, before either one of us can say anything else, we hear loud BOOM before a certain blue Pegasus lands behind me, causing a spray of dirt on impact. I cringed, shielding Fluttershy with a wing from the earthy rain. Clenching my teeth, I remembered my promise to Rainbow Dash. Still, she had astonishing response time. Did she have nothing better to do?

“Looks like somepony is feeling better,” she said with a smirk. “I saw your little aerial performance from across town in my house, and heard it before that. You still game?” I cracked my neck and grinned madly before saying in a rather unnerving tone:

“Ah, but of course my dear, sweet, Rainbow Dash! Let the games begin! AND MAY THE BEST PEGASUS WIN!” Both mares smiles turned into looks of confusion and grotesque as I spoke. Just as suddenly as it happened, the feeling passed, and I was left just as confused as them.

“Oh… oh my! Did I really just do that? I... I'm not sure where that came from...” I began to rub my temple with one hoof as the two mares stood, not sure what to say next. Rainbow Dash leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered:

“You let that guy live with you?” Fluttershy replied:

“He’s never done that before.” I stopped massaging my head and looked up at them.

“I’m standing right here you realize. I can hear you,” I said, frowning. Both picked themselves up again, still looking slightly worried. Rainbow Dash spoke first:

“Well, uh… I guess we can meet at town square for the race later… I guess. Only if you want to. You know, race,” The normally brash mare sounded more like Fluttershy for a moment, before returning to normal, “I also thought you should know, I got my Wing Power Average up to 31.4! I can’t wait for our race later!” I blinked. ’31.4? That’s almost twice her last average. And she was already fast. 31.4 WPA is almost enough to reach Mach 2. I’m genuinely impressed.’

“Alright, you’ve got a deal. Town square, at high noon? So the Sun won’t be in our eyes while we fly.” She nodded before taking off, leaving a small crater from the Gs in the process. A gust of wind proved her to be at around 20 Wing Power, just from take-off. As she broke the sound barrier flying off, I looked over to Fluttershy, who now looked scarily indifferent. Realizing the implications of my actions, I continued my apology to her:

“I’m again very sorry for that. But that was a one-time thing, I promise. So don’t worry about me, ok? I'm alright.” She stood for a moment, pondering her next action, before giving in and breathing:

“Ok.” As we both headed back inside, I heard a voice behind me call out:

“Wait! Hold on for a moment!” I spun around just in time to see a grey Pegasus fly into a nearby tree. I ran to their aid, just to watch them fall from the branches onto their face. I then noticed it was a mare. Fluttershy began to make her way over, but I gestured to her to just head inside. As I helped the grey Pegasus to her hooves, I also became aware of the fact that she wore a Mail Pony’s satchel, and that she had a wonderful mane. To be honest, she had to be one of the most attractive mares I had ever seen. Then she opened her eyes. The mare was wall-eyed. ’Close, but no cigar.’

“Oh! Hello there! Sorry about that, I sometimes have trouble flying. You know, my eyes being like this. Anyway, a spooky mare told me to give this to you.” She handed me a letter from her satchel. I looked at her quizzically.

“The mare wanted to make sure that you got it. She gave me a very detailed description of you and everything! She even paid me triple in advance for me to get this to you. So here it is. Also, I’m Ditzy Doo. I don’t believe we’ve met. And you are?”

“Red Storm. Perhaps we should plan a meeting in the near future…” I said absent-mindedly, most of my attention on the letter. She didn’t seem to notice and said:

“That sounds great! I have more letters to deliver, but I will look for you when I’m all done! Bye!” She flew away, and as I waved, I opened the letter with my teeth. Inside was a small piece of parchment. It read:

Hello Red Storm. It’s been 12 years, has it not? I’m looking forward to seeing you again real soon.-W

I bit my lip. A flood of mixed emotions pulsated through my body.‘She’s alive? It’s been so long… how did she even find me? I suppose I cannot be surprised. This may be good or bad news, but all I can do now is wait and see.’ And with that, I walked back inside, letter tucked under my wing.

Author's Notes:

In case anyone was wondering, I was planning on depiciting Ditzy as rather intelligent, just with qwerks. You know how it is.

The Bell Tolls for Me

Author’s Blathering: I have decided to make it so that each chapter is at least 1000-1500 words long, with Act Finales (10th CH) coming closer to 2000-2500. Also, I have been listening to “Anna’s Pony Music” playlist on youtube while I write this. Check it out, or she may shoot me. Naw, but really, check it out.

I trotted back inside, and when I entered put my letter down on the coffee table. Before I even had another moment to think about the situation, Fluttershy walked up to me. She had a glaring look of concern and a touch of dominance. She immediately asked:

“What happened, and who’s the letter from?” I was struck at how forward she was. I know I hadn't known her for very long, but I could easily tell that she was simply not like this.

“It was a delivery made by Miss Ditzy Doo gone wrong,” I answered, “The letter itself is from an old friend from my kingdom who I haven’t seen in a long time.” The second statement was only partially true. I wasn’t sure if my ‘Old Friend’ was in town to get together and have some drinks, or to drag me back home in a bag. My friend was a Sanguine Noble guard whom I took a liking to, and we quickly became very good friends. Now that I think about it, seeing them again would be rather nice... Assuming they do not kill me. Fluttershy pursed her lips, examining my face. I nodded my head to her in a gesture of understanding.

"It's fine. There is nothing wrong. It appears my friend is in town. There is nothing to fear from them." 'I hope...'

“The look on your face made it seem like something was wrong. ” I didn’t realize I had been frowning until she mentioned the fact. I relaxed my face back into it's resting position.

“Sorry,” I apologized, “I do that while deep in thought. Like now. Ever wonder how we can pick things up without fingers?” I asked while hefting a potted plant, my subconscious frown suddenly returning. Fluttershy giggled at my foalishness before turning away from me.

“Ok. Well I will be with the animals if you need me.” Ah, of course; we had the schedule. I started to dust as she left through the back. I looked at the clock. It read 9:28:45. Two hours, thirty-two minutes, and fifteen seconds until the race. Fourteen. Thirteen. Shutting my eyes, I spun around and put my back to the clock. I can’t be stressed out. I need to keep my cool. Even better, I should go out and see how fast I can really go, because that 31.4 average is going to be hard to beat. What’s more, is that I will have to go at least 30% faster to beat her in the race, if my math is correct. The reason why I say that is because 31.4 is her average, and she will definitely exceed that at several points throughout the race.

“TRAINING MONTOUGE GO!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, extending a foreleg above my head. Nothing happened. “That sucks. It always worked in the movies…”

“Is everything alright in there?’ I heard Fluttershy squeak from the back room. ‘Oh crap. She heard that? That’s embarrassing.’ Then again, I did shout it.

“Yes, Fluttershy, everything is fine. I was just talking to myself. Like a fool, as per usual.” I responded, blushing slightly.

“Alright then. It sounded like something was happening. I just want to make sure you're ok.” She went back outside, and I felt plain stupid. Either way, I needed to prepare myself for the coming contest. Zipping through my chores, I finished dusting as fast as I could. Then, after I was done I began to wash the bed sheets. Because Fluttershy had no washing machine, I had to wash the sheets in a bucket by hoof. It was painfully slow work, but once it was done I decided to reward myself with a light snack. Returning to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and procured a delicious-looking cupcake. A rather out-of-place cupcake that happened to be in the fridge. Paying this oddity no mind, I bit into it gleefully. Though my eyes shot open when I realized that it tasted a bit funn-

-y

“Wake up! Wake up! Please wake up!"

I opened my eyes to see Fluttershy standing over me. She instantly relaxed when she saw my eyes snap open. I jumped up and looked at the time. The dreaded cat clock told me that it was eleven fifty-five.

“SWEET LUNA ON A UNICYCLE! I’M GOING TO BE LATE FOR THE RACE!” I yelled, horrified. I faced Fluttershy, reclaiming my demeanor.

“Quick question before I leave, why did you have a drugged cupcake in the fridge?” Fluttershy cocked her head, putting a hoof to her chin. She thought for a moment before speaking:

“That cupcake was drugged? The one with the pink frosting? That's rather odd. Pinkie Pie gave that to me a few days ago. Although I was saving it for a special occasion, I can’t begin to guess why she would ever do such a thing.” Shaking my head, I turned for the door. I couldn't waste any more time thinking about it. I flew out the door pumping my wings and headed for Town Square. I heard Fluttershy say she would meet me there, but just barely. I flew there as fast as I could, and when I landed, I noticed that there was a huge crowd. Rainbow Dash stood there in front of the crowd, with her trainer next to her. This was likely that “Micks” fellow she was talking about last month. He was an older stallion with a grayed mane and had a cap on. He also had a towel around his neck, and his Cutie Mark was of a pair of Boxing Gloves.

“Come on girl! Yer gonna kill ‘em today! Don’t let ‘em near ya! You’re gonna eat lightning and fart thunder! You got this kid!” was some of the random encouragement he was spewing as I walked up. When the rainbow-maned Pegasus saw me, she waved him off before stepping hoof-to-hoof with me.

“Are you ready eat my dust, slow-poke?” she said to me. I replied:

“No, I think I will have some tea and biscuits while waiting for you at finish line, thank you very much,” I said back, as snooty as can be, "And I don't even like tea," I added with a snide grin. Rainbow Dash just huffed and puffed a bit as we stared each other down. This lasted only seconds before "Micks" broke our concentration with a loud interjection.

“Alright kids, listen up ‘cause I don’t like to repeat myself. You’re gonna make a single lap around Ponyville; first to The Zebra’s hut in the Everfree forest,-“

“Zecora’s hut,” somepony corrected in the audience.

“Before turnin’ around an’ goin’ past the Sweet Apple Acres’ barn. From there, you head back here to Town Square. Finish line is there,” he said, pointing to a rather hastily made finish line banner held up on large stilts. “Whoever makes it back here first, wins. Any questions?” Silence. “Good. LINE IT UP!”

We lined up, side by side. The mare who was Lyra quickly showed me a map of the course, before running back to the crowd. We stood, anticipating the starting mark…

“GO!”

We flew forward with such momentum that a cloud of dust rose from where we just were. I pumped my wings as hard as I could, and so did she. We were neck-in-neck, both flying at ridiculous speeds to the first checkpoint, the home of the zebra named “Zecora”, which resided in the middle of the Everfree forest. I almost lost focus from the amazing feeling of having the wind blow through my mane, the rustling of my coat, and the adrenaline flowing through my veins. I focused again once I realized I was slowing down, and I heard the thunderous boom of Rainbow Dash shattering the sound barrier. I was dazed from the noise, but I pushed on until I too, broke the sound barrier. I saw the hut up ahead, and RD flying past it. I silently swore as I zoomed up to it, before turning around. She was still about a hundred feet in front of me, and so I fought to push myself further. Then it happened. I reached Mach 2. I felt the Gs very quickly begin to pile on. I flew faster still, as we approached the orchard known as Sweet Apple Acres. I began to catch up to the Pegasus in front of me, and she may or may not have noticed this. She went faster, hitting Mach 3. I soon followed, and in no time at all, we were passing Sweet Apple Acres on our way back to town square. However, as we began to creep into the Mach 4 zone, something began to feel… off. I sensed a slightly painful tingling coming from my chest, but I didn’t bother to check, as that would ruin my aerodynamics, costing me speed. However, I noticed that Rainbow Dash began to leave behind a “Tail” as she flew, displaying her colours in a rainbow contrail as she flew on. I thought this phenomenon was simply happening to me as well, so I put it off.

We sped faster and faster, and now I was next to her again. She looked at me in surprise, and she pushed faster. I followed in her suit, keeping up and continuously gaining speed. Grinning, I felt my blood begin to boil. Suddenly something amazing happened beside me. She erupted in a beautiful explosion of colour, before shooting straight ahead. A Sonic Rainboom. I remembered tales that my mother told me when I was a foal about a Pegasus being able to fly faster than the princess, if not faster than light itself. I had thought then it was stuff of legend, but I now know better after witnessing such a thing before my very eyes. I was momentarily stunned before I pushed myself harder than ever before. ‘anything you can do I can do better, Rainbow Dash!" Straining my body as far as it could go without magical assistance, I felt myself hit Mach 5, and something strange happened. I still can't explain how it felt, but the only word to describe the sensation would be "pain". I then understood why the stories only ever spoke about one pony. No other pony was supposed to be able to accomplish the feat except the one.

I felt the blood being ripped from my very being, from every pore in a gruesome mockery of the Sonic Rainboom. This was a Sanguinary Rainboom. I roared in agony as the blood exploded from my body. I hit Mach 5 and faster, spraying outward a bloody red mist, mimicking the spectra explosion of the Sonic Rainboom in a rather disturbing parody. I wanted to die then and there but something kept me going through the unimaginable pain. I flew faster, faster, faster, until I was just behind her. Then, just as we neared the finish line, blood loss took its toll, and I blacked out. All in about forty seconds.

Author's Notes:

Also, to anyone paying attention, Red Storm shows signs of several mental illnesses, like I do. Kudos to those who can spot them.

The Sanguine Curse

Authors Ramblings: Woo-hoo! We finally delve into why Red Storm is a demigod, why he’s a prince, and why he hates his family! Read on...

My mind swims as I regain consciousness. Eyes fluttering open, I adjust myself to the light in the room. Standing over me is a gorgeous mare in a nurse outfit. It seems that even after such extensive trauma, I am still capable of experiencing lust. Before I can open my mouth, the mare noticed me and immediately backed off. As she retreated to the doorway of the room, six other mares came into view. All of which were equally stunning. Looking around, the thought crossed my mind that I was in fact was dead, and in some sort of pony heaven. That I was surrounded by angels who were here to sooth my mortal woes and aches. Alas, even in my numbed state I quickly spotted two I.V. stands, one on my left, and one on my right. The I.V. on my right was filled with blood, and it's twin contained a clear liquid. Anesthetic… That would explain why everypony here looks so beautiful; I’m high as a kite right now. I take a second look, and I realize that the six mares were my friends Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle.

“Who…whooo won the race?” Were the first words out of my mouth. Fluttershy stepped forward, and on the mind-numbing drug, she looked like a goddess. Her beauty easily out shined that of all the other mares in the room, and I had to fight down the urge to kiss her, in my drunken-like state.

“Rainbow Dash won, but you came close. You came in a tenth of a second behind her. Unconscious, and covered in your own blood. You actually started to bleed around halfway back to Town Square, but I guess you didn’t notice... Once Rainbow Dash did her Sonic Rainboom though, you almost seemed to explode! I- I mean we were so worried.” I waved her off before saying:

“I did that on purpose... Ssort of. I needed speed, and mimicking Rainbow Dashh's 'Sonic Rainboom' as you call it seemed like... a good idea.” I saw Pinkie Pie giggle at my slurred speech.

“He-he! He sounds REALLY drugged out, and that’s funny!” everypony in the room looked at her sideways, while I swatted at some non-existent stars.

“So how are you feeling?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking very worried.

“Tipsy! But overall ok… But my question is why is there a blood bag in my arm?” I asked, pulling it out. A bit of blood squirted out onto my foreleg, but I paid that no mind. I opened my mouth wide before announcing: “It should be in my MOUTH.” And with that, I stuck the tube in my mouth before starting to suck out the precious liquid. Everypony in the room stared, horrified (Especially Rarity) as I drank the whole thing. When I was done, I felt renewed. Yanking out the anesthetic, I called out to the nurse in the doorway.

“That was delicious! Nurse! Bring me another!” I threw the empty blood bag to the floor, and the nurse wasted no time in leaving the room. Meanwhile, all six of the remaining mares stared, gawking. Even Pinkie Pie.

“Ya… ya’ll just drank that there blood like it was some grade-A cider!” said Applejack, stunned. “And yer eyes… they’re RED!” At that I was slightly perplexed, and it showed. Twilight floated over a mirror, not once closing her jaw, nor blinking. I looked into the mirror, and just as Applejack said, my irises had turned a blood-red colour. I chuckled at this, while Rarity swayed back and forth nearly fainting from shock.

“That’s normal whenever I drink blood.” I said, the anesthetics purged from my system due to my returning strength. “My family aren't called the Sanguine Nobles for no reason! We of the Sanguine house have greatly enhanced healing when we drink blood, among augmented strength, dexterity, and speed. Unfortunately, our eyes also have a tendency to turn red. Of course, that is a rather small price to pay compared to the benefits.” At that moment, the nurse returned with another bag. Flapping my wings, I lunged out of bed and grabbed it with my teeth. Tilting my head back, I unsheathed my fangs and bit into it hard, draining the contents directly into my mouth. I spit out the perforated bag and turned back to the nurse, blood dripping from my sharpened teeth. The mare in front of me looked horrified, and was shivering in her shoes.

“Why thank you Miss…?”

“Red-Redheart. Nu-Nurse Redheart.” She stuttered, terrified.

“Thank you, Nurse Redheart. See me for a nice tip once I head out. Bits, of course,” I added with a wink. She just nodded her head slowly before stepping backwards back into the hall. I closed the door behind her. Then, I turned back to my friends. They seem to have been affected slightly less by my monstrous transformation, but were still very clearly unnerved at my feral behavior.

“I’m sorry about that, ladies, but I must ask you to excuse my behavior. It is rather unbecoming of a Prince. Even one afflicted with the Sanguine Curse.” I emphasized this last word, which caught Twilight’s attention.

“I’ve heard about that,” she said. "Isn't that what gives you and your family all of your powers? I nodded, before saying:

“Of course you have heard of it. But I doubt you know the story behind it. So allow me to enlighten you.” I licked the remaining blood from my lips and began my tale:

“You see, it all began during the first Nightmare Moon Crisis. Nightmare Moon needed allies to spread her eternal darkness. She needed an army. After one of her first confrontations with Celestia, she left Equestria and went overseas to gather followers. There, she found a two-bit kingdom whose name has been lost to time. The ponies in this kingdom ponies were stuck in a rather primitive era, and they still believed you could make it rain by making live sacrifices. But they didn’t want to risk losing the favour of their gods, no, so they sacrificed ponies. So when Nightmare Moon arrived, they saw her as a god. Sure, you can say she technically is, but let’s not get side-tracked here.”

“So she comes along and offers the king, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Redmane, power beyond his comprehension if he helped her conquer the Eastern lands. He of course accepted this deal. Even in her weakened state, they brought the “Old World” as it was known to its knees, and Redmane became the most powerful king in its combined history. But when he asked for his prize, she gave it to him all right. Along with a nice, fat curse.”

“She ‘blessed’ him with a sharing of blood. He was from then on imbued with half the powers of a Celestial Noble, but at a terrible price. He essentially became an immortal, but he had to feed on the blood of other ponies if he wanted to keep his state of immortality. He quickly wound up killing all of his servants, and also went quite mad in the process. However, one day, his wife, the queen, gave birth to two foals. One was a unicorn filly, and the other a Pegasus colt. Both as black as night, with eyes as red as blood. He named the filly ‘Scarlet Drop’ and the colt ‘Red Mist’.“

"The filly grew up to be a very powerful Unicorn, even more powerful by far than the most powerful in all the lands. And then the colt grew up to become the fastest flier in the entire kingdom, and was as strong as an ox. After Redmane was usurped by his children (they staked and burned him for the record), they took his throne, and formed the Sanguine Kingdom. For centuries the Sanguine Kingdom was ruled by the Sanguine Nobility, and it became an extremely prosperous kingdom. It became wealthy from trade with other nations, and was free of war, plague, or famine. But one thing remained: the blood rituals.”

“The sacrifices continued after all that time, but were no longer for Nightmare Moon. Now they were directed at the mighty rulers, the Sanguine Nobility. What would happen is that every month, a random pony of mid-age, from a random town, was brought to the capitol, Redmane Keep, and slaughtered as a sacrifice to the King and his family. And before you ask Rainbow Dash, no, there was no in-breeding in the Nobility. The King would choose a mare to be his bride, and on their wedding day, bestow the ‘gift’ of the Sanguine Curse on her by feeding her a drop of his own blood. These sort of rituals went on for centuries until it came to my sister and me.”

“You see, my father, Red Wing, was unique. Unlike his father and all of his fathers before him, he was greedy, wanted to expand, and rule the Northern Lands too. So he changed the ritual. He made my mother, Scarlet Glimmer, queen my injecting her with his blood, instead of feeding it to her as we had been doing all these years. Now something you must understand is, Red Mist and Scarlet Drop were the only ponies in the family to have naturally red irises. My father, however, killed his father by drinking his blood. Then, not only did his irises turn permanently red, they became cat-like slits. So when he injected my mother with his blood, her eyes turned to slits as well. When he had my sister and me however, we had normal irises, as always. He saw this as a sign of weakness, being a raving lunatic and all, and made us train as warriors since birth. Truth be told, my sister is several years older than me, and had a head start. But that also meant my father could turn her sooner too. He fed her his blood at the age of 30, and she became just like him. Twisted. Cruel. And Evil.”

“I fled home because I didn’t wish to go through the same ritual as my sister, and because I just needed to get away from the madness. Sure, I drank the sacrificial blood when they told me to, but I never liked it. I only did it just now because pumping it into my foreleg wasn’t helping. So there you go, the horrible history of my horrible family. Any questions?”

Author's Notes:

To anyone wondering about how everypony mentioned in this chapter looks, I got you set.
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=pony+creator#/d47efz4 Go here, and put in these codes for the respective ponies.
3X1P2S5010191919FE171700010FE0000RF1837206000001G1000000FE00000L107F3FCC004CB2 = Red Wing
4Q0J2S4010191919FE171700000FE0000RB1B3C204040011F17F00005900000L11000000FE0000 = Redmane
4K0J284010191919FE171700000FE0000RB1B3C504020001R1000000FE00000L11000000FE0000= Red Mist
4G2T0K62000D0D0CFE000000211FE1212KH18372040000033100073F7300FE1C107F3FCC004CB2= Scarlet Drop
That's OCD for ya. Thanks for reading!

Washing Away the Past

As I finished my story, my friends around me just sat in silence, perhaps in awe or fascination. Twilight Sparkle was the first to speak up.

“Well, that’s a certainly… interesting history to say the least. No wonder you hate your family so much, there is just… so much death involved.” Everypony sat there… quietly. Then Pinkie Pie looked up at me. She stepped to my side before whispering:

“Hey, if you’re ok now, does that mean I can throw you a party?” I nodded quietly, half wondering if she even heard my story.
“YAYY! I FINALLY GET TO THROW A PARTY! You know, it’s been exactly thirty-five hours, forty-two minutes and fifty-five seconds since my last party? ITS GONNA BE GREAT!” On that note, she then proceeded to jump out a nearby pane-glass window. However, if the sign on my door meant anything, we were apparently on the fifth floor of the building. The five of us ran to the window to see if she was ok, but she was nowhere in sight.

“I almost forgot, do you want a theme? I almost soiled myself, hearing the squeaky pink mare behind me. I looked at everypony else in the room, and they too, wore expressions of shock and disbelief.

“Wha… ya just… out the window… but... here you are!... what?” Applejack said, very confused. I preferred just to stare, trying to comprehend what sort of being stood before me. Such incredible displays of supernatural prowess, and yet I couldn't seem to detect the faintest trace of magical power. My train of thought was quickly interrupted as the pink mare spoke up again:

“Fine then, don’t give me a theme. I will come up with my own. She then causally walked out the room. All of a sudden, we all heard her singing from out the window. We went to check, and there she was, skipping down the road. I couldn't help but feel a primal fear towards her, seeing as I knew nothing about how she functioned.

“How… terrifying. Do the laws of time and space bow to her, or simply ignore her?” I said, still rather perplexed. Everypony else just shrugged, not knowing an answer to the impossible question. It seemed that this behavior was new to even them.

After about We exited the hospital once my eyes returned to normal, and at that point, Rarity had woken up again. I waved goodbye to all of the staff who cared for me as we left, but Nurse Redheart almost seemed traumatized however. I couldn’t help but feel bad for my sadistic actions. I should repay her someday. But that would have to wait, as it was getting late and we all decided to part ways. We all headed back to town square, and from there everypony headed back home. It was at that point that the sun was beginning to go down. Halfway back to Fluttershy’s cottage, I stopped walking suddenly. She stopped and turned to me. Cocking my head slightly, I asked:

“Do you see me as a bad pony?” She looked almost confused.

“No, why do you ask?” she responded, a frown of worry quickly forming. I looked down and took a breath, closing my eyes before meeting hers again. My gaze softened as I attempted to read her.

“After telling you about my dark history, I would almost expect you to hate me, let alone let me back into your home. I mean, Twilight Sparkle tried to kill me over it. You almost seem... too kind. I feel undeserving.” Her brows furrowed, turning her look of worry into parental disappointment.

“Just because your family did evil things, doesn’t mean you are evil. I would disagree with anypony who said othewise.”

“I drink blood. Don’t you at least find that scary?”

“Well, yes. But you can’t help yourself. I understand that. If anything, it would be Redmane’s fault for siding with Nightmare Moon and cursing his family in the first place. Besides, I live with woodland creatures. I know some animals eat meat. You're just... like that."

"A predator you mean," I snapped back, my neutral expression quickly devolving to a scowl. "Something that kills and eats other animals." She shook her head, looking for words.

"That's not what I mean. I think you are a wonderful pony, and even if you do drink blood I know it's something you need to do. I dont think you're any more evil than a wolf or bat. I think you're actually very nice, and I don't think that you would ever hurt me or anyone else even if my friends disagree with me. I don't entirely know why, but I trust you.” As she spoke those last few words, she drove them home by pulling me into a hug. I felt a small tear forming in my eye, something I had not felt in a long time. No pony had been this kind to me in years. As she let go of me, I heard a very familiar voice speak behind me.

“It looks like you found yourself a marefriend, eh Red Storm?” I immediately knew who the voice belonged to before I even turned to face the speaker. Before me stood a unicorn mare in full silverette platemail armour. She stood leaning on a tree with her forelegs crossed, the visor of her helmet down to conceal her face. She was shorter than both Fluttershy and I, but this was only because Fluttershy was taller than the average mare.

“Whitewash! You! You're alive! We all thought you were dead! What are you even doing here? If you are here to take me back-" Whitewash interrupted me with a flash of bright white magic from her horn as her armour disappeared, leaving only her saddlebag on her back. Giggling, she stepped forward out of the shade of the tree. Her enchantingly green eyes glimmered brightly even in the dim light. She was a few years younger than me at twenty-four years old, and her coat was a light crème-yellow, with a chocolate brown mane and tail. Her mane and tail were both short and very well combed. Her eyes sparkled with compassion as she gave me a cheery smile. She extended a hoof in greeting, and after a moment of silence I reluctantly returned the gesture.

“How’s life treating you Red Storm? I heard a strange stallion with a black coat and armour showed up here in Equestria, right around the same time the prince went M.I.A. overseas. I decided to see if it was you, and sure enough, here you are.” She looked at Fluttershy, who wore an expression of confusion. Remembering that I was not alone with Whitewash I cleared my throat.

“Ah yes, I’m sorry Fluttershy. This is my friend Whitewash,” I said. “She was my personal bodyguard back home, when I was still a prince. She disappeared, over ten years ago during a reconnaissance mission.” Turning back to face Whitewash I quickly added: "And no, she is not my marefriend. Simply a friend who happens to be a mare." I added a touch of annoyance to the last sentence, to make my discomfort apparent to the unicorn in front of me.

“Oh suuure. Got it, stud. And for your information, I just got tired of hearing “Your Royal Airhead” blather all the time,” Whitewash retorted. “ Also, the other guards started to get a little too frisky around that time.”

“Well, if you’re a friend of Red Storm’s, you are a friend of mine,” Fluttershy said with a smile. I raised an eyebrow at this. “Although, it is getting quite late. I think we should head back to my cottage instead of waiting here… if that’s ok with you.”

“That sounds nice. Let us depart!” Whitewash said. We began to walk back, with Fluttershy in the lead, but then the unicorn pulled me aside. “About Fluttershy…”

“What about her?” I interrupted, irritated.

“I always thought you to be the dominant kind, but don’t you think this is a bit much?" She finished with a grin. I was stunned, and threw a punch at her side, but was met with hard enchanted steel, hurting my bare hoof. Upon connecting, a flicker of her armour appeared, then disappeared again.

“I can see you’ve gotten better with your invisibility veils,” I said between clenched teeth, caressing my injured hoof.

“You could say that again. Spent some time with the changelings. I learned a lot- especially some hoofs-on studies.” She gave me a devious wink before trotting to catch up with Fluttershy. I did my best to rid myself of the horrifying mental images to no avail. When we arrived at the cottage, I let the two mares in before locking the door behind me. Whitewash and myself sat down, in the living room while Fluttershy began to prepare tea. However, Whitewash produced her own… beverage of choice.

“Is that what I think it is?” I asked, my eyes going wide as Whitewash revealed a large, purple, glass bottle that was filled with a familiar translucent rusty-brown liquid. On the label it showed my Great-great-great-great-great-aunt's picture.

“Indeed it is! Good, old-fashioned Scarlet Swift Whiskey! Would you like a glass?"

“Yes please! It’s been too long since I had any real liquor, let alone Sanguinary whiskey!” I couldn't help feel slightly hypocritical of my excitement as I had painted the Kingdom in such poor light earlier today. I quickly banished the thought however as Whitewash floated a pair of shot glasses out of her saddlebag. We then said our cheers, and downed both glasses in a single gulp. The whiskey was strong, with a nice flavour much like rose petals. When Fluttershy returned a few moments later, she looked awfully confused.

“What are you drinking?” she asked.

“Scarlet Swift Whiskey! Made by my ancestor aunt, It may be one of the few things my family did right. Whitewash had some on hand, and I simply couldn't refuse. Would you like a glass?” I responded.

“Ok… I guess so.” She sat down next to me, and Whitewash poured another glass. I handed it to her, and she took a small sip, before swallowing. Suddenly her eyes shot open.

“Ah! AH-AH! It’s like drinking FIRE! Ohmyohmyohmy!” she ran over to the kitchen and poured herself some water and drank it quickly which did little to aid the burning. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction.

“I see now that you must prefer your tea then?” I chuckled again before continuing, “I’m sorry, I should have told you about that. That was cruel and uncalled for.” I motioned to Whitewash to put the substance away, who was downing her second shot. To my surprise, Fluttershy reclaimed her composure before calmly walking back over. She sat down next to me again, before finishing her glass. She flinched, and her cheeks turned rosy, but she choked it down.

“May I have another?” she finally asked. Whitewash shrugged before handing her the bottle.

“Go nuts. I’ve hit my limit for now. I do have to walk back to my inn, after all.” Fluttershy responded to this by pouring herself another glass and downing it quickly.

“I take back what I said. You have impressed me with your fortitude, but you have nothing to prove. You are aware of that… right?” Flutttershy ruffled her feathers, shaking all over for a moment before she responded:

“I’m not trying to prove anything. I like this… whiskey, so I’m going to have more.” Her voice sounded slightly slurred, but that came to no surprise as this appeared to be her first time drinking alcohol. She had absolutely no tolerance to it, and was quickly getting “snookered”, as my father used to say. As she tried to pour another glass, I took the bottle from her.

“No. You’ve had enough. You’re going to have a hangover tomorrow as it is, and I don’t want you getting downright drunk. Because, unless you forgot, we have to sleep in the same bed. I don't mean to make assumptions of you, but I prefer to stay on the safe side.” She frowned, but then picked up her tea and started to sip it. I couldn't happen to notice that Whitewash's ears perked up as I said “sleep in the same bed.” I shot her a wicked glance as a wide grin appeared on her face and she settled down again. Then, out of nowhere, she started to laugh. She noticed my confusion, and pointed at Fluttershy. I looked back over to the yellow mare, and she was fast asleep, face-first on the coffee table. I couldn’t suppress my laugh either, as it was a rather funny sight, seeing as the mare was wide awake a moment ago. I hauled Fluttershy back upstairs, but when I returned downstairs, Whitewash was deadly serious. Her smile that she had been wearing all night was now gone, replaced with tight lips.

“You know that your father will come looking for you, and he will eventually find you. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I know,” I said returning the expression.

“He will kill everypony who stands in his way, mare, stallion, or foal.”

“I know.”

“You can’t hide forever. If, no, when he finds you, you are going to have to fight him, if you want to stay.”

“Why are you telling me what I already know?”

“To remind you of the stakes.” She then snapped her tail at the staircase leading up to Fluttershy’s room, where the drunken mare lay sleeping. I nodded at this, before saying:

“Just because I am living with her, doesn’t mean that I love her, you know.”

“I hear your words, but do you really believe what's coming out of your mouth?” With that, she started for the door, and left without another word, closing the door behind her with her magic. I stood there for a moment, before realizing she left the whiskey, likely on purpose. I picked it up, before plopping myself down on the couch. Angel hopped up and sat down next to me, before holding out a glass.

“Want some, do you? Very well.” I filled his glass, and there we sat, drinking. Him from the glass, myself from the bottle, until we both fell asleep.

Author's Notes:

Also, this chapter was entirely written by my co-writer Annabeth while I was in the hospital. (In case you were wondering why, I was hit by bus. No biggy.) It was some time before I even came onto FiMfiction.net, and we both hope you enjoy it. Oh, and here's Scarlet Swift for you:
4G1X1E0100141413FE000000101903DCC6K1839003020001O10004265000B20Z107F3FCC004CB2
Just pop the code in Pony Creator. Yes, I have the whole damn cast made, and then some.

Wakey-Wakey

I woke up with a pounding headache. I was on the couch with Angel lying on the ground next to me, hugging the empty whiskey bottle, still fast asleep. I got up and made my way to the bathroom. I opened the door and fell in. I got back up only to see Fluttershy passed out on the toilet, with driblets of vomit still around her mouth. I cleaned her up, then the toilet, before dragging us both up back up to the bedroom. I set her down and covered her, before returning downstairs.

I rinsed my face with some cold water, which quickly brought me back again. I made my way to the kitchen, where I began to prepare breakfast as quietly as possible. I made some toast, prepared some flowers, and I also put together my father’s “Wake-Up-Juice” for Fluttershy’s hangover. Hot sauce, an onion, mustard seed, and a hoof-full of chilies all blended together in a mixture sure to sober you up in ten seconds flat. I slightly flinched as I blended them together, as it was unbearably loud, at least to me. When it was done, I listened to hear if Fluttershy had woken up. Nothing. I took a cup and filled it up, and drank the whole thing. Holy Luna, that is hot. Few seconds later, I felt like my head was ablaze, but perfectly sober. I returned to making breakfast while I continued to listen for Fluttershy.

A little while later, she came downstairs, right as I was setting the table. She was squinting and was clearly suffering dearly from her hangover. I helped her sit down, and even the squeaking of the chairs on the wood floor caused her to shudder.

“My head hurts a lot…” she began, so quiet I could have heard a butterfly land over her voice.

“I know it does, and I need you to drink this. Just drink it quickly, or I assure you, your headache will be the last of your troubles.” She did as she was told, and she drank the whole glass quickly.

“Oh…my.” She then ran over to the sink and began to drink straight out of the faucet while I waited at the table. I counted to ten, and by then she had gotten over her fit. When she returned to the table, she wore a face of utter scorn.

“That was a cruel joke, Red Storm.”

“Is your hangover gone?” She paused, realizing the true effects of the “Wake-Up-Juice”. “Y-yes it is,” she stuttered.

“Thank me later. For now, let us eat.” We ate our meal silently, and an oddly sober Angel joined us at the table to nibble on a carrot. Once we were done, I cleaned up the table, washed the blender, and joined Fluttershy in the living room. I sat next to her on the couch, and as I did, she said:

“Please remind me never to drink whiskey again.” I simply nodded with a smile.

“You will say that every time, but you will always come back to it,” I said. She frowned.

“Then don’t let me ever drink again.” I laughed.

“If you insist m’lady! I will protect you from the devil-drink until the end of days!” I bowed down, extending my wings like I had meant to when we first met, being knightly in an obnoxious way. She continued to frown.

“Please stop making fun of me.”

“You’re the one who got drunk.”

“There’s no need to make fun of me though.”

“I will keep that in mind.” I sneered at her upon saying this. I was half wondering if I should stay my true to my word, or let her build up a tolerance. I decided on the latter. It would be funnier that way, and she also benefits from it… in a way.We sat staring at each other for a minute before she got up and said:

“I need to tend to the animals.” I nodded.

“I’m not going to stop you.”

“Must you always be so asinine?” I thought about it.

“Hmm… very well. I do need to work on that.” She went outside as I began to do the morning rituals. I dusted for a while, and then did the laundry, and then finally I sat around not knowing what to do next.

When Fluttershy returned, I had been finishing my three-deck house of cards, which also included a shed in the backyard. I was rather proficient at that sort of thing. Fluttershy saw it, and raised an eyebrow. I looked at her and said:

“What? I got bored.” She giggled, before knocking it down. I stared at the pile of cards, before laughing. “Oh well. Everything comes crashing down in the end, eh?” We stopped laughing and looked into each other’s eyes.

“You’re right. It’s best to savor life to the fullest,” the yellow mare said, before jumping onto me. Before I could say anything, she planted a kiss on my lips, and I blinked, wondering what was going on. When I opened my eyes, everything was as it was. She stood across the room from me, still staring at me. ‘That was weird.’ I thought.

“Maybe you should get out. You’ve been acting unlike yourself lately.” I nodded in agreement before adding:

“As have you. Perhaps I should meet with Whitewash today, and you can see your friends.” She pondered it for a moment, before nodding herself. “It’s settled then! We shall not see each other again until tonight! Good bye.” I flew out the window almost spastically, leaving Fluttershy with what I could only guess to be a look of confusion. ‘Perhaps I can council with Whitewash on this… odd daydream. And catch up too, of course!’

‘Not a bad idea, though you should really talk to Fluttershy about that… daydream.’

‘When did you get benevolent?’

‘Just now. Don’t get used to it.’ Silence. I really got to stop having conversations with myself like that. I might begin to think myself mad.

Author's Notes:

This was Anna's Second Chapter, as I was still under from the accident. She wrote it without any council from me, nor any of my notes to go by. I think she did a swell job, and I hope you all think so too.

Why Not?

I arrived at town’s square a few moments later, and decided to ask around to see where Whitewash could be staying. I felt like a fool not to have asked when I first saw her, but it’s not like I can re-write the past. I asked around for a few minutes, before somepony finally told me she might be staying at the local inn. I began to fly on over, but bumped into Miss Doo in mid-air.

“Oh! Sorry about that. I didn’t see you there,” she said, as I got up and helped her to her hooves.

“The blame is half-mine as well. Don’t feel bad. How are you, Miss Doo? I haven’t seen you since you delivered that letter.” Upon saying that, I had occurred to me that she wasn’t wearing her Mail-Mare uniform. Perhaps she was off-duty?

“I’ve been doing really well! How are you feeling, after exploding?” I paused, trying to find the meaning of this statement. ‘Ah, yes. The Sanguine Rainboom. Of course.’

“Technically I didn’t explode. It was more of a “cataclysmic blood donation”. But I’m doing well, thank you for asking.” We both stood there, awkwardly silent. Then Miss Doo spoke up:

“Hey! I’ve got an idea! How about we grab some dinner together?” I thought about the offer, tilting my head sideways, before saying:

“Perhaps. I have some things to do today, but I will talk to you again if my schedule changes… ok?”

“Ok,” she nodded her head, before flying off. She stopped in midair, before saying;

“I will be at my home if you change your mind! It’s the big yellow one across the street from the Post Office!” Then she flew off, without turning back again.

I continued along my course to the inn, finding no other reason to stop. Once I arrived, I immediately asked if a mare under the name of Whitewash had recently checked in. The mare at the registration desk said yes, and told me the room number. As I made my way to Suite 38, I chuckled. ‘Just like Whitewash to find the most expensive place to stay.' I made my way over to the door on the third floor and knocked. I wasn’t surprised when a tall, muscular, unicorn stallion opened the door. I was surprised when he greeted me with:

“Red Storm! Whatcha doing here?” I looked at the stallion sideways. He was slightly taller than me, with a golden mane and a grey coat. He had a Cutie Mark of a Hammer and Anvil. What caught my attention, however, was the fact that this stallion’s eyes were exactly the same emerald-green hue as Whitewash’s. He noticed my surprise, and laughed lightly.

“Sorry for the confusion there, Red Storm. It’s me, Whitewash.”

I could have sworn that my brain had erupted in sparks just then. The Stallion continued, “I am using a gender spell. Technically it’s a veil, but tell that to the mare in my bed! Real enough for her! He (she?) chuckled when a mare limped up to him (her?) and leaned against his (her?) side.

The mare was pale yellow, almost whitish in colour, with a raspberry mane streaked with a lighter shade of raspberry. Her eyes were a yellow-green in colour and she bore a Cutie Mark of a rose.

“Who’s this?” the mare spoke, head resting on the stallion before me. “Some friend of yours, Anvil?”

“Yes, in fact he is. This is Red Storm… you know, the one who raced Rainbow Dash earlier this week? He came by for a spot of tea and-“

“I will stop you there, Anvil. I see you’re… busy, so I will take my leave.” I nodded to the mare before setting off. Behind me, I hear the door close, before giggling mixed with pained screams. Sounds like somepony got carried away with customizing their veil.

As I headed back outside, I felt my stomach grumble. I realized I had never had lunch. Then I remembered Miss Doo. Seeing as my schedule for the afternoon has been cleared, I should go see her now, and take her up on her offer for dinner.

I made my way skywards, because I thought finding Miss Doo’s home would be easier that way. Eventually I found the small house, yellow and just across the street from the post office, just as she said. I walked up to the door and knocked three times. The door swung open and a small purple unicorn filly stood in front of me. She looked at me sideways, before half-turning and calling into the house:

“MOM! You’re date’s here.” I couldn’t help but blush at that statement. ‘Her date? I didn’t mean for it to come across as that…’

The pegasus mare swung around a corner, bumping into a vase, which wobbled before steadying itself. She stood before me, smiling.

“Hi there, Red Storm! This is my daughter, Dinky Doo. Say hello, Dinky.” The filly just stared at me, making me rather uncomfortable. Then, Ditzy shooed her away, before turning back to me. “Ready?” I nodded, and we set off.

We walked through town, headed towards a little restaurant that Miss Doo said had great food. As we walked, I searched my person for bits. I pulled out a hooffull of bits, about 40 or so, which caught the wall-eyed mare’s attention.

“Whoa! That’s a lot of bits, Red Storm! More than I make at least. Where did you get so much money?” I shrugged.

“Inheritance. So where is this place?” She pointed ahead of us to a small building that had various signs of different foods. Some were Germane, some Itallion, and to my surprise, some were from my home place, the Sanguine Kingdom! I was wholly impressed as we entered, and further so when a waiter saw us, and immediately brought us to a table. He then placed two menus in front of us before trotting away.

“This place has the largest selection of food I have ever seen!” I said, looking at the menu in awe. “And the service is very good as well,” I stated, nodding at the waiter. Ditzy just sat across me, smiling wide.

“I’m glad to see you like it here. So, what are you getting? I’m gonna get muffins.” I blinked. Muffins? Ok…

“I think I will get something nice from my home place. Some nice lilies with a side of truffles and sauces. I think the food is the only thing I miss about home.” Ditzy frowned.

“What about your family? Don’t you miss them?”

“No. They are the reason why I left.”

“What did they do?”

“…… Let’s just drop it, alright? I would rather talk about you than my past.” This brought a smile to the mares face again. We then began to talk about our interests, her family, small talk in general. Then the waiter came around, and took our orders. We continued to talk for a while more, until our food was brought over. We ate, talking between mouthfuls, and having a great time.

I paid the bill in full, as a gentlecolt should, and we stepped outside. It had already grown dark, and I offered to walk her home. In fact, I was having such a good time, I forgot we could fly. So we walked back, still chatting. However, when we reached her home, she stopped at the door.

“I had a wonderful time tonight, Red Storm. You’re very nice.”

“Thank you, Miss Doo. I had a splendid time myself.” We stood there, awkwardly at the door for several minutes. Then she turned around and unlocked the door, going in. Right as I turned to leave, she stopped me.

“Wait! Before you go…” I turned around, and was surprised when I received a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for dinner.” She then hurried inside, trying to cover up her blushing, leaving me outside stunned. I quickly shook off the feeling before spreading my wings and taking off, headed back to Fluttershy’s cottage.

'Tonight was interesting. I wonder how Fluttershy’s evening went.’ When I arrived, however, it was apparent I would not be getting any such answer. All the lights were out, and I had to pick the lock with a nearby twig to enter. I wasn’t sure why the door was locked if she expected me back. I entered quietly, locking the door behind me. I went upstairs to find Fluttershy asleep. I climbed in as gently as I could, and received only a slight fidget. As I settled in, the mare wrapped her forelegs around me. I wanted to resist at first, but quickly decided ‘Oh, why not?,’ and spooned her. I quickly fell asleep, and dreamt soundly that night.

Author's Notes:

BTW... this was my first chapter after I had gotten out of the hospital. I was hopped up on pain meds(I still wasn't completely healed), so if anything is amiss, do tell.
Here's Anvil, too, as a random bonus.
4G1O1X4100A6A5A6FEFEFE0020000FE00RK1837000000001R0B3BF267300FE16107F3FCC004CB2
Thanks for reading, chillllldren. This is Red Storm, *WOOOOO!* and you're reading A Sanguine Dawn... no matter how bad it hurts.

Passionate Psychosis

Author’s Note: Sorry for the wait. I got into a big fight with my parents and lost my computer. I’m using my father’s for the weekend, so only expect one or two chapters for the next month, at the least. You guys (and gals) are most important here, and again, I am sorry.

I awoke with a start. I looked to my right, searching for Fluttershy. There she was, sound asleep, still resting on my side. I looked out the window. It looked to be about eight in the morning, judging by the sun’s angle in the sky. I gently untangled myself from the mare (being careful not to wake her), and moved silently downstairs. I began to prepare breakfast as quiet as a mouse, not wanting to wake her. While I did this, I thought to myself:

‘I think I may have feelings for Fluttershy. Romantic feelings. I can’t believe it. I just came here to start a new life, nothing more. But perhaps, love is just part of that. Maybe I HAVE found a new life… here. With her…’ I paused my thoughts while I diced some carrots. ‘No, what am I thinking? I can’t possibly have a life with her. I am a wanted stallion. All I would be doing is putting her in harm’s way if I were to stay. I was only supposed to stay a few days. That was the plan. Then move on into Canterlot and buy a nice house, and live the rest of my days in solitude.’ I breathed a heavy sigh as I plated some flowers with the carrots, before starting on some apples. ‘I am just merely in denial of one simple fact. I am in love with Fluttershy. However, I cannot stay without putting her in harm’s way…’ I stopped again while setting the table.

“…Or can I?” I said aloud.

“Can you what?” I jumped, spinning around, only to find Fluttershy standing behind me, rubbing her eyes with one hoof.

“Oh nothing, Fluttershy, my dear. Just early morning rambling, happens to the best of us. Would you care for some breakfast?” She nodded and sat down in a chair I pulled out for her, not noticing how I called her “dear”. She began to nibble on the meal before her, while I sat deep in thought. Apparently, I was frowning again, as she spoke up.

“Is something troubling you, Red Storm?” I looked at her, and had just then noticed how pretty she really was. Her glossy, perfect coat… Her lush, flowing, pink mane… And the glistening blue irises of her eyes… I shook my head lightly and responded:

“No, nothing’s wrong, I’m just once again deep in thought.” I didn’t have the heart to discuss my true problem with her now. Maybe later… I imagined a hilariously stereotypical moment in which I could confess my love to her; in the wake of a conquered peril, under a romantic moonlit night. I chuckled for a moment, and Fluttershy caught this.

“Sorry. Just remembering a silly foal’s tale.” Fluttershy accepted this explanation and continued to eat. Good save. Sort of.

“Say, Fluttershy, you never got to indulge me with the tales of last night? What went on with you and the other mares?” She shrugged.

“Oh, not very much. We had a little get-together at Sugarcube Corner. What did you do last night with Whitewash?”

“Actually… I found that Whitewash was occupied with company of her own…” The yellow mare’s eyes went wide.

“Oh,” was all she said. I continued by saying:

“However, I ran into Miss Doo en route and we wound up having a delightful dinner together.” I finished with a light-hearted smile. Fluttershy, however, met this with a blank look.

“So… you went on a date with Ditzy Doo?”

“Yes… I suppose you could call it that… why?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, just… well that’s nice to see that you two are getting along.” I could have sworn she seemed distraught when she trailed off for a moment, but she returned to her quiet, cheery self upon finishing. “How was it?”

“Oh, it was nice. We went out to a pleasant little restaurant in town, and had a swell time. We talked about our interests, past experiences… small talk really. Then, once we were done, I paid the bill, and walked her home. When we got back she… umm” I noticed how Fluttershy was looking at me. Almost with longing. I don’t think she knew she was making a face. “She gave me a kiss and I returned here. That’s about it.” As I wrapped up the short story, Fluttershy relaxed, but maintained a gloomy look about her. ‘Is she… jealous? No, no, certainly not… is she?’

“Something wrong, Fluttershy?” I asked, “You look troubled.” I was beginning to think that Whitewash might have been onto something the other night…

“Oh… no. I’m happy that you got to go on a date,” she smiled, but I didn’t buy it.

“Ok… thank you. Perhaps we can find you a nice colt too… eh?” She smiled again, but with less luster. ‘Perhaps Whitewash WAS right… could this squeamish, quiet, mare possibly have feelings for ME?’

I shook off the thought as she continued to eat, nodding me off. We finished breakfast in silence. I washed the dishes, and Fluttershy left me in silence to go to her animals. I sat alone in the living room in silence, sipping a cup of tea. However, my mind was filled with thoughts.

‘Might she love me? Do I love her? How can I know? How could I be sure it’s not just my imagination?’

‘You can’t, but it’s a safe guess that though she may not love you, she certainly harbors feelings of some sort.’

‘Don’t be foolish. She doesn’t love YOU. She simply sees you as a roommate. Nothing more.’

‘And how, pray tell, how would YOU know that?’

‘Because who has every truly loved you? Nopony.’

‘That’s not true. What about sister Scarlet Rain?’

‘She abandoned you. Left you for father and mother. They probably aren’t even LOOKING for you.’

‘Gentlemen, please. Let us settle this rationally. Is it not possible she DOES share feelings for him, if not love him?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘Fat chance.’

‘Then let it be said, that until further notice, Fluttershy is Red Storm’s Crush.’

‘Very well.’

‘Good enough.’

‘I can live with that.’

I came back to as she re-entered the room again. ‘My Crush. I like that thought… wait... did I just have a four-way conversation with myself?’

“Pray tell, Fluttershy. What are we going to be doing today, anyway?” She stopped, and cocked her head sideways, thinking about it. “I mean, not like I have anything planned.”

“What about Ditzy Doo?” she said, frowning.

‘She has the hots for you.’ A voice said.

