Author's notes:

I'm still very, very, upset with all this… but I must point out…

When thinking of a name for the Grand Ruler, I looked over hundreds of different names and chose the best one.

Also…I would appreciate if you NOT think of him a Sue/stu, because believe me, he isn't or he would be 100% totally perfect and would never have a taste of adversity or defeat as you are about to find out.

EPISODE NINTEEN

Titan's fallen minions had retreated to a cave in a different dimension, where all they ever did was curl around a bonfire and berate themselves for their ultimate failure. Where would they go now? What would they do? "I guess we just sit here and wait for the end to come…?" said Rep-Stallion.

Dementia sighed heavily "We'll probably fail at that too. We're nothing but fools!"

Suddenly, they all heard the sound of someone sniggering in the shadows, it said. "You're only a fool if you give up."

Mysterious stepped forward. "Who's there? Who are you?"

Out stepped a black unicorn with dark armor, and a shadowy mane. She said, "Like all of you, I, too, am of the fallen evil, but I may be able to help you restore your pride over you vanquish… if you will help me."

The minions felt an evil grin returning to their faces for the first time in a while. "We're listening." said Mysterious.

The unicorn explained that she, too, had enemies she wished to crush, but it was obvious she couldn't do it alone and therefore thought it best to seek followers who would help her. "If you agree to help me… I will show and grant you all a magic so great that will make you all, and myself virtually invincible."

The minions weren't too sure at first. This unicorn seemed pretty slick, almost too slick. Still, seeing it would be nice to try one last time to avenge their master's fall, and claim their victories.

"Do we have a deal…?" asked the unicorns as she extended her hove. The minions decided, "Very well…" Mysterious said as he touched his hove to hers. "By the way, what's your name?" asked Rep-Stallion.

The unicorn sniggered softly. "Nightmare…" she hissed "Nightmare Moon is my name!"

…

In Unicornicopia, Rhymey was selected for the mission to travel to Equestria and obtain the rainbow stone which was there. Lightning and Krysta escorted him to Grand Ruler's palace.

Rhymey was going alone eh had heard stories about Equestria from Krysta. She didn't learn too much about it when she was there, but she knew it was another kingdom where ponies, pegasi, and other ground unicorns lived.

"Gee… I never thought there were other unicorns like us." said Lightning "You excited, Rhymey?"

Rhymey felt both excited and nervous.

"There's no telling just what I will find,

So many curiosities fill my mind.

Many creatures may come along,

But I will venture, brave and strong.

No matter what or who is there,

I'll just give them an icy stare…

Grrrrrrrrrraaah…!"

Krysta and Lightning exchanged looks of concern. "He's ready…!" they both said

Upon arriving at the palace, The Grand Ruler was sitting on his throne and playing a harp. He seemed rather sad though, the expression on his face and the song he was playing gave it away. Lightning cleared his throat, gaining his master's attention. "Oh… sorry, I was miles away."

He led everyone to the portal chamber, and by Krysta's instructions, Equestria was found. "Good Luck, Rhymey…" said Krysta.

"Have fun." said Lightning.

Rhymey nodded at his friends, and then gazed at the glowing portal. He gathered his courage and began to dash straight at it…

"With thoughts in my head, and nerves in my tum,

Look out, Equestria, HERE I COME!"

Then he was gone.

Grand Ruler just kept staring sadly at the portal and the images of the realm Rhymey had gone too. He looked sadder than ever now. Krysta and Lightning were very worried now. "Sire… is everything all right?" asked Lightning.

His master said nothing at the start, and then he said, "Lightning, my faithful student… I'm afraid that I haven't been completely open with you or any of my subjects. There are things about me that you just don't know and I had hoped it would remain that way, but I cannot keep it to myself any longer."

Krysta and Lightning were confused. "What do you mean?" asked Lightning.

"Follow me…" his master said, and lead the two into his master bedroom, and revealed a secret sealed door behind a tapestry on the wall. "I never let anyone else, and I mean anyone else in here…even my royal guards haven't guessed of its existence… but if the two of promise not to touch anything, and to keep this a secret… I will show you something interesting."