‘Shut it!’ I curtly responded to the voice. I returned my attention to Fluttershy.

“I think it is safe to say that that was a friendly rendezvous.” I said, and she just looked at me the same for a moment, before returning to some sort of normality. It seems like I am really having a negative influence on the yellow mare, because she is much different from when I first met her. The quiet, jumpy frightened mare is never to be seen whenever I was present, at least not for several weeks.

‘Perhaps… she feels more comfortable around you?’

‘…Perhaps. That does make sense…’

I must stop talking to myself like that.

“Ok. I guess I can live with that. Besides, wasn’t Pinkie preparing a party for tonight? Shouldn’t you be preparing for that?” My heart skipped a beat.

“T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t…”

“I guess if forgot to mention that she told me to tell you last night, didn’t I?” I merely continued sputtering:

“T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-” before finishing with: “t-t-t-Tonight? I do need to get prepared! How many ponies will be there?”

“Lots… maybe everypony in town.” I gaped for a moment before shutting my mouth.

“I must make myself presentable! How’s my mane? My coat? I must shower, and brush my teeth! I must do everything I can to look my very best! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event! Not like I will ever get another “Welcome Party” ever again.” As I scrambled to get myself ready, Fluttershy stood for a moment before asking:

“You can always have another “Welcome Party”… unless… you’re planning to stay?” I didn’t look to her for several minutes as I searched for my toothbrush. When I found it, however, I turned to her with a caring smile and replied:

“Yes, in fact, I do plan on settling here. I feel like there may be a future here for me… But for now, I must prepare for this PARTY.” I swiftly killed the moment by running into the bathroom to prepare, leaving Fluttershy alone again.

As the sun began to creep down again, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Nopony has ever thrown me a party before, and the only celebration I ever got back home was a day of relaxation and no training… and that was on my Birthdays.

“So, are you sure I look ok? I feel… incomplete.”

“Red Storm, you are wearing Mithril chainmail under your suit, and even the suit seems a bit much. How did you find a suit at this hour, anyway?” I looked at her sideways before saying:

“Firstly, the Mithril is traditional, lightweight and incredibly strong, not to mention plain awesome. Secondly, one must always, always suit up for big occasions. Occasions such as parties. And I got the suit from Rarity, for your information,” I said, trying to sound snooty, but failing when I chuckled. She just giggled lightly, rolling her eyes.

“You know you look silly, right? You’re in a full suit going to a party where nopony else will be wearing anything?”

“Oh well. Where is the party, anyway?”

“At Sugarcube Corner, why?” I gulped.

“Very well, let us get there as soon as possible. My nerves are being tested as we speak.”

We arrived at the party minutes later, and when we finally arrived, the whole building was simply bouncing. There were strobing lights coming from the windows, the thump-thump-thump-thump of a bass stereo pumping. The windows rattled, and if I didn’t believe that everypony in town was there, I would have suspected somepony to be calling some sort of law enforcement due to the party “Disturbing the Peace”.

We trotted up to the door, where a familiar pink mare stood, wearing shades and a vest, obviously trying to be a bouncer… how queer, seeing as everypony was already inside. We neared her, and Miss Pie nodded curtly to us, before asking:

“Name?” I couldn’t help but be confused.

“Pinkie, its Fluttershy and me, Red Storm, and why are you dressed like that?”

“You ain’t on the list.” She said, making her voice gruff. “But you are,” she said, pointing to Fluttershy. Without another word, she pushed the yellow mare inside and followed her in, before stopping at the door, turning to me.

“If you ain’t on the list, you don’t get in. Sorry pal, it’s the rules.” She then stepped inside, and locked the door. I stood there, for several minutes, utterly confused.

Out of nowhere, the door blew open, and Pinkie Pie jumped out in a hail of streamers and confetti, no longer in her bouncer outfit.

“Just kidding!” She said, laughing. “No way I would keep the stallion of the hour out of his own party! Come on in!” She stepped aside, and allowed me in. What met my eyes was spectacular and near-seizure inducing.

Author's Notes:

Is anyone even looking for my references anymore? Cause no one's sayin' jack about finding them. There are two vauge ones in this chapter alone... come on! Throw me a bone here, people! Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story and everything like that.

Pony Rock

Author’s unnecessarily Italic note: Just wanted to throw this out here, I am portraying Ditzy as intelligent and social for this story. So… yeah… Read the story, Tina…

I entered the dark room, only to be blinded by about twenty different coloured lights flashing and blinking in my eyes. I let my eyes adjust, and when they did, I saw that everypony in the room was staring at me. I blinked once, twice, and before I could absently blink a third time, Pinkie Pie grabbed me by the shoulder, standing on her hind legs with a glass of what appeared to be punch in her free hoof before yelling:

“THE GUEST OF HONOUR HAS ARRIVED! NOW LETS REALLY GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!” A huge crowd of mares and stallions of all colours cheered, pumping their drinks in the air, including the other mares whom I had met earlier that autumn. I even caught a glance of Big Macintosh in the corner, holding up a large mug, grinning my way. Pinkie then pointed to a certain white unicorn in shades that was currently mixing some admittedly gnarly rifts, saying:

“DJ! PUT A RECORD ON! LETS PARTY ‘TILL THE SUN COMES UP, AND THEN SOME!” I was nearly deafened by the shouting of the pink party mare, and the blaring music didn’t help. Then, as the new track began to play, the party-crazed mare turned back to me:

“I’M SO GLAD YOU MADE IT! IT WOULDN’T BE A ‘WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, RED STORM’ PARTY IF YOU WEREN’T HERE FOR US TO GREET, HUH?” I nodded nervously, as I scanned the rest of the room. I quickly spotted my friends, and made my way around the crowd, nodding off the greetings I received. I walked up to the mares, but one was missing… Rarity (who was formally dressed, like me)… Fluttershy… Rainbow Dash… Applejack…and Pinkie Pie, who had somehow materialized on this side of the room…… Where was Twilight Sparkle? I said hello to my friends:

“Hi there, everypony, has anypony seen Twilight?” the group shrugged, except Pinkie Pie who saw something and ran over to it, leaving the area as quickly as she appeared.

“I hadn’t seen her since she got here. She snagged som’ punch and wandered off.” Said the orange mare, shrugging. I scanned the room quickly, and soon spotted her purple coat next to a red one. She stood, chatting with Big Mac, while sipping her punch. Every few minutes they would share a light laugh before continuing to chatter. I couldn’t hope to eavesdrop from here, being halfway across the room and having the music playing, backed with the noise of ponies dancing and talking. ‘Perhaps I ought to leave those two alone… just in case.’

“So… what’s everypony doing?” I said, adjusting my collar.

“Not much. Just hangin’ out,” the cyan blue Pegasus said. “What do you think about the party that Pinkie threw you? Pretty cool, huh?” I simply nodded.

“Pray tell, Red Storm, how do you like your suit?” I looked nice and hard at the suit for the first time tonight. It was a dark-grey colour with a red undershirt and had rubies for the collar clips.

“I love it, really. However, I’m feeling rather unnerved here. Do you know where I can get something to drink, punch perhaps?”

“Please, darling, do you honestly think that there is just punch here? The bar is over there,” the well-dressed unicorn said, pointing to a bar area that I had somehow missed.

“Yeah! I mean, what’s a party without stiff drinks?” Rainbow Dash added. I nodded in thanks, and as I walked away, I could hear the five mares chirping away with each other. I made my way to the bar, trying not to step on anypony’s hooves in the dark, and sat myself down. I was surprised when a young dragon popped out from behind the counter, with a moustache and a bowtie… got to admit, the ‘stache was pretty cool.

“So, what can I get for the stallion of the hour? Something lightweight,” he leaned in, before winking, “or something hard?”

“Just a light cider, Spike. Nice mustache, by the way.”

“Thanks. So, you’re already drinking, huh? I take it parties aren’t your thing.” He said this while filling a glass cup with the cider, and I nodded.

“I don’t like parties. I was excited coming here, but now I know that it isn’t my style.” The purple dragon raised an eyebrow as he glided the glass across the counter into my hoof flawlessly.

“You know, there are formal parties, right? What you might call a ball or gala. We have those too, just not as often.” I simply nodded again, and he walked away to tend to another pony. Suddenly, there is a tap on my back, and I spin around and grab the pony by the neck out of instinct. I don't like being touched or surprised.

It was Ditzy.

“Oh my lord! I am unfathomably sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”I set her down, brushing her mane and patting her back as she tried to cough out a response.

“I-*cough*- I’m ok. What has you so jumpy?” I settled back into my barstool, sighing.

“I’m just like that whenever somepony startles me. Again, I’m sorry.” She just nodded, sitting next to me, rubbing her neck. She waved over Spike and ordered an appletini, to my surprise.

“My, I would have never guessed you drink.”

“You have to, being a single mom.” My brow furrowed. She giggled.

“That was a joke. But really, I just like to have something… different every once in a while.” I shrugged as I took a long swig from my glass, before looking at it sideways. It was light. It was like drinking apple juice. I shrugged again as I finished my glass and Ditzy received hers, all in relative silence, if you could ignore the blaring music.

The music was likely the worst part of the whole event… in a way. I like the music, but it was far too loud. And the lights could give somepony into a seizure, not to mention the lack of real lighting. Although I found myself bobbing my head to the music, I was otherwise annoyed by it.

Ditzy downed her drink and ran over to the dance floor, and I simply sat there, flagging Spike down for another round.
“Perhaps you can give me something stronger…”

“Sure. We have so much here, I almost wonder if Pinkie killed somepony for all of it.” Right as he said that, Pinkie Pie jumped out of a cabinet behind him and pinned him to the counter, hissing in his ear:

“Tell NOPONY.” He just nodded nervously before she jumped off of him, mantling the counter and running off somewhere. I was almost shocked at her feral behavior, but I assumed I was no better earlier that week in the hospital. Spike straightened his tie and moustache before pouring me a glass of what looked to be scotch. I took the glass and sipped it as the current song ended.

Suddenly, Vinyl Scratch put on a new record, this one a slow dance. She lowered the bass, and changed the lighting so that the room turned a velvety-pink colour. It was a piece with what appeared to be almost all strings, which was rather calming. I saw that a good dozen ponies had cleared the dance floor, making room for the couples to dance.

“This one is dedicated to the pony of the hour, Red Storm! All you colts out there, grab a filly, and have some fun! I’m talking to you, big guy.” As she finished, a spotlight shined on me, dousing me in pink. I slowly got up, and made my way to the center of the room, all eyes on me. The room was quiet except for the heavenly music wafting through the air. I looked around me, looking for somepony to share the dance with. I saw Ditzy, and she smiled my way. I thought about asking her, but then I saw those aqua blue eyes behind her.

I absentmindedly made my way over to the eyes, enchanted by them. But that wasn’t the only thing guiding me across the room. The pink mane, the buttermilk coat, and the overall beauty of the mare; Fluttershy. I trotted over to her, some ponies stepping out of my way, others following my gaze. The mare was not looking at me, but instead was looking at the bottom of a plastic cup, sitting at a small round table. I stopped in front of her, bathing us both in the light. She looked up at me, and her eyes went wide. I dropped to my knees and said:

“May you give me the pleasure of this dance, Fluttershy?”

"Yes," She breathed silently.

“I beg your pardon?” I asked, straining my ears.

“Yes, I would love to, Red Storm.” I took her hoof in my own, and I led her back to the dance floor. We took our positions and began to dance a ball dance.

“I didn’t know you knew this dance,” I whispered in her ear.

“I do. Thank you,” She whispered back.

“For what?”

“For choosing me.” I looked into her eyes, and she smiled. I leaned in, almost touching her ear, and I responded.

“…How could I not?” She blushed, and I held her closer. I hadn’t even noticed that some couples had joined us in the dance, including Big Mac and Twilight. Even if I did, I wouldn’t care. I was dancing with the pony who I loved, and I was lost in the moment. Neither god nor devil could spoil this for me, and I thought I was the happiest pony in the world. However, in my love-struck trance, I let my guard fall. Because of this, I failed to notice a black unicorn mare in the corner of the room.

A mare with eyes split like those of a cat’s, and eyes as red as blood.

I also failed to see this mare charging a spell, one that could kill everypony in the room. I failed to see her halt herself, and step out the door.

I failed to see the mare whom I had spent my entire foalhood with.

I failed to see my older sister, Scarlet Rain.

I stumbled out with Fluttershy at about three in the morning, and we were ecstatic, never mind the time. We chatted all the way home, about how much fun we had, about the dance, and about how embarrassing it was towards the end. At some point, we even sang karaoke together. We also were very drunk right about now.

‘Looks like I’m going to need some more Wake-Up-Juice tomorrow, but I think it was totally worth it… after all, I got to share a night of bliss with the mare who I hold such strong feelings for.’

We stumbled inside, laughing together for no reason. We went upstairs, and fell into bed, giggling like little foals. But when the mare began to try to snuggle with me, I pushed her off, regaining some sobriety.

“No… don’t try it. I don’t want to do anything foolish that we may regret later. Let’s just…*yawn* get some sleep…” The mare yawned soon after me, muttered something about fruitcake, and passed out soon after that. I covered her up, before wrapping myself up. As the sun began to rise, I began to fall into my dreamscape.

Sleep Tight, Night Knight

I slept in relative peace until something seemed wrong. I was no longer sleeping on the soft surface Fluttershy’s bed, and instead felt hard ground. I opened my eyes, and there I was, lying in a forest clearing. This was, however, no ordinary field. The grass was orange and the trees were purple with blue leaves. As I rose to my hooves and stretched, I realized I was dreaming. I looked up to a blue sky and saw dual suns, but they gave no warmth. That, I found odd as everything else was real enough, from the grass underhoof to the breeze blowing through my mane.

I gathered myself, and upon seeing if I was lucid, I was most certainly not. When I tried to fly, I found my wings to be missing. When I tested my strength by bucking a tree, I was shaken instead of knocking it down, as was my intent. ‘How ironic that in the one place that I could truly be a god, I am stranded as a weak, mortal earth pony.’ I thought with a small chuckle as I regained my bearings. I looked around, and upon seeing a small checkered path nearby, I decided it would be best to follow it. This obviously was not going to be a fun “Do whatever the hell you want” dream. One doesn’t have a sense of time in a dream, as an in-dream minute could be a month in reality, and vice versa, so I should not dally.

I trotted along the path at a reasonable pace, passing a few oddities (likely born from fractures in my psyche) such as a juggling minotaur, flying, dancing sausages, and a lobster playing a bass guitar. Very queer indeed.

Further down the road, I met a burly squirrel who was blocking the path. Conveniently, the shrubbery had grown so dense so that passage around the squirrel was impossible. As I drew near, the squirrel pointed a furry finger at me and asked with a tangy drawl not unlike Applejacks:

“Are you Dirty Dan?” I blinked a few times before responding:

“Cry your pardon, but I do not understand the question. I was expecting a riddle… in this a riddle?”

“Are. You. Dirty. Dan.”

“No. My name is Red Storm.” Upon hearing this, the squirrel shrugged before exploding into flames. I leaped back, startled, but returned to my normal stance as the fire died down. All that remained of the squirrel was a pile ash, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for it. That is, until I remembered that this is a dream, promptly stepping over the ashes to continue. As I continued on my way, the trees slowly cleared forth before disappearing entirely, cobblestone taking place of the grass. I also noticed it was growing darker. Upon searching the sky for the reason, I noticed that the once blue sky was now a dreadful crimson, filled with black clouds. ‘This does not bode well,’ I thought, as I entered what appeared to be Ponyville.

The new red lighting brought on an eerie feeling of dread to the town, and the shadows cast from the clouds danced alone the once cheery streets, causing me to look over my shoulder more than once. As I walked along, alert of movement or sound, something caught my attention. Down the street, I saw what appeared to be another pony, hopping and skipping to the tune of some unknown song. As the figure approached, I could more clearly see a bouncing pink mane. Pinkie Pie. However, upon closer inspection, I soon realized this was not the Pinkie Pie I had come to know and love(?).

This Pinkie Pie wore a red jumpsuit, with a large air canister on her back, paired with a gasmask that somehow allowed her mane to flow freely while concealing her entire face. As she skipped closer, I heard her singing a tune, but due to the mask, it came out as muffled “Mmphs”. Something else I noticed was that she was being followed by… a balloon. It was in the shape of a pink unicorn, and floated idly by her shoulder. “Balloonicorn” was the only word that came to mind when I saw this… thing. I simply stared in disturbed silence as the mare hopped right up to me. She stopped, looked at me sideways, and pulled out a cupcake, which she then offered to me. I took it reluctantly, and she started to hop off again. The Balloonicorn stared at me as she left… it stared at me. Anyways, as soon as she and that devilish balloon were out of sight, I examined the cupcake she gave me.

It was a cyan blue with rainbow icing on top. I sniffed it, and there was something about it that seemed irresistible, yet odd. I took a bite into it, and I immediately spat it out. A red liquid seeped out of the cupcake where I bit it. ‘Blood…’ I thought with disgust as I tossed the cupcake to the side. I searched for the twisted mare who gave me the gory treat, but she was long gone, and the blood was beginning to pool around the discarded cupcake, staining its cyan blue form sanguine.

I began to trot again, now wondering if this was simply an aimless exploration of my psyche, when I heard a familiar voice sound from behind me.

“Red Storm… Wait!”

I spun around to face the owner of the voice, and about forty paces behind me stood the mare from my Funeral nightmare. Without thinking, I ran in the opposite direction of the mare at a full sprint. I kept running until I was out of the pseudo-Ponyville and into a new area of my dreamland. A rather unnerving forest with dead trees all around, but in such number that they made up for their lack of leaves with sheer volume of branches. In short, I was lost and couldn’t see buck. Suddenly, a raven flew down and perched itself on a nearby branch. I felt the odd need to speak to the black bird, so I asked it:

“Strange beast, what is thy name?” It simply sat there, before cawing:

“Nevermore.” Before I could comprehend its meaning, the ground disappeared, and I began to fall into oblivion. Amidst my filly-screaming, I decided to look down. I saw what appeared to be the dead forest, just miles below. Knowing I would surely die a brutal(and quite messy) death on impact, I calmed down and let myself fall. No need to die soiling myself. Then, after I straightened myself out, I noticed that an older stallion with a beard and an orange-and-purple suit was falling next to me. He was sitting at a tea table which was also falling at the same rate as us, and he was also sipping a teacup, waving for me to join him. I have dreamt some weird things, but damn! This tops it all. I paddled through the freefall to get to him, and sat down on the chair across from him. I then noticed we were coming no closer to hitting the ground, whilst obviously falling, so I decided it was good as time as any to answer some questions.

“Who are you?” I asked the strange and almost certainly mania-induced stallion.

“Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? And would you like a biscuit?” He answered with a thick Trottish accent. I blinked few times, startled by how odd he really was, and watched as he ate the biscuit he had just offered me. He was more than likely a manifestation of my madness, I realized.

“Would you happen to know what’s going on right now… us falling nowhere for instance?” I asked as he sipped tea floating in front of him in freefall.

“Why would I have any idea what’s going on, lass?” I flinched when he called me a “lass”, but I let him continue. “It’s your head! I’m but a humble figment of your maddened mind, making me mad too!” He paused to laugh before continuing. “Though I have one word of advice for you, seeing as you’re here to learn something: Trust nopony. You’re family’s out for your head, and in the end, there can be only one. You, or your father, I mean. When you realize the fact that one of you has to die, only then will your mind begin to mend itself. In the long run however,” he ran a hoof through his white mane, “That problem is just the tip of the iceberg of your many, many problems… then again, why should you listen to me? I’M COMPLETELY INSANE!” He laughed again before the table disintegrated and he began to fly away. “Gotta fly, and you’ve got an appointment! And remember, no matter what: DON’T LAND IN THE BROCCOLI!” Before I could find meaning to his madness, I looked down and found that the ground was rising rapidly to meet me. ‘Hello ground!’ was all that ran through my head as I landed in a broccoli patch, and the world exploded.

I opened my eyes and found that I was back in Fluttershy’s room. Something was not right, however, as when I searched the sheets for the mare, I found nothing. She could not have been up and about, as it was still nighttime. Suddenly, the door to her room exploded, and a huge, and I mean BUCKING HUGE stallion stood at the doorway. He had a long, scraggly beard, and long scraggly mane. He looked like a mountain of a pony, and was an earth pony too. I thought that even my father would have a hard time bringing down a pony as sturdy as this. He spoke, and I steeled myself:

“Yer a unicorn, Red Storm.” Was all he said. I looked at him sideways, and realized I was still dreaming. Then everything exploded… again.

I woke up again, and this time I felt a lump lying next to me. I relaxed and laid back in bed. However, when I shifted my weight, I found that the mass next to me rolled around. I took a deep breath, and turned on the lights. What met my eyes was a horrendous sight. Lying there, next to me, was Fluttershy’s head. She wore an expression of pure terror, and the blood was seeping into the white sheets, turning them a bright red. I screamed. And screamed, until my throat was raw.

I was shaken awake, and Fluttershy was leaning over me.

“Red Storm! Are you ok? You sounded terrified! You just kept screaming in your sleep… what’s wrong?” I looked into her eyes, before holding her close.

“I dreamt that I had lost you. That you were dead. I… I was so worried.” She smiled lightly before responding:

“It’s ok now, Red Storm. I’m here. I’m alive. And nopony’s going to hurt me, because I know you will protect me.” I also couldn’t help but smile as she said this. I was now her protector, and I wouldn’t let anypony hurt her. She snuggled up against my chest, and I closed my eyes once more. Then… I felt a light ‘whoosh’ of air hit my nose. My eyes flew open, and Fluttershy’s were already open. She stared into my eyes, burning holes into my very soul. Then, she began to cough up blood. I lay there, shocked as blood gushed from her mouth, spattering onto my muzzle and chest. Before she collapsed, she said one thing:

“Red Storm…” Then the life drained from her eyes, and they shut forever. The smell of blood reached my nostrils, and a tear formed in my eye. I saw a gaping wound in her back, blood gushing from it like a fountain, and all I thought was: ‘I failed you before I could even begin to protect you… my Fluttershy…’ From the darkness behind her, I saw a new pair of eyes. Red as blood, slit like a cat’s, and glowing with evil. My father stepped out of the dark, and into the light. He wore a smile across his face, and he had a look of satisfaction.

“You… killed her… you killed her… I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!” I roared as I flung myself at him. With the speed of a daemon, he sidestepped me, grabbed the back of my head, and threw me against the wall. Wood splinters showered me as I hit the hard surface face-first, and I felt my nose break. As I got to my hooves, blood streamed down my mouth and chin. I stared at Red Wing with the fury of a hundred thousand revenants from hell, and heaved with all the hate that came with it, but he simply laughed.

“Foalish child! I raised you better than that. Do you really think you stand a chance against me? Even here, in your dreams, I can kill you again and again, and you wouldn’t even touch me.” I looked at him with burning hate, but also confusion. ‘Another dream? But… it’s so REAL. The smells, the pain…’ He obviously noticed.

“You don’t really think this is real, do you? I may have not found you yet, but believe me, I would do far worse to your beloved than that.” He motioned to the still-warm corpse of the yellow mare.

“I would rather die,” I said, gritting my teeth.

“Allow me to oblige you, then.” He shot forward, but before he could touch me, a blinding white light enveloped the room.

“ENOUGH!”

The image of my father was dispelled, and I found myself instead facing the mystery mare that has been following me. In the light, I could see her features much clearer. She was a dark blue, not black, alicorn dressed in a royal garb. I knew this to be the mare from my family’s dark history. The Princess of the Night. The Night Mare. The Princess of Dreams. Almighty Princess Luna. She then spoke to me.

“We are Princess Luna, and we have been trying to locate you all night.” I couldn’t help but blush at the fact that I had been unintentionally avoiding the Princess. “We are to guard the dreams of all in Equestria, and although there are other ponies in need of our aid, we found thine dreams most distressing of all. What ails thee, Red Storm?” she paused to think about something, before adding: “And who is thou, for that matter?” I stood tall, and wiped the blood from my face before responding:

“I am Red Storm, son of Red Wing, and heir to the Sanguine throne… and my ailment is of the conflicting emotions variety.” I finished this statement by falling back to my knees, lowering my head. The princess’ brow furrowed.

“Thou ist the descendant of Redmane?”

“Aye, that I am,” I said, not looking at her.

“Why is thou here?” she asked accusingly, not unlike how Twilight Sparkle had on our first meeting. I looked at her with a glare.

“To get away from my evil and corrupt family, your highness. With all due respect, but can we not talk about this?” She nodded slowly, and I returned my gaze to the ruined floor. “I’m not here to spy, or invade. I just wanted to get away from the bloodshed and lies and find a new home.” I turned to the gored body of Fluttershy. “And a new life with somepony that I care about. The problem is, that I’m afraid that my presence here may lead to her injury, or even her death.” Luna simply nodded before a flash of light bust from her horn, and engulfed the room. When it subsided, the room was clear of debris and Fluttershy was gone. She then put a hoof on my shoulder and spoke:

“While these fears have fertile ground to grow upon, as I know your family and their potential, it is up to thou to overcome them. For that is all these fears are. Fears. While we can make no promises, we can assure thou that if Red Wing does set his hoof on Equestrian soil, our sisters and our self will personally make sure that he is expunged. However, on the subject of thine love for another… that is beyond us. Perhaps it would be better for thou to speak to our sister Cadance? Otherwise we can impart no wisdom to thy, Red Storm… we have no experience in such a field.” I nodded to this, but the Princess continued.

“We can, however, shed light on your nightmare problem. Thouest mind cannot rest easy until thouest heart does! That is all we can say for now…” With that, she began to fade away. She added, with her voice echoing: “Until next time, Sanguine Prince. And perhaps on better terms.” She gave a wave, and I waved back until she had faded completely. I got up, walked across the room, and collapsed onto the bed.

I awoke again, but this time I knew I was truly awake. I was met with sunlight and the delightful smell of breakfast wafting through the air. And then my hangover kicked in. Nonetheless, I grinned as I walked down the stairs to see the mare I love.

“Thouest mind cannot rest easy until thouest heart does!”

‘I will keep that in mind, Night Mother Luna,’ I thought as I joined Fluttershy at the table. I gave her a huge hug, which surprised her, and sat down across from her. As she handed me a cup of the dreaded “Wake-up-juice” she gasped, and said:

“Red Storm! Your nose is bleeding! Are you ok?”

‘This does not bode well…’

Author's Notes:

Holy crap! Thought I would never get this done! I was actually going to release it sooner, but the bloody computer blue-screened and I just said 'buck it!' and waited 'till today to re-write it and post it. Hope you liked it! I'm gonna try to get some more out soon... also, Red Storm's bloody nose was from the dream. 'mind over body' and all that. NOT for the reason you were thinking, you dirty person.

Act II Transition

Well then!… It’s done! Act II that is. Alas, my co-writer isn’t here to help me here, so it’s up to me to do the Reference Re-cap! Just to say, the re-cap is in chronological order.

-Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy-ch11… A vague reference, but anyone who has read the book or seen the show or has even seen the movie should have noticed my nod to “the answer to life, the universe, and everything”.

-Pi-ch12… I don’t think explanation is needed. If you missed pi, then shame on you.

-Weird Al Yankovic-ch12… This is a reference to one of his songs about refusing opportunity with near-perfect women for little faults. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.

-For Whom the Bell Tolls; by Ernest Hemingway-ch13… This one was so obvious it hurts. If you missed it, then… *sigh*

-Rocky(again)-ch13… I tried to make this one obvious, but it’s understandable if you never saw the movie and missed it.

-Annie Get Your Gun-ch13… Ah, a wonderful musical. If you are unfamiliar with it, watch it. You may gain some class.

-Thor-ch14… The newer live-action marvel movie, not the actual mythology. An easy-to-miss ditty.

-Back to the Future: Part III-ch16… If you never saw the movies then… I just don’t even know what to say.

-Fallout: New Vegas-ch17... Try your luck at the Lucky 38!

-French Cuisine-ch17… I said I would be doing culture too, no? Very vague… unless you’re French of course.

-SpongeBob Squarepants-ch18… Squidward, technically, but oh well. If you couldn’t find this one, think: “Super bowl Sea critters”

-Lord of the Rings-ch18... Ah, yes. The wonderful "silvered steel."

-Napoleon Dynamite-ch19… Find the reference Tina… find it…

-Pony Rock Anthem-ch19… A nod to the gnarly brony parody of Party Rock Anthem… find it here

-“Totally Worth It” meme-ch19… It’s just that. I just told you everything you need to know to find it. If you can’t find it now, I think you should see if you hit your head recently. No offense to those who actually did, like myself… wait, what?

-Alice in Wonderland-ch20… Strange, discolored plant life, dreamlike world, strange animals and delusions…? The whole bleeding chapter is a nod to the iconic story.

-Invader Zim-ch20… Come dance with us into oblivion!

-“Rock Lobster”-ch20… Come on, a guitar-playing lobster? There are some hard ones in this chapter, and this is not one of them.

-SpongeBob Squarepants(again)-ch20… I’M DIRTY DAN! NO! I’M DIRTY DAN!

-The Dark Tower; by Steven King-ch20… If you missed Roland’s signature apology, you have forgotten the face of your father.

-Team Fortress 2-ch20… Do you believe in magic?

-Cupcakes; by Sergeant Sprinkles-ch20… Never again… no… NOT THE CUPCAKES!!! Find it here...

-The Raven; by Edgar Allan Poe-ch20… Quoth the Raven: “Nevermore.”

-The Elder Scrolls-ch20… SHEOGORATH, THE DAEDRIC PRINCE OF MADNESS!!!

-Highlander-ch20… Come on man. There are two types of people in this world. Non-highlanders, and people who run around cutting off each other’s heads.

-A Wrinkle in time; by Madeleine L'Engle-ch20… Technically the last book in the series, but oh well. Broccoli. Don’t land in that s***.

-The Godfather-ch20… (In raspy Italian accent) How ‘bout this? You read my story, or you’ll find a horse head in your bed.

Wow. Quite a few more than last time, eh? Either way, I hope you enjoyed looking for them as much as I enjoyed making them. Stay tuned for Act III! Thanks for reading, and all of your support everyone! /) Brohoof to you all, and see you next time!

(P.S: I will have my co-writer Elizabeth doing the transitions in their entirety from now on. Don’t worry, we share the same sense of humor.)

Nightmare Noon

Author’s note: Hey, sorry for the wait, but here I am! Just gonna inform you all of my buddy on FanFic.net: zeno518. He is currently making a story about what if I, Alexander Ericson, had used a Quantum Singularity to turn the world into Equestria. Its jolly good fun, and I suggest you check it out here. Thanks for your support, but do please read on:

…One Week Later…

I tightened the fastenings on my steel carapace with my teeth as Whitewash did my legs. This was not my royal armour, just something I threw together for Nightmare Night. As I finished some adjustments, Whitewash handed me the matching steel helm. I slid it over my head and fastened it so that it fit snugly on my noggin. I was preparing for the local celebration of “Nightmare Night” and like my father always said: “Go big, or go home.” I wasn’t planning on coming back home anytime tonight.

Apparently, the point of Nightmare Night was that, during the Nightmare Moon crisis, ponies would disguise themselves at night in order to avoid Nightmare Moon, fearing she was going to eat them or some rubbish like that. After Princess Luna’s imprisonment, however, it quickly became an annual tradition in which ponies dress up in (usually scary) costumes and collect candy from neighboring homes. They then give some of this candy as a mock-offering to their memorial of the Nightmare Moon crisis near the Everfree forest “in exchange for their souls.” I chucked lightly at that. ‘Tonight, I’m more likely going to be giving my soul to the devil drink.’ The only thing that I found intriguing was the whole “dress up in scary costumes” part, which I adopted with much gusto. Having a professional illusionist and transmuter helps. When we finished Whitewash began her three-part spell to make me into a figure of fear and darkness… or more so at least. She came up with the idea of using both transmutation and veils to make my costume… epic, for lack of a better word.

I had smithed the steel armour for her to work with for the transmutation, after all, why have veil armour that doesn’t work when you can have real armour that does? Anyways, Whitewash was going to use transmutation magic to re-mould my simple steel plate into a much more fearsome uniform. She was also going to use veils to change my appearance to something horrific. She never delved into what that would entail, but seeing as she was a Sanguinary Guard for twenty years of her twenty-six, I hold faith that she understands the meaning of horror better than most.

“Ok… let’s do this. You’re all suited up and ready, right?” the creamy yellow mare asked. I nodded. “Ok then… believe me, when we are done, it’s going to be legen- wait for it…” Her horn lit up, and blasted me with blinding white magic. Funny how her magic was white… it was quite distinguishable, not to mention matched her name.

“Wait for it…” she said, beads of sweat appearing on her brow as she tried to be “cool” while doing her spell. This was obviously putting a huge strain on her, as her horn was now shooting sparks, and she was struggling to stand. I felt my armour shift and mold into a different shape and my body felt like a light fabric was being passed over it. Then the light subsided, and Whitewash collapsed, grinning widely.

“-dary. Here… a mirror.” She floated over a mirror to me, still panting, and I saw what I momentarily thought to be a daemon from Tartarus. Then I remembered that this was a mirror.

My armor was no longer simple steel plate. It resembled Dread Armour from the myths of Dread Knights, the soldiers of death and the underworld. It shone as red as blood, and was adorned with many spikes, rivets, and simple gems. The helm now matched the armour with spikes jutting from the back of the head, and ox horns protruding from either sides of the helm. Then, saw that my face had changed drastically. Although the helm covered most of my head, my muzzle and eyes were left showing. My eyes seemed to no longer have pupils, and my golden amber eyes gleamed like gold bits in my skull, giving off an odd glow. Grinning, I also noticed that my teeth were sharper, to the point of looking like knives. Something else I noticed is that when unfurling my wings, they were leathery and pointed, much like a bat’s. Then, the most shocking part of the ensemble hit me. My mane and tail were on fire, nay, were consisted of fire… or so it appeared to be. Its flames flicked back and forth, mimicking a real flame, but did not burn me or give off heat. I looked like something of myth and legend… the type of thing mothers warn their foals of to eat their vegetables. I looked like the Devil’s scarier cousin… like… evil incarnate.

“Thank you so much, dear Whitewash. This is perfect,” I said, noting that my voice was now much deeper. “I thank you for going the extra mile just for me. Thank you.” Whitewash just blushed and waved her hoof in a nonchalant way.

“Anything for my favorite prince, hubby.” She said sarcastically. “But seriously, thanks. I think it came out really well. The hardest part was definitely the transmutation. Also, the transmutation will not wear off, so that suit is like that forever, and just a word of warning, the veils will dispel themselves at dawn. I also forgot to ask, where did you get the armour from?”

“I made it with Spike. He’s a surprisingly good blacksmith. You know, I’m thinking of making him an apprentice. Maybe teach him the field, because seeing as he’s a dragon, he’s flame retardant, has fingers, and can breathe fire. I may even teach him how to forge Bloodsteel, if he’s up to it,” I said with a hint of madness. Whitewash flinched at this, and showed noticeable concern on her face. I shook of the feeling, and returned my gaze to her.

“You ok there, big guy? You never used to do that back home,” she said, her voice filled with worry.

“I’m fine. That just happens sometimes. It’s no big deal, really.” Whitewash looked worried, and she placed a hoof on my spiked shoulder.

“You don’t seem fine, and it is a big deal if that sort of thing happens regularly. If you need to talk, I’m here.” I brushed her off, and stood tall.

“It’s ok. I’m fine.” She said nothing, but then there was a knock at the door.

“Hey! What’s taking so long? We don’t have all night you know! Some of us actually want to enjoy tonight.” Rainbow Dash. A real tom-colt if you ask me. Whitewash sighed and answered:

“Hold on! I still need to get my costume on!” Her horn began to glow again, but this time much less brightly. I watched as she dispelled her current veil (which was a simple chameleon veil) and her silverette armour appeared, covering her whole body.

“Do you ever take off your armour?” I asked, my voice rumbling.

“No reason to… unless there’s a curious mare involved,” she said with a wink. ‘Right… forgot she swings that way…’

Her horn flared once more, and her armour disappeared, and was replaced with a black lace dress which was actually quite sultry. But that paled when I saw her body veil. She was slightly taller, with a paler crème coat and her mane was now a dark velvet-red and was much longer, along with being rather wild, but in an attractive way. Her eyes were also a different shape, and she was also lacking pupils. However, the only thing that remained the same was her emerald green iris. I was beginning to wonder if she couldn’t change her iris colour, but I realized that was silly. I felt almost enchanted by her appearance, but I shook it off when I realized why. She had a faint aura about her, and I realized she had cast a petty “Want It, Need It” spell on herself. She was a Succubus daemon, and she took her illusion to heart. Whitewash then nodded to the door, signaling for me to open it with a devilish grin.

I moved to the door, and as Dash pounded on it once more, I opened it quickly, to catch her off guard. But what really surprised her was my elaborate costume. Her eyes dilated and her wings faltered, which were keeping her afloat. What followed was a series of thumps descending the stairs and a continuous “Whoa”. That and several swears as she hit the bottom of the stairs. Once quiet returned, Whitewash picked herself up and headed downstairs. She motioned for me to hold as she passed, and I listened to her descent. I heard some “Ooohs” and some “Aaahs” and a Miss Dash exclaim something about “Damn Wing Boners”. Finally, I heard Whitewash start:

“Steel yourselves, my fellow mares, for what is about to descend those stairs is no longer the Red Storm you knew. He is now the vessel of a greater blood daemon; he is now a Dread Knight from the depths of Tartarus itself!” I took this as a signal to descend. I thought the Tartarus part was a nice touch, as most ponies forget there is an Underworld, and with that, an afterlife. I slowly stepped down the stairs, as I wasn’t paying any attention to the other ponies, but I was paying more attention to myself, trying to maintain an intimidating posture and trying not to trip. That would most certainly suck. However, as I reached the bottom, I realized the caution was not needed. Simply looking like that lives in the Devil’s closet was enough. Rainbow Dash scrambled away from me in horror as I heard a “Sweet Celestia” and a “Good Heavens”. As everypony stared on in awe, I took the time to examine their costumes.

Twilight Sparkle was wearing a flowing pink gown and a matching princess’s headpiece, likely the “Damsel in Distress” type of costume. I wonder who the “Knight in Shining Armor” was. Rainbow Dash was in what appeared to be a cat suit outfitted with a harness and night vision goggles. Reminded me of that Trott Clancy fellow… Rarity was clearly a vampiress judging from her “spooky” garment, along with the fake blood and teeth. Lots of rubies too, almost too many. Fluttershy was a difficult one to guess, but I understood it momentarily. She was a Spriggan, or forest spirit, and a lovely one at that. She had dyed her coat a lime green, and her mane a grassy green. She was also wearing an ensemble of vines, leaves, and flowers… ‘Very creative… and very seksy,’ I thought. Applejack appeared to be an easterner swordpony… a samurai, if my memory serves me correctly. She wore a long, white, cloth garment along with wooden sandals and a hairpin to keep her normally long hair up in a bun. I will have to ask her why she chose such an odd costume later. But, there at the end of the line, I saw her. Seemingly straight from my nightmares was Pinkie Pyro as I had dubbed it. She stood there, wearing that same red jumpsuit, that same air canister, and that same, damnable gasmask. It covered her whole head, (excluding her mane) and concealed her eyes behind unnerving tinted lenses. ‘SweetjumpingbabyLunaonaunicycle; that is the scariest bucking thing I have ever seen. And I have seen some scary stuff,’ I thought with a shiver. The most unnerving part is that her head was tilted slightly to one side, and who knows what she could be thinking. I certainly did not, with her wearing that mask. I pushed the thought to the side as the “Spriggan” spoke up.

“You look very scary Red Storm,” Fluttershy said with a barely audible murmur.

“Thank you, my dear,” I said, my newly acquired demon-voice rumbling. “I will take that comment as a complement.” I felt the urge to scary to dillies out of my friends with my new form, but resisted the urge, as like I said: they were my friends. I also felt bad for intimidating them in the first place, but hey, it’s Nightmare Night. Thankfully, everypony else is fair game.

“Hey, everypony! I almost forgot; there’s supposed to be party at the Cat’s Eye Café! How about we check it out?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying to lessen the uneasy atmosphere. Pinkie Pyro jumped when Agent Dash said “Party”, and kept trying to speak. Alas, to my dismay, all that was heard were muffled “Mmphs”… Sweet Luna it was horrifying. We all nodded and left the comfort of the cottage for the chill of Nightmare Night

Decaffeinated Enthusiasm

Author’s Revelations: Something occurred to me recently. Seeing as Twilight Sparkle hatched Spike when she was a young filly, doesn’t that mean Spike is just a few years younger than her? Alas, ages are never confirmed in the show, but if my estimations are correct, and Twilight is indeed in her late twenties… that means Spike may be up to twenty years old. Just something interesting (if not disturbing) to think about…

We were entering Sweet Apple Acres, as Twilight said she needed to “check on something”. Samurai Applejack informed me that they were heading over to check up on Big Mac, who was going to be taking care of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike while we were at the party. We trotted up to the big red stallion who was currently holding down the fillies and baby dragon (one under each hoof) to try and keep them from running about. When he saw the group, he stood up. When he saw me, he went slack, and the quartet wriggled from his grip and ran over to us. They swamped my friends, and I watched from a distance as I took in their costumes. Big Mac was in a bulky but clearly fake suit of armour, likely filling that “Knight in Shining Armor” role I was wondering about. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were wearing Pink, Blue, and Green costumes, respectively. Spike was wearing an odd tuxedo-ish costume, a long black wig that hung down past his eyes, and lugging a large guitar case behind him. Then the little ones spotted me.

“Wow! You’re costume is sooo cool!” squealed Scootaloo. “What are you? How’d you get your mane like that?”

“You’re super scary! You look like a monster!” said Sweetie Belle.

“I’m not sure what you are, but its bucking cool!” said Spike. Twilight made a “Tsk-tsk” at the young dragon’s profanity, but he either didn’t notice, or was simply ignoring her. However, I noticed that Big Mac was swooning over Succubus Whitewash, and Twilight was soon trying to pry him off of her. Applejack then bucked him upside the head to get him back to normal again. I chuckled at the sight, but nopony seemed to notice this. The Princess and Knight then retreated to the barn where they talked. I managed to eaves drop on them, but only just. I heard Twilight say: “Don’t look at her,” “I will be fine,” and “Are you sure about it.” I heard Big Mac say: “Eeyup,” “Eeyup,” and “Have fun, sweetum.” It’s official. They were sweet on each other.

“Despite the sheer awesomeness of my costume, I would love to know what your costumes are.” My voice surprised the quartet, but they quickly gathered themselves and began. The three fillies stepped up first, and began, starting with Applebloom taking a heroic pose:

“Appleblossom!”

“Sweetie Bubbles!”

“Bitterscoot!” The two others struck similar poses before they said in harmony:

“We are the Cutiepuff Fillies! Devoted to fighting disharmony, and the FORCES. OF. EVIL!” The last sentence blew me backwards with concussive force, but I landed gracefully on my hooves and re-gained my balance. The three blushed in embarrassment, but I gave them a round of stomping nonetheless. Then spike walked up, head tilted down so that the wig covered his eyes.

“By day I am but a humble traveling El Mariachi, but by night-” Like a well-oiled machine, he threw down his guitar case, slammed his hands onto it, and it flew open, and two dartguns flew into his outstretched hands, before he fired both at me.

“-BY NIGHT, I AM EL DESPERADO!!!” Both darts struck me in the forehead of my helm, and he kept his stance for a moment, before relaxing. I blinked a few times, my fiery mane crackling in the night’s cool breeze, before I broke out laughing. Not in a mocking way, but in a delighted way. I pulled the darts off of my helm and handed them back to him, and said:

“The lot of you got very creative, and I love your youthful enthusiasm. Especially you, Spike. Pray tell, how did you figure out such an ingenious spring-mechanism?” I asked the dragon as he replaced the dartguns into his guitar case.

“Wasn’t too hard,” he said, shrugging. “You taught me a lot about torques and switches when we made that armor together, so I just got a book about making clocks and made this. The dart guns too, ‘cause most are made for hooves and all.” I nodded in understandment and praise. Then, I asked:

“Say, while the ‘big ponies’ chat, how about we play?” I got cheers from the little ones as a response, and I began to chase them about making “Rwaars!” and other foalish fun things.

While the mares and Big Mac talked, we fooled around, which mainly involved me getting “gunned down” by Spike, or tackled by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. ‘I love little ones. I can’t wait to have my own one day.’ By the time Twilight said it was time to go, Spike had announced that he had “Slain the mighty demon” while standing on my back triumphantly while I feigned death. The fillies were pretending to swoon over him when I jumped up and caught the flailing dragon in my mouth. I gently placed him back down, and re-grouped with my friends, while Big Mac rounded up the fillies and dragon. We waved goodbye to the quintet for the night as we made our way back into town. Big Mac said they would be departing soon, so I was not worried that the young ones would miss out on the sugary bliss that is Nightmare Night.

“So now we’re heading to the party?” complained an annoyed Whitewash. She was annoyed as she did not like to be kept from a party, and also because Twilight had put a paper bag over her head for until we got there. By now, everypony had realized how devious her magics were, and seeing as even Twilight couldn’t reverse it, and Whitewash wouldn’t, drastic measures were made.

“Yeah, we’re headed there now, so quit yer moanin’. I’m still pretty annoyed that ya swooned ma brother like that.”

“It was an accident! How was I supposed to know he was so weak-willed?” the succubus cried in dismay from under her bag. This set off Applejack, who made the motion to buck the emerald-eyed unicorn, but stopped herself. I trotted over to the orange earth-pony and left Whitewash to herself at the back of the group.

“Beg your pardon Applejack, but I have been meaning to ask, what is your costume anyway?” The orange mare rolled her eyes before saying:

“Aw, shucks, this get-up? The Cutie Mark Crusaders made it fer me. I reckon they got their hooves on one of Twilight’s foreign culture books, and thought “Samurai Applejack” had a ring to it. So here I am, and I can’t help but admit I like it.” I nodded in acknowledgement, before leaving Applejack and moving towards Fluttershy, who was to the right of the group.

I moved to her side, and gazed upon her momentarily. Even with a glance, I was bathed in her beauty, which was magnified even further with the aid of the combination of her makeup and the moonlight. In the light, her features were defined in an alluring way, and her stunning aqua eyes looked like shimmering pools of water, lit up by the delicate light. I looked at her for a few more moments longingly, but she then turned to me, finally noticing that I was next to her.

“Fluttershy, have I ever told you how lovely you are? Your beauty is unmatched in this world, and I feel privileged to be in your presence.” I said, in a dreamy, dazed state; just loud enough for her to hear, and her only. Just then I realized the meaning to the words that had passed my lips, and before I could follow-up, she said:

“…Thank you, Red Storm. That is the nicest thing anypony has ever said to me… And just to let you know, I think you are rather handsome.” She said this as a blush swept across her face, both from my admittance and hers. This much was obvious to me. I had just unintentionally taken the first step to forming a romantic relationship with the pony I loved, and I had gotten a positive response too! Happy days! She looked away, still blushing, before rushing to join her friends. My jaw hung slightly slack, and I thought: ‘And handsome! She called me handsome! Things seem to be looking up!... but for how long?...’ Then a hoof landed on my shoulder. I didn’t have to look to see who it was, because I only know one pony who has the guts to touch me in such a manner.

“You should totally ask her out. She seems interested, and I think you two would look cute together,” Whitewash said, which for some reason put an enormous strain on my sanity. I started to hear voices... again.

‘maim… tear… kill… feast…’

‘start with the pretty one… the pegasus mare…’

‘kill them all… War… kill them all…’

I fought the urge to go along with those plans, which actually seemed appealing for a moment. The voices went on prattling as I tried my best to maintain a conversation with Whitewash.

“I didn’t ask you for your opinion, Captain,” I spat. This caused her to recoil, removing her hoof from my shoulder. “I don’t suppose you remember that little conversation we had on the matter, all those nights ago? It doesn’t matter if we would look cute together. What does matter is that should we fall in love, the hour my father comes to town, she will be the first to die, just to make a point. And don’t try to tell me that ‘It’s not going to happen’ or ‘He will never find us here’; he will. I refuse to form a relationship with anypony here beyond a friendship-” I looked longingly at the mare of my dreams just twenty paces ahead of me. “-so that they survive long enough to stay my friends.” I look back to Whitewash, who was still wearing her paper bag. Even though I could not see her face, I could tell from her emerald eyes that she was moved from my words. I think I even saw a tear well up, but I may have been wrong. This made me fire up again.

“I’m not asking for your damned pity, I’m just asking you to stop trying to be ‘Miss Matchmaker’ and leave my lovelife alone.” Her eyes regained their natural fiery glow again, and she snorted:

“Very well, my liege. I will leave thy Highness to his own business. If you change your mind tonight, odds are you can find me plowing some drunk mare at my suite. Goodbye, Prince.” And with that, she galloped ahead of the group, tearing off her paper bag in the process. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her usage of the word “plow”, despite the rather harsh verbal lashing I had just given her. ‘Oh, how I envy her ability to just shrug off such things and go right back to normal afterwards… if one could call her normal’

I and the remaining mares traveled onwards into town, and there we saw a large assortment of costumes, ranging from witches to astroponies, ghouls to pirates, vampires to bees. I found it quite interesting, yet odd. Most were actually foals with chaperones. As we went on our way, dozens of ponies stopped to look at us, and stare at me. Though none came forward, I could tell that my costume was truly something to behold to them. We soon arrived at the Cat’s Eye Café, without any problem. I looked at the café, tilting my head sideways. Something about it gave me a sense of familiarity and dread at the same time. However, this could have just been from my wandering mind. We stepped up to the door, and I motioned for everypony to halt.

“Hold up. I have an idea how to ‘make an entrance’.” I unfurled my leathery wings once more, and this time, I swooped them back, and with all the strength I could muster, I flapped both with force enough that the double doors flew open, bringing a gust of wind with them. I heard a number of gasps at the sudden entrance, and I used this to float in.

“Good evening everypony. Please, do not be frightened. We are simply here for the party!” I roared in my demonic voice. I saw a mare faint in the back of the room, but everypony just stood and stared. Then they cheered, pumping their hooves into the air, like the mob of overly excited and quite possibly drunk ponies they were. I took in the intoxicating amount of energy in the room, and an enormous grin spread across my face. I turned back to my friends:

“This is marvelous! Let us rejoice!” They all began to feel the infectiousness of the vibe in the room, but just as they began to jump to the music, everypony stopped dead. I followed their gaze behind me. I turned slowly, wondering what could have caused such a shock, and as I did, the gay feeling in the room quickly died too. Ponies stopped dancing, and just stared at a mare who I then spotted. She was wearing a long white lab coat that was spattered with red. She also wore a black suit that covered her whole body below the neck under the coat, and had a pair of tinted goggles paired with a surgeons mask. She was a unicorn and had a coat as black as night. Her short and angled mane was dark purple striped with a lighter violet. Then she lifted the goggles from her head, and the shock hit me too. Her eyes were as red as blood. The mask slipped from her muzzle, and hung about her neck as she spoke:

“Hello brother. It’s me, your sister. Long time no see, I might add.”