Krysta and Lightning promised solemnly, and with that, Grand Ruler unlocked the room by inserting his horns into the keyholes, and in they went.

The torches lit up and Lightning and Krysta felt they had entered paradise. The whole room was covered in wild flowers; small rivers formed a ring around the center where there were stone benches, and lovely small trees. "This is lovely…" said Krysta "It's almost like my home in the Valley of Fairies."

Grand Ruler explained that this was his private sanctuary. The place where he came to meditate in peace or whenever he wanted to be alone and think to himself, but most importantly this shrine was dedicated to the memory of something most dear to him. "What's that…?" asked Lightning.

His master pointed to the fountain that was in the center of the patio, to the statue on the top. It was a lovely unicorn with a long horn, Pegasus wings, and long mane and tail. "Wow! She's beautiful." said Lightning.

"Who is she…?" asked Krysta.

The Grand Ruler sat down, and he began to tell them his story, and for starters, his real name was not The Grand Ruler, it was just a royal title he adopted himself, for he was not originally of royal blood.

*Grand Ruler's POV*

I was born in the magical kingdom of Equestria, far away in another dimension over a-thousand years ago. I was named Celesto. I felt very unusual for some reason, different you might say. Then one day I discovered why… I was a unicorn with golden wings, and instead of having just one horn, I had three. All of them were gold.

My parents introduced me to many of their friends, but they all seemed to stare at me and act as if something was wrong. This made me feel very uneasy. My parents didn't have three horns or golden wings. None of the other colts in my neighborhood had golden horns either.

On my very first day of pony school, I could feel all the other foals staring at me. I wished they wouldn't. I tried to make friends but all the other foals just seemed to go away. Some acted nervous around me as if I were a monster and others they refused to let me play and just laughed and called me names.

"Tri horned, freak!"

"Uni-Creep…!"

"Magical mistake…! The circus is that way."

The worst one of all was a pony named Dusk Shine. Every day he would go out of his very way to pick on me, or to laugh at the way I looked. I tried to tell him that I couldn't help having three horns and golden wings, but he continued to bother me to such an extent.

"Look everyone, the little foal's going to cry and throw a hissy fit." He would say, and everyone would laugh at me, and making crying sounds expecting me to start blubbering.

I didn't throw any fits, but I did run out of the school near tears. I felt so alone. So unwanted… I couldn't understand why everyone hated me, just because I looked different didn't mean I should be treated as such.

(Rankin Bass' Jack Frost- One of a Kind)

The happiness of being me…

…is not what it's cracked up to be.

It's lonely being one… of a kind

With all the known variety

The things that life gave to me

It's lonely being one… of a kind…

I wish, I could be, like everyone I see

Not special, just an ordinary guy

Who has friends, and is loved

And leads a happy life

If only…I was given the chance to try

The happiness of being me…

…is not what it's cracked up to be.

It's lonely being… one… of a kind

It's lonely… being…

…One…

…of a kind!

A tear rolled down my face and splashed at my reflection in the water.

As I got older I began to embrace some of the wonder of being alone, with still some hope that I would make friends one day. I learned many magic spells, but in my spare time I learned amazing things like how to stand up right on my hind legs and seem taller, and doing things with my front hooves like having hands or claws. I even began to teach myself how to dance.

I tried to show off my talents, hoping to earn a little respect from the others, but all it did was increase the tension and the bullying from them all especially from dusk shine. He threw an apple at me that got stuck on my middle horn. "Hey, look… that apple's eating a freak show." Everyone laughed at me, and was very depressed.

So depressed, I began to study harder with magic, and I found something that would help me. A cover up spell that turned my golden wings white to match my color… I also made my middle horn white and made the other two vanish. Now I looked normal, and just in time for one of the biggest events for school ponies.

The Pony Games!

A great event where foals learned to become ponies… They would learn to fly, master their magic, and also, be inspected and judged by the future ruler of Equestria… Celestia… and she had also come to participate in the games herself.

I caught a glimpse of her and I couldn't stop gazing at her. Best of all she gazed back at, blinked twice and smiled. "Well, what do you know? I think she likes you." said Dusk Shine. I was amazed. This was the first time he wasn't rude or mean to me, possibly was because of the spell hiding my horns and wings, but I couldn't help but still gaze at Celestia.

The games went well, everyone did their best. I showed off more of my anthropomorphic tricks which helped me clear through a lot of the trials with ease, and everyone applauded me. They didn't laugh at me at all. I felt so happy, so wonderful for the first time. Yet every few moments I would notice that Celestia was gazing at me with great interest.

During a lunch break, Dusk Shine actually invited me to sit with him and some of his friends, and they kept saying how incredible I was, and it was Dusk who persuaded me to go to Celestia, who was eating her lunch under a tree alone.

As nervous as I felt, I went over, but our eyes met. "Nice day…" she said to me. She sounded a little

"Yes."

"For the games… I mean."

"Sure…"

We kept exchanging remarks back and forth, and we both felt a little silly… Celestia also noticed my wings kept twitching, and I kept feeling my only visible horn in worry. "Are you alright? Why do you keep feeling your wings and your horn?"

I didn't want to tell her, so I just said "Why… am I doing something wrong?"

Celestia apologized, "I don't mean it that way." she said, and since I already her name. She asked me what mine what. "Celesto…? I like that name. It means… heavenly."

I blushed, "Really…? Well… so does Celestia. I think it's… beautiful."

She giggled softly.

"Um… Celestia… after the games… I know you're the future ruler, but… would you… would you walk home with me?"

She hesitated for a moment, but she agreed. "I will… Celesto- I think you're sweet."

My heart leapt with joy. She thought I was sweet, and with my newfound confidence, and hope finally blossoming in my eyes, I finished the games as one of the top three grand winners along with Dusk Shine. "Hey, you know… you're all right." he said. It was a sign that he and I would be friends, except when we had a playful wrestle to congratulate each other for our victories the magic spell wore off thus exposing my horns and my wings.

Everyone gasped loudly, and as expected, many of them began to laugh at me and call me names again. The referees declared me disqualified, thinking I had been cheating all this time using magic and confiscated all my medals and awards.

"Yeah, you're all right…" said Dusk "All right as in wrong, Tri-horned reject!"

Celestia saw and heard everything and thought everyone was being very unfair. She saw me run off on my own feeling broken hearted and sore for the last time. "Celesto…?" she called as she raced after me. "Celesto…?"

I stopped and turned to face her. "Well… what do you want?" I asked almost sharply. Celestia walked up to me. "You… you promised to walk home with me. Remember…?"

"Aren't you going to laugh at my horns and wings too? Everyone else is."

She shook her head and said with honesty and truth, "I think they're handsome. Much better than the way you tried to hide them with magic."

I felt a little better hearing that from her, but still, "They're terrible. They make me different from every-pony else?"

"But that's what makes you so grand, unique and special." Celestia said "Everyone is special in the own way. Combine that with your sweet personality, why and filly would consider herself lucky to be seen with you."

Celestia was very kind-hearted and understanding. She never judged anything by how it looked, but why what they could do. It became clear to me that even though she was future ruler of Equestria, I had made a friend. Having one friend was better than having none.

As I grew older I mastered more magic, and skill, and continued to practice my own arts. I even taught Celestia some of my tricks like how to stand on your hind legs and do things with her own hooves instead of relying on magic.

Celestia even taught me some other types of spells even how that when in future, she'd help raise the sun in the sky and welcome the day. We were great friends, she and I, getting closer and closer every day.

Celestia believed and showed me that friendship was a very powerful gift, and she felt honored to share it with me, and I felt the same way, but I also felt strongly about believing. Until I met Celestia, nothing went too well for me, but I kept on hanging on trying my best, and things started to work out fine. Celestia liked that too.

Eventually, Celestia was crowned princess, and I couldn't be seen with her much anymore. We both didn't like that, so I decided to enroll as one of the palace guards, training myself for combat, and getting stronger, not only did I graduate with full honors, but I qualified for a special tournament that would decide who would be captain of the guards, and serve as Princess Celestia's right-hand pony.

As fate would have it, Dusk shine and other bullying ponies entered the tournament as well, and hadn't changed a bit. Now they were ruder than ever, and continuously picked on me trying to weaken my confidence. "Give up, Tri-Horned Puke!" snapped Dusk "No way the princess is going to want a freak show like you by her side."