My Sister Forever

“Come on, brother! You can do better than that!” My sister laughed manically as she fired another volley at me. Her aim had improved with time, and now three struck me in the chest despite my areal maneuvering. I felt ribs crack as my breath was knocked out of me and I flew backwards smashing through the wall behind me, gritting my teeth as I felt liquid trickle from the back of my head. She stepped through the rubble, sneering as I tried to get to my hooves.

“And to think you were a challenge to me so long ago! I am more powerful now than you could possibly know, and you are but an insect.” She laughed again, her blood-red eyes flashing in the dim light. Suddenly, I hear hooves step up next to me and a mare began to speak:

“Scarlet Rain! What do you think you are doing? I think your brother has had enough. Besides, it is time for dinner. I got you O negative, your favorite.” My sister jumped with joy as I struggled to stay conscious.

“Yay! I will see you at the dinner table, brother. We will continue later,” she said, eyeing me like a predator would their prey. The mare stepped in front of me, and I saw it was my mother, Scarlet Glimmer. Her eyes too shone red, but with care and love, not spite and bitterness like my father’s and sister’s.

“I’m sorry your sister treated you like that. The two of you have been training hard, and it seems every day she kills you at least once. Thank goodness that we have such good apothecaries, or you might have actually died a few times.”

“That would have been preferable,” I groaned as my mother put a foreleg around my shoulders and began to lead me to the medical wing.

“Come now, you don’t really mean that, dear. Let’s get you healed up and get you fed. I made you wheat cakes.” A small smile crept across my face as she said this. ‘Wheat cakes… my favorite.’ The smile soon died as we began to climb the stairs to the medical wing, which was on the third floor. The memory fades as I return to reality.

“What are you doing here?” I growled at my sister as I came out of my thoughts. She just smiled and said:

“Is it so wrong for me to wonder where my little brother had flown off to?” She grabbed me with her magic and put me in a head lock, giving me a noogie. “I missed you a lot you know. Living with father without you around is just unbearable.” She let me go, and I scanned her face. She seemed actually happy to see me and her voice wore no traces of deceit. This made me suspicious.

“It is a bit unnerving considering how horrible you were to me just a few months ago. Have you had a change of heart, or are you just as bitter as always?” She recoiled, surprisingly.

“Brother, I never hated you. I have always loved you. Father forced me to treat you like that. He wanted you to grow up strong, not weak. So he had me abuse you to make you stronger… then again, I think he hated us both. But nonetheless, I abused you because I loved you, not because I hated you.” She said this with all sincerity, and smiled a sisterly smile as the last words escaped her lips. I relaxed, and she jumped me.

“IT’S A TRAP!” yelled Whitewash, rather spastically. Everypony got ready for fight, but I laughed, and everypony relaxed again. My sister was wrestling with me. Here I was, wrestling on the ground with my sister just like old times. Then an annoyed voice sounded from the bar:

“Hey, are you gonna sit around and loiter, or are you gonna buy a drink?” My sister, my friends and I all looked at the owner of the voice. A rather drab looking unicorn stallion stood at the bar, with a deadpan expression. He had a grey coat and slightly darker grey mane, along with deep purple eyes. He was wearing a blue and red scarf, and had a cutie mark of a coffee cup, complete with steam lines.

“Oh, yes of course!” My sister began, replacing her mask and goggles as she stood up. “Hey, everypony! DRINKS ON ME, ALL NIGHT! LET’S PARTY!” She whipped out a coin purse and threw it over to the grey unicorn who caught it nonchalantly, but his eyes went wide as he turned it over and a good dozen Blood Rubies came tumbling out. The whole room burst out in cheers as Scarlet Rain levitated a keg out from behind the counter and began to pass around drinks. I rejoined my friends as my sister got carried around the room, and Twilight said:

“That’s your sister? You made it seem like she was the spawn of the devil.” I nodded and responded:

“Well, I guess it was just a bucked up joke from my father. She was never one to lie, but now that I think about it, she is rather obedient to father. If father told her to kill me once a day, she would do it, no matter how much she loved me as a brother. I trust her though.” Twilight looked at me sideways, but I waved her off. “Come on, we are here to party! Not sit around and loiter as that chap over there stated,” I said, nodding my head to the stallion at the counter who was currently being flooded by half-drunk ponies wishing to get drunker. I made my way over to the bar and slammed my hoof on the counter:

“Bartender! Give me a scotch! A backup scotch and a boiler scotch! That’s a shot of scotch floating in a bigger glass of scotch. Now scotch me scotchface!” The stallion just looked at me as if I was crazy while pouring four other drinks with his magic. I just chuckled in my demonic voice before continuing:

“I’m sorry. Just give me a glass of scotch.” He nodded, and poured me a glass. I sipped it as I watched my sister and Pinkie Pyro have a dance-off to the beat of a rather catchy song being put out by the DJ Vinyl Scratch. I then noticed that she was wearing a strange red duster and matching fedora. She had instead of her normal violet shades she wore ones with red, round lenses instead. She also had red trickling from her mouth, leading me to believe she was also a vampire. However, I liked her costume more than Rarity’s… Vinyl looked like a real Alucard. Suddenly, a hoof lands on my shoulder. I resist the urge to throw the pony over the bar counter and looked at who it was. ‘Ah, Miss Doo.’ She was dressed up as the famous Daring Doo, which was likely a clever pun. Next to her, was a little sheet ghost with their horn poking through a hole in the top.

“Hello, Ditzy. How are you?” She smiled and responded:

“I’m doing pretty well. I see you really went all the way with your costume.” I blushed.

“Yes… thank you. You saw my sister yes? The one who is now doing a duet with the Succubus?” She began to look at them, but I took her head and faced her back to me. “Don’t look. Whitewash placed a ‘Want it Need it’ spell on herself in an attempt to get more tail tonight.” The grey mare blushed in turn at my rather forward remark. I looked back at her daughter, Dinky.

“Why is your daughter here? Could you find nopony to watch her?” The mare shook her head and turned to the bartender, before shouting:

“Decaff! I need a drink over here! Something fruity and something spiked!” She then turned back to me. “It’s not that I couldn’t find anypony to watch her, she just didn’t want to be watched. She is a lot like me; she enjoys a good social event as much as me. Just underage. Hey! Dinky! No beer for you!” She went running after her foal as I stepped up to the dance floor, as another familiar song began to play.

“Hey everypony! Listen up cause this one’s a dozy!” The DJ began: “As it turns out, we have a surprise visitor tonight! Seeing as we had shown her such a good time last year, give a warm welcome to the Mistress of the Night herself: PRINCESS LUNA!!!” There were ‘oohs’ ‘ahhs’ as the Princess stepped onto the floor. Then she spoke up:

“MY BELOVED SUBJECTS, LET THE FUN TRULY BEGIN NOW, AS THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, AND YOUR PRINCESS IS HERE!” More cheering.

As the night progressed, more fun was had. Entire kegs of alcohol were passed around (at Scarlet Rain’s expense), more dancing was had, and at some point, even Princess Luna got tipsy. And to think that I thought there was no such thing as alcohol in this foreign world. I walked along the bar; watching as ponies laughed, while sipping on my fifth scotch. Lights strobed and blinked and swerved across the room. The room rumbled from the beats of a song as ponies danced, and some even embraced in love. As one beam of light passed across one corner of the room, I saw a single stallion sitting alone in a corner booth, sipping on his own drink. He wore a tuxedo and bowtie and had a black smoothed out wig. He also had a small Britmane flag tucked into his breast pocket. I made my way over and sat down across from him.

“Hello there, chap,” I said in a friendly manner, while startling him with my voice. “Why are you sitting here all alone while everypony else is having such a splendid time?” He just sipped his glass while looking at me in a vaguely hostile way. Then he straightened up and put on a small smile.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we have never met. I am Doctor Hooves, or simply ‘The Doctor’. And you are…?”

“Red Storm.”

“Splendid meeting you, but if you excuse me, I would prefer to be left alone.” I frowned.

“How about this, you look like an intellectual. Ask me a set of three riddles, and if I answer true, you tell me your problem. If I fail, then I will leave you alone.” He took a moment to think about it, but then said:

“Very well. I accept your challenge. Just give me a moment to think of a good riddle…” He sat there for several moments before saying:

“I am as light as a feather, yet no living being can hold me for long… what am I?” I paused to think. That makes no sense. Seconds passed and I forgot to breathe, and as I was about to give up already when I sighed. ‘Brilliant.’

“One’s breath.” The Doctor did not flinch, nor show any sign of hesitation as he flung the next riddle at me.

“I am emeralds and diamonds, lost by the moon. I am found by the sun and picked up soon.” Another pause. This time I had no idea where to even start on this one. I sat there, thinking, and watched as the lights danced across the table. Blue and green mingled with the glass of my drink, making a rather pretty display. I sighed again. Then, something about the lights caught my eye. The green and blue lights were not reflected off of the glass itself, but the condensation of the drink. I looked The Doctor in the eyes and said:

“Dew.”

“You are better than I thought. Last one: If you break me, I will not stop working. If you can touch me, my work is done. If you lose me, you must find me with a ring soon after. What am-“

“The heart.” The Doctor went wide-eyed at my instantaneous response. I chuckled.

“Very good riddles, my friend. Almost got me with the first two, but the last one was far too easy. I knew it well, from my days as a soldier. I knew much heartbreak, death, and love back then… but those are tales for other ears and other times. Not now. Tell me, what ails you on this fine night?”

He sighed as I had moments ago, and said after downing the rest of his drink:

“There is a mare over there who I find rather charming, but I haven’t got the courage to ask her out.” I turned to where he was pointing, and there I saw Miss Doo with her daughter on a leash. Interesting how he found her alluring, but that is not of my concern. I chuckled lightly before picking him up and pulling him out of the booth. He squirmed and kicked as I dragged him over to the bar, and Ditzy noticed this.

“Hi, there Ditzy. I have somepony who wants to meet you.” I plopped The Doctor in the chair next to Ditzy and whispered in his ear:

“Just talk to her, it’ll work out fine.” I then walked away leaving them alone at the bar. However, I kept close enough to eavesdrop on them.

“Ah… yes… hello. I am The Doctor. Doctor Hooves, actually. How are you... er, I mean, what is your name?” The grey mare giggled.

“I’m Ditzy. Nice to meet you Doctor.” The brown stallion nearly fainted, but kept his composure. Ditzy showed much interest as they continued to chat for about ten more minutes before they left the party together, with Dinky in tow.

“Ah, young love. How sweet, wouldn’t you say?” I jumped as my sister breathed this into my ear. Then I re-settled myself and turned to her. “You make quite the wingcolt, if I do say so myself.”

“Thanks, but what’s wrong? Why aren’t you partying?” she shrugged. “The Captain is hogging the dance floor as usual, and the Pink One is hogging all the liquor. Anyway, I did have to talk to you about father.” My cheery expression died instantly.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Father is mobilizing all of his forces, even pulling out of some occupied regions. He is intent on finding his War.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Either way, it’s what you are; and you can’t ignore that fact. He actually sent me in advance to try and find you so he wouldn’t have to come out here himself. I won’t tell him about you being here, but that won’t stop him from finding out. You have a year, give or take before he finds out. Spend that time wisely, brother.” She began to leave, but stopped and turned back to me.

“While you’re at it, perhaps you should take your own advice and just ask out Fluttershy.” My jaw dropped and my eye twitched, but she just walked out of the café smiling. Then, I decided she was right. I stepped over to Fluttershy (who was sitting in her own booth alone, and sat down next to her. As she was about to say hello, I took her hoof in mine, and looked her straight in her aqua blue eyes. I said as softly as I could with my demon voice:

“Fluttershy, will you be my special somepony?” She looked into my eyes, and I looked into hers. She teared up and hugged me.

“Yes! Yes! I would love to be your special somepony! Thank you Red Storm… We sat there, in embrace. That is, until Whitewash popped up next to us, drink in hand.

“Hey you lovebirds! Come on! The night is still young, and besides, Luna is about to do a keg stand!” I broke the embrace to glare at her. She shrugged and trotted away. I turned back to Fluttershy, and she smiled meekly, overcome with embarrassment.

“I would actually like to see that,” she said quietly. I leaped out of my seat, and picked her up, giving her just enough time to recover her drink and started for the bar area.

“Come, darling! Let us watch the Princess of the night get totally wasted before frolicking through the night!”

“Yay!” Then, I blacked out again.

Author's Notes:

Ah, young love. Well, it took 23 chapters, but Red Storm finally asked out Fluttershy. If i hadn't made it obvious in the story by now, she had been harbouring like feelings for him. Also, this act will be seperated into three events; Nightmare Night, Hearths Warming, and Hearts and Hooves Day. Things will be taking a turn for the romantic and gooey now. But don't despair, there will still be dark undertones and mania mixed in... Enjoy, my subjects!

Also: What some ponies looked like here:
Scarlet Rain:4G3P000100111111FE171700A11FE0000PD18370040200005100052D7300FE05107F3FCC004CB2
Decaff Grey:4G2T2S51003F3F3FFE1717000002A007CRE1837104000001W0191919FE00001B107F3FCC004CB2
Succubus:453X0J6200F6FECCFE000000A4100FE00RK1837000000000401900007300FE04107F3FCC004CB2

All I want for Hearth's Warming...

Note de l’auteur: I want to apologize for such a short chapter, but I won’t. I will, however, state that the next will be far longer. And that mania I mentioned last chapter? That is coming… or perhaps schizophrenia is more accurate… correct me later. For now, READ!

I stood outside in the snow sipping on my cup of hot chocolate as I inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of winter. I loved winter. I swear I was a penguin in a past life, as I was almost entirely immune to the bite of the cold, needing only a scarf about my neck to keep my warm in below-freezing weather. I surveyed the falling flakes and the ice clinging to the trees when suddenly a certain mare jumped onto my back from behind. I laughed as she gave me a peck on the cheek and I tried not to spill my drink.

“You’re up rather early, Red Storm. Is there something wrong?”

“Not at all, my sweet. I was simply enjoying the morn’. If anything, I would have to ask you why you are up so early. It’s just about six In the morning.”

“I rolled over in bed, and you weren’t there. So when I got up, I found you out here. Anyway, isn’t it a little too cold to be standing around outside this early?”

“Come now love, I’m wearing my scarf. Besides, it’s just a little brisk out. I think it is hardly cold enough for me to fall ill. However, I do see your point.” I trotted back inside with the yellow mare still clinging to my back. As I carried her inside, I kicked the door shut behind me, and I let her down. She nipped me on the ear playfully as she made her way over to the kitchen for breakfast. I sat down on the couch, where Angel sat. As I sipped my hot coco, he drank from a flask, and was wearing a blue bathrobe. He shot me a dirty look, before looking off again. He had gotten more or less used to me over the months, but he obviously did not like the idea of the two of us dating. I about fifteen minutes later, the mare waved us into the kitchen, and a grand feast was spread before me. Carrots, apples, flowers, and wheatcakes. Certainly more than what we usually ate, but I was not complaining. What was fun about it is that the wheatcakes had little smilies on them, made of chocolate chips. I looked at the mare happily, and she wore a small smile, along with a cute flower apron. I helped her take it off, before seating her. I sat down across from her and Angel next to her. As we began to eat, I couldn’t help but chuckle in my mind. ‘I have a beautiful, caring, delicate, and simply amazing marefriend. I don’t think I could be happier.’

We finished the meal in mere minutes, as we didn’t talk this time around. I was thinking about what I should get Fluttershy for Hearth’s Warming, but other things clouded my mind as well. The voices were giving me disturbing if not stupid suggestions.

‘Give her the heart of one of her enemies.’

‘Give her your ear in a box with a pretty pink bow.’

‘Get that filly a hydra head. Fillies love hydra heads.’

Like I said. Disturbing if not stupid.

I washed dishes as Fluttershy went out to check up on the animals. I looked back on the past month and a half blissfully, and recalled how it has been the happiest time of my life. Before we started dating, we would only normally spend time together at home; otherwise she would leave me alone with Angel and visit friends or run errands. Now that we were an item, we could do just about anything together. We would visit friends together, run errands together, take leisurely flights or walks, and even have a weekly romantic date. I will never admit it due to pride, but in order to make ends meet, I have been working at a mine in the mountains for some extra bits every other day. I thought it would be an excellent way to keep in shape, help the local area, and use my skills for something other than killing ponies.

As I finished washing the dishes, Fluttershy returned from outside shivering.

“I don’t know how you can stand being outside in that cold for more than a minute!” she squeaked as I got a blanket from the couch and wrapped her in it. “At least my little animal friends are warm in their trees and burrows. But I’m sooo cold.” She gave me a light smile followed by a shiver as I gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Come love, let’s get you to bed for some rest. I have some business to attend to, and I don’t want you to get sick.” She nodded as I led her upstairs, tucking her into bed before returning downstairs. Before I left, I moved to the closet near the door, and I removed a box from within. Inside was my suit Royal Sanguinary Armor, which I began to put on. I had not worn the armour in months, not since my original arrival into Equestria; however the armour had not a speck of dust on it, and shone sparkling gold as it always had. I donned the grey mail before the gold plate, and shouldered the now-alien weight.

The armour was forged from Adamant, a nigh-indestructible metal found only in my homeland, tempered by master Artificers with dragon fire, before being gold plated and enchanted for further protection. It was, however, incredibly light, and fitted especially for me, making it not unlike an impenetrable second hide. Something that always baffled me was the lack of a helmet. Anypony could easily attack the head, ignoring the rest of the heavily armoured body, but I suppose that is what the bright red droplet-shaped Blood Ruby and gold plating was for; to draw attacks to the torso rather than the head. Still, I couldn’t help but think that whoever thought excluding a helmet from the set was a good idea was an idiot, but that was merely my opinion. As I finished tightening some straps, I thought about the letter I had received a few days ago.

“Meet me in the Everfree forest at 5:30 sharp! Saturday! VERY IMPORTANT!”

I only knew one pony who wrote the way that letter was written was my sister, Scarlet Rain. We were on much better terms since Nightmare Night, but I made it clear that we should keep communication scarce, in case my father were to trace the letters. If she sent me a letter, it must be pretty buckin’ important.

I trotted outside and headed for the Everfree forest. The snow crunched beneath my boots, and I observed the snowflakes fall. As I continued along the path, the combination of the falling snow and the cool air made it easy for my mind to wander.

I recalled all of the romances that have occurred in the short span of time since Nightmare night. Twilight Sparkle had admitted to dating Big Mac; a revelation that was news to everypony but Spike and myself, though we didn’t say so. Ditzy and Doctor Hooves are also getting along splendidly, and Ditzy even told me that they are also an official couple. Apparently, Dinky has taken to the Doctor fondly, and I can’t help but admit that I am happy for Ditzy having found a steady relationship.

I made my way into the dark forest, and after trotting along for about five minutes, and then I spotted her about a hundred paces ahead. She was leaning against a tree, and was standing in its shade. She also wore her armour, and although it was purple instead of gold, it was otherwise identical. I trotted closer, but stopped at about twenty feet when I could see her face clearly. It was covered in cuts and bruises, with fur missing in spots. I spread my wings to attempt to fly away, but she reacted faster than I could make lift-off, grabbing me in a telekinesis spell. She straightened up and moved towards me. I could now see that one of her eyes was also screwed shut, as if she was in extreme pain, but I suspected the true reason was far more sinister.

“Hello, brother. It’s been while, hasn’t it?” I glared at her in silence, and she shrugged, losing what little animosity towards me. “Let me apologize to begin with, and let me apologize for what I’m about to say. I think you have already realized that this is a trap, ordered by your father who had found out about you, tortured me, and had me come for you. However, while he still doesn’t know where you are, for he did not ask; he does want to send a message. He wants you to suffer, and I know just how to do it. I’m gonna force you to watch as your world burns and your friends die. Best part is?” Her look of satisfaction turned to one of pure madness. “You’re gonna do it for me.” I simply scoffed at the threat.

“Oh, really? And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Like this.” She tapped me on the forehead with her horn, and there was a huge flash of orange light, and I suddenly understood. I felt my muscles tense up, my jaws clench, and my very irises shrink. Then, came the flood of voices.

‘Yes… embrace us… let the hate flow through you.’

‘Let blood flow down every street like rivers, let every soul scream and perish in fire.’

‘Maim. Kill. Burn. MAIM. KILL. BURN.’

‘Let none suffer to live. Go forth, and KILL.’

‘Death to the weak! REJOICE IN THE SLAUGHTER TO COME!’

My sister let me down, and now I was frothing at the mouth. My mane was wild, and my tail was twitching. Looking around, I realized we were in Ponyville town square, with a crowd forming. I then looked up to my sister, in a crazed way as she leaned in and whispered in my ear:

“Search and destroy, servant. Any force which opposes you is to be crushed underhoof. All obstacles are to be reduced to dust and ash. Search. And. Destroy.” She then disappeared in another flash of orange light, leaving me alone, twitching; surrounded by countless ponies. I looked straight ahead and saw a familiar face that I knew from somewhere before. However, in my maddened mind, all she looked like was a nice, tasty, flesh sack of blood and marrow and etc. I could only watch in horror in my own mind as I lunged forward at the mare, teeth bared. Screams.

...is Miy sAniti

Author’s Warning: Beware! The following chapter is not mandatory to read. This chapter contains a whole lot of ponies dying, blood, gore, and other things under the category of “Unnerving”. If you are squeamish on the subject of blood, gore, swearing, and/or dark undertones, back out now and wait for the next chapter. You have been warned, so don’t b**** about it if you can’t take it. Bad S*** Meter level: Cupcakes

I toppled the white mare as others went running, few standing in awe as Red Storm, the good natured, polite, care-free stallion they had known was trying to kill them. I looked down at the mare, not knowing what I would do next. It was Nurse Redheart. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and I just licked my lips. I said in her ear:

“You know, I never got to repay you for saving my life. So I will save yours.” I slowly rose, and as she got to her hooves, my whole body stiffened with malicious fury.

“JUST KIDDING!” I grabbed her throat in my teeth and snapped my neck back, breaking hers. I bit down harder and felt vertebrae shatter as I tugged on her limp body. I placed one hoof on her shoulders and tugged again, this time ripping her head and her entire spinal column out of her body in a gruesome ballet of blood and sinew. I drank from her body for a few moments before turning my attention to the remainder of the crowd. My coat was slicked red as I clung to the pendulum of a head in my mouth and stared at them. Finally, I spat it out and whispered in their general direction:

“This is the part where you run away.” They took the hint and turned, running and screaming. I laughed as I licked my lips and unfurled my wings, taking flight. I flew forwards and quickly caught up to another pegasus stallion who was too shell-shocked to remember to fly away, instead using his slow, weak legs to try and escape. ‘Ha. Desperation makes people stupid.’ I grabbed him by the wings and pulled him up into the air as he kicked franticly. I bit into his neck, spraying my muzzle with warm, steamy blood as I tore outwards leaving a gaping hole where his jugular once was. I dropped the bleeding pony into the water fountain as I made another pass.

This one, a grey mare with a black mane squirmed as I grabbed her from said mane and carried her up atop town hall. There, she began to cry as I pinned her down.

“Please, please, oh sweet Celestia don’t kill me!” she bawled. I leaned in and let the blood drip from my lips onto her forehead as I said:

“You are the cellist, no? Well, here’s some news for you: There is no Celestia here. Just me.” I then proceeded to stomp down on her forelegs, smashing them both beyond repair. “AND I AM A CRUEL AND UNFORGIVING GOD!” She wailed in agony as I flung her from the top of the building and watched, laughing manically as she dropped to the ground, even going as far as saying “Ouch” as she hit the ground with a sickening *Smack*. Well, not sickening for me, but you get the point.

I watched as a certain white unicorn ran up to aid her marefriend, but it was useless. The grey mare called Octavia was already dead, and I was already descending upon my wings of death. The unicorn stood tall, tears flowing from behind her purple shades.

“You bastard. How could you do this to us? Why? Why cause this much pain to your friends?” I stopped, and I looked at her, and I thought. That was a rather good question, but the answer came as I saw the reflection of my red eyes in her shades. A demented smile spread across my face, and with unimaginable speed, I sped forward and punched a hole straight through her chest, blood spraying onto the broken body of the grey mare behind her. She stood, gaping, blood dripping from her lips as I whispered softly:

“Because it’s fun.” I then gripped her left with the other hoof, and withdrew my hoof from her chest. With lightening speed, I grabbed her other shoulder and I promptly tore her in half from neck to tail. Blood was now running down the street in a gruesome yet gorgeous stream and the water fountain in town square ran red with blood, having been dyed sanguine from the body I had dumped into it. I stood, and inhaled the carnage I had brought; all the while I dreamt what more I should bring in the next several minutes. Suddenly, an enormous force collided with me, sending me flying straight through a building. The building then collapsed on top of me. As I climbed out of the debris, I spotted my new challenger. There, she stood, magenta eyes burning with fury and her cyan feathers rustling.

“Red Storm! What the hay are you doing? Killing innocent ponies is not cool man!” I grinned a devilish grin before responding:

“Is that so, Miss Dash? Pray tell, you have a Rainbow District in Cloudsdale, no?”

“What about it?”

“And you are the weather team leader, no?”

“What are you getting at?”

“You say murder is wrong, yet still, one question floats about: Where do you get your Spectra from? We in the Sanguine Kingdom only know one way to get Spectra, and if your system is anything like ours…” She didn’t let me finish, instead flying straight at me. I met her with my own charge.

I smashed into the mare with all the force I could muster, but to my despair, the same protective magics that kept her safe from the Sonic Rainboom aided her even now, as she shrugged off my blows as well as I did hers. And I was wearing an aegis. Soon, however, I was fed up with the petty games, as I was getting hungry again. I leaned back, and through a very old and very dangerous technique, used the added weight of my body, my total wingpower, and my raw strength to deliver a blow to her that would have decimated a mountain. She flew backwards at insane speeds, smashing through three buildings in a row, before she lay still in the rubble of the third building. I turned my attention back to the fleeing ponies. Some had gotten wise and were flying away. I would catch them later. I flew forwards towards the nearest group of ponies, and there in the middle of them I saw a particularly delectable family of three. An earth pony stallion, a Pegasus mare, and a unicorn foal, all running away together. I tackled the stallion first, and the Mare shouted something, but I didn’t hear it. The stallion told them to run, and to leave him behind. The mare turned quickly and kept going. I looked at my prey who then punched me in the face. This surprised me, and I retaliated by digging my teeth into his throat. He continued to batter me until he lay still and lifeless. I drank my fill before standing up. Then, I examined the body. It was a clean kill, but something was wrong. Then I realized who it was. I had just brutally murdered and fed from The Doctor. ‘He… oh my…’ I shook the strange feeling of guilt away as an enormous force threw me off-balance. I spun around to my assailant, and came face-to-face with an infuriated Big Macintosh.

He charged again, and smashed into me, cracking my carapace. ‘Holy Nightmare Moon! He is no ordinary stallion!’ I countered his attack by catching him in the mouth with a sucker-punch right. He spit out a tooth and came at me again. He threw a right-hook punch and I caught it. He threw a left-hook punch and I caught that one too. We stood there, trying to overpower each other, and even in my augmented state, he was forcing me to my knees. I tapped into my inner strength, using up much of my fed blood to increase my muscle mass, and evening the odds. As strong as he was, he was no match for Sanguine Blood Magic. I forced him to his knees before snapping the ankles in his forelegs. He roared in pain, but kept fighting back, which brought out the sadist in me. I kicked his left hind leg, breaking it with small splinters of bone flying out, before tackling him. I them proceeded to break the last of his legs, all of his ribs, and his jaw; all the while he screamed in agony. Finally when I felt like I had enough fun, I snapped his neck and rose, licking the blood off of my forelegs. Suddenly, a burst of magic struck my side. I lost my balance, but regained it quickly, doing a 90 degree quick-turn on one hoof. There, was Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity.

“Well, well! The gang is all here... wait… where is Fluttershy?”

“We told her ta hide, in case she’s the target of yer rampage. Besides, she ain’t no good in a fight.” I shrugged in agreement before re-focusing my attention. Then, the orange farm mare saw the broken form of her brother behind me, and she flinched.

“So then, fillies, shall we dance the Danza Macabra? I am anxious to see how well the lot of you are in a fight.” They just stood there, and I held my ground, with The Doctor in a pool of his own blood between us. Suddenly, Rarity took the first shot, (a simple concussion spell-bolt) and I deftly avoided it. I moved at speeds faster than she could track, before I tackled her away from her friends. The moment she hit the ground, I reared back, and I struck her on the horn with enough force to destroy a two-ton boulder. Her horn shattered into sparkling and flickering fragments, and she screamed a blood-curdling scream before feinting. I picked her up, and threw her at her friends. ‘My… friends…’ I shook the feeling of doubt away again as Pinkie Pie shouldered the unicorn.

“Pinkie, take Rarity somewhere safe. Applejack and I will handle this,” explained Twilight as calmly as she could. Her friends were dying around her, and the only way she could end it was to kill me, a friend in my own right. Ultimatums, ultimatums… As much as I would like to say that I enjoyed the bloodshed, seeing my friend like that brought me anguish. However, that feeling too was overcome with malice as when Pinkie turned to leave; I sped past Twilight and Applejack, headed straight for the retreating pony. She turned just in time for me to glide an outstretched wing across her neck. I stopped about five steps ahead of her, with the dust trail slowly rising behind me. I then turned to see a look of horror and agony in the Pink mare’s face, before suddenly, her head rolled off her neck. It fell next to her body, and there her body stood, in mid-step with an unconscious Rarity on its back. Blood was squirting from the open neck like a water fountain, and I had to resist leaning in to take a drink. Finally, after what felt like hours, the headless body fell to the ground, with Rarity rolling onto the cobblestone street.

Applejack and Twilight were absolutely in shock of what just happened. I then began to nonchalantly step towards Rarity, who was beginning to soak in the Pinkie-blood, staining her white coat red. I stepped up to the unconscious body and raised a hoof above her head. Twilight realized what I was about to do, but far too late.

“RED STORM, N-”

*Crunch*

The purple mare fell to her knees. I flicked the brains and skull off of my tread as Applejack growled, brimming with a fury so powerful that I was actually intimidated.

“You…you… YOU SONOVA BITCH! YA KILLED THEM! YA KILLED THEM BOTH! YA KILLED THEM ALL! AND THEN Y’ALL GO AND ACT LIKE NOTHIN’ EVEN HAPPENED! I’M GONNA KILL YA! I’M GONNA KILL YA UNTIL THERE AIN’T NOTHIN’ LEFT TA KILL! I’M GONNA-”

“Applejack… stop.” The purple mare’s words surprised even me. “There’s nothing left for us to do. We’ve lost. Red Storm has killed Rarity and Pinkie. We can’t use the Elements of Harmony anymore. We are not the Elements of Harmony anymore. Even if just one of us were to die, the bond is broken, and it cannot be mended. Just… stop.”

This surprised me even more. Elements of harmony? These mares were the Elements? Ah, but that would make sense now. Either way, she spoke the truth. There was no point in fighting. Even at full strength, they would have been no match for me at my present ability. Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind me:

“Hey, plothole! I’m not done with you!” We all looked up at the owner of the voice, and behind me stood Rainbow Dash. One of her wings was obviously broken, and she appeared to have a skull fracture, but she held herself as tall as ever; once she saw the state of her friends, however, the spirit in her eyes died. She fell to her knees, suddenly overcome from injuries far worse than I could see, and Applejack raced to her side. The orange mare carried the wounded pegasus back to the other side of the street. Glaring at me with pure, unceasing hate all the while. I nodded in acknowledgement, and let them pass. The orange mare continued onwards off to the farm, past the remains of her brother, and out of sight. I trotted slowly up to the purple mare who was now sitting in a pool of blood, dribbling from the remains of her friends. She looked up to me, tears flowing.

“I… I failed everypony. Please, just kill me.” I obliged without thought, crushing her skull between two of my hooves. Her body fell down onto the street with a *thump*, and I walk down the street. By now, everypony had fled the town, and so with nothing more to do, I retrieved a lamp from a nearby home, and proceeded to light buildings aflame. While I was starting a fire in Sugarcube corner, a very familiar voice spoke up behind me:

“What have you done now?”

I turned slowly, as the voice filled me with dread. A dread that numbed my feeling of madness, down to lucidity and near-sanity. I dropped the lamp as I stepped up to the mare behind me. The mare who saved me, took me in, comforted me and gave me the benefit of the doubt. Fluttershy. It struck me just then that if Twilight’s words were true about being the elements of harmony, Fluttershy would without a doubt be the Element of Kindness. Having lived in a medieval castle for my whole life with nothing to do but train and read, I had extensive knowledge on the forces that brought the downfall of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and many others. I looked into the eyes of my marefriend, but it was rather apparent that she had no feelings for me anymore. She was looking at me with cold disappointment and sorrow. She did not, however hold any hate in her gaze.

“Fluttershy, you almost look surprised. I told you this is what I was destined for. It was simply a matter of time.” She slapped me across the face.

“You are destined for nothing. You chose to do this. You. No pony else forced you to do this. You are not the stallion I once knew. I feel nothing towards you anymore, Red Storm. Leave my life, and never come back.” I was shocked at her aggressiveness, even though it was expected. The town was ablaze now, and I could feel the heat on my back. She continued:

“More so, you may think that killing some ponies and burning the evidence is a good idea, but it isn’t. If you excuse me, I must go and evacuate the Everfree forest before the fire spreads and burns that down too.” I snarled, returning to my not-entirely sane state once more. She turned to trot away, but I grabbed her tail and pulled her back. She squealed, and I breathed in her face:

“I’m sorry dear, but I won’t let you leave me now. I gave you my heart, and I expect the same.” Her eyes went wide at what I was implying, and before I could react, I plunged my hoof straight into her chest. She lay in my arms, spazaming as I extracted her still-beating heart in a geyser of blood, and took a bite out of it. I smiled devilishly at her, but all malice left me as an ember of my humanity ignited once more. She was dying in my arms, but managed to whisper:

“Red… Storm… I hate you.” Her eyes closed slowly and I set her down. My heart was heavy after having just murdered my love in cold blood, but my fury kept that from holding me back. I made a funeral pyre for everypony I had killed; after all, it would be rude no to give them their final rights. Once I burned the rest of the town down I flew into the air and reviewed my work. ‘Kill count: ten ponies. Buildings capsized: four. Overall evaluation: a good start.’ Suddenly, there was a flash of light next to me, and my sister was there next to me, levitating herself with her advanced magics.

“Hello brother. Good work! Now, to return your sanity and conscience.”

“I beg your pardon?” she tapped me on the head with her horn, and with a flash of orange magic, I was alone. Not only because she was gone, but because the voices were gone as well. I was not alone for long, however, as just as suddenly as my sister appeared, my conscience returned to me. I cried. For the first time in decades, I cried from despair. I felt like killing myself. But no, I was not worthy of such peace. I decided I would live alone in the Everfree forest, amongst animals like my love once did.

I flew down to the edge of town and striped myself of my armour before heading into the dark forest; with tittering shadows following me, mocking me from the light of the raging fires. I walked aimlessly for some time before I came across a small hut. It had strange tribal glyphs and markings along the outside walls, along with intimidating masks on stakes not unlike lawn ornaments. I felt the urge to enter, and so I went up to the door, and knocked. Immediately a voice chimed within:
“Hello and welcome, my troubled friend. Come inside, so your heart we may mend.” I found the rhyming odd, but I entered.
Inside was an odd sight, even to me. I instantly recognized the furnishing inside as that of a southern tribal, and a Zebra greeted me.

“Hello Red Storm, Zecora am I. How are you doing on a day so fine?” I blinked, before saying:

“Well let’s see here. I just killed all of my friends, burned their bodies, before destroying the town we lived in. I have been having a good day.” She just chuckled.

“You have yet to see this is all a lie. Sit down, and I shall explain to you why.” I felt like she was a bit odd, but that she spoke with much wisdom. I followed her command.

“You have been tricked, and your mind plagued. This entire world, your sister has faked.” I was beginning to understand what she was saying… but not really.

“This is all just… an elaborate illusion?”

“Quite indeed, though hard to explain. The details can become quite a pain.” I nodded at this, knowing that illusions can take many forms, and many levels of complexity. She then handed me a single red pellet. I looked at her sideways. She said:

“Do not fear, for your recovery this treatment must be done. Although I must admit, the waking up process is not any fun.” I swallowed the red pellet, and instantly my head felt like exploding. Then, it did.

Author's Notes:

God damn, was Zecora hard to write for! How the hell do all of those other writers do it? I just eeked by, but the rhymes suck none-the-less. Sorry folks. Also, to anypony who missed the ad at the begining of the story, there is a fellow youtube brony who needs help! Find him and his cool walkthroughs here. Thanks!
Oh yeah, almost forgot...SANITY IS FOR THE WEAK!

...is You, Fluttershy

Autor’s wordy-bitz: Heeyy… Sorry ‘bout the wait since the last chapter, and the length of this one. I have been cracked out on Fallout: New Vegas and my priorities suck. Anyways… ‘ere she is!

My eyes flew open. I was in the hospital again, and Fluttershy was by my bedside, along with Zecora. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise as I shot up straight in bed, and Zecora looked like she was waking up from a nap. However, I soon realized she was using a Dream Walker spell from the incense wafting in the room. The pieces quickly fell into place and I realized what my sister had done. She had cast the spell of “Eternal Night” on me. The spell puts the body of the victim into a comatose, while causing a sensory overload and the illusion of living your greatest fears. Truly a fate worse than death, and I was beyond relieved that it was all over. However… because of the nature of the spell, I was supposed to die in that state. I didn’t, and I felt noticeably different from the experience. I had killed my friends and my lover, as well as several others before I discovered it was a lie. However, the emotions that came from the illusion still linger, and I can’t help but feel slightly unhinged from it. Nonetheless, it was just a Dream, and I should treat it as such.

“Hello, love. I just finished having the worse nightmare. Pray tell, how did I wind up here?”

“I found you lying in the woods. You wouldn’t wake up, so I had some of my animal friends bring you here. When the doctors said that you were in a magic-induced comatose, and they couldn’t figure out why. When even Twilight couldn’t wake you up, I got desperate and had Zecora come here to try and help. She told me that you were under a curse, and that she could help. The two of you were under for several hours and I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up-”

“I’m ok, Fluttershy. It’s all ok. We’re both awake now, everypony is ok.” I shuddered, remembering killing Fluttershy. I shook it way.

“Well… If you say so. But a few minutes ago you were crying. If you need to talk, I’m here for you. That’s what marefriends are for.” I shrugged, and moved out of the bed. I motioned for Fluttershy to head out, and I stopped Zecora at the entrance.

“What happened in there stays between us, ok?”

“The experience that we hold shall not be told.”

“Good! And why do you rhyme all the time?”

“The reason I rhyme all the time, is due to a foalhood trauma involving limes.” ‘Right. There is nothing weird about that.’ I moved towards the door, yanking out the I.V. as I went, and outside the door waiting was my beloved.

“Pray tell, love, how long was I out?”

“A day.” I shudder ran through me. Today was Hearth’s Warming. I needed to get her somethi-

“I know you weren’t able to get me something, between working in the mines and this…” ‘Wait, she knew all along? Wow, I suck.’ “So you don’t have to worry about it. An idea popped up in my head. I leaned in and kissed her, right on the lips. She hesitated, but leaned into the kiss quickly. We stayed locked in a passionate embrace for several moments before we broke away.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, love. I hope you enjoyed your gift.” She said nothing, but instead grabbed me and pulled me into another kiss. ‘Somepony is feeling happy today.’ She pulled away quickly, saying:

“That was the best Hearth’s Warming gift a mare could wish for.” I smiled a gentle smile, but I then remembered that Zecora was behind me. I spun around to say “thank-you” again, but she was already gone, a nearby window open. ‘What is wrong with ponies using the front door in this town?’ I closed the window, and led Fluttershy to the door. I dropped a hoof-full of bits onto the front desk with my bill, and walked out with Fluttershy into the cold outside.

Within a few minutes, we were back home. I opened the door, and stepped inside behind Fluttershy. I stripped off my armour and tossed it into a corner while she hopped off to the kitchen to prepare dinner. In the center of the room was a large tree, along with several small boxes underneath, wrapped in colourful paper. I realized that these were all presents, and out of the six that were present, three were for me. This, was unacceptable. I noticed that the last three, the largest, were for Angel. That furry little bastard.

“Fluttershy, I just remembered that I needed to get something.”

“Ok! Just be back soon! Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes, and after we will open presents.” I was already flying out the door, and I had one pony in mind. Within record time (13 seconds) I was at Whitewash’s door, ringing the bell. She stepped to the door, clad in a kinky red lingerie outfit with a pointed red cap.

“Now is not the best time, Red Storm. I kinda have a mare over…”

“Captain! I have a special assignment for you!”

“Sir-yessir!” She stood tall, and looked rather funny saluting me in her outfit.

“I failed to acquire a present for my marefriend, and I need your help to find one!”

“Understood sir! I know many excellent places to get several in less than ten minutes at reasonable prices, sir!”

“Capital! Let us depart A-S-A-P!”

“Yessir!...” she faltered, “Permission to change, sir!”

“Permission granted!” she bolted into the back room and came back several seconds later in her armour and with an orange-haired mare by her side. The yellow mare with the orange mane looked terrified, and her green eyes flicked between us. Still in my “Commander Persona”, I shouted in her direction:

“Civilian! You are DIS-MISSED!” she squeaked and ran away, out the door and as fast as she could. Whitewash sighed.

“Was that really necessary?” she said, her normal personality back.

“ABSOLUTELY! Let’s move out, Captain! We have FIFTEEN minutes to buy a gift and wrap it!”

“SIR YES SIR!” She bolted out down the hall, and I flew alongside her. We had shopping to do.

I returned home with two colourful boxes in my forelegs (one from Whitewash, one from me) just as Fluttershy began to set the table. I slid the boxes under the tree and moved to the kitchen. I admittedly didn’t know what Whitewash got Fluttershy, but I suppose I would know soon enough. I moved behind her silently, and cupped my hooves over her eyes, much to her surprise. She breathed lightly as I gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I’m back, sweetie. What’s for dinner?”

“I made some nice carrot soup for dinner. I had also prepared a cake while you were in the hospital. I hope you like it,” she said quietly as I moved my hooves from her eyes, and holding her in a hug about the waist instead.

“I’m sure it will be absolutely delicious.” And it was. We ate in relative silence, and I thought solemnly about the horrors I had committed within my own mind. If I did those things in what I thought to have been reality, who’s to say I won’t do them in real life as well? Fluttershy broke the silence.

“Red Storm… what happened to you?” I wondered whether or not I should tell her the truth. I decided yes.

“My love, it has come to my attention that my father wishes me dead. He had tortured my sister until she admitted to knowing where I was, and he sent her to kill me. She had cast a spell called ‘Eternal Night’ upon me, which places the afflicted into a comatose-like state while they dream their greatest fears as though they were a reality. As the spell wears on, it will cause the victim so much emotional agony that they will lose the will to live, and die.” Fluttershy just continued to eat her soup in silence, before asking:

“I don’t mean to pry, but what did you dream of?” Truth, or lie? Both.

“I dreamt that you and everypony else I cared for were killed. It had to have been the worst feeling in my life.” ‘Because I did it.’ She put a hoof on mine.

“Don’t worry so much about it, sweetie,” She said, and I almost jumped at ‘sweetie’… great Celestia, it is good to be loved.

“It was all just a dream. Besides, it’s Hearth’s Warming day! Let’s open our presents!” She jumped out of her seat, and trotted over to the tree. I joined her, and she pulled out one of the boxes that I had brought.

“Red Storm… You didn’t have to!”

“Ah, but I did! Go on… open it up!” She did so, and beneath the colourful wrapping was a box with a small gold locket inside. The locket had a single, glimmering Blood Ruby on the outside (Which had cost an astronomical amount to have fitted in.) Inside, there was a picture of myself, and a small hoof-carved sentence:

“To my dearest beloved; the kindest soul I know.” She just looked at it, a small tear forming. I couldn’t happen but add the “Kindest” part after my revelation on the true status of my friends, but more than that, it was due to her being supportive of me since the very beginning; that very day I woke up in her bed. So very kind…

“Red Storm! It’s beautiful! Thank you so much! You really shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble to do this for me!”

“Yes, in fact, I did. I could not possibly allow you to give me any gifts without you receiving any from me. Besides, I needed to show my manliness through wasting an absurd amount of bits on such a gift! Only a true stallion can make such poor financial decisions!” My marefriend giggled at this, before putting on the locket.

“Poor financial decision or not, I love it. Thank you.” She then passed a box to me. I tore it open eagerly: this would be the very first actual present I will have ever received for any occasion. Inside the small box was a vial of red liquid, on a chain. I opened it and sniffed the contents gingerly. The liquid was without a doubt blood, and it smelled of the forest. I re-capped the vial and looked at Fluttershy sideways.

“What, pray tell is this?” She looked slightly crestfallen.

“Its… some of my blood. I thought it might be a fitting gift.” I realized the intention. She wished for a part of her to be with me forever. Where I come from, this is the same as a marriage proposal. I let go of the thought as I put the chain about my neck. After all, how could she possibly have known about…? That’s when I saw a small, red book on the coffee table. From across the room I could clearly see its title: “History and culture of the Sanguine Nation.” My mind went blank, and Fluttershy followed my gaze to the book. She made an “eek” as she sped over to collect the book. The damage, however, was done.

“Dear…” I began, still staring at the book, now in Fluttershy’s forelegs. “Are… are you proposing to me?” She simply stared at me, and I stared back. After what seemed like whole millennia, she finally said:

“Maybe…” I jumped up with such enthusiasm that I hit my head on the ceiling.

“Yes! YES! I ACCEPT! YES!” I cried with joy and glee. “I would LOVE to marry you! Nothing would make me happier!” I took her up in my forelegs in a great, big hug. I swung her about the room before setting her down again.

“I accept your proposal, Fluttershy. I would be honoured to be your husband,” I said flatly (but softly) after brushing back down the mare’s mane. I gave her a quick kiss, and tears were forming in my eyes. A quick glance revealed that tears were forming in her beautiful pools as well. We gathered ourselves and continued to unwrap gifts.

Angel got several items of grand material wealth, but simply shook his head and headed over to the liquor cabinet. I unwrapped my last two gifts: a grand helmet that matched my suit of Bloodsteel armour (but was not made of it, alas); and a simply marvelous night-black suit and matching blood-red tie. I gave my new fiancé my thanks, and we opened the last box together: Whitewash’s gift to Fluttershy. I honestly had no idea what she had gotten for her, so I was just as curious as Fluttershy herself. There was a card attached that read:

“Hope you enjoy it, you two! And, congrats on your engagement!”

That was creepy. How the hell did she foresee our engagement? We took off the wrapping paper and looked into the plain box underneath. What was inside was, to put it simply, unnerving.

Within the box were a latex suit, hoofcuffs, and a whip.

I just stared and then looked at my fiancé. She bore a look of surprise.

"I am terribly sorry about this. I will throw this out, and give Whitewash a good tongue-lashing later-” She placed a hoof to my lips, and revealed a sinful grin.

“Now, now. Don’t jump to conclusions, Red Storm. We may want to use these… later.” My mane stood up on end as she brought the box upstairs to the bedroom, still giving me that look. As soon as she left from my view, my wings unfurled in what Rainbow Dash had called a “Wing-boner” I folded them shut again as Fluttershy returned downstairs.

“Now that the presents are done, would you like some cake?” I nodded slowly, and we both made our way to the kitchen.

‘Employed? Engaged? Things are looking up!’

‘I told you, shut up.’

Author's Notes:

I know, I know. The great and deadly engagement. Hey! It has been several months since they got together, and they have known each other for almost six months. I felt like this story needed to progress, and I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY! Opps. Sorry. I love you all, and I hope you have enjoyed it so far!

Makin' Our Way Back From Mars

I opened my eyes slowly, and let the early morning light fill them. By my side lay my beautiful fiancé, Fluttershy. She slept lightly, and I could feel her breath on my chest. It was truly the most wonderful thing, being engaged. The two of us shared a love and passion for each other that I could never have even dreamed of. While we burned for each other each day, we still believed it was best to save our virtue, for after we wed. On that note, our wedding was just a few weeks from now, and I am ecstatic. Each day we spend hours planning for each and every possible situation and variable, from one of us suffering from illness, to a full-fledged assault from my father. Nothing was left out, and it seemed like it will be the greatest day of my life… well, actually, I am worried about the honeymoon, as Fluttershy never threw out Whitewash’s gift, and with each passing day I feel like she was serious about wanting to use it. Not that it’s a bad thing, of course. It’s just the thought of my sweet, delicate Fluttershy bending me over with a whip scares me. Either way, I really can’t wait…

‘Oh! Hey, just reminding you… It’s hearts and hooves day today.’

‘No, you don’t say? I knew that. And again, stop talking to me.’

‘Hey. I am the only one around here that can string together proper sentences without shouting something homicidal, so you may as well give me credit for that.’

‘… Touché. Still, don’t bother me. I have things to do.’ The voice ceased its prattling then.

I slowly moved from the bed, being absolutely sure not to wake up my sleeping beauty, before moving downstairs. I moved groggily, as I was still a bit tired, but alas, it would be all but impossible for me to fall asleep now that I was up. I walked past my sister, who was sitting on the couch, and made my way to the kitchen. There, half awake I prepared the romantic breakfast I had planned for Fluttershy and myself. I then returned to the living room after setting everything up, and Scarlet Rain offered me some coffee, which I accepted graciously. I took the cup and sipped gently, before spitting it out, realizing that my sister was here.

“Putain de MERDE! What are you doing here? Please don’t try to kill me again, because I’m getting married in three weeks, and I would rather my fiancé not be put through such grief.” The sleek dark purple mare giggled at my plainly stated plea. I noticed she now bore a scar across her left cheek, likely a reminder of her treachery and torture.

“I’m not here for revenge, brother. I am here to check up on my favorite sibling!” If my brain was powered by a hamster on a wheel, the hamster just stopped running.

“What?” I asked, slightly irritated, but silently as to not awake my beloved above. “Just a few months ago you cast one of the three most dangerous curses in existence on me, and then you just expect me to forgive you? No! What you did was simply unforgivable! I watched as I murdered all of my loved ones, and you come here like we are best friends!” I was now using my normal volume of speech. She blinked a few times, shocked, and obviously hurt.

“Brother… I’m sorry you see it that way. I told you, Father ordered me to, and I had to obey. Believe me; I was having nightmares for weeks about what nightmares you could have had. Not to mention how terrible it was for me to have to deal with the possibility of you being dead. I really, truly love you brother.” I simmered down instantly. Something about my sister when she is like this just melts me like butter over an open flame.

“Very well, Scarlet. I will forgive your heinous deed. But so not expect this from me again. Cross me again and there will be no respite.” She just nodded happily, simply gay at my forgiveness.

“So… you’re settling down, huh?” She asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Yes. Why exactly does it matter to you?” She shrugged

“Oh, it’s just nice to see that my little Red Storm is all grown up. You know, I don’t even have any suitors… Maybe it’s the eyes…” she trailed off as she began gently poking herself in the eye. She didn’t even blink as she jammed her entire hoof into her eye socket. I stood there, slightly unnerved until she stood up, removing the hoof from her eye with a wet *POP* and saying:

“Well, anyway… I was just stopping by. I’m not going to ask what you dreamt, or how you survived. I just wanted to come by to see if you are ok. I’m going to leave now, but do reserve a seat for me at your wedding. I will be there.” Before she could reach the door, there was a knock on the door. We both looked at each other sideways, before my sister ducked behind the couch and I made my way to the door. I opened it, and there stood Miss Doo.

“Ditzy! How nice to see you! And how have you been doing?” I asked, trying to act as if my homicidal sister was just behind me; and I was doing a rather fine job too.

“Red Storm! Hello to you too! I just came by with a letter. Real spooky lookin’ one. All red with a weird wax seal on it. It’s like you’re royalty or something!” She said this jokingly, but the truth could be no closer. “Anyway, while I would love and stay to chat, I have other letters to deliver. Maybe you, Fluttershy, the Doctor and I can all go on a double-date sometime? It’d be fun!”

“Perhaps,” I was looking at the letter, almost nodding her off, “That would be nice.” She flew off, none the wiser, and I stepped back inside. My sister moved to my side as I opened the letter. We both knew this was no ordinary letter, and it showed. This was a letter from my father. I pulled out a sheet of parchment from within, and on it was a message hoof-written in ink.

‘Hello, my son. I have received word of your impending marriage, and I must say that I am proud. While it is no Sanguine Wedding, it is your wedding nonetheless. I send my blessing, and my promise of absolutely no interference, before, during, or after. While I would wish to attend my kin’s wedding, I will only make an appearance at your whim. Your father ~ Red Wing ~’

“What nerve!” I said in disbelief. “My father sends you to kill me, has tried to kill me for almost a decade, and now he expects an invitation to my bloody wedding? Buck, no. He can go to Tartarus.” I threw the sheet at the ground, and as it floated lazily to the ground, my frustration grew. My sister placed a hoof on my shoulder, signaling for me to calm down, which I did quickly. However, while my body calmed, the seas of my mind roared.

‘How dare he! He has got to be the worst father ever, and now he wants an invitation! You should go home now and beat him into submission!’

‘Come now; look at it as your sister has presented it. He just wanted what was best for you after all this time. The assassination attempts were a set of tests to make you stronger. And stronger you have become.’

‘No. I must not let this drag me down. It won’t. I will not let it.’

I brushed my sister’s hoof off of my shoulder, and brushed down my mane with a hoof, as my fury had caused it to become untidy. Then, above there was movement. My sister gave a brief nod, before disappearing out the door. Down came my fiancé, and I greeted her with a hug.

“Good morning, my love. And how did you sleep?”

“Well. Happy Hearts and Hooves day Red Storm.” I chuckled.

“Indeed. Happy Hearts and Hooves day.” The holiday was still alien to me, although I had been studying the holiday for weeks with Twilight Sparkle. It was supposed to be a holiday devoted to the love and joy of romantic partnership. I still did not understand it. After all, I was raised in a country where business was more important than love, and any type of marriage was always for political reasons. Still, I was interested. More so, I wanted nothing more than to show my wife-to-be the best Hearts and Hooves day ever. I had planned (in order) a delightful breakfast, a nice little spot of shopping, a spa treatment, a hiking trip to the most lovely spot I had found the other day, before finishing it up with a romantic picnic. After all, she is truly the most important pony in my life, and deserves the best. I let her go from my embrace, and she kissed my nose before heading over to the kitchen. There, there was a “squeak” of surprise. Excellent. Phase one, complete.’ I made my way over, and there, spread across the table was a beautiful assortment of flowers, fruits, and other things that were both appealing and delicious. The flowers were assorted in multicolor rings of red, yellows, purples and pinks, and the fruit were stacked into a neat pile in the center of it all. I gave Fluttershy a quick kiss before pulling out a chair for her. I pushed her in after she sat down, and I sat myself across the table.

“Go on, eat, my love. I did all this for you.” She smiled before taking some flowers and beginning to munch on them. I then noticed that she was wearing her locket. Now that made me feel warm inside.

“So Red Storm,” she said after swallowing the last of the flowers she was eating, “what have you got planned today? Because, knowing you, you have something spectacular planned out.

“Indeed I do! But, that is for you to find out. Not now. Later. Now, we eat!” I took an apple out of the pile, nodded my head to it, and took a bite. I returned my gaze to Fluttershy, and said:

“Today, I have prepared the ultimate Hearts and Hooves Day date for you. And the secret ingredient of this ensemble is: LOVE!” I grabbed her with one foreleg and ran out the door with her slung across my back. She never even got to finish her breakfast, I realized soon after.

We arrived at the market place in mere moments, due to me flying there with her on my back at Mach 3. She was giggling as we landed and windows exploded.

“That was fun, but unnecessary.” She brushed her mane back down as everypony came out of cover.

“Oh, but it was necessary! I had to make an entrance for my beautiful fiancé!” I turned to a random pony; “Isn’t she beautiful?” He slowly backed away, and I realized I had another psychotic break. I gathered myself, and turned to Fluttershy.

“Anyway, we are here so that I may lavish you with material wealth of your choice. Please, my darling, lead the way!” She nodded with a smile and a blush, and led the way. We arrived at the very same jeweler as the one where I had purchased the locket, but I made no note of this. We stepped inside, and she began to look around. For this, I was prepared. I had been saving money for weeks for just this occasion. I had enough bits and gems on person to buy a solid gold chariot for Fluttershy, and that was merely what I have on me. The stallion who owns the mine that I work in is kind enough to let us miners keep any gems we dig up, as he is there for the iron and minerals. That, plus the twenty-bits-an-hour wage makes for good living with Fluttershy, even though I have been working at night now so that I can share the day with my love.

Fluttershy was trying on a very pretty set of ruby and gold earrings that went marvelously with the locket. It’s eerie, really, how much she wears red these days. She only started this trend after we started dating, but now it seems like she loves the colour these days. Likewise, it has become apparent to me how much I love the colour of aquamarine stones, and I was in fact looking at a dashing set of aquamarine cufflinks when Fluttershy came up to me with the earrings.

“Can I get these? I like them a lot.” I put the cufflinks back and pulled out my coin purse.

“Of course, my dear. We are shopping for you. We can get whatever you want.” I placed the earrings on the counter, the salespony rung them up, and I paid the three hundred bits, all while wearing a smile. I smiled because while I knew that material gifts cannot bring eternal happiness, they can bring momentary joy. And one cannot place a price tag on the happiness of a loved one.

We left, and spent another hour or so shopping, in which we spent over two thousand bits. All the while I smiled. It didn’t matter to me how much I was spending for my love, because if she is happy, then I am in ecstasy. She had bought the earrings, two dresses, and a new pair of shoes, along with a few other things that she wouldn’t allow me to see from a rather suspicious shop. Overall, it was a rather successful shopping trip.

“Are you finished shopping for now, my love?” Fluttershy nodded her head. “Well then, I suppose it is time for our next course of action… wait, can you stay here while I bring everything back home?” She nodded again silently. Peculiar. I gave her a quick peck, and slung the shopping bags over my shoulder before taking off. Seconds later I broke the sound barrier and a few more seconds later I landed in front of the cottage. I made my way inside, and plopped the bags down on the floor next to the couch, and I saw the red letter. I moved to it, and picked it up. I moved to the kitchen, and threw it away. I then made my way back to the door, locked up, and took off again.

Author's Notes:

Heeeeyyy... Just wanted to remind all of you who have come this far to post reviews on what you think! If you see any errors, do tell! And if you think that the story is dying at this point, well so do I! Throw me some suggestions, or even your predictions on what may happen next! On the internet, comments are the lube of a well-greased machine, and I'm getting rusty! Help a brony. Leave a comment.

Never Gonna Give You Up

I landed back in the market place and made my way back to Fluttershy.

“So, are you ready, love? We still have much to do, and time waits for nopony!” My fiancé nodded vigorously, and I hugged her close with my wing, leading her towards the Service and Recreational District. Together we trotted to the movie theater, and along the way I saw a great many ponies I had never seen before, but recognized.

‘You remember them because you watched them die. You know them from the dream… nay, the nightmare.’

‘Quite. Now, if you lot don’t mind, I am trying to maintain lucidity. So stop talking to me.’ The voice stopped again, but I still heard whispers in the back of my mind, as usual. I simply ignored the maddening prattling, as I was already quite mad.

I watched as dozens of pairs of ponies pranced about, doing loving things, such as having picnics in the park area, nuzzling noses, and eating single strands of spaghetti so that they “accidentally” kiss. How so very cute. I then looked at my beloved, and examined her features. Her lovely blue eyes were glistening in the sunlight, and her pink mane blew lightly in the breeze. My gaze moved to her muzzle, and her adorable little mouth, and I gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek. She smiled lightly, and kissed me back. What I wouldn’t give to know what she is thinking.

“Wow, you two just look great together.” I jumped, but gathered myself just as fast when Whitewash spoke up from behind me. I looked at her, glaring, before saying:

“You know, you are almost as bad as Pinkie Pie at this poin-“

“Hiya Red Storm!” ‘Great plot-tearing-Celestia!’ I spun around, and there was Pinkie Pie. I was downwind of her, and didn’t smell her, let alone hear her arrival. How the devil does she do that?

“What?... Huh? What are you doing here? How did you both sneak up on me? Why may be a better question.”

“Aw, just to mess with you, hon!” Whitewash said, giggling.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie joined in, “Because that’s fun! And I’m all about fun!” They giggled again in unison before vanishing into thin air. I wondered briefly if it was Whitewash’s doing, or if it was Pinkie Pie’s. I decided the former was far more likely. Then again, with the Pink One, you can never truly know… I gave my fiancé a quick glance, and she just shrugged. We then continued on our way, as I constantly sniffed the air for magical residue.

Fluttershy and I arrived at the movie theater a few minutes later, and we looked at the movie list. Today was obviously “lovey-dovey” day, so all the showings were romances. Among them, we decided on a movie titled “50 Shades of Hay.” It sounded intriguing to us so we bought two tickets and headed in.

...1.5 extremely uncomfortable hours later…

We walked back outside, neither one of us looking at each other.

“That was… unexpected, to say the least.” I said, my “wingboner” still slightly apparent. I looked over to Fluttershy, who was red as a tomato with a full-blown wingboner. I recalled the contents of the movie with a slight shudder. ‘I didn’t even know about half of those things! I wonder what she thought…’

“It was a good movie,” the buttermilk mare finally said. Her wings folded back up and she gave a weak smile. I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, the fellow in the back of the theater certainly thought so. I heard him throughout the entire film.” We both chuckled, still blushing. Then, I regained my thoughts.

“Smutty movie or not, we have a schedule! We need to get back on track!” I paused for a moment, realizing that we were supposed to go to the spa, not watch a movie. Oh well, bumble-brained Red Storm strikes again! Though seriously, a spa treatment would have been far better than that “movie”… I swept up the love of my life onto my back and started for the hills.

“Time to hike! ONWARDS!”

“Hey, there they are!” The purple librarian’s voice set me alight, for unknown reasons. ‘Damn. Why the hell are we so popular today? WHY CAN’T WE JUST HAVE A DAY TO OURSELVES???’ My eye twitched involuntarily as the young unicorn approached with her coltfriend, a white stallion and a pink alicorn… ‘Huh… that’s odd.’ I set Fluttershy down and soothed myself. I realized that I usually keep Fluttershy away from her friends anyway, now that we are engaged, stealing her away for personal time together. Not that she has been complaining. It has, however, been rather selfish of me.

“This is him. This is Red Storm!” Twilight said, gesturing a hoof at me for her companions. Big Mac simply nodded at me, and I returned the gesture. The white stallion raised an eyebrow.

“So… you’re the one my little sis has been talking about? The one she nearly killed, right?” He gave her a wary look, before returning his gaze to me. Twilight blushed as he continued:

“I’m Twilight’s big brother, Shining Armor. This is my wife, Cadance.” My eyes bulged slightly, but noticeably.

“Hold the phone- This is Princess Cadance? Your wife is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” The stallion nodded as the princess looked rather worried. “That’s… Amazing! Twilight,” I turned to the unicorn spastically, “you never said anything about having a brother, let alone him being royalty!” She looked nervous as she explained:

“Yeah, well, it never really came up.” I accepted this answer, and I turned to the princess.

“It is wonderful to meet you! Where I come from, we praise you as the Princess of Love, and may I add that it is a great honour to meet you!” The princess, however, looked fearful.

“Uh… yes… Red Storm, you said? I… I have heard of you. You are the son of Red Wing, no?” I was slightly surprised at this, but nodded.

“Your father has been threatening to invade us for months now, under the belief you were hiding there. The Crystal Empire and the Sanguine Kingdom have been strong business partners for decades, since Queen Scarlet Swift, and his sudden threats had worried me. Now, however, they worry me further, as the Empire has magic and harsh elements to protect it. Equestria, on the other hoof, does not.”

I swallowed as Cadance finished speaking. ‘Father has been threatening the Crystal Empire? He is surely mad…’ I shook away the feeling of dread.

“It has been nice meeting you; Princess, Prince; but Fluttershy and I have a schedule and must depart. I am sorry for my father’s aggressiveness, but his threats should stop now, as he knows I am here, not there. I will deal with him myself, so have no fear. Now, I bid you, adieu.” I then left, swinging Fluttershy onto my back and earning a few confused looks and a scowl from the princess.

A few minutes later, I had already reached the edge of town with Fluttershy on my back. I set her down, realizing that this was supposed to be a romantic hike, but when I flashed Fluttershy a smile, she was frowning.

“Red Storm, we need to talk.” I tried to feign innocence.

“Why? Now is the time to walk, and enjoy the beauty of nature.”

“I get to do that every day. I live next to the Everfree with animals, or had you forgotten?” Not working. “You need to tell me what is going on with your father, and how he knows where you are.” Damn. It was worth a shot.

“Ok, ok. I have not been telling you everything. As your fiancé I should, but I have been quite selfish as of late. This morning my sister had come by for a visit-”

“What? Scarlet Rain was here?” she squealed with fury.

“Yes, but not as an assassin. She is still my sister, mind you. Anyway, she came by, and during her visit Miss Doo delivered a letter from my father-”

“Your father mailed you? What else aren’t telling me?”

“Keep interrupting me and you will never know.” I said, giving her a dirty look. Today is not going according to plan. “My father mailed me asking for an invitation to our upcoming wedding, which I will obviously not do. I did know that he was searching the five continents for me, but I did not know he was threatening war. However, I will deal with that in my own time-”

“Red Storm… if we are going to get married, I can’t let you go and keep things from me, and I can’t let you go and leave to ‘deal with it’. We need to communicate. We need to stay together.” I thought for a moment.

‘She is correct. Marriage is a sacred bond of love and trust. One should not turn their back on their lover.’

‘Yes, true, very true. However, she wouldn’t understand. I cannot put her through my troubles.’

‘Isn’t that what love is? Standing by the one you love for everything? Thick and thin?’

‘… Yes…’ I blinked.

“Ok, Fluttershy. I promise not to keep any secrets from you from now on. I will include you in everything. For now, though, can we just enjoy our romantic hike?” She looked at me warily, and I quickly added; “If that’s… uh… ok with you…” She giggled and nudged me a little bit before smiling her loving smile again.

Together we walked for about forty-five minutes along the outskirts of the Everfree, heading up a hill, taking in the sights. I could tell Fluttershy was unfamiliar with this area from her wide eyes of wonder and curiosity. I remember the general area from my… skyfall on that fateful night. The very night I met Fluttershy…

I re-focused. There, nearby, was the area where I had landed. The quartet of craters had filled up from erosion and were much less apparent, but still just so. The once flat plain now looked more like a hilly one, but that is just mindless thinking. I turned to Fluttershy and pointed.

“This, my dear, is the very place where my final decent took place. You can tell from the scarring that I hit the ground rather hard, and from the distance from here to the cottage I had to drag myself a rather far way a ways to arrive at your doorstep.” I meant not to boast, but looking back on the distance, it occurred to me that I must have covered a mile during my trudge, which is rather impressive. Fluttershy just simply looked on, in awe. I nudged her forward.

“Come along now, love. We still have about another two miles or so to cover before we arrive at the rest place.” She nodded, but never broke her gaze from the craters. We continued on, and every now and then, when a bird would whistle, she would whistle a tune back. It was all very nice and peaceful. We also saw the occasional bunny or other small mammals. We began to plunge into the forest about another mile in, and hiked the rest of the way up a hill. Then, it came into view as we picked up the pace.

We soon arrived at the spot; a wonderfully lighted and open area; a meadow really. I stepped forward into the light, and beckoned to Fluttershy to join me in its warming caress. She sat down in the beautiful field as I made my way around the clearing patting down trees. Fluttershy gave me an odd look, and I couldn’t help but blush.

“Sorry dear, I am looking for a hollow tree that I had placed picnic supplies in earlier, but I can’t remember which it was…” I found the tree with an “Ah-ha!”, and pulled a basket and blanket out of a hole in the trunk. I spread the blanket and set up the picnic with the said supplies as Fluttershy bathed in the light of the meadow. ‘Damn, she is bucking gorgeous.’

I motioned for her to join me on the now-spread blanket. She lay down next to me, giving me a cute smile. ‘Ah, this is nice. And to think we were arguing minutes earlier…’ I sifted through the food quickly, and removed a grape vine, some apples, an edible bouquet of colorful flowers, and a bottle of wine. At this point, the sun had already begun to set, and the orange-yellow sky looked absolutely wonderful on her body. I fed her a few grapes and hugged her close. We munched on a shared apple, but overall kept rather quiet as we watched the sun crept towards the horizon. Suddenly, Fluttershy rose to her hooves.

“Red Storm, while laying here next to you is nice and all, I feel like we should take advantage of our lonesome…” I swallowed, and she continued, “To have some fun!” She began to frolic about the meadow with a look of glee on her face. I relaxed, realizing that I likely spend too much time with Whitewash and her innuendos. I sprung up, and cracked my neck.

“If you insist, my darling. However, ‘fun’ really isn’t my thing…” She bounced back to me and gave me a light tug.

“Oh, but it’s really not that hard, Red Storm. All you have to do is let yourself be happy, and your body will do the rest! Pinkie Pie taught me that.”

“Hmm… Well… I suppose I could try…” She bounded away and squealed behind her:

“Come on, Red Storm! Chase me!” I smiled a light smile and started after her.

…hours later…

We listened to the crickets begin to chirp as the sun slowly turned from yellow, to orange, to red, then purple, then finally dark blue. We had lost track of time as the hours had flew by, and now we lay by each other, holding each other in a loving caress. I then spoke up, once the sun was but a sliver on the horizon.

“Fluttershy, I love you. I cannot emphasize this more. This has been truly one of the most enjoyable days of my life, and I am slightly saddened it is over. I guess all good things do have to come to an end.” I gave her a kiss, and hugged her once more before I began to rise. She, however, put a hoof on my shoulder, and brought me back down to her eye level.

“Red Storm,” she began, her eyes sparkling, “I have had a wonderful time today. This was my first Hearts and Hooves day with a special somepony, and you made it memorable. But it doesn’t mean it needs to end.” A sly smile crept across her face, and I have to admit, in the moonlight, she looked almost sultry, if not downright devilish. I instantly got the message.

“Oh. OH! I-I can’t possibly do that, Fluttershy. I mean, what if…” She pulled me closer to her face, and lost all trace of flirtation and/or lust. Now, it was flat worry.

“Red Storm, you said it yourself before. We are living on borrowed time. Now, your father knows where we are. If his army is as powerful as you say it is-” I cut her off:

“Fluttershy, I can understand your worry. However, I can promise you, I will do everything in my power, call upon every alliance I have ever made, every deal I have ever struck up, and make sure my father does not hurt you nor anypony else. I don’t want you to be pressured into giving up yourself to me. We have plenty of tim-” She interrupted me with a kiss. When she pulled away, that look was back in her eyes.

“Honestly Red Storm, I really don’t care anymore.” Something clicked in my head that either Fluttershy has some serious issues she needs talked about, or I really have corrupted her. She has never been this assertive. “Yes, I can’t help but feel worried about how everything will turn out in the end, but quite honestly, I am just becoming impatient. So can we please have sex?” ‘Wow. WOW. I… just wow.’

“Ok. Sure. I will meet you back home, just let me pack everything up, ok?” She nodded vigorously before taking off. I swear, she was going at least 14 WP just then. I gathered up the blanket, the basket, and slung them around my neck. I then took off, headed home.

‘That could have been worse.’

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the sloppyness. It was a bit rushed, and I also did it through Writer's Block. On and off. It sucks, I know. I will try harder next time.

Last Night as a Bachelor

I awoke abruptly. I then remembered that I lay with Fluttershy, and I checked on her. She was breathing evenly, so I assumed she was still asleep. I untangled myself from her, and moved out of the bed. I was worried about our upcoming wedding, and rightfully so. We had sent invitations to all of our friends, including the other Elements, Big Mac, and Whitewash. We also sent invitations to her parents, our friends’ families, and the like. I had also reluctantly sent an invitation to my sister, due to Fluttershy’s suggestion.

I looked back. She looked blissful, smiling in her sleep as she hugged my pillow. I was happy that she was happy, and I was happy that I was going to be hers, and she mine. I crept silently downstairs, and met Angel in the kitchen. He was making coffee, and offered me a cup. One voice proclaimed ‘Don’t drink it, it’s surely poisoned.’ I rolled my eyes, and accepted it. I took a sip, and looked out the window. I saw the early morning, and thought:

‘Ah… it truly is a new dawn for me. Or… perhaps it would be better to say a new dawn is approaching. I must deal with father first, but after that… yes. Then I may live a new life with Fluttershy… What about children?’ I imagined Fluttershy and myself with our future foal. ‘Ah yes, I can see it now, a little foal, playing in the back yard with Fluttershy and me. It will simply wonderful… wait… what if my child were to bear the Sanguine Curse?’ The foal suddenly had red eyes, and I shuddered. ‘Unavoidable, I suppose… but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. Now, I must make breakfast… among other things.’ A vile, bloody burp brought me to the present again. I sniffed the cup of coffee. ‘Cyanide’ I turned to face Angel, who had a wide grin on his face.

“Why you little-” I didn’t finish my sentence as I hit the ground, face first. He makes one hellofa cup of coffee.

“Ok, Red Storm! Now, let’s go over this again!” The crème unicorn in front of me began from the top for the twentieth time.

“Yes, yes, I know, I know! I stand by the altar and wait for Fluttershy. Then we say our vows and say ‘I do’. I am not deficient.” Whitewash merely rolled her eyes.

“Your wedding is tomorrow. Everything must. Be. Perfect. We have zero room for error, so if your stutter or fall on your face, I’m just gonna laugh and say ‘I told you so’.” I grit my teeth. This is far more stressful than I thought. Absolutely no respite from this mare, and to think Angel poisoning me earlier today wasn’t bad enough. Whitewash and I have been planning the perfect wedding for the last few weeks now, and I was kind of getting annoyed at her attention to detail. Not that it was a bad thing, mind you. It’s just that she has been making it a bad thing. I then was brought back to the present via gauntleted hoof to the face.

“Ah! What the buck? Seriously?” She simply grinned.

“You need to stay focused, Red Storm. We need to get everything ready. Have you even gotten your suit from Rarity?” ‘Oh sh-’

I bolted out of the room, and headed directly for the Boutique. A few minutes later, I arrived at the door, and before I could knock, the door flung open, with Rarity standing there.

“Red Storm! I have been waiting all morning! Come on, darling, we have to get you fitted!” She picked me up with her magic and brought me inside. The picking me up part was rather unnecessary, but oh well. She stood me on top of a pedestal and began to dress me while I retained the likeness of a statue. While she fitted my tie, she said:

“Red Storm, dear, I really think it is wonderful that you and Fluttershy are getting married. I was beginning to wonder when she would find her special somepony, and here you are!” she took a step back to admire me in her suit, now fully assembled. It was a lot like the one she gave me for the party, but this one was “The perfect stallion for her. You even fell from the sky, like some angel from the heavens.” I tried really hard not to laugh at that one. ‘Angel from the heavens? More like a Fallen Angel trying to reach the heavens.’ She motioned for me to move from the pedestal, and onto a runway on the other side of the room. I moved back and forth with a true model’s grace while she viewed me from several angles. When she was finally satisfied, she waved me off the stage. I stepped down, and she stripped me with her magic. She placed everything in a box, neat and folded, and gave it to me. I shouldered it, and looked back to her.

“Quick question before I depart, what about the bridesmaids and groomscolts? Do you have everyponies’ outfits made as well?” The white mare just nodded her head.

“Yes dear, everything is ready. I have absolutely everything ready for tomorrow… Well, that is inaccurate. Twilight has everything ready. But I helped!” I just nodded back to her as I headed for the door. I was worried that I had forgotten something suddenly… as if… Something gravely important slipped my mind. I waved good-bye to the seamstress as I stepped into the light of the streets. I made my way through the market to head back home. In my deep thought, I forgot that I could simply fly home. Suddenly, I heard a certain voice call out my name from behind me.

“Hey! Red Storm! Wait up!” I spun around 180 degrees, keeping the box with my suit completely still on my back. Spike, the wee little dragon came running up to me as fast as his little, stubby legs could take him. A voice randomly rung through my head in a Trottish accent:

‘Ah, dragons. They come in three sizes: Wee, not so wee, AND FRICKIN’ HUUGE!’

‘Thank you for that, random Trottish voice.’

‘It’s what I’m here for.’

I stopped and let the baby dragon catch his breath. He took several deep breaths, having just run what seemed to have been all the way from the library, and started:

“Ok… Whew! Ok! You know how you’re getting married tomorrow, right? Well, the rest of the groomscolts and I decided to throw you a bachelor party!” I thought about this for a moment. Bachelor party? I have never heard of such a thing.

“Party you say? Is Pinkie Pie going to be involved?” The dragon shook his head.

“Nope! Just us guys! I’m guessing you don’t know what it is, huh?” I shook my head in answer. The dragon brushed back his spines, as if he were dealing with an ignorant clot. I let this one go, as in this situation, that’s exactly what I am. “Ok, Red Storm, this is how it goes down. The day before the big wedding, all the guys get together and spend the rest of the groom’s hours as a bachelor together like guys. Drinks, mares… guy stuff.” I was a little unnerved at how the dragon stated this.

“So let me get this straight, this party is where a bunch of ‘guys,’ as you put it, spend the night in debauchery?” Spike shrugged.

“Pretty much.” I gave the baby dragon the evil eye.

“And you’re going to be part of this? As far as I can tell, you are a bit young to be going to this party.” Spike looked insulted.

“Hey! I’m twenty-one for your information! Dragons just age differently!” ‘Holy crap. I didn’t even think about that.’

“Oh… beg your pardon, Spike. I didn’t even consider your unique physiology. Very well. I will join you and the other groomscolts to this ‘bachelor party’… Uh, just for clarification, where will it be held?”

“It’s gonna be at the Cat’s Eye Café. It’s the only place that does parties and booze.” I nodded, remembering the place. I then recalled my bride to be.

“Pray tell, what of Fluttershy? Will she have similar treatment from the bridesmares?” Again, the purple dragon nodded.

“Yeah, Fluttershy is going to be going to a bachelorette party. Don’t ask where, ‘cause I don’t know. All I know is that she is going to be spending the night with Rarity, and if it’s anything like a bachelor’s party, then she’s likely going to be shoulder-deep in stallions tonight.” This thought disturbed me. Then, for a moment I drifted off thinking about all the handsome stallions involved. ‘Damn. Not again. You are marrying Fluttershy tomorrow. Now is not the time to have second thoughts on your preference.’ Then, my mind caught me again with memories of… him. For a moment, I was filled with longing. And lust. I dispatched these thoughts from my mind. ‘What the buck, brain?’ I re-focused, and Spike was looking at me funny.

“Hey… uh… are you feeling alright? Your wings are kinda… stiff.” I looked to my side, and sure enough, my wings were hard as stone. Wow. Not cool brain. I folded them back into place, and shook away the last thoughts of… him.

“Oh, yeah… sorry about that. I kinda slipped off there. I guess I’m more excited about tonight than I thought, huh?” The twenty-one-year-old-baby-dragon laughed a little, but I made motion to depart. I waved good-bye, and took off, remembering my wings this time.

I arrived home soon after, and pulled the spare key out from my wing, opening the door. The house was quiet, save for the few animals that roamed about. I made my way upstairs to the bedroom, and placed my suit on the bed.

“Hmm… I suppose she has already departed. Oh well. I will see her tomorrow,” I spoke aloud, letting my voice fill the quiet room. I inhaled deeply, and set out for the Cat’s Eye Café. On my way out, I motioned to Angel, who appeared to be making Molotov Cocktails, and told him:

“Watch my things, and do not let anypony... nay, anyone inside while I am gone, excluding myself and Fluttershy. I am giving you access to the liquor cabinet and the refrigerator tonight. And don’t wreck the joint, either. Do not fail me.” The bunny nodded quickly, and locked the door behind me as I walked out. I did not really care what unfolds tonight with him, as long as he does not destroy the cottage. I moved silently and quickly into the night as the sun began to set. Mares, stallions, drinks: here I come.

I arrived at the Cat’s Eye Café just as the night began and the day ended. I walked in, and I was immediately set upon by Big Mac, Shining Armor, and Spike. The café was bursting with activity, and near the bar I saw about half a dozen more stallions all waving my way. I assumed that they were merely the “other guys” who were to party with me, and not colt cuddlers who thought I was cute. I re-focused as the white stallion whom I had met just weeks ago pushed a pint into my hoof.

“Red Storm! We were beginning to think you weren’t coming!” I scoffed as I downed the drink in one fell swoop.

“Come now, Shining Armor, you really thought I would miss my own bachelor party? Bah! Bring me the booze and the wenches; the night has only just begun!” I was awarded many cheers as one of the unidentifiable stallions handed me a second pint. I began to chug once more. Once I had my fill, I moved to the bar. Once again, that same stallion as before was at the counter. He looked at me once, and gave me a glass of scotch, floating in a bigger glass of scotch before walking away. I gladly took the shot before downing the bigger glass. For some reason, I felt the need to get falling-down drunk tonight. I got a pat on the shoulder. Out of my temporary belligerence I grabbed the foreleg of those responsible of such a crime and attempted to throw them over the bar top. Attempted is the magic word here. I spun around, and discovered it was in fact Big Macintosh behind me. I was a little shocked when I realized that I was unable to throw him. ‘What is this stallion made of, solid lead?' I shook off the feeling of surprise and my drunkenness to pay attention to him. Then, I realized that I was getting drunk. Wow, I suck lately.

“Red Storm… you know that a bachelor’s party isn’t about getting’ drunk, right?” I gave him a sheepish grin.

“Right. Sorry. So… What is it about?” The red stallion grinned.

“Well, among other things, it’s about having fun before you get shackled down.” I thought for a moment before responding.

“Humor me. What sort of ‘fun’ are we talking about here?” Big Mac looked confused. Spike hopped up next to me, sitting down on the next barstool over.

“Basically, you drink, you flirt, you mess around until A) You get kicked out of the café, or B) you score.” Spike shrugged and waved down the bartender (whom I recently learned his name was Decaff Grey) slid a mug of foaming cider to Spike. Spike sipped gingerly while I looked around the room. I moved slowly and silently through the bustling building, as lights strobed and ponies danced. Apparently the place was a café by day, club by night. I made my way through the crowd for several moments, wondering what to do. I checked the time on the wall clock near the bar. 9:24. ‘Let the games begin, Prince.’

9:50--- Get piss-faced.

10:13--- Cut the Rug

10:53--- Go shot-for-shot with Big Mac

11:24--- Win

11:35--- Hit on mares

11:46--- Hit on Shining Armor

12:11--- Hook up with random pink mare

12:13--- Black out

Nice Day for a Red Wedding

Author’s thoughts: Well… here we are… Chapter XXX… The Act III finale. Damn. I have really come a ways from the first chapter, eh?... Uhh… I dread having to write out the transition… Perhaps I will have my wonderful Co-author write it for me. Yeah…… I’m sorry, I am forgetting where I am again. ONWARDS TO THE GRAND FINALE! Well, this grand finale… screw it, just frickin’ read it already.

I opened my eyes, and I was inside a dark room. I looked about, and only a shed of light poked through a boarded up window. I lay on a bed of straw, and the air smelled of decay. The room I was in was heavily decayed, and the wooden planks used in its construction were eaten through by termites. I arose, and checked myself… ‘Wait a minute...’ My coat was now… olive green? I ran a hoof through my mane and pulled some forward to look at it. Golden. ‘Very odd indeed...’ Suddenly, I smelled smoke, and I heard screams. I was then afraid, for some reason. I heard what sounded like an explosion, and more screams. Then, the door to my room swung open. There, was a mare who had an identical coat, but red mane. Her eyes were a hazel brown.

“Brother! Come! We must leave! The Guard are here!” I followed the mare who claimed to be my sister out of instinct. I galloped behind her as fast as my legs could take me, realizing that I was no longer a pegasus, either. We emerged from the back door of the house to fire and death. Whoever these “Guards” were, they were taking no prisoners. I followed my sister away from the fires and screams, retreating into the night. We ran and ran and ran, and I didn’t even know what we were running from. I looked behind me, and saw billowing smoke and the firelight from the burning town behind me. Suddenly, I ran into somepony. I fell to the ground and looked up. I saw a familiar black stallion with a red-and-black mane, with blood red eyes. He held my now-dead sister in his jaws. I was paralyzed with fear, for I gazed upon the only pony I have ever feared. I faced War incarnate.

My head pounded as I awoke slowly. I looked around. I was not at the cottage. I was in a room dominated by the colour pink; the walls, the drapes, the carpet, the ceiling, the dressers and even the bed I lay in were all pink. I blinked, with the pains beginning to subside as my eyes adjusted. Suddenly, a pink mare popped into the room. She was a unicorn with a bright pink coat, bright blue mane, and green eyes. ‘Green eyes… green eyes… why does that set off warning flags?’ She balanced a tray of wheat cakes and orange juice on her back, along with a small shot glass of a familiar red fluid. ‘Uhh… this damn hangover… why does this all seem so wrong?’

The pink mare whom I haven’t even seen in town placed the tray in front of me. She then proceeded to give me the shot. I shed a tear as the liquid passed my gullet. ‘OHHOLYSWEETLUNAWAKEUPJUICEOHHEAVENLYHELLITBURNSSOBADOHKILLMENOWMYBRAINISONFIREWHYISITASHOT’ I shook off the burning sensation in my frontal lobe as she began to feed me like a foal. Something about this whole thing seemed wrong. It seemed familiar… yet alien. She fed me my wheat cakes and left as quickly as she arrived. A few minutes later, she stepped back into the room. She lay down next to me, eyes gleaming. She then said:

“So, hon; did you have fun last night? I did.” She then smiled a nasty smile. Then the Wake-Up-Juice kicked in and the puzzle pieces clicked into place.

“Whitewash… did we… last night?” The pink mare in front of me giggled before her horn lit up, changing her back into the crème mare I know.

“Of course not. I brought you back here because I knew you would likely get with some drunk mare and catch something. I am your bodyguard… unless you forgot.” I scrunched my nose in frustration before getting off the bed. I moved towards the door, and Whitewash moved in front of me with uncanny speed, blocking my exit.

“Ah-ah!” she teased, “No visiting the bride before the wedding. It’s bad luck.” I snorted in her face.

“I was headed to the cottage for my suit, and to prepare for the wedding. Spike said she would be at the boutique. I also need to make sure Angel hasn’t destroyed the cottage.” Whitewash rolled her eyes.

“I will go for you. Stay here, your highness. It’s in your best interest. And don’t worry; we can get you all ready here. Plus, I already talked to Twilight. The wedding is going to be at town hall. We have everything covered.”

“Security?”

“Taken care of.”

“Has my sister arrived?”

“She’s at the reception now.”

“Any other guests I should know about?”

“Practically everypony in town will be there. This is going to be the first wedding in Ponyville in decades.” I rolled my eyes. ‘Great. As if I needed any more attention.’

“Very well. I shall wait here, captain.” She flicked her head and walked out, closing the door behind her. I moved around the suite. It was surprising spacy, having a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room, and bathroom. I also found there was an indoor pool. It occurred to me that the “suite” likely took up the entire upper floor. It may have been normally reserved for royal visits… It also occurred to me that she likely used the cover of foreign royalty, with her armour and vast wealth. Oh well.

I was in the pool when the front door opened. I got out and began to dry myself, but Whitewash entered the room before I could finish. I was still a bit damp, and she commented on it:

“Mmm… I never noticed how muscular you are, Red Storm. Now I’m kinda wishing I did take advantage of you last night.” I gave her a dark stare, and she promptly shut up, leaving the room quickly. I finished drying myself, and made my way back into the living room, surprised to find another stallion waiting there. He was a light brown stallion with a sandy-blonde mane. He wore a black undershirt with an olive drab combat vest, and wore dark-tinted sunglasses. About his waist was an incredibly rare firearm, likely a relic of the older times when gunpowder was more widely used. He gave me a wave and a “Hello, my friend!” in a thick accent before moving to the kitchen, presumably to find something to eat. I turned to Whitewash who was waiting on the couch.

“Who the devil is that?” I asked the crème mare. She merely scoffed.

“That’s Glock. He’s old friend of mine, and I asked him to supervise the wedding. He is a master marksman, and he has saved my life more than once. Don’t worry about it.” I nodded slowly. Suddenly, there was a gunshot. I was deafened by the noise, and looked to the kitchen. There, Glock stood over a gunned-down watermelon. I heard him mumble “I really hate watermelons.” I looked back to Whitewash, who just gave me a “sorry” look. On the coffee table was my suit, neatly folded and ready for wear.

“Very well then… let’s get ready. The wedding is in a few hours, and we have no time to spare.”

I arrived at the town hall building at a quarter to eight o’clock. The sun was setting, and so I looked myself over once more. I was satisfied with my appearance. The wind from flying had hardly ruffled my suit (which I did not really care for) and I was early for the sermon. Good. Now, just to go…in…side…

‘Come on, you coward. It is your wedding day. You have come farther than I ever expected from you, so don’t chicken out now.’

‘Silence, damn you. I am fine. Just… fine.’

I stepped into the town hall building with my heart in my gut, and vise versa. I was so nervous it hurt. Like, physically, it hurt. My chest hurt, and I was blaming the stress. I looked around, and the reception was packed. Ponies to the left of me… ponies to the right of me… ponies in front of me… and the ceaseless prattling of dozens. I found my sister in the masses of the technicolour ponies, who was chatting up a stallion who looked deathly afraid of her. She was rather oblivious to this fact, and didn’t even notice my arrival until I tapped her shoulder. The moment she turned to face me, the stallion ran off into the crowd.

“Brother! My, my, you look dashing!” I looked down at my suit. Indeed. I wore a white suit with a red tie. One might say that it looked odd contrasting my coat, but I thought it was fairly nice. It had some minor stitching patterns along the coat and the like, but it didn’t really matter to me. What I found interesting was that it had blood ruby studs in the buttons and cufflinks, likely costing a small fortune on Rarity’s part. Oh well. Element of Generosity, right?

“Thank you, sister. I am excited and nervous for the wedding. It begins in what, twenty minutes? This is going to be the biggest event of my life.” My sister nodded. I then noticed that she was wearing a Sanguinary dress; it was a deep red in color with velvet additions. It had blood rubies all over it, along with a gold-and-blood ruby collar clip. She reminded me of one of Dracula’s brides. No wonder she couldn’t find a stallion who wasn’t scared senseless of her. She was intimidating me. Suddenly, Rarity ran up to me.

“Red Storm! Oh, my! You look marvelous dear! I am happy to say that Fluttershy is ready. I cannot say that I… agree with her choice of wedding attire, but I tried to make it as presentable as possible.

“Huh? What do you-”

“I’m sorry, I really must go, and I have other things to do last second…” She then dashed off to the other side of the room. Then Twilight Sparkle appeared.

“Oh! Good to see you made it. We need to get ready to start the ceremony… I need to get together all the bridesmares and assemble at the altar. See you there!” And without another word, she disappeared. I get that this is a big day, but damn. Can’t anypony just string more than three sentences before disappearing?

There was a loud horn signal that got everypony’s attention. Then, the ponies began to file to their seats. I guess this is it. I started for down the aisle.

“Are you ready, brother? You look nervous.”

“You don’t say?” I said rather sarcastically, giving her a dumb look. My sister scowled, but said nothing. I stepped past her, and up to the altar. It just occurred to me then and there, that I had never met her father. Would he be walking her up the aisle? My question was silently answered as organs began to play the “here comes the bride” song. I was not prepared for what came next. I saw Fluttershy walk through the Gathering Hall doors, but she was not wearing your standard gown. She wore a gown of rose petals and velvet, which trailed behind her in an eerie way. The dress was also spattered with red patterns that looked a lot like some pony got butchered over the dress. It was also studded with dozens of blood rubies along the breast of the dress, and they sparkled like droplets of blood. Her veil was a dark red, hiding her blue eyes, and her wreath was made of rose vines. In her mouth she carried a bouquet of white roses… The standard Sanguine Kingdom wedding gown. I was horrified to say the least, and it showed. My mouth was agape, and I had to force myself to shut it before anypony noticed. Not that anypony would, seeing as they all had the same reaction as me, staring. Fluttershy had some sort of newfound courage, as she barely paid any attention to the ponies staring at her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her though. I was honestly surprised. A Sanguine proposal is one thing, but a Sanguine wedding?... It would explain why her father is not by her side… But I don’t see anypony who resembles her in the crowd. I then spotted Angel in the front row, in a tuxedo, making another rude hand gesture. ‘Watch yourself, you little bastard. I’m gonna be here until you die and after. Strangely, he reacted as if I had said that out loud, his eyes going wide.

She stepped up to the altar and took her place by my side. I saw that all of the bridesmares and groomscolts were staring at her. Something in my head went *click* and I realized that according to tradition, I was the one to remove her veil. I did so, revealing her beautiful blue eyes once more. They looked into mine, almost pleading, as if she was saying: ‘I’m sorry. Are you ok with this?’ I nodded slowly and looked at the pony who was holding the sermon. I was surprised when I realized that it was the Princess of Love herself. ‘Of course. Shining Armor is here, why wouldn’t his wife be here too?’ Princess Cadance seemed unfazed by Fluttershy’s apparel. I’m sure she had seen worse. The princess unfurled her wings, and began:

“Today we join this lovely couple as they come together in holy matrimony. To live together through thick and thin, sun and rain, illness and health. To love each other under any and all circumstances over any distance…” I could have sworn Cadance shot a look at Shining Armor then, but perhaps I was mistaken, as I was still gazing into my bride’s eyes. The princess then looked at me.

“Red Storm:” I broke the gaze to face the princess. “Do you take Fluttershy to be your lawfully wedded wife, until death do you part?”

“I do.”

“Fluttershy, do you take Red Storm to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?”

“I… do.”

“Then by the power invested in me by the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, I pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!” I looked to Fluttershy, and before I could react, she pulled me into a kiss.

“Or, perhaps, the bride may kiss the groom, I suppose.” Cadance quickly offered. The two of us quickly broke the kiss, and while Fluttershy was blushing, I swept her up with one foreleg and seated her on my back. I unfurled my wings and started galloping down the aisle.

“Come everypony, the after party awaits!” I once again received cheers. Somehow I get that a lot from this crowd. Glock bucked open the doors and I leaped over him, screeching to a halt as I landed.

“I’m sorry, dear. I never let you throw your bouquet!” Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, before throwing the bouquet directly at the bridesmares. It flew over the fighting mares’ heads and landed right in Twilight Sparkle’s outstretched hooves. I could see her blush from where I was standing, but I did not stand for long. I quickly made my way back to the reception area, where Pinkie Pie had set up a party right after we had left the room. I have said it before, and I will say it again. She is the spawn of Discord.

I set Fluttershy down, and we walked side-by-side to the massive cake made by the Cakes. It was five tiers tall, and on the top were two wedding cake ornaments depicting Fluttershy and I. I jumped up, and using an old wing-slash technique cut the cake in one swift movement. I took a plate and placed one slice on it for Fluttershy and me to share. I left the rest of the cake to the other ponies. Fluttershy and I moved to the steps of the town hall to enjoy our cake, and to gaze upon the now-night sky. The stars twinkled as we took turns feeding the cake (which I discovered to be red velvet, my favorite) to each other. We could hear everypony partying inside, but paid little attention to that. Soon, we finished that slice of cake together and were simply sitting side-by-side, Fluttershy with her head resting on my shoulder. Suddenly, I hear music start inside, and I immediately jump up.

“Fluttershy… do you hear that sound?” She cocked an ear towards the window. It sounded like a bunch of tone-deaf ponies attempting karaoke.

“Yes… Why?”

“I must go.”

“What?”

“Inside. I must perform, and give those ponies a lesson in music.” Fluttershy simply nodded with a rather confused as I moved inside.

Inside, my worst fears were confirmed. Drunken ponies were using a karaoke machine. This was absolutely unacceptable. I made my way through the crowd, and stepped up to Pinkie Pie, and whispered a favor in her ear. She looked excited, and left the room for a moment. Just as soon as she left, the lights shut down, and the karaoke stopped. There were gasps, but I knew what to expect. When the lights came back on, there was an entire stage in the center of the room where the karaoke machine was, and there was a group of ponies who were rather confused to be there. The two who were obviously the lead band members looked about, wondering how they got there. One was yellow with a brown mane and green eyes. The other was blue with a red mane and orange eyes. Pinkie Pie bounced up to the stage, and whispered a few things to them, and they immediately nodded and got ready. I leaped up to the stage and picked up a microphone. As the guitars started up, I began:

Now, Fluttershy stepped inside, having heard me begin to “rock out”. As soon as she stepped close enough, Pinkie Pie pointed the spotlight on her.

The whole time I sang, she simply stared and listened. When I was finished with the rest of the song, I dropped the microphone, leapt off the stage, and swept up Fluttershy while everypony cheered at my performance.

“It is time for our honeymoon, dear. Come.” I plopped her on my back and opened my wings. I started galloping for the door, and smashed my way through, taking flight as I did so.

“What about saying goodbye? You just left without a word!”

“Bah! We will see them tomorrow! I want to get home now.”

We arrived home in a new record time (13.4 seconds) and I landed with a quake. I pulled the key from under the doormat, quickly unlocked the door, and kicked it open. Nopony was inside, which was just how I wanted it to be. I carried Fluttershy upstairs and set her down on the bed.

“Now then allow me to remove this damnable suit. It has been constricting me all day long.” As I began to undo the tie, Fluttershy got up.

“I should probably get out of my dress, too. Give me a moment…” she trotted downstairs, likely to the bathroom, and left me alone in the room. When I was done getting my suit off, I laid down on the bed to wait for my new bride.

‘Ah, yes… Things are looking up, if I do say so myself.’ I closed my eyes and waited. Suddenly, I heard a rather seductive voice whisper from in front of me:

“Are you ready for some fun, honey?” I slowly cracked open one eye, but both quickly flew open from the sight I saw.

Even in the dim moonlight I could clearly see that Fluttershy was wearing her “gift” from Whitewash. It was a skin-tight leather suit that gleamed in the light. She wore a facemask that covered her head excluding her eyes and mane. Her tail flowed out from behind her as well, and the pink contrasted the black in a… interesting way. She stood on her hind legs, and was carrying a pair of hoofcuffs in one hoof, a gag in the other, and she had a whip slung over her shoulder.

“Oh myy…” was all I could say before she tackled me. It was to be one hellova honeymoon.

Author's Notes:

THE ITALICS, OH GOD THE ITALICS. SHOOT ME NOW. Still, a fun chapter to write. I hope you enjoyed it...
Now the fun part. Finding all of the references this Act. Hint-hint, there is FORTY SIX of 'em. Have fun!

Act III Transition

Hi Everypony! Me and my co-author are doin’ this one together! We have really come a long way, huh? Thirty chapters plus extras? Not to mention the dozens of references we’ve made… Isn’t that right?

Yup! But enough of our chatter! You there, reader! You better put on a helmet so that you don’t make a mess when we blow your mind. Ok, moving on.

-The Green Monster; By Gerard de Nerval-ch21- A cheery tale about a devil child born from the devil drink… sound familiar?

-How I Met Your Mother-ch21- It’s gonna be legen-wait for it- DARY!

-Tom Clancy- Se-cret A-gent Mare!

-Borat-ch21- This reference is very nice, yes?

-Samurai Jack-ch21- A long time ago, in a distant land, I; Aku made a reference in a pony fic.

-Powerpuff Girls-ch22- Come on, man! If you missed this, you had no childhood!

-Desperado-ch22- Come on. Spike freakin’ yells it out loud.

-Star Wars-ch23- What does Akbar say to sketchy space battles?

-Robot Chicken-ch23- Scotch, motherbucker. Drink it.

-Hellsing-ch23- The manga/anime, not the western movie. But seriously… Alucard?

-The Dark Tower (again)-ch23-Not so much as a reference as a nod. We used riddles for this contest from the story, and the contest was inspired by it also. Choo-choo. Choo-Choo.

-James Bond-ch23- I personally think that Doctor Hooves’ costume sounds a bit like a certain someone, doesn’t it? A tux, bowtie, and well-groomed hair...hmm? Britmane flag, anyone?

-All I Want for Christmas is You; By Mariah Carey-ch24- It’s actually a three-part reference across the three Heart’s Warming chapters. Should be rather easy to find.

-Van Gough-ch24- *Note to self: A severed ear is not a very good gift.*

-Internet Memes-ch24- Get that filly a hydra head. Fillies love hydra heads.

-Greek Mythology; Adamant- An supposedly indestructible metal, once recognized as diamond, now known by geeks and nerds as the stuff that is laced into Wolverine’s skeleton.

-The Punisher-ch24- You know, I always wondered… sure, he’s got a shit-ton of body armor under his outfit, but what about his head? Someone could just cap him one between the eyes, and the “mighty Punisher” would be kaput. Either way, this one is a slight nod to that little oddity.