I paid no attention to them and just kept on believing in myself, and the way Celestia kept gazing at me indicating she also believed in me.

As the tournament progressed I did very well, thanks to my skills and training, and even my anthropomorphic skills proved amazing. I was still taunted at and teased by Dusk, and I even found out that all he seemed to care about was winning just so he could be by the princess's side, and he only cared about her beauty… her looks! This angered me severely, and made Celestia feel unhappy to overhear it as well.

At the end of the tournament, it was down to me, and it was down to Dusk. "I'm going to enjoy taking you out, you manure pile." he snarled at me. I said nothing and just merely concentrated. I did very well, as best I could, but it when came to water breaks, I began to feel sleepy and tired, and the worst part was, I lost! Dusk had won.

Accepting my defeat, but still feeling rather disappointed I walked off, but when Dusk went to Celestia to accept his "Prize" as he called it. It was then revealed that he had cheated in the tournament by putting a sleepy potion in my water trough, this was what made me sleepy and Dusk's victory assured. "I did it for all of us…!" snapped Dusk. "Who the heck wants the three horned mistake by their side."

Celestia lost patience, and disqualified him herself. "You are unworthy of being a royal guard. You are a bully, and a cheater. You have no honor, no respect, and no care for others who seem different."

Dusk tried to protest, but he was thrown in the dungeon for the rest of the evening.

…

With dusk disqualified, that indeed made me the winner. I was knighted as the captain of the guards, for fighting fair, showing respect, believing in myself, but most of all… because I believed in my bond with Celestia. Only now I was beginning to feel more than just friendship towards her.

After assuming my place as captain, I took my duty to heart and helped lead the army against any evil forces, and kept Celestia well protected. I often got to stand by her side too, but she preferred I call her by name and dispense with the formalities.

As time went by, the kingdom began to respect me being captain, and some began to understand my ideas and hopes of believing and friendship.

One night, during a grand gallop ball, I was summoned before Celestia, because she had a gift for me as a reward for all my services, kindness, loyalty, and various other fields. She presented me with a red cape with golden marking sewn on it. She made it herself, just for me to go with my golden, jewel encrusted armor. It suited me very well, and the whole kingdom agreed.

I kissed Celestia's hove and asked "Princess fare… May I have this dance?"

She accepted, and I escorted down to the ballroom floor, and everyone cleared the way to give us plenty of room. The music began to play, and as we danced beautifully, we began to sing to it.

(Style of Strawberry Shortcake- Beautiful you)

(Celesto)

You are not your jewels. You are not your mane.

You are not the grace that others try to explain

Rich or even poor, it's still just all the same

You're still simply wonderful, You!

(Celestia)

You could be a guard with the finest clothes

But it wouldn't make you any nicer, I suppose

If you looked down on me, while turning up your nose

You would not be wonderful, You!

(Both)

It's not how much you sparkle, that makes you like a star

It's what inside your heart that tells you… who you are.

(Celestia)

Glamour's not the way. It's the other way around

Of all the things I glad I have found

(Celesto)

That it's not about the way you look.

(Celestia)

It's the things you say and do.

(Both)

That make you wonderful, You!

(Celesto)

I am not my horns, and I am not my wings

(Celestia)

And I am not my crown, cause' in my heart… I'm many things

(Both)

So let us just both say, that we do not have a care

About the way we look, and the things we wear

(Celesto)

That it's not about the way you look.

(Celestia)

It's the things you say and do.

(Both)

That make you wonderful…

That make you wonderful…

That make you wonderful, You!

As the song ended, Celestia and I were lost in each other's eyes, and then, right in front of every pony in that ball room, we shared our first kiss. Every pony cheered and applauded.

Celestia and I had fallen in love, and we grew closer and closer to each other every day. Sharing ideas, hopes, dreams, and then… one day… Celestia came to me… and proposed!

"What…?" I said unable to believe, "Us… Marry…?"

Celestia explained it was a marvelous idea, this way all their dreams would come true and Equestria would become one of the most peaceful and prosperous realms in the known Dimensional Universe, but most importantly because she loved me.