-Linkin Park-ch24- In between Red Storm’s capture and madness, this quote from a Linkin Park song resides. I just told you what song.

-Star Wars (again)-ch24- Good… let the references flow through you…

-Warhammer 40k-ch24- Do you hear the voices too? Yes… I feel the madness overtaking me… it is a good pain.

-Shrek-ch25- If you have ever seen Shrek, then this reference needs no explanation. If you haven’t, then screw you.

-Marvel Zombies-ch25- Didn’t you think that the usage of “people” was weird?

-Rainbow Factory-ch25- “Ok, everypony! We need to work double-time here! Canterlot needs three rainbows by tomorrow, and we have a whole shipment of ponies to go through! After all, spectra doesn’t grow on clouds!”

-Medieval Culture; The Danza Macabra-ch25- The beautiful Dance of Death… a ballet of blood and gore.

-Within Temptation-ch25- Not so much of a reference as something that we just sort of snuck in there as a tribute to one of our favorite bands.

-The Matrix-ch25- “Take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

-100 Years; Five for Fighting-ch27- A salute to a beautiful song about love, loss, and life.

-Sleeping Beauty-ch27- Not a “real” reference, but I had the story in mind when I called Fluttershy a “sleeping beauty” here. Oh well.

-French Language-ch27- Holy shit! An actual meaningful reference! Not so much. The translation for Red Storm’s foreign exclamation is just above.

-Harry Potter-ch27- Oh, yes. The unforgivable curses. The torturous curse, the controlling curse, and the killing curse.

-Iron Chef America-ch27- TODAYS SPECIAL INGREDIENT IS: VAUGE REFERENCES!

-Rick Astley-ch28- Come on. If you didn’t recognize this one, you do not belong on the internet.

-Lady and the Tramp-ch28- Spaghetti and meatballs. The classic romantic meal.

-50 Shades of Grey-ch28- Don’t read it. It’s horribly written and the plot is stupid. You’re better off with fapfics. Oh, and did you know there are over 50 variety of hay? (Not really)

-Shrek-ch28- Hold the phone… another Shrek reference?

-Abrahamic Religion; “Fallen Angels”-ch28- Another slight nod to medieval/renaissance culture.

-Saturday Night Live; All things Scottish-ch29- Ok, first off, I could not find the bloody clip to save my life. I did however find the name of the clip. I donno… it’s still funny damn it!

-WTF Brain? Meme-ch29- Hey man, I would say the same thing if I started drifting off thinking about colts… GAH WTF BRAIN?!?

-Alan Rickman-ch29- You missed this reference, didn’t you? Your father would have made the same mistake.

-24-ch29- The following takes place between I-don’t-care-anymore, and I-wanna-go-to-bed-now.

-White Wedding; Billy Idol-ch30- Hey Billy Idol, what have you done? Hey Billy Idol, can’t stop humming this… and the only way it’s coming out… is with a shotgun to the head.

-FPS Russia-ch30- Those watermelons are some serious trouble.

-Charge of Light Brigade; By Lord Tennyson Alfred-ch30- References to the left of me, nods to the right of me, critiques in front of me…

-“You Don’t Say?” Meme-ch30- This is an easy one to find.
You: “You don’t say?”

-Kindness; By AcoustiMandoBrony-ch30- One of their best songs to date; look it up on Youtube. I own nothing.

-George Takei-ch30- We’ve reached the end of the list? Oh myy…

Well, that’s a wrap everyone! Every reference in Act III! If you found more than five, good work! More than ten, even better! If you found them all, you should probably re-think your life. See you soon, everybody! And don’t forget to comment and vote if you are enjoying my story!

Author's Notes:

Also, if you need a link to Kindness, here it is.

Just Another Day

I bucked again. Upon making contact, the tree shuddered, and the apples fell from above, one landing atop my head. I counted the numbers of the red fruit. Thirteen. ‘Hmm… it appears my powers have been waning. Either that, or I am horrible at bucking apples.’ I was certain it was the former.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. It’s tricky, ‘cause you’re a pegasus, but I doubt that will hold you back fer long!” The orange farm mare cheered me on, but to no avail. She was still bucking down at least twice as many apples as I ever could. At least, now. A few months ago, I could have pummeled a mountain to dust. Now, I couldn’t buck down this tree even if I wanted to. Something is wrong.

“Ok. I will keep trying.” And I did, until it was high noon. By then, Applejack and I had bucked half of the harvest, but there was still a lot to do. It felt good to be helping a friend. Perhaps I should visit Twilight, or Rarity, or Pinkie even. I haven’t seen much of Rainbow Dash, but if the weather has been clear, like it is, I would expect that she has simply been working far too hard to have time for me. Applejack trotted up to me with some lemonade and a coinpurse.

“Thanks for all of yer hard work Red Storm. You really didn’t have to help, but here. Mac and I will finish today.” I looked at her sideways, before waving off the money.

“Thank you, but no thank you. I just wanted to help as a friend. We hardly ever spend time together, so I thought I would help out. I should be thanking you for teaching me how to apple buck. It is a very useful skill to have… Even despite myself being a pegasus. I would, however, enjoy a glass of that lemonade.” She passed me the glass and I drank it down in one gulp. Satisfied, I handed it back to her.

“Well, alright then. If yer headin’ out, tell Fluttershy I said ‘hi’.” I nodded and gave a final wave before spreading my wings and taking off. Admittedly, I was rather sore from all the work I had done today. It has been far too long since I had a real workout. I flew back home, intent on taking a shower, as I would rather be cleansed of my filth before I meet anypony else.

I touched down gently in front of the cottage where Fluttershy and I still lived together; only now, in matrimony. I trotted inside and nuzzled my wife, who was helping a family of birds.

“Good afternoon, my love. How have you been doing?”

“Well. I am helping the birds today. Lunch is on the table, if you want to eat… Oh! And the Cutie Mark Crusaders will be staying the night tonight… if that’s ok.” I gave her a gentle smile.

“Of course it’s ok. I love the little ones. Though, I must remember not to tell such a scary tale next time. They were shivering for weeks afterward.” I paused, looking at the rose sandwich on the table. “Ah, yes. And thank you for lunch, love. I will eat it after I take my shower. I am about as ripe as one of Applejack’s apples.” Fluttershy giggled and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before I moved toward the bathroom.

About ten minutes later I emerged from the shower looking for a towel. I found one hanging on the door, and promptly dried myself off. I looked in the mirror of the bathroom, and examined my own face. Over the course of the last few months, it looked like I had aged years. My features were no longer as soft as before, and wrinkles had formed along my brow. I shook off the feeling of old age and exited the bathroom once more with a towel about my neck and a hunger that could devour a world. I quickly made my way into the kitchen, but Fluttershy was not there. My sandwich, however, was. I sat down and ate quietly. At least, out loud. In my mind, I thought as I munched on the delicious treat.

‘Mmm… This is a pretty good sandwich…’

‘Of course it is. Fluttershy made it.’

‘Still good. I was famished.’

‘You know what they say. Hunger is the best sauce.’

‘Shut up and let me eat.’ Silence. I finished up, and rose.

“Ok, now we go and visit… uhh… Who should I visit?” Suddenly, Pinkie Pie popped out of a nearby jar, defying all laws of space. She looked past me, seemingly into space.

“Hi everypony! Who should Red Storm visit today? He can visit A) Rarity, B) Twilight Sparkle, or C) Rainbow Dash!” She paused, as if waiting for a response. I looked at her sideways, wondering how she could have possibly fit into the jar she was emerging from. She looked as if she was missing everything below the chest, and was resting on top of the jar, like some sort of-

“Great idea! Red Storm should visit Rarity!” She then looked straight at me. “Red Storm, the bronies want you to visit Rarity. You have to listen to them.” I was even more confused.

“What the devil is a “brony”? Are you intoxicated?” She shook her head in response.

“Nope! Just really good at ripping holes in reality. Bye!” She then sucked herself back into the jar. At this point, I didn’t even check because I knew nothing would be there.

“Perhaps… Perhaps I should go see Ms. Rarity. I haven’t spoken to her in so long, after all.”

‘Yes… good idea… I wonder if her horn has re-grown…’

I paused. ‘Re-grown…? But… I didn’t actually smash her horn, did I?’ I shook away the thought. Of course I didn’t… right? Yes, most certainly; if I had, she would be dead, too. I think.

I made my way to the door, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. Dementia is something I did not need right now. I decided that there was no way of being sure unless I checked, so I made that another reason to visit. Before I could leave, however, Fluttershy came prancing downstairs and called for me.

“Hmm? Ah, uh… is there something you need, love?” I said, still half-occupied trying to sort out my second set of memories.

“I wanted to ask you if…” She paused and looked at me with worry. “What’s wrong? You have that look again.” I realized I was making my “Buried in thought” face again.

“I was thinking… about my time in the Eternal Night again. I still have nightmares, you know. Is Rarity still alive? I really can’t remember…” Fluttershy’s look of worry became one of fear.

“Yes… she’s still alive, Red Storm. She and I went on our weekly spa treatment yesterday… remember?” I racked my brain. ‘Yes… now I remember. She is well.’

“Ah yes, thank you Fluttershy. Can’t fathom how I had forgotten something so important in such little time.” I turned to leave, intent on checking myself (you can never be too sure… ponies lie, after all) when Fluttershy stopped me again.

“Red Storm… are you ok? You’re not acting like yourself anymore. You’ve been rather ‘out of it’ for the last several weeks now. Do you need to talk?” I swallowed a feral growl rising in my throat before answering:

“Yes, of course my love. I am well… just tired. After all, I can’t get much sleep from my nightmares. On that note, did you ever realize how deep of a sleeper you are? I woke up screaming one night and you were still fast asleep.” Fluttershy now wore a very concerned look. Should not have said that.

“Woke up screaming? That’s not healthy, Red Storm. If your nightmares are as bad as you say they are, then you should talk about it. Perhaps write a letter to Princess Luna for help.” ‘Write a letter to the Princess? Perhaps… No. There is nothing wrong. Besides, I am sure she has much more important things to attend to.’

“Ok, I will keep that in mind. Perhaps I will have Spike send it for me.” Fluttershy appeared to accept this answer, but continued to eye me as I left the house. I closed the door behind me, waving before spinning around. I heard something move in the underbrush, followed with movement. I tasted the air. Nothing on the wind, but I could I have sworn I saw something. ‘Must have been my imagination…’

I trotted down the dirt road towards Ponyville. Every minute or so, I would see something out of the corner of my eye, or hear something. But when I looked around, nothing was near. I was beginning to become a bit paranoid, if not maddened by this constant pestering. I hurried my pace as I entered the town. By now, I was pretty damn sure somepony or something was following me. I just was never fast enough to catch a glimpse of it. I will catch it. Whatever it was. Where was I headed? Ms. Rarity’s home. Of course. I began to gallop towards the Boutique as the noises and glimpses began to become more repetitive. I was almost expecting something to stab me in the back. I flew by the townsponies, including Miss Doo and The Doctor who tried to wave, but I failed to notice them. I arrived shortly, and only when I arrived and entered the Boutique did the thought cross my mind that I could have flown here. Oh well. I entered the building as fast I could without seeming unbecoming, seeking solace from my tormentor. Rarity was currently working on a long, flowing blue dress. I paid that little attention however, as my stress was beginning to swell, and I could feel my grip on my sanity slowly slipping. ‘This is not normal, even for me. Why, after all this time, am I finally losing my mind? After everything…’

‘Because you are beginning to realize that you are twisting fate.’

These words in my mind clicked something in the back of my head, like a door unlocking. I expected more to follow, but none came, so I did not linger on them for long. At this point, Rarity had noticed my arrival and was walking towards me.

“Hello Red Storm! It’s been almost three weeks since I last saw you! I was beginning to think something dreadful had happened to you!” I scanned the white unicorn. Horn? Check. Intact skull? Check. Alive and well? Double check. ‘Good. I can rest easy now… for now…’

“Oh, things have been quite pleasant being wedded with Fluttershy. I am sorry that I have not made time to visit. My husbandly duties keep me very busy.” I felt a twinge of regret as the words passed my lips. I’m not one to kiss and tell, but hey, it’s true. I haven’t slept a full night since she and I had married, and it’s only gotten worse because of my nightmares… despite her shyness, she can be very… assertive.

“Oh, that’s fine dear. I have been quite busy myself,” responded Rarity, seemingly oblivious to my quip. “I have been getting a rather unusual number of orders lately, and I can’t help but admit that I am actually falling behind. I still have to make several more dresses by tomorrow.” Her cheeks turned red, admitting that she was not meeting her own standards. Another brain-click.

“Say, Rarity, would you like some help with your dresses? I have more than a little bit of knowledge involving fashion. I was considered the “most fabulous” of the nobles in the west. Now that I think about it, I kinda wish I had my clothes with me. Especially my suits…” Rarity’s attention was officially caught.

“You know fashion? I would never have guessed! I suppose I could use a few more hooves around here, seeing as Sweetie Belle isn’t here to help…” A wave of relief washed over me, as now I had something to help keep my sanity for a while longer. The mines were closed down due to a cave-in, and aren’t expected to be re-opened for quite some time. I needed something to do, and this was perfect.

“Can you sew, dear? I have a machine-”

“I am quite capable of using a machine or needle. But, let us not dwell on the details, let us make some dresses!”

...Three hours later…

Together, over the course of three hours, Rarity and I had completely polished off her order of dresses. We had created a total of forty-three artisan dresses and suits. They were all sizes, shapes, colours, fits, and styles. I loved making clothing. ‘Perhaps I should take up the career… no I shouldn’t. I would hate to be competition for Miss Rarity… Why do I still call her “Miss” Rarity? Not like she’s older than me.’ I shook away the thought. Then another popped into my head: ‘Why do I always shake my head to rid myself of a thought? It’s pointless…’ I just stop thinking about it this time, avoiding the head-shaking. Where was I? Ah, yes. Saying goodbye to Mi- just Rarity.

“Well… I suppose that’s everything, huh? I think we did a good job. I personally like the dress we made with the sapphires. Very pretty, and an excellent idea of yours.” Rarity waved me off.

“Oh, don’t be so modest dear. You were able to turn that muddy brown mess of an outfit over there into something simply fabulous. I think a good portion of the credit should go to you as much as me. Thank you for all of your help with these orders; I don’t know what I would have done without you!” I blushed.

“I’m certain you would have figured something out. After all, I am not nearly as fashionable as you.” Now it was the unicorn’s turn to blush.

“Well, either way, it was fun having you here today, and I thank you for all of the work you have done for me… are you sure you do not need compensation? After all, you did so much for me…”

“Ah-ah-ah! I will not hear of it! I help friends in need, no questions asked! And certainly no reward is needed!” Rarity looked a bit upset at my turning down of her reward, but she said nothing. I started for the door.

“Anyway, it has been fun. Perhaps we can do this again sometime.” Rarity nodded excitedly.

“Oh, yes! Most certainly! I would love to have you help around again! There is only so much Spike can do, after all.”

“Very well! I may stop by again sometime later this week. Again, it has been quite fun, but I must leave now. Take care!” I waved as I exited, and Rarity waved back as she closed the door behind me. I started my walk home, but kept my wit about me. That stalker may still be lurking about… ‘These evasive tactics remind me of San-… Don’t think about him.’

I made my way home as the sun began creeping towards the horizon. I had spent far longer at the Boutique than I had anticipated. Oh well. I hope Fluttershy has been ok all alone.

A few minutes of trotting along, I arrived at the bridge leading to the cottage, but something was… off, to say the least. There was a racket from inside the cottage. I flew up to the door, and prepared to fight. When I opened the door, however, I was assaulted by three young fillies. They tackled me backward, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was adorable, and I really envied them for their youth. Meanwhile I am serious, and stern about life. *Sigh* I am a sad mess of a stallion.

“My, my! I forgot you were spending the night tonight! Hello little ones! I have missed your company.” The fillies just cheered in delight as we headed back inside. Fluttershy was again in the kitchen, preparing dinner. I assumed she hadn’t heard my entrance, so I tried to calm the fillies, to no avail. Throwing that idea away, I decided to greet my wife. I snuck up behind her and covered her eyes with my hooves. I heard a faint gasp, but she quickly relaxed as I gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Good evening, love. All has been well, I hope?” She turned around and embraced me in a full kiss.

“Why wouldn’t it be? I have had a nice day today. How was your visit to Rarity?” I thought.

“Peachy. What’s for dinner?”

“Something.”

“I hope something is a type of food.”

“You’ll be getting two types of something tonight,” Fluttershy said with a wink.

“…… Not in front of the fillies, dear.”

She gave me another wink before turning her attention back to the food. I moved back into the living room where the fillies were wrestling about something trivial. I clopped my hooves together twice and they stood at attention.

“It has come to my attention that you are looking for your Cutie Marks, yes?” The triplet shook their heads in unison, with eyes of wonder.

“Well then, I suppose you would like to know where I got my Cutie Mark, eh?” Again, the shaking of heads.

“Well, seeing as dinner will not be ready for some time, I suppose I will have to tell you. Sit down, and let me tell you. Of the day that I received my Cutie Mark…”

Author's Notes:

Another done... meh. How's the story? Please, do comment and review. It helps more than you think. Mainly my self-esteem. But the story gets something out of it too.

My Blooded Destiny

“Ah… yes… I remember that fateful day, as if it had happened just yesterday… nay, as if it was today. It began as any other day. The same routine I had experienced for a solid decade. Indeed! I too was a late bloomer! I had gotten my Cutie Mark when I was fourteen. Don’t fret. You are still young. I’m sure your talents will become apparent soon. Mine, however, came to be in a rather… cinematic fashion.” I paused. I had never told anypony this tale before, and here I was about to share it with a few wide-eyed fillies. I thought, and then continued:

“Dear! Would you like to join us? I am telling a tale that even you have not heard.” I saw Fluttershy’s head poking out from the kitchen.

“Really? Oh my, well I will have to hear it then. Give me a minute…” I continued, bringing my attention back to the fillies in front of me.

“It was thirteen years ago… I was fourteen. It was a sunny May day. The eighteenth. I had awoken that morning, expecting nothing more than my standard training routine. However, I was surprised by my father with a… special assignment.” Fluttershy had now made her way into the living room, and had sat down next to me, looking at me with interest as I continued. I looked quickly at my Cutie Mark. I shuddered from all the memories it brought forth. I looked forward again to my audience.

“But don’t let me get ahead of myself. Let be start that day with my awakening.”

“Red Storm! Wake up dear, it’s time for breakfast. You father also wishes to speak with you.” I was dazed by my mother’s voice, but shot up straight at the mention of my father.

“Hmm… What time is it, mother? I fear I may have slept in.” My mother was standing in my doorway. At the time, she was my height. Now, I am much taller than her. Her blood-red eyes showed a caring mother, behind a prowess that could decimate an army.

“It is five o’ clock, dear. You have not overslept, but your father wanted to speak to you now. I suggest you put on your armour quickly and meet us in the dining hall.” I nodded and, my mother left my room, shutting it behind her. I leaped from my bed, flapped my wings once, and landed in front of my armour stand. I stomp my hoof once on the ground, and I hear an “uncloaking” noise behind me. Like clockwork, Whitewash steps up from behind me in her full suit of platemail, her visor down to shield her eyes. I nodded to her, and she began to equip me with my armour using her magic. Once she was done, I cracked my neck and headed outside. Whitewash opened the door for me and closed it behind me. I walked down the large marble halls to the dining hall, anxious to see what my father wanted to see me so early for. Whitewash followed me for a few steps before I heard her magic flare again, and when I looked behind me, she was gone. I was not fooled by the petty illusion as a mere mortal pony would have been. I tasted the air as I walked, and sure enough she was right behind me, invisible and muffled, but certainly there. I made my entrance to the dining hall with Whitewash opening the door ahead of me, to make it seem like they were moving on their own. She repeated the process of closing them again behind me as I made my way to the Great Table. I took my place at the end of the table, across from my father. My sister was already sitting to the right of me, drinking her breakfast. She looked at me, and her eyes glowed a devilish red. I had gotten used to it at this point, however, as I was reminded of the fact that my eyes were exactly the same. This occurred to me as I looked down onto my plate. The polished silver acted as a perfect mirror, and I stared sternly at myself for several minutes before my father cleared his throat, attracting my attention. I moved my gaze to my father, Red Wing, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table, on his throne of skulls of his defeated foes. He wore his golden royal armour and sat, looking my way, his chin resting on his hooves, his hair combed back as always. His blood-red, cat slit eyes burning holes into my very soul. My mother sat to his right. My left. She was in her full purple royal armour, drinking from a golden chalice. I could smell the B-negative from here.

“Good morning, son. I am sorry for having roused you from your slumber so early, but I needed to summon you to discuss… matters of great importance; matters that I feel you can aid in.” This was a first. If my father was saying what I thought he was saying, that means that he has an assignment for me. A mission. A task.

“As I am sure you know, I am waging a great war with the lands to the north, against the griffins.” I sat up taller, hoping that he was finally going to send me out on the front lines. He continued:

“While the war has been fairing well, and the odds are in our favor, there is significant resistance to the western front. I have decided to lead our forces on one last push towards the griffin capital, and take it in order to end this war.” Damn. Oh well. I still wish to know what he needs of me.

“It has, however, come to my attention, that there is an uprising to the south. An uprising that need culling. Apparently, the ponies inhabiting that town are… dissatisfied with the war, and are challenging our authority as their rulers. They need to be re-taught the meaning of loyalty.” ‘Ah. I see. While not as exciting as waging war on the front lines, this is suitable. Perhaps I will earn my Cutie Mark in the battle to come.’

“This village has, according to reports, amassed a sizable arsenal, and is making quite a show of themselves. Unfortunately, I cannot spare any soldiers to quell this… rebellion. I can however, send my very own son to do so. I can only afford to send you with a detachment of your choice of our Honour Guard… ten Sanguinaries At most. Is this not clear? You are to kill all opposing forces, be they stallion, mare, or foal. I trust you can accomplish this?” I nodded my head quickly, while retaining my deadpan. “Excellent. Have your chosen guard to me in an hour. You are to rally your troops and be equipped by seventeen hundred hours, before departing at eighteen hundred.” Red Wing paused. “And please, do not get any of them killed. It is difficult to train them.” I nodded again, and my father left the table, heading for the War Room.

Whitewash uncloaked from behind me, startling a few guards around the room. Even now, after twenty years, they were still not used to her veils. Whitewash took her seat to the left of me. Several chef ponies brought out trays of food, and spread them out in front her and I. They then poured her a glass of white wine and myself a glass of blood. I sipped at it before gesturing for my bodyguard to begin. She nibbled at a carrot before arising.

“Something bothering you, Whitewash?” I asked, perturbed by her strange behavior.

“Not at all. I am merely going to assemble your guard.”

“My father told me to. Not you. Sit down Captain. And eat.” She obeyed. As she continued to pick at her assorted vegetables, my sister got up from her seat, having finished her chalice of blood.

“I am going to my room for a nap. Father said that we did not need to train, as today was a… special occasion.” I did not question my older sister, whom moved from the table out into the hall, with two Sanguinary Guards following her. The only ponies left in the room were my mother, Whitewash, and three guards. I was bored, and feeling sadistic.

“You there! Guards!” I caught the attention of the three, who swiftly made their way to my end of the table.

“Yes, my liege?” said the first one, a brown unicorn stallion.

“I want you to fetch me a cleaver from the kitchen. Now. He hurried away as I faced the other two.

“You two. Fight each other. First one to spill the other’s blood wins.” The two guards immediately looked directly at each other before jumping backwards, giving each other space. The one to my left was a Rusty-red Mare and the one to my right was an olive stallion. Both were earth ponies. They dove, ducked, slashed with their daggers and parried. Combat between these two was… interesting. Sanguine guard ponies were well-trained, and it showed. After several minutes, I heard the sweet slicing sound of steel on flesh. I raised a hoof, and both ponies bowed down. The olive stallion had a cut on his foreleg. I waited, and when the third party returned, I clutched the cleaver, and threw it directly into the head of the olive stallion. As he slumped to the ground, I heard the mare whimper.

“What is wrong, guard? You have survived the weak, and have become stronger in the process. Why do you weep?” She looked up to me with watery eyes.

“He… was my lover. I… cut him on the leg so he wouldn’t be hurt…” I thought for a moment.

“Unfortunate. However, life is uncaring and cruel. You should know this, as my guard. You are relieved.” The mare did not move.

“Why do you sit there and weep? It is unbecoming.” She raised her head again.

“He… I… I am to bear his child.”

“…”

“…”

“…… I said you were relieved, guard.” She now rose, and slowly left the room. I turned back to the brown stallion.

“You there. Clean up this mess.” He nodded, and left for a mop and bucket. I turned back to Whitewash. She was still deadpan, eating her breakfast.

“Come, Captain. It is time to assemble my honour guard. To the barracks.” Whitewash said nothing; she merely opened the door for me and closed it again as I left, leaving my mother alone in the room with the olive stallion.

“Ok, Captain. I have seen my choices for my honour guard. Let’s go round them up.” Whitewash just nodded silently. I looked at her cautiously, but moved on towards the soldiers-in-waiting.

“Commandant Sandsturm!” The young, dusty-brown stallion looked up at me from his cot. His green eyes wore a look of worry. I dismissed this for now. He strode up next to me.

“Commandant Tigerheart!” The next stallion in line was a zebra-sanguinary half breed. His brown striped coat and mane were odd, yet intimidating. He was at my side by the time I called for the next pony.

“Second Lieutenant Emerald Flight!” The light green stallion moved to my side, joining his brothers-in arms. His coat was a… unusual colour for a sanguinary, but he was an excellent soldier nonetheless.

“Second Lieutenant Rustwind!” The mare from earlier looked at me, tears still in her eyes. She slowly made her way to my party and all was quiet. I felt no pity for her.

“Sergeant Nightwish!” The dark blue stallion moved from his cot to my side without a peep, nor a single expression. Just a complete deadpan. That was good training.

“Captain Bloodthorn!” The massive red stallion got up from his crushed cot, and trudged towards me. He was nearly twice my height, and almost as strong. He was truly a berserker of old and a worthy addition to my Honour Guard.

“We are going to battle, m’lord?” I paused, not expecting a question from him.

“Yes, Bloodthorn. To battle.” He nodded and flumped down next to everypony, causing a slight shudder through the barracks.

“Lieutenant Stardust!” From the corner of the barracks the blind mare looked up. Her eyes were a whitish-blue, and her coat and mane were shades of the same colour. Her horn glowed, and she arose. She slowly made her way to me, and sat down again by my side. Her horn ceased it’s glowing then. I had learned years ago that she uses her magic to navigate.

“To the rest of you, we’re done here." I turned away and gestured for my honour guard to follow. Then I realized that Stardust was blind. I whistled, and she perked up and followed us silently out of the barracks.

As we entered the armory to prepare, Sandsturm pulled me to the side.

“Red Storm, what are you doing? I thought we agreed we would never fight together. What if something were to happen?” I paused.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. Don’t worry. We shall live, and share stories of valor together. Don’t worry.” He bowed his head, almost as if he had lost faith before the battle had even begun. I raised his chin and brought him into a kiss. When we broke apart a whispered one more time: “I will not let anything take you from me.” A small smile crept across his face, and I returned my gaze to the rest of my guard who were too busy suiting up to see what had just happened.

“Come on, everypony! We must depart within the hour! Do not dally!” My guard was fully equipped with their armour and ready for war. I nodded my head, and looked to the blind mare.

“Stardust. Take us to the outskirts of the village of Red Falls.”

“Right away, m’lord.” She spoke softly. Her horn flared brighter than the sun, and we blinked out of existence.

We re-appeared outside of Red Falls. The sun was setting now. I tasted the air. It rank of death and soot. It smelled absolutely lovely. I looked about, and saw dozens of dead ponies everywhere. Some were impaled on pikes, others burned to death. I noticed that Sandstrum had wrinkled his nose at the smell of burn flesh. That same smell caused a stirring in me. I felt the need to slaughter. I turned back to my detachment.

“All right. I have decided on a plan of action. Bloodthorn, Whitewash, Sandstrum and I will make our way to the town on foot. Nightwish and Emerald Flight will take to the clouds. You will watch for any aerial attackers and for ambushes along the way. Tigerheart, Rustwind, and Stardust will remain here. We cannot afford to risk our unicorns in a frontal assault.”

Everypony looked at Whitewash, then back at me. I sighed. “Whitewash will be cloaked, and will flank any ground attackers.” I paused, glaring at my Honour Guard. “She’s also better trained than you lot combined, so you have no need to worry about her.” They nodded in agreement, and I made the gesture to “move out”. Whitewash phased out of view, and the groups split up to make their way to the town.

As we trotted along, Sandsturm moved to my side to speak to me.

“Red Storm… I think we should talk.”

“Now is not the best of times, Commandant.” He looked a bit distraught at me referring to him by his rank. I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, but I need to remain professional about this. I need you to return to you formation. He nodded, and said:

“Yes sir, Brigadier sir.” That made me twinge, but I pressed on. Now was not the time to allow my love life to impede on my mission.

We walked into the town, and I looked overhead for my two pegasi. Seeing as I could not see them in the clouds, I took it as a good sign. I gestured for my team to stick together. We walked through the abandoned streets, and I found that odd. This was a fairly successful town… why would they be missing…! I spun around, just in time to see the rain of arrows coming down from behind us.

“GET TO COVER! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!” We dove into a nearby building through the window, glass shattering as we landed inside. I listened for the hail of arrows to end, and what I heard next frightened me. Hooves. Thousands. Running straight for us. I looked at my team, and grinned.

“Time to shine, everypony. Let us shed their blood in my father’s name.” They nodded, and I heard a distinctive de-cloaking sound from behind me. Whitewash stood in her full silverette platemail armour with her visor up. Her green eyes were shimmering.

“To battle, War. Time to do what you do best.” I half-snarled at her remark, half grinned at her enthusiasm.

“That’s still up for debate.” I stepped out of the shelter of the store with my Honour Guard behind me. I saw hundreds of villagers armed with farm tools and instruments of war alike. Some wore armor, and some were unclothed.

‘To battle, War.’

We dashed, we sliced, we crushed, and we immolated.

None before us could stand before our combined might.

Our battle brothers fell from the sky and brought death from the heavens.

The streets ran red with the blood of dozens. Then hundreds. Then countless more.

We danced, we laughed, we flew, and we brought death.

We were the emissaries of their doom.

We were the main event in this Danza Macabra.

The fighting raged on. Some damned fool set fire to the buildings. That’s when I noticed ponies were fleeing from the fires. They had been hiding the whole damn time. I broke from the fighting, turning to Whitewash as I took to the skies.

“Whitewash! Finish this battle, and begin to sweep the town! I will pursue those fleeing!” She nodded her head as she impaled a colt on her horn, before returning her attention to the fight. My eyes burned red, as I had been feasting on the blood and death of this village the entire battle. My senses were at their peak, and I detected a pair of ponies fleeing to the woods, in the east of the village. They were a pair among many. They were, however the closest. They were likely unprepared for this battle... warned too late to flee the bloodshed in time. I flew forward at breakneck speeds, and landed as soft as a butterfly into a nearby tree. There, I saw the two fleeing the battle directly below me. I swooped down while the one who was falling behind was looking backward. I landed directly in front of an olive mare with a red mane. Before she could say anything, I swiftly grabbed her neck in my jaws and snapped my head backwards, snapping her neck. As she hung limply from my mouth, the colt who was following her ran into me. He looked up at me, and was absolutely terrified. One word was uttered from his lips.

“War…” I sneered, dropping the mare from my mouth.

“Indeed.” I tackled him and wasted no time in burying my teeth into his throat. Blood gushed as I made quite a mess out of the colt. When I was done, the moonlight glistened off of my blood-soaked muzzle, and my blood-red irises. I spread my wings and took flight once more, determined to slaughter every last opposing pony in the area.

And I did.

And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I returned to my detachment in the city when I was finished with my… hunt. I landed amongst the Sanguinaries, but something seemed off about them. Even in the moonlight, they looked mournful.

“Whitewash! How did you fare? All went well, I hope.” The crème mare said nothing, and sat down onto a pile of rubble. Bloodthorn took his place next to her, and kept the same quiet about him.

I looked around. Somepony was missing.

“Where… where is Sandsturm?” Whitewash rose, and walked to my side.

“He… he disappeared amongst the fighting. I saw him overwhelmed by twenty of them. They dogpiled him and I lost sight of him…”

“DID YOU SEE HIM DIE?” Whitewash jumped at my reaction. I hadn’t told her about my relationship with Sandsturm. I hadn’t told anypony.

“I… I… no. I didn’t.” She stuttered. I had never yelled at her like this before.

“THEN WHY ARE YOU ALL SITTING AROUND INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR HIM?” The mare in front of me backed away slowly. Everypony else was terrified. They knew I could easily kill every one of them if I wanted to, and I really wanted to. All of them immediately got up and began to sift through the thousands of bodies to find him in the darkness of night. I was throwing body after body to the side as we sifted through the dead. We went on like that for hours. Every time somepony began to complain I would beat them into submission, and have them continue their search for my love. This went on for hours. While it takes but a moment to kill a pony, it takes a minute to move and identify them. We only finished as the sun began to break. We never found his body. As I pushed over the last body, and a pair of blue eyes looked back at me, I felt a portion of my soul die.

“My prince, you must see the truth. Sandsturm… he’s gone.” The goliath of a stallion put his hoof on my shoulder to try and cheer me up. It didn’t work. I spun around and punched him in the chest, shattering his carapiece and breaking every rib in his torso. He lay on the ground, coughing up his own blood as I stared at him.

“He’s. Not. Gone. We haven’t. Found. His body.” Whitewash stepped up to me and pulled me into a hug.

“Red Storm… I am sorry… I… I know you loved him. And all I can say is I’m sorry…” Tears welled up and began to flow from my eyes as I cried into Whitewash’s armour. Everypony else simply stood and stared. Stardust was the first to speak up.

“Bloodthorn is dying. I never practiced medical magic. We must return to the keep in order to treat his wounds.” I looked up, and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“Yes… yes, of course. Let us go now, before the damage is unrepairable.” I did not want to leave, but I had to watch over the rest of my detachment that was still alive. I looked down at Bloodthorn.

“I am sorry, Captain. I should not have let my emotions get the better of me. Come. Let us go home.” We grouped together and teleported home, back to the keep, leaving the destroyed village forever.

I returned to my room, dismissing Whitewash to hers. I stood in front of the mirror, and looked into my eyes. They disgusted me. My blood-soaked armour did not help the feeling of self-loathing. I stripped off my armour as fast as I could and began to groom my coat, cleaning it of all the filth; all reminders of my sins.

‘I killed him. I marched him to his death, when I told him he would be safe. I lied to him and betrayed him. I never even recovered his body… Sandsturm… I am sorry.’ I continued to groom myself in between sobs. When I went to groom my flank, however, I noticed something new. On my flank, was a Cutie Mark of a Sanguine Drop on top of a Golden shield. However, this could not bring me any joy now. No. It is only an eternal reminder of the day I led my love to his doom.

“Red Storm…” Fluttershy spoke softly. “I… never knew.” Even the three fillies before me were silent. This disturbed me even more than the memories.

“Do not despair for me. I don’t need it. I am now at peace with myself.” This was a lie. I will never be free of those tormenting memories. “After all, I have you, Fluttershy. You have filled the hole in my soul when so many others could not. I am happy again.” This, however, was not a lie. “Little fillies… did you enjoy the story?” They looked at each other nervously. Applebloom spoke up first.

“It… was a pretty neat story ‘n all… but the ending made me kinda sad.” The other two nodded in agreement. I shrugged.

“Oh well. Life can be sad at times. However, if one looks only to the past, or the present, then they are certain to miss the future. I have learned to leave my past behind me. I do not let it bother me anymore than it should.” Another lie.

“Well… ok… if you say so,” stated the orange filly. Suddenly, there is a loud rumbling. Sweetie Belle blushes.

“Sorry…” I scooped up the white foal and plopped her on my back.

“It sounds like somepony is hungry! TO THE FEAST!” I leaped into the kitchen as Fluttershy and the other two fillies followed laughing.

The rest of the night was spent having fun, playing, and enjoying life to the fullest. I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

Author's Notes:

Wanna meet Red Storm's Honour Guard? Now you can!
491X1Y40007F7659FEC59E0000053A57COL1937004000001R18C5F3FA5875B0A008C5F3F004CB2= Sandsturm
47291N401069BF9BFFC49D0000021D821UK1A38404020000I07F5E46FF7FFF0T107F3FCC004CB2= Emerald Flight
3L3X001100942828FFC49D0010161A500UN1837204000000F1998A6B0000000400998A6B004CB2= Rustwind
471X1O5010281C66FFC49D00900003EBAGJ1837205000000C0142433FF7FFF0T107F3FCC004CB2= Nightwish
3X2S1L70017F61334F342000000CCCC00UN1837200000003817F60334C321F1L107F3FCC004CB2= Tigerheart
3P4L006200345E72FFC49D00041B3FEF0UN1837404400000804B42A5FF7FFF03107F3FCC004CB2= Stardust
51002S4000A532329977540000000BB96UN1837514000001Q08C8C4DFF7FFF2X107F3FCC004CB2= Bloodthorn

Moving on...

I awoke in my room. Cold stone surrounded me, and I simply stared at the ceiling for several minutes. Yesterday was a great triumph but a great defeat at the same time. My father had given me great praise, and the honor of moving on in my training. However, I could not help but feel empty. Sandsturm is gone, and it is all my fault. I lead him to his death, telling him that we would make it out together. We didn’t even recover his body. Something wanted me to desperately believe he was still alive, but I couldn’t overcome the feeling of dread in my soul.

‘All your fault… he’s DEAD because of you…’

‘No… I didn’t kill him.’

‘You promised to protect him. He trusted you. Now you’re all alone. And he’s rotting in a field of death, waiting for you to find him. You never will. You have failed him, leaving him alone.’

‘Stop… no more…’

‘You killed him.’

‘You killed him.’

‘I… I killed him…’

The voices in my head taunted me for hours until my father came knocking on my door.

“Son. Come with me. We have things to discuss.” I got up out of bed and made my way to his side, and we made our way down the hall.

“Several things have come to my attention, Red Storm. Some things I am more proud of than others.” Surely he meant my relationship with Sandsturm.

“I have been alerted by your teammates yesterday that you apparently had a romantic relationship with Commandant Sandsturm. I… cannot say that I approve whole-heartedly, but I can say that I am sorry. You apparently cared for him a great deal, did you not?”

“Yes, father.” He looked at me for a second, and I thought I saw woe in his eyes. I dismissed the thought as he continued on.

“In any case, while the loss of the Commandant is a terrible thing, I must add that I admire your work in the field yesterday. I see you take after me when you ‘take no prisoners’. That is good. It will aid you in the times to come. Follow me here, I have something special to present to you.” I perked up a bit. Whatever this may be, it was surely important. Otherwise, I doubt that father would drag me out of bed so early when I was grieving above all else. He led me into his personal chambers, and together we entered his trophy room. I found it strange that he had his trophy room in his private quarters, where he could not flaunt it. We moved silently past a number of treasures, including skulls, armour, dragon teeth and chalices. When we got to the back of the room, there, in a display case were four suits of armour. Each suit was slightly different, but all kept a very menacing feel to them.

“I-I’m sorry father, but I don’t know what I am looking at.” Red Wing shook his head, before taking me by the shoulder, and pointing at the suits of armour.

“These, my son, are the legendary suits of armour that were once worn by the Four Horses of the Apocalypse.” I was confused, and it showed. Again, my father shook his head before continuing.

“I thought I told you to study these things. The Four Horses of the Apocalypse were warriors of legend. Their combined might was only matched by gods themselves. The Old Gods, to be exact. Before even Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Discord, these Old Gods controlled the very universe as we know it, ranging from the controlling of your dreams to the weather. At some point in ancient history, a group of four mortal ponies were granted a great power by forces unknown. Two pegasi and two unicorns. The two pegasi were granted unlimited combat prowess, being able to exterminate entire armies with a single fell swoop. The unicorns were granted such magical power that they could rend the soul from the body or tear the heavens from the sky. With their newfound power, the Four Horses cut open the world, sinking entire continents with their near unlimited power. The Old Gods saw this destruction being caused by these ponies, and attempted to stop the Horses with divine intervention, acts of holy wrath. A great battle was waged upon the earth, nearly destroying all life as we know it. The Old Gods, pushed to desperation, sacrificed themselves in order to defeat these ponies. After a final act of power, the Old Gods killed themselves in order to stop the destruction of all life as we know it. In his dying moments, the king of the Old Gods scattered the pieces of the Apocalypse Armour, which held the true power of the Four Horses, across the world hoping to prevent such a thing again… It has taken eons of scrounging to bring this ensemble together before you. Ponies, griffon, drake and daemon alike lusted for the power the armour promised, and many have spent generations looking for even hints to their location. By the time our ancestor, Redmane, had risen to power, a great deal of the hidden pieces had been unearthed. It had been but a matter to collect the pieces and find the missing ones. While at great expense of the Kingdom, with much money and lives spent on this grand search, I can safely say that I am missing but a hoofull of pieces. A rivet here, a strut there, and the sets will be complete.” My mind was overflowing with information. Old Gods? Horses of the Apocalypse? And my father claims to have all but a few of the pieces of a legendary set of armour? My father chuckled, upon seeing the look on my face. I looked up to him, trying to keep my brain from hemorrhaging from trying to comprehend this.

“Why are you telling me this?” My father smiled devilishly.

“Because, my son. I believe you are nearly ready to ascend from mortality, and into the realm of gods. The Four Horses were named after the destructive forces that come with the Apocalypse. Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death.” As he went down the list, he moved his foreleg from left to right, pointing at each respectively. The suits were white, red, black and a pale grey. Each had a few cosmetic differences, such as different horns on each helm, or different pauldrons. Each suit was missing pieces, but overall the set looked nearly complete. Pestilence was missing a knee guard, War was missing a horn, Famine was missing a few ornamental pauldron spikes, and Death was missing several plates along the chest area. My father continued as I examined the suits more thoroughly.

“Your sister would be Pestilence, you would be War, your mother would be Famine, and I would be Death. Together, we would be unstoppable. Even the four New Gods could not stand against us! We could bring the world to its knees! We-” He paused. He noticed my solemn look, indicating that I was in no mood to be talking about more death. He took this, and accepted it.

“Anyway… that was all. You are free to roam for the rest of the day, to grieve. Tomorrow, I want you to begin your next level of training with your mother. Do I make myself clear?” I nodded, and he turned away from me to admire his collection more. I left the room, and moved quickly outside to the gardens. I watched as the greenery blew in the breeze. I lay down amongst them, and closed my eyes. I felt the sun on my face as I drifted off into a restless sleep. One of Sandsturm.

My eyes cracked open to the sun, again, for the ten thousandth time. I looked around the wooden room before searching the bed for my wife. Again, as usual, she was not here. Fluttershy was likely downstairs cooking breakfast. I tasted the air. I smelled the faint aroma of food from downstairs. I found this odd. Normally I would be able to identify breakfast. Oh well. It was better as a surprise anyway. Then, I thought back to my dream. ‘Why was I remembering this now? Could it be an omen? Perhaps…’

I made my way down the stairs, bleary-eyed. The second my hoof touched the ground floor, I was assaulted by the three young fillies who had stayed the night. I couldn’t help but laugh, forgetting that they had slept over. I quickly regained my footing while they retreated several steps. I pounced, and they all fled, screaming in mock-terror. When they disappeared out of sight, I made my way to the kitchen. There, Fluttershy was preparing a simple meal of carrots and apples.

“Good morning, love. How long have they been up?” Fluttershy giggled as she turned to me and gave me a kiss.

“They are what woke me up an hour ago. They were in the back yard trying to be ‘Cutie Mark Crusader lion tamers.’ I’m not really sure when they woke up.” I chuckled as I kissed her back and made my way out of the kitchen, intent on finding where the little fillies had gone off to. As I moved through the living room, I saw them leap out from behind the couch at me, wearing toy armor and brandishing plastic weapons shouting: “FOR CANTERLOT, AND THE TRIANGULAR TABLE!” I don’t even know how they acquired such things. They tackled me and proceeded to prod me with said toy weapons until I lay still, feigning death. We then repeated this cycle of me chasing them, them doing a battle charge, and then slaying me. At some point Angel joined the fray, who then repeatedly killed everypony involved. That is, until Scootaloo used the “Celestial Hoof Grenade.” The lot of us played until breakfast was ready, in which we dropped everything and ate. During the meal, we talked and laughed as the Cutie Mark Crusaders recalled their botched attempts to uncover their “Special Talents” which included, but was not limited to; Skydiving, wind surfing, tightrope walking, and fencing. Their costumes (which they neglected to remove) made the whole thing that much more humorous. After breakfast, Fluttershy left to return them home. I stayed home and thought about what I was going to do with myself that day. I did the dishes in silence, and sat down on the couch to think. It was so strange to have the CMC around one minute, and gone the next. It was oh-so-quiet. I decided to brew a pot of tea. It was a special recipe that my mother had taught me. I returned to the couch to let the kettle boil, but then there was a knock on the door. I made my way to the front door, and opened it, not expecting anypony this early in the morning. There stood Miss Doo, as energetic as ever. She looked at me with her wall-eyed stare and a big smile.

“Good morning, Red Storm! Sorry to be bothering you so early!” I waved her off.

“It’s no problem at all. Why don’t you come in? I have some tea on the stove. Fluttershy is out, and I do so hate to be alone.” Ditzy thought for a moment before shrugging.

“Ok! After all, it’s not my shift yet. That reminds me! I am actually here to deliver a letter to you!” I cocked my head to one side as she trotted inside.

“You’re delivering letters even though it’s not your shift?” Again, Ditzy shrugged.

“Yesterday was Sunday. There’s no post on Sunday. Anyway, we get all of Monday’s mail on Sunday, so we can deliver it at our leisure. I just decided to bring it to you now so I wouldn’t have to backtrack later. I actually was planning on coming later, but my clock is one hour fast,” she added sheepishly. I nodded, looking the letter over. There was no return address. It just said “To Red Storm” on the front. The hoof writing was ever-so-familiar…

“Yes, well, either way, it is nice to have you. I would say you arrived at an opportune time, seeing as my wife is out. Speaking of spouses; how is life between you and The Doctor? Have you learned his real name yet?” I joked, as I set the letter down on the coffee table. Ditzy perked up and nodded.

“Things have been great between The Doctor and me! Though I am beginning to believe that is his name. He moved in, did I tell you that? Dinky loves him, and the three of us are practically a family! But he still hasn’t… uh… proposed yet.” Her sheepish grin returned as she pawed at the ground with her foreleg. I waved her off again as I poured the tea, which was now whistling.

“Don’t worry! I never proposed to Fluttershy, she proposed to me. Some things take time, and others must be taken with a different approach completely. I’m sure that when the time is right, one of you will wind up asking for the other’s hoof.” Ditzy rolled her eyes, making it appear as if her eyes were rolling in her head, as I handed her her cup of tea and gestured for her to sit down next to me on the couch. I sipped on mine as she continued:

“So says the stallion who got married to the shyest pony in Equestria in less than five months.” I nodded, and changed the subject.

“So, Ditzy, how has things been going otherwise? It has been weeks since our last lunch date. How’s work been?” Ditzy puffed up her chest with pride.

“In fact, I got a big raise for bringing a very important package to Canterlot! And Dinky is also making lots of friends in school, along with getting very good grades. The Doctor and I are very proud of her.” Ditzy beamed with pride, and I couldn’t help but feel envious.

“So… Red Storm… When are you and Fluttershy going to have foals?” I wasn’t expecting that one.

“We… uh… well, we have been keeping it quite… safe as of late. I have been meaning to talk to Fluttershy about that, but I’m afraid we simply don’t have the time or resources to care for a foal now. ‘Well, we do, but with impending death from my father just around the corner, we really don’t want to risk it.’ Ditzy accepted this answer, nodding. She finished her tea, and rose.

“Well, it has been fun catching up Red Storm! We should really start doing those lunch dates again! I would love to talk over some muffins! Anyway, gotta fly. The Doctor is likely making a fresh batch as we speak! Ooh! Did I mention he bakes muffins? He’s like a perfect match for me! See ya later!” I waved goodbye as she flew away, and I closed the door behind her. I returned my attention to the letter on the coffee table. I walked over and opened it, sipping on my tea as I read it.

‘Dear Red Storm,

It’s me, Whitewash. I sent you a letter because I am out of town, on a "business trip" with Glock. You won’t believe who we found in a saloon in Apploosa. We will be back tomorrow, but I decided to write to you just to put some suspense on you. Give you one hint: It’s one of your old Honour Guard. Turns out I wasn’t the only one who fled from your father’s rule. See you soon, hon.’

“…”

“…”

“… huh. I’ll be damned.”

Author's Notes:

Hey! Look! Another Pony Creator-based extra! Whoopee.
Anywhoo, here are the Four New Horses of the Apocalypse, and the armours to boot. Just 'cause I have nothing better to do.
5047000200FEFEFEFE171700A11FE0000PD183720402000051999999FFFFFE05107F3FCC004CB2= The White Horse(Scarlet Rain)
080FE80080FE804F2F2F26F2F2F27F2F2F26F2F2F2F2F2F27F2F2F23F2F2F26F2F2F23F2F2F2= Pestilence's Armour
4Z152D503033000000000000000EAFE00NN183752C000000713300007F00000L107F3FCC004CB2= The Red Horse(Red Storm)
080FE80080FE8097200006720000772000067200007200007720000472000067200004720000= War's Armour
4K3P002500000000FE171700611FE1212RH1837008000000212A2E4C00000003107F3FCC004CB2= The Black Horse(Scarlet Glimmer)
080FE80080FE8021A191A6191919719191961919191919197191919419191961919194191919= Famine's Armour
5K152S5030666666FE171700010FE0000RF183720B000001G10000006666660L107F3FCC004CB2= The Pale Horse(Red Wing)
066CC66066CC666BFBFBF6BFBFBF7BFBFBF6BFBFBFBFBFBF7BFBFBF3BFBFBF6BFBFBF3BFBFBF= Death's Armour
...
And before you all start bitchin' about "Pestilence" not being a Horseman of the Apocalypse(its actually conquest), I went with the revised list, as pestilence fit Scarlet Rain better. Shaddup.
And thanks for reading!

Prepping for the Past

Author’s Notey-thing of Sorryness: I am very sorry for such a fiendish delay between chapters as of late. My chapters aren’t long, so there is no real excuse for being this late. All I can say is that I have been totally cracked out on the new Call of Duty: Black Ops II Zombies map pack “Buried”. SO. MANY. GIBBLETS… Never mind that. Read on, my wonderful brony (and pegasister) readers. Read on.

I sat down on the couch, still clutching the letter in my hoof. ‘One of my Honour Gaurdsponies? Impossible. She has to be joking… but she doesn’t joke about that type of thing…’ Just then, Fluttershy re-entered the house.

“Hello, Red Storm. I saw Ditzy flying away as I crossed the bridge. Did she pay a visit?” I nodded, and she moved to sit down next to me.

“She brought you a letter? That’s an awfully nice thing to do so early in the day.” I nodded again, and she noticed that I was being unusually quiet, behavior reserved for when I was either deep in thought or dreading something. Or both.

“What did it say? Is it from your father?” I shook my head, still trying to imagine who could have possibly have escaped my father’s clutches. Who?

“The letter was from Whitewash. Apparently, she has located an old associate of mine in Appleoosa. One of my honour guards, so she says. I can’t help but feel curious. She also said that they should be arriving tomorrow. I must admit, I am rather anxious. It would have been almost a year since I had seen any of my soldiers. While I must be wary of this meeting, it should be refreshing nonetheless. I was friends with several, after all. ‘Especially Sandsturm…'

“I’m sure it will be fun. I can’t wait.” My wife nuzzled me, and she got up, and moved towards the back of the house out into the garden.

I sat quietly for a few minutes before I realized I should go to work. Ever since Fluttershy and I wedded, we decided it would be best for me to work during the day, instead of having a night shift. I rose, and headed upstairs to the bedroom. I gathered up everything I needed and put them into a saddlebag, and then headed out. I walked down the lonely road to my place of work in the mountains. It was the only road I knew that took me to my destination, and I watched as my shadow hung by my side. The path led into the Everfree, and so I had to fly over the most dangerous areas, while trying to keep my eyes on the trail. One might wonder why I couldn’t just fly all the way there, and the reason for that is that the mine entrance was rather secluded in the center of the Everfree. Most ponies didn’t even know it existed even though one of Ponyville’s larger exports was iron. It was dangerous and dirty work, but somepony had to do it. And I preferred that pony to be me, because I knew I could handle it. Besides, I loved smashing boulders with a pickaxe. It really helped me blow off steam.

Then, something caught my eye. Movement. At first, I thought it was a wild animal of some sort. But then I caught a glimpse of a dusty-brown coat on what appeared to be a stallion. ‘Sandsturm.’ No. Bad schizophrenic brain. Sandsturm is dead. Then again, it wouldn’t hurt to check, eh?

I plunged down towards where I saw the odd memento. I landed on a dirt path, and ahead of me, I saw a pair of beautiful eyes peering at me through the underbrush. A pair of beautiful eyes connected to a dusty-brown body. ‘…Sandsturm…’ He ran off further into the forest.

“Sandsturm! Damn you! Come back here!” I charged in after him. I want answers. I chased his wake for sever minutes, zig-zagging through the forest as if he were trying keep himself out of sight, but not lose me. I tried my best to keep up, and if I could fly I could easily catch him; but even I wasn’t a good enough flier to fly in these thick woods. I might hit a tree or a baby bear or something.

We ran through the forest for several more minutes. Every time I thought I would be able to catch him, get some answers, he slipped just out of reach again. Then, the forest opened up and directly in front of us was a cavern. Sandsturm wasted no time in entering the cavern, and I hesitated before moving in after him. ‘Was Sandsturm leading me here? For what reason would he lead me to a cavern in the middle of the Everfree? I am gonna be SOO late for work.’

I entered the stone maw, and as I trotted further from the entrance, it became darker and darker. Then, just before it became too dark to see, Sandsturm appeared directly in front of me.

“Sandsturm! What is the meaning of-” Suddenly, he kissed me. My eyes rolled back in my head as his sweet taste filled my mouth. Then, he pulled back as suddenly as he came forward, and disappeared into the darkness again. I blinked a few times, trying to understand what just happened. Then, out of the darkness, I saw that crystals lining the ceiling began to illuminate. Deeper into the cavern I saw Sandsturm looking my way.

“Love will light your path, Red Storm. Do not wander in the dark alone,” was all he said before continuing. I hurriedly made my way to him, but he was still keeping a good distance from me. He made a sharp right turn into another cavern hollow, and I quickly followed. However, when I entered, he was not there. What was there was a large crystal altar, glowing with ancient magical power. Resting on top of it was a single red stone. As I moved closer, I quickly realized that what I was looking at was no stone, but a single, metal red horn. My heart stopped. ‘This… this is a piece of… War…’ I reached for the horn, but as my hoof touched the artifact, several specters burst from the altar and before I could react, encircled me, trapping me within the glowing room.

“… Who are you?” I questioned. They simply stared, studying me; inch by inch, as if they were trying to determine something of me. Then, one spoke.

“Pure of heart, but corrupt in mind.” The rest merely nodded. As I tried to understand what was going on around me, I noticed that the horn was now glowing a bright red. This caught the attention of the lead spirit.

“However, the Red One has chosen its champion. Only time may tell of the results.” ‘Red One? Does it mean…?’
Then, the horn burst into an inferno, and the whole room was consumed in fire. I thought I was to die, but it was not to be so. Out of the flames appeared Sandsturm once more.

“What is happening? I do not understand! Have I completely lost my mind?” The dusty stallion chuckled.

“No, Red Storm. You are fulfilling your destiny, one step at a time. Now, go. You are late for work.”
My vision was then completely engulfed in the brilliant hellfire.

I woke up in a crater in the middle of the forest.

“… Did I eat some peyote before I left? What in the name of Luna just happened?” As I tried to gather myself, something clinked against one of my hooves. I looked down, and there, on the ground next to me, was the Right Red Horn of War.

“…”

‘…You are so friggin’ late.’

I was flying home several hours later. Luckly, I hadn’t gotten fired for being late, because the iron mine owner was nice chap, and was always grateful to me for being the hardest worker, so naturally he wasn’t too upset about me being a few minutes late. I made sure to make up for it by working especially hard today anyway. I reached into my saddlebag and removed the Horn again, passing it from hoof to hoof. I wondered what this could mean. And why I had to have a drugtrip to find it. I re-placed it in my saddlebag before I dropped it. ‘I will look into this further when I return home for sure. If this is truly a lost piece of War’s Armour… then I hope nopony ever finds out about it. Especially not father.’

I landed softly on the ground in front of the cottage before proceeding in. Inside I found my wife cleaning the cottage with the help of all of her animal friends. She was wearing a nice, blue dress.

“What is going on? What are you doing?” Fluttershy turned to me smiling.

“I’m not sure what you mean. I’m getting the house ready for our guests tonight. You didn’t forget about Whitewash coming over, did you?” Tick. Tick. Click. ‘Shit.’

“Right! Of course! How could I forget! Do you need help with anything?” Fluttershy paused for a moment before shaking her head.

“Uhh… No. Not that I can think of. I have the birdies helping me clean and Angel is cooking dinner. I guess just get ready for company.” I nodded briefly before heading upstairs. I slipped into our bedroom and quickly removed a plank from the floorboards below our bed, carefully removing my personal lockbox. It was enchanted with a special spell so that only I could open it by pricking myself with the spike on the top, which drew my blood. The box would only open when my blood is drawn from my body. It wasn’t perfect, but as long as nopony killed me and used my body to open it, it was going to stay safe.

I stabbed my hoof on the spike before letting it seep in. I licked my hoof of the blood and let the wound close itself up. I knew my eyes had turned red once more, but I knew the effect would have worn off by the time I returned downstairs. One minute of red-eyes per milliliter of blood consumed.

The box popped open, and I quickly stowed the Horn within, among my gems and bits stored inside. There was enough money for me to move to Canterlot here, but at this point, I realized I did not need to. However, I kept it locked away under my bed because I didn’t trust banks. They are known to fail. My eye twitched spastically at the thought, but I quickly gathered myself again. I closed the lockbox and replaced it under the floorboards, making sure to keep everything exactly as it was. I then moved to my wardrobe. Because I no longer wear clothes, I do not need a dresser. However, I required a wardrobe to store my armour in, a wardrobe I made sure to purchase in my first two weeks of living here. I opened the doors and took my time removing the leather under suit before following it with the Mithril and finally the Adamant Plate. If one of my Honour Guard were to show up, then I needed to look professional. Tradition had up till now ruled my life, and I think it always will.
I stepped back downstairs in my armour, and surprised Fluttershy. However, she knew me well, and quickly understood my motives.

“Is everything ready, love? I do believe they should be arriving soon… I mean, Whitewash never really gave us a time, but she hasn’t arrived yet, and it is quite unlike her to arrive to anything after dark.”

At that moment, there were three knocks at the door.

“Speak of the devil…”

“And the devil will come,” Fluttershy finished. I moved to the door, and opened it for our guests. There was Whitewash, Glock, and two stallions. Whitewash was wearing her silverette plate armour, and Glock wore his Kevlar. One of the stallions I knew well. It was Tigerheart. He was the youngest of my Honour Guard. He was twelve when we went on that mission. Tells you how young Sanguinary ponies start training. Then, he was also a bit of a runt, being not only the youngest, but by far the smallest. Now, he was a fine-looking stallion. About my height. His zebra stripes were pretty hot too. He was wearing his armour as well. The stallion next to him however… I did not know him. He had a brown coat with a rusty mane. His eyes were sky blue and he looked exactly like me. He wore a ragged duster. He obviously was not in the wealthy department.

“Hello, visitors! Whitewash! Glock! Tigerheart! Doppelga- I mean, and you are?” The brown stallion nodded his head and spoke:

“Howdy. My name’s Cinnamon Gale. You must be Prince Red Storm. It’s an honour, your highness.” I gave Whitewash the evil eye. She blushed, but Cinnamon Gale continued:

“I know you because I too am from the Sanguine Kingdom. I was just a lowly farmer though.” I noticed he had wings. I also noticed everypony was still standing outside.

“I see… Oh, my! My manners! Come inside, come inside! Tigerheart! Cinnamon Gale! This is my wife, Fluttershy.” Both Sanguinary stallions bowed their heads and addressed her as “princess” before I intervened.

“Seriously, stop that. It’s really awkward.” Tigerheart rolled his eyes.

“Your father hasn’t disowned you yet. That makes your bride a princess.” I sighed.

“Perhaps. But do not call us that, ok?” I turned to Fluttershy. “Can you please prepare the table, dear?” She nodded, eyes fixed on Gale. I was obviously not the only one to notice the resemblance. As she scurried off, I returned my now much more stern gaze to Whitewash.

“Now, explain to me, Captain. Why the devil are Tigerheart and my Doppelganger here?

The Knight, the Merc, and the Sexy

The five of us simply stood there, exchanging glances to one another. I was glaring at Whitewash, Whitewash was glancing at Glock, Glock was staring at Tigerheart, Tigerheart was looking at Cinnamon Gale, and I’m pretty sure Gale was checking me out. Finally, Whitewash spoke up, returning her gaze back to me.

“Ok, this has officially become awkward. Besides, I do think I owe you an explanation for bringing these two here,” she said, gesturing towards Tigerheart and Cinnamon Gale, the former looking annoyed and the latter still looking at me strangely.

“Basically, Whitewash and I had a high-priority target contract in Appleoosa. We went, we saw, we killed his ass.” Whitewash glared at Glock obviously annoyed at how forward he was being about just having assassinated a pony for bits. He continued, not once looking away from me. “Afterwards, we decided to have a little vacation with our spoils that we “liberated” from his private vault, so we hit up the local saloon for a few drinks and a few laughs.” Whitewash looked seriously pissed now, seeing as her partner just admitted to also robbing a dead hit. I merely raised a hoof to Whitewash and nodded to Glock. However, before he could continue, Whitewash magically shut his mouth with a ball gag that was in her saddlebag.

“Never mind what Glock said! He tends to over exaggerate.” She smiled sheepishly while Glock fumbled with the gag.

“Why exactly do you carry a ball gag with you?” Gale asked. “Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know,” he quickly added, covering his eyes with a wing. I rolled my eyes before gesturing to Whitewash to continue from where Glock left off.

“Long story short, we went to the saloon, and who do we find as the barkeep? None other than Tigerheart.” The stallion in question bowed as Whitewash continued. “Apparently, after you left, there was a small mutiny amongst the Sanguinary Guards when everypony’s favorite general disappeared.” She turned to Tigerheart.

“How many Honour Guards defected again? Ten? Fifteen?”

“Closer to thirty,” the half-zebra nodded. “They thought that ‘If the prince thinks this place is horrible, why should we stay?’ Basically, because you left, everypony began to question your father’s authority. Obviously, this ended in a nation-wide crackdown, but by the time the dust settled, over two-thirds of the Guard were MIA. Weeks later, we found one on a farm with his family. Needless to say, the king had them all publicly exsanguinated to make an example of them. However, it only made things worse. When I left, there were riots in the capital city. There are the loyalists, and then the resistance. Last time I checked, the resistance, which is approximately four-fifths of the population, are winning.” I screwed my eyes shut and messaged my temples with my wingtips.

“This explains all too much,” I said, scrunching my face in thought. “For the last year, my father has sent my sister to gather information on my location and to even kill me. I simply thought that he was trying to intimidate me, force me back home. But now I know that is not the case. He needs to quell the rebellion, and the only way to do that is to re-establish himself as king. So, in order to do that, he would need to kill me… rid the rebellion of their inspirational leader.”
“Wouldn’t that just make you a martyr?” interjected Whitewash.

“Not necessarily. If I were a common pony, yes. But seeing as I am his own son, the prince, it would show that he is willing to kill anypony in his way. Even his own flesh and blood.” We all stood, silently, until my wife walked in from the kitchen.

“Dinner is ready!... Is something wrong?” Fluttershy wore a look of supreme worry, as it is quite unusual to see a group of old friends looking so solemn. I shook myself from my daze of realization, before looking to my wife thoughtfully, but sadly. “Nothing you need to hear now. Later.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to argue, but shut it again as we made our way into the kitchen to eat.

Needless to say, with six ponies, the small circular table that Fluttershy and I normally ate at was far too tiny for so many ponies. We simply decided to eat in the living room on the coffee table.

We ate quietly, looking down at our food for most of the meal until Cinnamon Gale broke the silence.

“You know, we never told you why I’m here.” I nibbled on a celery stick, realizing that this was true. I nodded my head to my lookalike, and he began his tale:

“Well, like Whitewash and Glock had said, they had business in Appleoosa, and I live there. Work for Braeburn on his orchard. Anyway, it just so happened that a few minutes after they got to the local saloon, I got off work. It being a Friday night and all, I decided to head down there and have a few drinks. When I got there though, the two of them jumped me, saying that I was a ‘Red Storm in disguise’. Whitewash even slapped me for ‘following her’. Thankfully, we sorted the whole thing out before anything bad happened. Anyway, when they brought up the name “Red Storm” I immediately thought of my old prince. Of course, I didn’t mention that. I instead asked if the Red Storm they were talking about was some foreign noble I had heard about. Obviously, it was suspicious how accurate I was, and in a few minutes I was fessing up to being a Sanguinary. Then I discovered that you, the prince, really was here in Equestria. I had never seen you before, let alone met you. I’m just a farmcolt, after all. I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. Now that I’m here though, I could see why your friends jumped me…” He paused, staring at my face in wonder. I’ll admit it. We could have been mistaken for twins if it weren’t for the fact that our coats were different colors.

“You are one sexy bitch,” I said across the table. Gale quickly caught on.

“Yeah. Yeah! We are sexy bitches, ha-ha!” The two of us laughed rather loudly while everypony looked at us weird. After about ten seconds of us telling each other we were “sexy bitches”, Whitewash piped up with:
“This is re-Luna-damned-diculous. Both of you, shut up and eat.” We did as we were told. There was several more minutes of silence as we ate, everypony either too focused on the food on their plates (Glock and Tigerheart), too afraid to say anything (Fluttershy and Cinnamon Gale), or simply couldn’t think up any conversation (Whitewash and I). Suddenly, Tigerheart looked up at Fluttershy and myself.

“Pray tell, prince; do you and the princess plan on having a child soon?” Tigerheart was an excellent soldier. Not a very good socialist.

“Uh… well… We…” I couldn’t find the words, my face turning a deep velvet color.

“Yes, we have. Soon, actually.” Fluttershy surprised me with that one. ‘A child? Now, of all times? Is she mad? Or perhaps she’s on her heat again…’

“Oh! Ok! Well, be sure to tell me when it is announced! I would love to come down here from Appleoosa to visit when the time comes.” I looked at Fluttershy with a sideways look, and she responded with the “Later, darling” look.

There was a short pause in the conversation. After that point, the six of us simply chatted away about little things here and there, telling stories of triumph and heroism (most of which greatly exaggerated) until it became rather late. As the moon rose high, we bid farewell to our visitors. Whitewash promised to show them to the hotel, and they set off into the night. As I closed the door waving, I quickly turned on my wife.

“Fluttershy! What is the meaning of this? Telling them that we are planning to have a child! Now? In times like this? Are you completely insane?” Fluttershy looked quite shocked for a few moments, but as soon as my temper flared down, she gathered herself and began to explain:

“Red Storm… I’m sorry. I simply thought that we should warn everypony ahead of time.” My eyes went wide.

“You… you think that you’re-”

“Not yet… maybe. I’m not sure. But… I want to have foals, Red Storm. I really do. I… I don’t care about your father. I love you, Red Storm, and I want nothing more than to be with you. I understand that it is dangerous… but why should we live in fear of your father? I trust you to keep me safe… to keep us safe. But I need more than safety from you Red Storm. I need the chance to be a wife to you. And, eventually, a mother. I can’t do that if you won’t let me.” I stood for a few minutes, motionless, before realizing that my wife was absolutely correct. I have been shielding her from more than my father lately. I was shielding her from myself as well, and that realization hurt.

“… You’re right. I am sorry for that. I… I want to protect you. But it appears I have been smothering you instead. Again, I am sorry. I hope I can make it up to you someday.” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.

“Why not tonight?” I choked.

“Certainly, I cannot make it up to you in one night-”

“Every journey begins with a single step,” she said, taking a step closer.

“A-are you on heat right now?” I asked, backing up slowly.

“Without a doubt,” Fluttershy replied again, now backing me up to the door. I have never been so terrified of my wife before. She batted her eyes before wrapping her forelegs around my neck.

“How about you start by fulfilling your ‘Husbandly Duties’ for me tonight?” She licked her lips as she flicked my ear.

“Um… Ok?” Next thing I knew I was being dragged up the stairs in a headlock as Fluttershy hauled me into bed. Tonight was going to be another rough night.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for such a looooong delay. There has been a lot of shit flying around lately, talk of moving, going on a vacation(that I was not warned about) and other stuff like that. Anyway, it doesn't seem like we are moving, so I will try to put in a few hours every other day. Yeah, i know, this one isn't that long. Get over it. It's an update.

The Coming Storm

I lay in bed, awake, staring holes into the ceiling. Fluttershy lay next to me, curled up and nestled against me, breathing rhythmically. Outside, Luna’s Grace floated over the sky, its silver light flowing through the window of the bedroom. I shut my eyes, blocking the world around me to think. It was, however, not quiet. Whispers clouded my mind.

‘-Kill the yellow one in her sleep-’

‘-Oh, the night sky is pretty. We should go flying again-’

‘-All is one, one is all… All is the universe, one is Me-’

‘-Your wife is pretty, yes. But don’t forget Sandsturm…-’

I scrunched my eyes tighter and pulled my pillow around my ears, almost as if I expected the voices to cease. They never do. I tried to ignore them as I thought about tonight.

The news brought forth by Tigerheart was troubling indeed. My father was indeed getting desperate to preserve his authority, as to my fears, meaning attack by his hoof was now inevitable. I tried to think of a way to settle the dispute without bloodshed, but every scenario ended in either my father’s death, or my own. Blood will spill blood in a struggle for power. I hate politics.

I exhaled deeply, releasing a breath I did not realize I was holding. Fluttershy moved a little. I looked down, and her eyes met mine. Her beautiful, aquamarine blue eyes stared into my golden, amber eyes.

“Red Storm. You were talking to yourself again.” Really? For how long? “Yes, you were,” she added, “For several minutes.” I realized that I was still thinking aloud. ‘I need to watch out for that…’ I made a mental note of this new symptom as Fluttershy’s eyes filled with worry.

“I-I’m sorry, love. I have a lot on my mind. I… I’ve put everypony in danger. You, your friends, even that carrot salespony in the marketplace. Everypony is in terrible danger, all because of me. My father-“

“I heard the whole thing earlier,” Fluttershy said, interrupting me. “I was only in the kitchen.” My worried expression softened ever so slightly.

“But of course. So you understand the problem here, don’t you? I promised to protect you, no matter what. As of late, all I have been doing is endangering you, along with everypony else involved. I… I… I should have left months ago!” I flared up in an instant, pulling myself away from Fluttershy and off the bed, kicking off the sheets and moving to the window.

“I can do nothing! Should we stay to fight, he will kill us, and everypony else in Ponyville! If we were to flee, he would only search the entire country for us, turning all into dust and ash before him until he finds us! Then he will kill us! I cannot hope to combat the combined might of my father and an entire army alone and expect to win, nor can I protect an entire country from his wrath! There is nothing I can do to protect you!” I smashed the window in frustration, lacerating my foreleg. I fell onto the bed, holding my injured leg with my good hoof, whimpering.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I have failed you as a husband. I cannot protect you. I had one job… one duty… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!” My head fell into my hooves, as I began to cry. Not even in a dignified way. This was a slobbering, nose dripping, choking-on-your-own-tears weep. I felt Fluttershy wrap me in her wings, pulling me closer into a caring embrace. I moved into her caress, crying into her breast, not unlike a foal with his mother. Fluttershy stroked my mane with a hoof as she patted my back, whispering a lullaby in my ear:

As she sang, I felt my sobs weaken, and by the song’s end, they had stopped completely. Fluttershy wiped the last of my tears from my face with her wing as she dabbed my muzzle with a tissue. She kissed me gently on the nose, before looking into my eyes. Her blue orbs shone with the deepest compassion and love.

“Red Storm... I never, ever want you to say that you regret staying again. I am happy that you stayed, evil warmonger father or not. Everypony who knows you are happy that you have stayed. I love you with all my heart, and I know you feel the same about me. I never want you to say that you regret falling in love together again. Understood?” Her shift into ‘Authoritative mode’ made me grin.

“I understand, Princess Fluttershy. Won’t happen again.” My sarcasm during such a serious moment earned me a punch to the jaw. It actually hurt for once. I chuckled lightly, as Fluttershy giggled. However, I soon became serious once more.

“What are we to do then? It’s quite apparent that I cannot face the might of the Kingdom on my own, and my father can always track us down should we flee…” We sat in a few moments of silence. Then, Fluttershy perked up.

“I know! You said that you couldn’t face your father on your own! If we told the Princesses about the invasion, they can send soldiers!” I pondered the thought, but shook my head.

“No, no. A single Sanguinary Guard is worth ten Equestrian soldiers, and my father has at least a hundred Honour Guards to choose from. Not to mention that he himself is coming, if not my sister and mother. Even an army backed up by the Princesses themselves would not be able to repel power of that magnitude.”

“What if we rounded up some Sanguinaries of our own?” I nearly shat a brick at the voice coming from behind me. I turned slowly to the owner, gritting my teeth.

“Whitewash… what have I told you about interrupting me? Or sneaking up on me? Or breaking into my home, for that matter.” Whitewash just shrugged, sitting atop a set of nearby dressers.

“Sorry. Not my fault if you can’t smell me anymore. And besides, your window was open. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is keeping you two alive. Let’s talk tactics. Like I was saying, we can always gather up the rebels.” I firmly applied hoof to face at the idea.

“Whitewash. Please, be reasonable. How are we to find them? The status is called ‘Missing in Action’ for a reason. How do you suppose we will contact ponies that the Kingdom can’t find? And if we did, why would they help us?” Whitewash rolled her eyes.

“Well, for one, they rebelled against your father ‘cause they like you better. They think you are in the right, and that your father is batshit.” Then, Whitewash grinned a devilish grin. “Besides, when have I never been able to track somepony down?” I thought for a moment about her career choice, and decided that she did have experience in the field.

“Very well. However, we both know that it will take time to assemble a sizable force. What are we to do until then?” Whitewash shrugged again.

“Why not form a militia? You are a general, after all. I’m sure you could whip up a platoon in no time at all.” I pondered the thought. I would require permission from the Mayor, but considering the circumstances, that shouldn’t be too hard. But still…

“What if my father uses the Horses? What do we do then?” Whitewash looked rather pale.

“I… I hadn’t considered that. Should he mobilize the Horses, you may as well kneel over and die on your own. Even Discord, Nightmare Moon, Celestia, Luna, and Chrysalis combined wouldn’t be able to stop them. They would be High Gods at that point.” Fluttershy nudged my shoulder.

“Um… by ‘Horses’ do you mean the Horses of the Apocalypse?” I gaped at Fluttershy for knowing such a thing. “You would talk in your sleep about them. Maybe… maybe the Elements of Harmony could nullify the Armour’s effects? At least, weaken them?” I considered that, and nodded.

“That right there may just be our best bet. It’s one hellova gamble, and should it not work, we may as well go with Whitewash’s plan of kneeling over. However, it might work, and if it does, then it would certainly level the playing field.” I stifled a yawn. “Oh my. It is rather late, isn’t it? I think we should continue our scheming for a later date. One cannot plan such a biblical defense without rest. Whitewash. You are dismissed.” The crème mare nodded, and in a flash of light, was gone. The window was even repaired. I then returned my attention to my wife, who was already returning to her side of the bed. I slipped under the sheets, and spooned her with my forelegs. I planted a kiss on her check, earning me a smile in return. Then, Fluttershy asked, looking slightly worried;

“Red Storm… do you think we can pull this off?” I smiled back, and said:

“Of course. I have a renewed sense of hope for our survival. I think everything will be fine.” That seemed to please her, and she nuzzled my foreleg before quickly fell asleep. I closed my eyes, smiling wider than ever. There was silence as I fell asleep next to my bride. Genuine silence… no voices.

Defenses and Double Dates

“RED STORM!” I was jerked out of my daze, half asleep. I stood in Whitewash’s apartment (she had officially bought the suite for an enormous price) and looked around. It appears I had fallen asleep again. I was at a table, with a scale diorama of Ponyville atop it, drool pooled around Fluttershy’s cottage. Whitewash stood at the other end of the table, frowning.

“Seriously, this is ridiculous. I have spent countless hours here making these preparations for you, and you have been falling asleep every two minutes. If you need to sleep, ok. But we do need to get this done. We are expecting your father here, y’know? It’s kinda important that we make some sort of plan for this.” Nodded, licking a spot of drool from my chin.

“Of course. I’m sorry. I haven’t had much sleep lately. Since your little visit, I haven’t been able to sleep hardly at all. Honestly, I think you can take care of the defenses yourself. I’m not entirely sure why I’m here. You were a Reaver Gua-” I felt an enormous force hit me upside the head, sending me sprawling. When I got to my feet, blood was dribbling from my crown onto my muzzle. I wiped it away with a hoof.

“What was that for?” Whitewash looked very pissed.

“Don’t call me that. Call me 'Captain' all you like. But I am NOT a… not anymore.” She sighed. It looks like the pressure was not just on me.

“I’m sorry. But, I am right. You are more than qualified to assemble a Defense yourself. Even a Militia. Why do you need me?” Whitewash looked like she was about to break down.

“This… this is too much. I faked my death for a reason. I never wanted to lead an army again.” A single tear ran down her cheek. “I… I don’t want this…” Suddenly, she perked up again, wiping the tear from her face. “However, I see your point. I’m going to get Glock with me on this. I will, of course, need help with a few things, but I will try to cover everything myself.” With her resolve renewed, she immediately turned back to the table and began jotting down notes and moving miniatures across the table. I was stunned.

“Whitewash… are you alright? You seem… sporadic.” She turned back to me, angrily.

“You wanted me to handle this myself, so I’m going to. Now, if you don’t mind, please get out. I need concentration. I need to figure out how to create a defensive line with just a platoon of Guards and two dozen ponies… We really need that support…” She drifted off as I did, her anger dissipating as quickly as it arrived. I quickly left the room, heading for the door.

‘She’s totally on heat. Has to be,’ A voice in my head said.

‘Shut it! Not funny! I do not want to think about that!’ Suddenly, from the next room over, I heard Whitewash cry out in frustration and then an explosion. Then Whitewash swearing about ruining her diorama. I made a hasty exit, and wondered what to do now that I had escaped her.

‘Now would be as good a time as any to talk to Ditzy about that double date, eh?’ The voice from earlier said. I paused, then nodded.

“Superb idea. I shall go home first, to make sure Fluttershy did not have anything planned.”

“Talking to the voices in your head, Red Storm?” a cheery voice asked next to me.

I jumped up in fright, and as expected, Pinkie Pie was right next to me. I gathered myself, and was about to shout, but realized something.

“Did… did you ask about ‘voices’?” She nodded, her pink mane bobbing up and down. “How did you know…”

“Well, silly, it’s pretty obvious that you have voices in your head too You’re always talking to yourself when nopony else is around and you sometimes shout at invisible ponies, so it makes sense that you are talking to somepony and I thought ‘Hey Maybe he hears voices like me’ Maybe not fun voices like mine that tell me to bake a cake or throw a party but because you yell at yours maybe they’re meanies or something that tell you to do bad things or maybe you just don’t like them anyway-” I shoved a hoof in Pinkie Pie’s mouth.

“Please. Just… stop. I get it. You have happy voices. I do not. While your cheerfulness is usually refreshing, it is more damaging than joyful right now. I… I would like to think for a few minutes, ok?” Pinkie Pie nodded, saying something through my hoof before bouncing off down the street, presumably to another pony to pester. I gotta say it, Pinkie Pie annoys me. She means well, but she is quite annoying.

I continued along my way, humming a tune to myself, trying to keep my mind occupied from the voices. It had become quite apparent to me that they had become louder than ever in the last month or so. It was almost like ponies were whispering directly into my ears now, instead of trying to from a distance. I was just another minute from the cottage, passing over the bridge when something caught my eye. I spotted a lone figure standing on the hillside just beyond the Everfree, gazing down upon the town. The figure was a dusty brown.

I immediately shot forward, knowing immediately who it was. I intended to get answers today. I flew right past the cottage, shaking the windows as I headed towards my target. In no time at all, I landed a few meters behind the mysterious dusty stallion. He turned to me, his face an expression of joy. Admittedly, I was happy to see him too, but I bore a look of ferocity.

“Sandsturm; what are you doing here? Where have you been? I…” As he had done in our previous encounter, he stepped forward, catching me in a deep kiss. Once again, my eyes rolled back, letting him capture me within himself. When he broke the embrace, I blinked a few times. He smiled and gestured towards the ledge. I moved silently, curious. I looked down at Ponyville, with the sun still rising in the east. I then returned my gaze to the gorgeous stallion next to me, his olive eyes reflecting the orange light wonderfully.

“Red Storm… I should tell you why I’m here, shouldn’t I?” he said, chuckling dully. “I’m here to keep you alive. I don’t doubt that you’ve been planning for your father, right? Well, you need to learn the layout of the town. And I don’t just mean by the ground. What we have here is a three-hundred and sixty-degree battle here. Hostile forces will be coming from all sides, all angles, and all planes; land, air, and everywhere between thanks to Stardust’s Mass Teleportation spell. You need to see for yourself. So see.” I did as I was told, looking out to the entire area surrounding Ponyville. There was the Everfree to the west of the town, the river to the south, the mountains to the east, and the hills to the north. Sandsturm continued:

“You see? Such potential for a battlefield strategy. Yes, the pegasi can attack from nearly any direction, but should they attack at anytime but night, their forms will be easily seen from miles around in the clear skies. Ground troops cannot attack from the south or west, due to the forest being extremely hostile and the river making them easy targets. The mountain passes are too narrow to move an army through, and we can easily create a defensive ambush there. There is so much potential here, it is absurd. Yet, I do not think your father expects you to be able to come up with a decent defense.”

“I was more of an offensive General than a defensive one,” I chuckled. “I was never one for planning things like this… but Whitewash was,” I added with a sly grin.

“You have Whitewash amongst your numbers? Good.” Sandsturm nodded. “You may be able to pull this defense off after all. Another thing… what will you do for soldiers? I doubt even you can shape up a proper militia in time, let alone one that can be effective in this scenario. Even then, what will you do for weapons? Even basic Sanguinary guards have access to armour that stops spears with ease. How do you hope to possibly defeat them?” I paused, before smiling.

“I’ll figure something out. I always do. You know that,” I said, looking longingly at Sandsturm. Sandsturm merely chuckled.

“Right. Of course. Leave it to the Prince to think of a game-winning plan.” Sandsturm sighed, before turning back to the rising sun.

“It truly is beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked, not looking at me. “You would never really appreciate it in the Kingdom, with all the anti-Celestia stuff. But here… It is refreshing. I like it.” I looked out to the rising sun, and let the light fill my mind. I inhaled deeply, letting Sandsturm’s sweet scent fill my nostrils. Then, my concentration was shattered when behind us I heard:

“Red Storm? Hello?”

I spun around just in time to see Fluttershy trot up through some bushes. She looked at me worried.
“Red Storm, what are you doing up here? I saw you fly by the cottage up to here, so I followed. What’s wrong?” I smiled and said:

“Nothing is wrong. I came up here to meet Sandsturm. We were discussing defense strategies.” Her look grew more worried.

“Oh my. Is the stress getting to you? I think you need to rest Red Storm. I think you may be ill.” I looked at her sideways.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean...!” I said, slowly turning back to Sandsturm. He was gone. There was no way for him to have disappeared like that. We were on the edge of a cliff. He was an earth pony, so he couldn’t fly or teleport… I tasted the air. I could no longer smell him.

“I… maybe you are right. I should come home. Pray tell, have you managed to make plans with miss Doo and the Doctor? We really should take them up on their offer for a double date… if you’re ok with it.” Fluttershy nodded.
“Ditzy had actually just come by. She and I talked for a while, and set up a date for tonight. That is, if you are well enough to go out.” I nodded, shaking off her worries.

“I am fine.” I paused. “Ok, not fine, but well enough. I am sure I can make it though a dinner date without losing it.” This did not help Fluttershy’s expression of worry. I moved to her side, and brought her into a hug.
“It’s ok. I will be fine. Let’s go home. I’m famished! And we also need to get ready, eh?” I started with Fluttershy down the winding path back home. “Where are we eating?”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for such distance between updates. I have decided that I should try for a chapter a week, starting today. Not only that, but I have been working on a few... side projects that I may unveil around Act V. Who knows. I have more than one fanfic in the works, so I guess we will see, huh?
Thanks for sticking around this long. I love you all.
Except for you, Richard, you dick.
...
Nah, just kiddin'. You're cool too.

A Splendid Night Out

I waited in the living room while Fluttershy brushed her mane. We were supposed to leave in five minutes, so I hoped she would hurry up. I sat impatiently on the couch, fussing with my suit, listening to the clock tick-tock. It was in fact the same suit I wore to my wedding, Blood Ruby clips glistening. I was both nervous and excited, this being my first formal meeting with a friend since… Well, I can’t even remember. It had been far too long, and I felt bad about putting them aside for so long, but nowadays I simply couldn’t keep up with friends. I hadn’t seen Rainbow Dash or Twilight for nearly a month now, and I had forgotten what it was like to have a Pinkie Pie Party. The only reason I even see Rarity regularly is because she comes by every Thursday for her spa appointment with Fluttershy. Hell, I hadn’t seen Applejack since that apple bucking session a while back. It had been far too long since I had seen any of my friends, and I really feel like I should put aside more time for them, impending doom or not.

I shifted around uncomfortably on the couch as I waited for Fluttershy. A few minutes later, Fluttershy came downstairs, her mane well-brushed, and her form looking simply beautiful. She was wearing a stunning green dress with white trim, surely a work of Rarity’s. She had a small pink crystal butterfly in her mane, its surface glistening a hundred different directions in the light of the house… when did she buy it?

“Red Storm, are you ready?” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. She was wearing a pretty blue eyeshadow and had mascara. Great Luna, she had never been so alluring.

“Of course, my dear. I have been ready. Let us depart! Shall we fly?” Fluttershy thought for a moment before nodding. We headed out the door, waving goodbye to Angel and locking the door behind us. We both took off, dust trailing up behind us. I noticed that as of late, not only has Fluttershy become more confident, she is also a much stronger flier. She could actually keep up with me at a moderate pace. This was something I was rather proud of. I may even say that this marriage is just what she needed, but that is just vain.

We flew over the town just below the cloud line, taking in the sights. By now, the sun had begun its decent, the entire day having gone by now. We saw the scheduled spot below, and so we dove down, smiling at each other. It had been a while since we flew together, and never at such speeds. We must have been going at least thirty kilometers per hour. When we touched ground I saw that the restaurant was the same one that Ditzy and I had visited on our first date. Nearby, I spotted the Doctor and Ditzy herself standing by the door.

‘Hey look! The Doctor appears to have regenerated!’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I thought he was dead meat after you drained him like you did, but I guess he was just fast enough.’

‘Again, what?’

‘Remember? You killed him!’ I paused in mid-step.

‘No… that was the Eternal Night… right?’

‘Just repeating what I remember, dude.’

‘This is very bad.’ I shook myself back into reality.

The Doctor was wearing a simple brown jacket, and Ditzy wore a nice black dress. She wore no makeup, and even still, she looked stunning… if not for her eyes. There is a special place in Tartarus for me. Ditzy spotted us and waved. We trotted over and said hello.

“Ditzy! Doctor! Good to see you both! It has been far too long! How are you both?” The Doctor chuckled.

“We are both doing quite well! And how are you two doing?” Fluttershy spoke up:

“We are also well. It really has been far too long. I hear you got a promotion, Ditzy!” The wall-eyed mare nodded.

“Yup! I did! But come on in, it’s getting cold out, and we can catch up inside.” We all nodded in agreement before stepping inside. The restaurant looked the same as it had that first day, excluding the fact that there was a strange blue horn adorning the wall now.

‘It looks like a basilisk dick!’

‘If they had one, numbskull.’

‘I know. It’s just funny to say.’

‘*sigh* You make our head hurt.’

While the voices in my head commented on the phallic-looking blue horn, we were seated in a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. I removed my coat and hung it on a rack, the Doctor doing the same. The mares sat in the middle of the booth, us gentlecolts on the ends. A waiter immediately came over and took our drink orders; The Doctor ordered water, Ditzy a plain cider, Fluttershy wine, and myself a strawberry daiquiri.

“So, pray tell, what sort of things have happened between you two since we last met?” asked The Doctor. I shrugged, taking a sip of my drink.

“We hadn’t been up to very much,” I said. “Most of our time these days is spent doing lovey-dovey things together like having picnics and walks in the park. I’ll admit it, I’m a complete sap.” Ditzy giggled, and The Doctor nodded. “What about the two of you? I hear Dinky enjoys your company greatly, Doctor.” It was still weird calling him that. I really needed to ask him his name, even if it killed me(him).

“No need to call me that now. We’re all friends here, right? After all, you introduced me to Ditzy here. My name is Time Turner. ‘The Doctor’ is just something I go by. A nickname of sorts. Admittably, I hadn’t actually told Ditzy until my first visit,” he said, blushing. Ditzy just nuzzled him affectionately. I nodded to this. ‘Well then, that solves that.’ He then answered my question:

“Things between Ditzy and I have been wonderful! And yes, Dinky and I get along famously as well. She even called me ‘Daddy’ the other day! She really is a bundle of joy.” His eyes were gleaming as he said this, and I couldn’t help but sigh in envy. They were a deliciously happy little family, not a care in the world.

‘Too bad they’re going to die…’

“I will not allow them to!” I snarled. I realized, once again, I was talking out loud. The three of them were looking at me sideways. “Apologies. I was thinking out loud.” Need to stop that… Ditzy continued:

“Not only is Dinky warming up to Time Turner, but she is also doing much better in school! Her grades have been improving, and she’s been making more friends too! All thanks to Time Turner!” The Doc- Time Turner waved her off.
“I do nothing more than give her a few lessons. I cannot teach her to be charismatic.” I smiled.

“I disagree. Having a father figure after so long has very likely boosted her self-esteem, along with her determination. I think you couldn’t have done more than simply be there for her.” Time Turner looked taken aback, but grinned widely.

“Why thank you, Red Storm. I appreciate that. Now, enough about Ditzy and I, let’s hear a bit more about you!” Before we could start, however, the waiter returned to take our orders. Time Turner ordered fish and chips (‘It's good for your coat, and excellent protein!’), Ditzy ordered a platter of muffins (who’ve guessed?), Fluttershy ordered a green salad, and I ordered a haysteak. Really! Haysteak! The things they can make out of hay…

Once our orders were placed, Ditzy picked up the conversation again.

“So you never answered Time Turner. What’s been up with you two? Have you two... thought about foals?” I choked on my daiquiri.

“No, not at the moment. We’re just trying to enjoy our lives to the fullest. We may consider it when situations change.” I glanced at Fluttershy, who looked a bit down. “Of course, we will certainly find the time to in the near Future,” I quickly added. She perked back up. I just hope she didn’t think I meant that soon.

“That’s great! I honestly think that you can’t truly live until you have a foal. They really do change your life… for the better.” Ditzy leaned on Time Turner as they looked at the two of us, eyes full of joy. I chuckled, and Fluttershy planted a kiss on my cheek.

“I’m not sure if we’re ready for so much change just yet. Like Red Storm said, maybe soon.” I smiled again. The four of us continued to chat, recalling recent events and catching up. After a while, the waiter returned with our food. We talked between bites, laughing at every funny story. We enjoyed each other’s company for another several hours, talking about everything we could think of. We continued this until it became late. I paid the bill(much to Time Turner’s duress) and we stepped outside. We waved and parted ways, myself and Fluttershy headed home, while Time Turner said he need to speak with Ditzy. We took off to the sky, but in mid-flight, I stopped Fluttershy. “Wait,” I told her. We sat down on a cloud and looked down at them. We watched as I saw Time Turner get down on his knees, and pull out a ring, as Ditzy squealed in joy. I smiled lightly, and nodded for us to head back. While we were flying, Fluttershy asked me:

“Red Storm, how did you know Time Turner was going to propose?” I chuckled, shaking my head.

“He had that look in his eyes. The kind you see in a colt that is in love. True love. The kind that will never die.”

“Like ours?” Fluttershy said, smiling back at me.

“Just like ours.”

We arrived at thecottage a few minutes later. We landed, walked inside, and closed the door behind us. I was not surprised to find Angel sleeping on the couch again. Fluttershy moved him to his small bed in the corner of the room and tucked him in. I moved upstairs, Fluttershy close behind. She changed out of her dress while I removed and hung my suit. We laid down in bed, snuggling up against one another. Fluttershy looked up to me, and I gazed into her eyes.

“Red Storm… will we be able to have foals? I mean… will we survive what’s coming?” My face grew stern.

“I assure you, we will. I want you to stop worrying. I will handle this. I will make sure we all make it out of this alive and well. Ok?” I nuzzled her on the nose. “Don’t worry. I swear I will do everything in my power to protect us. Sleep. I am here to protect you.”

I held Fluttershy close, and in a few minutes, she was asleep.

“I will sooner die than lose you…”

The Red Horse

I was trotting through town, headed for Twilight’s Library. In my saddlebag was my lockbox, and inside that, was the Horn. I needed her to assess it, and possibly tell me whether or not it was genuine, for if anypony would know, it would be her. I had messaged her ahead of time, and she assured me she would prepare for its arrival. ‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ she said. Wise words indeed. It gave off a violent energy, something that weighed heavily on my shoulders ever since I retrieved it from the tunnels. I paused. ‘Might explain Fluttershy’s recent late-night ferocity’. I grinned, but I could also feel its effect on me. I heard it whisper in my ears, telling me to kill and maim all of those around me. I ignored it with a shudder as I hurried my pace to the library.

As I trotted down the streets, the ancient artifact’s power was definitely apparent. As I walked by, ponies became agitated, arguments broke loose, and animals fought each other viciously. I increased my pace, praying that the effects would dissipate with distance. I soon arrived at the library, knocking on Twilight’s door. Spike answered, who was covered in charms and glyphs. He waved me in, and thankfully he appeared to be immune to the Horn’s influence. Twilight was standing nearby, with Zecora. Both wore dress much like Spike’s.

“Hello, Twilight. Spike. Zecora. I see you have taken all precautions.” My eye twitched. Zecora stepped up.

“Rid yourself of your burden and put on this charm, lest you try to bring us harm.” I still was not used to her odd impediment. I nodded, placing down my saddlebag. Twilight adorned me with several charms while Zecora pulled out the lockbox and placed it on a table. She nodded back to me.

“We must remove the Horn from its cage if we are to subdue its limitless rage.” I nodded back, stabbing my hoof on the spike, letting my blood dribble into the lock. I licked the wound, my eyes turning crimson once more before removing the horn myself, much to Twilight and Zecora’s surprise.

“Wait… how can you hold it? Coming in contact with that would drive an average pony insane!” I squinted at them.

“I am no average pony, as it would appear.” I placed the Horn in a charm bag being levitated by Twilight before turning back to my lockbox. Spike was nearly drooling over its gem-based contents. I chuckled, handing him a hoof-sized emerald.

“Here you go, Spike. I think you deserve a gem. After all, being Twilight’s assistant can’t be easy.” Spike took the gem, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, especially now that Big Mac’s been coming over for ‘sleep overs’. I can hardly sleep anymore with all the noise.” Twilight spun around, fuming.

“Spike! I can’t believe you!” I laughed out loud now, but my expression turned serious again.

“Be wary, Twilight Sparkle. Your rage is a dangerous thing around that artifact.” She sighed, the anger disappearing from her eyes.

“Right, ok. Let’s just get this over with. I don’t want to have to be around that thing for longer than I have to. It is a fragment of War’s Armor, as you say it is.” I nodded back to her, and turned my attention back to Zecora, who was preparing some sort of ritual. In the center of the room was large circle drawn in chalk, and in the center of that, was the Horn in the bag. Zecora looked up. I had to admit, she looked quite exotic with all of her paints and charms. Sensually so. I rapped my skull with a hoof. ‘You’re married now. Stop thinking like a bachelor.’ When I looked back up, Twilight Sparkle had joined her and they were beginning the ritual. I stepped up next to the Zebra, curious.

“Pray tell, what is this ceremony meant to do, anyway? I am curious of your intentions.” Zecora smiled and stated:

“This ancient ritual is meant to unveil what type of magic is within this steel mail.” I nodded, and let her proceed.
Zecora began a chant, closing her eyes. The language was unknown to me, but it left me cold. Clearly this ancient ritual called upon ancient spirits, none of whom seemed very thrilled to be called upon. A strange light filled the room, red mixed with purple. The Horn glowed a devilish crimson meanwhile Zecora herself shimmered with a violet aura. Twilight and I both took a step back, while Spike merely watched in awe at the events unfolding before him. Before long, the two colors started to clash, and Zecora shuddered noticeably, her eyes still closed. I contemplated ceasing this whole thing, but decided I should let it continue. Zecora knew very well what she was getting herself into, and there is no reason I should interrupt. Unless she started bleeding from her eyes. Then I might help.

Zecora fought off her discomfort and continued her chant. Her voice became strained, and sweat was beginning to form on her brow. The Horn started to glow a burning red, and the walls started to shake.

“Uh… Twilight…” started a nervous Spike, “Is this supposed to be happening?” The purple mare shook her head, never once taking her eyes off of Zecora.

“I don’t know… this procedure hasn’t been done in several generations. At least, that’s what Zecora said. We had no way of knowing what was going to happen!” Right as she said that, there was an enormous blast of energy, sending the three of us flying across the room. I was the first to arise, and I immediately looked to Zecora. She and the horn were both now levitating off the ground, violet and crimson energy swirling around them respectively, clashing with shockwaves of magical power. Books were falling off the shelves, fissures were forming in the walls, and the typhoon of energy was growing more violent by the minute, stirring up fast winds now.

“Damnation! This is something out of a bad horror novel! Twilight! Aid me! We must end this before it falls out of hoof!” The mare struggled to her hooves, nodding. We started making our way towards the center of the maelstrom, pure magical energy whipping at our bodies, tearing fur and drawing blood. Twilight fell back a pace.

“Red Storm! Stop! It’s too dangerous! The magic is too unstable! It’ll kill you!” I snarled back, the energy now searing my flesh.

“I cannot! This is my burden which I had thrust upon you! I can withstand it! Stand back if you must, but I must stop this!” I turned back to Zecora and the Horn, which were several feet off the ground now, pulsing with magic beyond anything I had ever seen. And I have sparred with my mother. Magical tendrils started to form from the Horn, wrapping themselves around Zecora. I gritted my teeth as I unfurled my wings.

“Damn you! Let go of her!” I launched myself at the fragment of War, and tore it from Zecora, an enormous blast of energy nearly cutting me in half. The maelstrom stopped immediately, and Zecora dropped to the ground, unconscious. However, the wind had ripped the protective charm from my neck, and now I held the Horn in my mouth, its full potential now revealed. I felt the power of a thousand Sanguine Berzerkers flowing through me like an electrical current, and my mind collapsed. All I could see was red, and all I could think of was slaughter and destruction. I could feel my wounds closing instantaneously, and the rage within brewing. I looked to Twilight, seeing only a new foe to slay. She looked at me and gasped, seeing the Horn clutched in my mouth. I rose, but before I could move in for the kill, a voice rung in my ears like a heavenly chorus.

I thought of Sandsturm, and the rage left me, washed away by calmness. Calm within the Storm. My body relaxed, and I let the Horn fall from my mouth onto the floor. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I looked back up to Twilight, who still looked worried. Her body was covered in minor scrapes and cuts, but nothing serious. I noticed Spike was getting up now, clutching his head were there was blood flowing. Then my thoughts drifted to Zecora. I spun around to the zebra on the floor. Her nose was bleeding, and she was looking at me with the same expression as Twilight. Uncertainty and distress. I made a move towards her, and she jumped up, taking a defensive stance. Her charms were broken and her glyphs were smeared. However, she seemed cautious of me, not hostile. I turned back to Twilight, and she stood in a defensive stance next to Spike, but I could say the same was true for them as well. Thinking back to the discord the Horn caused outside, they were well within its range of effect. Yet… nothing. A smile crept across my face, causing Zecora to tense up. I then laughed.
“It looks like our mission has accomplished! HA!” The three around me looked at me quizzically, but then I pointed at the shard of War at my hooves.

“Even though touching it nearly drove me insane, I think it’s safe to say Zecora has successfully dispelled the Horn’s range of influence. I don’t feel like killing anypony, do any of you?” The mares in front of me glanced at each other, and relaxed.

“Even thought it was a painful process for everypony involved, I think it was well worth it. I would say that we have successfully contained War’s wrath.” Zecora let a grin slip, proud of her own work. Then, Twilight cleared her throat, eyeing the damage to the library.