I loved her too, very much… I was captain of the guards which was the next best thing to being actual royalty, and it really would be a chance for me to show everyone the true magic of friendship and believing. So I accepted her proposal.

We planned to announce our engagement at the next year's ball, and all my time, I spent making the Rainbow Rod, as a gift of affection to my fiancé, channeling power into it, however… on the eve of the ball when we were to announce the engagement the kingdom was attacked…

Celestia's sister, Luna, jealous of her sister's duty in raising the sun, and that she had found true love while she herself had not. She had transformed into a demonic creature known as Night Mare Moon! Her plan was to overthrow her sister and cast eternal night on the kingdom.

She and her evil followers wasted no effort, and in the struggle the guards and I sprang into action. They fight was long, and the evil ones were tough, but I had to protect Celestia, and that was the first time that I had summoned the Uniforce, and blasted all her followers out of action.

*Regular POV*

"The uniforce is the ultimate power of the rare golden horn." Grand Ruler said, "By using the uniforce, a unicorn may very well have the power to increase its battle capabilities to infinity!"

Lightning and Krysta were shocked and amazed. "Whoa…! Infinite power!" cried Lightning. "No wonder…"

"But wait…" said Krysta, "That doesn't explain how you ended up here."

Grand Ruler explained that, at the time, the uniforce could only be used for an instant as it focussed all the energy of the unicorn into one concentrated bust of magic. "After I had used it on Night Mare's minions, it left me drained of all my power and strength. I had nothing left to fight off what happened next."

*Grand Ruler's POV continued…*

Night Mare managed to overpower me in my weakened state, trapped me inside a large gem, and hurled me out of the kingdom, straight for dimensional space, where I would be lost.

All I could see was Celestia reach out and scream, "NO…!"

"CELESTIA…!"

Then, in a bright flash, I had passed out.

…

When I had awoken, I found myself free from the gem in a distant, uninhabited, and unstable, dimension. All alone, lost, and with no hope to ever find my way back to Equestria. I didn't know how far I had come. I had never been to any outer dimension before.

I realized that if we're going to live in this place, it had to be made suitable. So, using all that I had learned and master, I fixed the world up. I made the forests, the mountains, the waters, the skies, and form what Celestia had taught me, I learned how to raise the sun and the moon, and control night and day.

I had changed the dimension to a lovely world, but I was still lonesome and longed for companionship, and so… I decided to create the first life forms of this new world. I tried with all my might, but was only successful in creating winged unicorns, I could create nothing more.

They were the very first that would help me start a world of my own, my own kingdom… a new life to help me overcome the sadness that lingered in my heart.

That kingdom had since become… Unicornicopia.

With that, I had assumed my rightful position, and adopted my royal title, The Grand Ruler. I never wanted to be addressed by my real name again for all the bad memories it brought me, and with all my might, I vowed that evil had taken away everything I loved… I would never allow it to continue.

I and my new subjects began to train, I even learned how to master the uniforce, and learn more about it so using it would not exhaust me so much if ever I would need it again.

I vowed that me and my race would become strong, and dedicate our lives to binding and staving off evil to maintain peace throughout the rest of the dimensional universe.

*Regular POV*

Grand Ruler sighed heavily, and Lightning was at a loss for worse, while Krysta blew her little nose "That's so beautiful and sad!" she sobbed.

Lightning then asked, "But sire… now that you've found Equestria, why didn't you go with Rhymey?"

His mentor explained that he couldn't just leave Unicornicopia. "I cannot abandon all my subjects after all this time and all we have endured. I have changed so much, Lightning."

Even still, it had been well over a-thousand years since he had seen Equestria, or Celestia. Even if he were to go back and even if Celestia was still alive… would she recognize him after all this time? Would she even remember him? Would she still have feelings for him? "I really have not much to hope for or expect by going back now."

"Oh, Master!" sighed Lightning.

Grand Ruler just stared at the statue once more. "Celestia…!" he said deep in thought "If only I could… nothing would please me more than to see you again."

"Hey…" Krysta whispered to Lightning "Do you think Rhymey's okay in Equestria?"

"I don't know." said Lightning.