“I’m sorry to ask, Red Storm… do you think you could lend me some bits for repairs? I hate to ask you something like this after everything and… I waved a hoof in the air before trotting to my lockbox, and pouring the remainder of its contents onto the table. There was a hooffull of gems, and a pile of bits.

“Of course I will pay for the damages. After all, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for me. And Zecora…” I tossed the zebra an amethyst with my wing, “Thank you for all you’ve done to help. Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude.” Zecora looked at the pink stone awkwardly, before placing it in her saddlebag. After I had divided out my remaining wealth from my princehood, Zecora spoke up.

“While it is good that the Horn has been contained, it must still be kept safe to avoid more pain.” I nodded and she removed a strange looking stick from her saddlebag, and used it to pick up the Horn, replacing it into her charmbag.
“The Horn of War will be safe with me, for nopony dares enter the Everfree.” I nodded again, and watched as Zecora left, dabbing her nose with a napkin. I returned my attention to Twilight, who was sorting the books into piles, one pile for those damaged in the ritual, and a pile for those still intact.

“I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you and your friends. I hope that I can make this up to you.” Twilight looked at me and smiled.

“It’s alright, red Storm. Things like this happen… I mean bad things. Average ponies don’t go around unleashing maelstroms of energy inside libraries, but it’s ok. That’s what friends are for. Making messes and forgiving each other after.” Her response helped me a little, but I still felt guilty. Then another thing popped into my head.

“Tell me Twilight, why did you look so scared when I had the Horn clutched in my jaws? It couldn’t have just been caution.” She looked surprised.

“You… you didn’t see it? The fire?” I blinked twice before asking her t repeat herself.

“Yes. Fire. When you had the Horn in your mouth, you looked like you were engulfed in fire. Burning, searing hate and rage for everything around you, manifested into the form of a veil of fire around you, threatening to burn away anything that came near.” I coughed, blush forming on my cheeks.

“Oh? Really? Is that so? Well then… it looks like the Horn really is more powerful than I could have ever imagined. Good thing we contained it when we did, huh?” Twilight sharpened her gaze towards me.

“Is there… something you’re not telling me, Red Storm? Something I should know?” My blush grew deeper as I tried to think of a way out of the situation. I couldn’t let her know I was the Avatar of War. It would… strain our friendship, to put it lightly.

“I… uh… Oh my, look at the time! Looks like it’s time for me to join Fluttershy for our five ’o clock tea! Would hate to keep her waiting. Talk to you later!” I promptly left before any more questions could be asked.

As I neared my home, I noticed that Fluttershy was at the door speaking with two familiar ponies. One was a mountain of a stallion, having to lean over to speak with my wife. The other was a thin grey-blue mare. Both wore blood-red steel plate armour. Then it hit me.

I flew forward, feeling the sound barrier exploded behind me. I was about to tackle the huge red stallion when something stopped me. I was completely frozen not even able to move my eyes. Then Stardust stepped in front of me.

“I would suggest the prince stay put and listen before attacking the messengers.” I was then released from her magic, hitting the ground with a ‘humf’. Fluttershy hurried to my side, helping me up. I looked up at Bloodthorn, and Bloodthorn was looking down on me. He wore the same deadpan expression as ever.

“Prince Red Storm. We are here to deliver the King’s declaration of war. I am sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but it appears that we will finally see who is stronger, won’t we m’lord?” I nodded, snatching the letter and tearing it open. Fluttershy hid behind me as I read aloud.

War Never Changes

I sat on the couch, downing another glass of whiskey, provided by Whitewash. Fluttershy sat next to me, leaning on my shoulder attempting to provide comfort. Whitewash and Glock stood across from me, looks of worry on their face. The rest of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash stood around the room. All eyes were on the letter, sitting on the coffee table, its blood red Sanguine Seal burning holes into our minds. We simply sat in silence, staring at the letter. Whitewash was the first to speak up.

“I suppose this is all the more reason to contact the Princesses about a defense.” I nodded without saying a word, mind swimming with thoughts.

‘How could I allow this to happen? I have doomed us all.’

‘It’s not your fault.’

‘Of course it’s his fault, he fled his father. His kingdom. This was inevitable, and he knew it. He dragged everypony into his grave.’

‘I did… it is all my fault. Everypony shall die because of me.’

‘No… it is not too late. You can save them. Nothing is written in stone.’

‘…’

‘An epitaph is.’

I stood up quickly, startling Fluttershy.

“If my father wants a war, then he shall get one. Whitewash. You leave tonight. You know what to do.” Whitewash nodded, and I turned to Glock. “You are going to whip up a militia, and train the reinforcements when they arrive.”

“No problem. I’ve got it handled,” Glock said with a grin. I turned to Twilight.

“I need you to write to your Princess. We require as many of her spare detachments as she can spare.” Twilight nodded at this, and I turned to Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow. I know for a fact that Cloudsdale has a legendary military history. If you can, send word to them that war is coming, and request aid from them. I’m sure they will be happy to oblige, if all pegasi are like you.”

“You got it!” I grinned, some of Rainbow’s enthusiasm rubbing off on me. Next was Applejack.

“Applejack, would any of your family-”

“Say no more, Red Storm. Ya have the Apple’s support. We’re always will’n to help out in any way we can. Not ta like we’re gonna turn down a fight. We pretty much founded this country, and we ain’t gonna just hand it over ta some big-shot king and his lackies.” I was slightly surprised, but I found new strength in her resolve. I turned to Rarity.

“Believe it or not, Rarity, I will need your aid as well. In order to enchant and augment armor and weapons, we require gems. More specifically, Soul Sapphires and Blood Rubies. With your special gem-seeking spell, I’m sure you can find some in the area. I would be lying if I said I haven’t found a few mining.” Rarity hesitated, but nodded. Next was Pinkie Pie.

“While your job may not seem to be important, it may be most important of all. We face impossible odds against an enemy that has never before been defeated in war. We need morale support, and you are the best candidate. I need you to make a morale campaign, for without morale in war, even the greatest army is no more useful than a box of kittens.” Pinkie beamed at this, getting to do what she does best in defense of her home. I then looked down at my wife. She looked ready to curl up in a corner and cry.

“As much as it pains me to say this, love, but I have something to ask you as well.” Fluttershy sniffled once, but didn’t flinch. She already knew what I was going to say.

“Ponies will not be enough in the battle to come. As I recall, you have an incredible standing in the Everfree. I need you to request aid from the animals that live there, such as the Manticores, the Timber Wolves, and any other animals you can convince to aid us. Remind them that this battle is as much theirs as ours, for if we fail in our defense, then I can assure you my father will burn the Everfree to the ground.” Fluttershy gasped at the thought, but nodded slowly. I sighed.

“Im sorry that I must bear down on you all like this. I am burdening you all with my own problems.” Applejack wrapped a foreleg around me.

“Aw, sugarcube, it’s all right. We all have our own luggage, an’ our own problems. But that’s what friends are for. Helping each other out, even if that means going down fight’n with ‘em!” I chuckled.

“Very well. Seeing as you are all so intent on dying for me, then let it be heard: we shall fight together, and if it should be so, die together! Not only as allies, but as the truest of friends! A family bonded by the heart!” Everypony in the room cheered, including Fluttershy for once.

As I looked around the room, ponies roaring with enthusiasm at the battle to come.

‘Come father. Come and fight me. I will be ready.’

…Later that night…

“Red Storm? What are we doing at the hospital?” I had asked Twilight Sparkle to follow me as I made one last trip. Fluttershy was at home talking with her animals, and I sighed a heavy sigh as I entered the front door of the hospital. May Luna have mercy on my soul…

“We are here to make one last errand, but I wanted to ask your opinion of my thoughts.” The lavender unicorn nodded, and I continued. My expression grew dark.

“I know for a fact, that even if we aquire ever other item for our defense, my father alone will still be far too powerful for us to overcome. In short, we will fail, unless I do something… drastic.” Twilight put two and two together and her eyes went wide.

“You’re going to feed your curse?” I nodded.

“Without the blood magic, there is no way I can possibly hope to stand against my father, even if I were to train day and night. I nearly broke my leg falling down the stairs the other day. There is no way I could possibly hope to fight him the way I am… however, my father is not the only threat. He will foresee me indulging once more, and will bring my mother and sister for extra support. Even should I defeat my father, my mother and sister would destroy this country in a tide of fire and arcane death.” Twilight shuddered.

“So there is no way to defeat them? No way at all?” I shook my head.

“We can always use your Elements of Harmony to weaken them, perhaps subdue them for a while… but it wouldn’t be enough. It calls for something… more.” Twilight looked even more disturbed at what I was implying.

“Are you saying… infect us with the Sanguine Curse?” I lowered my gaze to the ground.

“In a way. I think I would be able to create a ritual that will grant temporary effects without the actual curse, but it requires blood. Lots of it. So, here we are.” Twilight pulled me back.

“Hold on, I never agreed to anything! Who says this is the only way?” I turned back, my eye brimming with disdain.

“I do. You have never fought my family one-on-one. Even when I was still feeding my curse, I could barely stand against my sister, let alone my mother. Yes, Twilight Sparkle, you are powerful. But you are as insignificant as an ant to somepony like my sister, and are closer to a mite to my mother. I doubt that one of the Princesses could fare well against them should they be at full strength. That is how powerful they are. Again, this may not work at all. We may all die screaming in arcane fires, but this is our best bet.” Twilight silently nodded after that, and I apologized.

“I am sorry for this, but I feel like this may be the only way to preserve our lives. I wouldn’t be doing this if there was another way.” Twilight gave another nod, and I turned around, walking up to the front desk. Nurse Redheart was standing there, and when she saw me, she gave a noticeable shiver.

“Hello, Red Storm. What brings you here today? Are you here for an injury, or do you want to buy all of our blood now?” She scoffed.

“Actually, yes. I am here to purchase any medical blood you may have to spare!” She choked.

“Wha-wha-WHAT? What for?” I shrugged.

“Oh, no reason. My evil warlord father just declared war on Equestria, and I need to use the blood for rituals in order to strengthen myself enough to face him. Why?” Redheart looked like she was about to faint.

“I… I… I’ll be right back…” She walked away in a daze, headed into the back room behind the front desk. Moments later she returned, wheeling a large cooler on a gunny.

“Here… this is… all of it. I’m not even sure how much this is worth…” I waved my hoof, dropping my last emerald on the counter. I opened the cooler, and took the topmost blood pack. A+… my favorite. I stared at the blood for several minutes, wondering whether or not I should drink it. Other than licking cuts and scrapes I got on a daily basis, this would be the first real feeding I would have had in almost a year. I heard a whisper in my ear:

“Do what you must to keep your friends safe. I stand by you with you decision.” I turned to the voice, and there was Sandsturm. His delicious sent filled my nostrils. “Do not fear yourself. You control your life. Do not think anything else does. Go on. Stop running from your fate.” He nuzzled my cheek, and stepped back. I nodded, and tore open the blood pack, drinking deeply of its contents. Immediately I felt the rush of the curse. My senses sharpened, and my muscles flexed and grew. Once again, I was a Blooded Prince, and it showed. I tore open another blood pack, guzzling its contents, before drinking one more. I had forgotten what real power felt like, and I loved the feeling.

I took a deep breath, and exhaled. I was bathed in scents. The scent of the dust in the air, the illness in the hospital. The scent of the cleaning products on the floors and windows. The scent of Redheart. Of Twilight. Of Sandsturm.

“Red Storm, are you alright? You… you tore into that blood like an animal!” I looked back at her, my eyes burning like hellfires. I grinned slyly, blood trickling from my mouth, my stained teeth as sharp as razors.

“I have never felt better.” I returned my gaze back to Redheart, spinning on my hooves too fast to see, causing her to jump.

“Nurse! I require more blood. We have a month to prepare, and this is not enough. Perhaps we can organize a blood drive?” She shook like a leaf.

“Su-sure… I can talk to the Mayor… I’ll make sure you get your blood.”

“Excellent.” I then remembered about Sandsturm. Strangely, he was nowhere around.

“Pray tell, Twilight, did you happen to see a young stallion leave just now? About my height, sandy brown? Beautiful, green eyes?” Twilight looked at me sideways, thinking. Then she nodded.

“Yes, a stallion jus left, but I didn’t see his face. Though… something was off about him… why?” I put a hoof to my chin, before shaking off the feeling.

“No reason. I thought he was somepony I knew.” I ran a hoof through my mane. It was getting long again.

“Well, I suppose that wraps up our business here. Come on Twilight. Let’s get you home.” Twilight Sparkle shook her head.

“No, I need to speak with your friend Glock. I need to figure out the best way to utilize the Elements of Harmony during the battle.” I shrugged.

“Fine. Suit yourself.” I took another deep breath, and stopped half-inhalation.

“Twilight…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Did you know you’re pregnant?”

I stood before Fluttershy, cooler of blood on my back. She simply gaped in disbelief at me. I stood in silence, trying to act innocent. My eyes still burned red, and would for at least for another few days from the amount of blood I had consumed. Finally she spoke:

“Red Storm! Have you been drinking blood again?”

“No. Yes. Maybe. I have an eye infection.” She gave me a look of annoyance.

“When did you decide you were going to do this?” I cocked my head to the side.

“About twenty minutes ago. Why? Does it bother you? Really, does it? I’ll sleep on the couch.” She shook her head.

“No. I can get over it. But I thought we promised to discuss these things.” I looked away, closing my eyes.

“I know… It’s just that… I… I’m sorry Fluttershy. I need to prepare myself for the coming battle, and that means drinking blood again. I can’t beat my father any other way.” She lifted my chin to face her again.

“Red Storm. I understand you need to take certain measures to ensure everypony’s safety… but we need to make sure that those measures are safe for you too. I don’t want you doing something like this without telling me, ok?” I nodded, and she planted a quick peck on my cheek.

“Thank you. Now, can you please come to dinner, Red Storm? I made some nice carrot stew.” I put a hoof to my stomach, making a slightly guilty expression.

“Sorry love, but blood is like food for me. I’m full already!” Fluttershy scrunched up her muzzle, and I tried to look innocent. The red eyes and carnivorous teeth didn’t help. She then swiftly turned around and headed for the kitchen.

“Well fine then! I suppose I’ll just eat with Angel. You go do… whatever. I’ll see you in bed, honey.” I sighed, and headed upstairs. I placed the cooler in the corner of the room. It was enchanted with a simple spell so that it always stayed cold, so I just sat down on the bed. I sat there for another hour, thinking. Thinking about how I was going to prepare myself to face my father. How I was going to save everypony I loved. Everypony I didn’t even know. How I could possibly live up to such expectations? I was no hero. I was a soldier, born to a madman and a madwoman. I was lucky to get this far. I sighed.

“Perhaps… perhaps none of this was meant to be.”

“I think it was.” I was startled by Fluttershy’s voice as she entered the room. She flew over to the bed, lying down next to me.

“I think that you were meant to come here. To meet me. To fall in love with me. If I had never met you, I would still be the quiet, squeamish little pegasus living alone with all of her animals.” I was astonished at how she had viewed herself, and that she was telling me now. “You have changed my life, and every pony else’s in Ponyville; for better or worse. It doesn’t even matter. What does matter is that you are here. With me. And nothing will ever change that.” I smiled at her, and kissed her.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t worry about that, for if it wasn’t meant to happen, then it wouldn’t have. Thank you, Fluttershy. You truly are my guiding light.” She pulled me down onto the bed, giggling.

“Alright then, Mr. Worry it’s time for bed.” She paused, putting a hoof to her chin as if she was thinking about something.

“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever spent a night with you red-eyed and all. How much blood did you say you drank?”

“About three liters. Why?”

“That’s a lot of calories to burn.” I blinked twice, amazed that this was suddenly a game to her.

“Is that safe?” I asked, honestly worried for her well-being. I could easily demolish the house with a kick right now.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” She pulled me into another kiss, and then we embraced.

It was hardly safe at all.

Author's Notes:

I know, I know. I said I wouldn't be able to update for a wihile now seeing as I am moving. However, it appears that even amongst the chaos of packing, I have found even more time than ever to type. So, I don't know. Until I actually move into another house, I may continue to update once a week or so. No promises.

Transition IV

I… I cannot believe I have made it this far. It is amazing to amount to something to life, even if that something is as silly as a story on a FanFiction website. I thank you, the reader, for reading my story up to this point, and I hope that you continue to read, as will many others. However, let us not wait! TO THE REFERENCES!

-Marvel-ch31- I am Galactus, and I hunger.

-Skyrim AI-ch31- Hmm? What was that? Must have been the wind…

-Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse-ch33- Four Horses? Horsemen? Eh… tough crowd…

-Call of Cthulhu; HP Lovecraft-ch33- Old gods of Dreams and Weather? Come on! This is good stuff here!

-Monty Python's Holy Grail-ch33- Which reference is this? One? Two? Five?

-Green Day-ch 34- I walk this lonely road, the only road that I have ever known…

-Star Wars-ch 34- Would hate to hit a bear flying through the woods at high speeds. Somepony could get hurt.

-Avatar: The Last Airbender-ch 34- Secret love tunnels are the best tunnels.

-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-ch35- The Title. THE TITLE, DAGNAMIT!

-Ghostbusters-ch35- We came we saw, we kicked killed his ass!

-Austin Powers: Goldmember-ch35- Time travel, penis rockets and sexy bitches. Fun movie.

-Fullmetal Alchemist-ch36- Don’t forget teacher’s riddle. She may throw up on you.

-Warriors-ch36- Blood will spill blood, and another clichéd prophecy will come true.

-Star Wars-ch36- You heard Ackbar Red Storm. You can’t repel power of that magnitude.

-Battle 360-ch37- Enemies can come from the air, the sea, and the ground in this 360 degree battlefield. Sort of.

-PewDiePie-ch38- Ain’t no party like a Pinkie Pie Party!

-Doctor Who-ch38- Fun fact! I actually discussed Time Turner’s death with a Whovian, and he said in a death that rapid, he would not have been able to regenerate! Jolly good fun, murder! Moving on…

-How I Met Your Mother-ch38- Another fun fact: Basilisk dicks look a lot like Smurf dicks.

-Deadpool-ch38- Ignore that idiot above me.

-Fallout series-ch39- Does it ever really change?

-Tea Time-ch39- Brits will get this one. Americans… not so much. Anna, hand me a biscuit.

So…Yeah. Fun times, eh?

I know I don’t have as many as the previous act, but that’s cause I was focusing on storytelling. There may be more that I forgot to write down, so tell me if you find any more. Anywhoo… yeah.

You can go now.

Don’t know why you’re still here.

…

…

…

Go away. There is nothing here for you!

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the space between the Act IV Finale and the Transition. My bad.

Storm Watch

I stared out the upstairs window, eyes shimmering red. I watched as the sun crept onto the horizon headed into the violet sky. I looked back momentarily to gaze upon Fluttershy as she slept. I looked at the clock. Barely four in the morning. I sighed audibly. I had been awake all night, yet I felt like I had the energy to take on the world. It was the curse, and I knew it damn well. I flexed my wings, and I decided to go out for a quick flight I should try to see how fast I was now. As I walked towards the hatch that led to the stairs, I stopped myself. I looked to the half-open wardrobe, a sliver of my golden armour shining through the crack. The blood ruby in the center of the chest, bright as ever.

…Ten minutes later…

Angel had followed me out of the cottage and hopped along next to me as I trotted along the grassy field leading to the woods. As I neared the Everfree, I passed by three large ponds, the very same craters I created upon my arrival here in Ponyville. Even now, I imagine what could have been had I not been struck down in that fateful storm. I looked down to Angel. He was looking up to me, his ever-strong gaze piercing straight through mine. I nodded, smiling. The last thing I saw was him giving me the paws-up before I took off, sending dirt flying.

I felt the early morning air flowing through my mane as I sped up. I smiled as I felt my form explode through the sound barrier. My mane and tail whipped through the wind as I felt the power of the Sanguine Curse supercharge my body with ancient magic.

‘Just passed mach two…’

I flicked my wings back and flew skywards, heading through the clouds, high into the heavens.

‘Mach four…’

My grin widened as I let the power course through my veins, my wings carry me higher, and just then, at that moment, I remembered why I loved this curse so much. I felt like a god amongst ants. I felt like not even the heavens could contain me. Then, immeasurable pain exploded throughout my body.

I opened my eyes and looked down just in time to see my blood explode out of my body as I hit Mach ten. My crimson eyes widened in shock, and my body went limp. Even without the extra thrust, my momentum carried me even higher, my life trailing behind me. My eyes began to flutter as I lost speed, then after climbing another thousand feet, started to fall.

‘You think I was just counting for fun? Idiot.’

‘I… I must… stop… falling…’

I could feel my blood being restored, and my shredded muscle being repaired, but not fast enough. I was falling at a terrifying rate. I knew very well that even with the Curse active, and my adamant armour, a fall from this height into solid ground would most definitely kill me, especially as I was falling head-first.

‘Well then… it was fun, but it seems your stupidity has killed us.’

‘This sucks. This isn’t as cool as being killed by your father. At least then we could go out in a blaze of glory.’

‘This is not our time, damnit! Get your bearings and save us, you fool!’

‘SAVE US! I WANT TO EAT WHEATCAKES AGAIN!’

My eyes shot back open once again. The ground was getting quite close. At most, another three hundred feet until I hit the ground. You know what they say. Altitude flies by when you’re falling to your death.

'No… I will not die today. Nor in times to come… AND MOST OF ALL NOT AT MY FATHER’S HOOVES.’

Through all the pain, I managed to open my wings and angle them to slow my descent. I gritted my teeth as I worked, the ground just under fifty feet below me. The moment I touched the ground, I collapsed, sucking in air. That was far too close. Despite my immense power, flying at over Mach 10 is a right reserved only to Rainbow Dash.

That’s when I noticed that Fluttershy had come galloping out of the cottage to meet me.

“Red Storm! I heard an enormous explosion outside, and saw a red cloud, and you falling!” She had tears streaming down her face as she flung her hooves around me. “You had me so worried… I-I thought you were going to die!” She paused only to look into my crimson gaze.

“I… I thought I was going to lose you…” I coughed, standing up. Fluttershy squeaked at my strained movement, but I waved her off with a hoof.

“I told you-*hrrg!*-that I’m not going to-*gah!*-leave you… not now… not ever. You do not need to worry about me… I just- need something to eat…” As much as it pained me to even think about it, Fluttershy was looking rather appetizing after draining myself like that. Losing almost all my blood at once and having to regenerate it in less than a minute put quite a toll on my body.

“Come inside, Red Storm. You need to rest after that. I think you woke up the whole town with that… rainboom? I’m not sure what to call it.” I looked up, and the misty cloud of blood was still raining down from the sky. I felt the warm droplets begin to hit my face, and Fluttershy quickly noticed the gruesome rainfall as well.

“Red Storm! You said that your blood carries the Sanguine Curse! Does that mean…?” I shook my head.

“The blood of a Sanguine Noble must be given, not taken. Blood is the essence of life, and has different spiritual properties depending whether or not it is taken from the host, or given willfully. It’s the reason I survived this time. Given blood, or in this case, donated blood, is far more potent than stolen blood. And, in the case of a Sanguine Noble, only blood that is offered may transmit the curse. One cannot receive the curse by, for say, biting a Sanguine Noble. It must be offered, otherwise the forbidden fruit withers and loses its luster. I can go on about this, but I feel like we should go back inside and wash up.” Fluttershy looked nervous, but she remained calm despite being misted in the blood of her spouse. We returned inside, where we took showers individually to rid ourselves of my blood. All the while Angel stood, watching inquisitively.

…One hour later…

I stepped out of the shower, only to be greeted with the smell of fresh blood. I trot into the kitchen to find that Fluttershy had prepared breakfast: A normal cabbage and carrot soup for her and wheatcakes for me. However, upon closer inspection, the wheatcakes were drizzled with syrup which were an ominous red color. She knows I love raspberries. She stood at the sink washing the cooking utensils.

“Love, you made breakfast. I told you that you don’t have to cook for me anymore. I have the blood reserves upstairs.” Fluttershy smiled, kissing me on the cheek.

“I know you told me not to, but I wanted to try a few things. I take care of a lot of animals, some carnivorous, so I had some idea of how to make something you might enjoy. I hope you don’t mind.” I looked back at the plate, and took a seat. I smelled the faint aroma of blood, but it was mostly overcome with the sweetness of syrup and the smoky smell of the cakes. I cut out a piece, and took a bite. Instead of tasting ash like I normally would when eating food while under the effects of the Curse, my mouth exploded with flavor. The flavor of the blood (B-), the flavor of the wheat (grown on the farms south of the town), and the syrup (extracted from trees straight from Apploosa). I chewed, and swallowed. Once I was done, I calmly wiped my mouth, and looked to my wife.

“This is perfect, Fluttershy. I give you my immeasurable thanks.” Fluttershy waved a hoof at me, blushing as she took her seat across me.

“Oh, Red Storm, don’t be silly. I’m your wife. It’s my job to make you delicious food. No matter how weird your cravings get.” She giggled at the end, and I chuckled.

“Very well, Fluttershy. I see your point. Thank you again for taking the time to make this. It really does mean more than you could know.”

Fluttershy and I spent the next half hour eating and discussing her ideas for recipes. Together we made up many different pastries (Sanguine Velvet Cake), drinks (Bloodied Marey), and even sandwiches (Blood Sausage Sub). After she felt comfortable with our ideas, I led her back upstairs before returning to do the dishes. I stood in silence as I washed the utensils and plates, thinking about the days ahead. I had to ensure that the town would be prepared. Now more than ever, we needed gems, soldiers, and weapons. I sighed, rubbing my temples with my wingtips.

“I fear that there is not enough time… even with everypony working to fortify the town and train… I fear it is not enough.”

“Perhaps. But that is why you must be the ace in the hole.” I spun around in surprise. ‘How could somepony sneak up on me like that?’ However, my alarm quickly faded to calm as I saw Sandsturm leaning on the wall behind me.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked him, head cocked to one side. His aroma overwhelmed me, but something about him seemed... different. His mane, perhaps?

"Figure it out. Not to difficult, really. But that's beside the point. What is important is that you figure out how you're going to save all these ponies." I closed my eyes, inhaling.

"I'm not sure, Sandsturm. I really don't know. I know that I'm supposed to be a leader, a strategist, but I really can't see how this could work out. Even if we survive... defeat my father... the toll would be enormous. Lives… Families... the town itself... it almost seems like a good idea to just turn myself over t-" Sandsturm interrupted me in the form of slapping me across the face with his tail.

"Damnit, Red Storm! What are you saying!? What about Fluttershy? What about me? Would you really throw everything away just because things look grim? You are used to staring down impossible odds and winning. It's what you were trained for! What you were born for! You are to be a legend in history, and you think that you are merely some pawn to be disposed of? If that were the case, why would any of this be happening?" I thought for a moment, cocking my head to the side while he continued. "You were meant to be great. You will be great. Just allow yourself to be. STOP PITYING YOURSELF AND FIGHT BACK!" He paused, realizing he had shouted. We both looked to the ceiling, but when nothing happened, the dusty stallion looked back to me, calm replacing his momentary distress.

"Please. Realize you are something worth fighting for. Your life is. And if not yours, then at least consider your wife's." He paused, and we stared at each other. I nodded, regaining my resolve. I clenched my jaw as he turned to leave.

“Sandsturm.” He turned back to me, eyes glimmering for a moment, before raising an eyebrow.

“Why… why did you leave me? Why did you disappear? And where have you been? Why do you seem so eager to leave again?” The dusty stallion sighed deeply before smiling at me.

“I’ve never left you. You should have realized that. I was with you every day. I still am. My memory is with you, even when I am not. I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry for your anguish. But now is not the time to linger on such things. I… I really should be going. It’s late. You need your rest.”

He started again for the door, but as he pulled open the door, I swept up to him, with a single question more.

“Sandsturm!” He looked at me again, now becoming slightly annoyed.

“No kiss this time?” I said, shooting him a sharp-toothed grin.

“No. Go to bed. I must take my leave. Besides, you are married.” I was taken aback, but nodded slowly as I watched him leave. I watched him until he disappeared over the bridge before closing the door, quietly. I sighed, making my way back upstairs, back to Fluttershy. I entered the bedroom as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake up my sleeping beauty. I looked at my bloody, discarded armour next to my wardrobe. I cringed, and decided to clean it since I wasn’t really tired to begin with.

Like a ghost, I moved about the room collecting a rag, some stain (blood) remover, polish, a bowl of hot water, and a brush. I sat on the floor a few tail-lengths from the bed and got to work. I sat in silence, thinking to myself as I worked. I started by scrubbing the hardened blood off of the plates with the damp rag and brush. I worked gently but quickly, the brush the only noise aside from my heart beating and Fluttershy’s breathing; not even the mice in the walls emitted any sound tonight. Normally, it would have been difficult to work in the dim moonlight, but my enhanced eyes pierced the darkness as if it were high noon. I began to think as I polished my cuirass, already halfway done. I thought about my previous life, and my new one. I thought about Sandsturm, and Fluttershy. I thought about Redmane Keep and its luxuries. Most of all though, I thought about the Armour. The Armour of War, and all its power. Suddenly, I was jerked back to reality by… something. I shook my head, removing the excess thoughts from my consciousness as I continued to clean my armour.

One hour later…

Pushing my armour back onto its mannequin, I blinked with slight drowsiness in my eyes. My body was finally beginning to fall from the magic high, and returning to normal… more or less. Making my way to the bed, I sighed again, for no real reason. I needed to rest my mind and my body, even if it didn’t want to. I had to start issuing orders tomorrow.
The defense of Ponyville begins tomorrow.

Author's Notes:

Well, well, well. Look's like I'm finally back.
...
No, I was not eaten by the Sarlacc.
Anyway. Important. I thought you guys deserved a heads-up, but I'm actually thinking about switching perspectives throughout the rest of Act V. You know, important ponies like Whitewash, Fluttershy, Corona... Just to give a new feeling to this whole thing.
I donno. If you don't like it, say so in the comments.
Not that it'll change my mind. I just wanna hear what you think.

The Chain That Binds

I arrived in the Crystal Empire at the break of dawn. I glanced through the window of my VIP car and saw a massive tower of solid crystal. I knew this to be the Palace of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the Princess of Love. I also knew that she was married to the brother of Twilight Sparkle, that there was a secret entrance through the underground tunnel system, and that the guard on the 23:00 hour shift likes horn-sucking. I giggled at the memories, but I was shaken back into reality as the train made a sudden jolt as it stopped. I snorted rather un-lady like as I almost was sent out of my seat from the breaks. A conductor stuck his head into my car with an apologetic look on his face. He was a brown stallion with a dark brown mane, and chops too.

“I’m sorry ’mam. There appears to be something going on. Something about the guard. Is everything alright?” I nodded, but his comment about the guard peaked my interest.

“What about the guard? What’s going on?” The conductor shrugged.

“I’m not sure. The whole city is bustling. I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, except that one time in Canterlot, but that was with Changelings. They couldn’t be attacking again, could they?” I stood up, immediately knowing the meaning of this.

“Nonsense. The only changeling hive this far North is at peace with the empire. I have personally met the queen, and she is not fool enough to invade like Chrysalis. Step aside, I need to get outside.” The conductor looked puzzled now, slightly put off at my shift in temperament.

“’Mam, I’m sorry but-” I silenced him with a lighting-fast strike to the neck. He collapsed to the ground, immediately unconscious.

“I was not asking.” Looking up, my horn flashed and my armour re-appeared. “Why in the hell is Red Wing here now? He’s mad.” I dash through the cabin of murmuring ponies before prying open the doors with my magic. Outside, I immediately found two spears in my face. Two Crystal Guards were outside the train, obviously trying to keep passengers like me on board.

“’Mam! We need you to get back on board. We don’t want to hurt you, but we will use force if you force us to!” I shake my head as I roll my eyes in my helmet.

“I am the ex-Reaver Captain of the Sanguine Throne Honour Guard. I am here to retrieve a friend from the city. Get out of my way before I have to use force.” The two stallions stood their ground. I snorted again.

“I don’t have time for this!” my horn flashed, sending the two guards into the wall behind them with two well-placed concussion blasts. They would wake up later.
I took off past them, into the city as civilians flooded off the train behind me. I was looking for a store on Gold Tile Rd., a place owned by one of my dozens of friends from my old days, before I found Red Storm again. Unlike the others, not only did I still visit him regularly, but he wasn’t even a pony. His name was Cuddio, and he was a changeling, mute to boot. Last time I had seen him, he was running a perfume shop where ponies could pay him in love or bits.

The best part though, was that he was a trained drone. He originated from the Chrysalis hive, but after the intervention of the Princess and Prince, the hive was shattered. Many of the changelings died instantly after being severed from their queen, but some like Cuddio managed to pull through the psionic feedback and started to wander. He’s a hardened veteran and great in bed. However, his changeling advanced veiling techniques would be an excellent addition to my makeshift league. However, I had to find him before Red Wing’s troops did.

On that note, I quickly teleported to the top of a nearby building to better assess the situation. I could see Crystal Guards dashing about, herding ponies towards the city’s center and into the Crystal Palace. It was obviously the most defendable position, but even with that in mind, I couldn’t help but estimate the casualties of the battle to come. They weren’t prepared for this. We were herding troops at Ponyville, but we never stopped to consider that Red Wing would actually attack here.

I looked towards the horizon line, trying to find out where the enemy was coming from. It was still early, with the sun hanging just below the clouds, but bright enough to distract anypony looking in that direction. There, I saw something that genuinely frightened me.

A massive horde of at least 10,000 troops strong was headed in our direction. But it wasn’t the number of soldiers that scared me. It was the colour of their armour. Jet black. Every single one of them. But none the darker than the lone unicorn leading the army, seemingly a black void amongst the light snow of the area. I knew this unicorn to be none other than Scarlet Glimmer, mother of Red Storm. But deep down, I knew it also was not the friendly mare I knew.

The Black Horse walked the earth, and Famine was brought with her at her heels.

I teleported back off the building and started off a mad dash to the market district. Dozens of abandoned stalls littered the streets, but already I could smell the rot. As I looked around, all the food in the district was spoiled and rotted, as if it had all been left out for weeks. The bitter smell forced me to wrinkle my nose but I pushed on towards my destination. I bounded over a cart as sirens started to blare, alerting the city of the impending attack. I couldn’t help but wonder why it only started now, but now all hell broke loose.

All who were still in their homes started running out, tripping over each other to make it to the center of the city while Guards pushed the other way to defend the borders. I glanced up just in time to see a massive force field fly open over the entire Empire, its source coming from the topmost spire of the Palace. It glimmered several hues of purple and pink, but I paid this little attention as I pushed through the crazed mobs. I just happened to be moving across everypony. And I couldn’t teleport here again without risking taking some ponies with me, not to mention teleportation is draining as it is. So I continued shoving my way through until I arrived at the shop. It was named “Changing Fragrance,” a bit tacky in my opinion, but I had bigger problems than stupid shop names.

I blew the door off its hinges with a powerful blast of magic and leaped inside. I quickly found that it was horribly unnecessary as there at the counter, was Cuddio. He was a rather tall changeling drone, and with unusual purple eyes. He certainly stood out from the average drone. He also stood looking rather annoyed, but looked like he was waiting for me. I breathed a sigh of relief that he was safe and trotted closer, opening my helmet.

“Cuddio! I’m almost surprised that you’re still here! Though I’m happy you’re alright.” He rolled his eyes at me, and motioned at the shattered door bits at my hooves.

“Right… sorry… I’ll pay for that later if your whole shop doesn’t get burned down. But first, we need to leave.” Cuddio raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t play dumb, hon. Red Wing’s army is here. And it’s being lead by his wife. No… not even. It’s being lead by the Black Horse.” Now, both eyes were wide in shock. His mouth hung agape. He gestured around his shop, as if to ask ‘what about my home?’

“You can build a new one if they destroy this one. Hell, I’ll pay for a new one. But we need to go. Now.” Cuddio looked rather saddened at this, but nodded. He quickly gestured that he needed time to prepare. I nodded back, and he ran upstairs. I heard explosions in the distance, so I took a peak outside through one of the windows.
High above the city was Scarlet Glimmer, blasting the protective shield with magical blasts so powerful it was light watching small suns fall into the transparent shield. I had to look away, or risk blindness. The explosions continued, and I was almost certain I heard a loud ‘crack’ echo across the city. I was certain it was the shield, but I dared not prove myself right and look.

Cuddio was back downstairs in a flash, clad in a suit of armour I had got for him during our time together as both colleagues and lovers.

“Aww… hon, you kept it!” Cuddio smiled and nodded. I planted a quick kiss on his muzzle, sharing the smile. Another explosion shook me back, this one being noticeably larger than the rest. Cuddio noticed too, and nodded towards the doorway. When we ran out into the streets, we found two things different now. One, the streets were deserted. The sirens were still wailing, but with no pony left to hear them. And second, the sky way red. I couldn’t tell earlier, but now that I wasn’t looking near the barrage of hellfire I could clearly see that the sky was thundering and an angry red, as if oblivion itself had poured over into our world. Cuddio tapped me on the shoulder, and looking over to him, I could tell we had the same thing on our mind. How were we going to get out of here?

“No idea, hon. I wasn’t expecting this. Worst case scenario, we fight our way out.” The changeling rolled his eyes in the ‘well, unless you consider’ fashion. I bopped him on the nose.

“Hey! We are not dying here. I left the stove on. Maybe if we can somehow steal the train, we can get out of here. If not, we might have to run.” We continued onwards towards the train station, all the while the constant thumping and sirens continued. We quickly arrived at the station, but found that our trip was for naught. While the train was intact, the rails were in ruins. A giant crater where the tracks should have been sat ten meters wide, smoking and obviously made by the Black Horse.

“Damnit! What the hell, Glimmer? Can you not give us a break?” I turn back to Cuddio, my brow furrowed with frustration. “This is seriously bad. If we had the train, we could get back to Ponyville within a day if we forced the engine. But now, there’s nothing we can do. You’d have to be some miracle light-bringer to lift a train across that gap with telekinesis. I may have a talent in magic, but not that kind. And last time I checked, changelings can’t do anything with their magic. No offense.” He shrugged, accepting the truth to that. I sighed, plopping down onto the ground.

“I guess we need to head to the Palace and see if the Princess can help us out here. Otherwise, we might as well be fu-” I am surprised and interrupted by a massive explosion and what sounded like the shattering of glass. We both looked up just in time to see the gigantic shield begin to crumble and collapse as the Black Horse hovered above us all, her eyes shining brightly, even from here. The sirens immediately stopped and were replaced with the cheering of 10,000 troops. A shiver ran down my spine as I jumped up and grabbed Cuddio. With a flash of my horn, we were at the Palace. However, such a jump left me a bit winded, and my head was swimming. The courtyard where the Crystal Heart was kept was empty, save for the Crystal itself. Now however, the Crystal had a large crack running through its center. The sight terrified me. I have never feared more for my life than I did right at this moment.

“Cuddio! Follow me! We need to get inside!” We made a mad dash for the barred doors, and started banging on them as hard as we could.

“Let us in! We need aid! We need to get back to Ponyville! To the New Sanguine Army! Red Storm needs to know about this!” suddenly, the doors flew open, and we fell to the feet of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, flocked by guards. The Guards quickly closed and re-barred the doors before returning to their posts. The Princess looked down at me, her eyes were filled with pain and her body was ragged, but she still bore a faint smile.

“Whitewash. Good to see you again.” I grinned though my helmet before picking myself up again. Cuddio was already on his hooves, bowing. The Princess waved a hoof, and he returned to his normal posture.

“What are you doing here?” Cadance asked.

“I came here looking for my friend. He… doesn’t talk much. And by that, I mean at all… He’s mute.” The pair nodded in acknowledgement.

“Interesting. Is he of importance to repelling Red Wing from Equestria?” Shining Armor looked as worn as his wife. Apparently they were holding up the force field together. It’s amazing what the magic of Love can achieve in appropriate amounts.

“Yes, he is. I’m gathering up a band of colleagues of mine to re-form the Reavers, essentially. But I’m thinking of calling them Redeemers instead. We will see.” Another thunderous shake and many screams alerted us to the matter at hand.

“But none of that matters if we cannot escape. We need passage to Ponyville, in any way possible.” The pair looked to each other, and nodded.

“We can send to you Ponyville with an Advanced Teleportation Circle spell… however, if we do… We will be completely drained. And we will only be able to send you two.” Cadance lost her shimmer at these last few words. She knew that sending us would surely doom her and her citizens, but at the cost of aiding in Equestria’s survival. Shining Armor stepped forward, saying;

“We know the risks and consequences. Our army was wiped out in minutes by that… thing outside. I’m honestly surprised that the Palace’s ancient magic has held for this long. We have minutes more… at the most.” He looked back at his wife, tears forming. “I am well aware that performing this spell will leave our citizens defenseless. But they knew this was coming. We will address the people after this, but they are familiar with loss and suffering. I’m sure that they would be glad that this time, it would be for good reason.” He then turned towards the nearest guards.

“You! Bring me my armor and spear! We must hold this position and keep the civilians safe for as long as possible. My wife and I must give a farewell speech to the Empire…” At that, the two guards ran off, and the rest took up positions at the rally point. The two left to address their Empire, or rather, what was left of it, as a guard escorted us to a ritual chamber where the spell would be done. We waited there for the Princess’ and Prince’s return. After what seemed like hours of thrashing on the walls and echoing booms, the pair returned again.

“This is it. The ponies of the Crystal Empire are ready. In fact, they are rallied to fight for this cause. Many of the ponies have taken up improvised weapons to hold the gate for the duration of the spell. For whatever good that will do…” The prince looked to the floor, but his wife brought a hoof to his shoulder, continuing for him;

“We shall begin immediately. Stand in the middle of the room, and hold still. It will take me several minutes to target the spell, and then Shining Armor and I must pool our magic to send you off. I can only hope it will be worth it.” The room fell silent as Cadance concentrated. Her horn began to spark as a large rune formed on the floor below us, glowing brightly. Cadance began to whisper something under her breath as her eyes lit up. Her legs were shaking as she forced what little magic she had into this spell. Outside, there was a deafening explosion and screams, followed by more explosions. Shining Armor stood up, looking behind them.

“Damnit! We don’t have enough time! I… I need to help. I’m the strongest unicorn here. Even now…” I could do nothing but watch as he lifted up his spear and ran through the doors. I caught a glimpse of dozens of black-armoured stallions were slaughtering the Crystal Ponies. I didn’t see the Black Horse, but I knew she was moments behind. Shining Armor was right. There was no time. I then knew what had to be done. I broke from the circle and stood next to Cadance, pouring my magic into her. Cuddio looked at me, horrified.

“Don’t even think about moving! I need you to go to Red Storm and tell him what happened! And I need you to find the rest of my contacts! I tossed him my saddlebag, and he caught it on his back. Sorrow filled his eyes as lighting started to crackle from the rune, signifying its readiness.
“And don’t forget. Turn off the stove for me.” After the words passed my lips, he was gone in a flash, and without a trace. Cadance collapsed at my hooves just in time for the doors behind us to blow open, sending splinters in all directions.

Before me stood the Black Horse. A broken, bleeding Shining Armor floated above her head before being unceremoniously dropped to the floor beside his wife. Knights of Famine circled us, bearing terrible tools of death in their teeth. I looked around, and lowered myself into a battle position. The Black Horse sneered at me.

“You there. I remember you. You were my son’s personal guard, were you not? The Captain of the Reavers. We thought you dead… You know, you are always welcome back. You’d be a terrible loss to us otherwise. What say you?” I said nothing, and instead I slowly removed my helmet and let it hit the ground. I flicked my mane from my eyes as I spoke.

“My name… is Whitewash. I am a soldier in Red Storm’s New Sanguine Army, first Company. Now tell me…” I straightened my back as my horn flared up, “…Who wants to be first?”

Author's Notes:

Welp. I guess I'm officially back. Maybe. I'm finally writing again. Like, whole chapters and such. Meaningful ones, too. I donno about this one, really. I like it more than the last at least. I suppose that's what matters in the end.
Also! Cuddio is the work of my buddy Drakalian! Go check him out!

Messenger of Death

I woke up to the sounds of distant combat drills, as I had been for several mornings now. I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the early morning light seeping through my windows. I climbed out of bed, stumbling slightly, trying not only to keep my balance, but also not to wake up Time Turner next to me. With all of the war preparation going on, we hadn’t been able to make any plans for our wedding, but I didn’t mind so much. Wedding is really just a thing; I was happy enough simply with him by my side. I looked back at him, taking a few moments to admire him in his sleep. It seemed like even after a long night in bed, his mane was still perfect. He was just... Perfect.

I made my way downstairs, pausing to check on Dinky to make sure she wasn’t up. Peeking inside her room, I found her sleeping soundly, her little rhythmic snoring calming me. I smiled, and continued down the stairs into the kitchen. As quickly and quietly as possible, I prepared breakfast, piling it all on a large dish before covering it and setting it on the table. I set up the table for two, placing a dish and cutlery on each side of the small, round kitchen table before taking a cold muffin from the refrigerator.

As I ate, I shouldered my messenger satchel and put on my cap. Just before leaving, I stopped myself, nearly forgetting to take my Symbol of Peace, a badge shaped like an olive branch. Red Storm had personally forged it of gold and given it to me, to ensure my safekeeping during my time as a messenger of wartimes. He assured me that while insane, his father and family played by the rules of war, and would not kill a messenger. While he was adamant about this, I still felt uneasy about going to the frontlines. But everypony else was doing their part, so I would too.

I stepped outside and was greeted by the shining sun and blue skies. I smiled and headed for the town square. I knew that Red Storm would be there as he was every day, giving orders and planning. The Royal Guard had also arrived yesterday, en mase. There were hundreds of soldiers camped out around the town, and outside its borders. Giant towers and cabins had been built overnight, and I could have sworn I had seen Celestia at least once. The whole town looked extremely overpopulated, and I still questioned the wisdom of holding the defense here, but I decided it was best to leave the decisions to those who would be fighting the battle.

I weaved myself through the crowds of townsfolk and guards, seeing several different posters on walls encouraging aiding the war effort. I also passed several new forges (that were not present last night) that were being manned by many burly-looking minotaurs and a few small dragons. I was slightly impressed at the scene, but quickly remembered that Equestria is home to many species, all of whom were in danger and would likely be prone to helping too, despite old rivalries. War really does bring ponies- er, people together.

Just at that moment, I saw several dozen pegasi, griffons, and dragons flying overhead in several formations, blocking the sun for moments at a time. I wondered how many treaties were made in order for all of this to be done as I trotted into the command center tent next to the town square fountain. The guards let me in without any trouble, as while the current ranking system was a bit abstract, I essentially had the rank of a colonel, as I reported directly to Red Storm. I had quite a bit of leverage, but I tried my best not to abuse it. Inside the tent was Red Storm, Princess Luna, a minotaur, a dragon, a griffon, and a diamond dog. They were poring over a series of maps and field reports, but looked up when I entered. Red Storm shot me a small grin, greeting me:

“Ditzy! Good to see you’re here. I was just about to summon for you. I need you to do something for me. I need you to fly out to the Foal Mountains and deliver these documents to the Changeling Queen who resides there. Her name is Queen Azure. You’ll find her a bit to the East, in one of the tallest peaks… And don’t worry. She and her changelings are friendly. We just need their support.” Luna spoke up, putting a hoof on a map that showed Equestria along with several red Xs in key locations.

“New intelligence suggests that Red Wing will be launching several attacks across all of Equestria, not just here in Ponyville as we first thought.” Luna lowered her gaze, talking through her teeth. “Celestia had just passed a draft today. It will come into effect tomorrow. Nonetheless, the Royal Guard will be stretched thin, so we need as much help as we can get from any other races that are willing to fight.” The minotaur placed a hand on her shoulder, and she shrugged it off, straightening her back. “This war is the second war in our history. This will be hard on everyone, but especially on my sister. Decisions like the draft will burden her mind for centuries to come, I assure you. And it has only yet to truly begin.” At mention of this, it was Redstorm’s turn to be solemn.

“Yes. I cannot express my sorrow for the misfortune that I have brought upon your kingdom, but I can hopefully bolster your defenses against the coming battle. Again, Princess Luna, I am sorry.” Luna nodded.

“It is fine. My sister and I have realized that against someone like your father, this would have been inevitable. You simply were a catalyst. However, you have redeemed yourself in that you have stood up to your responsibilities and are helping now.”

Suddenly, outside the tent, there was an enormous explosion of noise and light. Everyone in the tent jumped, excluding Red Storm. He pushed past me to get outside and I quickly followed, wanting to see what the commotion was about. When we stepped out into the light, we found a circle of guards around a single odd-looking changeling. He sat in a small ring of burns on the ground with a dozen spears pointed at him. Around us, everyone was whispering to each other.

“Are they already attacking?” “They can’t be! This is a changeling! There are no changelings in the Sanguine Nation.” “How can you know? You’ve never been there.” “And our intelligence says they still have several more weeks to reach Ponyville.” “It could be bad intel. They could be sending advance forces...”

Luna flew above the crowd, and with her Canterlot Voice shouted:

“SILENCE!”

The whole town went silent. As Luna touched back down, Red Storm stepped forward between the guards. He looked down at the changeling who was cowering before him.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” The changeling said nothing, instead making a few motions with his forelegs.

“ANSWER ME!” The changeling shuffled backwards, dropping a saddlebag at the pegasus’ hooves. Red Storm reached down and examined it. An eyebrow went up as he signaled for the guards to stand “at ease”.

“Are you Cuddio?” The changeling nodded. Red Storm’s brow became furrowed as he held out the bag. “This is Whitewash’s bag. Do you know where she is?” Cuddio made a worried expression, and then made another gesture with his forelegs. Red Storm called backwards to a guard.

“Get this changeling something to write with! He’s mute.” Red Storm turned back to the crowd. “And what are you all looking at? Get back to it! We need to get ready! Move it!” As the crowd dispersed a guard returned with a slip of paper and quill. Cuddio took them in his magic and quickly scrawled something onto the paper. He turned it around and upon seeing it, Red Storm noticeably tensed up.

‘Whitewash is MIA.’

“Ok. Start from the top. Where did you come from?” Cuddio was sitting in a chair in the center of the main tent, surrounded by all of the leaders. He wrote on a whiteboard to with a marker, so that he respond quickly. Red Storm was asking questions, and I was standing behind him. He had told me to wait until further instruction, as he might have to change my assignment. Due to my curiosity, I didn’t complain.

‘I was sent here by Whitewash from the Crystal Empire’

“Why? What happened? Why did she teleport you? Where is she now?” Cuddio erased the board, then wrote:

‘She sent me using an untraceable teleportation ritual to bring you her saddlebag. The empire was attacked. She stayed behind to fight.’ Red Storm gritted his teeth, the grinding being audible to everyone in the room.

“Who attacked? Was it Red Wing? Was she still alive last you saw of her?” Cuddio quickly responded:

‘It was the Black Horse. Famine. She was still alive, but against the Black Horse, I cannot even hope that she survived.’ Red Storm reared back, smashing the table in the center of the room shouting.

“DAMNIT! THE DAMN IDIOT!” I flinched, but as Red Storm calmed down from his outburst, I took a moment to pick the splinters out of my mane. That’s when I remembered my badge.

“Cuddio didn’t say she was dead. Can’t I go looking for her? I’m a messenger. They won’t attack me.” Red Storm glared at me, then took a deep breath.

“Yes… I suppose you can. But do you really want to risk something like that? What would your excuse be?” I paused for a moment, then an idea came to mind.

“You’ve had me bringing orders to the front! You can give me fake orders and plans, and then if they search me, it would be two birds in one stone! We can trick them and I can find Whitewash in one trip!” Red Storm put his head down, thinking. The rest of the representatives whispered among themselves, and Luna moved forward.

“I think that this is a viable plan. Besides, I would consider this a task of utmost importance. Ms. Doo is a fairly reliable messenger, and all others are already out on assignments. I believe we can make this work… that is, if General Red Storm ‘Green-Lights’ this plan.” Red Storm stood up again, nodding.

“Report back here in twenty minutes. I’ll have papers for you to carry. Dismissed.” I nodded and left, leaving the silence behind me.

“Alright, Ditzy. We falsified some field reports, some troop movements and et cetera. Take these papers.” Red Storm passed me the papers which I slipped into my satchel. “If they shake you down, give them the papers. It might even save us later on… call it a bluff.” I nodded, and started for the tent flap.

“You know where you are going, correct? It is quite a flight.” Luna nodded towards the guards at the flap. “Are you positive you do not want a temporary transport? We cannot have you tiring out.” I shook my head, smiling.

“It’s ok. You need as much manpower here. I can fly on my own.” I received silent nods from everyone before I exited the tent. Outside, I found Cuddio waiting for me. He handed me his whiteboard, and gestured to what was written on it.

‘When you find Whitewash, give her this. Tell her that I’ll be waiting.’ Cuddio then traded the whiteboard for a small, segmented silver choker with a single emerald stud in it. I was confused for a moment, but then I realized what he meant. I looked up to him, a somber look on my face.

“What if I don’t find her? What if she didn’t… you know…” He smiled. He erased the board, and then he wrote:

‘Just make sure she gets it. Make sure she has it.’ I swallowed before placing the choker in my satchel.

“Of course. I’ll make sure she gets it.” Cuddio nodded, and looked like he already knew what I was going to find. I pushed away the feeling, and flapped my wings, waving as I took off. It was going to be a long flight.

I had been flying for two days straight. I was exhausted. But I didn’t stop. Red Storm was counting on me. I looked ahead, and I saw the Crystal Empire Palace. Except now, its spire was gone, and an enormous pillar of smoke was emerging from the wound. As I flew closer, I saw that most of the empire was in flames despite the snow. Houses were burning, and the streets were littered with the black, burned bodies of the dead. I felt sick. If this is what was really coming to Ponyville, I honestly don’t know how we could defend ourselves.

I touched down near the outskirts of town. I hadn’t been shot at yet, but I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Something I had actually noticed on my decent was the smell. It smelled like not just like burned flesh, but also of rot. I gagged, and I wrapped my muzzle with my scarf that I kept in my bag. I moved onward, towards the Palace. I was to find Whitewash, and also find Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor if I could, and they were most likely going to be there.

As I moved through the ruins of the city, bodies were everywhere. I had to step over them carefully, and with my poor vision it was nearly impossible not to trip, but I managed. When I inevitably tripped, I caught myself with my wings, hovering just above one of the bodies. This was my first close look at one, and I immediately noticed something wrong. At a quick glance, I had assumed that these ponies were burnt and charred, but upon closer inspection, I realized that they were actually wearing pitch-black full body suits of armor. I choked up. I leaned in a little bit closer, and noticed that whether this stallion in front of me was alive or not, their eyes were closed.

I slowly lifted myself up, and just as I thought I was clear, the stallion’s eyes shot open. I shrieked, falling backwards onto another pony. I jumped again as I felt them shift, and soon I was screaming as one by one, they all started to get up, looking at me with terrifying glares. This was unlike Red Storm’s glare from earlier, which was one of parental distain. This was pure, murderous malice. Soon, I was surrounded by dozens of stallions in pitch-black armor. I was shivering in the center of this ring, ready to cry. They all started to laugh at me, closing in.
I was going to die. Red Storm was right. This was too risky. I’ll never see Dinky again. Or Time Turner. I was going to die here. Alone. And I don’t even want to know what they’ll do to my body. I shut my eyes as they began to draw their cruel, twisted weapons. I felt tears run down my cheeks as I tried to prepare myself for death… Except I couldn’t. I didn’t want to die. I couldn’t have ever prepared myself for this. I’m not a soldier. I’m a mail pony. I don’t deserve this.

I waited. I heard them move around, their metal armor clinking around and their blades grinding and screeching. Then silence. When no pain came, I opened my eyes. None of the stallions were moving, but they were instead on their forelegs, kneeling down. I stifled my crying for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. Where they kneeling to me?

“Who are you?” I felt myself lose control of my bladder as a terrifying, echoing voice came from behind me. The tears came back as I felt the hot urine running down my thighs. I couldn’t help myself. I slowly turned around in the newly-formed puddle beneath me only to come face-to-face with a being that looked like something out of my nightmares.

Before me was a tall mare, almost as tall as Princess Luna. She wore a suit of armor as black as the night, if not darker. It seemed like all light was absorbed into its frame, yet I could still make out the details of it. It was adorned with engravings that depicted decay of every variety. She was just a unicorn, but the mare emitted magical power that made me feel insignificant in comparison, something beyond even what the Princesses projected. I swallowed. This was the Black horse. The mare narrowed her glowing white eyes.

“Tell me who you are before I kill you.” I snapped.

“MY NAME IS DITZY DOO! I’M A MESSENGER SENT BY RED STORM! I HAVE A DAUGHTER WAITING FOR ME AT HOME, PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” In no time, I found the tears running down my face again. My thighs became hot and wet again, and I could feel snot running down my nose as I broke down completely. I put my head to the ground, intending to grovel. Suddenly though, I felt a powerful force grip my head and jerk it up to face the Black Horse again. I could barely see though my tears, but her terrifying vision seemed crystal clear.

“A messenger, say you? Hmm… You bear the Symbol of Peace. Very well. I shall not kill you. What brings you here? You did fly here, did you not? Did you not see the fires?” I gulped for air, my face being crushed in her magical grip.

“Yes… I… I flew here… I was sent by R-Red Storm to... to deliver orders…” I didn’t want to risk lying. I could tell this mare could kill me with a glance, despite me wearing the Symbol. But I knew that if I told her why I was really here, I wouldn’t be able to use the fake orders as leverage. She snorted before dropping me. I coughed a few times, waiting to see what she would do next.

“Very well. Follow me then.” I did as I was told. As we walked slowly through the armies of armor clad ponies, I realized that some were in fact mares. It seemed like nearly a two-to-three ratio of mares to colts, but I didn’t pay this much attention. The walk to the Palace was the longest several minutes of my life. It was also the quietest. All I heard was the sound of our hoofsteps and the crackling of burning buildings. I didn’t even know crystal could burn. What disturbed me most though, was not even how her soldiers were perfectly still. It was that her extremely ornate and obviously heavy plate mail was completely silent as she walked, almost as if it wasn’t even there. No clanking of metal against metal. More like skin on skin. It was almost… organic.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden cheer that erupted from the palace. It sounded like the type of cheer that a thousand barbarians would cry out during battle. Even though we were still several blocks away, the cheer echoed through the city. I swallowed again and tried to keep up. As we came closer, the cheers became louder and more frequent. I realized that they were coming from inside the palace. When we approached the door, two soldiers who were standing on guard opened the door for us. As we entered, the cheering started up again. Only now, it was deafening. I realized that my guess earlier on it being a thousand barbarians might not have been that far off.

We climbed a set of stairs, and at the top I saw something incredible. The entire atrium was filled with soldiers. Shoulder to shoulder, shouting at the tops of their lungs. Some stood on crates, others on tables. They all looked like they were trying to get a better look at something. However, as soon as they realized that the Black Horse had arrived, they all immediately went silent. I followed her though the crowd towards the center of the room. My eyes went wide at the sight before me. When the crowd parted, I saw a circle about twenty meters in diameter. Half a dozen dead soldiers lay on the ground, their blood spattered around the floor. In the very center, standing together, were the badly wounded Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. Both of them were covered in bleeding cuts and black bruises. Not only that, but both of them had the tips of their horns cut off, so that they couldn’t use magic. Cadance had her wings clipped so that she couldn’t fly. Both held crude daggers in their mouths. Both had expressions that were a combination of rage, pain, and despair. They had been forced to fight against soldiers for entertainment. This was barbaric. Horrible. I fought back more tears as the Black Horse turned back to me.

“Were these two the commanding officers you were to deliver your messages to?” I nodded. The Black Horse paused. She looked as if she was thinking, and then gestured towards my satchel.

“Give me those orders, and I shall let you all go free. Alive. I shall provide transport back to Ponyville. I am feeling merciful today, so do not test me.” I swallowed hard, but I then remembered what Cuddio asked me to do.

“Under one more condition.” The Black Horse raised an eyebrow. “Bring me to Whitewash. I have a parcel for her.” The Black Horse nodded, and then gestured to her troops.

“Clean and dress their wounds. But be tender with them. We are sending them back. Should I find a single wound more on them, I shall personally kill one hundred of you.” A collective groan of disappointment was emitted, but after a stomp of her hoof, a number of soldiers got to work. The Black Horse nodded back to me, and I began to follow her deeper into the Palace. I took a glance backwards just in time to see Princess Cadance collapse onto Prince Shining Armor, and for the Prince to give me a nod of thanks. I turned back around and followed the Black Horse upstairs.

We entered the throne room, and I realized where the smoke had been coming from. There were large bonfires lit in each of the four corners of the room. Snow fell from the open roof, and it littered the ground. But there, in the center of the room, was a crucifix that had to have been at least fifteen meters tall. I only knew about what it was because I had read about them in a history book that Twilight had given me, though I never thought I would see one in real life. They were used by an ancient civilization, before the time of even the Sisters to execute traitors of the state. A pony would be nailed to the large cross-like structure and left to die from either bleeding or exposure. Then their body would be left as a reminder and warning for everyone to see.

On this crucifix, was Whitewash.

Whitewash was no longer in her armor as I had grown accustomed to her seeing before she left Ponyville. She was naked and nailed to the crucifix, her blood running down its length. She was covered in more wounds than I could count. Her mane was matted to her face which hung low and lifeless. I took off my cap, and laid it on the ground. I then realized I had been holding my breath, and when I exhaled, I noticed that the Black Horse was not moving. She merely was standing by the door, watching. I stared at her for a few moments before she spoke up; not in her booming voice from before, but in a voice fit for a mare of her size.

“She killed over eighty of my best soldiers before she collapsed from her wounds. I had her nailed to the crucifix while she was still breathing… Go on. Deliver your parcel. It’s recipient is waiting.” I nodded, and removed the shimmering choker from my bag. Hovering using my wings, I moved close to Whitewash. She looked pale, and she wasn’t breathing. I gently pushed her mane out of her face, and I realized she was smirking. Her eyes were closed, but she was smirking. As if she was having a pleasant dream. I slipped the choker around her neck, and I fastened it. It fit perfectly. I then whispered in her ear:

“Cuddio is waiting for you.” I paused. I was unsure what to say, so I instead moved back to the ground. The room became silent as the two of us stood in silence.

“She will be sent home with you.” I jumped slightly, but then turned around to face the Black Horse again. She almost looked sad.

“Just because my husband wishes me to be cruel, doesn’t mean I am. Whitewash has spent her time on that cross. I shall have her sent home where she can be laid to rest by her loved ones. Before they are laid to rest around her.” Her matter-of-fact way of stating this chilled me, but I nodded. She continued, making for the door.

“Go home, Messenger of Death. Go home to your family. Spend your last few hours with them. And tell everyone that the Pale Horse is coming. Not that it will help.”

Author's Notes:

Holy fuck, my fingers hurt. This is by far the longest chapter yet. I think that it came out well, actually.
...
Oh. Right. Merry Christmas, all of you. AND TO THOSE WHO DO NOT CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE FAT REVERSE BURGLAR HAVE FUN WITH YOUR HOLIDAY OF CHOICE YOU POLITICALLY CORRECT BASTARDS.
HOHOHO
Nah, I love you guys. And girls. And things.
Except Richard. Fuck you Richard. You Dick.
...
Ahhhh! Got you again!
...
HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO*passes out from exhaustion*

Champions and Heroes

“Twilight! Come on! We’re gonna be late!” I wiped the vomit from my mouth before stepping out of my bathroom. Morning sickness was the worst thing I had ever experienced. It was a bit weird to be experiencing these sorts of symptoms so early, but I ignored that. A lot of weird things have been happening lately. I took up the wide-brim black hat with magic and paused before putting it on. I turned towards the door, taking a deep breath before going through the door.

“I’m sorry Spike! I’m coming down now!” I moved down the stairs, careful not to trip on my black gown. It was just wrong to be wearing it. So wrong…

“I mean… Not that I want to go in the first place. But we do need to be on time… It’s just respectful to be on time, ya know?” It stung to hear Spike talking like that. He is too young to be talking like that. He’s too young for all of this. I always tried to shield him from all this, but I couldn’t shield him forever.

“Spike… You know you don’t have to come, right? This is… A lot to take in.” He nodded. He straightened his tie and jacket before looking up at me.

“Twi… I know what you’re thinking. But we both know I can’t skip a funeral. It’s part of growing up. And I’m getting older. I’m just a few years younger than you.” I turned away from him, looking at my hooves.

“I know you’re getting older Spike… But… You’re still like a baby brother to me. And you are a baby dragon. I just…” I returned my gaze to him. “I just wish you didn’t have to be exposed to this.” Spike furrowed his brow, looking annoyed now.

“Twilight. Seriously? What did you want for me? To grow up thinking the world is colorful and cheerful all the time? Just pretend that ponies don’t fight? That they don’t die? I would have had to go to a funeral eventually, Twi. I’d rather go to this one now than wait until yours.” I gasped, taken aback, but I put my head back down. He was right. I wasn’t going to keep arguing.

I headed for the door, and Spike hurried ahead, opening it for me. I nodded to him, half smiling. As I walked out of the library, I looked up at the morning sky. The clouds were nowhere to be seen, and Celestia’s light shone down across the entire town in brilliant shimmers. The bright blue sky seemed to radiate happiness just as much as Pinkie Pie. On any other day, this would have been the perfect day to do anything... Any other day I would have called this beautiful weather.

But today, it just made me want to vomit again.

As Spike and I walked down the streets, I realized something extremely odd for a town under martial law. It was deserted. The streets were empty, the forges were cold, and there was no noise other than the sound of the gentle breeze blowing through my ears. I would have expected there to be soldiers everywhere, but then I realized that the soldiers would be at the funeral.

“Oh no Spike… I think we’re late. No one is around.” Spike shrugged as I picked up the pace, placing the young dragon on my back.

“Maybe Red Storm gave everyone the day off from work. Anyone who didn’t want to come to a funeral at least.” I rolled my eyes.

“We’re at war, Spike. I really doubt Red Storm would skip an entire day, even for a friend of his.” I didn’t think that a great strategist like Red Storm would do something like that. We were barely keeping up with schedule as it was. To lose an entire day would be insane. We wouldn’t be able to prepare on time…

“Well, he did announce that anyone with family should spend time with them. I’m not too sure about the whole day… But still, I don’t think that Whitewash was ‘just a friend’. You and me… We’re friends. Whitewash was something else... More on Fluttershy’s level of intimacy, if you were to ask me.” Spike made a good point, but I cleared my head as we neared the cemetery.

I saw that there was a large crowd gathered around a raised platform. Red Storm along with the casket and several ponies stood on this platform, with Red Storm at a podium. I could see from here that Red Storm was wearing his golden armor, looking up at the blue sky. I could tell that joining Red Storm were Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Cuddio, and Ditzy Doo. I could see that the casket was open, and inside was Whitewash.

There were at least several dozen ponies there in the crowd, most of whom were in armor. I assumed these to be royal guards. Interestingly enough, I saw no other creatures other than ponies excluding the lone changeling standing by the casket, Whitewash’s lover from the Crystal Empire. I quickly spotted Big Macintosh towards the front of the crowd, and with him my friends. I let Spike off my back and we headed for the crowd. Everything was silent as we moved down the center aisle to our spot. When we finally took our spot, I kissed Big Macintosh on the cheek and he quietly kissed my forehead before turning back to Red Storm, who hadn’t moved. I glanced around and noticed that all of my friends were further down the row, and I immediately sensed their pain.

Rarity was closest, and she was wearing a much more intricate but still somber dress and hat. She wore a veil over her eyes, but she held a handkerchief to her nose with a hoof. Next to her was Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was wearing a suit, unlike the Rarity, along with a pair of shades to cover her eyes. Rainbow Dash seemed just as statue-like as Red Storm, but also unlike Rarity, I could clearly see twin lines of tears staining her cheeks. Applejack was next to her, also in a suit, but wearing her Stetson tilted low. One hoof was on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, and she was gritting her teeth. Next in line was Pinkie Pie… or so I thought. If it was, it looked nothing like the party pony I knew. She was slouching with depression, and her black gown hung off her in a very eerie way. Her usually bright pink coat was dark; almost red, and her mane suffered a similar discoloration as well as a loss in its gravity-defying suspension. She appeared to be taking it the hardest. But last in line was Fluttershy. She wore a very simple black dress and hat, and she looked almost calm. But her eyes burned with a passion unlike her, rivaling the fury contained even in “The Stare,” if not utterly surpassing it.

I looked back up at Red Storm who was still looking at the sky. Then, his gaze slowly lowered back to the crowd. I watched as his gaze hovered for a moment on the seven of us before looking around the crowd. Then, finally, his gaze shifted to the platform, and he nodded to the others standing up there with him. They all nod back in unison as Red Storm returns his focus to the crowd. If he was feeling anything, he was hiding it extremely well. But as a soldier of his prestige, I’m not surprised. He has to hide his emotions on a daily basis.

“As you are already aware, this day is to commemorate a soldier. A soldier who, even in death, may be the most formidable, talented, and one of the greatest soldiers in history. I say this not to undermine the memory of the countless soldiers who have passed before her. I say this so that you may all know who she was, and what she is.” He paused, scanning the crowd again before continuing:

“Whitewash had stood by me since we were both mere foals. However, while I slept in comfort and ate well as a prince, she bore hardships that I could only imagine in order to meet and surpass me. She was a mere mortal, who through countless hours of misery and training, could stand amongst demigods in terms of not only might, but in spirit. She took her pain and misery and she turned it into a reason to live. While most would break under her circumstances, she lived as she died… With a smile upon her lips.” Red Storm turned towards those standing beside him.

“This mare, who against all odds had found a shred of victory within the abyss of inevitable defeat. In the battle of the Crystal Empire, innumerable lives were lost. I am not imposing their lives were worthless. Every name shall be remembered and echoed in the halls of heroes. But none the louder than that of Whitewash, the mare who stood alone against Famine and managed to not only send word of the defeat through Cuddio, but also secure the lives of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor in place of her own.” I noticed my brother and sister tense at the mention of their lost Empire, but it quickly passed. Even though they were still horribly wounded, they found the strength to attend the ceremony. I couldn’t help but feel insignificant compared to their resolve.

“Lastly, I would like to say that Whitewash was not only a soldier worthy of an epic… But she was also a friend. Perhaps you all did not know her, but I believe I speak for all who did know her that she will be sorely missed.” Red Storm paused again, looking down at his hooves before looking back up, determination in his eyes.

“If any of you are worth your salt, then you shall not allow her death to be in vain. There is a new opening available as the greatest soldier in the world, and I expect every one of you to step up to the plate. I know that she wouldn’t want you to waste your tears on her. She would want you to fight harder and drink deeper in her place, because she would hate for asses to go unkicked and beer to go undrank just because she is gone. That is all.” Red Storm fell silent before moving off the podium and off the platform. I saw Princess Luna move up to take his place, and she spoke loudly, but not in her Canterlot Voice.

“Thank you Red Storm. Whitewash was indeed a great soldier, and a greater friend. However, it is my duty now to give awards to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those on this stage.” She lifted a small box from behind the podium and opened it with her magic, floating out four large silver medals and one gold one.

“I present to Shining Armor, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Cuddio, and Ditzy Doo the Silver Moon medal, for exceptional bravery and for exceeding the expectations of the call of duty. All four of you have truly earned these, as you are indeed heroes.” As she stated this, she slowly lowered the medals over the necks of their recipients. She then turned towards the Casket and stated:

“And for actions of extraordinary valor, skill, and loyalty to the Province of Equestria, I present this Sun of Honor to Whitewash. May her spirit pierce the heavens, and may we all follow in her path.” With this, Luna lowered the medal over Whitewash’s body. As she stepped off the platform, I could see that past the platform, a large number of Griffons were assembling. They had antique muskets that had been outlawed in battle, but were still used in ceremonies like this. They stood in a line, numbering 17, plus two more out of the line. One looked like the commanding officer, and the other was blowing into a bugle, playing a sad tune.

They raised their rifles, and fired into the air; firing three volleys over the casket before lowering their rifles. The commanding griffon made a signal and they cleared out. Moments later, a squad of pegasi who I quickly recognized as the Wonderbolts approached in a low, flat flight. There were four of them, assembled in a V formation. There was one in front, flanked by two to their right, and one on their left. As they neared, the first Wonderbolt on the right broke formation, flying higher and higher as the rest continued straight forward. Eventually, they all flew out of sight, with the lone Wonderbolt disappearing into the blinding light of the sun. I looked back down to my friends, who were in similar states of despair as earlier. I looked to my right and looked at Spike. He seemed… Different. Something about how he held himself. I hoped I was just imagining it, but he looked a lot like one of the soldiers around us. I looked up again, and Red Storm was back at the podium.

“Now then. Now that we are done here… Would anyone like to pay their final respects before we lower the casket?” Silence. No one spoke up. I felt the need to say something, but I couldn’t find anything that hasn’t been said. Red Storm frowned.

“Very well.” He turned towards a small collection of guards to his right. “Stage Crew, please disassemble the platform and prepare for burial.”

Two hours later…

Red Storm was standing in front of the tombstone, exactly where he had been standing for the last hour. The funeral had been over for quite some time, and everyone had returned to their homes. Even Fluttershy was gone, preparing food for when Red Storm was ready to come home. Seeing as I had sent Spike home to do his chores, it seemed that only Red Storm and I were left in the cemetery. I slowly made my way to stand next to him by the grave. I tried my best not to disturb him, as he stood motionless with his helmet by his hooves, his eyes closed. He seemed to be mouthing something to himself, but I couldn’t make out any words. We stood in silence for several minutes before he spoke up, looking over to me with his piercing red eyes.

“Princess Luna was wrong you know. Those others… They aren’t heroes.” I was taken aback by this statement, but before I could respond he continued:

“The others. They are champions. Not heroes. The difference between a champion and a hero is that a champion lives to tell their tale of glory to the masses. A hero dies, and lets the masses tell their tale over their grave. Whitewash was a hero. Your brother… Cuddio… Ditzy… The Princess… They are champions. One must die to become a hero.” He turned away again to look at the grave. I bit my lip, unable to find any words. While he wasn’t exactly dictionary-correct, I could absolutely understand what he meant.

“I’m very sorry for your loss Red Storm. I think everyone in Ponyville was affected by this. Death doesn’t come often in Equestria. Especially not here. Ponyville has only ever had a hoofful of funerals. “But you really should go home. Fluttershy is waiting. And we still have a lot of planning to do.” Red Storm sighed. I leaned in closer to try and catch his gaze again.
“Are you going to be alright, Red Storm? No one likes seeing you like this.” Still no answer. “Are you alright, Red Storm?” He exhaled, and picked up his helmet.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He slid his helmet over his head, turning his gaze up. “Except… It’s a terrible day for rain.” I looked up again, back at the beautiful sky above me. There was not a single cloud in sight.

“What do you mean? It’s not raining…” I looked back at him, his gaze still skyward. Except now, he had lines of tears running down his face.

“Yes… it is.” I held my breath. Neither of us moved or even breathed for what felt like minutes. I felt tears of my own starting to form in my eyes. Suddenly, his wings flew open, and he took off faster than I could react, headed for the mountains. I let my breath out, and took one final look at the headstone. It read:

I shook my head. I had forgotten that Whitewash faked her death before. Though I doubt she had faked this one. Still, it was apparent that Red Storm was quite conflicted on the matter. Our doctors were sure that this was Whitewash. But I’ve seen her magic before. Even I can’t come to a conclusion. For all I knew, she could be in Canterlot with a new name and identity, waiting once again for her time to re-immerge. But I pushed the thoughts from my mind. Big Mac was waiting for me at the library. As I turned to leave, I couldn’t help but wonder; if somepony like Whitewash couldn’t stem the tide, what chance do we have?

“Spike? Big Mac? I’m home!” As I walked inside the library, I quickly removed the hat, placing it on the rack beside the door. Spike and Big Macintosh were both sitting at the kitchen island chatting when I walked in, and both gave me a wave.

“What are you two talking about?” For the last couple of months since Big Mac started visiting, Spike usually avoided him and Big Mac did the same, likely out of awkwardness. This might have been the first time I saw them both talking so… casually.

“Well… We were talking about you, actually,” Spike said, scratching the spines on his head. I raised an eyebrow as Big Mac continued for him.

“We’ve been talking since the funeral, and we think it’d be best if you didn’t get involved in this fight. It’s no place for a pregnant mare such as yourself.” This comment took me aback.

“That’s really something coming from the father who’s going to be on the front lines!” The large red stallion sighed and put a hoof over his eyes. Spike sat up in his seat.

“Twilight, it’s unfair that you’d say that. Big Mac has a huge role right now. Red Storm himself has taken time out of his schedule to train him. Besides, you make it seem like he’s the only father who’s going to be fighting here. There are plenty of other soldiers with families. He’s doing his duty.” I recoiled at Spike’s new attitude. Quickly though, I felt my face flush red as I stomped down my hoof.

“I don’t care! This is absurd! Red Storm has plans for me too! You make it seem like I’m some sort of VIP because I’m pregnant! Besides, how could we use the Elements of Harmony without me?” Spike’s mouth hung open, trying to find words. The Elements were our best chance at leveling the playing field in this upcoming battle, a fact that had apparently escaped both Spike and Big Macintosh. Big Mac lifted his face again, and he wore an expression of conviction.

“Twilight, we know that you’re important. We aren’t telling you not to do your job. But you shouldn’t fight like this. Use the Elements, and then run. If the Elements don’t work, then run faster. That’s all I’m asking you to do. If I need to die for your safety, then so be it. But I’m not going to put you in any more danger than you’re going to have to be. My job as a father is to put your life and the life of my foal first.” Now it was my turn to be silent. I lowered my gaze to the floor, shuffling my forehooves. Big Mac was right, and all I could do was come to terms with the reality that anyone could die. But they would be dying in the defense of those who cannot defend themselves. I suppose that in that sense, it was noble. But I couldn’t shake the worry of Big Mac going to war. I looked back up at him, feeling choked up.

“Macintosh… Please… Promise me. Come back alive. I don’t want to lose you.” Big Mac stepped over and hugged me tightly, nodding. I kissed him on the cheek as Spike patted me on the shoulder.

“Come on Twi. I doubt Red Storm is going to let anything happen to us. He’s putting us first. I think he genuinely cares about the ponies around here, and I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to protect us.” I cracked a smile and put a hoof around Spike, pulling him closer.

“Thanks Spike… I hope so.” Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, disrupting our sappy moment. Spike padded over and pulled open the door, and standing there was Red Storm, in his armor with a package on his back. He was grinning widely.

“Speak of the devil and the devil will come, Twilight Sparkle.” I blushed. He had likely heard our conversation from down the street. Big Mac raised an eyebrow as Red Storm walked in, dropping the package on the floor with a hefty ‘thud’. It was a simple cardboard box with a lace string keeping it shut. There were red stains at the bottom, but I tried to pay those no mind.

“What’s in the box?” Spike asked, half inquisitively, half accusationally. Red Storm simply nodded towards Big Mac who stepped forward.

“This is something that your fiancé and I have been discussing; made to order with the finest magics that I could muster. Big Mac’s expression stayed the same as he stepped forward to open the box. Pulling off the string and folding away at the flaps, Big Mac grinned as widely as Red Storm.

“You like it, don’t you? I thought you would. It goes well with your eyes.” My curiosity got the better of me as I leaned in to examine the contents of the box. Inside, there were the disassembled but very distinct pieces of a suit of armor very similar to the armor that Red Storm wore. This armor was, however, red and less embroidered.

“Red Storm! What is this?” I cried out. Anything of Sanguinary make usually involved blood, something that I was not entirely comfortable with.

“This is armor that I had personally crafted for Big Mac. He will be facing Bloodthorn in one-on-one combat, and so he must be well equipped. Unlike most bloodsteel, I used a drop of my own blood to forge it. In doing so, the armor possesses great magic that will ensure your fiancés safety in the battle to come. I shall be making sets for Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and several others as well.” I frowned at this answer. Red Storm replied with another grin. “And don’t worry, this armor was made only with donated blood. I’m not a monster, you know.”

“Well thank you very much Red Storm. This… makes me feel a little bit better that the soldiers will be well equipped.” The pegasi was taken aback by this.

“But of course they will! Why do you think I’ve been having Rarity look for Blood Rubies and Soul Sapphires? I wish to keep casualties low. But, even with the help of the dragons and minotaurs, work is difficult. We may not be able to supply everyone with the best. But we’re trying our hardest. That armor there had taken me four days to make, and I am an expert of the craft… In fact, I could use some help.” He turned to Spike. “I told you long ago that I would teach you to smith. Are you still interested?” Spike began to nod furiously. I stepped forward.

“Hold on just one second, Red Storm. I don’t care if you’re a demigod or not, you will include me in Spike’s life decisions. I’m not comfortable with the idea of you teaching him how to make weapons, let alone teaching him blood magic.” Red Storm sighed.

“Twilight. I’m going to teach him how to make armor. Also, he couldn’t perform blood magic even if I wanted to teach him. Its… Complicated.” This answer didn’t appease me either. But I simmered down.

“Fine. I’ll allow it, but only because he’s so excited. I want him back before dinner, and no sugar!” Spike pouted slightly, but smiled again when Red Storm patted his head.

“Don’t worry. I don’t need him yet. We shall start tomorrow.” Red Storm’s grin turned into a frown. “I must finish grieving. Macintosh. Try on the armor tonight. It should fit fine, but bring it to me if it needs adjustments.” Big Mac answered with his signature “Eeyup” before Red Storm left and flew away. I sighed. All of this felt so overwhelming. Even Spike was getting involved in the war now. I just feel so… Powerless amongst it all.

“Twilight. Let’s have dinner. I’m sure you’re starving. After all, you’re eating for two now.” Big Mac snapped me out of my trance and I smiled at him. Perhaps I can allow myself some peace of mind for now. While I still can.

Author's Notes:

Bleh. I feel like crap right now. I'm gonna go to bed. You know the drill. Tell me about any mistakes you found.
...
And if anyone would like to PM me and chat, I'd love to. I'm rather lonely these days.
And of course, thank you all for reading my digital rag.

Changing the Tides

I sat in my room alone. The light from outside found its way in as narrow beams between the blinds; the sounds of work sounding like a muffled radio. The bed I was sitting on sagged slightly at my weight, almost mimicking my drooping spirits. I raised my head to scan my surroundings once more, having little else to do in terms of distractions. Eventually my eyes rested upon the saddlebag on the desk in front of me. My woe welled up once more as I saw it sitting there, a reminder of yesterday’s funeral as well as the events that had led up to it. I choked back a tear before lowering my head once more.

I sat in silence for several moments. Or perhaps hours, I couldn’t really tell. All I know is that there was still some light outside before I heard the knock on the door. My horn glowed as I cracked open the door, the magic fading immediately after. Slowly the door creaked open as Red Storm walked into the room. He was quiet despite him wearing his golden plate armor.

“Cuddio. It has been quite some time since I last heard from this room. Are you ill?” I shook my head, not looking up.

“I understand the loss of Whitewash must hurt more than it does for even me, but I beg of you; do not lose hope. Her death was not in vain, and there is still much more to be done.” I cringed at the mention of the deceased, but I nodded again.

I rose from the bed, and shifted towards Red Storm. I looked up to him, waiting for instructions. However, he nodded with his head towards the saddlebag on the desk.

“While extra hands are valuable here, Whitewash was working on a very special assignment. Seeing as you were her closest companion and the current owner of her saddlebag, I think you should pick up where she left off. Perhaps you may find closure in doing so.” I raised an eyebrow but followed his gaze. The saddlebag lay limp on the desk, still clasped tight. Inside laid secrets that had been known only to those emerald eyes…

I nodded. For some reason I felt slightly better already having been given a new assignment. Perhaps Red Storm was right and I was seeking closure. Or perhaps it was simply a faux sense of hope. Only time would tell. But in the meantime, it would do no good to simply sit around wallowing in my despair. I needed to get back on my hooves.

“Excellent. I knew you would be up to it. Please, seek me in the command tent when you are ready to begin. While time is of the utmost importance, do take your time in preparing for your trip. It would undoubtably take you across Equestria and beyond. Be prepared for anything. And of course,” He glanced back at the saddlebag before returning his gaze to my eyes, “Feel free to look through the contents. While she may have lived with little, what little she had would be in those bags. And her will stated everything that she held to her name is now yours.”

I nodded. It had almost slipped my mind that I was now the richest changeling drone in history. My newly acquired wealth was well over a million bits, excluding whatever was in savings accounts or overseas. Whitewash’s lawyer was still trying to get estimations. Still, it was the contents of the saddlebags that interested me the most. As Red Storm left, closing the door behind him, I moved towards the desk. I stared at the plain saddlebags for several moments before unclasping the bag on the right side. I carefully removed the contents, laying them out on the desk. I also made a note to flick on the lights as I worked, so that I could see more clearly.

Inside the right side was a simple blue three-ring binder full to capacity with papers and documents. It was secured with a black length of string. I would look through that in a moment. Next were an inkwell and a box of quills. Then several small cylindrical phials full of a luminous green liquid. As the phials were unlabeled, I moved them to the far side of the desk, careful not to drop them. I didn’t want to accidentally blow myself up or anything before I even started my quest. Lastly, at the bottom of the bag was a much larger phial of opaque blue liquid. Thankfully, there was a worn label on this one that read “Scarlet Swift Afterburner”. Below that, a smaller print that read “Never sleep again! Take a swig a day and wash that sleepiness away!”

‘This must explain how she managed to go for days without sleep when I traveled with her,’ I thought reading the label, ‘This could be useful. I’ll have Twilight check the ingredients if she has the time. It would be good to know how to make more.’ With that, I slid the bottle of “Afterburner” to the side of the table. I reached in and pulled out the next item. It was a small black book with “NOTES” written on the cover in white ink. It was worn and tattered around the edges and the pages were slightly yellowed with age, but all in all it seemed rather well kept despite its apparent age. Upon closer inspection, I also realized it was in fact leather-bound. I shuddered and then realized that this was likely Whitewash’s personal journal from her time as a Reaver in the Sanguine Kingdom. It seemed glow with mysterious energy. It had clearly seen a great deal in its time. With great effort I put the book down, shaking my head. That was for later.

I reached into the saddlebag one more time, seeing if there was anything else inside. I couldn’t feel anything, but I could almost sense something else inside. I checked the other pockets. I hefted the bag. I upturned it and shook. Nothing came out, but while shaking I could have sworn I felt something move. I looked inside once more and took my time patting down the inside of the bag, checking each pocket slowly. After almost ten minutes of careful searching, I found what I was looking for. There was a hidden compartment inside the main pocket. I found a small paper note inside, folded over many times. It had nothing written on the outside, but when I unfolded it and read what was inside, I caught my breath. It was a note from Whitewash, addressed to me.

Hours later I stepped out of the small motel room into the light of the setting sun. I took a deep breath and looked around. Even now, ponies were running about doing this and that preparing for the upcoming battle. I decided that it would be a good idea to find something to eat and then speak with Red Storm. Seeing as I was not the only changeling in town now, I figured it would be far easier to get a bite. There must be some way to feed the changeling troops. I tightened the fastening on Whitewash’s saddlebag and made my way into the chaotic masses. As I walked down the busy streets I kept an eye out for Red Storm as while he was usually in his tent, one could sometimes find him micromanaging the defense forces.

After a few minutes of walking around, I stumbled across the changeling campsite. They were working on potions, reconnaissance, and infiltration. There were several workbenches surrounded by drones working on their respective job with officers looming over them to make sure the work got done. I walked up to one of the officers and got his attention.

“Who are you?” He boomed. He sounded like a drill sergeant. I opened the saddlebag and pulled out the orange identification card that Red Storm had given me when I first arrived. It gave me moderate clearance and listed me as a VIP. The officer took a quick look at it and bowed his head.

“Sorry about that sir. Didn’t realize you were a level 3. Thought you were one of these useless bags of slime. What do you need?” I pocketed the ID card and brought out my communication whiteboard. I wrote that I was looking for a place where I could feed, and I showed it to him. He read it quickly and nodded, pointing off to his right.

“Go about a block down that street and there should be a little pink tent headed by pony who has been feeding the changelings.” I gulped, realizing what that probably meant. The officer noticed this and laughed. “Don’t worry. She’s not sleeping with them. You’ll see what I mean.” I nodded with thanks and made my way down the street the officer sent me.

After a minute of walking I came across the tent. There was an amazingly fluffy pink pony heading the stand in front of the tent. Upon seeing me, she gasped, ducked below the stand, and then came back up with a paper bowl filled with small marshmallow-looking hearts. Seeing my confusion, she nudged the bowl closer to me and started to stare at me. Not breaking eye contact, I leaned forward and smelled the contents. They smelled like strawberries. I took one up in my telekinesis and popped it in my mouth. Suddenly I was flooded with love, my body and tastebuds washed over with good feeling. I looked at the fluffy pink pony in awe. She stuck out her tongue and sank beneath the stand, seemingly disappearing entirely. I took this as a sign to leave and walked away, eating the rest of the small hearts as I went.

‘Now I just need to find Red Storm’ I thought to myself, searching both the ground and the skies. I wasn’t actually aware of any real schedule of his, so all I could do was wander until I found him. As I walked, I passed training soldiers, smithies, alchemy labs and enchanting workshops. While I didn’t see any familiar faces, I did receive many passing waves and smiles from the different creatures. It seems that despite it all, morale was high all around.

After a few more minutes of walking, I picked up on a scent unlike anything I had ever smelled before. It was so alien in fact that I couldn’t even figure out what it smelled like. With my curiosity peaked, I decided to investigate further. It was a putrid burning smell, but not quite toxic in tang. I soon found the source; ironically it was also the location of Red Storm. He was wearing a smithy’s apron and a pair of tinted goggles. His hooves were covered with knee-high gloves and his face was covered in a mask. At the moment, he was bent over an anvil hammering away at something. Not wanting to disturb him, I took a minute to behold the sight before me.

Before me was an extremely odd looking smithy workstation. It was not the layout, nor the tools within it that was especially out of the ordinary. The odd part was the construction. The forge seemed to be made up of a combination of pitch-black rough and glassy materials. I assumed these to be some sort of minerals or stones. It also appeared to be fueled by a very strange red powder. An observation proven by the fact that Red Storm, who was working at said forge, would toss in another hoof-full every few minutes. Beside him was Spike, who was quickly carrying things back and forth between Red Storm and different parts of the workstation. At the moment, he appeared to be carrying a white-hot sheet of metal over to a quenching trough before dunking it into the liquid inside. At the same moment as the steam began to rise, Red Storm spoke to me.

“Ah, Cuddio! Good to see you out of that dark room of yours.” he said over the cacophony of noises around us. “What brings you here? Made up your mind?” I nodded to him, brow furrowed. He smiled in response, lifting up his goggles. He turned away from me to Spike.
“You’ve done well today! Take a break for now. I will call for you when I am done with Cuddio. Go get a snack.” Spike nodded and hurried away into the crowd and out of sight. Red Storm looked back to me grinning, his ruby eyes drilling into me.

“So; what’s your decision? What will you do?” I pulled my whiteboard from my new saddlebag along with a marker, writing three words.
“I’ll do it.” Red Storm grinned wider and turned away from me, walking towards a crate near the smithy.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Otherwise my hard efforts would have gone to waste.” I raised an eyebrow as I was already sure of what he meant, but was curious nonetheless. He slid the top off the box and it clanked to the ground. He then waved me over with a hoof.
“I made you a parting gift to keep you safe. Because let’s be honest; Changeling armor is awful.” I moved to his side, looking into the box. What was inside took my breath away.

Contained in the box was a suit of armor. It was made of Red Storm’s famed bloodsteel and folded many times to a very dense and strong material. The patterns of the folds mimicked those of a changeling’s chitinous hide. The armor itself was dyed black and highlighted with a dark green trim along the sides and edges. In the center of the breastplate was a bright green emerald that glimmered elegantly in the sunlight. Lastly, the helmet looked almost exactly like the head of a changeling drone, except that around the eyes was a plate of metal forged to resemble a white masquerade mask. Further augmenting the beauty of the fantastically crafted and engraved mask was the subtle but elegant diamond embroidery. The final and most stunning feature was the finely cut amethyst eyepieces; clear like glass but still brilliant as the original gem. I felt my breath escape me at the sight of the masterful work of art, a hoof absent-mindedly reaching out to touch it. Red Storm smiled at me before speaking:

“It’s yours, Cuddio. I made it just for you. Come now, let us try it on.” I nodded, breaking myself from my awed trance. I felt almost unworthy to have a suit of armor of my own. I followed Red Storm as he dragged the crate inside his small olive-colored tent behind the smithy. I bowed under the opening flap to find that the tent was mostly empty, save for a few other crates and a several odd-looking mechanical devices. The largest of which was in the center of the room, taking up several square meters of space. Red Storm stood by it, waving me over. As I stepped closer, he motioned for me to stand inside the device. I did as I was told, and Red Storm began to explain the contraption as he unpacked the armor.

“This is Titan-class Sanguinary armor. Now, the thing about Sanguinary Titan armor that makes it so incredibly effective is that it does in fact cover one’s entire body. Every inch of the body is covered, including the eyes and… sensitives. Naturally, there are places that move so that you can eat and use the restroom and all that, but otherwise the piece is solid. It is the perfect defense.” Red Storm began to mount the parts of the armor onto the metal device in certain spots, confusing me slightly. It almost seemed like an incredibly complicated armor rack. Red Storm continued:

“This perfect defense does come at a price, however. The armor is extremely complicated and nearly impossible to assemble with one’s own hooves. The armor that I have been wearing is in fact a partial suit of Sanguinary Armor. I never earned my full suit before I left. I did however; discover how to forge such armor using notes and blueprints “acquired” by Whitewash through her many underworld contacts. As closely guarded the art of Sanguinary forging is, money truly can buy anything.” He smiled at this, placing a large green gem into a slot at the base of the machine. The machine began to hum with energy, and my apprehension showed.

“This machine allows for the wearing of true, full-body Sanguinary armor. It shall assemble the parts into the impenetrable hide that shall serve as a second skin for you. You must stay very still while it does this, however. And if you’re wondering where I acquired such a machine… Well just know that Whitewash had many useful black market contacts.” I nodded before straightening back up. The mechanical arms of the device began to move autonomously as Red Storm tapped a few buttons on his switching station beside me. I could feel the metal parts gliding over my chitin and sliding into place; snug but not uncomfortable. It was certainly an odd experience, and by the end of it I felt just as odd.

When the machine was still again, I was no longer a mere changeling drone. I was a new creature, born of the union of my own body and the armor. It felt like it was alive, resting on my own body. It was also strangely light for its size and heft. Red Storm sensed my fascination even through the closed helmet, and responded to my internal questions.

“The armor has a series of hydraulic systems built into its structure so that it is lighter to the wearer. The whole system is powered by Soul Sapphires, and its charge will likely outlast your whole life. Without the hydraulics, it would likely crush you as the whole suit weights almost half a ton.” I gasped silently, shocked. I was a walking tank, but I still maintained my relative flexibility and maneuverability. I took a few practice steps, and realized how manuverable the armor really was. My movement was slightly slower than before, but I could likely still run in the suit with ease. Red Storm smiled in satisfaction.

"Looks like everything is in order here. Spike really did do a fine job with that. Little squirt has got talent, that's for sure." He paused, furrowing his brow before speaking again. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot. For obvious reasons, this armor is also fully fuctional with your veils. It has similar enchantments to Whitewash's armor, so it's nearly silent and undetectable while veiled. I think you should be satisfied using that." I raised an eyebrow before flaring up my horn. In a burst of green fire I was suddenly Red Storm, mimicing his person perfectly. Even I couldnt see the armor anymore. However, I could still feel it on my body. In another burst of green fire I was once again standing in the full suit of black armor. Red Storm spoke again.

"I would suggest you look into finding out how Whitewash veiled her armor how she did, so that you can turn yours invisible. Knowing her, she may have taken notes on her procedure." I suddenly remembered the notebook in my saddlebag. I made a mental note to study it later and perhaps gain some insight on Whitewash's skills. Red Storm continued speaking as he waved a hoof in the air.

"I suppose I should also explain the specs of that armor to you as well. Like I said, this is Sanguinary Titan-Class armor. It differs from Whitewash's Reaver-Class armor in that it is obviously much heavier and requires power from Soul Saphirres. However, it makes up for the loss of mobility and versatility in power and defense. While wearing this armor your strength is increased five fold, and its armored shell is nigh-impenetrable. It is able to deflect nearly any attack with ease, be it magical or physical. It would take another Titan-Class suit to damage yours. The reason why I wanted to give you this suit of armor is to insure your safety in your travels. Unfortunately you cannot use your wings in this armor, but seeing as you will likely be crossing the majority of your distances via transport vehicles, the decrease in mobility should be of no problem." I nodded in acknowlegement, still testing the suit with simple flexes and stretches. Red Storm made another pause, and I saw his eyes dialate slightly before returning to normal.

"Also, I almost forgot to mention. The suit is nuerologically linked to you. You can open and close the visor with thought, as well as the other various ports." I decided to test this by flipping open the aformentioned ports a few times, as well as opening my visor to see a bit better. When I was satisfied, I drew my whiteboard from my bags and began to write.

"Now that I am properly equipped, I should leave immediately. Whitewash's next stop after mine was for Manehattan." I erased the message and continued, "I have mixed feelings about her coming to me first, but I suppose I owe her my life." Erasing the second one, I continued to a third while Red Storm waited patiently. "I need speedy transportation there right away. Can you let me use the train, or something faster?" Red Storm grinned again.

"Why of course! I will need to fill out some paperwork on your behalf, but I do believe I can get you some transport." I nodded to Red Storm, smiling.

"Fantastic!" I wrote on my whiteboard in response, "You truly are a good friend, Red Storm." He waved me off.

"It is no problem at all. In fact, I have something special in mind for you..." He gestured for me to follow him as we exited the tent. I ignored the stares of awe as we headed for the quartermaster. I was excited to see what contraption Red Storm had planned for me.

I stood before a cart drawn by a very strange looking creature. It looked to be about the same size as a horse, but any similarity stopped there. It had a very elongated neck, a pointed sloping head with extended, floppy ears, and most oddly of all three legs. Two in the back, one in the front. More so, each leg ended not in a hoof, but in a furry foot with two toes. Its coat was splotched with many contrasting colors as if it was attacked with several buckets of paint. I stared at the creature, baffled. I had never before seen anything like it. Red Storm interrupted my wonder by speaking up.

"This is a muddlet. A fine beast, certainly. I say 'beast' because they appear to lack any and all intelligence. However, they are the swiftest ground animals in all the lands." I looked at him in confusion. He continued without glancing at me.

"I purchased this muddlet from a merchant not too long ago. I forget the stallion's name, but his wares were certainly something to behold. While it is a great displeasure for me to admit that many of his fantastical items were outside of my price range, I am proud to say that I received an excellent bargain on this muddlet." It was now that he noticed my stare and he laughed.

"Don't worry. I was not hoodwinked. These beasts are indeed swift and strong as well. Stronger than most earth ponies I'd say. This one would have no problem pulling a cart with you in it. And believe me when I say that this will get you to where you are going far quicker than the train." I was still not convinced. It seemed too good to be true, especially for such a strange animal. Red Storm ushered me onto the cart and smiled.

"Do not fear. It'll be fine. However, I do need to send an escort with you." I raised an eyebrow at this as a royal guard climbed on after me. "You see... These creatures are very simple. They have two commands; one to go and one to stop. Unfortunately for you, they must be hollered at the beasts for them to hear. You obviously cannot do this. So I am sending Steel Hooves here with you to accompany you, for the sole purpose of shouting at these things." I noticed him repress a chuckle at this notion, as it was silly at best. "And don't worry about Steel Hooves. He can handle himself. He is a veteran of 11 years with the Celestial Guard, and tough as nails to boot." I nodded to him, dazed. All of this was so sudden and strange and-

"Brix!" Shouted Steel Hooves. Suddenly the cart lurched forward and even in my new armor I had to fight to not be thrown off. Apparently Red Storm made no exaggeration about the abilities of the muddlet. As we shot forward into the distance I could hear Red Storm shout behind us:

"Good luck! And don't die!"

As I gathered my bearings on the pitching cart, I decided to read more about the next pony I needed to meet. I drew Whitewash’s notebook from the saddlebag and began to read. Below my name was a stallion whom I had never heard of before. ‘Rising Tide’ I reminded myself that Whitewash has traveled far and wide, and that she has connections everywhere. After reading for a few moments I decided to switch over to Whitewash’s black journal and see what was inside.

I was shocked to find that it was filled with magical knowledge from dozens of countries and cultures. There were many types of forbidden knowledge I was afraid to read, but I did find her notes on changelings, veils, and invisibility. So for the rest of the ride I decided to study her notes and practice some other useful spells I found within the old tome.

‘I shall be prepared for whatever I must face. For Whitewash.’

Author's Notes:

Thanks for waiting, all of you. Things have been... Weird for me lately. Anna finally convinced me to finish this chapter... So... yeah. Here it is.
If you notice any errors or inconsistencies tell me. I did this in two parts with about two months between each part. This chapter is far from perfect and I didnt really have Anna around to help me.
Anyway... Hope you enjoyed the story so far!

Edit: If you actually read this far, good for you. Sorry though. I guess you didn't see that this was cancelled. Fear not! I will eventually get around to a full remastering of this entire Story... Because this draft simply sucks ass. Again, sorry.